thedenverpost--2020-09-12--Week 1 NFL Picks: Tom Brady-Drew Brees duel highlights opening games

The Saints are a 3 1/2-point favorite , but throw that out because there won ’ t be any fans rocking the Superdome and making it difficult for Tampa Bay ’ s Tom Brady to communicate .
It will be the first time two quarterbacks in their 40s ( Brady/Drew Brees ) will start in the same game .
The Chargers lost safety Derwin James for the season during training camp ( knee ) .
Look for the Bengals ( three-point underdogs ) and quarterback Joe Burrow to capitalize in his NFL debut .
Each time the Bolts lose , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move to rookie quarterback Justin Herbert .
The Raiders are a three-point favorite , but early in the season , the safe pick is going with teams with continuity .
Carolina has none — new coach ( Matt Rhule ) , new play-caller ( Joe Brady ) and new quarterback ( Teddy Bridgewater ) .
Around the AFC : Ben Roethlisberger returns to Steelers following 2019 elbow surgery No Fun League .
Boo on the NFL office for reportedly nixing potential trades last weekend between New Orleans-Cleveland and Jacksonville-Baltimore .
The target for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jadeveon Clowney .
It sounds like the Browns and Jaguars , respectively , would have signed Clowney for around $ 15 million .
They would have then absorbed the signing bonus ( say $ 5 million ) and flipped him to the Saints and Ravens , respectively , for a decent draft pick ( say second round ) .
But the league office supposedly balked at the “ buying ” of draft picks .
They should reconsider because it would have rewarded ingenuity .
Clowney signed with Tennessee .
Big Ben returns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ visits the New York Giants .
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will start for the first time since elbow surgery cost him the final 14 games of last year .
“ You always have a little bit of jitters and nerves for the first game , but the way I feel now is more than I ’ ve felt in a very long time , ” he told reporters .
“ I ’ m sure I ’ m going to be shaking like a leaf ( Monday ) .
” Roethlisberger turned 38 in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
7 ; backup Mason Rudolph proved last year he ’ s not the answer .
The Steelers host the Broncos in Week 2 .
Raiders ’ secondary overhaul .
Credit Las Vegas for not being loyal to veterans it signed in free agency .
The Raiders released cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Damarious Randall ( who had $ 1.5 million guaranteed ) and are expected to start one rookie ( cornerback Damon Arnette ) and two second-year players ( safety Johnathan Abram and cornerback Trayvon Mullen ) against Carolina .
Around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Danielle Hunter placed on injured reserve Early loss for Vikings .
Minnesota acquired defensive end Yannick Ngakoue last month feeling he could team with Danielle Hunter as productive edge rushers .
It will happen , but not until at least Week 4 .
Hunter , 25 , was placed on injured reserve Wednesday ( neck ) .
Last year , Hunter became the youngest player in league history to reach 50 sacks ( he has 54 1/2 ) .
The loss is significant because the Vikings face Aaron Rodgers ( Green Bay ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ryan Tannehill ( Tennessee ) in the first three weeks .
Panthers turnover .
Carolina hit the reset button during the offseason , hiring coach Matt Rhule from Baylor .
How different is the roster ?
Only one of their team captains was a captain for the Panthers last year ( defensive tackle Kawann Short ) .
The other captains are quarterback Teddy Bridgewater ( New Orleans last year ) , running back Christian McCaffrey , left tackle Russell Okung ( Chargers in ’ 19 ) and linebackers Shaq Thompson and Tahir Whitehead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By comparison , only one of Houston ’ s seven captains is new to the team ( Michael Thomas ) .
Ramsey gets paid .
Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey signed his five-year , $ 100 million contract ( $ 71.2 million ) on Thursday , something he had been talking about since he was a rookie for Jacksonville back in 2016 .
The Jaguars fleeced the Rams for two first-round picks in the Ramsey trade .
Will the contract make Ramsey happy ?
Until the next cornerback signs a deal that exceeds his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rams will have three players with cap numbers of at least $ 20 million — Ramsey ( $ 22.5 million ) , quarterback Jared Goff ( $ 34.625 million — yikes ) and defensive tackle Aaron Donald ( $ 27.872 million ) .

Game of the Week
Tampa Bay at New Orleans
The Saints are a 3 1/2-point favorite, but throw that out because there won’t be any fans rocking the Superdome and making it difficult for Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady to communicate. It will be the first time two quarterbacks in their 40s (Brady/Drew Brees) will start in the same game.
Buccaneers 34, Saints 30
Upset of the Week
L.A. Chargers at Cincinnati
The Chargers lost safety Derwin James for the season during training camp (knee). Look for the Bengals (three-point underdogs) and quarterback Joe Burrow to capitalize in his NFL debut. Each time the Bolts lose, the closer we are to the eventual move to rookie quarterback Justin Herbert.
Bengals 24, Chargers 20
Lock of the Week
Las Vegas at Carolina
The Raiders are a three-point favorite, but early in the season, the safe pick is going with teams with continuity. Carolina has none — new coach (Matt Rhule), new play-caller (Joe Brady) and new quarterback (Teddy Bridgewater).
Raiders 27, Panthers 17
Around the AFC: Ben Roethlisberger returns to Steelers following 2019 elbow surgery
Around the AFC
No Fun League. Boo on the NFL office for reportedly nixing potential trades last weekend between New Orleans-Cleveland and Jacksonville-Baltimore. The target for the Saints and Ravens was outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney. It sounds like the Browns and Jaguars, respectively, would have signed Clowney for around $15 million. They would have then absorbed the signing bonus (say $5 million) and flipped him to the Saints and Ravens, respectively, for a decent draft pick (say second round). But the league office supposedly balked at the “buying” of draft picks. They should reconsider because it would have rewarded ingenuity. Clowney signed with Tennessee.
Big Ben returns. Before the Titans-Broncos nightcap Monday, Pittsburgh visits the New York Giants. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will start for the first time since elbow surgery cost him the final 14 games of last year. “You always have a little bit of jitters and nerves for the first game, but the way I feel now is more than I’ve felt in a very long time,” he told reporters. “I’m sure I’m going to be shaking like a leaf (Monday).” Roethlisberger turned 38 in the offseason and Pittsburgh remains all-in on No. 7; backup Mason Rudolph proved last year he’s not the answer. The Steelers host the Broncos in Week 2.
Raiders’ secondary overhaul. Credit Las Vegas for not being loyal to veterans it signed in free agency. The Raiders released cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Damarious Randall (who had $1.5 million guaranteed) and are expected to start one rookie (cornerback Damon Arnette) and two second-year players (safety Johnathan Abram and cornerback Trayvon Mullen) against Carolina.
Around the NFC: Early loss for Vikings as Danielle Hunter placed on injured reserve
Around the NFC
Early loss for Vikings. Minnesota acquired defensive end Yannick Ngakoue last month feeling he could team with Danielle Hunter as productive edge rushers. It will happen, but not until at least Week 4. Hunter, 25, was placed on injured reserve Wednesday (neck). Last year, Hunter became the youngest player in league history to reach 50 sacks (he has 54 1/2). The loss is significant because the Vikings face Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay), Philip Rivers (Indianapolis) and Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee) in the first three weeks.
Panthers turnover. Carolina hit the reset button during the offseason, hiring coach Matt Rhule from Baylor. How different is the roster? Only one of their team captains was a captain for the Panthers last year (defensive tackle Kawann Short). The other captains are quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (New Orleans last year), running back Christian McCaffrey, left tackle Russell Okung (Chargers in ’19) and linebackers Shaq Thompson and Tahir Whitehead (Raiders in ’19). By comparison, only one of Houston’s seven captains is new to the team (Michael Thomas).
Ramsey gets paid. Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey signed his five-year, $100 million contract ($71.2 million) on Thursday, something he had been talking about since he was a rookie for Jacksonville back in 2016. The Jaguars fleeced the Rams for two first-round picks in the Ramsey trade. Will the contract make Ramsey happy? Until the next cornerback signs a deal that exceeds his annual average. In 2021, the Rams will have three players with cap numbers of at least $20 million — Ramsey ($22.5 million), quarterback Jared Goff ($34.625 million — yikes) and defensive tackle Aaron Donald ($27.872 million).


thedenverpost--2020-09-12--Keeler: The Broncos are back. And this one’s for the fans — doctors, nurses, firefighters — who are

Keeler: The Broncos are back. And this one’s for the fans — doctors, nurses, firefighters — who are the real MVPs of 2020.

At the nadir , he went home , cracked open a beer and watched a tape of the 1977 AFC championship game .
This was April .
Jamie Teumer had just finished a shift in the emergency room at UCHealth in Greeley , a front-row seat on the apex of COVID-19 ’ s merciless first wave .
“ It was just overwhelming , ” Teumer recalled .
“ I came back after a horrible shift and I remember telling my wife , at one point and time , that we had 20 beds in that ER and three-quarters of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitting three of them absolutely knowing they weren ’ t going to walk out of the hospital alive .
Their families weren ’ t allowed to see them .
They were never going to see them alive ever again .
“ And I remember coming home that day just very bewildered .
And for whatever reason , I came home and I had a bunch of tapes of Broncos games and I just threw one in the machine .
I thought , ‘ Ya know , I just need something.
’ I got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Broncos.
” Haven Moses .
Craig Morton .
Denver 20 , Oakland 17 .
A victory that punched the franchise ’ s first ticket to the Super Bowl , a moment that turned the corner for generations to come .
After hours drowning in reality ’ s abyss , Red Miller helped Teumer swim back to daylight again .
“ And I thought , ‘ Do you know what ?
They ’ ve got to play , ’ ” said Teumer , medical director at UCHealth ’ s Medical Center of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two decades .
“ Because we desperately need this.
” This one ’ s for Jamie .
Monday night at Mile High is for the first-responders , for the doctors , the nurses , the firefighters , the police , the community organizers , the teachers , the shelf-stockers .
Without you , none of this happens .
Without you , none of this matters .
Pandemics .
Protests in the streets .
A state on fire .
We ’ ve spent six months re-living the greatest hits of 1918 and 1968 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody who sacrificed souls and sanity to keep us safe , to keep us healthy , while everything we took for granted went to Hell in two handbaskets .
This one ’ s for Emily Garner .
Most of you know her as Broncos fan “ Rescue Rob ” Garner ’ s better half .
But in a year that saw Rob honored with a display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton , Ohio , it ’ s Emily , a registered nurse with UCHealth and manager of the emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been the household ’ s true 2020 MVP .
“ In the days between April and June , I was at work all the time , ” said Emily , whose shifts that ran as long as 16 hours in the spring .
“ I would stay late and get up early and go back .
There were times I didn ’ t see my family for days .
During April and May , it was a blur .
Just a total blur.
” As of Sept. 10 , Weld County ranked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 4,245 ) and in COVID-19-related deaths ( 149 ) .
Among Garner ’ s duties were traffic-copping more than 50 staffers .
Despite the volume of COVID positives from April through June , not a one under her watch contracted the virus while on duty with the emergency department .
“ And that was so important to me , because we did so much to make sure they were safe , ” Garner said .
“ That zero of my team members got it , I was so proud of that.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldiering on , nose swabs and all , even if being away from Empower Field on Monday feels like about 17 levels of wrong .
So much of what makes Mile High Mile High is you .
Phillip Lindsay pushing for an extra yard .
An opposing coach , enraged , forced to burn a timeout .
A rookie quarterback looking up into all that orange , all that chaos , and wondering what he ever did to deserve this .
“ It ’ s different , ” she said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not having the loud stadium cheering for them.
” And for one player in particular .
En route to Miami by plane for Super Bowl LIV , Emily and her son , Cannon , recognized a tall , strapping fella a few seats over .
Drew Lock .
“ I said , ‘ Hey , I ’ m looking forward to seeing you this season , ’ ” Emily said .
“ He was like , ‘ Thanks , yeah , I ’ m so glad you watch us.
’ He was so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s just a cool guy .
He was playing with my 9-year-old.
” Cannon Garner now owns a Lock replica jersey .
Loves it .
Fan for life .
“ I can ’ t wait to watch the game , ” Emily said .
“ I ’ m so pumped to see it .
It ’ s just a peek at normalcy , you know what I mean ?
We need that right now .
We want that normalcy.
” This one ’ s for Jason Mantas , a captain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Broncos lifer .
Dude got the bug at old Mile High at the age of 10 , during a Broncos-Raiders game in which Lyle Alzado got so incensed over the names and debris tossed in his direction that he started crawling up into the crowd , like one of the Hanson Brothers in the movie “ Slap Shot.
” Denver police surrounded the field on horseback and Jason ’ s mom suggested that they leave early to beat the postgame chaos .
The kid was having none of it .
They were staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , man , it ’ s just one of those years , ” said Mantas , a season-ticket holder for 20 autumns now .
“ We finally put everything together and it looks like the defense is going to be great and ( Von ) Miller gets hurt , and Courtland Sutton gets hurt .
I ’ m like , ‘ Man.
’ “ I ’ m so excited that the NFL has been able to figure this out and manage a way to play the game .
It ’ s just something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel like this whole year , since March , has just been really weird.
” The weirdest came in July , when Jason , his wife , Michelle , and daughter , Mia , all contracted the coronavirus .
They spent 14 days in quarantine .
Mantas missed 22 consecutive days of work .
Fortunately , everyone ’ s symptoms were mild — chills , fever , fatigue , with no serious complications .
“ You ’ d come home ( from work ) every day and you ’ d think , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t catch it , ’ ” Teumer said .
“ And I was scared because one of our grandkids lived in town .
We babysat her two days a week , and for a while , I had to keep my distance .
And that was really frustrating.
” His granddaughter will be 1 soon .
The Broncos are back .
The world finally makes sense again .
If only for a few hours .
“ I ’ ve been through three epidemics and a pandemic , ” Teumer said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : ‘ You will never see something like this ever again.
’ ” Thank the stars for that .
Thank every last , beautiful , blessed twinkle .

At the nadir, he went home, cracked open a beer and watched a tape of the 1977 AFC championship game.
This was April. Jamie Teumer had just finished a shift in the emergency room at UCHealth in Greeley, a front-row seat on the apex of COVID-19’s merciless first wave.
“It was just overwhelming,” Teumer recalled. “I came back after a horrible shift and I remember telling my wife, at one point and time, that we had 20 beds in that ER and three-quarters of those beds had COVID patients. I remember admitting three of them absolutely knowing they weren’t going to walk out of the hospital alive. Their families weren’t allowed to see them. They were never going to see them alive ever again.
“And I remember coming home that day just very bewildered. And for whatever reason, I came home and I had a bunch of tapes of Broncos games and I just threw one in the machine. I thought, ‘Ya know, I just need something.’ I got an ice-cold beer and sat down with the Broncos.”
Haven Moses. Craig Morton. Denver 20, Oakland 17. A victory that punched the franchise’s first ticket to the Super Bowl, a moment that turned the corner for generations to come. After hours drowning in reality’s abyss, Red Miller helped Teumer swim back to daylight again.
“And I thought, ‘Do you know what? They’ve got to play,’” said Teumer, medical director at UCHealth’s Medical Center of the Rockies and a Broncos season-ticket holder for two decades. “Because we desperately need this.”
This one’s for Jamie. Monday night at Mile High is for the first-responders, for the doctors, the nurses, the firefighters, the police, the community organizers, the teachers, the shelf-stockers. Without you, none of this happens. Without you, none of this matters.
Pandemics. Protests in the streets. A state on fire. We’ve spent six months re-living the greatest hits of 1918 and 1968, haymaker after haymaker. Broncos-Titans is for everybody who sacrificed souls and sanity to keep us safe, to keep us healthy, while everything we took for granted went to Hell in two handbaskets.
* * *
This one’s for Emily Garner. Most of you know her as Broncos fan “Rescue Rob” Garner’s better half. But in a year that saw Rob honored with a display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, it’s Emily, a registered nurse with UCHealth and manager of the emergency department at Greeley Hospital, who’s been the household’s true 2020 MVP.
“In the days between April and June, I was at work all the time,” said Emily, whose shifts that ran as long as 16 hours in the spring. “I would stay late and get up early and go back. There were times I didn’t see my family for days. During April and May, it was a blur. Just a total blur.”
As of Sept. 10, Weld County ranked sixth among Colorado counties in coronavirus cases (4,245) and in COVID-19-related deaths (149). Among Garner’s duties were traffic-copping more than 50 staffers. Despite the volume of COVID positives from April through June, not a one under her watch contracted the virus while on duty with the emergency department.
“And that was so important to me, because we did so much to make sure they were safe,” Garner said. “That zero of my team members got it, I was so proud of that.”
She’s proud of the Broncos soldiering on, nose swabs and all, even if being away from Empower Field on Monday feels like about 17 levels of wrong. So much of what makes Mile High Mile High is you. Phillip Lindsay pushing for an extra yard. An opposing coach, enraged, forced to burn a timeout. A rookie quarterback looking up into all that orange, all that chaos, and wondering what he ever did to deserve this.
“It’s different,” she said. “I feel really bad for the players, not having the loud stadium cheering for them.”
And for one player in particular. En route to Miami by plane for Super Bowl LIV, Emily and her son, Cannon, recognized a tall, strapping fella a few seats over. Drew Lock.
“I said, ‘Hey, I’m looking forward to seeing you this season,’” Emily said. “He was like, ‘Thanks, yeah, I’m so glad you watch us.’ He was so nice. He’s just down-to-Earth. He’s just a cool guy. He was playing with my 9-year-old.”
Cannon Garner now owns a Lock replica jersey. Loves it. Fan for life.
“I can’t wait to watch the game,” Emily said. “I’m so pumped to see it. It’s just a peek at normalcy, you know what I mean? We need that right now. We want that normalcy.”
* * *
This one’s for Jason Mantas, a captain with the Poudre Fire Authority and another Broncos lifer. Dude got the bug at old Mile High at the age of 10, during a Broncos-Raiders game in which Lyle Alzado got so incensed over the names and debris tossed in his direction that he started crawling up into the crowd, like one of the Hanson Brothers in the movie “Slap Shot.”
Denver police surrounded the field on horseback and Jason’s mom suggested that they leave early to beat the postgame chaos. The kid was having none of it. They were staying. He was hooked.
“2020, man, it’s just one of those years,” said Mantas, a season-ticket holder for 20 autumns now. “We finally put everything together and it looks like the defense is going to be great and (Von) Miller gets hurt, and Courtland Sutton gets hurt. I’m like, ‘Man.’
“I’m so excited that the NFL has been able to figure this out and manage a way to play the game. It’s just something that, for me, personally, I feel like this whole year, since March, has just been really weird.”
The weirdest came in July, when Jason, his wife, Michelle, and daughter, Mia, all contracted the coronavirus. They spent 14 days in quarantine. Mantas missed 22 consecutive days of work. Fortunately, everyone’s symptoms were mild — chills, fever, fatigue, with no serious complications.
“You’d come home (from work) every day and you’d think, ‘God, I hope I didn’t catch it,’” Teumer said. “And I was scared because one of our grandkids lived in town. We babysat her two days a week, and for a while, I had to keep my distance. And that was really frustrating.”
His granddaughter will be 1 soon. The Broncos are back. The world finally makes sense again. If only for a few hours.
“I’ve been through three epidemics and a pandemic,” Teumer said. “I always tell the younger people here: ‘You will never see something like this ever again.’”
Thank the stars for that. Thank every last, beautiful, blessed twinkle.


thedenverpost--2020-09-13--Smoke chokes West Coast as wildfire deaths keep climbing

SALEM , Ore. — Wildfire smoke that posed a health hazard to millions choked the West Coast on Saturday as firefighters battled deadly blazes that obliterated some towns and displaced tens of thousands of people , the latest in a series of calamities this year .
For people already enduring the coronavirus pandemic , the resulting economic fallout and political tensions evident in the Black Lives Matter protests and far-right counter protests , the fires added a new layer of misery .
“ What ’ s next ?
You have the protests , coronavirus pandemic , now the wildfires .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lamented Danielle Oliver , 40 , of Happy Valley , southeast of Portland .
The death toll from the fires in California , Oregon and Washington stood at 28 and was expected to rise sharply .
Most of the fatalities were in California and Oregon .
Oregon ’ s emergency management director said officials were preparing for a possible “ mass fatality event ” if many more bodies turn up in the ash .
And the state fire marshal resigned after abruptly being placed on administrative leave .
The state police superintendent said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required a leadership change .
Oliver has an autoimmune disorder that makes her vulnerable to wildfire smoke , so she agreed to evacuate .
She was nervous about going to a shelter because of the virus , but sleeping in a car with her husband , 15-year-daughter , two dogs and a cat was not a viable option .
The temperature checks and social distancing at the American Red Cross shelter helped put her mind at ease .
Now the family waits , hoping their house will survive .
She has previously experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m tired of starting all over .
Getting everything , working for everything , then losing everything , ” she said .
Those who still had homes were not safe in them .
A half-million Oregonians were under evacuation warnings or orders to leave .
With air contamination levels at historic highs , people stuffed towels under door jambs to keep smoke out .
Some even wore N95 masks in their own homes .
Some communities resembled the bombed-out cities of Europe after World War II , with buildings reduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Residents either managed to flee as the flames closed in , or perished .
Millicent Catarancuic ’ s body was found near a car on her 5-acre property in Berry Creek , California .
The flames came so quickly she did not have time to get out .
On Tuesday , she packed several of her dogs and cats in the car but later called her daughter to say she decided to stay .
Firefighters had made progress battling the blaze .
The wind was calm .
The flames still seemed far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property .
“ I feel like , maybe when they passed , they had an army of cats and dogs with her to help her through it , ” said her daughter , Holly Catarancuic .
In Oregon alone , more than 40,000 people have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones , Gov .
Kate Brown said .
Fires along Oregon ’ s Cascade Range grew Saturday , but at a slower rate than earlier in the week , when strong easterly winds acted like a bellows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beachie Creek Fire and the Riverside Fire — toward each other and the state ’ s major population centers , including Portland ’ s southeastern suburbs .
Fire managers did get a spot of good news : Higher humidity slowed the flames considerably .
In California , a total of 28 active major fires have burned 4,375 square miles , and 16,000 firefighters are trying to suppress the flames , Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director Daniel Berlant said .
Large wildfires continued to burn in northeastern Washington state too .
In all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfires began breaking out across the state in mid-August .
President Donald Trump will visit California on Monday for a briefing on the West Coast fires , the White House announced .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and the governors of California , Oregon and Washington state — all Democrats — have said the fires are a consequence of global warming .
“ We absolutely must act now to avoid a future defined by an unending barrage of tragedies like the one American families are enduring across the West today , ” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California skies orange also helped crews corral the state ’ s deadliest blaze of the year by blocking the sun , reducing temperatures and raising humidity , officials said .
Smoke created cooler conditions in Oregon too , but it was also blamed for making the dirtiest air in at least 35 years in some places .
The air quality index reading Saturday morning in Salem , the state capital , was 512 .
The scale normally goes from zero to 500 .
“ Above 500 is literally off the charts , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality .
Because past air quality was never so poor , the government ’ s yardstick for measuring it capped out at 500 , Gleim said .
The department started monitoring in 1985 .
The weather conditions that led up to the fires and fed the flames were likely a once-in-a-generation event , said Greg Jones , a professor and research climatologist at Linfield University in McMinnville , Oregon .
A large high-pressure area stretching from the desert Southwest to Alaska brought strong winds from the east toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to as low as 8 % and bringing desert-like conditions , even to the coast , Jones said .
Instead of the offshore flows that the Pacific Northwest normally enjoys , the strong easterly winds pushed fires down the western slopes of the Cascade Range .
It isn ’ t clear if global warming caused the conditions , Jones said , but a warmer world can increase the likelihood of extreme events and contribute to their severity .
The smoke in Portland filled the air with an acrid metallic scent like dull pennies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kreitzer could not see the road when she headed out to work as a ride-hailing driver .
“ I couldn ’ t even see five feet ahead of me , ” she said .
“ I was panicking , I didn ’ t even know if I wanted to go out.
” George Coble had no home to return to .
He came with some of his employees Saturday to a wasteland of charred tree trunks just outside Mill City , Oregon .
Coble lost everything : his fence-and-post business , five houses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including a 1967 Mustang .
The family – three generations that lived in the compound — evacuated with seven people , three horses , five dogs and a cat .
“ We ’ ll just keep working and keep your head up and thank God everybody got out , ” Coble said .
“ There are other people that lost their family .
Just be thankful for what you did get out with.
” Whitehurst reported from Portland .
Associated Press writers Gillian Flaccus in Mill City , Oregon , Gene Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , California , contributed to this report .

SALEM, Ore. — Wildfire smoke that posed a health hazard to millions choked the West Coast on Saturday as firefighters battled deadly blazes that obliterated some towns and displaced tens of thousands of people, the latest in a series of calamities this year.
For people already enduring the coronavirus pandemic, the resulting economic fallout and political tensions evident in the Black Lives Matter protests and far-right counter protests, the fires added a new layer of misery.
“What’s next? You have the protests, coronavirus pandemic, now the wildfires. What else can go wrong?” lamented Danielle Oliver, 40, of Happy Valley, southeast of Portland.
The death toll from the fires in California, Oregon and Washington stood at 28 and was expected to rise sharply. Most of the fatalities were in California and Oregon.
Oregon’s emergency management director said officials were preparing for a possible “mass fatality event” if many more bodies turn up in the ash. And the state fire marshal resigned after abruptly being placed on administrative leave. The state police superintendent said the crisis demanded an urgent response that required a leadership change.
Oliver has an autoimmune disorder that makes her vulnerable to wildfire smoke, so she agreed to evacuate. She was nervous about going to a shelter because of the virus, but sleeping in a car with her husband, 15-year-daughter, two dogs and a cat was not a viable option.
The temperature checks and social distancing at the American Red Cross shelter helped put her mind at ease. Now the family waits, hoping their house will survive. She has previously experienced homelessness.
“I’m tired. I’m tired of starting all over. Getting everything, working for everything, then losing everything,” she said.
Those who still had homes were not safe in them. A half-million Oregonians were under evacuation warnings or orders to leave. With air contamination levels at historic highs, people stuffed towels under door jambs to keep smoke out. Some even wore N95 masks in their own homes.
Some communities resembled the bombed-out cities of Europe after World War II, with buildings reduced to charred rubble piled atop blackened earth. Residents either managed to flee as the flames closed in, or perished.
Millicent Catarancuic’s body was found near a car on her 5-acre property in Berry Creek, California. The flames came so quickly she did not have time to get out.
On Tuesday, she packed several of her dogs and cats in the car but later called her daughter to say she decided to stay. Firefighters had made progress battling the blaze. The wind was calm. The flames still seemed far away. Then they rushed onto the property.
“I feel like, maybe when they passed, they had an army of cats and dogs with her to help her through it,” said her daughter, Holly Catarancuic.
In Oregon alone, more than 40,000 people have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, Gov. Kate Brown said.
Fires along Oregon’s Cascade Range grew Saturday, but at a slower rate than earlier in the week, when strong easterly winds acted like a bellows, pushing two large fires — the Beachie Creek Fire and the Riverside Fire — toward each other and the state’s major population centers, including Portland’s southeastern suburbs.
Fire managers did get a spot of good news: Higher humidity slowed the flames considerably.
In California, a total of 28 active major fires have burned 4,375 square miles, and 16,000 firefighters are trying to suppress the flames, Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director Daniel Berlant said. Large wildfires continued to burn in northeastern Washington state too.
In all, 19 people have died in California since wildfires began breaking out across the state in mid-August.
President Donald Trump will visit California on Monday for a briefing on the West Coast fires, the White House announced.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and the governors of California, Oregon and Washington state — all Democrats — have said the fires are a consequence of global warming.
“We absolutely must act now to avoid a future defined by an unending barrage of tragedies like the one American families are enduring across the West today,” Biden said.
The same smoke that painted California skies orange also helped crews corral the state’s deadliest blaze of the year by blocking the sun, reducing temperatures and raising humidity, officials said.
Smoke created cooler conditions in Oregon too, but it was also blamed for making the dirtiest air in at least 35 years in some places. The air quality index reading Saturday morning in Salem, the state capital, was 512.
The scale normally goes from zero to 500.
“Above 500 is literally off the charts,” said Laura Gleim, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
Because past air quality was never so poor, the government’s yardstick for measuring it capped out at 500, Gleim said. The department started monitoring in 1985.
The weather conditions that led up to the fires and fed the flames were likely a once-in-a-generation event, said Greg Jones, a professor and research climatologist at Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon.
A large high-pressure area stretching from the desert Southwest to Alaska brought strong winds from the east toward the West Coast, reducing relative humidity to as low as 8% and bringing desert-like conditions, even to the coast, Jones said.
Instead of the offshore flows that the Pacific Northwest normally enjoys, the strong easterly winds pushed fires down the western slopes of the Cascade Range.
It isn’t clear if global warming caused the conditions, Jones said, but a warmer world can increase the likelihood of extreme events and contribute to their severity.
The smoke in Portland filled the air with an acrid metallic scent like dull pennies. It was so thick that Ashley Kreitzer could not see the road when she headed out to work as a ride-hailing driver.
“I couldn’t even see five feet ahead of me,” she said. “I was panicking, I didn’t even know if I wanted to go out.”
George Coble had no home to return to. He came with some of his employees Saturday to a wasteland of charred tree trunks just outside Mill City, Oregon. Coble lost everything: his fence-and-post business, five houses in a family compound and vintage cars, including a 1967 Mustang.
The family – three generations that lived in the compound — evacuated with seven people, three horses, five dogs and a cat.
“We’ll just keep working and keep your head up and thank God everybody got out,” Coble said. “There are other people that lost their family. Just be thankful for what you did get out with.”
___
Whitehurst reported from Portland. Associated Press writers Gillian Flaccus in Mill City, Oregon, Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Beam in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-09-13--Cherry Creek two-sport star Julian Hammond III commits to CU Buffs basketball

A day after one Cherry Creek High School senior committed to play for a school out of state , another decided to stay close to home .
Julian Hammond III , an all-state selection for the Bruins football and basketball teams , announced his commitment to the CU Buffs basketball program on Twitter early Saturday night .
“ Blessed to announce that I am committed to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Colorado !
Thank you @ CUBuffsMBB for the opportunity and every coach that has recruited me , ” the 6-foot-2 guard tweeted .
Hammond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of his past two seasons at Cherry Creek , including averages of 21.9 points , 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a first-team Class 5A all-state pick in 2019-20 .
He was also the starting quarterback for last year ’ s Class 5A state championship team , compiling 2,354 yards and 28 touchdowns on 187-of-298 passing with only seven interceptions .
Hammond ’ s roots , however , are deeper on the basketball court .
His grandfather , who goes by the same name , played forward for the Denver Rockets from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebounds during his time in the ABA .
A day earlier , fellow Cherry Creek senior Al Ashford III committed to the Wisconsin football program .
The 6-foot-1 cornerback chose the Badgers over several FCS programs , including Colorado , Colorado State , Washington State , Wyoming and North Carolina State .

A day after one Cherry Creek High School senior committed to play for a school out of state, another decided to stay close to home.
Julian Hammond III, an all-state selection for the Bruins football and basketball teams, announced his commitment to the CU Buffs basketball program on Twitter early Saturday night.
“Blessed to announce that I am committed to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Colorado! Thank you @CUBuffsMBB for the opportunity and every coach that has recruited me,” the 6-foot-2 guard tweeted.
Hammond has averaged 20-plus points per game in each of his past two seasons at Cherry Creek, including averages of 21.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a first-team Class 5A all-state pick in 2019-20. He was also the starting quarterback for last year’s Class 5A state championship team, compiling 2,354 yards and 28 touchdowns on 187-of-298 passing with only seven interceptions.
Hammond’s roots, however, are deeper on the basketball court. His grandfather, who goes by the same name, played forward for the Denver Rockets from 1967-72, averaging 10.8 points and 6.2 rebounds during his time in the ABA.
A day earlier, fellow Cherry Creek senior Al Ashford III committed to the Wisconsin football program. The 6-foot-1 cornerback chose the Badgers over several FBS programs, including Colorado, Colorado State, Washington State, Wyoming and North Carolina State.


thedenverpost--2020-09-13--Kiszla: Nuggets might not win championship rings, but they’re already NBA kings of Groundhog Day

If the NBA bubble were a movie , it wouldn ’ t be a Disney cartoon .
It would be “ Groundhog Day.
” And Nuggets center Nikola Jokic , a bigger joker than Bill Murray , would be cast in the lead role .
Don ’ t get me wrong .
The NBA bubble is not a bad place , but it ’ s definitely a weird place .
Every morning , now 68 or 69 days in a row , Jokic awakes in a luxury hotel and throws back the covers of his 800-thread count sheets .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bathroom to breakfast to ‘ Rona test to bus to arena to bus to video game to sleep , all accompanied by the never-ending beat of Sonny and Cher singing : “ I Got You Babe.
” “ It ’ s kind of : ‘ Uhh !
’ Just chilling , ” Jokic said Saturday .
“ It ’ s a little bit boring.
” Against all odds , and despite all the boredom , what ’ s keeping Denver alive in the NBA playoffs ?
“ The bubble ’ s not easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said .
“ To be down here 67 , 68 days now away from our families makes it extremely hard.
” So why hasn ’ t Denver packed it in and left ?
One way or another , the Nuggets live to see another Groundhog Day .
For what seems like an eternity now , every day is elimination day for Denver .
Lose and the Nuggets can go home .
Yet they stubbornly refuse .
Heading into Game 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers , Jokic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of their playoff run .
Not to suggest the Nuggets might be losing a grip on reality after being held captive in the House of the Mouse for more than two months , but Joker began tripping while trying to determine the source of his newfound skills as a shot-blocker .
“ Last two days , my vertical grows so much .
It ’ s amazing .
I don ’ t know how much .
I am jumping so high , ” Joker cracked .
Get out of here , Dumbo .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ next ?
That an elephant can fly ?
“ His vertical did not improve , I can tell you that much , ” said Nuggets guard Torrey Craig , bringing Jokic gently back down to reality .
OK , I know what you ’ re thinking .
During a year when nearly 200,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and millions more have been left unemployed by the pandemic , nobody ’ s going to cry a lazy river for rich athletes holed up at Disney World .
Having visited the campus 10 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report : The NBA bubble is an alternate reality capable of messing with anyone ’ s mind .
There ’ s the fake crowd noise pumped in during games , the arena that feels more like a game-show studio , and this confession from Lakers star LeBron James : “ There ’ s not one person who hasn ’ t ( thought ) : “ I ’ ve got to get the hell out of here . '
” Hanging out at Disney with Aladdin for a long weekend might be the vacation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of living in “ It ’ s a Small World , ” the normalcy of sweeping the garage back home starts to look like heaven .
“ To be honest , ” Jokic said , “ a little bit in the bubble , every day is the same.
” There is a moment in Groundhog Day , the classic 1993 comedy , when a TV weatherman portrayed by Murray sits in a diner , lamenting the possibility of being stuck in a cold , gray Pennsylvania town , where nothing changes from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I was in the Virgin Islands once .
I met a girl .
We ate lobster , drank pina coladas .
At sunset we made love like sea otters , ” muses Phil Conners , hand wrapped around a cup of stale coffee at the counter .
“ That was a pretty good day .
Why couldn ’ t I get that day over and over ?
” Now , I don ’ t pretend to know if Houston Rockets forward Danuel House had a hankering for lobster .
But he got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protocols .
Not judging , just saying : What Denver has done to stay alive is even more amazing than you might think .
The Nuggets fell behind 3-1 in the opening-round series to Utah , yet refused to leave .
Down 3-1 in this series against the heavily favored Clippers , Denver won Game 5 , despite trailing by 16 points in the first half .
“ When you find yourself in elimination games , the easy thing to do , the convenient thing to do would be to let go .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Put me out of my misery , Get me out of here .
I want to go home , ' ” Malone said .
“ The fact that our group has found the intestinal fortitude , that toughness , that grit to say : “ You know what ?
I do not want to go home and see my family .
I am tired of being in the bubble , but you know what ?
I love our team .
I love my teammates .
And we ’ re going to fight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBA champs .
But they ’ re already the kings of Groundhog Day .

Sorry, Pinocchio.
If the NBA bubble were a movie, it wouldn’t be a Disney cartoon. It would be “Groundhog Day.” And Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, a bigger joker than Bill Murray, would be cast in the lead role.
Don’t get me wrong. The NBA bubble is not a bad place, but it’s definitely a weird place.
Every morning, now 68 or 69 days in a row, Jokic awakes in a luxury hotel and throws back the covers of his 800-thread count sheets. Then Joker retraces exactly the same steps from bathroom to breakfast to ‘Rona test to bus to arena to bus to video game to sleep, all accompanied by the never-ending beat of Sonny and Cher singing: “I Got You Babe.”
“It’s kind of: ‘Uhh!’ Just chillin’,” Jokic said Saturday. “It’s a little bit boring.”
Against all odds, and despite all the boredom, what’s keeping Denver alive in the NBA playoffs?
“The bubble’s not easy. It’s really not,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “To be down here 67, 68 days now away from our families makes it extremely hard.”
So why hasn’t Denver packed it in and left?
I call it the Punxsutawney Phil Plan.
One way or another, the Nuggets live to see another Groundhog Day.
For what seems like an eternity now, every day is elimination day for Denver. Lose and the Nuggets can go home.
Yet they stubbornly refuse. Heading into Game 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers, Jokic and his teammates are 4-0 when facing the end of their playoff run.
Not to suggest the Nuggets might be losing a grip on reality after being held captive in the House of the Mouse for more than two months, but Joker began tripping while trying to determine the source of his newfound skills as a shot-blocker.
“Last two days, my vertical grows so much. It’s amazing. I don’t know how much. I am jumping so high,” Joker cracked.
The Joker? A gravity-defying skywalker?
Get out of here, Dumbo. What are you going to tell me next? That an elephant can fly?
“His vertical did not improve, I can tell you that much,” said Nuggets guard Torrey Craig, bringing Jokic gently back down to reality.
OK, I know what you’re thinking. During a year when nearly 200,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and millions more have been left unemployed by the pandemic, nobody’s going to cry a lazy river for rich athletes holed up at Disney World.
Having visited the campus 10 days myself, however, I can authoritatively report: The NBA bubble is an alternate reality capable of messing with anyone’s mind.
There’s the fake crowd noise pumped in during games, the arena that feels more like a game-show studio, and this confession from Lakers star LeBron James: “There’s not one person who hasn’t (thought): “I’ve got to get the hell out of here.'”
Hanging out at Disney with Aladdin for a long weekend might be the vacation of a lifetime. But after six weeks of living in “It’s a Small World,” the normalcy of sweeping the garage back home starts to look like heaven.
Bubble life?
“To be honest,” Jokic said, “a little bit in the bubble, every day is the same.”
There is a moment in Groundhog Day, the classic 1993 comedy, when a TV weatherman portrayed by Murray sits in a diner, lamenting the possibility of being stuck in a cold, gray Pennsylvania town, where nothing changes from day to day, for eternity.
“I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster, drank pina coladas. At sunset we made love like sea otters,” muses Phil Conners, hand wrapped around a cup of stale coffee at the counter. “That was a pretty good day. Why couldn’t I get that day over and over?”
Now, I don’t pretend to know if Houston Rockets forward Danuel House had a hankering for lobster. But he got booted from the tourney for violating bubble protocols.
Not judging, just saying: What Denver has done to stay alive is even more amazing than you might think.
The Nuggets fell behind 3-1 in the opening-round series to Utah, yet refused to leave.
Down 3-1 in this series against the heavily favored Clippers, Denver won Game 5, despite trailing by 16 points in the first half.
“When you find yourself in elimination games, the easy thing to do, the convenient thing to do would be to let go. Say: ‘You know what? Put me out of my misery, Get me out of here. I want to go home,'” Malone said.
“The fact that our group has found the intestinal fortitude, that toughness, that grit to say: “You know what? I do not want to go home and see my family. I am tired of being in the bubble, but you know what? I love our team. I love my teammates. And we’re going to fight.'”
The Nuggets might never be NBA champs.
But they’re already the kings of Groundhog Day.


thedenverpost--2020-09-12--Nuggets stress-free ahead of must-win Game 6: “Everybody’s written us off”

Sometime between Paul Millsap ’ s personal scoring spree , or Mason Plumlee ’ s alley-oop jam , or Michael Porter Jr. ’ s clutch 3-pointer late in Friday ’ s Game 5 , a thought struck Nuggets coach Michael Malone .
“ That second half was so fun , ” Malone proclaimed Saturday , hours after his team fended off elimination for the fourth time this postseason .
Not that their 3-1 comeback against Utah in the first round wasn ’ t an incredible , historical ride in and of itself , but Friday ’ s 16-point comeback against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was different .
It crystallized the ethos of this Nuggets team .
It confirmed all the instances of improbable resilience they ’ d shown this season , from their 7-man win in Salt Lake City , to their road win over the NBA-best Bucks after arriving at the team hotel at an ungodly hour .
And whether their 68-day bubble tour comes to an end in Sunday ’ s Game 6 , or the Nuggets reach yet another Game 7 , Malone is convinced the extended road trip has paid dividends .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new responsibilities for budding star Michael Porter Jr. and new tensions to test themselves .
“ I hope that we ’ re all enjoying this journey that we ’ re on , ” said Malone .
“ Often times , we always get worried about the destination .
And what ’ s our goal ?
Our goal is to win a championship .
And we all can ’ t wait for that to happen , at some point in time , whenever that is , this year or in coming years .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself , because I enjoyed last night .
I enjoyed seeing our guys being down 16 points and fighting back and winning in the manner in which we did it .
So enjoy the journey.
” Malone took immense joy in that it wasn ’ t just Nikola Jokic or Murray who aided their riveting Game 5 win over the Clippers .
Plumlee ’ s screens freed up Murray ’ s looks , and Torrey Craig ’ s hustle set the table for Millsap ’ s buckets .
Monte Morris steadied the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clutch 3-pointers .
Gary Harris used up all six of his fouls grappling with the Clippers .
Against a team heavily favored to win the series , and perhaps the title itself , it took everybody pulling in the same direction , which shouldn ’ t be taken for granted considering the mental toll the bubble has taken on players on every team .
But as indicated by their second-half resolve , the Nuggets haven ’ t booked their tickets for DIA , or Serbia , just yet .
There ’ s perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3-2 , the Clippers already bet the house with the additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George last summer .
The pressure to win is immediate .
The Nuggets , on the other hand , are playing with house money .
“ That team we ’ re playing is a veteran team , who ’ s taken all their chips and put it in the middle of the table and said , ‘ We ’ re all in , ’ ” Malone said .
“ We haven ’ t done that .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building , growing , adding and finding out more and more about our players.
” The reason the Nuggets have hope of forcing yet another Game 7 is the same reason they ’ re a dangerous , plucky outfit , maybe even to a title contender .
“ We have nothing to lose , ” Malone said .
“ Everybody ’ s written us off.
” And before you wonder whether that ’ s Malone spin , or a weak attempt at authoring a narrative , consider Jokic ’ s opinion .
Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inclination at calling it any other way than how he sees it .
Somehow , the naturally laidback All-Star might get even more comfortable facing elimination .
“ How do we do that ?
” he pondered for a second .
“ I think the locker room is a little bit , kind of , looser , funnier , if I can say that , when we are in elimination games .
The guys are , ‘ We ’ re just going to go there and have fun.
’ It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have that much pressure.
” When that ’ s the attitude , it ’ s no wonder they ’ ve gone 5-1 in elimination games over the past two years .
What ’ s there to stress about if there ’ s nothing to lose ?
Jokic and his teammates have flipped the equation , turning all the pressure onto the Clippers heading into Sunday ’ s affair .
If their free and easy style translates to more engrossing comebacks , the Nuggets may yet again find themselves in another Game 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t , the progress they ’ ve made was well worth the price of admission .

Sometime between Paul Millsap’s personal scoring spree, or Mason Plumlee’s alley-oop jam, or Michael Porter Jr.’s clutch 3-pointer late in Friday’s Game 5, a thought struck Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
“That second half was so fun,” Malone proclaimed Saturday, hours after his team fended off elimination for the fourth time this postseason.
Not that their 3-1 comeback against Utah in the first round wasn’t an incredible, historical ride in and of itself, but Friday’s 16-point comeback against the Clippers to force a Game 6 was different.
It crystallized the ethos of this Nuggets team. It confirmed all the instances of improbable resilience they’d shown this season, from their 7-man win in Salt Lake City, to their road win over the NBA-best Bucks after arriving at the team hotel at an ungodly hour.
And whether their 68-day bubble tour comes to an end in Sunday’s Game 6, or the Nuggets reach yet another Game 7, Malone is convinced the extended road trip has paid dividends. That means new heights for Jamal Murray, new responsibilities for budding star Michael Porter Jr. and new tensions to test themselves.
“I hope that we’re all enjoying this journey that we’re on,” said Malone. “Often times, we always get worried about the destination. And what’s our goal? Our goal is to win a championship. And we all can’t wait for that to happen, at some point in time, whenever that is, this year or in coming years. But for me, I have to remind myself, because I enjoyed last night. I enjoyed seeing our guys being down 16 points and fighting back and winning in the manner in which we did it. So enjoy the journey.”
Malone took immense joy in that it wasn’t just Nikola Jokic or Murray who aided their riveting Game 5 win over the Clippers. Plumlee’s screens freed up Murray’s looks, and Torrey Craig’s hustle set the table for Millsap’s buckets. Monte Morris steadied the second unit, and Jerami Grant knocked down clutch 3-pointers. Gary Harris used up all six of his fouls grappling with the Clippers.
Against a team heavily favored to win the series, and perhaps the title itself, it took everybody pulling in the same direction, which shouldn’t be taken for granted considering the mental toll the bubble has taken on players on every team.
But as indicated by their second-half resolve, the Nuggets haven’t booked their tickets for DIA, or Serbia, just yet. There’s perhaps more fun to be had.
Up 3-2, the Clippers already bet the house with the additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George last summer. The pressure to win is immediate. The Nuggets, on the other hand, are playing with house money.
“That team we’re playing is a veteran team, who’s taken all their chips and put it in the middle of the table and said, ‘We’re all in,’” Malone said. “We haven’t done that. We’re still a young team, building, growing, adding and finding out more and more about our players.”
The reason the Nuggets have hope of forcing yet another Game 7 is the same reason they’re a dangerous, plucky outfit, maybe even to a title contender.
“We have nothing to lose,” Malone said. “Everybody’s written us off.”
And before you wonder whether that’s Malone spin, or a weak attempt at authoring a narrative, consider Jokic’s opinion. Their superstar center doesn’t have the inclination at calling it any other way than how he sees it. Somehow, the naturally laidback All-Star might get even more comfortable facing elimination.
“How do we do that?” he pondered for a second. “I think the locker room is a little bit, kind of, looser, funnier, if I can say that, when we are in elimination games. The guys are, ‘We’re just going to go there and have fun.’ It’s a little bit relaxed. We don’t have that much pressure.”
When that’s the attitude, it’s no wonder they’ve gone 5-1 in elimination games over the past two years. What’s there to stress about if there’s nothing to lose? Jokic and his teammates have flipped the equation, turning all the pressure onto the Clippers heading into Sunday’s affair.
If their free and easy style translates to more engrossing comebacks, the Nuggets may yet again find themselves in another Game 7. And even if they don’t, the progress they’ve made was well worth the price of admission.


thedenverpost--2020-09-12--Rockies’ Wade Davis rejoins bullpen after coming off injured list

Former Rockies closer Wade Davis is back for the stretch run of the 2020 season .
What role he might play is yet to be determined .
Davis , 35 , was reinstated from the injured list Saturday before the Rockies hosted the Los Angeles Angels at Coors Field .
Davis has been out with a strained right shoulder since his appearance in the Rockies ’ home opener on July 31 — an 8-7 loss to San Diego at Coors Field .
To make room on the 28-man active roster , Colorado optioned right-hander Ashton Goudeau to its alternate training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long reliever or late in games will depend on his performance .
His shoulder was sore before he went on the IL and his fastball was averaging only 91.2 mph , down from his career average of 93.9 mph and down significantly from the 96.7 mph fastball he threw for Kansas City in 2014 .
Davis converted two saves at Texas to begin this season and had two outs and a one-run lead in the ninth inning against the Padres in the Aug. 31 home opener but surrendered two homers — to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and walked two in the loss .
Since signing a three-year , $ 52 million contract prior to the 2018 season , Davis has gone 4-13 with 60 saves in 70 opportunities in 122 appearances , posting a 6.18 ERA .
He has an 8.01 ERA at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA on the road .
Davis performed well in 2018 when the Rockies made the playoffs and led the National League with 43 saves while posting a 4.13 ERA .
The 2019 season , however , was a disaster .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an 11.10 ERA at Coors Field — the highest home ERA in major-league history .
Still , way back in spring training , the Rockies expressed confidence Davis could rebound and be their closer in 2020 .
“ In a perfect world , Wade is our closer and Scotty ( Oberg ) pitches in front of him in some capacity , ” manager Bud Black said at the time .
“ It ’ s based on Wade ’ s great track record .
That ’ s the perfect scenario.
” But then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the season after experiencing blood clots in his right arm for the third time in four years .
Daniel Bard is Colorado ’ s current closer and , for the most part , he ’ s performed well , with six saves in six opportunities and a 3.79 ERA .
Overall , however , Colorado ’ s bullpen has struggled , owning a 6.90 ERA that is the second-highest in the majors .
Davis revealed in spring training that the strained left oblique that landed him on the injured list May 22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the season .
He admitted that he probably returned too quickly and the injury messed up his delivery .
In 17 appearances before the oblique injury , Davis converted all seven save opportunities , posted a 2.45 ERA and did not allow a home run .
In his 33 appearances after coming off the injured list , he was 0-5 , blew three saves in 11 chances and gave up seven home runs .
Footnotes .
Right-hander Jon Gray , on the IL with shoulder inflammation , threw a light bullpen Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance that Gray can start a game this season .
… Infielder Brendan Rodgers , out with a shoulder injury , continues playing games at the alternative site and was working on infielder drills at Coors Field Saturday afternoon .
On Deck Angels LHP Andrew Heaney ( 3-3 , 4.40 ERA ) at Rockies RHP Ryan Castellani ( 1-2 , 5.34 ) 1:10 p.m. Sunday , Coors Field TV : AT & T SportsNet Radio : KOA 850 AM/94.1 AM Castellani , a 24-year-old rookie , believes he ’ s learned from each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s got to put that education into action as the Rockies enter their stretch run with a playoff berth still possible .
The right-hander did not get a decision in the Rockies ’ 7-6 win at Dodger Stadium last Sunday .
The powerful Dodgers taught him a lesson , blasting three home runs in his 4 1/3 innings .
All told , Castellani allowed four runs on six hits and issued a career-high four walks .
He is 0-2 with a 6.91 ERA in four appearances ( three starts ) at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday at Texas , allowing five runs ( three earned ) on five hits over five innings .
Over his last three starts , the lefty has a 1.83 ERA with 20 strikeouts .
He ’ s allowed three runs or less in six of his nine starts .
In two career games against Colorado , both at Coors Field , he ’ s 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA with 10 strikeouts over 13 1/3 innings .
Trending : Shortstop Trevor Story went 2-for-4 with a triple , a double and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 39 games without multiple RBIs , the third-longest such streak of his career .
At issue : The Rockies continue to get very little offensive pop from their catchers .
Their combined .509 OPS ranks 28th in the majors .

Former Rockies closer Wade Davis is back for the stretch run of the 2020 season. What role he might play is yet to be determined.
Davis, 35, was reinstated from the injured list Saturday before the Rockies hosted the Los Angeles Angels at Coors Field. Davis has been out with a strained right shoulder since his appearance in the Rockies’ home opener on July 31 — an 8-7 loss to San Diego at Coors Field.
To make room on the 28-man active roster, Colorado optioned right-hander Ashton Goudeau to its alternate training site.
If Davis is used as a long reliever or late in games will depend on his performance. His shoulder was sore before he went on the IL and his fastball was averaging only 91.2 mph, down from his career average of 93.9 mph and down significantly from the 96.7 mph fastball he threw for Kansas City in 2014.
Davis converted two saves at Texas to begin this season and had two outs and a one-run lead in the ninth inning against the Padres in the Aug. 31 home opener but surrendered two homers — to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Tommy Pham — and walked two in the loss.
Since signing a three-year, $52 million contract prior to the 2018 season, Davis has gone 4-13 with 60 saves in 70 opportunities in 122 appearances, posting a 6.18 ERA. He has an 8.01 ERA at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA on the road.
Davis performed well in 2018 when the Rockies made the playoffs and led the National League with 43 saves while posting a 4.13 ERA. The 2019 season, however, was a disaster. He had an overall ERA of 8.65 ERA and an 11.10 ERA at Coors Field — the highest home ERA in major-league history.
Still, way back in spring training, the Rockies expressed confidence Davis could rebound and be their closer in 2020.
“In a perfect world, Wade is our closer and Scotty (Oberg) pitches in front of him in some capacity,” manager Bud Black said at the time. “It’s based on Wade’s great track record. That’s the perfect scenario.”
But then Davis got hurt and Oberg is out for the season after experiencing blood clots in his right arm for the third time in four years.
Daniel Bard is Colorado’s current closer and, for the most part, he’s performed well, with six saves in six opportunities and a 3.79 ERA. Overall, however, Colorado’s bullpen has struggled, owning a 6.90 ERA that is the second-highest in the majors.
Davis revealed in spring training that the strained left oblique that landed him on the injured list May 22, 2019, hampered him the rest of the season. He admitted that he probably returned too quickly and the injury messed up his delivery.
In 17 appearances before the oblique injury, Davis converted all seven save opportunities, posted a 2.45 ERA and did not allow a home run. In his 33 appearances after coming off the injured list, he was 0-5, blew three saves in 11 chances and gave up seven home runs.
Footnotes. Right-hander Jon Gray, on the IL with shoulder inflammation, threw a light bullpen Saturday and Black said there is still a chance that Gray can start a game this season. … Infielder Brendan Rodgers, out with a shoulder injury, continues playing games at the alternative site and was working on infielder drills at Coors Field Saturday afternoon.
On Deck
Angels LHP Andrew Heaney (3-3, 4.40 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Castellani (1-2, 5.34)
1:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 AM
Castellani, a 24-year-old rookie, believes he’s learned from each of his seven starts. Now he’s got to put that education into action as the Rockies enter their stretch run with a playoff berth still possible. The right-hander did not get a decision in the Rockies’ 7-6 win at Dodger Stadium last Sunday. The powerful Dodgers taught him a lesson, blasting three home runs in his 4 1/3 innings. All told, Castellani allowed four runs on six hits and issued a career-high four walks. He is 0-2 with a 6.91 ERA in four appearances (three starts) at home. Heaney was charged with the loss on Tuesday at Texas, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits over five innings. Over his last three starts, the lefty has a 1.83 ERA with 20 strikeouts. He’s allowed three runs or less in six of his nine starts. In two career games against Colorado, both at Coors Field, he’s 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA with 10 strikeouts over 13 1/3 innings.
Trending: Shortstop Trevor Story went 2-for-4 with a triple, a double and two RBIs Friday night, halting a streak of 39 games without multiple RBIs, the third-longest
such streak of his career.
At issue: The Rockies continue to get very little offensive pop from their catchers. Their combined .509 OPS ranks 28th in the majors.
Pitching Probables:
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Athletics LHP Sean Manaea (4-2, 4.46) at Rockies TBD, 6:40 p.m., ATTRM
Wednesday: Athletics RHP Mike Fiers (5-2, 5.06) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela, 1:10 p.m., ATTRM


thedenverpost--2020-09-12--Big Ten presidents to discuss starting football, AP source says

Big Ten university presidents will meet Sunday to hear a presentation about playing a fall football season after all — maybe as soon as late October — amid pressure from parents , players , coaches and even the president to kick off .
A person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press the Big Ten ’ s Return to Competition Task Force met Saturday .
The medical subcommittee , comprised of athletic directors , doctors and athletic training staffers , made a presentation to a subgroup of presidents and chancellors .
The presentation included improvements in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The person , speaking on condition of anonymity because the Big Ten was not planning to make any announcements about its efforts to return to play , said it was a “ positive meeting ” that led to the scheduling of a presentation to the full group of presidents and chancellors Sunday .
The presentation with include , medical , television and scheduling for football , the person said .
A vote to start a season is not guaranteed to be conducted Sunday but could happen in the coming days .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sports The Big Ten postponed its fall season Aug. 11 because of concerns about playing through the COVID-19 pandemic , with presidents and chancellors voting 11-3 in favor .
Ohio State , Iowa and Nebraska voted against postponement .
The conference and first-year Commissioner Kevin Warren has faced push back from inside and out ever since .
Parents of demonstrated on campuses and in front of the Big Ten offices outside Chicago .
A group of Nebraska players have filed a lawsuit against the conference to overturn the decision not to play .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement Thursday asking the conference to provide more clarity about its decision to postpone and Penn State coach James Franklin made similar statements in a radio interview .
Day ’ s Buckeyes were No .
2 in the AP preseason Top 25 .
Franklin ’ s Nittany Lions were No .
7 .
On the first Saturday of the football season that included Power Five teams playing , Big Ten teams were idle while athletic directors and university leaders were working on ways to possibly salvage a fall football season .
If things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start a season in about a month , and maybe still compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff .
While some Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference teams began their seasons Saturday , and more will next week , the Southeastern Conference is not scheduled to kick off until Sept. 26 .

Big Ten university presidents will meet Sunday to hear a presentation about playing a fall football season after all — maybe as soon as late October — amid pressure from parents, players, coaches and even the president to kick off.
A person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press the Big Ten’s Return to Competition Task Force met Saturday. The medical subcommittee, comprised of athletic directors, doctors and athletic training staffers, made a presentation to a subgroup of presidents and chancellors. The presentation included improvements in the availability of rapid, daily COVID-19 testing.
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Big Ten was not planning to make any announcements about its efforts to return to play, said it was a “positive meeting” that led to the scheduling of a presentation to the full group of presidents and chancellors Sunday.
The presentation with include, medical, television and scheduling for football, the person said. A vote to start a season is not guaranteed to be conducted Sunday but could happen in the coming days.
The news was first reported by Yahoo! Sports
The Big Ten postponed its fall season Aug. 11 because of concerns about playing through the COVID-19 pandemic, with presidents and chancellors voting 11-3 in favor. Ohio State, Iowa and Nebraska voted against postponement.
The conference and first-year Commissioner Kevin Warren has faced push back from inside and out ever since. Parents of demonstrated on campuses and in front of the Big Ten offices outside Chicago. A group of Nebraska players have filed a lawsuit against the conference to overturn the decision not to play.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day released a statement Thursday asking the conference to provide more clarity about its decision to postpone and Penn State coach James Franklin made similar statements in a radio interview.
Day’s Buckeyes were No. 2 in the AP preseason Top 25. Franklin’s Nittany Lions were No. 7.
On the first Saturday of the football season that included Power Five teams playing, Big Ten teams were idle while athletic directors and university leaders were working on ways to possibly salvage a fall football season.
If things move quickly, the Big Ten could start a season in about a month, and maybe still compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff. While some Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference teams began their seasons Saturday, and more will next week, the Southeastern Conference is not scheduled to kick off until Sept. 26.


thedenverpost--2020-09-12--Osaka comes back, tops Azarenka at US Open; 3rd Slam title

NEW YORK ( AP ) — After one errant forehand in the first set of the U.S. Open final , Naomi Osaka looked at her coach in the mostly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium stands with palms up , as if to say , “ What the heck is happening ?
” In response to another wayward forehand against Victoria Azarenka seconds later , Osaka chucked her racket .
It spun a bit and rattled against the court .
Surprisingly off-kilter in the early going Saturday , Osaka kept missing shots and digging herself a deficit .
Until , suddenly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t sustain her start .
By the end , Osaka pulled away to a 1-6 , 6-3 , 6-3 comeback victory for her second U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam title overall .
A quarter-century had passed since the last time the woman who lost the first set of a U.S. Open final wound up winning : In 1994 , Arantxa Sanchez Vicario did it against Steffi Graf .
This one was a back-and-forth affair .
Even after Osaka surged ahead 4-1 in the third set , the outcome was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the next game — convert any of those , and she would have served for the win at 5-1 — but Azarenka didn ’ t flinch .
Azarenka held there , somehow , and broke to get to 4-3 , then stood and stretched during the ensuing changeover .
But Osaka regained control , breaking to start a match-ending run of three games , covering her face when the final was over .
Osaka , a 22-year-old born in Japan and now based in the United States , added to her trophies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a brilliant performance in a memorably chaotic final against Serena Williams — and 2019 Australian Open .
The 23,000-plus seats in the main arena at Flushing Meadows were not entirely unclaimed , just mostly so — while fans were not allowed to attend because of the coronavirus pandemic , dozens of people who worked at the tournament attended — and the cavernous place was not entirely silent , just mostly so .
Certainly no thunderous applause or cacophany of yells that normally would reverberate over and over and over again through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accompanying the players ’ introductions or preceding the first point or after the greatest of shots .
Instead , a polite smattering of claps from several hands marked such moments .
Osaka stepped onto the court wearing a black mask with the name of Tamir Rice , a Black 12-year-old boy killed by police in Ohio in 2014 .
Osaka arrived in New York with seven masks bearing the names of Black victims of violence and wore a different one for each match , honoring Breonna Taylor , Elijah McClain , Trayvon Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philando Castile .
She has been at the forefront of efforts in tennis to bring awareness to racial injustice in the United States .
She joined athletes in various sports by refusing to compete last month after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin — she said she wouldn ’ t participate in her semifinal at the Western & Southern Open , then decided to play after the tournament took a full day off in solidarity .
Osaka and her coach have said they think the off-court activism has helped her energy @ @ @ @ @

NEW YORK (AP) — After one errant forehand in the first set of the U.S. Open final, Naomi Osaka looked at her coach in the mostly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium stands with palms up, as if to say, “What the heck is happening?”
In response to another wayward forehand against Victoria Azarenka seconds later, Osaka chucked her racket. It spun a bit and rattled against the court.
Surprisingly off-kilter in the early going Saturday, Osaka kept missing shots and digging herself a deficit. Until, suddenly, she lifted her game, and Azarenka couldn’t sustain her start. By the end, Osaka pulled away to a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback victory for her second U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam title overall.
A quarter-century had passed since the last time the woman who lost the first set of a U.S. Open final wound up winning: In 1994, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario did it against Steffi Graf.
This one was a back-and-forth affair. Even after Osaka surged ahead 4-1 in the third set, the outcome was unclear. She held four break points in the next game — convert any of those, and she would have served for the win at 5-1 — but Azarenka didn’t flinch.
Azarenka held there, somehow, and broke to get to 4-3, then stood and stretched during the ensuing changeover.
But Osaka regained control, breaking to start a match-ending run of three games, covering her face when the final was over.
Osaka, a 22-year-old born in Japan and now based in the United States, added to her trophies from the 2018 U.S. Open — earned with a brilliant performance in a memorably chaotic final against Serena Williams — and 2019 Australian Open.
The 23,000-plus seats in the main arena at Flushing Meadows were not entirely unclaimed, just mostly so — while fans were not allowed to attend because of the coronavirus pandemic, dozens of people who worked at the tournament attended — and the cavernous place was not entirely silent, just mostly so.
Certainly no thunderous applause or cacophany of yells that normally would reverberate over and over and over again through the course of a Grand Slam final, accompanying the players’ introductions or preceding the first point or after the greatest of shots.
Instead, a polite smattering of claps from several hands marked such moments.
Osaka stepped onto the court wearing a black mask with the name of Tamir Rice, a Black 12-year-old boy killed by police in Ohio in 2014. Osaka arrived in New York with seven masks bearing the names of Black victims of violence and wore a different one for each match, honoring Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Philando Castile.
She has been at the forefront of efforts in tennis to bring awareness to racial injustice in the United States. She joined athletes in various sports by refusing to compete last month after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin — she said she wouldn’t participate in her semifinal at the Western & Southern Open, then decided to play after the tournament took a full day off in solidarity.
Osaka and her coach have said they think the off-court activism has helped her energy and mindset in matches.


thedenverpost--2020-09-12--One dead after two-car crash in southwest Denver

One person died Saturday after a two-vehicle crash in southwest Denver , police tweeted .
The crash occurred in the @ @ @ @ @ Boulevard .
One of the drivers was transported to the hospital , where he later @ @ @ @ @ Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers : 720-913-7867 .

One person died Saturday after a two-vehicle crash in southwest Denver, police tweeted.
The crash occurred in the 2800 block of South Federal Boulevard. One of the drivers was transported to the hospital, where he later died, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers: 720-913-7867.


thedenverpost--2020-09-12--Denver identifies possible designated campsite for those experiencing homelessness

Denver officials on Saturday quietly announced a potential location in Five Points to serve as a temporary designated campsite for those experiencing homelessness .
Mayor Michael Hancock , in a Facebook post Saturday afternoon , said a small strip of city-owned property between Sonny Lawson Park and the Blair-Caldwell Library has been identified as a possible place for individuals to set up campsites in a controlled environment .
“ No final decisions have been made and would not be without first engaging with the community , ” Hancock said .
The city did not send out a news release with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor announced that the city would scope out possible locations for three temporary sites , as officials continued to break up unsanctioned camps around Denver .
The sweeps would sometimes result in clashes between police and protesters .
City officials are beginning to meet with neighbors and community members about the potential site , Hancock said , with three virtual town halls scheduled for next week .
“ We want to emphasize any campsites , wherever they are located , would be temporary , staffed 24 hours a day , and would bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in neighborhoods across the city , ” the mayor wrote .
Each location would likely hold about 50 people each and be managed by the Colorado Village Collaborative , the city previously announced .
And people staying there would have access to bathrooms as well as mental health , addiction and other services .
Denver officials in July cited outbreaks of Hepatitis and Shigella when they initiated homeless sweeps , but a national expert and a local advocate said the numbers of positive tests health officials have disclosed to The Denver Post don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city also pointed to a fatal shooting downtown as a factor in sweeping a camp , even though police couldn ’ t say whether the shooting was connected to the gathering that was cleared out a week later .

Denver officials on Saturday quietly announced a potential location in Five Points to serve as a temporary designated campsite for those experiencing homelessness.
Mayor Michael Hancock, in a Facebook post Saturday afternoon, said a small strip of city-owned property between Sonny Lawson Park and the Blair-Caldwell Library has been identified as a possible place for individuals to set up campsites in a controlled environment.
“No final decisions have been made and would not be without first engaging with the community,” Hancock said. The city did not send out a news release with the information.
In July, the mayor announced that the city would scope out possible locations for three temporary sites, as officials continued to break up unsanctioned camps around Denver. The sweeps would sometimes result in clashes between police and protesters.
City officials are beginning to meet with neighbors and community members about the potential site, Hancock said, with three virtual town halls scheduled for next week.
“We want to emphasize any campsites, wherever they are located, would be temporary, staffed 24 hours a day, and would bring a controlled environment to the uncontrolled encampments in neighborhoods across the city,” the mayor wrote.
Each location would likely hold about 50 people each and be managed by the Colorado Village Collaborative, the city previously announced. And people staying there would have access to bathrooms as well as mental health, addiction and other services.
Denver officials in July cited outbreaks of Hepatitis and Shigella when they initiated homeless sweeps, but a national expert and a local advocate said the numbers of positive tests health officials have disclosed to The Denver Post don’t justify the actions.
The city also pointed to a fatal shooting downtown as a factor in sweeping a camp, even though police couldn’t say whether the shooting was connected to the gathering that was cleared out a week later.


thedenverpost--2020-09-12--Chambers: Nathan MacKinnon is not your typical Lady Byng winner

Nathan MacKinnon is a deserving recipient of the 2020 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy .
The Avalanche ’ s fiery superstar , however , is certainly not a quintessential choice .
Winning the award speaks to his maturation since he began his NHL career with the Avs at age 18 in 2014 .
“ I never thought I would win this one , ” MacKinnon , 25 , said of the Lady Byng after being awarded it Friday .
“ But it ’ s cool and I ’ m very honored.
” Given to the NHL player “ adjudged to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability ” during the regular season , the Lady Byng and MacKinnon don ’ t exactly see eye to eye .
MacKinnon , who is also up for the Hart Trophy ( media ) and Ted Lindsay Award ( players ) as NHL MVP , definitely has a high standard of playing ability .
But he ’ s no Joe Sakic or Ryan O ’ Reilly , Colorado ’ s two other Lady Byng winners , and he had never before been one to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019-20 season began .
MacKinnon , who finished fifth in NHL regular-season scoring with 93 points , took just 12 penalty minutes in 69 games .
He became the first player in Avalanche history to produce 90 points while sitting in the penalty box for 12 minutes or less , and just the third NHL player in the last 20 years with those numbers .
The Lady Byng is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season .
If the voting was conducted during or after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been considered .
MacKinnon matched his career-low 12 penalty minutes with a dozen in just 15 playoff games when the stakes were much higher .
He served an unsportsmanlike conduct minor in round-robin play against the Vegas Golden Knights , and interference and hooking minors in Game 3 of a first-round series against the Arizona Coyotes .
In Game 4 against Arizona , MacKinnon and Christian Fischer served roughing minors after the former threw the latter around like a rag doll in what nearly became a full-fledged fight .
A self-proclaimed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is smart enough to know about wasted energy in a superstar ’ s body .
In the regular season , he doesn ’ t need to deliver big hits and mix it up with opponents after the whistle .
In the playoffs , his boundaries expand .
“ It ’ s important to treat your opponents with respect , but also play hard , play between the whistles , ” MacKinnon , the 2014 Calder Trophy winner , said after winning his second major NHL award .
“ It ’ s important that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situations and you won ’ t take a minor and put your team on the penalty kill .
Obviously , it ’ s amazing to win this award — some of the best players ever have won this award — so for me to also win this is very humbling and exciting.
” Sakic won the Lady Byng in 2001 after producing 118 points in 82 regular-season games , with just 30 penalty minutes .
O ’ Reilly won the award in 2014 with 62 points and just two penalty minutes in 80 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Reilly is , very mild-mannered .
MacKinnon is not , but his incredible skating enables him to defend without reaching with his stick .
He ’ s a puck-possession machine and , although he ’ s highly emotional , he ’ s not mean-spirited .
“ With my skating , I try to use my legs to stick-check and things like that , and not take unnecessary minors , ” MacKinnon said .
“ It ’ s a line you need to hover on .
I respect my opponents .
I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He certainly speaks like a very worthy Lady Byng Trophy recipient .

Nathan MacKinnon is a deserving recipient of the 2020 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The Avalanche’s fiery superstar, however, is certainly not a quintessential choice.
Winning the award speaks to his maturation since he began his NHL career with the Avs at age 18 in 2014.
“I never thought I would win this one,” MacKinnon, 25, said of the Lady Byng after being awarded it Friday. “But it’s cool and I’m very honored.”
Given to the NHL player “adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability” during the regular season, the Lady Byng and MacKinnon don’t exactly see eye to eye.
MacKinnon, who is also up for the Hart Trophy (media) and Ted Lindsay Award (players) as NHL MVP, definitely has a high standard of playing ability. But he’s no Joe Sakic or Ryan O’Reilly, Colorado’s two other Lady Byng winners, and he had never before been one to consistently stay away from chippiness before the 2019-20 season began.
MacKinnon, who finished fifth in NHL regular-season scoring with 93 points, took just 12 penalty minutes in 69 games. He became the first player in Avalanche history to produce 90 points while sitting in the penalty box for 12 minutes or less, and just the third NHL player in the last 20 years with those numbers.
The Lady Byng is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season. If the voting was conducted during or after the playoffs, MacKinnon wouldn’t have been considered.
MacKinnon matched his career-low 12 penalty minutes with a dozen in just 15 playoff games when the stakes were much higher. He served an unsportsmanlike conduct minor in round-robin play against the Vegas Golden Knights, and interference and hooking minors in Game 3 of a first-round series against the Arizona Coyotes.
In Game 4 against Arizona, MacKinnon and Christian Fischer served roughing minors after the former threw the latter around like a rag doll in what nearly became a full-fledged fight.
A self-proclaimed “hot head” at times, MacKinnon is smart enough to know about wasted energy in a superstar’s body. In the regular season, he doesn’t need to deliver big hits and mix it up with opponents after the whistle. In the playoffs, his boundaries expand.
“It’s important to treat your opponents with respect, but also play hard, play between the whistles,” MacKinnon, the 2014 Calder Trophy winner, said after winning his second major NHL award. “It’s important that your coaches can trust you in key situations and you won’t take a minor and put your team on the penalty kill. Obviously, it’s amazing to win this award — some of the best players ever have won this award — so for me to also win this is very humbling and exciting.”
Sakic won the Lady Byng in 2001 after producing 118 points in 82 regular-season games, with just 30 penalty minutes. O’Reilly won the award in 2014 with 62 points and just two penalty minutes in 80 games.
Sakic was, and O’Reilly is, very mild-mannered. MacKinnon is not, but his incredible skating enables him to defend without reaching with his stick. He’s a puck-possession machine and, although he’s highly emotional, he’s not mean-spirited.
“With my skating, I try to use my legs to stick-check and things like that, and not take unnecessary minors,” MacKinnon said. “It’s a line you need to hover on. I respect my opponents. I don’t want to be dirty.”
He certainly speaks like a very worthy Lady Byng Trophy recipient.


thedenverpost--2020-09-13--Three Points: Rapids take Rocky Mountain Cup for first time in 5 years

After Real Salt Lake ’ s 4-1 battering of the Rapids at Dick ’ s Sporting Goods Park three weeks ago , everyone thought the 2020 Rocky Mountain Cup had been decided .
Real Salt Lake claimed the trophy on Twitter , and Rapids coach Robin Fraser conceded Friday that the Cup wasn ’ t at the front of his club ’ s mind .
It looked like the trophy would be won by the Claret-and-Cobalt for a fifth straight year .
Maybe the Rapids ’ first goal in Saturday night ’ s stunning 5-0 victory at Rio Tinto Stadium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was about to change .
It came just three minutes in , when forward Diego Rubio scored for the first time in 10 matches this season .
“ After the first goal , it was a release , ” Rubio said .
“ It was like 20 pounds off my back.
” Or maybe it was Rubio ’ s second score , seven minutes later , that reminded everyone that this was indeed a rivalry .
“ As soon as we scored two it was like finally , we are playing the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ After two goals , especially on the road , we were calm.
” No doubt the third score woke up a sleeping Rapids Nation that hadn ’ t seen the club win since March 7 .
It was Colorado native Sam Vines ’ first career goal , coming four minutes into the second half off a wonderful juke and cross from Younes Namli .
“ Without winning in six months , nobody was thinking about the Cup .
We just wanted to score , ” Rubio said .
Before they could even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air of Rio Tinto , the Rapids scored a fourth — six minutes later — that felt historic .
Braian Galván netted the first of his MLS career , with assists from Cole Bassett and Rubio .
It put the Rapids ahead 4-0 and gave them a 5-4 edge on the Cup aggregate with 35 minutes to play .
All they needed to secure the Cup was their first clean sheet of the year — or a fifth road goal for just the second time in franchise history .
They did both .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop in the 56th minute to record the club ’ s first shutout since Tim Howard retired .
And Bassett , the 19-year-old Coloradan , put the finishing touches on the Rapids ’ first win over Real Salt Lake since 2017 with a fifth and final tally .
The goal came off rookie Jeremy Kelly ’ s first assist after he beat seven defenders .
“ It was amazing , ” an elated Rubio said postgame .
The Rapids are now unbeaten in their last four matches and tied for the West ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s increible 5-0 win — Colorado ’ s first at Rio Tinto — was the largest victory margin in club history .
“ Tonight is the first night other people can see what we ’ re doing , ” Fraser said .
“ I ’ ve seen this progress coming .
I ’ ve seen an identity building .
This is us validating the work we ’ ve been doing.
” The Rapids are now positive on goal differential and sit above powerhouse LAFC on the table .
“ No question the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been pretty good for the last number of weeks and we ’ ve not really rewarded ourselves , ” Fraser said .
“ It ’ s a feeling of satisfaction.
” Ruby , do you know what you ’ re doing to me ?
Rubio had solid performances in 2020 but had yet to get on the scoresheet .
Scoring two goals in 10 minutes Saturday , he broke through for a Rapids offense that badly needed production from its forwards .
“ Diego was absolutely fantastic tonight , ” Fraser said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him , I think it was a very big moment for him.
” Rubio scored 11 goals in 2019 , but had gone nine matches without one this season .
With times tough , he turned to his father , Hugo , who spent eight years on the Chilean national team .
“ I was trying everything .
I talked to my father to find out why I was not scoring , ” Rubio said .
“ I felt like I needed to be more in the box.
” For just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rocky Mountain Cup belongs to the burgundy boys .
The Rapids ’ six goals in this season ’ s two Cup matches represent the club ’ s largest scoring total in the series since it netted seven in 2006 .

After Real Salt Lake’s 4-1 battering of the Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park three weeks ago, it appeared the 2020 Rocky Mountain Cup had been decided.
Real Salt Lake claimed the trophy on Twitter, and Rapids coach Robin Fraser conceded Friday that the Cup wasn’t at the front of his club’s mind. It looked like the trophy would be won by the Claret-and-Cobalt for a fifth consecutive year.
Maybe the Rapids’ first goal in Saturday night’s stunning 5-0 victory at Rio Tinto Stadium should’ve been a sign everything was about to change. The goal came just three minutes in when forward Diego Rubio scored for the first time in 10 matches this season.
“After the first goal, it was a release,” Rubio said. “It was like 20 pounds off my back.”
Or maybe it was Rubio’s second score, seven minutes later, that reminded everyone that this was indeed a rivalry.
“As soon as we scored two it was like finally, we are playing the way we want,” Rubio said. “After two goals, especially on the road, we were calm.”
No doubt the third score woke up a sleeping Rapids Nation that hadn’t seen the club win since March 7. It was Colorado native Sam Vines’ first career goal, coming four minutes into the second half off a wonderful juke and cross from Younes Namli.
“Without winning in six months, nobody was thinking about the Cup. We just wanted to score,” Rubio said.
Before they could even catch their breath, the Rapids scored a fourth goal six minutes later. Braian Galván netted the first of his MLS career, with assists from Cole Bassett and Rubio. It put the Rapids ahead 4-0 and gave them a 5-4 edge on the Cup aggregate with 35 minutes to play All they needed to secure the Cup was their first clean sheet of the year — or a fifth goal.
They did both.
Newly acquired William Yarbrough made his final stop in the 56th minute to record the club’s first shutout since Tim Howard retired. And Bassett, the 19-year-old Coloradan, put the finishing touches on the Rapids’ first win over Real Salt Lake since 2017 with a fifth and final tally.
The goal came off rookie Jeremy Kelly’s first assist after he beat seven defenders.
“It was amazing,” an elated Rubio said postgame.
Up the ‘Pids?
The Rapids are now unbeaten in their last four matches and tied for the West’s final playoff spot. Saturday’s 5-0 win was the largest victory margin in club history.
“Tonight is the first night other people can see what we’re doing,” Fraser said. “I’ve seen this progress coming. I’ve seen an identity building. This is us validating the work we’ve been doing.”
The Rapids are now positive on goal differential and sit above powerhouse LAFC on the table.
“No question the team feels good about themselves. We have been pretty good for the last number of weeks and we’ve not really rewarded ourselves,” Fraser said. “It’s a feeling of satisfaction.”
Rubio breaks out
Rubio had solid performances in 2020 but had yet to get on the scoresheet. Scoring two goals in 10 minutes Saturday he broke through for a Rapids offense that badly needed production from its forwards.
“Diego was absolutely fantastic tonight,” Fraser said. “… I’m very happy for him, I think it was a very big moment for him.”
Rubio scored 11 goals in 2019.
Cup home in Commerce City
For just the fourth time in 14 years, the Rocky Mountain Cup belongs to the burgundy boys. The Rapids’ six goals in this season’s two Cup matches represent the club’s largest scoring total in the series since it netted seven in 2006.