thedenverpost--2020-05-15--The Spot: Colorado’s big day in D.C., and first Hickenlooper-Romanoff head-to-head

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On Wednesday , the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Colorado ’ s faithless electors case .
A few hours later , I talked with Secretary of State Jena Griswold about it .
“ I was really pleased to have the court focus so much on bribery and corruption , because that has been a major concern of mine , ” said the Democrat , who is Colorado ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were even planning on running a piece of legislation this year about the anti-corruption of ( presidential ) electors.
” “ Under the 10th Circuit ( ruling ) which we were appealing to the Supreme Court , someone could literally walk in with a bag full of money , hand the elector that bag of money , and depending on where the Supreme Court comes down , I could either remove them or potentially not have the power to remove them .
But it would be unclear .
I would think that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s possible that the scenario above , in which a member of the Electoral College accepts a bag of cash , isn ’ t illegal in the state of Colorado .
That ’ s according to state Sen. Jeff Bridges , a Greenwood Village Democrat who has been working with Griswold ’ s office to write legislation making such blatant corruption a violation of state law .
With the legislative session shortened , it remains to be seen if such a bill can become law this year , Bridges says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loophole but it ’ s one of those things — you don ’ t make laws until someone starts doing something that isn ’ t good .
We don ’ t think across all the human behaviors and make laws against them until we see there ’ s a problem and we need to make a law about it , ” the senator said .
“ This is not something that has ever happened or was contemplated to happen during the entire rest of the history of our state , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a law about it.
” As Griswold noted , there was much talk about the possible corruption of electors at the Supreme Court , but supporters of faithless electors are skeptical bribery will occur .
Justice Stephen Breyer repeatedly asked Attorney General Phil Weiser whether Electoral College members were bribed in the 200 years before states enacted punishments on faithless electors .
Weiser eventually told Breyer , “ We don ’ t know of any such instances , your honor.
” Yesterday was a big one for Colorado in D.C. — SCOTUS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House for Gov .
Jared Polis and Sen. Cory Gardner .
Alex Burness writes below on that visit , and Conrad Swanson has the latest on Ken Buck and turmoil within the GOP .
To support the important journalism we do , you can become a Denver Post subscriber here .
You can send tips , comments and questions to aburness @ denverpost.com or to the other Post reporters below .
In cities around the world , restaurants are taking to the streets .
They ’ re transforming parking lots and plazas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with “ parklets ” for more patio space .
After months of closed dine-in service , these gathering places are counting on fresh air and more room for social distancing to keep employees and customers safe and businesses alive through the summer months .
Denver could be next to take this step , The Post ’ s Josie Sexton reports .
U.S. Rep. Ken Buck , a Republican from Windsor and state GOP chair , mended fences with an El Paso County party member who had been on the warpath for about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem apparently ignores the issue in Weld County entirely .
The troubles first began for Buck when a recording surfaced of him pressuring a state Senate district chair in El Paso County , Eli Bremer , to submit incorrect election results to the state .
If Bremer had followed through , it would have been illegal , the local party official noted on the call .
Ultimately the issue went to Denver District Court , which sided with Bremer .
The GOP appealed , and the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s damaged reputation , court costs and more .
Buck was also politically damaged in the process as the story garnered national attention .
He told The Denver Post he had no idea the phone conversation was recorded and he called the move “ sneaky.
” However , Buck announced Wednesday that he has ordered the creation of a new internal commission to investigate the party ’ s assembly nomination and ballot designation processes .
The commission has Bremer ’ s blessing , and the press release announcing it specifically mentions the controversy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t , however , mention another R vs. R conflict in Weld County , where the county party chair , Will Sander , has alleged election fraud and corruption by four members , including one person on Buck ’ s congressional staff .
Another county party leader said the incident that prompted Sander ’ s complaints is part of a larger “ caucus stacking ” scheme , and Sander ’ s complaints have been forwarded to the Colorado Attorney General ’ s Office for review .
Other Weld County Republicans , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resignation , citing party bylaw violations unrelated to the complaints he filed .
A county commissioner called that new development pure retaliation .
Meanwhile , state GOP officials did not respond when asked multiple times whether the new internal commission will investigate the Weld County case .
Why look into the one case and not the other when both relate to the party ’ s caucus/assembly process ?
• Denver employees must take eight unpaid furlough days by the end of the year to help the city bridge the growing budget gap caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Denver ’ s planned fee for single-use plastic bags won ’ t start for more than a year , City Council unanimously agreed Monday .
• Local governments ’ orders mandating residents to wear masks have become a political flash point in Colorado ’ s ongoing coronavirus pandemic response .
Republican Sen. Cory Gardner , reflecting on the massive field of Democrats challenging him , once jokingly referred to this year ’ s Senate race as “ 23 and Me.
” But after waves of winnowing , and some eleventh-hour court cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to John Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff .
Those two will share a ( digital ) stage for the first time tonight .
“ This is a forum , not a debate , ” said James Scott with Indivisible NoCo , the event ’ s organizer .
“ We ’ ve instructed ( candidates ) that we really want them to focus on speaking to the audience and not really interacting with each other .
Now , to a certain degree , we ’ re all in uncharted territory , in terms of doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ re going to have to see how that dynamic goes.
” A forum , not a debate .
It ’ s a phrase you ’ ve heard often if you ’ ve followed this race .
Romanoff has been frustrated with the forums and their lack of candidate interaction .
He mockingly calls them “ a polite exchange of talking points ” and routinely criticizes Hickenlooper ’ s absence from them .
“ Hick ’ s decision to turn the Senate race into a game of hide and seek is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t believe he should be the Democratic nominee , but it ’ s not the only reason , ” Romanoff said during an interview earlier this week .
“ So , we ’ ll spend some time on Thursday night , as I ’ ve done at most of the other 19 debates he ’ s missed , pointing out where we differ on issues .
It ’ s just been hard to debate a guy who wasn ’ t there.
” Hickenlooper has traditionally been a clean campaigner and has , thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticizing fellow Democrats .
Expect that to continue tonight , says press secretary Ammar Moussa .
“ John ’ s going to continue to talk about his record , talk about why he is the best person to bring change to a pretty broken , dysfunctional Washington .
This ( coronavirus ) crisis has revealed and will continue to reveal how broken and dysfunctional Washington is and there ’ s nobody better than the guy with a small business background , who was a mayor and a governor , to bring all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Washington , ” Moussa said .
The forum will run from 7 to roughly 8:15 p.m. Online registration is required here .
Expect about a dozen questions , with two-minute answers per question .
A few will come from the audience at the end and about 25 % will be about the coronavirus pandemic , according to Scott .
Ads : Republicans for the Rule of Law will spend about $ 20,000 over the next three weeks broadcasting this ad that calls on Gardner to support expanded voting options during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Fox News across Colorado since Wednesday .
Service Employees International Union Local 105 is spending $ 50,000 to spread this digital ad calling on Gardner to help workers , not the wealthy , with coronavirus relief bills .
Endorsements : Romanoff added endorsements this week from the Denver-area branch of the American Postal Workers Union , along with several Indivisible groups .
Diane Mitsch Bush was endorsed Tuesday by the Colorado AFL-CIO .
She ’ s a Democratic candidate in the 3rd District and will face fellow Democrat James Iacino on June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the American Conservative Union .
He ’ s the Republican nominee to face Rep. Jason Crow , an Aurora Democrat , in the 6th District this November .
Transitions : Jenn Ridder , who managed Polis ’ gubernatorial campaign in 2018 , is now states director for the Joe Biden campaign .
Last year , Ridder managed Steve Bullock ’ s unsuccessful presidential campaign .
In that role , she publicly questioned Biden ’ s ability to beat Trump .
• Lauren Boebert , a Republican facing off against GOP Rep. Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a restraining order Wednesday after reopening her Rifle restaurant in violation of public health orders .
• Five Thirty Eight takes a closer look at those Senate race polls from last week and finds some reasons to be cautious .
• Big donors are helping Democratic candidates for Senate , including in Colorado , CNBC reports .
On Trump ’ s meeting with Polis and Gardner I understood what Gov .
Jared Polis meant when he told reporters earlier this week that he could not turn down an invitation from the president to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy differences with the current officeholder , Polis seems to have a reverence for the office , and saw in the invitation an opportunity to advocate directly for Colorado ’ s many needs — chiefly , testing capacity and protective equipment .
But , on the other hand , I wondered what would actually be achieved by flying across the country to chop it up for an hour or so with a man who has consistently disregarded and distorted facts , who has downplayed the severity of the coronavirus , and who seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in much better shape than they are .
Clearly , I thought , this was not going to be a discussion of any nitty-gritty details of Colorado ’ s coronavirus response .
And I was right .
The public portion of Wednesday ’ s meeting began with Trump doing his thing — calling the press “ fake news ” and complaining about coverage , insisting without evidence that mail-in voting equals fraud and openly patronizing a government official he himself nominated .
After a bit of back-and-forth with the media , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d characterize as high-level and extremely light on specifics , with Sen. Cory Gardner jumping in now and then .
Trump seemed glad to hear that many previously shuttered Colorado businesses can gradually get back to work , and that this year ’ s ski season may yet resume , if only for a couple weeks .
He complimented the governor ’ s haircut .
There was laughter and a generally good vibe in the room .
Trump heard what he wanted to hear : Everything ’ s going well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support individual states are appreciated .
“ And you have good health care in that state , right ?
” Trump asked at one point during the Colorado portion of the meeting .
No one took a stab at answering that complex question , and the subject was quickly changed .
Like I said , high-level , light on policy details .
When the event was over , Polis spoke to the media and said he wasn ’ t in D.C. to pick fights , or to debate the president .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reporter about whether he was impressed by Trump : “ The president is the president , ” Polis said , adding , three times , “ He ’ s the president that we have.
” And Trump ’ s people put out a press release titled “ President Trump ’ s Bold Actions Delivered for Colorado and will Revitalize the Centennial State ’ s Economy.
” The release included inaccurate information about how many supplies the federal government has secured for Colorado .
The governor let that slide .
Polis said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House would be worth it if the meeting led to just one more mask or one more coronavirus test for Colorado .
We know this president picks favorites , so , if the goal of the trip was to secure more supplies for our state , then Polis ’ s approach Wednesday — inoffensive , friendly , breezy and brief — may have been wise .
Time will tell if it pays off .
• Colorado ’ s got major budget problems , both short term and long term .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the state ’ s November ballot is already a tall task , and coronavirus is making it much harder .
• The state legislature , on pause since March , has a new return date : May 26 .
• Lawmakers are brainstorming ways to help undocumented people , who do not receive stimulus checks , once the legislative session resumes .
Forward this newsletter to your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe .

For people, policy and Colorado politics
What’s The Spot? You’re reading an installment of our weekly politics newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered straight in your inbox.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Colorado’s faithless electors case. A few hours later, I talked with Secretary of State Jena Griswold about it.
“I was really pleased to have the court focus so much on bribery and corruption, because that has been a major concern of mine,” said the Democrat, who is Colorado’s top election official. “We were even planning on running a piece of legislation this year about the anti-corruption of (presidential) electors.”
“Under the 10th Circuit (ruling) which we were appealing to the Supreme Court, someone could literally walk in with a bag full of money, hand the elector that bag of money, and depending on where the Supreme Court comes down, I could either remove them or potentially not have the power to remove them. But it would be unclear. I would think that is a very perverse result.”
Remarkably, it’s possible that the scenario above, in which a member of the Electoral College accepts a bag of cash, isn’t illegal in the state of Colorado. That’s according to state Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat who has been working with Griswold’s office to write legislation making such blatant corruption a violation of state law. With the legislative session shortened, it remains to be seen if such a bill can become law this year, Bridges says.
“I think it’s absolutely a loophole but it’s one of those things — you don’t make laws until someone starts doing something that isn’t good. We don’t think across all the human behaviors and make laws against them until we see there’s a problem and we need to make a law about it,” the senator said.
“This is not something that has ever happened or was contemplated to happen during the entire rest of the history of our state,” he added. “Otherwise we’d have a law about it.”
As Griswold noted, there was much talk about the possible corruption of electors at the Supreme Court, but supporters of faithless electors are skeptical bribery will occur. Justice Stephen Breyer repeatedly asked Attorney General Phil Weiser whether Electoral College members were bribed in the 200 years before states enacted punishments on faithless electors.
Weiser eventually told Breyer, “We don’t know of any such instances, your honor.”
Yesterday was a big one for Colorado in D.C. — SCOTUS arguments, plus a visit to the White House for Gov. Jared Polis and Sen. Cory Gardner. Alex Burness writes below on that visit, and Conrad Swanson has the latest on Ken Buck and turmoil within the GOP.
To support the important journalism we do, you can become a Denver Post subscriber here.
You can send tips, comments and questions to aburness@denverpost.com or to the other Post reporters below.
Top Line
In cities around the world, restaurants are taking to the streets. They’re transforming parking lots and plazas, spilling onto sidewalks and coming up with “parklets” for more patio space. After months of closed dine-in service, these gathering places are counting on fresh air and more room for social distancing to keep employees and customers safe and businesses alive through the summer months. Denver could be next to take this step, The Post’s Josie Sexton reports.
Front Range Politics • By Conrad Swanson
What about Weld County?
U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican from Windsor and state GOP chair, mended fences with an El Paso County party member who had been on the warpath for about a week. But the solution to their problem apparently ignores the issue in Weld County entirely.
The troubles first began for Buck when a recording surfaced of him pressuring a state Senate district chair in El Paso County, Eli Bremer, to submit incorrect election results to the state. If Bremer had followed through, it would have been illegal, the local party official noted on the call. Ultimately the issue went to Denver District Court, which sided with Bremer.
The GOP appealed, and the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the decision. But the issue then became Bremer’s damaged reputation, court costs and more. Buck was also politically damaged in the process as the story garnered national attention. He told The Denver Post he had no idea the phone conversation was recorded and he called the move “sneaky.”
However, Buck announced Wednesday that he has ordered the creation of a new internal commission to investigate the party’s assembly nomination and ballot designation processes. The commission has Bremer’s blessing, and the press release announcing it specifically mentions the controversy in El Paso County.
It doesn’t, however, mention another R vs. R conflict in Weld County, where the county party chair, Will Sander, has alleged election fraud and corruption by four members, including one person on Buck’s congressional staff.
Another county party leader said the incident that prompted Sander’s complaints is part of a larger “caucus stacking” scheme, and Sander’s complaints have been forwarded to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office for review.
Other Weld County Republicans, however, called Thursday for Sander’s resignation, citing party bylaw violations unrelated to the complaints he filed. A county commissioner called that new development pure retaliation.
Meanwhile, state GOP officials did not respond when asked multiple times whether the new internal commission will investigate the Weld County case. Why look into the one case and not the other when both relate to the party’s caucus/assembly process?
Denver and other local political news
#COSen 2020 • By Justin Wingerter
What to expect tonight
Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, reflecting on the massive field of Democrats challenging him, once jokingly referred to this year’s Senate race as “23 and Me.” But after waves of winnowing, and some eleventh-hour court cases, the Democratic field has been whittled down to John Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff. Those two will share a (digital) stage for the first time tonight.
“This is a forum, not a debate,” said James Scott with Indivisible NoCo, the event’s organizer.
“We’ve instructed (candidates) that we really want them to focus on speaking to the audience and not really interacting with each other. Now, to a certain degree, we’re all in uncharted territory, in terms of doing this over a Zoom webinar. Frankly, we’re going to have to see how that dynamic goes.”
A forum, not a debate. It’s a phrase you’ve heard often if you’ve followed this race. Romanoff has been frustrated with the forums and their lack of candidate interaction. He mockingly calls them “a polite exchange of talking points” and routinely criticizes Hickenlooper’s absence from them.
“Hick’s decision to turn the Senate race into a game of hide and seek is one of many reasons I don’t believe he should be the Democratic nominee, but it’s not the only reason,” Romanoff said during an interview earlier this week. “So, we’ll spend some time on Thursday night, as I’ve done at most of the other 19 debates he’s missed, pointing out where we differ on issues. It’s just been hard to debate a guy who wasn’t there.”
Hickenlooper has traditionally been a clean campaigner and has, thus far in the primary race, avoided criticizing fellow Democrats. Expect that to continue tonight, says press secretary Ammar Moussa.
“John’s going to continue to talk about his record, talk about why he is the best person to bring change to a pretty broken, dysfunctional Washington. This (coronavirus) crisis has revealed and will continue to reveal how broken and dysfunctional Washington is and there’s nobody better than the guy with a small business background, who was a mayor and a governor, to bring all of that to the table and bring change to Washington,” Moussa said.
The forum will run from 7 to roughly 8:15 p.m. Online registration is required here. Expect about a dozen questions, with two-minute answers per question. A few will come from the audience at the end and about 25% will be about the coronavirus pandemic, according to Scott.
Ads: Republicans for the Rule of Law will spend about $20,000 over the next three weeks broadcasting this ad that calls on Gardner to support expanded voting options during the pandemic. The ad has been running daily on Fox News across Colorado since Wednesday.
Service Employees International Union Local 105 is spending $50,000 to spread this digital ad calling on Gardner to help workers, not the wealthy, with coronavirus relief bills.
Endorsements: Romanoff added endorsements this week from the Denver-area branch of the American Postal Workers Union, along with several Indivisible groups.
Diane Mitsch Bush was endorsed Tuesday by the Colorado AFL-CIO. She’s a Democratic candidate in the 3rd District and will face fellow Democrat James Iacino on June 30.
Steve House was endorsed Tuesday by the American Conservative Union. He’s the Republican nominee to face Rep. Jason Crow, an Aurora Democrat, in the 6th District this November.
Transitions: Jenn Ridder, who managed Polis’ gubernatorial campaign in 2018, is now states director for the Joe Biden campaign. Last year, Ridder managed Steve Bullock’s unsuccessful presidential campaign. In that role, she publicly questioned Biden’s ability to beat Trump.
More federal election news
Lauren Boebert, a Republican facing off against GOP Rep. Scott Tipton on June 30, was handed a restraining order Wednesday after reopening her Rifle restaurant in violation of public health orders.
Five Thirty Eight takes a closer look at those Senate race polls from last week and finds some reasons to be cautious.
Big donors are helping Democratic candidates for Senate, including in Colorado, CNBC reports.
Capitol Diary • By Alex Burness
On Trump’s meeting with Polis and Gardner
I understood what Gov. Jared Polis meant when he told reporters earlier this week that he could not turn down an invitation from the president to meet face-to-face in Washington. Despite his policy differences with the current officeholder, Polis seems to have a reverence for the office, and saw in the invitation an opportunity to advocate directly for Colorado’s many needs — chiefly, testing capacity and protective equipment.
But, on the other hand, I wondered what would actually be achieved by flying across the country to chop it up for an hour or so with a man who has consistently disregarded and distorted facts, who has downplayed the severity of the coronavirus, and who seems to believe that our state and country are in much better shape than they are.
Clearly, I thought, this was not going to be a discussion of any nitty-gritty details of Colorado’s coronavirus response.
And I was right.
The public portion of Wednesday’s meeting began with Trump doing his thing — calling the press “fake news” and complaining about coverage, insisting without evidence that mail-in voting equals fraud and openly patronizing a government official he himself nominated.
After a bit of back-and-forth with the media, Trump and Polis had a brief exchange that I’d characterize as high-level and extremely light on specifics, with Sen. Cory Gardner jumping in now and then. Trump seemed glad to hear that many previously shuttered Colorado businesses can gradually get back to work, and that this year’s ski season may yet resume, if only for a couple weeks. He complimented the governor’s haircut.
There was laughter and a generally good vibe in the room. Trump heard what he wanted to hear: Everything’s going well, and the White House’s efforts to support individual states are appreciated.
“And you have good health care in that state, right?” Trump asked at one point during the Colorado portion of the meeting. No one took a stab at answering that complex question, and the subject was quickly changed. Like I said, high-level, light on policy details.
When the event was over, Polis spoke to the media and said he wasn’t in D.C. to pick fights, or to debate the president. He awkwardly wriggled out of a question from a reporter about whether he was impressed by Trump: “The president is the president,” Polis said, adding, three times, “He’s the president that we have.”
And Trump’s people put out a press release titled “President Trump’s Bold Actions Delivered for Colorado and will Revitalize the Centennial State’s Economy.” The release included inaccurate information about how many supplies the federal government has secured for Colorado. The governor let that slide.
Polis said in an interview from D.C. that going to the White House would be worth it if the meeting led to just one more mask or one more coronavirus test for Colorado. We know this president picks favorites, so, if the goal of the trip was to secure more supplies for our state, then Polis’s approach Wednesday — inoffensive, friendly, breezy and brief — may have been wise. Time will tell if it pays off.
More Colorado political news
Colorado’s got major budget problems, both short term and long term.
Getting enough signatures to place a measure on the state’s November ballot is already a tall task, and coronavirus is making it much harder.
The state legislature, on pause since March, has a new return date: May 26.
Lawmakers are brainstorming ways to help undocumented people, who do not receive stimulus checks, once the legislative session resumes.
Forward this newsletter to your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe.


thedenverpost--2020-05-14--Kiszla: Why the CU Buffs and CSU Rams should consider playing twice in 2020 football season

Colorado State football coach Steve Addazio is a dude , and dudes aren ’ t scared of no stinkin ’ coronavirus .
Addazio is worried about beating the CU Buffs in the season-opener Sept. 5 , not becoming the next victim of a pandemic that has killed more than 85,000 Americans .
I asked Addazio , a husband and father who celebrates his 61st birthday on June 1 , if he felt any heightened sense of danger from COVID-19 ?
“ Zero !
” Addazio replied with a second of hesitation .
“ I ’ m not irresponsible , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daz is a dude who wants to believe with all his heart there will be college football in 2020 .
But if you want to hear COVID-19 laugh , tell it your dreams .
“ College football needs to be played … if it ’ s safe , ” Addazio said Thursday .
I confess to being a dude like Daz .
As a Midwest kid who grew up during the 1960s , dazzled by the gleam of Notre Dame ’ s golden dome , college football is my first sports love .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the season can kick off with the Rams and Buffs playing Labor Day weekend on CSU ’ s campus .
“ Following the right protocols , we need to get our lives back going again , ” Addazio said .
But logic tells me there ’ s a better chance Colorado State wins the national championship against Alabama in 2020 than this calendar year ends without coronavirus drastically altering , reducing or shutting down the regular season .
If we can ’ t safely put students in CSU classrooms , it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the field to justify Addazio ’ s $ 1.5 million salary .
You want college football this year ?
Well , you better get way more creative than some cockamamie idea of fans sitting six feet apart in the stadium .
And I ’ m here to help , with one idea for CU athletic director Rick George and CSU counterpart Joe Parker to chew on during these strange , uncertain times .
No game on the 2020 schedule can be written in ink , because there ’ s so little inkling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next , so little nationwide coordination of the testing and tracing we need , so little consensus from the SEC to the Pac-12 about the difference between what ’ s safe and irresponsible to salvage a billion-dollar enterprise .
It is little wonder Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson told Sports Illustrated : “ I feel like I ’ m at Grand Central Station , and there are 10 trains leaving in different directions , and we don ’ t know which one to get on.
” Daz might be the optimistic dude we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hurting sports bars alike yearn for a return of normalcy on the sports calendar .
Or maybe Addazio is a dunderhead who chooses to ignore it might well cost $ 1,000 to test each CSU football player , before the Rams can get back to blocking , tackling and breaking every rule of social distancing .
So which is it ?
Is Addazio a football braveheart or pigskin knucklehead ?
The truth ?
Addazio is probably a little of both , because COVID-19 can afflict even the healthiest among us with conflicting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relate to the moral certitude of those loudmouths who scream either “ Re-open now !
” or “ Stay home !
” Yes , I ’ m sick and tired of being held hostage by an invisible disease .
But I also hide guilt behind my mask at any urge to give friends or family a hug .
With nothing more than crude estimates about what the death toll might be on July 1 , who knows when ( or if ) it will be safe for the Rams and Buffs to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in college athletics have begun to believe that just as governors in Louisiana and Oregon will re-open for business at different rates , the LSU Tigers and Oregon State Beavers might be ready ( or not ) to start playing football at different times .
“ We ’ re not going to not have a football season , because a couple teams in a state can ’ t play .
We ’ re going to have to move forward and accommodate ( for ) that in a different way , ” said Addazio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the field , even if three Mountain West football teams located in California are forced to stay sidelined , due to more stringent health restrictions in their home state .
So here ’ s one modest football proposal for these crazy coronavirus times : Let ’ s assume , for purposes of discussion , it ’ s safe for the Rams and Buffs to play Sept. 5 in a Canvas Stadium that ’ s empty except for players , coaches , officials and television cameras .
But the very next weekend , Fresno @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while CSU is supposed to take a road trip to Oregon State .
In the name of health , safety or fan interest , those games make very little sense in the age of coronavirus .
How about the Rams instead hop on a bus the morning of Sept. 12 and travel to Boulder to play CU in a rematch at Folsom Field ?
Yeah , I know .
The Buffs and Rams don ’ t like each other .
But as proud sons and daughters of this fair state , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Or not ?
Rams vs. Buffs .
Buffs vs. Rams .
What I ’ m suggesting is a home-and-home football series .
On back-to-back weekends .
Hey , CU and CSU : In 2020 , let ’ s play two .

Colorado State football coach Steve Addazio is a dude, and dudes aren’t scared of no stinkin’ coronavirus. Addazio is worried about beating the CU Buffs in the season-opener Sept. 5, not becoming the next victim of a pandemic that has killed more than 85,000 Americans.
I asked Addazio, a husband and father who celebrates his 61st birthday on June 1, if he felt any heightened sense of danger from COVID-19?
“Zero!” Addazio replied with a second of hesitation.
“I’m not irresponsible, but I’m not concerned.”
Coach Daz is a dude who wants to believe with all his heart there will be college football in 2020. But if you want to hear COVID-19 laugh, tell it your dreams.
“College football needs to be played … if it’s safe,” Addazio said Thursday.
I confess to being a dude like Daz. As a Midwest kid who grew up during the 1960s, dazzled by the gleam of Notre Dame’s golden dome, college football is my first sports love. So it’s my heartfelt wish the season can kick off with the Rams and Buffs playing Labor Day weekend on CSU’s campus.
“Following the right protocols, we need to get our lives back going again,” Addazio said.
But logic tells me there’s a better chance Colorado State wins the national championship against Alabama in 2020 than this calendar year ends without coronavirus drastically altering, reducing or shutting down the regular season. If we can’t safely put students in CSU classrooms, it would be the height of hypocrisy to put players on the field to justify Addazio’s $1.5 million salary.
You want college football this year? Well, you better get way more creative than some cockamamie idea of fans sitting six feet apart in the stadium. And I’m here to help, with one idea for CU athletic director Rick George and CSU counterpart Joe Parker to chew on during these strange, uncertain times.
No game on the 2020 schedule can be written in ink, because there’s so little inkling about what havoc the pandemic might wreak next, so little nationwide coordination of the testing and tracing we need, so little consensus from the SEC to the Pac-12 about the difference between what’s safe and irresponsible to salvage a billion-dollar enterprise.
It is little wonder Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson told Sports Illustrated: “I feel like I’m at Grand Central Station, and there are 10 trains leaving in different directions, and we don’t know which one to get on.”
Daz might be the optimistic dude we need right now, as loyal alums and hurting sports bars alike yearn for a return of normalcy on the sports calendar. Or maybe Addazio is a dunderhead who chooses to ignore it might well cost $1,000 to test each CSU football player, before the Rams can get back to blocking, tackling and breaking every rule of social distancing.
So which is it? Is Addazio a football braveheart or pigskin knucklehead?
The truth? Addazio is probably a little of both, because COVID-19 can afflict even the healthiest among us with conflicting, contradictory emotions. I cannot relate to the moral certitude of those loudmouths who scream either “Re-open now!” or “Stay home!” Yes, I’m sick and tired of being held hostage by an invisible disease. But I also hide guilt behind my mask at any urge to give friends or family a hug.
With nothing more than crude estimates about what the death toll might be on July 1, who knows when (or if) it will be safe for the Rams and Buffs to open training camp? But movers and shakers in college athletics have begun to believe that just as governors in Louisiana and Oregon will re-open for business at different rates, the LSU Tigers and Oregon State Beavers might be ready (or not) to start playing football at different times.
“We’re not going to not have a football season, because a couple teams in a state can’t play. We’re going to have to move forward and accommodate (for) that in a different way,” said Addazio. He’s itching to hit the field, even if three Mountain West football teams located in California are forced to stay sidelined, due to more stringent health restrictions in their home state.
So here’s one modest football proposal for these crazy coronavirus times:
Let’s assume, for purposes of discussion, it’s safe for the Rams and Buffs to play Sept. 5 in a Canvas Stadium that’s empty except for players, coaches, officials and television cameras.
But the very next weekend, Fresno State is scheduled to visit the Buffs, while CSU is supposed to take a road trip to Oregon State. In the name of health, safety or fan interest, those games make very little sense in the age of coronavirus.
How about the Rams instead hop on a bus the morning of Sept. 12 and travel to Boulder to play CU in a rematch at Folsom Field?
Yeah, I know. The Buffs and Rams don’t like each other. But as proud sons and daughters of this fair state, are we together in this fight against coronavirus? Or not?
Rams vs. Buffs. Buffs vs. Rams. What I’m suggesting is a home-and-home football series. On back-to-back weekends.
Strange times require out-of-the-box thinking.
Hey, CU and CSU: In 2020, let’s play two.


thedenverpost--2020-05-14--Coloradans asked to join Day of Remembrance to reflect on lives lost to coronavirus

The public is urged to honor the more than 1,000 Coloradans who have died of COVID-19 by participating Friday in a Day of Remembrance .
Gov .
Jared Polis and local governments across the state are asking people to wear a face-covering mask at 7 p.m. Friday and to reflect in a minute of silence to memorialize those we have lost to coronavirus .
“ This global pandemic has cost 300,000 lives across the world and over 1,000 in Colorado alone .
Too many Coloradans have lost family members and friends to this deadly virus , and we honor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t have proper in-person funerals , remembrances , and wakes , ” Polis said in a news release .
“ This is a challenging moment for many of our friends and neighbors and to those Coloradans who are struggling : you are not alone and we are all in this together .
We still have work to do to stop the spread of this virus and can defeat this virus by staying home as much as possible , wearing facial masks when in public , and washing our hands regularly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more Coloradans far too early.
” As part of the reflective effort , the state Capitol , along with cities , counties and other organizations , will turn building exterior lights red at 7 p.m. Friday to honor those who have died .
Businesses and the public is also encouraged to turn lights red at the top of the hour for the minute of silence .
About 100 counties , cites and towns across Colorado have agreed to participate in the remembrance .
Buildings that will be bathed in red include Coors Field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mile High .
Friday is also Peace Officers Memorial Day , which the state will commemorate by lowering flags to half staff , the release said .
Coloradans are encouraged to commemorate the day as well in tribute to those officers who gave their lives in the line of duty .

The public is urged to honor the more than 1,000 Coloradans who have died of COVID-19 by participating Friday in a Day of Remembrance.
Gov. Jared Polis and local governments across the state are asking people to wear a face-covering mask at 7 p.m. Friday and to reflect in a minute of silence to memorialize those we have lost to coronavirus.
“This global pandemic has cost 300,000 lives across the world and over 1,000 in Colorado alone. Too many Coloradans have lost family members and friends to this deadly virus, and we honor and celebrate their lives especially because many victims couldn’t have proper in-person funerals, remembrances, and wakes,” Polis said in a news release.
“This is a challenging moment for many of our friends and neighbors, and to those Coloradans who are struggling: You are not alone, and we are all in this together. We still have work to do to stop the spread of this virus and can defeat this virus by staying home as much as possible, wearing facial masks when in public, and washing our hands regularly. Together we can avoid burying and remembering more Coloradans far too early.”
As part of the reflective effort, the state Capitol, along with cities, counties and other organizations, will turn building exterior lights red at 7 p.m. Friday to honor those who have died. Businesses and the public also are encouraged to turn lights red at the top of the hour for the minute of silence.
About 100 counties, cites and towns across Colorado have agreed to participate in the remembrance. Buildings that will be bathed in red include Coors Field, the Pepsi Center and Empower Field at Mile High.
Friday is also Peace Officers Memorial Day, which the state will commemorate by lowering flags to half staff, the release said. Coloradans are encouraged to commemorate the day in tribute to those officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.


thedenverpost--2020-05-14--Colorado nears 1,100 coronavirus deaths as serious COVID-19 cases appear to be falling

Colorado has recorded 1,091 deaths from the new coronavirus as the number of serious COVID-19 cases appears to be steadily falling , state health officials announced Thursday .
There have been 3,789 people hospitalized since the outbreak was first confirmed in the state in early March , but only 514 people were in Colorado hospitals with symptoms of the illness as of Wednesday afternoon , state data shows .
That number is down from a peak of 888 on April 14 and has been steadily dropping since April 23 .
At least 46 people since Wednesday either went home or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care , like a rehabilitation facility .
Additionally , as of Thursday , there were 364 critical care ventilators being used across the state , down from 463 a month ago , according to state data .
More than 20,800 people have tested positive for or are believed to have COVID-19 , the highly infectious respiratory illness causes by the virus , though health officials have said the true number is likely far higher .
Officials recorded more than 4,200 tests on Wednesday as the state ramps up its capabilities to better track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 74.76 tests per 100,000 people per day — is higher than the previous four days , but remains significantly lower than the 152-per-100,000 daily number that health experts say is necessary to safely monitor the outbreak .
Much of the testing has been focused on senior living facilities and other care homes .
Officials have confirmed outbreaks at 208 facilities across the state , two more than the previous day .
The state health department announces new totals daily of coronavirus deaths and confirmed cases based on what ’ s reported up from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths and positive test results may be announced on a particular day , they may have occurred any time in the past and are just now being reported to the state .
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox .

Colorado has recorded 1,091 deaths from the new coronavirus as the number of serious COVID-19 cases appears to be steadily falling, state health officials announced Thursday.
There have been 3,789 people hospitalized since the outbreak was first confirmed in the state in early March, but only 514 people were in Colorado hospitals with symptoms of the illness as of Wednesday afternoon, state data shows.
That number is down from a peak of 888 on April 14 and has been steadily dropping since April 23. At least 46 people since Wednesday either went home or were transferred to a lower level of care, like a rehabilitation facility.
Additionally, as of Thursday, there were 364 critical care ventilators being used across the state, down from 463 a month ago, according to state data.
More than 20,800 people have tested positive for or are believed to have COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory illness causes by the virus, though health officials have said the true number is likely far higher.
Officials recorded more than 4,200 tests on Wednesday as the state ramps up its capabilities to better track the virus. The testing rate — 74.76 tests per 100,000 people per day — is higher than the previous four days , but remains significantly lower than the 152-per-100,000 daily number that health experts say is necessary to safely monitor the outbreak.
Much of the testing has been focused on senior living facilities and other care homes. Officials have confirmed outbreaks at 208 facilities across the state, two more than the previous day.
The state health department announces new totals daily of coronavirus deaths and confirmed cases based on what’s reported up from Colorado’s counties; though the deaths and positive test results may be announced on a particular day, they may have occurred any time in the past and are just now being reported to the state.
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-05-14--Broncos podcast: Discussing Denver’s virtual offseason, 2020 schedule and more

Essang Bassey believed he had taken every necessary step to be selected in last month ’ s NFL draft .
@ @ @ @ @ including 26 cornerbacks , he didn ’ t get the call .

Ryan O’Halloran covered the Broncos for The Post from 2018-22 and has covered the NFL since 2004. A native of North Dakota and graduate of Kansas State, O’Halloran previously covered the Washington Redskins for eight years, primarily at The Washington Times, and the Jacksonville Jaguars for six years at The Florida Times-Union. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors seven times for his work. He was named Colorado Sportswriter of the Year in 2019.


thedenverpost--2020-05-14--Candi CdeBaca only Denver council member who says she won’t give back “furlough” pay

Denver Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca , who is often at odds with Mayor Michael Hancock ’ s administration , is the only council member who isn ’ t planning to give eight days ’ pay back to the city in solidarity with furloughed city workers .
Most employees must take eight unpaid days before the end of the year , the city announced this week .
The furloughs are meant to save about $ 16 million amid an anticipated $ 226 million budget shortfall because of the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
CdeBaca said in a statement that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Denver ’ s legislative arm already runs on an “ anemic ” budget .
In addition , Mayor Michael Hancock ’ s proposed equal cuts across the board aren ’ t actually spread evenly , CdeBaca said .
Instead , she proposed cuts for the most “ bloated ” departments and employees with the highest salaries .
“ Rather than surrendering funds that will not make any difference to the Mayor ’ s excessive budget , I am keeping our limited resources in District 9 , which has the highest concentration of homelessness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to serve the more than 75,000 constituents here , ” CdeBaca said .
“ My office will use what would be our furlough savings to continue giving back directly to those who need it most in our community.
” Hancock and his administration will also take eight furlough days or relinquish pay out alongside the rest of the city workforce facing the cuts .
“ Mayor Hancock and those members of City Council choosing to join in the furlough days aren ’ t doing this as some symbolic gesture , they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply the right thing to do during this economic crisis , ” said city spokesperson Mike Strott .
“ At a time when we ’ re asking our city employees to make this sacrifice so that more drastic cuts aren ’ t made to the services that our residents need and depend on , it ’ s a funny form of protest to say you aren ’ t willing to do the same and stand beside them .
”

Denver Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, who is often at odds with Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration, is the only council member who isn’t planning to give eight days’ pay back to the city in solidarity with furloughed city workers.
Most employees must take eight unpaid days before the end of the year, the city announced this week. The furloughs are meant to save about $16 million amid an anticipated $226 million budget shortfall because of the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
CdeBaca said in a statement that her decision is in part to protest that Denver’s legislative arm already runs on an “anemic” budget.
In addition, Mayor Michael Hancock’s proposed equal cuts across the board aren’t actually spread evenly, CdeBaca said. Instead, she proposed cuts for the most “bloated” departments and employees with the highest salaries.
“Rather than surrendering funds that will not make any difference to the Mayor’s excessive budget, I am keeping our limited resources in District 9, which has the highest concentration of homelessness and poverty in the city, in order to serve the more than 75,000 constituents here,” CdeBaca said. “My office will use what would be our furlough savings to continue giving back directly to those who need it most in our community.”
Hancock and his administration will also take eight furlough days or relinquish pay out alongside the rest of the city workforce facing the cuts.
“Mayor Hancock and those members of City Council choosing to join in the furlough days aren’t doing this as some symbolic gesture, they’re doing it because it’s simply the right thing to do during this economic crisis,” said city spokesperson Mike Strott. “At a time when we’re asking our city employees to make this sacrifice so that more drastic cuts aren’t made to the services that our residents need and depend on, it’s a funny form of protest to say you aren’t willing to do the same and stand beside them.”


thedenverpost--2020-05-15--The greatest games The Denver Post sports department has ever seen

The members of The Denver Post sports department have spent their entire lives watching or covering sporting events as reporters or fans .
So it ’ s safe to say we ’ ve borne witness to more than a few good games .
Here are some of our favorites : Briefly : With apologies to the late , great Fred “ The Count ” Casotti , I am a bit of a CU football historian , and I consider this game the milestone that began the Buffs ’ greatest run .
CU had gone a long , miserable 17 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill McCartney brazenly designated the Buffs ’ rivals .
But in a true rivalry , one team doesn ’ t win all the games , and CU had a lot to prove .
The Buffs played exceptional defense , and the offense scored long touchdowns on a reverse by Jeff “ Soupy ” Campbell and a halfback pass from O.C .
Oliver to Lance Carl .
The streak was over , the goalposts got carried off and an era was born .
The Buffs won the national championship four years later in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most part ) stretch of excellence .
I think The Count would approve .
— Mike Judson Briefly : In the history of Denver sports , there has never been a wilder roller-coaster ride than 1990 , from the agony of the Broncos ’ lopsided loss to San Francisco in the Super Bowl to the fifth-down wackiness and thrill of the CU Buffs ’ national championship .
What ’ s more , we were blessed with the lone appearance of the Final Four in our dusty old cowtown .
That NCAA Tournament was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marymount after the death of Hank Gathers and one of the hottest shows ever produced in Vegas : the Runnin ’ Rebs of Larry Johnson and Tark the Shark .
Before blowing out Duke for the championship in humble ( and dumpy ) McNichols Sports Arena , UNLV was forced to rally from a seven-point deficit against Georgia Tech in the semifinals.The Jackets were led by high-scoring Dennis Scott , but the NCAA ’ s player of the year was only one of six future NBA first-round draft picks on the floor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ If foul trouble didn ’ t find freshman point guard Kenny Anderson during the second half , Tech would ’ ve wrecked UNLV .
— Mark Kiszla Briefly : They were far from the best team in franchise history , but have any Nuggets ever had more fun than Dikembe Mutombo , LaPhonso Ellis and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf did as rambunctious NBA kids ?
I still laugh thinking about how eighth-seeded Denver drove Seattle coach George Karl to distraction in the opening round of the playoffs , then eliminated the top-seeded Sonics , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home floor , in a win-or-go-home Game 5 .
The unlikely heroes were two backups : Robert Pack scored 23 points and Brian Williams grabbed 19 rebounds .
But the images etched forever in my memory are Mutombo blocking a shot by Shawn Kemp late in overtime , then falling flat on his back in the lane after the final buzzer , lifting the ball skyward , as an offering of thanks to the basketball gods .
— Mark Kiszla Briefly : A precursor : My all-time favorite game is Pittsburgh Penguins-Washington Capitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2009 when Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin both scored hat tricks .
But going with a Colorado theme , and since the recent Broncos ’ well has run dry , I went way back .
The Cotton Bowl was on the line when CU visited Kansas State in the 1995 regular-season finale .
I was a K-State undergrad covering the game for the Topeka Capital-Journal ( good experience ) and the K-State Collegian ( no comment ) .
Down 17-13 with 2:24 remaining , the Buffs took the lead on a six-play , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was capped by quarterback John Hessler ’ s 20-yard touchdown pass to James Kidd .
The Buffs added a fumble recovery in the end zone to secure the 27-17 win .
I was on the sideline for the end of the game , which made it particularly memorable instead of watching it from the glassed-in press box .
It was big-time college football at its best and started a spirited CU-Kansas State rivalry through the rest of the 1990s .
— Ryan O ’ Halloran Briefly : First , a confession .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and became a Broncos fan when I was a toddler .
I attended some of the most meaningful games in Broncos history , including their victory over the Raiders in the 1977 AFC title game that sent Denver to its first Super Bowl .
My brother Steve captured the Colorado flag flying above the South Stands that day , while my cousin Mark took home the American flag .
So imagine my emotions when the Broncos won their first Super Bowl .
At the time , I was the sports editor of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The memories remain vivid .
Elway ’ s helicopter .
John Mobley knocking down Brett Favre ’ s final pass .
Pat Bowlen shouting “ This one ’ s for John !
” I was supposed to be an impartial sports journalist ( as if there is such a thing ) .
But I readily admit I got choked up when the Broncos beat the Packers .
I got chills talking to Elway ’ s father , Jack , in the locker room afterward .
— Patrick Saunders Briefly : As my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , someone offered us almost $ 2,000 cash for our tickets !
But being season-ticket holders since Day 1 , we joined 18,000 other raucous fans screaming and shaking our white pompons .
Alex Tanguay opened the scoring midway through the first period and tallied again in the second .
Joe Sakic made it 3-0 on a power-play chance , but the Devils countered with a power-play goal of their own .
Even with Patrick Roy in net , the last period and a half seemed like an eternity .
Looking back at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that each team had only five shots on goal in the third period as we counted down the minutes and then seconds to watching Sakic take the Stanley Cup and hand it to Ray Bourque so he could finally hoist it above his head .
— Lori Punko Briefly : DU captured its sixth NCAA championship and snapped a 35-year drought in extraordinary fashion just five months after losing legendary alum Keith Magnuson to a car accident .
Some believe it was Magnuson who invisibly tripped a Maine forward going in on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1-1 in the third period .
Denver , which took advantage of a disallowed Maine goal because of an outdated skate-in-the-crease rule , killed off a 6-on-3 disadvantage in the final 1:18 of the game and Pioneers goalie Adam Berkhoel finished with a 24-save shutout to relieve his mother ’ s intense emotional anxiety captured by ESPN cameras .
The game was played before a bipartisan crowd of 18,597 — the largest hockey gathering in a building that still houses the Boston Bruins — and the result snapped Maine ’ s 10-game winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Rockies ’ wild-card tiebreaker against San Diego had it all : future Hall of Famers , extra innings , a young Troy Tulowitzki , Matt Holliday and his bloody chin , and a sellout crowd whipped up into a frenzy .
The game went 13 innings , lasted 4 hours , 40 minutes and had a combined 15 pitchers .
The 13th inning is when the magic unfolded as the Padres took the lead on Scott Hairston ’ s two-run homer to left field .
Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was immediately smacked around , with Kazuo Matsui and Tulowitzki ( 4-for-7 ) hitting back-to-back doubles to cut the lead to 8-7 .
Holliday followed with a triple to right field to tie the game .
Todd Helton was intentionally walked to bring up unlikely hero Jamey Carroll , whose flyball to shallow right field scored Holliday from third after he tagged up and slid into home head first , banging up his chin .
This was the start of Rocktober — an amazing October run that ended with the franchise ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Jeff Bailey Briefly : James Harrison at the beginning , Bruce Springsteen in the middle , and Larry Fitzgerald and Santonio Holmes trading punches during the bitter , wild end .
Thanks to Harrison ’ s 100-yard interception return , the favored Steelers took a 17-7 lead into halftime .
Pittsburgh extended that cushion to 20-7 in the fourth quarter before the script did a triple lutz .
The final 7:40 of the contest saw the Cardinals , behind vintage Kurt Warner and two Fitzgerald scores , reel off 16 straight points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left in regulation .
But what was setting up to be one of the greatest comebacks in Super Bowl history instead got hijacked by a brilliant Steelers touchdown drive , capped by Holmes ’ tippytoe catch in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left .
Warner , then age 37 , didn ’ t have enough time to answer — but the performance , in hindsight , probably helped to solidify the undrafted signal-caller ’ s eventual selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame .
— Sean Keeler Briefly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game ever played on Colorado soil , the United States men ’ s national team hosted Costa Rica in a World Cup Qualifying match now known as the “ Snow Clasico.
” Heavy , wet spring snowflakes began falling just before kickoff , and several inches had accumulated by game ’ s end .
Clint Dempsey , who wore the captain ’ s armband for the U.S. , scored in the 16th minute , burying a rebound off a deflected shot by Jozy Altidore .
Field conditions significantly deteriorated as the game wore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ran onto the field to clear the 18-yard box lines with shovels when the ball was on the other end .
Goalkeeper Brad Guzan posted the shutout in front of a boisterous sellout crowd .
Costa Rica filed a formal protest to have the match replayed , which FIFA rejected .
— Dan Boniface Briefly : OSU trailed by seven points with less than a minute left and no timeouts when an OU punt pinned the Cowboys at their own 15 .
But hold up !
There was a flag for running into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , greedy for better field position , accepted the penalty and chose to repunt the football .
It was a bad choice , considering the player back to return it — some guy named Tyreek Hill .
The future NFL all-pro sprinted 92 yards for a touchdown to force overtime , and behind true freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph , the Cowboys completed an unlikely walk-off winner with a field goal .
The final regular-season victory gave OSU bowl eligibility , arguably saved coach Mike Gundy ’ s job and provided a moment I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covering Cowboys football for The Oklahoman .
— Kyle Fredrickson Briefly : It might have been the final chapter between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning , but the legendary quarterbacks weren ’ t the main attraction .
Von Miller , Denver ’ s all-pro edge rusher , was outright unstoppable against the mighty Patriots , harassing Brady all game long and recording 2.5 sacks .
The Broncos ’ defense shut down a vaunted New England offense that averaged an AFC-leading 29.1 points per game during the regular season .
A pair of early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daniels and a couple of field goals from Brandon McManus were all Denver needed to punch its ticket to Super Bowl 50 in front of 77,112 deafening fans .
— Joe Nguyen Briefly : In a championship heavyweight battle in which neither team refused to stop slugging , Pomona outdueled Eaglecrest in the highest-scoring Class 5A football title game in Colorado history .
Gold Helmet Award winner and current Washington State star Max Borghi led the way for the Panthers with 247 rushing yards and three touchdowns , securing Pomona ’ s second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prior two seasons .
While quarterback Ryan Marquez and wideout Billy Pospisil also starred for the Panthers , connecting for three touchdowns , gritty Eaglecrest bounced back from an early 14-0 deficit behind the offensive prowess of quarterback Jalen Mergerson and running back Kenny Wantings .
Just when you thought one team was out of it , a turnover or a big scoring play would swing the momentum right back the other direction .
— Kyle Newman Briefly : I remember the candy .
At Portland , unlike in other NBA arenas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manner of Sour Patch kids , Butterfingers and Twix bars — all within arm ’ s reach of media seating .
One can see how , amid only the second four-overtime playoff game in NBA history , my stomach would ’ ve been dancing .
That doesn ’ t even account for the pressure of newspaper deadlines , which I ’ d long since blown past by the time the Blazers outlasted the Nuggets 140-137 in Game 3 of their second-round series .
Nikola Jokic played a staggering 65 minutes and registered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back and forth in the overtime sessions , swapping the lead multiple times but never creating any sizable distance .
Finally , the Blazers turned to Rodney Hood in the fourth overtime .
As one of the few players on either side with any legs left , Hood buried seven consecutive points as time ticked away .
— Mike Singer Briefly : The Big Red invasion began early Saturday morning , as thousands of Husker fans descended upon the Flatirons for the renewal of a rivalry neither fan base ever wanted to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stadium was painted red , with only the student section and a portion of the lower bowl filled with Buffs faithful .
What followed was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Buffs rally from a 17-0 deficit — a 96-yard Steven Montez-to-K.D .
Nixon flea flicker , a 7-yard Jaren Mangham TD run and 26-yard fade from Montez to Troy Brown the highlights .
James Stefanou ’ s 34-yard field goal put CU ahead in OT , and then the last of Mustafa Johnson ’ s three sacks forced an Isaac Armstrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fluttered wide right as the student section flooded Folsom Field .
— Matt Schubert

The members of The Denver Post sports department have spent their entire lives watching or covering sporting events as reporters or fans. So it’s safe to say we’ve borne witness to more than a few good games. Here are some of our favorites:
CU Buffs 20, No. 3 Nebraska 10
Date/location: Oct. 25, 1986, Folsom Field
Briefly: With apologies to the late, great Fred “The Count” Casotti, I am a bit of a CU football historian, and I consider this game the milestone that began the Buffs’ greatest run. CU had gone a long, miserable 17 years without defeating the Cornhuskers, whom coach Bill McCartney brazenly designated the Buffs’ rivals. But in a true rivalry, one team doesn’t win all the games, and CU had a lot to prove. The Buffs played exceptional defense, and the offense scored long touchdowns on a reverse by Jeff “Soupy” Campbell and a halfback pass from O.C. Oliver to Lance Carl. The streak was over, the goalposts got carried off and an era was born. The Buffs won the national championship four years later in the midst of a 20-season (for the most part) stretch of excellence. I think The Count would approve. — Mike Judson
UNLV 90, Georgia Tech 81
Date/location: March 31, 1990, NCAA Final Four, McNichols Sports Arena
Briefly: In the history of Denver sports, there has never been a wilder roller-coaster ride than 1990, from the agony of the Broncos’ lopsided loss to San Francisco in the Super Bowl to the fifth-down wackiness and thrill of the CU Buffs’ national championship. What’s more, we were blessed with the lone appearance of the Final Four in our dusty old cowtown. That NCAA Tournament was unforgettable for the inspired run of Loyola Marymount after the death of Hank Gathers and one of the hottest shows ever produced in Vegas: the Runnin’ Rebs of Larry Johnson and Tark the Shark. Before blowing out Duke for the championship in humble (and dumpy) McNichols Sports Arena, UNLV was forced to rally from a seven-point deficit against Georgia Tech in the semifinals.The Jackets were led by high-scoring Dennis Scott, but the NCAA’s player of the year was only one of six future NBA first-round draft picks on the floor. And I will believe this forever: If foul trouble didn’t find freshman point guard Kenny Anderson during the second half, Tech would’ve wrecked UNLV. — Mark Kiszla
Nuggets 98, Sonics 94 (OT)
Date/location: May 7, 1994, Western Conference first round (Game 5), Tacoma Dome
Briefly: They were far from the best team in franchise history, but have any Nuggets ever had more fun than Dikembe Mutombo, LaPhonso Ellis and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf did as rambunctious NBA kids? I still laugh thinking about how eighth-seeded Denver drove Seattle coach George Karl to distraction in the opening round of the playoffs, then eliminated the top-seeded Sonics, which had a 37-4 regular-season record on their home floor, in a win-or-go-home Game 5. The unlikely heroes were two backups: Robert Pack scored 23 points and Brian Williams grabbed 19 rebounds. But the images etched forever in my memory are Mutombo blocking a shot by Shawn Kemp late in overtime, then falling flat on his back in the lane after the final buzzer, lifting the ball skyward, as an offering of thanks to the basketball gods. — Mark Kiszla
CU Buffs 27, Kansas State 17
Date/location: Nov. 18, 1995, KSU Stadium, Manhattan, Kan.
Briefly: A precursor: My all-time favorite game is Pittsburgh Penguins-Washington Capitals Game 2 of Eastern Conference semifinals in 2009 when Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin both scored hat tricks. But going with a Colorado theme, and since the recent Broncos’ well has run dry, I went way back. The Cotton Bowl was on the line when CU visited Kansas State in the 1995 regular-season finale. I was a K-State undergrad covering the game for the Topeka Capital-Journal (good experience) and the K-State Collegian (no comment). Down 17-13 with 2:24 remaining, the Buffs took the lead on a six-play, 80-yard drive that took only 80 seconds and was capped by quarterback John Hessler’s 20-yard touchdown pass to James Kidd. The Buffs added a fumble recovery in the end zone to secure the 27-17 win. I was on the sideline for the end of the game, which made it particularly memorable instead of watching it from the glassed-in press box. It was big-time college football at its best and started a spirited CU-Kansas State rivalry through the rest of the 1990s. — Ryan O’Halloran
Broncos 31, Packers 24
Date/location: Jan. 25, 1998, Super Bowl XXXII, Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
Briefly: First, a confession. I was born and raised in Colorado and became a Broncos fan when I was a toddler. I attended some of the most meaningful games in Broncos history, including their victory over the Raiders in the 1977 AFC title game that sent Denver to its first Super Bowl. My brother Steve captured the Colorado flag flying above the South Stands that day, while my cousin Mark took home the American flag. So imagine my emotions when the Broncos won their first Super Bowl. At the time, I was the sports editor of the Longmont Times-Call, working alongside Troy Renck. The memories remain vivid. Elway’s helicopter. John Mobley knocking down Brett Favre’s final pass. Pat Bowlen shouting “This one’s for John!” I was supposed to be an impartial sports journalist (as if there is such a thing). But I readily admit I got choked up when the Broncos beat the Packers. I got chills talking to Elway’s father, Jack, in the locker room afterward. — Patrick Saunders
Avalanche 3, Devils 1
Date/location: June 9, 2001, Stanley Cup Final, Game 7, Pepsi Center
Briefly: As my husband and I approached the Pepsi Center, someone offered us almost $2,000 cash for our tickets! But being season-ticket holders since Day 1, we joined 18,000 other raucous fans screaming and shaking our white pompons. Alex Tanguay opened the scoring midway through the first period and tallied again in the second. Joe Sakic made it 3-0 on a power-play chance, but the Devils countered with a power-play goal of their own. Even with Patrick Roy in net, the last period and a half seemed like an eternity. Looking back at the game summary, it seems impossible that each team had only five shots on goal in the third period as we counted down the minutes and then seconds to watching Sakic take the Stanley Cup and hand it to Ray Bourque so he could finally hoist it above his head. — Lori Punko
DU Pioneers 1, Maine Black Bears 0
Date/Location: April 11, 2004, at Boston’s FleetCenter (now TD Garden)
Briefly: DU captured its sixth NCAA championship and snapped a 35-year drought in extraordinary fashion just five months after losing legendary alum Keith Magnuson to a car accident. Some believe it was Magnuson who invisibly tripped a Maine forward going in on a breakaway and looking to tie the game 1-1 in the third period. Denver, which took advantage of a disallowed Maine goal because of an outdated skate-in-the-crease rule, killed off a 6-on-3 disadvantage in the final 1:18 of the game and Pioneers goalie Adam Berkhoel finished with a 24-save shutout to relieve his mother’s intense emotional anxiety captured by ESPN cameras. The game was played before a bipartisan crowd of 18,597 — the largest hockey gathering in a building that still houses the Boston Bruins — and the result snapped Maine’s 10-game winning streak. — Mike Chambers
Rockies 9, Padres 8
Date/location: Oct. 1, 2007, Game 163, Coors Field
Briefly: The Rockies’ wild-card tiebreaker against San Diego had it all: future Hall of Famers, extra innings, a young Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Holliday and his bloody chin, and a sellout crowd whipped up into a frenzy. The game went 13 innings, lasted 4 hours, 40 minutes and had a combined 15 pitchers. The 13th inning is when the magic unfolded as the Padres took the lead on Scott Hairston’s two-run homer to left field. Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman took the mound in the bottom half and was immediately smacked around, with Kazuo Matsui and Tulowitzki (4-for-7) hitting back-to-back doubles to cut the lead to 8-7. Holliday followed with a triple to right field to tie the game. Todd Helton was intentionally walked to bring up unlikely hero Jamey Carroll, whose flyball to shallow right field scored Holliday from third after he tagged up and slid into home head first, banging up his chin. This was the start of Rocktober — an amazing October run that ended with the franchise’s first and only World Series trip. — Jeff Bailey
Steelers 27, Cardinals 23
Date/location: Feb. 1, 2009, Super Bowl XLIII, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa
Briefly: James Harrison at the beginning, Bruce Springsteen in the middle, and Larry Fitzgerald and Santonio Holmes trading punches during the bitter, wild end. Thanks to Harrison’s 100-yard interception return, the favored Steelers took a 17-7 lead into halftime. Pittsburgh extended that cushion to 20-7 in the fourth quarter before the script did a triple lutz. The final 7:40 of the contest saw the Cardinals, behind vintage Kurt Warner and two Fitzgerald scores, reel off 16 straight points to take a 23-20 lead with 2:37 left in regulation. But what was setting up to be one of the greatest comebacks in Super Bowl history instead got hijacked by a brilliant Steelers touchdown drive, capped by Holmes’ tippytoe catch in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left. Warner, then age 37, didn’t have enough time to answer — but the performance, in hindsight, probably helped to solidify the undrafted signal-caller’s eventual selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. — Sean Keeler
USA 1, Costa Rica 0
Date/Location: March 22, 2013, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Briefly: In perhaps the most notable soccer game ever played on Colorado soil, the United States men’s national team hosted Costa Rica in a World Cup Qualifying match now known as the “Snow Clasico.” Heavy, wet spring snowflakes began falling just before kickoff, and several inches had accumulated by game’s end. Clint Dempsey, who wore the captain’s armband for the U.S., scored in the 16th minute, burying a rebound off a deflected shot by Jozy Altidore. Field conditions significantly deteriorated as the game wore on, and the grounds crew frequently ran onto the field to clear the 18-yard box lines with shovels when the ball was on the other end. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan posted the shutout in front of a boisterous sellout crowd. Costa Rica filed a formal protest to have the match replayed, which FIFA rejected. — Dan Boniface
Oklahoma State 38, Oklahoma 35 (OT)
Date/Location: Dec. 6, 2014, Memorial Stadium, Norman, Okla.
Briefly: OSU trailed by seven points with less than a minute left and no timeouts when an OU punt pinned the Cowboys at their own 15. But hold up! There was a flag for running into the kicker. OU coach Bob Stoops, greedy for better field position, accepted the penalty and chose to repunt the football. It was a bad choice, considering the player back to return it — some guy named Tyreek Hill. The future NFL all-pro sprinted 92 yards for a touchdown to force overtime, and behind true freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph, the Cowboys completed an unlikely walk-off winner with a field goal. The final regular-season victory gave OSU bowl eligibility, arguably saved coach Mike Gundy’s job and provided a moment I’ll never forget from my time covering Cowboys football for The Oklahoman. — Kyle Fredrickson
Broncos 20, Patriots 18
Date/Location: Jan. 24, 2016, Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Briefly: It might have been the final chapter between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but the legendary quarterbacks weren’t the main attraction. Von Miller, Denver’s all-pro edge rusher, was outright unstoppable against the mighty Patriots, harassing Brady all game long and recording 2.5 sacks. The Broncos’ defense shut down a vaunted New England offense that averaged an AFC-leading 29.1 points per game during the regular season. A pair of early touchdowns from Manning to tight end Owen Daniels and a couple of field goals from Brandon McManus were all Denver needed to punch its ticket to Super Bowl 50 in front of 77,112 deafening fans. — Joe Nguyen
Pomona 56, Eaglecrest 49
Date/location: Dec. 2, 2017, Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Briefly: In a championship heavyweight battle in which neither team refused to stop slugging, Pomona outdueled Eaglecrest in the highest-scoring Class 5A football title game in Colorado history. Gold Helmet Award winner and current Washington State star Max Borghi led the way for the Panthers with 247 rushing yards and three touchdowns, securing Pomona’s second state title after falling in the championship the prior two seasons. While quarterback Ryan Marquez and wideout Billy Pospisil also starred for the Panthers, connecting for three touchdowns, gritty Eaglecrest bounced back from an early 14-0 deficit behind the offensive prowess of quarterback Jalen Mergerson and running back Kenny Wantings. Just when you thought one team was out of it, a turnover or a big scoring play would swing the momentum right back the other direction. — Kyle Newman
Blazers 140, Nuggets 137 (4 OT)
Date/location: May 3, 2019, Western Conference semifinals (Game 3), Moda Center
Briefly: I remember the candy. At Portland, unlike in other NBA arenas, visiting reporters are treated to all manner of Sour Patch kids, Butterfingers and Twix bars — all within arm’s reach of media seating. One can see how, amid only the second four-overtime playoff game in NBA history, my stomach would’ve been dancing. That doesn’t even account for the pressure of newspaper deadlines, which I’d long since blown past by the time the Blazers outlasted the Nuggets 140-137 in Game 3 of their second-round series. Nikola Jokic played a staggering 65 minutes and registered a triple-double. The team’s pinballed back and forth in the overtime sessions, swapping the lead multiple times but never creating any sizable distance. Finally, the Blazers turned to Rodney Hood in the fourth overtime. As one of the few players on either side with any legs left, Hood buried seven consecutive points as time ticked away. — Mike Singer
CU Buffs 34, Nebraska 31 (OT)
Date/Location: Sept. 7, 2019, Folsom Field
Briefly: The Big Red invasion began early Saturday morning, as thousands of Husker fans descended upon the Flatirons for the renewal of a rivalry neither fan base ever wanted to leave. By kickoff, more than half the stadium was painted red, with only the student section and a portion of the lower bowl filled with Buffs faithful. What followed was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Buffs rally from a 17-0 deficit — a 96-yard Steven Montez-to-K.D. Nixon flea flicker, a 7-yard Jaren Mangham TD run and 26-yard fade from Montez to Troy Brown the highlights. James Stefanou’s 34-yard field goal put CU ahead in OT, and then the last of Mustafa Johnson’s three sacks forced an Isaac Armstrong field goal attempt from 50 yards that fluttered wide right as the student section flooded Folsom Field. — Matt Schubert


thedenverpost--2020-05-15--Coronavirus testing sparse at many of Colorado’s large jails as outbreaks continue to mount

Testing at Colorado ’ s largest jails remains limited and sporadic even as an increasing number of the facilities are added to the state ’ s list of confirmed outbreaks .
With the exception of Denver , testing numbers at the state ’ s 10 largest jails remain in the double or single digits despite populations in the hundreds and daily churn of people booking in and out of the facilities .
At least five of the facilities — Arapahoe , Pueblo , Mesa , Larimer and Boulder — had tested fewer than 10 inmates as of earlier this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detention Center currently houses about 600 inmates and has conducted six tests over the past two months , which all came back negative .
The jails are following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that suggest screening inmates by asking them about symptoms and taking their temperatures .
Staff at some of the jails said they were first stymied by a lack of available tests , though they have been able to acquire more tests recently .
The jails have been able to better spread inmates out due to a precipitous drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jails in the state have seen their daily populations drop between 40 % and 50 % , data provided by the jails show .
But quarantine and social distancing policies are nearly useless without frequent testing to know who is sick , said Dr. Carlos Franco-Paredes , an associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and infectious disease specialist .
And the CDC-recommended symptom screenings used by the jails are ineffective against those with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic , he said .
“ If you don ’ t do testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ You ’ re following guidelines that are insufficient.
” Total testing numbers for the El Paso County and Adams County jails were not available because the facilities ’ contracted health care provider , Wellpath , did not return emails or phone calls requesting the numbers .
In the past month , the virus has crept into correctional facilities across the state , infecting at least 750 inmates and 33 staff in jails , prisons and halfway houses , according to outbreak data released Wednesday by the Colorado Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 15 , when the state released outbreak data for the first time , there was a single correctional facility on the list .
On Wednesday , the list included five jails , two prisons and four community corrections programs .
Denver ’ s two jails have by far the highest number of positive cases among the jails , though testing there has also been more robust than other facilities .
Denver Health staff have administered 1,641 tests to inmates in both the downtown jail and the county facility and 201 of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided by the city .
The vast majority of the positive cases are at the downtown facility .
While some of the inmates have recovered or been released , 139 actively sick inmates remain in Denver ’ s jails .
That means 14 % of the jails ’ current population of about 1,000 has COVID-19 .
The Denver jails in late April began expanding the parameters for testing .
Through March and much of April , only inmates with symptoms were tested .
On April 27 , the jail started testing all inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , testing was also expanded to include all inmates leaving a 14-day quarantine after possible exposure to the virus and , on May 5 , any inmates being moved to the Department of Corrections .
“ As seen during this pandemic , when testing increases so does the number of positive cases , ” Nancy Kuhn , a Denver city spokeswoman , wrote in an email .
The number of tests administered at Denver ’ s jails is more than 20 times the number administered at the facility with the next highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center .
Seventy-five inmates have been tested at the Jefferson County facility , and 22 were found to have the coronavirus .
The testing ratcheted up after one inmate started showing symptoms after being at the facility for about nine days , said Rob Reardon , chief of detentions at the jail .
The jail then tested others and found more cases , including in some inmates who showed no symptoms .
Prior to April 20 , the jail had tested one inmate .
In the first weeks of the pandemic , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through its health care provider , Wellpath , Reardon said .
Knowing who to test is complicated , he said , in part because many of the symptoms of the coronavirus align with the symptoms of substance abuse withdrawal , which affects at least half of the people being booked into the jail .
“ We have a little more tests now , though we ’ re still struggling to get more , ” he said .
The availability of tests will dictate the strategy the jail uses going forward , Reardon said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing .
A lack of available tests also complicated efforts in the Boulder County jail until recently , said Melanie Dreiling , health services administrator at the Boulder County Sheriff ’ s Office .
As of Tuesday , three jail inmates had been tested for the coronavirus in the facility , which is currently housing about 200 people .
All results were negative .
Testing is limited to inmates who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 and who fail flu and strep testing , though Dreiling said she recognized the chance that an asymptomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s why the jail has created a multistep process aimed at preventing the introduction of the coronavirus in the first place .
Symptomatic inmates are isolated immediately if they fail the initial screening questions and temperature checks , which are completed in the jail ’ s garage .
Those who pass the screening are then cohorted with a single group of other new arrivals for 14 days before being admitted to the general population .
That way , the jail knows exactly whom to test if someone starts showing symptoms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ once it ’ s in the jail , we decided the best method was to keep it out , ” Dreiling said .
“ So far we ’ ve been successful in doing so.
” The jail recently gained access to more tests through the state health department and is now discussing whether to test all inmates before they are moved to the general population after the two-week quarantine , Dreiling said .
The drop in jail populations has allowed more opportunity for inmates and staff to practice social distancing , Dreiling and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dorms at the Jefferson County jail are about half full .
In Boulder County and Denver , facilities have space to create isolation rooms and quarantine units .
“ In jails , all space is a commodity , ” Reardon said .
Broad testing in any correctional facility where staff or an inmate has tested positive will likely reveal far more cases , Franco-Paredes said .
He pointed to Colorado ’ s Sterling Correctional Facility , where eight positive cases prompted mass testing that revealed more than 400 inmates had COVID-19 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But an outbreak of COVID-19 inside a jail doesn ’ t stay inside the facility ’ s walls , Franco-Paredes said .
Staff travel in and out of the facility every day .
Jail inmates return to the community after posting bond or after a court hearing .
“ Public health in the jail is public health in the community , ” Franco-Paredes said .
“ It ’ s an extension of the larger community .
”

Testing at Colorado’s largest jails remains limited and sporadic even as an increasing number of the facilities are added to the state’s list of confirmed outbreaks.
With the exception of Denver, testing numbers at the state’s 10 largest jails remain in the double or single digits despite populations in the hundreds and daily churn of people booking in and out of the facilities. At least five of the facilities — Arapahoe, Pueblo, Mesa, Larimer and Boulder — had tested fewer than 10 inmates as of earlier this week. For example, the Arapahoe County Detention Center currently houses about 600 inmates and has conducted six tests over the past two months, which all came back negative.
The jails are following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that suggest screening inmates by asking them about symptoms and taking their temperatures. Staff at some of the jails said they were first stymied by a lack of available tests, though they have been able to acquire more tests recently. The jails have been able to better spread inmates out due to a precipitous drop in population — all of the largest jails in the state have seen their daily populations drop between 40% and 50%, data provided by the jails show.
But quarantine and social distancing policies are nearly useless without frequent testing to know who is sick, said Dr. Carlos Franco-Paredes, an associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and infectious disease specialist. And the CDC-recommended symptom screenings used by the jails are ineffective against those with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic, he said.
“If you don’t do testing, you’re flying blind,” he said. “You’re following guidelines that are insufficient.”
Total testing numbers for the El Paso County and Adams County jails were not available because the facilities’ contracted health care provider, Wellpath, did not return emails or phone calls requesting the numbers.
In the past month, the virus has crept into correctional facilities across the state, infecting at least 750 inmates and 33 staff in jails, prisons and halfway houses, according to outbreak data released Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. On April 15, when the state released outbreak data for the first time, there was a single correctional facility on the list. On Wednesday, the list included five jails, two prisons and four community corrections programs.
Denver’s two jails have by far the highest number of positive cases among the jails, though testing there has also been more robust than other facilities. Denver Health staff have administered 1,641 tests to inmates in both the downtown jail and the county facility and 201 of those tests were positive, according to data provided by the city. The vast majority of the positive cases are at the downtown facility.
While some of the inmates have recovered or been released, 139 actively sick inmates remain in Denver’s jails. That means 14% of the jails’ current population of about 1,000 has COVID-19.
The Denver jails in late April began expanding the parameters for testing. Through March and much of April, only inmates with symptoms were tested. On April 27, the jail started testing all inmates during the intake process. Three days later, testing was also expanded to include all inmates leaving a 14-day quarantine after possible exposure to the virus and, on May 5, any inmates being moved to the Department of Corrections.
“As seen during this pandemic, when testing increases so does the number of positive cases,” Nancy Kuhn, a Denver city spokeswoman, wrote in an email.
The number of tests administered at Denver’s jails is more than 20 times the number administered at the facility with the next highest testing numbers, the Jefferson County Detention Center.
Seventy-five inmates have been tested at the Jefferson County facility, and 22 were found to have the coronavirus. The testing ratcheted up after one inmate started showing symptoms after being at the facility for about nine days, said Rob Reardon, chief of detentions at the jail. The jail then tested others and found more cases, including in some inmates who showed no symptoms. Prior to April 20, the jail had tested one inmate.
In the first weeks of the pandemic, the jail had access to very few tests through its health care provider, Wellpath, Reardon said. Knowing who to test is complicated, he said, in part because many of the symptoms of the coronavirus align with the symptoms of substance abuse withdrawal, which affects at least half of the people being booked into the jail.
“We have a little more tests now, though we’re still struggling to get more,” he said.
The availability of tests will dictate the strategy the jail uses going forward, Reardon said, and whether they will pursue broader testing.
A lack of available tests also complicated efforts in the Boulder County jail until recently, said Melanie Dreiling, health services administrator at the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. As of Tuesday, three jail inmates had been tested for the coronavirus in the facility, which is currently housing about 200 people. All results were negative.
Testing is limited to inmates who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 and who fail flu and strep testing, though Dreiling said she recognized the chance that an asymptomatic inmate could get past those screenings. That’s why the jail has created a multistep process aimed at preventing the introduction of the coronavirus in the first place.
Symptomatic inmates are isolated immediately if they fail the initial screening questions and temperature checks, which are completed in the jail’s garage. Those who pass the screening are then cohorted with a single group of other new arrivals for 14 days before being admitted to the general population. That way, the jail knows exactly whom to test if someone starts showing symptoms.
“Because this is difficult to contain once it’s in the jail, we decided the best method was to keep it out,” Dreiling said. “So far we’ve been successful in doing so.”
The jail recently gained access to more tests through the state health department and is now discussing whether to test all inmates before they are moved to the general population after the two-week quarantine, Dreiling said.
The drop in jail populations has allowed more opportunity for inmates and staff to practice social distancing, Dreiling and Reardon said. Many of the 80-person dorms at the Jefferson County jail are about half full. In Boulder County and Denver, facilities have space to create isolation rooms and quarantine units.
“In jails, all space is a commodity,” Reardon said.
Broad testing in any correctional facility where staff or an inmate has tested positive will likely reveal far more cases, Franco-Paredes said. He pointed to Colorado’s Sterling Correctional Facility, where eight positive cases prompted mass testing that revealed more than 400 inmates had COVID-19. The same has been true in other states.
But an outbreak of COVID-19 inside a jail doesn’t stay inside the facility’s walls, Franco-Paredes said. Staff travel in and out of the facility every day. Jail inmates return to the community after posting bond or after a court hearing.
“Public health in the jail is public health in the community,” Franco-Paredes said. “It’s an extension of the larger community.”