thedenverpost--2020-12-27--Chambers: NHL embarks on Original Six rivalry-building schedule

The NHL ’ s 2020-21 coronavirus-altered , regular-season schedule is far from ideal .
But it is enticing .
American teams will not face 24 NHL clubs and Canadian franchises won ’ t play 25 .
The Avalanche and the West Division ’ s seven other teams won ’ t face an Original Six opponent .
And make no mistake , playing the Blackhawks , Red Wings , Bruins , Rangers , Maple Leafs and Canadiens is always special .
But the NHL ’ s temporary move to all inter-division games in small series for the regular season is bound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mix .
The league grew from six teams that hated each other , forging rivalries that still exist to this day .
The same-opponent repetition breeds emotion , and feeding that emotion in a small series is what the NHL normally lacks .
Yes , the NHL has its seven-game playoff series , but only 16 teams get to that point .
Regular-season series of any length should become a staple of the game .
NCAA hockey and many junior leagues play weekend series against the same team .
The NHL ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ League , often does , too .
What happens the first night often carries over to the next .
And the physical nature of the game breeds contempt .
I ’ ve covered enough University of Denver-Colorado College or DU-vs.-North Dakota series to become an expert on what guaranteed theatrics look like .
In 1997 I covered a DU-CC series that saw the Tigers win the chippy opener 9-1 at the Air Force Academy .
The Pioneers won the finale 6-0 in another chippy affair the following night at Denver Coliseum .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t prevent the beat down it had just delivered , even though the Tigers knew exactly what to expect from the angry Pios in Denver .
Expect to see that regular-season drama frequently with the Avs this season , with or without fans .
Expect it to begin Jan. 13 when Colorado kicks off against St. Louis at Ball Arena .
The Blues will remain in town and play the Avs on Jan. 15 to complete the series .
It should play out in three stretches where Colorado plays the same opponent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vs. Minnesota ; Feb. 14-22 vs. Vegas ; April 30-May 5 vs. San Jose .
The Avs have never played a team four consecutive times in a regular season .
Their entire schedule features eight games against each of the West Division opponents : Anaheim , Arizona , Los Angeles , Minnesota , St. Louis , San Jose and Vegas .
All but two games will be part of a two-game series ; the Avs ’ have a stand-alone game April 3 at St. Louis and April 20 against the Blues at Ball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monotonous to some .
But this is how good rivalries begin .
Team Canada .
The Blackhawks ’ Kirby Dach remains captain for Canada at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton , but the Avalanche ’ s Bo Byram wore the “ C ” in Saturday ’ s opener against Germany at Rexall Place .
Byram and Buffalo Sabres prospect Dylan Cozens will alternate wearing the C in replacing Dach , who broke his wrist in Canada ’ s exhibition game .
Under International Ice Hockey Federation rules , one player must wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tournament .
The Avalanche , which has an NHL-leading three draft picks playing for Canada , the defending gold-medal winner , was well represented in Saturday ’ s starting lineup .
Boston College ’ s Alex Newhook ( selected 16th overall by Colorado in the 2019 draft ) took the opening draw as Canada ’ s top-line center .
In addition , defenseman Justin Barron ( 25th overall in 2020 ) was a primary penalty killer for Canada .

The NHL’s 2020-21 coronavirus-altered, regular-season schedule is far from ideal. But it is enticing.
American teams will not face 24 NHL clubs and Canadian franchises won’t play 25. The Avalanche and the West Division’s seven other teams won’t face an Original Six opponent. And make no mistake, playing the Blackhawks, Red Wings, Bruins, Rangers, Maple Leafs and Canadiens is always special.
But the NHL’s temporary move to all inter-division games in small series for the regular season is bound to add some Original Six anger to the mix. The league grew from six teams that hated each other, forging rivalries that still exist to this day.
The same-opponent repetition breeds emotion, and feeding that emotion in a small series is what the NHL normally lacks. Yes, the NHL has its seven-game playoff series, but only 16 teams get to that point. Regular-season series of any length should become a staple of the game.
NCAA hockey and many junior leagues play weekend series against the same team. The NHL’s feeder league, the American Hockey League, often does, too. What happens the first night often carries over to the next. And the physical nature of the game breeds contempt.
I’ve covered enough University of Denver-Colorado College or DU-vs.-North Dakota series to become an expert on what guaranteed theatrics look like. In 1997 I covered a DU-CC series that saw the Tigers win the chippy opener 9-1 at the Air Force Academy. The Pioneers won the finale 6-0 in another chippy affair the following night at Denver Coliseum.
It was an emotional weekend. CC couldn’t prevent the beat down it had just delivered, even though the Tigers knew exactly what to expect from the angry Pios in Denver.
Expect to see that regular-season drama frequently with the Avs this season, with or without fans. Expect it to begin Jan. 13 when Colorado kicks off against St. Louis at Ball Arena. The Blues will remain in town and play the Avs on Jan. 15 to complete the series.
It should play out in three stretches where Colorado plays the same opponent four straight times: Jan. 30-Feb. 4 vs. Minnesota; Feb. 14-22 vs. Vegas; April 30-May 5 vs. San Jose. The Avs have never played a team four consecutive times in a regular season.
Their entire schedule features eight games against each of the West Division opponents: Anaheim, Arizona, Los Angeles, Minnesota, St. Louis, San Jose and Vegas. All but two games will be part of a two-game series; the Avs’ have a stand-alone game April 3 at St. Louis and April 20 against the Blues at Ball Arena.
The repetitious schedule may seem monotonous to some. But this is how good rivalries begin.
Team Canada. The Blackhawks’ Kirby Dach remains captain for Canada at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton, but the Avalanche’s Bo Byram wore the “C” in Saturday’s opener against Germany at Rexall Place. Byram and Buffalo Sabres prospect Dylan Cozens will alternate wearing the C in replacing Dach, who broke his wrist in Canada’s exhibition game.
Under International Ice Hockey Federation rules, one player must wear the “C” at the under-20 tournament.
The Avalanche, which has an NHL-leading three draft picks playing for Canada, the defending gold-medal winner, was well represented in Saturday’s starting lineup. Boston College’s Alex Newhook (selected 16th overall by Colorado in the 2019 draft) took the opening draw as Canada’s top-line center. In addition, defenseman Justin Barron (25th overall in 2020) was a primary penalty killer for Canada.


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--The NHL, Avalanche absorbed a big open-ice hit with COVID-19

COVID-19 checked the NHL with bone-breaking force in 2020 .
The pandemic erased 15 % of the regular season from the schedule , and when play returned directly into the Stanley Cup playoffs at two Canadian bubbles without fans , television ratings plummeted .
Ratings for the Stanely Cup Finals were down 61 % year over year .
And the Avalanche , eliminated in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals for the second consecutive year , lost approximately $ 10 million in operating income , according to Forbes .
League revenue , meanwhile , dropped 14 % year over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans is that the financial hit did not prevent the front office from adding talent in the offseason to a team considered a Stanley Cup favorite in 2021 .
The NHL , after negotiations with the players ’ union , is set to begin a shortened 56-game season on Jan. 13 .
Most teams , including the Avs , are not allowing fans in the stands , at least for now , meaning more belt-tightening to come .
The majority of Avs fans are unable to watch their team on television , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owns the Avs , also owns a regional sports network ( Altitude TV ) that has an exclusive contract to carry the team ’ s games but hasn ’ t had a deal in place with major cable providers Comcast or Dish Network for more than a year .
That has dropped team-owned revenue , with just DirecTV as Altitude ’ s only “ Big 3 ” provider .
“ NHL franchises will be challenged to find creative ways to offset the impact of pandemic-inflicted operating losses , ” Drew Dorweiller , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Co , told Forbes .
“ One of these strategies will likely be to raise capital through sales of minority stakes in NHL teams to investors.
” The loss of fans in the stands hurt the NHL more than other major pro sports because its estimated $ 200 million national TV contract with NBC pales in comparison to the billions attached to broadcast deals with the NFL , NBA and MLB .
The Avalanche did well attracting fans until the 2019-20 season was paused in March .
The Avs stood eighth in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 18,708 , and fourth in home capacity at 107.1 % , per ESPN .
Rider Jensen , 52 , has been an Avalanche season-ticket holder since the club ’ s inaugural season in 1995 , and is among those frustrated both by not being able to attend games and the TV dispute .
He thinks KSE founder Stan Kroenke has more interest in the company ’ s other major sports teams — the NBA ’ s Denver Nuggets , Arsenal ( soccer ) and the NFL ’ s Los Angeles Rams .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the value of the franchise than putting a great team out there .
And I think that ’ s kind of why he ’ s not too happy with the Avs , ” Jensen said .
“ The NBA , his soccer team and football team , they can survive on the TV money .
The NFL loses a lot of money ( without fans ) but they ’ re still profitable .
The NHL without the fans , they ’ re not profitable .
”

COVID-19 checked the NHL with bone-breaking force in 2020.
The pandemic erased 15% of the regular season from the schedule, and when play returned directly into the Stanley Cup playoffs at two Canadian bubbles without fans, television ratings plummeted. Ratings for the Stanely Cup Finals were down 61% year over year.
And the Avalanche, eliminated in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals for the second consecutive year, lost approximately $10 million in operating income, according to Forbes. League revenue, meanwhile, dropped 14% year over year.
The good news for Avs fans is that the financial hit did not prevent the front office from adding talent in the offseason to a team considered a Stanley Cup favorite in 2021.
The NHL, after negotiations with the players’ union, is set to begin a shortened 56-game season on Jan. 13. Most teams, including the Avs, are not allowing fans in the stands, at least for now, meaning more belt-tightening to come.
The majority of Avs fans are unable to watch their team on television, either. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Avs, also owns a regional sports network (Altitude TV) that has an exclusive contract to carry the team’s games but hasn’t had a deal in place with major cable providers Comcast or Dish Network for more than a year. That has dropped team-owned revenue, with just DirecTV as Altitude’s only “Big 3” provider.
“NHL franchises will be challenged to find creative ways to offset the impact of pandemic-inflicted operating losses,” Drew Dorweiller, a managing director at Montreal-based investment bank IJW & Co, told Forbes. “One of these strategies will likely be to raise capital through sales of minority stakes in NHL teams to investors.”
The loss of fans in the stands hurt the NHL more than other major pro sports because its estimated $200 million national TV contract with NBC pales in comparison to the billions attached to broadcast deals with the NFL, NBA and MLB. The Avalanche did well attracting fans until the 2019-20 season was paused in March. The Avs stood eighth in home attendance last season with an average of 18,708, and fourth in home capacity at 107.1%, per ESPN.
Rider Jensen, 52, has been an Avalanche season-ticket holder since the club’s inaugural season in 1995, and is among those frustrated both by not being able to attend games and the TV dispute. He thinks KSE founder Stan Kroenke has more interest in the company’s other major sports teams — the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, Arsenal (soccer) and the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams.
“He’s definitely more about the value of the franchise than putting a great team out there. And I think that’s kind of why he’s not too happy with the Avs,” Jensen said. “The NBA, his soccer team and football team, they can survive on the TV money. The NFL loses a lot of money (without fans) but they’re still profitable. The NHL without the fans, they’re not profitable.”


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--From Broncos to Buffs, COVID-19 taught us to take nothing, including each other, for granted

Lisa Sparrow learned that Omaha might as well be Osaka .
That seven-and-a-half hours by car can feel like seven-and-a-half light years , even from the comfort of your couch .
“ Fans are a necessary part of sports , ” said Sparrow of her Pioneers , who played their first 10 games in Omaha as part of an NHL-style “ bubble ” environment .
“ Denver hockey , our record ( 3-6-1 ) is totally because our hockey team thrives on the energy from the students and the fans.
” She misses the tribe .
The vibe .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Magness Arena tickles your nose .
The way shared colors turn strangers into family , if even for only a few hours .
“ One of the reasons we celebrate sports is because we really feel like it ’ s a community … we ’ re part of a group , ” noted Adam Earnheardt , a Youngstown State communications professor and author of “ Sports Fans , Identity and Socialization : Exploring the Fandemonium.
’ “ And if we can ’ t be a part of that group and we feel like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what ’ s the point ?
” What indeed ?
What did 2020 , for all of its isolation and unrest , heroes and hopes , teach us about sports ?
And its role in our lives amid a global pandemic ?
Sparrow learned what it was like to lose her compass while watching the Pios lose theirs .
She learned that she mattered .
All of them did .
From her seat , two rows back of the glass , to the gang in the rafters .
Every last lung and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get their energy from it , ” Sparrow said of the Pioneers .
“ That ’ s been missing .
You can tell that in their play.
” Sparrow , 52 , can tell better than most .
A ’ 94 DU grad , she ’ s had season tickets to the Pios for 15 of the past 26 years .
She ’ s also a season-ticket holder for the Broncos and Rockies , as well as a foodie with an abiding , unabashed love of the Front Range restaurant scene .
COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her entertainment-and-dining calendar , every week , since St. Patrick ’ s Day .
“ I like to joke that I ’ m a ‘ professional spectator , ’ ” Sparrow chuckled .
“ I ’ m a girly-girl , but I love my sports .
And yeah , it ’ s really kind of sad .
It used to be a great thing to go to Coors Field on a summer ’ s night and the hockey games on Friday and Saturday night .
What do you do now ?
” We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were in the grand scheme of life .
Especially in a country trying to come to grips simultaneously with a pandemic , race relations and a contentious presidential election year .
Then again , one man ’ s reality check is another man ’ s escape .
In some ways , sports was never more important .
The way it created snapshots that forever bind us .
Jamal Murray ’ s tears of perspective in Orlando , the Nuggets ’ star maturing as a player and as a human being on the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his body around in Boulder , willing the Buffs to a 4-0 record from out of nowhere , only to watch that body freakishly fail him , cruelly , on the last leg of the race .
The way it reminded us of what we took for granted .
One another , mostly .
COVID-19 took lives and livelihoods .
The rest of us had to cope with the consequences and absurdities of a new normal that forced us apart , lulled us to sleep , then pushed us apart again .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losses , especially the human ones , we ’ ll weep .
Of the lighter moments , we ’ ll shake our heads .
The way the coronavirus forced the Denver Broncos to suit up a wide receiver to play quarterback .
The way it reminded us that life isn ’ t a movie script , and that the NFL is still married , inextricably , to its bottom line .
The way it showed the lunacy at the top of Major League Baseball ’ s food chain and the hypocrisy among Power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tails wag the dogs forevermore .
The way it ripped Colorado State ’ s football schedule in half .
The way it stripped CU of a chance to play at USC — twice .
The way it convinced the Pac-12 to make the Buffs drive a football equipment truck halfway to Los Angeles for nothing .
Was it worth it ?
Did we need the diversion … at any cost ?
What did we learn ?
Dave Logan learned that dominance never felt so blasted … exhausting .
His Cherry Creek Bruins football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5A state title for a second consecutive season and extended their winning streak to 23 consecutive games .
“ From a football standpoint , from a coaching standpoint , it was the most difficult year of my career , ” the longtime prep football coach , voice of the Broncos and radio talk show host told The Post .
“ Because you never could settle in .
There were so many unknowns and unexpected things that would pop up .
“ It just was a very , very difficult season .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to navigate through this as best they could and that these kids got a chance to play .
And that ’ s the really critical component : That they got a chance to play ( and ) the seniors got a chance to experience one last ( fall ) season playing football.
” For coaches , though , every morning felt like a roll of the dice .
COVID-19 had the power to stop a season , re-start it , and , on any given day , blow through a program ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heartland .
“ After about a week ( into the pandemic ) , I said on the air , ‘ This looks like the zombie apocalypse .
This is what it feels like before you get aliens flying out of the sky , ' ” Logan sighed .
“ That ’ s what it felt like to me .
Very strange , disappointing , depressing and , at times , challenging .
People I know have experienced a lot of highs and lows — and sometimes , those are in the same day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things in perspective , and you feel for those who have lost loved ones or lost their work .
“ It ’ s been an arduous year .
It really has.
” Zach Kapushion learned that the grass isn ’ t always greener .
Even from 1,400 miles away .
“ I knew that , even if we moved , COVID could stop football in Georgia , ” former Broomfield High School quarterback Zach Kapushion explained via email .
“ We talked about all of the scenarios and had to weigh the good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the summer , Kapushion was preparing to help the Eagles , the 2019 Class 4A runners-up , make another run at a state title .
But when the Colorado High School Activities Association initially elected to punt on playing football in 2020 , Kapushion and his family started working the phones .
If he wanted to pile up more game tape for college coaches , it would have to be somewhere else .
“ We very quickly reached out to contacts in a few states to see if any of them knew of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Kapushion explained .
“ We looked for schools that didn ’ t have a starting junior or senior quarterback , because we did not want to displace another athlete.
” A family member suggested South Paulding High School in Douglasville , Ga. , 22 miles east of Atlanta .
The Kapushions flew south to visit the school on a Monday .
While there , the coaches went over Zach ’ s game film and told him he would be their starter if he made the move .
By Thursday , the wheels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bromfield coach Blair Hubbard and teammates and told them he was transferring .
“ The toughest moment was saying goodbye to coaches and friends that I cared about in order to pursue my own goals , ” said Kapushion , who ’ d thrown for 17 scores and ran for two more as a junior .
“ In some ways , it felt selfish and I almost didn ’ t want to play unless they could all play , too.
” Zach had an aunt and uncle who lived about an hour away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they joined him in Georgia .
But politics and sports eventually combined to sour things a bit down south .
“ There was turmoil among the coaches and community about me coming into Georgia and having the starting position , ” said Kapushion , who lost the No .
1 job after a Week 2 setback to North Paulding .
“ I was not used to watching the game from the sidelines.
” Meanwhile , back in Broomfield , CHSAA was reversing course on fall football , announcing a season that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kapushion found himself asking , internally : Did we make the right call ?
“ That was especially difficult , ” Kapushion said .
“ However , in the pandemic , difficulties are relative .
Some people have lost their lives or their jobs , so I always try to keep football in perspective.
” The 6-foot-2 quarterback eventually won back the starting job , leading the Spartans ( 5-5 ) to consecutive wins to close out the regular season .
“ But it was not perfect there , either , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We had players quarantined at times , tickets to games were limited , and our last game of the season was canceled due to COVID .
That game had the potential of getting our team to the playoffs .
It was a very disappointing and abrupt end.
” Duane Worley learned that baseball can go from the most social sport in the world to the loneliest .
It ’ s the isolation that stuck .
And stunk .
Even watching bad Rockies teams in person gets softened some by having friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance .
“ I just met some great people , ” explained the 85-year-old Worley , who was No .
5 among the Rockies ’ first six original season-ticket purchasers .
“ And you don ’ t have that watching the TV set.
” Things over the years that couldn ’ t keep Worley out of Coors : • Thyroid cancer .
( “ I had 39 stitches , and my clamps went from the back of my ear down the side , ” he recalled . )
Yet the coronavirus managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t touch .
“ An oncologist sees me every six months , ” Worley said .
“ The point is , I ’ m 85 and a health risk .
So I qualify as an All-Star if I want to go out and get COVID.
” Losing any baseball season is precious , but never more precious than in the winter of your days .
And Worley ’ s been under stricter quarantine than most .
“ My daughter won ’ t let me even go to the grocery store , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever , especially in 4K , but some of the finer points still get lost from real life to the living room .
In hockey and auto racing , it ’ s the speed .
In basketball , it ’ s the size .
In baseball , it ’ s the ambience .
The scents .
The sounds .
The waves of green grass that roll , like carpet , out to the padded outfield walls .
The company .
Worley ’ s usual seat isn ’ t far from the one used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plate .
“ I stay away from saying things ( to him ) like , ‘ They suck , ’ because it ’ s apparent , ’ ” Worley chuckled .
“ In general , I try to stay on the positive side of the world .
For instance , when Trevor Story was called up , the first year that he was starting at shortstop ( 2016 ) , he went out and he made a couple of what ’ s become the common great play … I would learn forward ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You know , we don ’ t miss ( Troy ) Tulowitzki at all , do we ?
” “ If this vaccine gets here , ” he said , “ I will be the first in line to say , ‘ Give me the damn thing , so I can go out and see the field again.
’ ” Eugenia Mays learned how to forgive .
No matter how hard it was to forget .
“ I learned how to be humble , ” said Mays , who ’ d spent nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Field and Ball Arena before the pandemic stripped her of games and paychecks .
“ I learned how to listen to everybody , like I always do .
I learned how to be the person that I needed to be .
If it wasn ’ t for holding hands with the Lord so long , I ’ d probably be crazy .
But He squeezes my hand every day.
” When 2020 didn ’ t test her faith , it challenged her resolve .
Already missing full-time work with no events at Ball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year got worse in early July .
That ’ s when Mays , 62 , got rear-ended at a stop light in Denver when another driver in a Range Rover slammed into her Buick Century .
“ I went to the hospital , and they said my sciatic nerve is jacked up and I have some bulging disks and a few other things going on , ” she said .
“ But here I am , talking to you.
” The other driver , fortunately , was properly insured .
Mays remains more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels is a lack of regard from the Rockies and Monfort toward longtime stadium employees .
The ones who ’ ve been the backbone , from behind the scenes , for one of the best ballparks — and ballpark experiences — in the major leagues .
“ I don ’ t know if they ’ ll get ( a crowd in 2021 ) , ” she said .
“ But from the way they treated us , I ’ ve been speaking to people , and they don ’ t want to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You put in ‘ X ’ amount of years , and when we need you , you turn your back on us ?
Not good.
” Derek Friedman learned to laugh in the face of disaster .
Largely because , by September , he ’ d long since run out of tears .
“ I probably passed that somewhere around the sixth time we were broken into , ” the general manager of the metro ’ s four Sportsfan sports merchandise stores said .
“ It gets to the point where you realize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could happen wasn ’ t ever big enough.
” The pandemic got the downhill slide started , and mercilessly .
The sudden drop-off of in-store foot traffic that resulted from the coronavirus was acute during a stretch in April and May that should ’ ve seen Nuggets and Avalanche playoff runs overlap with Rockies Opening Day .
“ I ’ m not furloughed , but the company ’ s not paying , ” Friedman chuckled .
On the plus side , he ’ s heading into the New Year with his health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense that 2021 , eventually , is going to return to 2019 business levels .
Particularly if fans can attend games again at Ball Arena and Coors Field again .
Then again , we ’ ve learned not to get our hopes up .
“ Every business plan comes with an asterisk , ” Friedman said .
“ In this case , the asterisks are ginormous .
When we look , ( you see ) what feels like will be an intense amount of pent-up demand .
Assuming things fall into place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Lisa Sparrow learned that Omaha might as well be Osaka. That seven-and-a-half hours by car can feel like seven-and-a-half light years, even from the comfort of your couch.
“Fans are a necessary part of sports,” said Sparrow of her Pioneers, who played their first 10 games in Omaha as part of an NHL-style “bubble” environment. “Denver hockey, our record (3-6-1) is totally because our hockey team thrives on the energy from the students and the fans.”
She misses the tribe. The vibe. The way the butter off the popcorn at Magness Arena tickles your nose. The way shared colors turn strangers into family, if even for only a few hours.
“One of the reasons we celebrate sports is because we really feel like it’s a community … we’re part of a group,” noted Adam Earnheardt, a Youngstown State communications professor and author of “Sports Fans, Identity and Socialization: Exploring the Fandemonium.’ “And if we can’t be a part of that group and we feel like we’re isolated from that group, what’s the point?”
What indeed? What did 2020, for all of its isolation and unrest, heroes and hopes, teach us about sports? And its role in our lives amid a global pandemic?
Sparrow learned what it was like to lose her compass while watching the Pios lose theirs. She learned that she mattered. All of them did. From her seat, two rows back of the glass, to the gang in the rafters. Every last lung and larynx.
“I mean, they get their energy from it,” Sparrow said of the Pioneers. “That’s been missing. You can tell that in their play.”
Sparrow, 52, can tell better than most. A ’94 DU grad, she’s had season tickets to the Pios for 15 of the past 26 years. She’s also a season-ticket holder for the Broncos and Rockies, as well as a foodie with an abiding, unabashed love of the Front Range restaurant scene. COVID’s basically taken a chainsaw to her entertainment-and-dining calendar, every week, since St. Patrick’s Day.
“I like to joke that I’m a ‘professional spectator,’” Sparrow chuckled. “I’m a girly-girl, but I love my sports. And yeah, it’s really kind of sad. It used to be a great thing to go to Coors Field on a summer’s night and the hockey games on Friday and Saturday night. What do you do now?”
We learned just how small and insignificant sports were in the grand scheme of life. Especially in a country trying to come to grips simultaneously with a pandemic, race relations and a contentious presidential election year.
Then again, one man’s reality check is another man’s escape. In some ways, sports was never more important. The way it created snapshots that forever bind us.
Jamal Murray’s tears of perspective in Orlando, the Nuggets’ star maturing as a player and as a human being on the same stage. CU linebacker Nate Landman throwing his body around in Boulder, willing the Buffs to a 4-0 record from out of nowhere, only to watch that body freakishly fail him, cruelly, on the last leg of the race.
The way it reminded us of what we took for granted. One another, mostly.
COVID-19 took lives and livelihoods. The rest of us had to cope with the consequences and absurdities of a new normal that forced us apart, lulled us to sleep, then pushed us apart again.
We’ll look back. Of the losses, especially the human ones, we’ll weep. Of the lighter moments, we’ll shake our heads.
The way the coronavirus forced the Denver Broncos to suit up a wide receiver to play quarterback. The way it reminded us that life isn’t a movie script, and that the NFL is still married, inextricably, to its bottom line.
The way it showed the lunacy at the top of Major League Baseball’s food chain and the hypocrisy among Power 5 colleges and their conferences, where tails wag the dogs forevermore. The way it ripped Colorado State’s football schedule in half. The way it stripped CU of a chance to play at USC — twice. The way it convinced the Pac-12 to make the Buffs drive a football equipment truck halfway to Los Angeles for nothing.
Was it worth it? Did we need the diversion … at any cost? What did we learn?
THE COACH
Dave Logan learned that dominance never felt so blasted … exhausting.
His Cherry Creek Bruins football team went 9-0, won the Class 5A state title for a second consecutive season and extended their winning streak to 23 consecutive games.
“From a football standpoint, from a coaching standpoint, it was the most difficult year of my career,” the longtime prep football coach, voice of the Broncos and radio talk show host told The Post. “Because you never could settle in. There were so many unknowns and unexpected things that would pop up.
“It just was a very, very difficult season. I was so pleased that these schools were able to navigate through this as best they could and that these kids got a chance to play. And that’s the really critical component: That they got a chance to play (and) the seniors got a chance to experience one last (fall) season playing football.”
For coaches, though, every morning felt like a roll of the dice. COVID-19 had the power to stop a season, re-start it, and, on any given day, blow through a program’s depth chart like a tornado across the Heartland.
“After about a week (into the pandemic), I said on the air, ‘This looks like the zombie apocalypse. This is what it feels like before you get aliens flying out of the sky,'” Logan sighed. “That’s what it felt like to me. Very strange, disappointing, depressing and, at times, challenging. People I know have experienced a lot of highs and lows — and sometimes, those are in the same day. So, you try to keep things in perspective, and you feel for those who have lost loved ones or lost their work.
“It’s been an arduous year. It really has.”
THE PLAYER
Zach Kapushion learned that the grass isn’t always greener. Even from 1,400 miles away.
“I knew that, even if we moved, COVID could stop football in Georgia,” former Broomfield High School quarterback Zach Kapushion explained via email. “We talked about all of the scenarios and had to weigh the good with the bad.”
For much of the summer, Kapushion was preparing to help the Eagles, the 2019 Class 4A runners-up, make another run at a state title. But when the Colorado High School Activities Association initially elected to punt on playing football in 2020, Kapushion and his family started working the phones. If he wanted to pile up more game tape for college coaches, it would have to be somewhere else.
“We very quickly reached out to contacts in a few states to see if any of them knew of high schools that needed a quarterback,” Kapushion explained. “We looked for schools that didn’t have a starting junior or senior quarterback, because we did not want to displace another athlete.”
A family member suggested South Paulding High School in Douglasville, Ga., 22 miles east of Atlanta. The Kapushions flew south to visit the school on a Monday. While there, the coaches went over Zach’s game film and told him he would be their starter if he made the move.
By Thursday, the wheels were set in motion; Kapushion called Bromfield coach Blair Hubbard and teammates and told them he was transferring.
“The toughest moment was saying goodbye to coaches and friends that I cared about in order to pursue my own goals,” said Kapushion, who’d thrown for 17 scores and ran for two more as a junior. “In some ways, it felt selfish and I almost didn’t want to play unless they could all play, too.”
Zach had an aunt and uncle who lived about an hour away. As his parents could work remotely, they joined him in Georgia. But politics and sports eventually combined to sour things a bit down south.
“There was turmoil among the coaches and community about me coming into Georgia and having the starting position,” said Kapushion, who lost the No. 1 job after a Week 2 setback to North Paulding. “I was not used to watching the game from the sidelines.”
Meanwhile, back in Broomfield, CHSAA was reversing course on fall football, announcing a season that would be played from October to December. Kapushion found himself asking, internally: Did we make the right call?
“That was especially difficult,” Kapushion said. “However, in the pandemic, difficulties are relative. Some people have lost their lives or their jobs, so I always try to keep football in perspective.”
The 6-foot-2 quarterback eventually won back the starting job, leading the Spartans (5-5) to consecutive wins to close out the regular season.
“But it was not perfect there, either,” said Kapushion, who appeared in seven games. “We had players quarantined at times, tickets to games were limited, and our last game of the season was canceled due to COVID. That game had the potential of getting our team to the playoffs. It was a very disappointing and abrupt end.”
THE FAN
Duane Worley learned that baseball can go from the most social sport in the world to the loneliest.
It’s the isolation that stuck. And stunk. Even watching bad Rockies teams in person gets softened some by having friends and confidants at Coors Field within shouting distance.
“I just met some great people,” explained the 85-year-old Worley, who was No. 5 among the Rockies’ first six original season-ticket purchasers. “And you don’t have that watching the TV set.”
Things over the years that couldn’t keep Worley out of Coors:
• Thyroid cancer. (“I had 39 stitches, and my clamps went from the back of my ear down the side,” he recalled.)
• Valve replacement surgery. (“Had five stents put in.”)
Yet the coronavirus managed to pull off what life-changing surgeries couldn’t touch.
“An oncologist sees me every six months,” Worley said. “The point is, I’m 85 and a health risk. So I qualify as an All-Star if I want to go out and get COVID.”
Losing any baseball season is precious, but never more precious than in the winter of your days. And Worley’s been under stricter quarantine than most.
“My daughter won’t let me even go to the grocery store,” he cracked.
Television replicates things better than ever, especially in 4K, but some of the finer points still get lost from real life to the living room. In hockey and auto racing, it’s the speed. In basketball, it’s the size. In baseball, it’s the ambience.
The scents. The sounds. The waves of green grass that roll, like carpet, out to the padded outfield walls. The company. Worley’s usual seat isn’t far from the one used by Rockies owner Dick Monfort behind home plate.
“I stay away from saying things (to him) like, ‘They suck,’ because it’s apparent,’” Worley chuckled. “In general, I try to stay on the positive side of the world. For instance, when Trevor Story was called up, the first year that he was starting at shortstop (2016), he went out and he made a couple of what’s become the common great play … I would learn forward (to Monfort) and say, ‘You know, we don’t miss (Troy) Tulowitzki at all, do we?”
Worley misses Blake Street. Badly.
“If this vaccine gets here,” he said, “I will be the first in line to say, ‘Give me the damn thing, so I can go out and see the field again.’”
THE COOK
Eugenia Mays learned how to forgive. No matter how hard it was to forget.
“I learned how to be humble,” said Mays, who’d spent nearly two decades as a cook at Coors Field and Ball Arena before the pandemic stripped her of games and paychecks.
“I learned how to listen to everybody, like I always do. I learned how to be the person that I needed to be. If it wasn’t for holding hands with the Lord so long, I’d probably be crazy. But He squeezes my hand every day.”
When 2020 didn’t test her faith, it challenged her resolve. Already missing full-time work with no events at Ball Arena or Coors Field, a bad year got worse in early July. That’s when Mays, 62, got rear-ended at a stop light in Denver when another driver in a Range Rover slammed into her Buick Century.
“I went to the hospital, and they said my sciatic nerve is jacked up and I have some bulging disks and a few other things going on,” she said. “But here I am, talking to you.”
The other driver, fortunately, was properly insured. Mays remains more hurt, frankly, by what she feels is a lack of regard from the Rockies and Monfort toward longtime stadium employees. The ones who’ve been the backbone, from behind the scenes, for one of the best ballparks — and ballpark experiences — in the major leagues.
“I don’t know if they’ll get (a crowd in 2021),” she said. “But from the way they treated us, I’ve been speaking to people, and they don’t want to go back (to work) there. You put in ‘X’ amount of years, and when we need you, you turn your back on us? Not good.”
THE JERSEY GUY
Derek Friedman learned to laugh in the face of disaster. Largely because, by September, he’d long since run out of tears.
“I probably passed that somewhere around the sixth time we were broken into,” the general manager of the metro’s four Sportsfan sports merchandise stores said. “It gets to the point where you realize that your imagination for all the things that could happen wasn’t ever big enough.”
Break-ins. Looting. Losses “well into six figures,” Friedman sighed.
The pandemic got the downhill slide started, and mercilessly. The sudden drop-off of in-store foot traffic that resulted from the coronavirus was acute during a stretch in April and May that should’ve seen Nuggets and Avalanche playoff runs overlap with Rockies Opening Day.
“I’m not furloughed, but the company’s not paying,” Friedman chuckled.
On the plus side, he’s heading into the New Year with his health. And drive. And a growing sense that 2021, eventually, is going to return to 2019 business levels. Particularly if fans can attend games again at Ball Arena and Coors Field again.
Then again, we’ve learned not to get our hopes up.
“Every business plan comes with an asterisk,” Friedman said. “In this case, the asterisks are ginormous. When we look, (you see) what feels like will be an intense amount of pent-up demand. Assuming things fall into place, 2021 could be an amazing year.”
Staff reporter Kyle Fredrickson contributed to this story.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Last-place Broncos doomed by scoring 1 touchdown in 7 trips across midfield against Chargers

INGLEWOOD , Calif. — Broncos coach Vic Fangio wanted to give his players a crumb of credit for rallying from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers before eventually losing 19-16 .
“ I think that reflects well on the team , their effort , their toughness , their resiliency , ” he said .
But before another question could be asked , Fangio changed gears in what could be seen as him being fed up with the shoddy execution during another lost Broncos season and/or telling a loyal-but-frustrated fan base that the status quo isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start making plays and not do the things that cause you to lose a game like that , ” Fangio said after Michael Badgley ’ s game-winning 37-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining .
“ We can ’ t give up an opening ( 53-yard ) kickoff return where they return it deep into our end for a field goal .
We have to make our field goals .
We have to catch the ball when it ’ s thrown to us .
We have to throw the ball more accurately at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tighter no matter who ’ s playing corner and not just play scared .
We have to tackle when we have the opportunity to tackle .
“ We have to do all of the things winning teams do.
” The Broncos ( 5-10 ) aren ’ t close to being a winning team and they struggle to beat non-winning teams .
They have lost to the Chargers ( 6-9 ) , Atlanta ( 4-11 ) and Las Vegas ( 7-8 ) .
Despite the litany of issues cataloged by Fangio , the Broncos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McManus ’ 52-yard field goal with 2:42 remaining .
One more stop and the Broncos could steal a game from the Chargers like they did in Week 8 , when they erased a three-touchdown deficit .
But the Chargers used three big plays ( 11 , 23 and 23 yards ) to set up Badgley ’ s winner .
On the ensuing drive , Broncos receiver DaeSean Hamilton ’ s 25-yard catch , to the 49 , converted a fourth-and-10 .
As time expired , quarterback Drew Lock ’ s heave to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Williams .
From 2000-16 , the Broncos had one double-digit loss season ( 4-12 in 2010 ) ; they ’ ve lost at least 10 games in three of the past four years .
The Broncos are also on the cusp of finishing last in the AFC West for the second time in four years ; they finished last just once from 2000-16 ( 2010 ) .
• Broncos defense gives up game-winning drive to Chargers , but there ’ s silver linings to be found in the unit ’ s performance • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one touchdown in loss to Chargers • Broncos game balls and gassers : Jerry Jeudy drops five passes , special teams make numerous blunders in loss to Chargers • Broncos up-down drill : Highs and lows for Denver against the Chargers If the Peyton Manning Era of 2012-15 was the latest golden age of Broncos football , we are now in the midst of the dark ages .
Denver lost despite giving up only one touchdown .
It lost because of an early , haphazard interception and no takeaways .
And they lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) dropped five passes ( five ! )
and their journeyman cornerback ( De ’ Vante Bausby ) forgot how to tackle .
The Broncos aren ’ t Jacksonville ( 14 consecutive losses ) or the New York Jets ( 12 straight losses to start the season ) … but they ’ re close , which is probably the biggest indictment of general manager John Elway ’ s team-building effort .
It feels like the entire franchise is chasing its collective tail .
On Sunday , they were chasing the game .
Again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the first half this year .
The Chargers capitalized on Nasir Adderley ’ s kick return to start the game to take a 3-0 lead .
Already behind , the Broncos marched from their 13 to the Chargers ’ 16 .
At least they ’ ll get a field goal , right ?
Wrong again .
On third down , Lock was flushed from the pocket to his left and his pass hit traffic and was intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Casey Hayward .
“ That ’ s what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lock said .
“ I rolled out ( and there was a ) defender to my left and defender to my right and DaeSean running across my face .
I put it between the two defenders closest to me , but it ended up behind DaeSean .
It ’ s a play I just have to throw it away .
… That ’ s one of those plays I have to get out of me.
” More plays like that and Lock won ’ t have the opportunity to work through them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ zone interceptions , especially one where there isn ’ t much there , ” Fangio said .
“ If you try and hammer one in there and the defense makes a great play , that ’ s one thing .
But if a bad choice is made , that ’ s another thing.
” The opening drive was emblematic of the entire game offensively .
The Broncos gained 396 yards , their fourth-best output of the year .
They crossed midfield seven times .
And they converted a combined nine third- and fourth-down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But once in Chargers ’ territory , things happened .
Bad things .
Second quarter : The Broncos moved to the 24 , but McManus missed a 37-yard field goal , his first misfire from inside 40 yards since 2017 .
Third quarter : They took the second-half opening kickoff to the Chargers ’ 43 , but Melvin Gordon lost a yard and Lock was penalized nine yards for intentional grounding to force a punt .
Third quarter , part 2 : Trailing 13-0 , the Broncos reached the Chargers ’ 12 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and Jeudy dropped a touchdown pass .
Fourth quarter : Down 16-3 , the Broncos reached the Chargers ’ 31 , but two Lock incompletions forced a 50-yard McManus field goal .
Fourth quarter , part 2 : A touchdown — Lock ’ s 1-yard sneak cut the Chargers ’ lead to 16-13 with 6:31 remaining .
Fourth quarter , part 3 : The Broncos drove to the Chargers ’ 37 , but follow with a false start penalty and a sack .
McManus ’ 52-yard field goal tied the game .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it again and Broncos fans are going to get tired of me saying this : It was probably just the little things , ” Lock said .
“ The little things to regular people watching might be a missed pass by me or a dropped ball or a slip.
” Lock was 24-of-47 passing for 264 yards .
The running game , minus Phillip Lindsay , averaged 4.8 yards per attempt .
And tight end Noah Fant couldn ’ t be covered ( six catches for 65 yards ) .
But once the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the title should be : “ It Was Always Something.
” That was certainly the case against the Chargers , who can look forward to building around rookie quarterback Justin Herbert .
“ We didn ’ t finish ( those drives ) , obviously , ” Fangio said .
“ The red zone interception and missed field goal — that ’ s six points right there , at least .
We have to come up with points when you get into the other team ’ s territory and we obviously didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today .
”

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Broncos coach Vic Fangio wanted to give his players a crumb of credit for rallying from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers before eventually losing 19-16.
“I think that reflects well on the team, their effort, their toughness, their resiliency,” he said.
But before another question could be asked, Fangio changed gears in what could be seen as him being fed up with the shoddy execution during another lost Broncos season and/or telling a loyal-but-frustrated fan base that the status quo isn’t acceptable.
Fire away, Vic.
“We have to start making plays and not do the things that cause you to lose a game like that,” Fangio said after Michael Badgley’s game-winning 37-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining. “We can’t give up an opening (53-yard) kickoff return where they return it deep into our end for a field goal. We have to make our field goals. We have to catch the ball when it’s thrown to us. We have to throw the ball more accurately at times. We have to play receivers tighter no matter who’s playing corner and not just play scared. We have to tackle when we have the opportunity to tackle.
“We have to do all of the things winning teams do.”
The Broncos (5-10) aren’t close to being a winning team and they struggle to beat non-winning teams. They have lost to the Chargers (6-9), Atlanta (4-11) and Las Vegas (7-8).
Despite the litany of issues cataloged by Fangio, the Broncos rallied to tie the score on Brandon McManus’ 52-yard field goal with 2:42 remaining. One more stop and the Broncos could steal a game from the Chargers like they did in Week 8, when they erased a three-touchdown deficit.
But the Chargers used three big plays (11, 23 and 23 yards) to set up Badgley’s winner. On the ensuing drive, Broncos receiver DaeSean Hamilton’s 25-yard catch, to the 49, converted a fourth-and-10. As time expired, quarterback Drew Lock’s heave to the end zone was intercepted by receiver-turned-cornerback Mike Williams.
From 2000-16, the Broncos had one double-digit loss season (4-12 in 2010); they’ve lost at least 10 games in three of the past four years.
The Broncos are also on the cusp of finishing last in the AFC West for the second time in four years; they finished last just once from 2000-16 (2010).
If the Peyton Manning Era of 2012-15 was the latest golden age of Broncos football, we are now in the midst of the dark ages. Denver lost despite giving up only one touchdown. It lost because of an early, haphazard interception and no takeaways. And they lost because their first-round receiver (Jerry Jeudy) dropped five passes (five!) and their journeyman cornerback (De’Vante Bausby) forgot how to tackle.
The Broncos aren’t Jacksonville (14 consecutive losses) or the New York Jets (12 straight losses to start the season) … but they’re close, which is probably the biggest indictment of general manager John Elway’s team-building effort. It feels like the entire franchise is chasing its collective tail.
On Sunday, they were chasing the game. Again. The Broncos have been outscored 195-119 in the first half this year.
The Chargers capitalized on Nasir Adderley’s kick return to start the game to take a 3-0 lead. Already behind, the Broncos marched from their 13 to the Chargers’ 16.
At least they’ll get a field goal, right? Wrong again. On third down, Lock was flushed from the pocket to his left and his pass hit traffic and was intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Casey Hayward.
“That’s what we can’t have happen,” Lock said. “I rolled out (and there was a) defender to my left and defender to my right and DaeSean running across my face. I put it between the two defenders closest to me, but it ended up behind DaeSean. It’s a play I just have to throw it away. … That’s one of those plays I have to get out of me.”
More plays like that and Lock won’t have the opportunity to work through them.
“You can’t throw red zone interceptions, especially one where there isn’t much there,” Fangio said. “If you try and hammer one in there and the defense makes a great play, that’s one thing. But if a bad choice is made, that’s another thing.”
The opening drive was emblematic of the entire game offensively.
The Broncos gained 396 yards, their fourth-best output of the year. They crossed midfield seven times. And they converted a combined nine third- and fourth-down opportunities (out of 19).
But once in Chargers’ territory, things happened. Bad things.
Second quarter: The Broncos moved to the 24, but McManus missed a 37-yard field goal, his first misfire from inside 40 yards since 2017.
Third quarter: They took the second-half opening kickoff to the Chargers’ 43, but Melvin Gordon lost a yard and Lock was penalized nine yards for intentional grounding to force a punt.
Third quarter, part 2: Trailing 13-0, the Broncos reached the Chargers’ 12, but Lock was sacked (no gain) and Jeudy dropped a touchdown pass.
Fourth quarter: Down 16-3, the Broncos reached the Chargers’ 31, but two Lock incompletions forced a 50-yard McManus field goal.
Fourth quarter, part 2: A touchdown — Lock’s 1-yard sneak cut the Chargers’ lead to 16-13 with 6:31 remaining.
Fourth quarter, part 3: The Broncos drove to the Chargers’ 37, but follow with a false start penalty and a sack. McManus’ 52-yard field goal tied the game.
“I’m going to say it again and Broncos fans are going to get tired of me saying this: It was probably just the little things,” Lock said. “The little things to regular people watching might be a missed pass by me or a dropped ball or a slip.”
Lock was 24-of-47 passing for 264 yards. The running game, minus Phillip Lindsay, averaged 4.8 yards per attempt. And tight end Noah Fant couldn’t be covered (six catches for 65 yards).
But once the Broncos close the book on 2020, the title should be: “It Was Always Something.” That was certainly the case against the Chargers, who can look forward to building around rookie quarterback Justin Herbert.
“We didn’t finish (those drives), obviously,” Fangio said. “The red zone interception and missed field goal — that’s six points right there, at least. We have to come up with points when you get into the other team’s territory and we obviously didn’t do a good enough job of that today.”
Or this season.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Broncos defense gives up game-winning drive to Chargers, but there’s silver linings to be found in t

Broncos defense gives up game-winning drive to Chargers, but there’s silver linings to be found in the unit’s performance

In a season where silver linings are what keep Broncos fans hanging on to their sanity , some could be found in the defense ’ s performance Sunday .
Yes , the D gave up a game-winning drive that resulted in a 19-16 loss and the Broncos ’ fall to last place in the AFC West .
But , that same depleted unit — without six of its starters at SoFi Stadium , including hobbled 2020 Pro Bowl selection Bradley Chubb — stood tall for much of the game .
They kept promising rookie quarterback Justin Herbert in check while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the foot .
“ It shows a lot of maturity in our defense to be able to go out there and keep getting stops , and get three-and-outs , ” said second-year outside linebacker Malik Reed , whose strip-sack of Herbert late in the second quarter kept the Broncos within striking distance at the break .
“ We have young guys ( like myself ) on this defense as well , so it ’ s been a maturation process that ’ s been had over the course of this season .
Through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been able to grow… But we didn ’ t come away with the win , so we definitely needed to get a few more ( stops ) .
” Namely , the Broncos would like to have back the Chargers ’ game-winning possession in which Eaton product Austin Ekeler broke loose for runs of 11 and 23 yards to put Los Angeles into field goal position late .
• Broncos Report Card : Offense manages only one touchdown in loss to Chargers • Broncos game balls and gassers : Jerry Jeudy drops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blunders in loss to Chargers • Broncos up-down drill : Highs and lows for Denver against the Chargers • Broncos comeback against Chargers falls short as Denver drops to 5-10 , last in AFC West That drive , and another subpar performance from replacement starting cornerback De ’ Vante Bausby , were the mold on an otherwise strong performance by the Broncos against a quarterback who set an NFL rookie touchdown passing record at 28 with his second-quarter scoring toss to Ekeler .
“ I didn ’ t like the way Bausby was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fangio said .
“ I took him out earlier in the game and he begged for another chance .
I gave it to him and then he totally ( missed ) on another tackle in the second half .
So the chance went out , and I thought ( rookie Parnell ) Motley went out and competed .
He played too soft there on the last drive , but for the amount of prep he had and for where he ’ s at in his career , and for just being here a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and competed and tried his best.
” Motley was signed from San Francisco ’ s practice squad Dec. 16 and finished with two tackles as well as tight coverage on a third-and-goal situation early in the fourth quarter that forced an incompletion to Mike Williams .
Another silver lining to the Broncos ’ solid defensive performance was ( once again ) Shelby Harris , who hasn ’ t missed a beat this month after being sidelined for four games due to COVID issues .
Harris had four tackles with one quarterback hit as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also had some other , more important factors at play Sunday — a few hours before the game , the defensive end tweeted , “ Let ’ s hurry this game up got ta make it home for the birth of my son !
” Coach Vic Fangio said it “ was close ” to whether Harris was going to miss the game or not .
The team prepared a flight for him to fly home before the game , but Harris chose to stay , electing instead to take a private flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him back to Denver a few hours ahead of his teammates .
“ I know he ’ s excited and ready to get back to his new son , ” said inside linebacker Alexander Johnson , who had seven tackles .
“ Just thinking about having a baby , and having to go out to play a game… that ’ s something you can ’ t really speak for until you go through it yourself .
I feel like he did his job and it ’ s a blessing he ’ s able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family .
”

In a season where silver linings are what keep Broncos fans hanging on to their sanity, some could be found in the defense’s performance Sunday.
Yes, the D gave up a game-winning drive that resulted in a 19-16 loss and the Broncos’ fall to last place in the AFC West. But, that same depleted unit — without six of its starters at SoFi Stadium, including hobbled 2020 Pro Bowl selection Bradley Chubb — stood tall for much of the game. They kept promising rookie quarterback Justin Herbert in check while the Denver offense kept shooting itself in the foot.
“It shows a lot of maturity in our defense to be able to go out there and keep getting stops, and get three-and-outs,” said second-year outside linebacker Malik Reed, whose strip-sack of Herbert late in the second quarter kept the Broncos within striking distance at the break.
“We have young guys (like myself) on this defense as well, so it’s been a maturation process that’s been had over the course of this season. Through the wins and the losses, we’ve been able to grow… But we didn’t come away with the win, so we definitely needed to get a few more (stops).”
Namely, the Broncos would like to have back the Chargers’ game-winning possession in which Eaton product Austin Ekeler broke loose for runs of 11 and 23 yards to put Los Angeles into field goal position late.
That drive, and another subpar performance from replacement starting cornerback De’Vante Bausby, were the mold on an otherwise strong performance by the Broncos against a quarterback who set an NFL rookie touchdown passing record at 28 with his second-quarter scoring toss to Ekeler.
“I didn’t like the way Bausby was tackling, or not tackling,” Fangio said. “I took him out earlier in the game and he begged for another chance. I gave it to him and then he totally (missed) on another tackle in the second half. So the chance went out, and I thought (rookie Parnell) Motley went out and competed. He played too soft there on the last drive, but for the amount of prep he had and for where he’s at in his career, and for just being here a couple days, he went out there and competed and tried his best.”
Motley was signed from San Francisco’s practice squad Dec. 16 and finished with two tackles as well as tight coverage on a third-and-goal situation early in the fourth quarter that forced an incompletion to Mike Williams.
Another silver lining to the Broncos’ solid defensive performance was (once again) Shelby Harris, who hasn’t missed a beat this month after being sidelined for four games due to COVID issues.
Harris had four tackles with one quarterback hit as well as two deflected passes. He also had some other, more important factors at play Sunday — a few hours before the game, the defensive end tweeted, “Let’s hurry this game up gotta make it home for the birth of my son!”
Coach Vic Fangio said it “was close” to whether Harris was going to miss the game or not. The team prepared a flight for him to fly home before the game, but Harris chose to stay, electing instead to take a private flight home from Los Angeles that will get him back to Denver a few hours ahead of his teammates.
“I know he’s excited and ready to get back to his new son,” said inside linebacker Alexander Johnson, who had seven tackles. “Just thinking about having a baby, and having to go out to play a game… that’s something you can’t really speak for until you go through it yourself. I feel like he did his job and it’s a blessing he’s able to (jet off) to see his family.”


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--PHOTOS: Los Angeles Chargers 19, Denver Broncos 16, Dec. 27, 2020

Drew Lock ( 3 ) of the Denver Broncos shows signs of frustration after throwing an incompletion on a failed @ @ @ @ @ against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half of Los Angeles ' 16-19 win @ @ @ @ @ , Dec. 27 , 2020 .

AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
Drew Lock (3) of the Denver Broncos shows signs of frustration after throwing an incompletion on a failed attempt at a game-winning drives against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half of Los Angeles' 16-19 win at Sofi Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Broncos Report Card: Offense manages only one touchdown in loss to Chargers

The Broncos crossed midfield seven times and scored one measly touchdown .
But they managed to score on four consecutive possessions to turn a 16-3 deficit into a 16-16 tie with 2:42 remaining .
The story for this offense was quarterback Drew Lock and receiver Jerry Jeudy .
Lock ’ s opening-drive red zone interception after being flushed out of the pocket was careless and costly .
Throw it away and take the field goal to tie the game .
Jeudy may not ever have a worse NFL game … or at least he should hope so .
We booked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last would have put the Broncos into field goal range to force overtime .
Jeudy ’ s drops were amplified by the fact receiver KJ Hamler ( concussion ) left the game in the first quarter .
The red zone woes returned — 1-of-4 against the Chargers after going 7-of-7 in the last three games .
Allowing one touchdown in a division road game should be good enough to win , right ?
The Broncos held the Chargers to one touchdown and four field goals , but failed to create a takeaway ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herbert to get free for a 10-yard scramble on fourth-and-8 that led to a field goal .
In a tie game with 2:42 remaining , the Broncos gave up 11 ( Austin Ekeler rush ) , 23 ( catch by Jalen Guyton ) and 23 ( Ekeler rush ) yards on consecutive plays to allow the Chargers to move into field goal range for the winner .
Fans should hope they ’ ve seen the last of cornerback De ’ Vante Bausby , who was finally benched after a poor tackling effort in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took his spot and did fine until he gave too much cushion on Guyton ’ s catch with 1:41 remaining .
A 53-yard kick return allowed to start the game .
Two hit uprights for kicker Brandon McManus ( one didn ’ t count , the other did ) .
Two penalties .
And a poor 44-yard punt by Sam Martin that allowed the Chargers to start at their 35 and kick a field goal for a 13-0 lead .
All of that was just in the first half .
McManus ’ 37-yard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yards since 2017 .
On the opening kickoff , it was interesting that McManus kicked it to only the 8-yard line with a 4.00-second hang time instead of just booming it for a touchback .
Diontae Spencer had three punt returns for a 15.3-yard average ( long of 22 ) and five kick returns for a 22.2-yard average ( long of 28 ) .
McManus regrouped after missing his first field goal to connect from 30 , 50 and 52 yards .
Why couldn ’ t the Broncos coaches find ways to stretch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without top pass rushers Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu ?
The first deep shot didn ’ t happen until the fourth quarter .
The second was dropped by Jeudy on the final drive .
Play-caller Pat Shurmur went to Jeudy on the first pass and was the intended receiver a whopping 15 times , his work increasing because of Hamler ’ s injury .
Coach Vic Fangio ’ s run-defense plan worked for all but the final drive thanks to aggressive play from inside linebackers Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson ( 12 combined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparing for the winning field goal , Fangio handled his timeouts well , stopping the clock with 1:41 , 1:36 and 1:31 remaining .

Offense — D
The Broncos crossed midfield seven times and scored one measly touchdown. But they managed to score on four consecutive possessions to turn a 16-3 deficit into a 16-16 tie with 2:42 remaining. The story for this offense was quarterback Drew Lock and receiver Jerry Jeudy. Lock’s opening-drive red zone interception after being flushed out of the pocket was careless and costly. Throw it away and take the field goal to tie the game. Jeudy may not ever have a worse NFL game … or at least he should hope so. We booked him for five dropped passes, the last would have put the Broncos into field goal range to force overtime. Jeudy’s drops were amplified by the fact receiver KJ Hamler (concussion) left the game in the first quarter. The red zone woes returned — 1-of-4 against the Chargers after going 7-of-7 in the last three games.
Defense — C
Allowing one touchdown in a division road game should be good enough to win, right? The Broncos held the Chargers to one touchdown and four field goals, but failed to create a takeaway (again) and also allowed quarterback Justin Herbert to get free for a 10-yard scramble on fourth-and-8 that led to a field goal. In a tie game with 2:42 remaining, the Broncos gave up 11 (Austin Ekeler rush), 23 (catch by Jalen Guyton) and 23 (Ekeler rush) yards on consecutive plays to allow the Chargers to move into field goal range for the winner. Fans should hope they’ve seen the last of cornerback De’Vante Bausby, who was finally benched after a poor tackling effort in the red zone. Recently-signed Parnell Motley took his spot and did fine until he gave too much cushion on Guyton’s catch with 1:41 remaining.
Special teams — D
A 53-yard kick return allowed to start the game. Two hit uprights for kicker Brandon McManus (one didn’t count, the other did). Two penalties. And a poor 44-yard punt by Sam Martin that allowed the Chargers to start at their 35 and kick a field goal for a 13-0 lead. All of that was just in the first half. McManus’ 37-yard miss was his first from inside 40 yards since 2017. On the opening kickoff, it was interesting that McManus kicked it to only the 8-yard line with a 4.00-second hang time instead of just booming it for a touchback. Diontae Spencer had three punt returns for a 15.3-yard average (long of 22) and five kick returns for a 22.2-yard average (long of 28). McManus regrouped after missing his first field goal to connect from 30, 50 and 52 yards.
Coaching — D
Why couldn’t the Broncos coaches find ways to stretch the field vertically when the Chargers were without top pass rushers Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu? The first deep shot didn’t happen until the fourth quarter. The second was dropped by Jeudy on the final drive. Play-caller Pat Shurmur went to Jeudy on the first pass and was the intended receiver a whopping 15 times, his work increasing because of Hamler’s injury. Coach Vic Fangio’s run-defense plan worked for all but the final drive thanks to aggressive play from inside linebackers Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson (12 combined tackles). As the Chargers were preparing for the winning field goal, Fangio handled his timeouts well, stopping the clock with 1:41, 1:36 and 1:31 remaining.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Pac-12 opener at Arizona a huge opportunity for CU Buffs

The Colorado men ’ s basketball team certainly earned a few days off .
However , given the recent momentum building around the Buffaloes , staying patient on the sideline proved impossible .
Upon returning last week from Las Vegas , where the Buffs completed the scheduled portion of nonconference play with victories against Washington and Grand Canyon , head coach Tad Boyle planned to give his club three days off from Dec. 23 through Dec. 25 .
Unable to return home for the holidays this year due to coronavirus concerns , the Buffs had a number of team-bonding Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game at the Indoor Practice Facility .
Yet when Boyle asked his club if they wanted to practice on the holiday , the decision was unanimous .
The Buffs were itching to get back to work .
Following a light workout Christmas night and a return to the regular practice routine on Saturday and Sunday , the Buffs departed for Tucson to take on Arizona Monday night in the first of three straight road games for CU to open Pac-12 Conference play .
“ It ’ s big , ” Boyle said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ road before in years past .
You can ’ t win two in a row unless you win one in a row .
The option at Arizona is obviously at the forefront of our minds .
This league race , with our two early December conference games getting postponed , this being one of them , we ’ ve got them a little more jammed in there and compacted in terms of the schedule .
So we ’ ve got to be ready .
We ’ ve got to be ready for Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be.
” Monday ’ s contest , originally scheduled for Dec. 5 before a coronavirus-caused postponement , may present an opportune moment for the Buffs to end their desert drought against the Wildcats .
CU is just 3-11 all-time at Arizona , including an 0-8 mark since joining the Pac-12 .
The Buffs believed they had an opportunity to end that winless run last year when they took a team ranked 20th into the McKale Center to face a young and unproven Arizona squad .
That young and unproven Wildcats squad routed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter their Pac-12 opener as arguably the hotter and more battle-tested squad .
Due to a number of their own cancellations and postponements , the Wildcats have yet to play an opponent from a major conference besides Stanford , which topped UA 78-75 on Dec. 19 in their Pac-12 opener .
CU has won four consecutive games , routing Northern Colorado , Omaha , and Washington before finishing the Vegas trip by outlasting Grand Canyon .
That Grand Canyon victory marked the first time in seven games the Buffs have been beaten on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a challenge once again for CU as it takes on an Arizona team leading the Pac-12 in average rebounding margin at plus-11.3 .
“ We got our tails kicked on the boards against Grand Canyon .
They whipped us by 13 , ” Boyle said .
“ That ’ a great challenge for us and we ’ ve got to be ready for that challenge .
Every time you play Arizona , you have to be ready to compete and battle on the backboards .
I always Arizona never beats themselves .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rebounding the basketball , we worked on it at ( Saturday ’ s practice , at ( Sunday ’ s ) practice .
We ’ ve emphasized it.
” WHAT TO WATCH : The Buffs will try to negate Arizona ’ s average rebounding margin of plus-11.3 , which leads the Pac-12 .
Boyle also noted the backcourt battle between UA ’ s Baker and Akinjo and the Buffs ’ Wright and Eli Parquet could be the key to the contest .
NOTES : Will Wright return from the Buffs ’ three-game road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader ?
Wright enters Monday ’ s game with 542 assists , trailing Jay Humphries ’ s record by 20 .
Wright also needs 16 points to become the 11th CU player to score 1,500 in his career…During their four-game winning streak , the Buffs have shot .504 overall with a .434 mark on 3-pointers ( 33-for-76 ) …Arizona and the Buffs are tied for the Pac-12 lead in defensive field 3-point percentage ( .375 ) …CU completes its three-game , league-opening road trip Thursday at USC ( 7 p.m. MT , ESPN2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. MT , Pac-12 Network ) .

The Colorado men’s basketball team certainly earned a few days off. However, given the recent momentum building around the Buffaloes, staying patient on the sideline proved impossible.
Upon returning last week from Las Vegas, where the Buffs completed the scheduled portion of nonconference play with victories against Washington and Grand Canyon, head coach Tad Boyle planned to give his club three days off from Dec. 23 through Dec. 25.
Unable to return home for the holidays this year due to coronavirus concerns, the Buffs had a number of team-bonding Christmas activities planned, including a touch football game at the Indoor Practice Facility. Yet when Boyle asked his club if they wanted to practice on the holiday, the decision was unanimous.
The Buffs were itching to get back to work.
Following a light workout Christmas night and a return to the regular practice routine on Saturday and Sunday, the Buffs departed for Tucson to take on Arizona Monday night in the first of three straight road games for CU to open Pac-12 Conference play.
“It’s big,” Boyle said. “We’ve started on the road before in years past. You can’t win two in a row unless you win one in a row. The option at Arizona is obviously at the forefront of our minds. This league race, with our two early December conference games getting postponed, this being one of them, we’ve got them a little more jammed in there and compacted in terms of the schedule. So we’ve got to be ready. We’ve got to be ready for Arizona, and I think our guys will be.”
Monday’s contest, originally scheduled for Dec. 5 before a coronavirus-caused postponement, may present an opportune moment for the Buffs to end their desert drought against the Wildcats. CU is just 3-11 all-time at Arizona, including an 0-8 mark since joining the Pac-12. The Buffs believed they had an opportunity to end that winless run last year when they took a team ranked 20th into the McKale Center to face a young and unproven Arizona squad. That young and unproven Wildcats squad routed the Buffs by 21 points.
The Buffs enter their Pac-12 opener as arguably the hotter and more battle-tested squad. Due to a number of their own cancellations and postponements, the Wildcats have yet to play an opponent from a major conference besides Stanford, which topped UA 78-75 on Dec. 19 in their Pac-12 opener.
CU has won four consecutive games, routing Northern Colorado, Omaha, and Washington before finishing the Vegas trip by outlasting Grand Canyon. That Grand Canyon victory marked the first time in seven games the Buffs have been beaten on the glass, and rebounding will be a challenge once again for CU as it takes on an Arizona team leading the Pac-12 in average rebounding margin at plus-11.3.
“We got our tails kicked on the boards against Grand Canyon. They whipped us by 13,” Boyle said. “That’ a great challenge for us and we’ve got to be ready for that challenge. Every time you play Arizona, you have to be ready to compete and battle on the backboards. I always Arizona never beats themselves. You have to go beat Arizona.
“Rebounding the basketball, we worked on it at (Saturday’s practice, at (Sunday’s) practice. We’ve emphasized it.”
CU Buffs men’s basketball at Arizona Wildcats
TIPOFF: Monday, 7:30 p.m. MT, McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz.
BROADCAST: TV — Pac-12 Networks. Radio — 850 AM and 94.1 FM.
RECORDS: Colorado 6-1, 0-0 Pac-12; Arizona 6-1, 0-1 Pac-12.
COACHES: Colorado — Tad Boyle, 11th season (216-135, 272-201 overall); Arizona — Sean Miller, 12th season (291-101, 411-148 overall).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — G McKinley Wright, Sr., 16.3 ppg, 5.9 apg, 4.7 rpg, .608 field goal percentage; F Jeriah Horne, Sr., 11.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg; C Dallas Walton, Sr., 10.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, .710 field goal percentage. Arizona — G Jemarl Baker, R-Jr., 15.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg; G James Akinjo, Jr., 13.4 ppg, 4.7 apg; F Jordan Brown, R-So., 10.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg.
WHAT TO WATCH: The Buffs will try to negate Arizona’s average rebounding margin of plus-11.3, which leads the Pac-12. Boyle also noted the backcourt battle between UA’s Baker and Akinjo and the Buffs’ Wright and Eli Parquet could be the key to the contest.
NOTES: Will Wright return from the Buffs’ three-game road trip as CU’s all-time assists leader? Wright enters Monday’s game with 542 assists, trailing Jay Humphries’s record by 20. Wright also needs 16 points to become the 11th CU player to score 1,500 in his career…During their four-game winning streak, the Buffs have shot .504 overall with a .434 mark on 3-pointers (33-for-76)…Arizona and the Buffs are tied for the Pac-12 lead in defensive field 3-point percentage (.375)…CU completes its three-game, league-opening road trip Thursday at USC (7 p.m. MT, ESPN2) and Saturday at UCLA (6 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Network).


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Broncos game balls and gassers: Jerry Jeudy drops five passes, special teams make numerous blunders

Broncos game balls and gassers: Jerry Jeudy drops five passes, special teams make numerous blunders in loss to Chargers

Analysis from the Broncos ’ 19-16 loss to the Chargers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium .
Malik Reed — The second-year linebacker who went undrafted out of Nevada in 2019 continues to prove his worth .
Reed had five total tackles and a strip-sack of quarterback Justin Herbert late in the second quarter that kept the Chargers from padding their lead heading into the half .
Reed , who is under contract in Denver through 2021 , has been invaluable to the Broncos over the past couple of years in light of injuries to Von Miller and Bradley Chubb .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier in the season but has been steady in the four games since his return .
The heartbeat of the Broncos ’ defensive front had four tackles , batted down two passes and also had a quarterback hit as his presence extended far beyond the stat sheet .
His above-grade play is even sweeter considering a bit of life context : After the game , the team arranged a private plane to get Harris back to Denver for the anticipated birth of his son .
Melvin Gordon — With Phillip Lindsay on injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gordon carried the ground load again Sunday with 16 carries for 79 yards , with a long of 17 yards .
Gordon ’ s effectiveness in the first half enabled the Broncos to get in rhythm offensively even though they didn ’ t come away with points .
True to his form over the past month , Gordon averaged a solid 4.9 yards per carry as he consistently found holes or created them when there weren ’ t any .
Jerry Jeudy — The No .
15 overall pick from this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He dropped consecutive passes late in the second quarter that snuffed out the Broncos ’ chances at getting any points before heading into the half .
The visibly frustrated Jeudy threw his helmet on the sideline after that second drop .
Then , he had three more drops in the second half , including one on a would-be touchdown catch .
Jeudy has 10 total drops on the season , compared to just two TD catches .
Josey Jewell — The third-year linebacker dropped an easy interception in zone coverage on the Chargers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been an early momentum shift for Denver .
Instead , Los Angeles took the lead with a field goal .
Then , in the second quarter , Jewell found himself out of position in the red zone and got screened by Los Angeles wideout Mike Williams on Austin Ekeler ’ s 9-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown .
Those plays negated his two tackles for loss .
Broncos special teams — Brandon McManus ’ short opening kickoff led to a big return by Nasir Adderley to set the Chargers up for an easy opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missed a 37-yard field goal off the left upright in the second quarter , his first miss from inside 40 yards in three years .
Additionally , Diontae Spencer and the return game provided little spark , Sam Martin shanked a punt , and the units had multiple penalties overall .
Los Angeles posted 107 return yards on three kickoffs .

Analysis from the Broncos’ 19-16 loss to the Chargers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Game Balls
Malik Reed — The second-year linebacker who went undrafted out of Nevada in 2019 continues to prove his worth. Reed had five total tackles and a strip-sack of quarterback Justin Herbert late in the second quarter that kept the Chargers from padding their lead heading into the half. Reed, who is under contract in Denver through 2021, has been invaluable to the Broncos over the past couple of years in light of injuries to Von Miller and Bradley Chubb.
Shelby Harris — Harris missed four games earlier in the season but has been steady in the four games since his return. The heartbeat of the Broncos’ defensive front had four tackles, batted down two passes and also had a quarterback hit as his presence extended far beyond the stat sheet. His above-grade play is even sweeter considering a bit of life context: After the game, the team arranged a private plane to get Harris back to Denver for the anticipated birth of his son.
Melvin Gordon — With Phillip Lindsay on injured reserve for the rest of the season, Gordon carried the ground load again Sunday with 16 carries for 79 yards, with a long of 17 yards. Gordon’s effectiveness in the first half enabled the Broncos to get in rhythm offensively even though they didn’t come away with points. True to his form over the past month, Gordon averaged a solid 4.9 yards per carry as he consistently found holes or created them when there weren’t any.
Gassers
Jerry Jeudy — The No. 15 overall pick from this year’s draft had five drops. He dropped consecutive passes late in the second quarter that snuffed out the Broncos’ chances at getting any points before heading into the half. The visibly frustrated Jeudy threw his helmet on the sideline after that second drop. Then, he had three more drops in the second half, including one on a would-be touchdown catch. Jeudy has 10 total drops on the season, compared to just two TD catches.
Josey Jewell — The third-year linebacker dropped an easy interception in zone coverage on the Chargers’ opening drive that could’ve been an early momentum shift for Denver. Instead, Los Angeles took the lead with a field goal. Then, in the second quarter, Jewell found himself out of position in the red zone and got screened by Los Angeles wideout Mike Williams on Austin Ekeler’s 9-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. Those plays negated his two tackles for loss.
Broncos special teams — Brandon McManus’ short opening kickoff led to a big return by Nasir Adderley to set the Chargers up for an easy opening drive field goal. Then, McManus missed a 37-yard field goal off the left upright in the second quarter, his first miss from inside 40 yards in three years. Additionally, Diontae Spencer and the return game provided little spark, Sam Martin shanked a punt, and the units had multiple penalties overall. Los Angeles posted 107 return yards on three kickoffs.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Broncos up-down drill: Highs and lows for Denver against the Chargers

UP : Early Jerry .
The Broncos ’ first pass of the game ?
A shallow out route to rookie wide receiver Jerry Jeudy .
Like it .
Want to see more of it .
The young fella needs touches .
DOWN : Jerry drops .
Of course , the young fella also needs to do a better job of squeezing the ball .
Drops on back-to-back plays late in the second quarter killed the Broncos ’ two-minute drive .
Three other drops followed in the second half , including a sure-fire touchdown and a bomb on Denver ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s gon na be a lonnnnng offseason .
UP : Running with purpose .
Denver wasted little time establishing the run game Sunday , ripping off nine carries for 53 yards on its first possession .
Shotgun , two tight ends , jet sweeps — it all worked .
Then they ran the ball just five more times the rest of the half .
UP : Chargers ’ powder blues .
The Broncos went with their standard road white jersey/white trousers and the Chargers had powder blue jerseys/white trousers .
A terrific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Read-option QB keeper .
Given that early success on the ground , we might argue against calling a Drew Lock QB keeper off a read option on second and long .
Sure , the defense might not see it coming .
But does that really matter ?
UP : Finishing strong .
Outside linebacker Malik Reed stopped the Chargers ’ two-minute drive in its tracks at the end of the first half with a strip-sack near midfield .
That puts Reed at 7 1/2 sacks for the season , tied with Bradley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence is now clear : Denver can ’ t let him walk .
DOWN : Double doink .
Given two tries at a mid-range field goal in the first quarter , kicker Brandon McManus somehow hit both goal posts on successive kicks .
Almost kind of impressive when you think about it .
Almost .
UP : So-Fi Stadium video boards The Broncos ’ first trip to Los Angeles ’ new stadium featured video boards that wrap around the roof and are gigantic .
When fans in the upper deck are allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 1 .
Watch the video boards or 2 .
Look down at the field .
DOWN : The whiff .
De ’ Vante Bausby absolutely whiffed on a potential run stuff of Chargers running back Kalen Ballage on second-and-5 early in the second quarter .
One play later , he was absolutely toasted by Mike Williams on a crossing route for a 25-yard gain .
He was off the field soon thereafter .
UP : Ekeler stock .
Eaton native Austin Ekeler showed off the versatility that got him a contract extension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to score a touchdown on a 9-yard reception in the first half .
The Chargers back later ripped off a pair of long between-the-tackles runs to set up Michael Badgley ’ s game-winning kick .
UP : Mount Harris .
Shelby Harris swats are just a part of Broncos Sundays now .
Once again , the Broncos defensive lineman had a pair of batted-down balls .
Not since the days of Dikembe has Denver been home to such a rejection artist .
DOWN : Taking shots .
Jeudy couldn ’ t have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a play-action bomb with 10 minutes left in the game .
Drew Lock ’ s pass , unfortunately , wasn ’ t there to meet him in stride .
Of course , he might not have caught it anyway .
UP : Motley glue .
Signed off the Broncos practice squad two weeks ago , defensive back Parnell Motley made a nice play sticking to the back of Mike Williams in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal — coverage that coaxed a much-needed drop on the second play of the fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Broncos ’ plan to target Jeudy was nice , but it also neglected Tim Patrick… until they absolutely needed a play on fourth-and-7 near midfield in the fourth quarter .
The lack of activity mattered little to Patrick , who hauled in his fourth target over the middle for a 27-yard gain that set up Denver ’ s lone TD .

UP: Early Jerry. The Broncos’ first pass of the game? A shallow out route to rookie wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Like it. Want to see more of it. The young fella needs touches.
DOWN: Jerry drops. Of course, the young fella also needs to do a better job of squeezing the ball. Drops on back-to-back plays late in the second quarter killed the Broncos’ two-minute drive. Three other drops followed in the second half, including a sure-fire touchdown and a bomb on Denver’s last drive of the game. It’s gonna be a lonnnnng offseason.
UP: Running with purpose. Denver wasted little time establishing the run game Sunday, ripping off nine carries for 53 yards on its first possession. Shotgun, two tight ends, jet sweeps — it all worked. Then they ran the ball just five more times the rest of the half.
UP: Chargers’ powder blues. The Broncos went with their standard road white jersey/white trousers and the Chargers had powder blue jerseys/white trousers. A terrific home jersey for the Bolts.
DOWN: Read-option QB keeper. Given that early success on the ground, we might argue against calling a Drew Lock QB keeper off a read option on second and long. Sure, the defense might not see it coming. But does that really matter?
UP: Finishing strong. Outside linebacker Malik Reed stopped the Chargers’ two-minute drive in its tracks at the end of the first half with a strip-sack near midfield. That puts Reed at 7 1/2 sacks for the season, tied with Bradley Chubb for the team lead. The evidence is now clear: Denver can’t let him walk.
DOWN: Double doink. Given two tries at a mid-range field goal in the first quarter, kicker Brandon McManus somehow hit both goal posts on successive kicks. Almost kind of impressive when you think about it. Almost.
UP: So-Fi Stadium video boards The Broncos’ first trip to Los Angeles’ new stadium featured video boards that wrap around the roof and are gigantic. When fans in the upper deck are allowed to attend, they will have two choices: 1. Watch the video boards or 2. Look down at the field.
DOWN: The whiff. De’Vante Bausby absolutely whiffed on a potential run stuff of Chargers running back Kalen Ballage on second-and-5 early in the second quarter. One play later, he was absolutely toasted by Mike Williams on a crossing route for a 25-yard gain. He was off the field soon thereafter.
UP: Ekeler stock. Eaton native Austin Ekeler showed off the versatility that got him a contract extension when he slipped out of the backfield to score a touchdown on a 9-yard reception in the first half. The Chargers back later ripped off a pair of long between-the-tackles runs to set up Michael Badgley’s game-winning kick.
UP: Mount Harris. Shelby Harris swats are just a part of Broncos Sundays now. Once again, the Broncos defensive lineman had a pair of batted-down balls. Not since the days of Dikembe has Denver been home to such a rejection artist.
DOWN: Taking shots. Jeudy couldn’t have been much more open that he was on a play-action bomb with 10 minutes left in the game. Drew Lock’s pass, unfortunately, wasn’t there to meet him in stride. Of course, he might not have caught it anyway.
UP: Motley glue. Signed off the Broncos practice squad two weeks ago, defensive back Parnell Motley made a nice play sticking to the back of Mike Williams in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal — coverage that coaxed a much-needed drop on the second play of the fourth quarter.
UP: Four for fourth. The Broncos’ plan to target Jeudy was nice, but it also neglected Tim Patrick… until they absolutely needed a play on fourth-and-7 near midfield in the fourth quarter. The lack of activity mattered little to Patrick, who hauled in his fourth target over the middle for a 27-yard gain that set up Denver’s lone TD.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Broncos comeback against Chargers falls short as Denver drops to 5-10, last in AFC West


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--WATCH: Broncos’ Drew Lock sneaks in for the touchdown against Chargers

With the Broncos down 16-6 on the 1-yard line , the team turned to their second-year quarterback .
Drew Lock @ @ @ @ @ it in for a touchdown on Sunday against the Chargers .
It was Lock ’ @ @ @ @ @ the season .

With the Broncos down 16-6 on the 1-yard line, the team turned to their second-year quarterback.
Drew Lock kept the ball and sneaked it in for a touchdown on Sunday against the Chargers. It was Lock’s third rushing touchdown of the season.
The score cut Los Angeles’ lead to 16-13.


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--Roger Federer to miss Australian Open; planning 2021 return, agent says

Roger Federer is withdrawing from the Australian Open while he continues preparing to return to action after two operations on his right knee , his agent told The Associated Press on Sunday .
Tony Godsick — Federer ’ s long-time representative and CEO of their management company , TEAM8 — said he is working on putting together a 2021 tennis calendar for the 20-time Grand Slam champion , who plans to get back on tour soon after the year ’ s first major tennis tournament .
“ Roger has decided not to play the 2021 Australian Open .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of months with his knee and his fitness .
However , after consultation with his team , he decided that the best decision for him in the long run is to return to competitive tennis after the Australian Open , ” Godsick said in a statement released to the AP .
“ I will start discussions this coming week for tournaments that begin in late February and then start to build a schedule for the rest of the year , ” Godsick said .
The start of the Australian Open ’ s main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus pandemic and is now scheduled to begin on Feb. 8 at Melbourne Park .
The 39-year-old Federer is currently training in his usual offseason home of Dubai , United Arab Emirates .
The choice to delay his comeback came with input from coaches Severin Luthi and Ivan Ljubicic and fitness coach Pierre Paganini .
Federer hasn ’ t played a tournament match since late January at the 2020 Australian Open , where he was clearly injured while losing in straight sets to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhibition charity event with Rafael Nadal in front of a record tennis crowd of more than 50,000 people at a soccer stadium in Cape Town , South Africa .
Just weeks later , Federer announced he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and would be sidelined for at least four months .
He later had a second procedure on that knee and wound up missing the rest of the pandemic-altered season .
One measure of Federer ’ s popularity : Despite appearing in only six matches in 2020 , he recently was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans ’ favorite award for the 18th consecutive time .
Until this knee issue , Federer only had his career interrupted once by an operation — on his left knee in 2016 .
He sat out the second half of that season , including the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the U.S. Open , but was back at his best when he resumed playing , winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017 .
He won the Australian Open again the following year for his sixth trophy there , to go along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Open and one from the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam .
While Federer was sidelined this year , Nadal equaled his men ’ s record for most major championships by collecting his 20th at Roland Garros in October .
Federer posted a congratulatory message on social media to Nadal that day , saying he hopes “ 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us.
” Djokovic ’ s title in Australia this year moved him closer to the other members of the Big Three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of 17 .

Roger Federer is withdrawing from the Australian Open while he continues preparing to return to action after two operations on his right knee, his agent told The Associated Press on Sunday.
Tony Godsick — Federer’s long-time representative and CEO of their management company, TEAM8 — said he is working on putting together a 2021 tennis calendar for the 20-time Grand Slam champion, who plans to get back on tour soon after the year’s first major tennis tournament.
“Roger has decided not to play the 2021 Australian Open. He has made strong progress in the last couple of months with his knee and his fitness. However, after consultation with his team, he decided that the best decision for him in the long run is to return to competitive tennis after the Australian Open,” Godsick said in a statement released to the AP.
“I will start discussions this coming week for tournaments that begin in late February and then start to build a schedule for the rest of the year,” Godsick said.
The start of the Australian Open’s main draw was delayed by three weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic and is now scheduled to begin on Feb. 8 at Melbourne Park.
The 39-year-old Federer is currently training in his usual offseason home of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The choice to delay his comeback came with input from coaches Severin Luthi and Ivan Ljubicic and fitness coach Pierre Paganini.
Federer hasn’t played a tournament match since late January at the 2020 Australian Open, where he was clearly injured while losing in straight sets to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Soon after, Federer played in an exhibition charity event with Rafael Nadal in front of a record tennis crowd of more than 50,000 people at a soccer stadium in Cape Town, South Africa.
Just weeks later, Federer announced he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and would be sidelined for at least four months.
He later had a second procedure on that knee and wound up missing the rest of the pandemic-altered season.
One measure of Federer’s popularity: Despite appearing in only six matches in 2020, he recently was voted the winner of the ATP Tour fans’ favorite award for the 18th consecutive time.
Until this knee issue, Federer only had his career interrupted once by an operation — on his left knee in 2016. He sat out the second half of that season, including the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the U.S. Open, but was back at his best when he resumed playing, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017.
He won the Australian Open again the following year for his sixth trophy there, to go along with eight from Wimbledon, five from the U.S. Open and one from the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam.
While Federer was sidelined this year, Nadal equaled his men’s record for most major championships by collecting his 20th at Roland Garros in October. Federer posted a congratulatory message on social media to Nadal that day, saying he hopes “20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us.”
Djokovic’s title in Australia this year moved him closer to the other members of the Big Three of men’s tennis with a total of 17.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Denver weather: Snowy start to the week

Denver weather: Snowy start to the week

The final week of 2020 starts with a small snow shower and could end with even more snow .
Monday @ @ @ @ @ Denver is 33 degrees , according to the National Weather Service in Boulder .
Snow @ @ @ @ @ noon and stop before nightfall .
Less than an inch of snow will fall during @ @ @ @ @ half-inch is expected overnight as the temperature drops to 23 degrees .
Traveling in the @ @ @ @ @ day , while on the plains , icy and snow-covered roads may develop in the @ @ @ @ @ the snowstorm will be in the far northeast corner of Colorado .
More snow is @ @ @ @ @ of a half of an inch .
Temperatures will reach 35 degrees as winds gust @ @ @ @ @ Wind will persist Tuesday night as the skies clear and the temperature drops down into @ @ @ @ @ will poke its way out Wednesday with a high of 40 degrees .
There ’ @ @ @ @ @ on New Year ’ s Eve into the first morning of 2021 .

The final week of 2020 starts with a small snow shower and could end with even more snow.
Monday’s forecast high in Denver is 33 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder. Snow should start to fall around noon and stop before nightfall. Less than an inch of snow will fall during the day, and another half-inch is expected overnight as the temperature drops to 23 degrees.
Traveling in the mountains will be treacherous all day, while on the plains, icy and snow-covered roads may develop in the evening. The worst of the snowstorm will be in the far northeast corner of Colorado.
More snow is coming Tuesday with a dusting of a half of an inch. Temperatures will reach 35 degrees as winds gust up to 20 mph. Wind will persist Tuesday night as the skies clear and the temperature drops down into the teens.
The sun will poke its way out Wednesday with a high of 40 degrees. There’s another chance of snow on New Year’s Eve into the first morning of 2021.