thedenverpost--2020-10-14--NFL cancels Pro Bowl in Las Vegas due to COVID-19 pandemic

NEW YORK — The NFL has canceled next January ’ s Pro Bowl scheduled for Las Vegas .
During an owners meeting held virtually on Wednesday , the league opted to call off the all-star game , hoping to replace it with a variety of virtual activities .
The NFL needs flexibility in January in case it needs to move regular-season games to that month because of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ The league will work closely with the NFLPA and other partners , to create a variety of engaging activities to replace the Pro Bowl game this season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Pro Bowl , set for Jan. 31 , a week before the Super Bowl , has lost much of its attractiveness in recent years .
Many of the chosen players decided not to participate , and , naturally , players from the two Super Bowl teams don ’ t go .
If there is a Pro Bowl in 2022 , the 32 owners voted to return it to the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas .
A fan vote for Pro Bowl rosters still will be held , beginning Nov. 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December .
Players , coaches and fans vote for the Pro Bowl .

NEW YORK — The NFL has canceled next January’s Pro Bowl scheduled for Las Vegas.
During an owners meeting held virtually on Wednesday, the league opted to call off the all-star game, hoping to replace it with a variety of virtual activities. The NFL needs flexibility in January in case it needs to move regular-season games to that month because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The league will work closely with the NFLPA and other partners, to create a variety of engaging activities to replace the Pro Bowl game this season,” the NFL said in a statement.
The Pro Bowl, set for Jan. 31, a week before the Super Bowl, has lost much of its attractiveness in recent years. Many of the chosen players decided not to participate, and, naturally, players from the two Super Bowl teams don’t go.
If there is a Pro Bowl in 2022, the 32 owners voted to return it to the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
A fan vote for Pro Bowl rosters still will be held, beginning Nov. 17. The rosters will be announced in December. Players, coaches and fans vote for the Pro Bowl.


thedenverpost--2020-10-14--COVID-19 pandemic accelerates Denver food-cart maker’s addition of electric vehicles to its line

About 40 years ago , Dan Gallery and his sister , Debbie , saw an opportunity to expand the reach of the family ’ s Chicago-style deli by selling food from a hot-dog cart in downtown Denver .
“ It was so wildly successful , they were able to pay it off in about three months , ” Dan Gallery V said of the purchase of the cart from a New York street vendor .
More food carts were added .
Gallery said his father and aunt were soon contacted by the food service operator at Mile High Stadium .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a million dollar order and they realized they had to start manufacturing these carts , ” Gallery , the company ’ s president , said .
Four decades later , Carts of Colorado has rebranded itself as Gallery Carts , Kiosks , Portables .
The company , whose plant is in north Denver , supplies customized , portable carts for sports stadiums , convention centers , airports and other venues across the country and in Canada .
The company has continued to grow during the coronavirus pandemic in part by adding all-electric vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy them are using them at colleges and universities , including the University of Denver , to make meals available to students who can ’ t or don ’ t want to eat in the food halls , Gallery said .
“ When the pandemic hit we quickly moved to accelerate our production of the new electric vehicles from our factory in Denver because we knew they could help operators bring their products directly to consumers , while they were forced to adhere to new health and safety guidelines , ” Gallery said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved , they ’ re typically 8 to 10 feet long and have to be plugged into an outlet to power the heat or refrigeration .
The addition of the electric vehicles , provided by Club Car Golf Carts of Augusta , Georgia , was in the works for a while , but the company revved up development about a year ago .
The vehicles are self-contained and have equipment to keep food hot and cold and include a hand sink .
Gallery Carts worked with AYRO Inc. in Austin , Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inverter system .
“ They were able to design a lithium battery and inverter system mounted into the vendor box , where we plug in our equipment , that makes the vehicle completely autonomous from power sources , ” Gallery said .
The battery provides enough power for about eight hours .
The vehicle can plug into a 20-amp wall outlet , like those often found in garages or used for bigger appliances .
Gallery said with fewer or no fans attending games , businesses closed and colleges holding classes online , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carts .
“ We have had things to celebrate as well as challenges related to the pandemic , ” Gallery added .
The company recently delivered more than 1,000 mobile food carts to the new SoFi Stadium , home of the NFL ’ s Los Angeles Rams , and Allegiant Stadium , where the NFL ’ s Las Vegas Raiders play .
Gallery Carts also delivered four of its electric vehicles to SoFi and expects to provide 125 more to the 60 already on the ground to various venues in 2021 .

About 40 years ago, Dan Gallery and his sister, Debbie, saw an opportunity to expand the reach of the family’s Chicago-style deli by selling food from a hot-dog cart in downtown Denver.
“It was so wildly successful, they were able to pay it off in about three months,” Dan Gallery V said of the purchase of the cart from a New York street vendor.
More food carts were added. Gallery said his father and aunt were soon contacted by the food service operator at Mile High Stadium.
“That turned into their first half a million dollar order and they realized they had to start manufacturing these carts,” Gallery, the company’s president, said.
Four decades later, Carts of Colorado has rebranded itself as Gallery Carts, Kiosks, Portables. The company, whose plant is in north Denver, supplies customized, portable carts for sports stadiums, convention centers, airports and other venues across the country and in Canada. The company has continued to grow during the coronavirus pandemic in part by adding all-electric vehicles to its product line.
Businesses that buy them are using them at colleges and universities, including the University of Denver, to make meals available to students who can’t or don’t want to eat in the food halls, Gallery said.
“When the pandemic hit we quickly moved to accelerate our production of the new electric vehicles from our factory in Denver because we knew they could help operators bring their products directly to consumers, while they were forced to adhere to new health and safety guidelines,” Gallery said.
While the food carts can be moved, they’re typically 8 to 10 feet long and have to be plugged into an outlet to power the heat or refrigeration.
The addition of the electric vehicles, provided by Club Car Golf Carts of Augusta, Georgia, was in the works for a while, but the company revved up development about a year ago. The vehicles are self-contained and have equipment to keep food hot and cold and include a hand sink.
Gallery Carts worked with AYRO Inc. in Austin, Texas, on developing the vehicles’ battery and inverter system.
“They were able to design a lithium battery and inverter system mounted into the vendor box, where we plug in our equipment, that makes the vehicle completely autonomous from power sources,” Gallery said.
The battery provides enough power for about eight hours. The vehicle can plug into a 20-amp wall outlet, like those often found in garages or used for bigger appliances.
Gallery said with fewer or no fans attending games, businesses closed and colleges holding classes online, there is less foot traffic for the food carts.
“We have had things to celebrate as well as challenges related to the pandemic,” Gallery added.
The company recently delivered more than 1,000 mobile food carts to the new SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, and Allegiant Stadium, where the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders play. Gallery Carts also delivered four of its electric vehicles to SoFi and expects to provide 125 more to the 60 already on the ground to various venues in 2021.


thedenverpost--2020-10-14--Denver police, postal officials investigating report of stolen mail as ballots drop

Police and the U.S .
Postal Inspection Service are investigating at least one case of reportedly stolen mail in Denver this week , though few details are available , officials said .
At least one apartment complex in Cheesman Park reported that its locked mail box was opened and its contents stolen , confirmed James Boxrud , spokesperson for the Postal Service ’ s western area .
It ’ s unclear , however , precisely which apartment or apartments were hit , when the reported crime occurred and what might have been stolen , Boxrud said .
Those and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the service ’ s inspection service .
The report comes as Denverites receive their ballots for the 2020 election in the mail .
Locally , those ballots went out Friday .
Posts on the social media website Nextdoor indicated several residents were concerned ballots were the target .
Those fears pile on to nationwide concern of widespread interference with the presidential election , much of which will be handled more by mail than ever before .
Reports of mail theft or vandalism can be submitted to that Inspection Service online at uspis.gov/report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 876-2455 .

Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating at least one case of reportedly stolen mail in Denver this week, though few details are available, officials said.
At least one apartment complex in Cheesman Park reported that its locked mail box was opened and its contents stolen, confirmed James Boxrud, spokesperson for the Postal Service’s western area.
It’s unclear, however, precisely which apartment or apartments were hit, when the reported crime occurred and what might have been stolen, Boxrud said. Those and other details are under investigation by Denver police and the service’s inspection service.
The report comes as Denverites receive their ballots for the 2020 election in the mail. Locally, those ballots went out Friday. Posts on the social media website Nextdoor indicated several residents were concerned ballots were the target. Those fears pile on to nationwide concern of widespread interference with the presidential election, much of which will be handled more by mail than ever before.
Reports of mail theft or vandalism can be submitted to that Inspection Service online at uspis.gov/report or by phone at (877) 876-2455.


thedenverpost--2020-10-14--Southern Ute Indian Tribe reports first COVID-19 case

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe confirmed the first COVID-19 positive case among the tribal membership Wednesday .
The first positive case comes after almost six months of the tribal stay-at-home order .
The Tribal Council and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Incident Management Team issued and continues to maintain the public health orders taking the utmost caution to protect the tribal community , according to a news release issued Wednesday .
The individual who has tested positive does not reside on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation and the IMT does not believe the tribal community is at risk for transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the IMT believe the situation to be contained .
“ We remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to keep our membership safe , but please be aware that cases in the area are on the rise , including at Fort Lewis College and on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation .
Please keep our sister Tribe and other neighbors in your thoughts and prayers , ” wrote Lindsay J .
Box , communication specialist for tribal council affairs , in the news release .
Join our Facebook group for the latest @ @ @ @ @ @

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe confirmed the first COVID-19 positive case among the tribal membership Wednesday. The first positive case comes after almost six months of the tribal stay-at-home order. The Tribal Council and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Incident Management Team issued and continues to maintain the public health orders taking the utmost caution to protect the tribal community, according to a news release issued Wednesday.
The individual who has tested positive does not reside on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation and the IMT does not believe the tribal community is at risk for transmission, the release stated. The Tribe and the IMT believe the situation to be contained.
“We remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to keep our membership safe, but please be aware that cases in the area are on the rise, including at Fort Lewis College and on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. Please keep our sister Tribe and other neighbors in your thoughts and prayers,” wrote Lindsay J. Box, communication specialist for tribal council affairs, in the news release.
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-10-14--Broncos quarterback Drew Lock full participant in practice for first time since injuring right shoul

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock full participant in practice for first time since injuring right shoulder

Drew Lock was a full participant in Broncos practice Wednesday for the first time since injuring his right throwing shoulder against Pittsburgh in Week 2 .
That ’ s a good sign for the second-year quarterback ’ s hopes of returning to start Sunday against New England at Gillette Stadium .
Backup Brett Rypien will start if Lock isn ’ t cleared to play .
“ ( Lock ) got a bunch of reps today , and we ’ ll take a look at it obviously , ” coach Vic Fangio said .
“ We ’ ll take a look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a decision we evaluate throughout the week.
” Fangio said Lock ’ s ability to return against the Patriots — with 1-3 Denver in need of an upset to get its season back on track — is “ a medical decision , No .
1.
” “ And once he gets cleared , my conversations with Drew will play a big part into it , ” Fangio said .
“ And then I ’ ll make a comparison as to where Drew ’ s at and where Brett ’ s at.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who led Denver to a Week 4 win over the Jets in his first NFL start despite three interceptions .
The 24-year-old undrafted second-year pro made his debut in the fourth quarter of Week 3 against Tampa Bay , going 8-of-9 through the air with an interception .
“ In light of these weird circumstances ( with the game being postponed a week ) , Brett did get the full week of reps last week for the most part , ” Fangio said .
“ So if we did decide to go with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t feel quite as unprepared as normal.
” While Rypien said he ’ s taking the “ same mentality into this week that I had last week , ” Lock is eager to prove he ’ s game-ready .
The 23-year-old officially returned to practice last Wednesday but was limited that day as well as Thursday and Friday .
“ The biggest thing for me is to be able to come out and practice and play clean football , ” Lock said .
“ Watching Brett practice all last week in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he knew what he was doing with the ball… If I show that I can do that just like Brett was in practice , then it will be up to their hands with what they want to do .
The quarterback isn ’ t worried about a re-injury , and said he will continue to be aggressive when taking chances running the ball outside the pocket .
That no-fear mindset is also paired with Lock ’ s maturing knowledge that “ there has got to be better times for me to realize that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt.
” Lock was also hurt as a rookie while scrambling outside the pocket , a thumb sprain in a preseason game that caused him to spend the majority of the season on injured reserve .
“ I ’ m ready for the first hit , just to get it out there , and let it happen and let everyone hold their breath for a couple seconds — and then I get up and everything ’ s fine , ” Lock said .
Lock also doesn ’ t want to disrupt any momentum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win as Denver posted a season-high 37 points , the second-most in a game in Fangio ’ s two-year tenure .
Through five quarters this year , Lock is 23-of-38 for 236 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions .
“ I didn ’ t want to come in and let the intensity lag from last week ’ s practice , ” Lock said .
“ I wanted to raise it a little bit and keep things rolling .
If I have crisp and clean practices and deliver the ball where it needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can show them what they need to see .
”

Drew Lock was a full participant in Broncos practice Wednesday for the first time since injuring his right throwing shoulder against Pittsburgh in Week 2.
That’s a good sign for the second-year quarterback’s hopes of returning to start Sunday against New England at Gillette Stadium. Backup Brett Rypien will start if Lock isn’t cleared to play.
“(Lock) got a bunch of reps today, and we’ll take a look at it obviously,” coach Vic Fangio said. “We’ll take a look at the video and it’ll be a decision we evaluate throughout the week.”
Fangio said Lock’s ability to return against the Patriots — with 1-3 Denver in need of an upset to get its season back on track — is “a medical decision, No. 1.”
“And once he gets cleared, my conversations with Drew will play a big part into it,” Fangio said. “And then I’ll make a comparison as to where Drew’s at and where Brett’s at.”
The Broncos are confident in Rypien, who led Denver to a Week 4 win over the Jets in his first NFL start despite three interceptions. The 24-year-old undrafted second-year pro made his debut in the fourth quarter of Week 3 against Tampa Bay, going 8-of-9 through the air with an interception.
“In light of these weird circumstances (with the game being postponed a week), Brett did get the full week of reps last week for the most part,” Fangio said. “So if we did decide to go with him later in the week, we wouldn’t feel quite as unprepared as normal.”
While Rypien said he’s taking the “same mentality into this week that I had last week,” Lock is eager to prove he’s game-ready. The 23-year-old officially returned to practice last Wednesday but was limited that day as well as Thursday and Friday.
“The biggest thing for me is to be able to come out and practice and play clean football,” Lock said. “Watching Brett practice all last week in practice, it was extremely clean and he knew what he was doing with the ball… If I show that I can do that just like Brett was in practice, then it will be up to their hands with what they want to do.
The quarterback isn’t worried about a re-injury, and said he will continue to be aggressive when taking chances running the ball outside the pocket.
That no-fear mindset is also paired with Lock’s maturing knowledge that “there has got to be better times for me to realize that the play is over and not get hurt.” Lock was also hurt as a rookie while scrambling outside the pocket, a thumb sprain in a preseason game that caused him to spend the majority of the season on injured reserve.
“I’m ready for the first hit, just to get it out there, and let it happen and let everyone hold their breath for a couple seconds — and then I get up and everything’s fine,” Lock said.
Lock also doesn’t want to disrupt any momentum the Broncos have coming off their first win as Denver posted a season-high 37 points, the second-most in a game in Fangio’s two-year tenure. Through five quarters this year, Lock is 23-of-38 for 236 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
“I didn’t want to come in and let the intensity lag from last week’s practice,” Lock said. “I wanted to raise it a little bit and keep things rolling. If I have crisp and clean practices and deliver the ball where it needs to be and on time, hopefully I can show them what they need to see.”


thedenverpost--2020-10-15--The road to the Masters is a long way from Augusta National

NORTH LAS VEGAS , Nev. — This is no ordinary road to the Masters .
Instead of the tropical warmth of Florida in the spring , it starts in the hot desert air of Nevada in October .
Instead of a series of PGA Tour events some 500 miles south of Augusta National with an occasional detour into Texas , this road starts 2,000 to the west , heads out to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and then back over to Houston .
What hasn ’ t changed is the top players are back in action with Georgia on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek , typically held in South Korea and now part of an Asia swing that moved this year to the western U.S. because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Four of the top five players in the world are at Shadow Creek , with top-ranked Dustin Johnson pulling out after his positive test for the coronavirus .
It ’ s different , just like the entire year in just about every sport .
Rory McIlroy thinks Shadow Creek might be even better than what Florida offers because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slopes .
“ It ’ s not a bad place to prepare for Augusta , ” McIlroy said Wednesday .
“ Climate ’ s going to be a bit different , but it ’ s not bad preparation .
Obviously , it ’ s on the other side of the country .
But when you think about the courses that we play leading up to Augusta , they ’ re all Bermuda for the most part .
It ’ s Florida .
It ’ s a different test and a different setup .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sherwood next week , I think that ’ s going to be a lot of guys ’ last event before Augusta.
” Most of them are happy to have the opportunity .
The CJ Cup ( South Korea ) and the Zozo Championship ( Japan ) likely would not have attracted top players unwilling to travel that far during a pandemic , especially with the Masters having been pushed back to November .
Both tournaments have limited fields with no cuts and big money .
The Zozo Championship next week is at Sherwood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That will be followed by the Bermuda Championship and Houston Open ahead of the Masters on Nov. 12-15 .
“ I think a lot of guys are really happy that they ’ ve got these two events to play and see where their game is , ” McIlroy said .
“ These are obviously big events in their own right , but looking ahead for a few week ’ s time.
” Shadow Creek adds to the prestige as the elite club in Las Vegas , a Tom Fazio-design with a list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidents to Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter to actors Sylvester Stallone and Matt Damon .
The condition is mint .
Justin Rose said they were the best greens he has played this side of Augusta National and Muirfield Village , home of the Memorial .
It last was seen on television two years ago when Phil Mickelson beat Tiger Woods in a $ 9 million winner-take-all match as golf delved into pay-per-view , which turned out to be free because of technical glitches .
“ I definitely look at that as our key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ With CJ bringing the tournament here to Shadow , I think is is actually a great place to have a little checkpoint of where things are leading up to Augusta .
The greens could be fairly similar in areas to what we may see at Augusta.
” The CJ Cup marks the return of Brooks Koepka after two months off to heal a left hip injury , a byproduct of a knee injury he had been dealing with since last year .
Several others , such as defending champion Justin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have not played since the U.S. Open .
Rose , Shane Lowery and Tommy Fleetwood are among those who were outside London last week for the European Tour flagship event , finding it well worth it to cross eight time zones to tee it up at Shadow Creek .
As much emphasis as there is on the greens , McIlroy arrived in Las Vegas talking about length — specifically Bryson DeChambeau ’ s method of hitting it as far as he could on his way to winning the U.S. Open .
McIlroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pounds of muscle and mass .
But he is trying to add speed to his swing , even if he doesn ’ t catch up to the 200 mph ball speed DeChambeau is approaching .
“ Having length is an advantage and I ’ ve always been pretty long , ” McIlroy said .
“ I think what I want to do is at least know that I have it if I need it .
I ’ m not going to try to do it all the time , I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 190s every time I hit a driver , but at least I know that if I need to do it , I can do it.
” DeChambeau is home in Dallas for a month working on a 48-inch driver for the Masters .
McIlroy is at Shadow Creek and Sherwood the next two weeks .
Both are thinking about the Masters in their own way .

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — This is no ordinary road to the Masters.
Instead of the tropical warmth of Florida in the spring, it starts in the hot desert air of Nevada in October.
Instead of a series of PGA Tour events some 500 miles south of Augusta National with an occasional detour into Texas, this road starts 2,000 to the west, heads out to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and then back over to Houston.
What hasn’t changed is the top players are back in action with Georgia on their minds.
It starts Thursday with the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek, typically held in South Korea and now part of an Asia swing that moved this year to the western U.S. because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four of the top five players in the world are at Shadow Creek, with top-ranked Dustin Johnson pulling out after his positive test for the coronavirus.
It’s different, just like the entire year in just about every sport.
Rory McIlroy thinks Shadow Creek might be even better than what Florida offers because of the bentgrass greens that are fast with big slopes.
“It’s not a bad place to prepare for Augusta,” McIlroy said Wednesday. “Climate’s going to be a bit different, but it’s not bad preparation. Obviously, it’s on the other side of the country. But when you think about the courses that we play leading up to Augusta, they’re all Bermuda for the most part. It’s Florida. It’s a different test and a different setup.
“I think here this week and Sherwood next week, I think that’s going to be a lot of guys’ last event before Augusta.”
Most of them are happy to have the opportunity.
The CJ Cup (South Korea) and the Zozo Championship (Japan) likely would not have attracted top players unwilling to travel that far during a pandemic, especially with the Masters having been pushed back to November. Both tournaments have limited fields with no cuts and big money.
The Zozo Championship next week is at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. That will be followed by the Bermuda Championship and Houston Open ahead of the Masters on Nov. 12-15.
“I think a lot of guys are really happy that they’ve got these two events to play and see where their game is,” McIlroy said. “These are obviously big events in their own right, but looking ahead for a few week’s time.”
Shadow Creek adds to the prestige as the elite club in Las Vegas, a Tom Fazio-design with a list of members that range from former U.S. presidents to Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter to actors Sylvester Stallone and Matt Damon.
The condition is mint. Justin Rose said they were the best greens he has played this side of Augusta National and Muirfield Village, home of the Memorial.
It last was seen on television two years ago when Phil Mickelson beat Tiger Woods in a $9 million winner-take-all match as golf delved into pay-per-view, which turned out to be free because of technical glitches.
“I definitely look at that as our key event this fall,” Rickie Fowler said. “With CJ bringing the tournament here to Shadow, I think is is actually a great place to have a little checkpoint of where things are leading up to Augusta. The greens could be fairly similar in areas to what we may see at Augusta.”
The CJ Cup marks the return of Brooks Koepka after two months off to heal a left hip injury, a byproduct of a knee injury he had been dealing with since last year. Several others, such as defending champion Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele, have not played since the U.S. Open.
Rose, Shane Lowery and Tommy Fleetwood are among those who were outside London last week for the European Tour flagship event, finding it well worth it to cross eight time zones to tee it up at Shadow Creek.
As much emphasis as there is on the greens, McIlroy arrived in Las Vegas talking about length — specifically Bryson DeChambeau’s method of hitting it as far as he could on his way to winning the U.S. Open.
McIlroy isn’t about to add 40 pounds of muscle and mass. But he is trying to add speed to his swing, even if he doesn’t catch up to the 200 mph ball speed DeChambeau is approaching.
“Having length is an advantage and I’ve always been pretty long,” McIlroy said. “I think what I want to do is at least know that I have it if I need it. I’m not going to try to do it all the time, I’m not trying to get my ball speed into the 190s every time I hit a driver, but at least I know that if I need to do it, I can do it.”
DeChambeau is home in Dallas for a month working on a 48-inch driver for the Masters. McIlroy is at Shadow Creek and Sherwood the next two weeks. Both are thinking about the Masters in their own way.


thedenverpost--2020-10-15--Endorsement: Karla Esser for state Board of Education in Congressional District 7

Karla Esser is the right pick for State Board of Education in Congressional District 7 .
Esser , a Democrat from Lakewood , has an incredible background in education .
She taught in public schools in Germany for years , served as an assistant superintendent in rural Colorado and most recently was a teacher of teachers at Regis University where she was the director of graduate programs for licensed teachers before she retired .
Now she is ready to serve on Colorado ’ s Board of Education to help direct the future of the state ’ s schools .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a principal you spend hours watching the state Board of Education and if you ’ re at Regis in teacher education you spend hours watching the state Board of Education and I feel very strongly that people on the board should understand what decisions will mean for the field , ” Esser said .
In other words , she is ready to hit the ground running on day one with an understanding of what the board does and what it needs to do .
Esser ’ s opponent in the race , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of education experience , which is also incredibly valuable .
She ’ s a parent .
But learning the workings of the board would take Pallozzi more time .
Esser ’ s top priority is to not only advocate for more funding for Colorado ’ s public schools but to push for more equitable funding across the state , doing away with a school finance act that is leaving some school districts on the losing end of state funding .
And she is certainly not wrong that Colorado ’ s standardized testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking too much time .
“ I ’ ve seen districts spend more time and more money on testing than I would have ever thought possible and I don ’ t think we are getting a return on that investment , ” Esser said .
We agree .
She wants to look at the possibility of moving tests to every other year or drastically reducing them .
And she said tests are needed to track student progress , but she would rather rely on the assessments that schools and teachers already are implementing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state assessments .
We do urge Esser to reconsider her opposition to accountability measures called for in state law .
One of the most important roles of the state Board of Education is using its powers to demand reform and change at some of the state ’ s chronically underperforming schools .
This is an important role .
Esser raises good questions about the efficacy of some of those reforms – there is a mixed legacy of improvement at these schools .
But that mixed legacy is far better than just doing nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance .
We like that it ’ s now based on a growth model that takes into account where a student begins and how much progress they make in a year , rather than just a raw achievement score .
But Esser is a dedicated educator who will serve this state well on the Board even if we don ’ t agree with her on every issue .
To send a letter to the editor about this article , submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or @ @

Editor’s note: This represents the opinion of The Denver Post editorial board, which is separate from the paper’s news operation.
Karla Esser is the right pick for State Board of Education in Congressional District 7.
Esser, a Democrat from Lakewood, has an incredible background in education. She taught in public schools in Germany for years, served as an assistant superintendent in rural Colorado and most recently was a teacher of teachers at Regis University where she was the director of graduate programs for licensed teachers before she retired.
Now she is ready to serve on Colorado’s Board of Education to help direct the future of the state’s schools.
“If you’re an assistant superintendent or a principal you spend hours watching the state Board of Education and if you’re at Regis in teacher education you spend hours watching the state Board of Education and I feel very strongly that people on the board should understand what decisions will mean for the field,” Esser said.
In other words, she is ready to hit the ground running on day one with an understanding of what the board does and what it needs to do.
Esser’s opponent in the race, Republican Nancy Pallozzi, has a different kind of education experience, which is also incredibly valuable. She’s a parent. But learning the workings of the board would take Pallozzi more time.
Esser’s top priority is to not only advocate for more funding for Colorado’s public schools but to push for more equitable funding across the state, doing away with a school finance act that is leaving some school districts on the losing end of state funding.
And she is certainly not wrong that Colorado’s standardized testing regime has too many tests and is taking too much time.
“I’ve seen districts spend more time and more money on testing than I would have ever thought possible and I don’t think we are getting a return on that investment,” Esser said.
We agree. She wants to look at the possibility of moving tests to every other year or drastically reducing them. And she said tests are needed to track student progress, but she would rather rely on the assessments that schools and teachers already are implementing on their own on top of the state assessments.
We do urge Esser to reconsider her opposition to accountability measures called for in state law. One of the most important roles of the state Board of Education is using its powers to demand reform and change at some of the state’s chronically underperforming schools. This is an important role. Esser raises good questions about the efficacy of some of those reforms – there is a mixed legacy of improvement at these schools.
But that mixed legacy is far better than just doing nothing.
Colorado must continue to track school performance. We like that it’s now based on a growth model that takes into account where a student begins and how much progress they make in a year, rather than just a raw achievement score.
But Esser is a dedicated educator who will serve this state well on the Board even if we don’t agree with her on every issue.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.


thedenverpost--2020-10-15--Court fines and fees fuel Colorado governments at expense of poor

Court-ordered fines and fees are a big business in Colorado , generating $ 132.8 million in 2019 alone , according to a new state report .
Fines and fees resulting from court cases disproportionately affect poorer people , who often face compounding debt when they can not pay what they owe .
Democratic state lawmakers promise to attempt reform when they return to the Capitol next year .
Fines are defined by the state as monetary punishment for a crime , whereas a fee is an “ administrative assessment ” to help courts recover costs .
These can really add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday by Legislative Council , which provides nonpartisan research and analysis for the legislature .
“ Fees and surcharges may substantially increase a defendant ’ s court-ordered debt , ” the report reads .
“ For example , an individual convicted of a level 4 drug felony may be ordered by the judge to pay the minimum fine of $ 1,000 .
The defendant , however , commonly leaves court owing upwards of $ 2,500 after state and county fees are added to the fine , including , but not limited to , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,500 , a public defender fee of $ 25 , and a $ 40 docket fee , among others.
” There is a growing movement in the country , including at Colorado ’ s statehouse , to abolish certain fines and fees in recognition of the burden on poor people .
“ These fines and fees create a two-tiered system of justice , ” said Joanna Weiss , the co-director of the New York-based Fines and Fees Justice Center , which advocates for reform .
“ For someone who can afford to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For people who are poor , they ’ re choosing between paying for food , paying for medicine , having a roof over their head , and paying fines and fees.
” There has been no recent , comprehensive and publicly available analysis of just how severely fines and fees burden people at various income levels , but research out of Alabama offers data showing people with outstanding court debts were most likely to give up utilities , groceries , and housing payments to make good with the court .
The nonprofit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that about half of survey respondents used payday or title loans to pay off their debts , and that close to two in five respondents admitted to committing another crime — stealing , or selling drugs , for example — to pay off their debt .
“ I don ’ t think we should , by any means , be balancing our state budget on the backs of poor people if they can ’ t pay their fees , ” said Rep. Dylan Roberts , a Democrat who represents Eagle and Routt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputy district attorney in Eagle .
But , as the report from Legislative Council shows , fines and fees are critical fuel for government budgets .
The $ 132.8 million in revenue last year was distributed to a slew of places , including restitution and victim assistance programs .
Nine percent went to the state ’ s general fund .
State Rep. Leslie Herod , a Denver Democrat , said she ’ ll introduce a bill next year to end driver ’ s license suspensions for nonpayment of court debts .
Roberts said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fiscal impact .
He said he ’ s not sure how he ’ d vote on that bill .
“ It depends , ” Roberts said .
“ We ’ re waiting to see what the budget forecast looks like .
”

Court-ordered fines and fees are a big business in Colorado, generating $132.8 million in 2019 alone, according to a new state report.
Fines and fees resulting from court cases disproportionately affect poorer people, who often face compounding debt when they cannot pay what they owe. Democratic state lawmakers promise to attempt reform when they return to the Capitol next year.
Fines are defined by the state as monetary punishment for a crime, whereas a fee is an “administrative assessment” to help courts recover costs. These can really add up, according to the report published Friday by Legislative Council, which provides nonpartisan research and analysis for the legislature.
“Fees and surcharges may substantially increase a defendant’s court-ordered debt,” the report reads. “For example, an individual convicted of a level 4 drug felony may be ordered by the judge to pay the minimum fine of $1,000. The defendant, however, commonly leaves court owing upwards of $2,500 after state and county fees are added to the fine, including, but not limited to, a mandatory drug offender surcharge of $1,500, a public defender fee of $25, and a $40 docket fee, among others.”
There is a growing movement in the country, including at Colorado’s statehouse, to abolish certain fines and fees in recognition of the burden on poor people.
“These fines and fees create a two-tiered system of justice,” said Joanna Weiss, the co-director of the New York-based Fines and Fees Justice Center, which advocates for reform. “For someone who can afford to pay … it may sting for a moment. For people who are poor, they’re choosing between paying for food, paying for medicine, having a roof over their head, and paying fines and fees.”
There has been no recent, comprehensive and publicly available analysis of just how severely fines and fees burden people at various income levels in Colorado, but research out of Alabama offers data showing people with outstanding court debts were most likely to give up utilities, groceries, and housing payments to make good with the court.
The nonprofit Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice found that about half of survey respondents used payday or title loans to pay off their debts, and that close to two in five respondents admitted to committing another crime — stealing, or selling drugs, for example — to pay off their debt.
“I don’t think we should, by any means, be balancing our state budget on the backs of poor people if they can’t pay their fees,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, a Democrat who represents Eagle and Routt counties, and who works as a deputy district attorney in Eagle.
But, as the report from Legislative Council shows, fines and fees are critical fuel for government budgets. The $132.8 million in revenue last year was distributed to a slew of places, including restitution and victim assistance programs. Nine percent went to the state’s general fund.
State Rep. Leslie Herod, a Denver Democrat, said she’ll introduce a bill next year to end driver’s license suspensions for nonpayment of court debts. Roberts said he backs that policy but wonders about the fiscal impact of a broader reform bill.
“It depends,” Roberts said. “We’re waiting to see what the budget forecast looks like.”


thedenverpost--2020-10-15--Colorado has more active COVID-19 outbreaks now than any time since pandemic began

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 274 active COVID-19 outbreaks at schools , restaurants , stores , churches and other facilities across the state this week , setting a new record .
The previous high mark was set last week , with 236 active outbreaks .
The last time before that when more than 200 locations were linked to ongoing coronavirus outbreaks was early June .
The state health department defines an outbreak as two or more cases linked to the same location or event within two weeks .
So if two people tested positive on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not an outbreak , unless they ’ d both been at some other event recently .
An outbreak is considered over when four weeks have passed with no new cases .
The rising number of active outbreaks come as Colorado is in what state officials have called a “ third wave ” of the virus , following the early peak in March and June and a second surge in July .
The state tied the record of 967 new cases on Monday , bolstering concerns about hospital capacity in the coming weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surpassed the key 5 % benchmark .
As of Wednesday , there were 317 confirmed COVID-19 patients in Colorado hospitals — a 59 % jump since Oct. 1 and the highest number since late May .
Seventy-seven percent of the state ’ s available intensive care unit beds were in use Wednesday , though the state does not track how many of those are coronavirus patients .
On Monday , Mayor Michael Hancock , sounded the alarm over increasing COVID-19 infections , saying the city ’ s seven-day average case rate was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May .
A spokesperson for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment on Wednesday said officials are working on updated public health orders for the city that likely will be made public later this week or early next week .
Most of Colorado ’ s current coronavirus outbreaks were found in September or October , though a few in jails and homeless shelters date back to April .
Half have five or fewer cases as of Wednesday , though any outbreak still deemed active could continue to grow .
So far in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks , averaging 11 cases and less than one death each .
When the state began tracking outbreaks in March , each outbreak averaged more than 40 cases and seven deaths , likely because most were in high-risk settings like nursing homes .
The average number of deaths per outbreak fell below one in June , as the outbreaks moved into settings with fewer people at risk of severe complications , like offices and restaurants .
The average number of cases also generally per outbreak trended downward from spring to summer , before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September — though that was largely due to University of Colorado Boulder ’ s unusually high number of cases .
The largest ongoing outbreaks are largely in universities and prisons : • JBS meatpacking plant , Greeley : 295 cases , six deaths ( This outbreak was declared over Sept. 30 , but reopened after another case was found . )
• Fremont Correctional Facility , Cañon City : 121 cases , no deaths ( This doesn ’ t include 10 cases from a separate outbreak in August . )
The university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraternities , dormitories and teams .
All totals include confirmed and probable cases as reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment , which updates its database of outbreaks every Wednesday .
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The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 274 active COVID-19 outbreaks at schools, restaurants, stores, churches and other facilities across the state this week, setting a new record.
The previous high mark was set last week, with 236 active outbreaks. The last time before that when more than 200 locations were linked to ongoing coronavirus outbreaks was early June.
The state health department defines an outbreak as two or more cases linked to the same location or event within two weeks. So if two people tested positive on the first day of school, that’s not an outbreak, unless they’d both been at some other event recently. An outbreak is considered over when four weeks have passed with no new cases.
The rising number of active outbreaks come as Colorado is in what state officials have called a “third wave” of the virus, following the early peak in March and June and a second surge in July.
The state tied the record of 967 new cases on Monday, bolstering concerns about hospital capacity in the coming weeks as Colorado’s test positivity rate surpassed the key 5% benchmark.
As of Wednesday, there were 317 confirmed COVID-19 patients in Colorado hospitals — a 59% jump since Oct. 1 and the highest number since late May. Seventy-seven percent of the state’s available intensive care unit beds were in use Wednesday, though the state does not track how many of those are coronavirus patients.
On Monday, Mayor Michael Hancock, sounded the alarm over increasing COVID-19 infections, saying the city’s seven-day average case rate was at the same level as it was in May. A spokesperson for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment on Wednesday said officials are working on updated public health orders for the city that likely will be made public later this week or early next week.
Most of Colorado’s current coronavirus outbreaks were found in September or October, though a few in jails and homeless shelters date back to April. Half have five or fewer cases as of Wednesday, though any outbreak still deemed active could continue to grow.
So far in October, there have been 119 new outbreaks, averaging 11 cases and less than one death each. When the state began tracking outbreaks in March, each outbreak averaged more than 40 cases and seven deaths, likely because most were in high-risk settings like nursing homes.
The average number of deaths per outbreak fell below one in June, as the outbreaks moved into settings with fewer people at risk of severe complications, like offices and restaurants. The average number of cases also generally per outbreak trended downward from spring to summer, before popping back up to more than 18 in September — though that was largely due to University of Colorado Boulder’s unusually high number of cases.
The largest ongoing outbreaks are largely in universities and prisons:
CU Boulder: 1,711 cases, no deaths
1,711 cases, no deaths Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, Denver: 676 cases, no deaths
676 cases, no deaths Sterling Correctional Facility: 635 cases, three deaths
635 cases, three deaths Colorado State University, Fort Collins: 375 cases, no deaths
375 cases, no deaths JBS meatpacking plant, Greeley: 295 cases, six deaths (This outbreak was declared over Sept. 30, but reopened after another case was found.)
295 cases, six deaths (This outbreak was declared over Sept. 30, but reopened after another case was found.) University of Denver community outbreak: 217 cases, no deaths
217 cases, no deaths People experiencing homelessness, Denver: 160 cases, no deaths
160 cases, no deaths Steven Roberts Original Desserts, Aurora: 144 cases, one death
144 cases, one death Jabil Healthcare, Colorado Springs: 124 cases, no deaths
124 cases, no deaths Fremont Correctional Facility, Cañon City: 121 cases, no deaths (This doesn’t include 10 cases from a separate outbreak in August.)
The university outbreaks include previously reported cases linked to fraternities, dormitories and teams. All totals include confirmed and probable cases as reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which updates its database of outbreaks every Wednesday.
Denver Post reporter Jessica Seaman contributed to this report.
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thedenverpost--2020-10-15--Most Denver-area schools sticking with in-person learning despite rising COVID cases

Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Colorado , but so far that isn ’ t changing the way many school districts in the metro area are conducting classes .
One exception : Denver Public Schools , the state ’ s largest district , which has announced that most middle and high school students will remain in remote learning until at least November .
Elementary schools , which began gradually welcoming students back this month , will resume full-time , in-person classes on Oct. 21 as planned , said Superintendent Susana Cordova , given younger students are at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have more challenges with remote learning .
It ’ s also easier to cohort students at the primary level than it is in middle and high schools , where one positive case can force dozens of students and staff members into quarantine and a couple can shut down a school entirely .
That ’ s the biggest reason Dr. Steve Federico , pediatric doctor with Denver Health , advised DPS to keep secondary students learning remotely until the rate of community spread decreases in Denver .
( Special education students and English-language learners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive in-person education . )
“ The spread of COVID within schools when we follow the mitigation measures of wearing masks and spacing is very , very , very low , ” Federico said .
“ The risk of being in school is largely around having to start and stop again , the quarantining that happens when you do have a case in a school that causes lots of kids to have to go home , and the difficulties of doing education in fits and starts.
” Parent Mark Simon , whose 12-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he feels like kids are being punished by not having access to in-person learning .
“ I don ’ t think we are prioritizing education and doing everything we possibly can to get kids back in school , ” Simon said .
“ I ’ m really concerned the longer we go with 100 % remote learning the more challenges that these kids are going to face.
” Leigh Walden , a senior in Douglas County School District , has firsthand experience switching learning formats after her school , Castle View High , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She called the experience stressful and annoying , and agreed that it prevents students from getting in a rhythm .
Some preliminary data on U.S. school reopenings , reported by The Atlantic , echoes Federico ’ s point that schools are not the vector for spreading COVID-19 , thanks to risk mitigation tactics like mask-wearing , social distancing and sanitizing .
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has reported about 30 school-related virus outbreaks since the fall semester began .
Another recent study of a half-million people in India , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young adults could be more important to transmitting the virus than previously thought , especially within households .
Glen Mays , professor and chair of the Department of Health Systems , Management and Policy in the University of Colorado ’ s School of Public Health , says he ’ s encouraged by the fact in-person learning is going “ relatively well ” at many schools , but cautioned case trends in the broader community will eventually make their way into educational institutions .
“ The biggest problem that we have right now is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mays said .
“ The most important thing is to remain agile as a school and be ready to change things up.
” Some districts do not anticipate changing up their format just yet .
Jeffco Public Schools would move to remote learning if ordered to by public health entities or if the community status changes to Stay at Home , said spokeswoman Cameron Bell .
Aurora Public Schools also plans to continue operating on a hybrid learning format , despite trends in district-tracked metrics that would indicate a move to remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will monitor COVID conditions for two weeks to determine if schools should pivot to remote education .
Others , like Douglas County School District , are preparing to offer more opportunities for in-person learning .
The district will reopen elementary schools for in-person school five days a week on Oct. 19 , despite the fact its metrics for tracking community COVID-19 conditions call for a hybrid format .
A letter to families says student COVID numbers impacting elementary schools are considerably lower than middle and high schools .
That did little to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His 9-year-old has been attending school in person two days a week at Prairie Crossing Elementary , where class capacities will now return to normal .
“ It just feels like they ’ re not using science and these metrics they agreed they would use to keep our kids as safe and healthy as possible , ” Hansen-Rojas said .
Other districts ’ methodologies have also raised concerns as they have changed over time .
Cherry Creek School District recently started factoring the percentage of students and staff actively infected with COVID-19 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Its dashboard has consistently said conditions are appropriate for in-person classes .
But by the original standard — which weighed two-week average test positivity rate , daily hospitalizations , the number of daily reported cases and 14-day incident rate per 100,000 residents — the conditions on Monday and Tuesday of this week would have called for remote learning .
That ’ s not necessarily cause for concern , according to Mays .
“ Schools are definitely having to learn and adapt as they go , just like every other sector that is responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s monitoring the patterns and trends over time that allows us to learn what signals are consistent with continuing safe operation of schools .
”

Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Colorado, but so far that isn’t changing the way many school districts in the metro area are conducting classes.
One exception: Denver Public Schools, the state’s largest district, which has announced that most middle and high school students will remain in remote learning until at least November.
Elementary schools, which began gradually welcoming students back this month, will resume full-time, in-person classes on Oct. 21 as planned, said Superintendent Susana Cordova, given younger students are at a lower risk of severe COVID-19 illness and have more challenges with remote learning.
It’s also easier to cohort students at the primary level than it is in middle and high schools, where one positive case can force dozens of students and staff members into quarantine and a couple can shut down a school entirely.
That’s the biggest reason Dr. Steve Federico, pediatric doctor with Denver Health, advised DPS to keep secondary students learning remotely until the rate of community spread decreases in Denver. (Special education students and English-language learners in the secondary grades are eligible to receive in-person education.)
“The spread of COVID within schools when we follow the mitigation measures of wearing masks and spacing is very, very, very low,” Federico said. “The risk of being in school is largely around having to start and stop again, the quarantining that happens when you do have a case in a school that causes lots of kids to have to go home, and the difficulties of doing education in fits and starts.”
Parent Mark Simon, whose 12-year-old daughter attends Morey Middle School, said he feels like kids are being punished by not having access to in-person learning.
“I don’t think we are prioritizing education and doing everything we possibly can to get kids back in school,” Simon said. “I’m really concerned the longer we go with 100% remote learning the more challenges that these kids are going to face.”
Leigh Walden, a senior in Douglas County School District, has firsthand experience switching learning formats after her school, Castle View High, shuttered briefly due to quarantine-related staffing issues. She called the experience stressful and annoying, and agreed that it prevents students from getting in a rhythm.
U.S. school reopenings
Some preliminary data on U.S. school reopenings, reported by The Atlantic, echoes Federico’s point that schools are not the vector for spreading COVID-19, thanks to risk mitigation tactics like mask-wearing, social distancing and sanitizing. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has reported about 30 school-related virus outbreaks since the fall semester began.
Another recent study of a half-million people in India, however, also found that kids and young adults could be more important to transmitting the virus than previously thought, especially within households. Glen Mays, professor and chair of the Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy in the University of Colorado’s School of Public Health, says he’s encouraged by the fact in-person learning is going “relatively well” at many schools, but cautioned case trends in the broader community will eventually make their way into educational institutions.
“The biggest problem that we have right now is reining in transmission in the community,” Mays said. “The most important thing is to remain agile as a school and be ready to change things up.”
Some districts do not anticipate changing up their format just yet.
Jeffco Public Schools would move to remote learning if ordered to by public health entities or if the community status changes to Stay at Home, said spokeswoman Cameron Bell.
Aurora Public Schools also plans to continue operating on a hybrid learning format, despite trends in district-tracked metrics that would indicate a move to remote learning. Superintendent Rico Munn told families he will monitor COVID conditions for two weeks to determine if schools should pivot to remote education.
Others, like Douglas County School District, are preparing to offer more opportunities for in-person learning. The district will reopen elementary schools for in-person school five days a week on Oct. 19, despite the fact its metrics for tracking community COVID-19 conditions call for a hybrid format. A letter to families says student COVID numbers impacting elementary schools are considerably lower than middle and high schools.
That did little to ease parent Ruben Hansen-Rojas’ concerns. His 9-year-old has been attending school in person two days a week at Prairie Crossing Elementary, where class capacities will now return to normal.
“It just feels like they’re not using science and these metrics they agreed they would use to keep our kids as safe and healthy as possible,” Hansen-Rojas said.
Other districts’ methodologies have also raised concerns as they have changed over time. Cherry Creek School District recently started factoring the percentage of students and staff actively infected with COVID-19 in determining whether to offer in-person classes. Its dashboard has consistently said conditions are appropriate for in-person classes. But by the original standard — which weighed two-week average test positivity rate, daily hospitalizations, the number of daily reported cases and 14-day incident rate per 100,000 residents — the conditions on Monday and Tuesday of this week would have called for remote learning.
That’s not necessarily cause for concern, according to Mays.
“Schools are definitely having to learn and adapt as they go, just like every other sector that is responding to this pandemic,” he said. “It’s monitoring the patterns and trends over time that allows us to learn what signals are consistent with continuing safe operation of schools.”


thedenverpost--2020-10-15--Denver Sports Omelette: Fall is a great time of year to play golf around Colorado

Fall in Colorado is a special time of year , and now that peak leaf-peeping season has come to an end , folks can turn their attention to getting back onto golf courses around the Denver metro area .
As we look to the end of this week , there isn ’ t much going on in the sports world locally .
The Rockies are not in the postseason as their American Legion style 60-game season ended with a predictable 26-34 record .
The Colorado Rapids are off , dealing with a coronavirus outbreak .
The Avalanche and Nuggets are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescheduled NHL and NBA seasons .
The Broncos are a bad football team at 1-3 , one game above the Super Chargers in the AFC West .
So , with limited options in the sports world I suggest your hold onto that last bit of fall and enjoy a round of golf , followed by post-round drinks and apps on the patio at your local club .
Weather forecast for the weekend is ideal for fall golf with Friday and Saturday expected to reach the 70s , then Sunday being a high of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has to offer , grab your sticks and go play your favorite track before the snow flies .
If you enjoy the Denver Sports Omelette , tell a friend it ’ s easy to sign up here for our daily sports roundup Sports are back .
Never miss a story .
Subscribe to The Denver Post .
Get started for 99¢ .
If you have any questions or suggestions , hit me up on Twitter @ joenguyen or by email .
+ Broncos Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ + Nuggets Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Ask Mike Singer here .
+ Avs Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Ask Mike Chambers here .
+ Rockies Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Ask Patrick Saunders here .

Fall in Colorado is a special time of year, and now that peak leaf-peeping season has come to an end, folks can turn their attention to getting back onto golf courses around the Denver metro area.
As we look to the end of this week, there isn’t much going on in the sports world locally. The Rockies are not in the postseason as their American Legion style 60-game season ended with a predictable 26-34 record. The Colorado Rapids are off, dealing with a coronavirus outbreak. The Avalanche and Nuggets are both in their offseasons due to the rescheduled NHL and NBA seasons. The Broncos are a bad football team at 1-3, one game above the Super Chargers in the AFC West.
So, with limited options in the sports world I suggest your hold onto that last bit of fall and enjoy a round of golf, followed by post-round drinks and apps on the patio at your local club.
Weather forecast for the weekend is ideal for fall golf with Friday and Saturday expected to reach the 70s, then Sunday being a high of 69 degrees. Enjoy Colorado for what it has to offer, grab your sticks and go play your favorite track before the snow flies.
— Jeff Bailey, The Denver Post
If you enjoy the Denver Sports Omelette, tell a friend it’s easy to sign up here for our daily sports roundup
Sports are back. Never miss a story.
Subscribe to The Denver Post.
Get started for 99¢.
If you have any questions or suggestions, hit me up on Twitter @joenguyen or by email.
Ask The Experts
+ Broncos Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Ryan O’Halloran here.
+ Nuggets Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Mike Singer here.
+ Avs Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Mike Chambers here.
+ Rockies Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Patrick Saunders here.


thedenverpost--2020-10-15--Ask Amy: Patient friend becomes “comfort bot”

Dear Amy : I have a perfectionist friend .
I used to find her neurotic nature endearing , but now that we ’ re both parents , the qualities I used to think were cute are now wearing thin .
This started when we were both pregnant at the same time .
My pregnancy was a ( very happy ! )
accident .
I wasn ’ t married to the baby ’ s father , was working and finishing school , and lived in a comfy little apartment .
She planned her pregnancy for the perfect time : a stable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner , and a big beautiful house .
Still , she panicked about the smallest things .
I didn ’ t understand it , but I rolled with it .
I ’ m not sure I can , anymore .
It ’ s not even her frequent complaining that bothers me most .
It ’ s the fact that she no longer seems to care about me as a person .
I ’ ve become some kind of “ comfort bot ” that she messages , gets a response from , and ignores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whip her into a bigger frenzy .
She diverts every conversation — always — back to motherhood .
Mostly , I respond with the same stock empathy phrases : “ That sounds hard !
” “ Hope it gets better soon !
” “ Poor thing !
, ” and hope she doesn ’ t notice .
She ’ s important to me , but I can ’ t continue .
I know that , as mothers , we ’ re supposed to support one another no matter what and that we should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the little things .
( Especially now ! )
I don ’ t want to be the kind of woman who doesn ’ t do that , but truly , I can ’ t support this woman in this way any longer .
What should I do ?
Dear Tired : Oh yes , the “ comfort-bot.
” What a perfect description of what it feels like to reliably deliver comfort , encouragement , and empathy — in short , the key elements of being a supportive friend — and to never receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in a bad patch and was reaching out for help — then yes , you should continue to provide an actively supportive ear .
But motherhood hasn ’ t changed her .
Motherhood seems to have intensified her already intense reaction to life .
She reaches out , you respond , she ignores .
But guess what ?
You have needs , too .
Motherhood may have intensified your awareness of them .
If you believe it makes your friend feel better and is genuinely important for her to vent to you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ heart emoji , ” and leave it at that .
Otherwise , I suggest a quiet backing away from a relationship that seems to have run its course .
Dear Amy : My spouse and I are fervent Democrats , and yet the six other family members we ’ ve invited to dinner ( sitting at adjacent outdoor tables ) are all Republicans .
My fear is that a relative is going to bring up politics ( probably as a jibe ) to initiate a debate with us , even though we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before .
How do I politely handle such a situation that could easily spiral out of control ?
I could respond that our wish is , just for this once , to avoid politics during dinner , but it may come off as a put-down of sorts and serve to deflate everyone ’ s spirits .
Something with a bit of humor could defuse and deflect it , but I ’ m not very funny when I feel confronted , and offering one snarky joke or comment to counter another could inflame instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Worried : I believe that for the next few weeks , lots of families are considering a moratorium on talking politics .
One way to do that would be to say , at the outset : “ Let ’ s see if we can get through this dinner without discussing politics , OK ?
First one to incite a riot has to do the dishes.
” The problem is that almost every topic has political overtones right now .
It ’ s easier not to take the bait if you refuse to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you suspect that is the intent .
Dear Amy : Responding to “ My Hair , My Choice , ” I ’ m glad so many women ( and maybe men ) have decided to let their true hair color show through due to the pandemic .
To cover early salt and pepper I started coloring my hair in my late 30s .
I quit in my late 40s to save time and money .
Last year I lost all my hair due to chemo .
I feel fortunate it ’ s grown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Dear Grateful : Chemo is the great leveler .
I ’ m celebrating your recovery !

Dear Amy: I have a perfectionist friend. I used to find her neurotic nature endearing, but now that we’re both parents, the qualities I used to think were cute are now wearing thin.
This started when we were both pregnant at the same time. My pregnancy was a (very happy!) accident. I wasn’t married to the baby’s father, was working and finishing school, and lived in a comfy little apartment. She planned her pregnancy for the perfect time: a stable job, a marriage to a high-earning partner, and a big beautiful house. Still, she panicked about the smallest things. I didn’t understand it, but I rolled with it.
I’m not sure I can, anymore. It’s not even her frequent complaining that bothers me most. It’s the fact that she no longer seems to care about me as a person. I’ve become some kind of “comfort bot” that she messages, gets a response from, and ignores.
Discussing my own kids seems to whip her into a bigger frenzy. She diverts every conversation — always — back to motherhood. Mostly, I respond with the same stock empathy phrases: “That sounds hard!” “Hope it gets better soon!” “Poor thing!,” and hope she doesn’t notice.
She’s important to me, but I can’t continue. I know that, as mothers, we’re supposed to support one another no matter what and that we should give each other permission to complain about the little things. (Especially now!)
I don’t want to be the kind of woman who doesn’t do that, but truly, I can’t support this woman in this way any longer. What should I do?
— Tired Mommy Friend
Dear Tired: Oh yes, the “comfort-bot.” What a perfect description of what it feels like to reliably deliver comfort, encouragement, and empathy — in short, the key elements of being a supportive friend — and to never receive same in return.
If your friend was in a bad patch and was reaching out for help — then yes, you should continue to provide an actively supportive ear. But motherhood hasn’t changed her. Motherhood seems to have intensified her already intense reaction to life. She reaches out, you respond, she ignores.
But guess what? You have needs, too. Motherhood may have intensified your awareness of them. If you believe it makes your friend feel better and is genuinely important for her to vent to you, then yes, respond with a “heart emoji,” and leave it at that. Otherwise, I suggest a quiet backing away from a relationship that seems to have run its course.
Dear Amy: My spouse and I are fervent Democrats, and yet the six other family members we’ve invited to dinner (sitting at adjacent outdoor tables) are all Republicans.
My fear is that a relative is going to bring up politics (probably as a jibe) to initiate a debate with us, even though we are the hosts. This has happened before.
How do I politely handle such a situation that could easily spiral out of control?
I could respond that our wish is, just for this once, to avoid politics during dinner, but it may come off as a put-down of sorts and serve to deflate everyone’s spirits.
Something with a bit of humor could defuse and deflect it, but I’m not very funny when I feel confronted, and offering one snarky joke or comment to counter another could inflame instead of defuse. Please help!
— Worried
Dear Worried: I believe that for the next few weeks, lots of families are considering a moratorium on talking politics. One way to do that would be to say, at the outset: “Let’s see if we can get through this dinner without discussing politics, OK? First one to incite a riot has to do the dishes.” The problem is that almost every topic has political overtones right now. It’s easier not to take the bait if you refuse to take “jibes” personally, even if you suspect that is the intent.
Dear Amy: Responding to “My Hair, My Choice,” I’m glad so many women (and maybe men) have decided to let their true hair color show through due to the pandemic.
To cover early salt and pepper I started coloring my hair in my late 30s.
I quit in my late 40s to save time and money.
Last year I lost all my hair due to chemo. I feel fortunate it’s grown back salt and pepper and some curl!
— Grateful for The Extra Time
Dear Grateful: Chemo is the great leveler. I’m celebrating your recovery!
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-10-15--Denver woman with disability has scooter stolen from home

A young woman with a disability had her scooter , her only mode of transportation and prized possession , stolen @ @ @ @ @ Denver home on Tuesday .
“ There he is , walking right away with her @ @ @ @ @ , ” Sky Williford ’ s mother said , narrating a neighbor ’ s security @ @ @ @ @ crime happen .
The video shows two men drive by on a single scooter of @ @ @ @ @ , one man gets off and walks up their driveway .
Seconds later , he @ @ @ @ @ and walks off with the black scooter out of the garage .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ ” Sky ’ s mom said .
“ She ’ s just the best and @ @ @ @ @ to see her upset.
” Her mother , Cynthia Moses , tells Denver7 her daughter @ @ @ @ @ The scooter is her only way to get around , including to and from her @ @ @ @ @

A young woman with a disability had her scooter, her only mode of transportation and prized possession, stolen from the garage of her Denver home on Tuesday.
“There he is, walking right away with her scooter. There he goes,” Sky Williford’s mother said, narrating a neighbor’s security camera video that showed the crime happen.
The video shows two men drive by on a single scooter of their own. They stop, one man gets off and walks up their driveway. Seconds later, he walks back into the frame and walks off with the black scooter out of the garage.
“It’s just so terrible,” Sky’s mom said. “She’s just the best and it’s so hard to see her upset.”
Her mother, Cynthia Moses, tells Denver7 her daughter has a developmental disability. The scooter is her only way to get around, including to and from her job at King Soopers.
Read the full story here.


thedenverpost--2020-10-15--11-spot: Dodgers huge 1st in 15-3 win over Braves in NLCS

ARLINGTON , Texas — Max Muncy ’ s grand slam capped a record-setting 11-run first inning for the Los Angeles Dodgers , who coasted to a 15-3 rout of the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night that cut their National League Championship Series deficit to 2 games to 1 .
The slam by Muncy off Grant Dayton was the third homer in the first , the highest-scoring inning in a major league postseason game .
It was among a franchise-record five homers for the Dodgers , who set a team record for postseason runs .
“ It ’ s pretty cool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooler than that , ” said Muncy , a Texas native .
“ But the biggest thing to me is our team got a W and got us back on track.
” Joc Pederson hit a three-run homer off starter Kyle Wright to start his four-hit night , and Edwin Rios went deep on next pitch .
Corey Seager had a pair of RBI hits in the opening outburst , then added a solo homer in the third as the Dodgers built a 15-0 lead — the first team with that many runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postseason game .
Winner Julio Urías , made his first postseason start and improved to 3-0 in these playoffs , strikng out five while allowing one run and three hits over five innings .
He walked the first two batters but no more .
Atlanta ’ s miserable start was eerily similar to the Braves ’ flop in Game 5 of last year ’ s Division Series against St. Louis , when they gave up a 10-run first inning at home in a season-ending start by Mike Foltynewicz .
Three-time NL Cy Young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Game 4 for the Dodgers , two nights after he was scratched because of back spasms .
Bryse Wilson makes his postseason debut as the third rookie right-handed starter for Atlanta in this series in what will be his first appearance since the final day of the regular season on Sept. 27 .
“ We still are in a good spot with four games left , ” Braves manager Brian Snitker said .
“ Like I say , for the whole team , you just turn the page and get ready to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tying run at third base after a four-run bottom of the ninth during an 8-7 loss on Tuesday night .
They were the visiting team in Game 3 and sent 14 batters to the plate for seven hits , three walks and a hit batter over 32 minutes in the the 29,786th half-inning in postseason history .
“ That was fun to be a part of , ” Pederson said .
“ I think some of the momentum from last night , the last inning definitely carried over and got us feeling a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Those 15 runs over two at-bats came after the Braves had allowed only nine runs in their previous six games plus eight innings , a stretch that included four shutouts over en route to a 7-0 postseason start .
Reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger walked and scored in the first , led off the second with a homer and added an RBI single in the third .
His long ball came right after his running , leaping catch at the center field wall to rob Ozzie Albies with two on to end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not ideal how we started the series , but we feel good about ourselves , ” Bellinger said .
Wright gave up seven runs while facing only nine batters .
He had had thrown six scoreless innings in the Game 3 NL Division Series clincher over Miami last Thursday .
Mookie Betts had an infield single on the first pitch of the game , though he was initially called out before a replay challenge overturned the call by umpire Dan Iassogna .
Seager drove in Betts with a double on the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muncy .
Nine consecutive batters reached with two outs .
Will Smith had an RBI double and Bellinger walked before the homers by Pederson and Rios .
After No .
9 batter Chris Taylor walked , Dayton walked Betts , gave up the the RBI single to Seager and hit Turner on the foot before Muncy ’ s 435-foot slam to right-center .
When Braves No .
9 hitter Cristian Pache finally got to bat leading off the third , the rookie hit his first big league homer — in the regular season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starter had already batted three times .
Kenley Jansen , the Dodgers ’ primary closer since 2012 and career leader with 312 saves , pitched a 1-2-3 sixth .
It was a week after he needed 30 pitches to get two outs and gave up two runs without being able to finish the 6-5 victory in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Padres .
Manager Dave Roberts , who bypassed Jansen when he went to the bullpen to start the ninth in a 1-1 tie in Game 1 of this series , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s role .
The 33-year-old Jansen ’ s velocity had been noticeably down and his control inconsistent .
Jansen threw seven of his 10 pitches for strikes , all but one of them between 88-92 mph .
He was averaging 93-94 mph earlier this season .
Wright and Dayton were the second set of teammates to both allow at least seven runs in a postseason game after Cleveland starter Bartolo Colon ( seven runs ) and Steve Reed ( eight runs ) in a 23-7 loss to the Boston Red Sox in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Series .
The Dodgers , who led the majors with 118 homers in the pandemic-shortened 60-game regular season , had only one homer in their three-game NL Division Series sweep of the Padres last week at the Texas Rangers ’ new $ 1.2 billion ballpark with the retractable roof also open .
They have eight through three games of the NLCS , where the World Series will be played .

ARLINGTON, Texas — Max Muncy’s grand slam capped a record-setting 11-run first inning for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who coasted to a 15-3 rout of the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night that cut their National League Championship Series deficit to 2 games to 1.
The slam by Muncy off Grant Dayton was the third homer in the first, the highest-scoring inning in a major league postseason game. It was among a franchise-record five homers for the Dodgers, who set a team record for postseason runs.
“It’s pretty cool. Not too many things that are cooler than that,” said Muncy, a Texas native. “But the biggest thing to me is our team got a W and got us back on track.”
Joc Pederson hit a three-run homer off starter Kyle Wright to start his four-hit night, and Edwin Rios went deep on next pitch. Corey Seager had a pair of RBI hits in the opening outburst, then added a solo homer in the third as the Dodgers built a 15-0 lead — the first team with that many runs in the first three innings of a postseason game.
Winner Julio Urías, made his first postseason start and improved to 3-0 in these playoffs, strikng out five while allowing one run and three hits over five innings. He walked the first two batters but no more.
Atlanta’s miserable start was eerily similar to the Braves’ flop in Game 5 of last year’s Division Series against St. Louis, when they gave up a 10-run first inning at home in a season-ending start by Mike Foltynewicz.
Three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw likely will start Game 4 for the Dodgers, two nights after he was scratched because of back spasms. Bryse Wilson makes his postseason debut as the third rookie right-handed starter for Atlanta in this series in what will be his first appearance since the final day of the regular season on Sept. 27.
“We still are in a good spot with four games left,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Like I say, for the whole team, you just turn the page and get ready to go tomorrow.”
The Dodgers had left the tying run at third base after a four-run bottom of the ninth during an 8-7 loss on Tuesday night. They were the visiting team in Game 3 and sent 14 batters to the plate for seven hits, three walks and a hit batter over 32 minutes in the the 29,786th half-inning in postseason history.
“That was fun to be a part of,” Pederson said. “I think some of the momentum from last night, the last inning definitely carried over and got us feeling a little bit more comfortable at the plate.”
Those 15 runs over two at-bats came after the Braves had allowed only nine runs in their previous six games plus eight innings, a stretch that included four shutouts over en route to a 7-0 postseason start.
Reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger walked and scored in the first, led off the second with a homer and added an RBI single in the third. His long ball came right after his running, leaping catch at the center field wall to rob Ozzie Albies with two on to end the Atlanta first.
“It’s not ideal how we started the series, but we feel good about ourselves,” Bellinger said.
Wright gave up seven runs while facing only nine batters. He had had thrown six scoreless innings in the Game 3 NL Division Series clincher over Miami last Thursday.
Mookie Betts had an infield single on the first pitch of the game, though he was initially called out before a replay challenge overturned the call by umpire Dan Iassogna. Seager drove in Betts with a double on the next pitch before groundouts by Justin Turner and Muncy.
Nine consecutive batters reached with two outs. Will Smith had an RBI double and Bellinger walked before the homers by Pederson and Rios. After No. 9 batter Chris Taylor walked, Dayton walked Betts, gave up the the RBI single to Seager and hit Turner on the foot before Muncy’s 435-foot slam to right-center.
When Braves No. 9 hitter Cristian Pache finally got to bat leading off the third, the rookie hit his first big league homer — in the regular season or playoffs. All but one Dodgers starter had already batted three times.
JANSEN IN RELIEF
Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers’ primary closer since 2012 and career leader with 312 saves, pitched a 1-2-3 sixth. It was a week after he needed 30 pitches to get two outs and gave up two runs without being able to finish the 6-5 victory in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Padres.
Manager Dave Roberts, who bypassed Jansen when he went to the bullpen to start the ninth in a 1-1 tie in Game 1 of this series, has avoided being specific about the closer’s role. The 33-year-old Jansen’s velocity had been noticeably down and his control inconsistent.
Jansen threw seven of his 10 pitches for strikes, all but one of them between 88-92 mph. He was averaging 93-94 mph earlier this season.
DOUBLE 7s
Wright and Dayton were the second set of teammates to both allow at least seven runs in a postseason game after Cleveland starter Bartolo Colon (seven runs) and Steve Reed (eight runs) in a 23-7 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the 1999 AL Division Series.
DEEP IN TEXAS
The Dodgers, who led the majors with 118 homers in the pandemic-shortened 60-game regular season, had only one homer in their three-game NL Division Series sweep of the Padres last week at the Texas Rangers’ new $1.2 billion ballpark with the retractable roof also open. They have eight through three games of the NLCS, where the World Series will be played.


thedenverpost--2020-10-16--Kiszla: Broncos would much rather have Drew Lock than Cam Newton at quarterback. Right?

Drew Lock vs. Cam Newton is no contest .
If Lock can ’ t beat a washed-up , over-the-hill , broken-down former MVP that nobody in the NFL except Bill Belichick was willing to give a chance , maybe Lock isn ’ t the quarterback Denver should count on to lead the Broncos back to championship contention .
There was so much crying in Broncos Country about how postponement of this game at New England was going to give Newton a chance to play , the tears threatened to turn the official colors of Denver ’ s uniform into orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was refreshing to hear Broncos guard Dalton Risner declare he wants to beat New England at full strength , with Newton and star cornerback Stephon Gilmore both in uniform Sunday .
“ You know what , I would rather go into Foxborough and beat Cam Newton and Gilmore on the Patriots , than go in there and not beat Newton and Gilmore .
And then come home and have the Patriots say , ‘ Well , what if we had all of our players ?
’ Because we ’ re a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Risner said .
Newton , who has passed for 714 yards and run for 149 as the Patriots starter , seems obsessed to prove the league gave up on him too early .
After Carolina was unable to find a taker in a trade for Newton , the Panthers dumped him eight days after the free-agent market opened in March , and a week after Broncos front-office honcho John Elway gave Jeff Driskel a two-year , $ 5 million contract with $ 2.5 million guaranteed to serve as Lock ’ s backup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damaged goods , was forced to wait until July , when the Patriots finally offered him a $ 550,000 guarantee and a long list of incentives to prove he was better than journeyman Brian Hoyer .
In three starts with the Patriots , Newton has won twice .
Since entering the league in 2016 , Driskel ’ s record as a starter is 1-8 .
But let ’ s give Elway credit he richly deserves .
As the 42nd overall selection in the 2019 draft , Lock already appears to be a much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dwayne Haskins , two first-round picks in the same draft class who are on the verge of being ruined by playing for the New York Giants and Washington , both horrendous teams .
Let ’ s also not get carried away with the notion Lock is a worthy heir to Peyton Manning .
Although the sample size for all QBs drafted in 2019 is painfully small , and especially inconclusive in the case of Lock , who has been injured twice , the slim statistical evidence suggests he ’ s no more a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was selected in the sixth round by Jacksonville and is generally considered a place-holder for the Jaguars until they find somebody better .
While the final dozen regular-season games on Denver ’ s schedule might determine the future of coach Vic Fangio , the wins and losses are not nearly as important as how Lock responds to the challenge presented by Belichick ’ s keen defensive mind and all other adversities a young quarterback is certain to face .
On a team that ’ s already playing for next year , this season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Lock really is the quarterback Denver can trust for the next 10 years .
Is this the guy capable of putting the Broncos on even footing in the AFC West against Derek Carr and Justin Herbert , much less Patrick Mahomes ?
Once upon a time , Newton was Superman .
But that was a long time ago .
These days , Newton is a 31-year-old retread trying to prove he ’ s not yesterday ’ s news .
In the middle of summer , when Newton had been on the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Carolina , if I had proposed the Broncos sign him and bench Lock , Broncos Country would ’ ve laughed so hard the Rockies might ’ ve crumbled .
So pardon my grin if anybody in Colorado gripes about the Lock vs. Newton matchup being a big advantage to the Patriots .
“ I ’ m really excited to be back , ” said Lock , who missed two starts after injuring his shoulder Sept. 20 against Pittsburgh .
“ It feels good to be doing what I love and doing what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Everybody loves the swagger Lock brings to the huddle .
There have been flashes of brilliance , as well as lack of patience in the pocket and inaccurate deep throws .
There ’ s no rush to judgment .
Every game is a test .
Beating Newton and Belichick on the road ?
That would be a Grade A performance by Lock .
Lose , and it ’ s another reason to wonder if he ’ s a Lock as Denver ’ s next franchise quarterback .

Drew Lock vs. Cam Newton is no contest.
Advantage, Lock. Right?
If Lock can’t beat a washed-up, over-the-hill, broken-down former MVP that nobody in the NFL except Bill Belichick was willing to give a chance, maybe Lock isn’t the quarterback Denver should count on to lead the Broncos back to championship contention.
There was so much crying in Broncos Country about how postponement of this game at New England was going to give Newton a chance to play, the tears threatened to turn the official colors of Denver’s uniform into orange and boo-hoo.
That’s why it was refreshing to hear Broncos guard Dalton Risner declare he wants to beat New England at full strength, with Newton and star cornerback Stephon Gilmore both in uniform Sunday.
“You know what, I would rather go into Foxborough and beat Cam Newton and Gilmore on the Patriots, than go in there and not beat Newton and Gilmore. And then come home and have the Patriots say, ‘Well, what if we had all of our players?’ Because we’re a great football team, I know that,” Risner said.
Newton, who has passed for 714 yards and run for 149 as the Patriots starter, seems obsessed to prove the league gave up on him too early.
After Carolina was unable to find a taker in a trade for Newton, the Panthers dumped him eight days after the free-agent market opened in March, and a week after Broncos front-office honcho John Elway gave Jeff Driskel a two-year, $5 million contract with $2.5 million guaranteed to serve as Lock’s backup.
Newton, disrespected and dismissed as damaged goods, was forced to wait until July, when the Patriots finally offered him a $550,000 guarantee and a long list of incentives to prove he was better than journeyman Brian Hoyer.
In three starts with the Patriots, Newton has won twice. Since entering the league in 2016, Driskel’s record as a starter is 1-8.
But let’s give Elway credit he richly deserves. As the 42nd overall selection in the 2019 draft, Lock already appears to be a much wiser choice than either Daniel Jones or Dwayne Haskins, two first-round picks in the same draft class who are on the verge of being ruined by playing for the New York Giants and Washington, both horrendous teams.
Let’s also not get carried away with the notion Lock is a worthy heir to Peyton Manning. Although the sample size for all QBs drafted in 2019 is painfully small, and especially inconclusive in the case of Lock, who has been injured twice, the slim statistical evidence suggests he’s no more a foundational player than Gardner Minshew, who was selected in the sixth round by Jacksonville and is generally considered a place-holder for the Jaguars until they find somebody better.
While the final dozen regular-season games on Denver’s schedule might determine the future of coach Vic Fangio, the wins and losses are not nearly as important as how Lock responds to the challenge presented by Belichick’s keen defensive mind and all other adversities a young quarterback is certain to face.
On a team that’s already playing for next year, this season is a series of tests to determine whether Lock really is the quarterback Denver can trust for the next 10 years. Is this the guy capable of putting the Broncos on even footing in the AFC West against Derek Carr and Justin Herbert, much less Patrick Mahomes?
Once upon a time, Newton was Superman. But that was a long time ago. These days, Newton is a 31-year-old retread trying to prove he’s not yesterday’s news.
In the middle of summer, when Newton had been on the street for nearly 100 days after being cut by Carolina, if I had proposed the Broncos sign him and bench Lock, Broncos Country would’ve laughed so hard the Rockies might’ve crumbled.
So pardon my grin if anybody in Colorado gripes about the Lock vs. Newton matchup being a big advantage to the Patriots.
“I’m really excited to be back,” said Lock, who missed two starts after injuring his shoulder Sept. 20 against Pittsburgh. “It feels good to be doing what I love and doing what I was put here to do.”
Everybody loves the swagger Lock brings to the huddle. There have been flashes of brilliance, as well as lack of patience in the pocket and inaccurate deep throws. There’s no rush to judgment. Every game is a test.
Beating Newton and Belichick on the road? That would be a Grade A performance by Lock.
Lose, and it’s another reason to wonder if he’s a Lock as Denver’s next franchise quarterback.