“Best friend” would let Brandon Marshall date his sister

As disgruntled Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall tries to maneuver his way into a new contract in another NFL city, his surrogates are talking him up in high-profile media venues. Example: The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Mike Walker, who describes himself as Marshall’s best friend, spoke at length about his buddy to…

USA Rugby almost as bad as next year’s Broncos

It was an exciting month for rugby here in Denver, as long as you weren’t rooting for the home team. Denver played host to North America’s marquee rugby event, the Churchill Cup, this year. The six competing teams — Ireland, England, Argentina, Canada, the US and Georgia — played two…

The science behind Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez’s nasty stuff

Numbers and stats are absolutely central to baseball, adding immeasurably to the fun of the game. That’s why DriveLine Mechanics’ ultra-wonky breakdown of Colorado Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez’s approach is fascinating rather than bizarre. Jimenez, the probable starter tonight against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — who fell to…

Mixed (Twitter) messages from Jay Cutler about Brandon Marshall

Does Jay Cutler love Brandon Marshall in a manly yet platonic, slap-him-on-the-butt-after-he-scores-a-touchdown-but-don’t-let-the-hand-linger kind of way? That’s certainly the impression he gave yesterday during an appearance at William and Mary’s Colonial All-Pro Football Camp when the subject turned to whether Sweet Baby Jay would like BM to land in Chicago alongside…

Shmuck of the Week: Brandon Marshall

There was a time when I wanted Roger Goodell to come down on Brandon Marshall. It was before the ESPN hit piece, but after Marshall’s most recent display of unhinged chauvinism, and around the time former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was to be released from prison. While most Broncos fans…

Colorado Rockies: The season starts over today

Back on June 12, I wrote that I wouldn’t be able to look at the Colorado Rockies’ glass as half full until they reached the .500 mark. To the delight of Rockies’ fans everywhere, that happened yesterday, thanks to a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. This outcome was…

The Broncos dismiss the Boss… Bailey, that is

At this writing, linebacker Boss Bailey’s page remains on the Denver Broncos’ website — but that won’t be true for long. Yesterday, the team cut him loose. And while that makes sense (he’s still rehabbing from the sort of microfracture surgery that makes comebacks slow and difficult), it’s still disappointing…

Rockies: Don’t turn your win streak upside down

As pointed out in a blog yesterday, the Colorado Rockies need stability more than a franchise-record win streak — and it’s a good thing, since the Rocks were clubbed to death in a 12-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays last night, halting them one victory short of a best-ever…

Ravens love high character… and Brandon Marshall?

The latest report about trade-demanding wide receiver Brandon Marshall cites interest from the Baltimore Ravens, who made a play for the Arizona Cardinals’ Anquan Boldin a couple of months back in an effort to give young QB Joe Flacco a credible deep threat. But the team is sending mixed signals…

Rockies need stability more than streak record

With the recent end of the Denver Nuggets’ exciting season, plenty of fans in these parts probably figured that they wouldn’t have another competitive local pro-sports team to follow until… the Nugs start playing again in the fall. But the Rockies have elbowed their way back into the conversation via…

Brandon Marshall using Jay Cutler’s blueprint

Broncos wide receiver has had off-season health issues, not to mention a proclivity for arrests that rivals Robert Downey Jr. during his drug-pounding years. So, of course, he thinks he deserves an enormous new contract, and he’s demanded a trade if he doesn’t get one. Given his skill level, it’s…

Denver Post puts right Rockies story up front

This morning’s Denver Post features a Colorado Rockies story on page one — but it’s not about the team’s eleventh straight victory, which tied a franchise record. Rather, it concerns an interview with catcher Yorvit Torrealba on the subject of his son’s kidnapping and eventual rescue in Venezuela. And its…

Kobe Bryant: Nuggets’ public enemy number one

So… does knowing that your Denver Nuggets lost in the NBA’s Western Conference Finals to the eventual champs, the L.A. Lakers — and put up more of a fight than did the Orlando Magic — make the way the Nugs’ season ended a little less painful. No. Not at all…

Is the Colorado Rockies’ glass suddenly half full?

Casual baseball fans who hear that the Colorado Rockies have suddenly won eight games straight, including ultra-rare road sweeps against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers, may start thinking about corner-turning, even though the Rocks are currently mired in fourth place among the five National League West teams,…

The Nuggets give fans the not especially personal touch

Having just completed their most exciting season in years, the Denver Nuggets are smart to get into contact with fans about next season while they’re still buzzing from the team’s just-ended playoff run. After all, the Nugs’ bandwagon is more crowded than ever right now. Still, the franchise might want…

Where Brian Dawkins can get a Super Bowl ring: eBay

At a press availability yesterday, newly minted Denver Bronco Brian Dawkins, a veteran safety who’s a legend among Philadelphia Eagles faithful, declared, “I would love to have a ring. I would love to finish it all with a ring.” And from what I understand, the gathered reporters were polite enough…

DU’s hiring of Bill Tierney a lacrosse coup

The Denver Post piece about the University of Denver’s hiring of Princeton lacrosse coach Bill Tierney was modest; it lacked a byline and ran just a little over 200 words. But Tierney’s relocation to Colorado is a huge deal in lacrosse circles, as witnessed by the coverage given the move…

Broncos’ schedule: Is a 6-10 prediction too optimistic?

Even before the hiring of new coach Josh McDaniels and the loss of quarterback Jay Cutler, even casual NFL fans knew that the team was facing a brutal 2009 schedule — and the breakdown provided by BetFirms.com makes it clear just how difficult it’ll be for the Denver squad to…