The Broncos' Todd Sauerbrun is the Worst Person in the NFL

Is there anything capable of making Broncos' fans feel better about the team's November 25 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears, which has to rank among the most idiotic and unnecessary defeats in franchise history? Probably not -- but this clip from NBC Sports comes close. In it, Keith Olbermann,...

By Michael Roberts

November 26, 2007

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Is there anything capable of making Broncos' fans feel better about the team's November 25 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears, which has to rank among the most idiotic and unnecessary defeats in franchise history? Probably not -- but this clip from NBC Sports comes close. In it, Keith Olbermann, who's been returning to his old sports roots this season as part of the network's Sunday Night Football package, brands Broncos' kicker Todd Sauerbrun the Worst Person in the NFL -- an honor he richly deserves.

Of course, Sauerbrun isn't the only person to blame for repeatedly kicking to the Bears' Devin Hester, who everyone with functioning corneas knows is among the finest return men ever to don cleats. There's a dunce cap in head coach Mike Shanahan's size, too. But Sauerbrun's cocky comments about Chicago's primary offensive weapon look astonishingly ridiculous following Hester's two runbacks for touchdown, not to mention a blocked punt that might not have happened if Odd Todd had simply glanced up at some point during the play.

Olbermann rightly portrayed Sauerbrun as a moron via some pointed rhetorical questions -- among them, "What? They don't show NFC highlights in Colorado?" His conclusion was just as strong: "Todd 'We're not going to kick away from him' Sauerbrun, once suspended by the league for violating the substance policy, perhaps to be suspended by the league for violating the stupid policy..."

Too bad those steroids Sauerbrun was punished for ingesting didn't enlarge his brain. -- Michael Roberts

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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