Bleacher Report - Articles by Rich Kurtzman

Terrell Davis and Shannon Sharpe Should Be Horseshoe-Ins for Hall

Rich Kurtzman — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:41:40 -0500

Terrell Davis and Shannon Sharpe are hands-down one of the greatest duos to play for the Broncos and the best Denver players to ever do it at their position.

And even though they were both named to the NFL's All-Decade team of the 90s, one former Bronco may have a harder time getting into Canton’s hallowed hall than the other.

Shannon Sharpe should be nothing more than a shoe-in for Pro Football’s Hall of Fame—he revolutionized the NFL tight end position forever, taking a sixth offensive lineman and turning him into a threat on the offensive end.

Sharpe was dominant in a pass-catching role, receiving HOFer John Elway’s bullet passes from 1990-98, and from other less notable QBs from 1999-03. During his 14 year career, Sharpe caught an amazing 815 passes for 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns—all of which were all-time highs for tight ends in NFL history when he retired.

While not speedy (my Dad used to always say he looked like he was moving in slow motion), Sharpe was as dangerous as any receiver in the NFL during the 1990s. Many times opposing defenses would line up a linebacker against the massive tight end, a matchup that was irrevocably eaten alive by Elway and Sharpe. He was amazing across the middle, was the Broncos’ best possession receiver, and could score at-will with an Elway naked bootleg on the goal line.

Sharpe also blocked for five different 1,000-yard rushers in Denver, including Terrell Davis from 1995-98, and he is one of only four players in NFL history to have 11 or more 50-catch seasons (Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, Chris Carter). He also won three Super Bowls and had three 1,000 yard receiving seasons. Sharpe was so good; ESPN named him the No. 7 draft steal of all time .

But what Sharpe is remembered for the most is his big personality, which gave him his big mouth and big touchdown celebrations.

His most famous quote came in a Nov. 1996 Denver drubbing of New England as he was caught by NFL Films proclaiming, “Mr. President, call in the National Guard! Send as many men as you can spare! Because we are killing the Patriots! They need emergency help!"

Sharpe was not shy about asking for the ball either, as NFL Films interviewed him and Elway explained how Shannon would constantly come back to the huddle to say, “I’m open John, throw me the ball.”

When he couldn’t be heard over the eardrum-busting Mile High maniacs, Sharpe showed his delight nonverbally. He came up with two different TD celebrations, both of which helped make him a fan favorite. His original celebration was a mere flex of his bulging muscles as he earned the nickname “Hulk.” The second was more innovative, as he danced around and made it look like he was riding a bucking bronco in the end zone.

And while many believe he’s an absolute no-brainer for the hall, one stat may go against his quest, as there are only seven TEs in the HOF currently.

Realistically, Sharpe will have a bronze bust of his chiseled jaw and smiling face in Canton soon, but what chance does Terrell Davis have?

Davis is more the long-shot of the two, although his greatness should not be ignored. Even though TD technically played for seven years in the NFL, his first four were the masterpiece of his career.

From 1995-98 Davis’ rushing yards increased every season and he amassed 6,413 total yards in those years, including 56 touchdowns. While being only the fourth ever player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, he was the NFL MVP in 1998 and was the major reason why John Elway and the Broncos won back-to-back Super Bowls.

But as they say, sometimes the brightest stars burn out the fastest, which couldn’t be truer about Terrell Davis.

In his hey-day, no one could stop TD, let alone slow him down. He was never really a threat to go for an 80-yard dash down the sideline, but Davis hit holes quicker and harder than any back in recent memory. He exploited the idea of a “one cut and go” running system, with running backs coach Alex Gibbs, which became Mike Shanahan’s calling card in the NFL for almost a decade.

Likely the best run I ever saw TD make was in Super Bowl 32 against the Green Bay Packers. Davis hit the hole in the O-line quickly like usual, then as a safety dove at him, TD spun quickly to get away (:42). Then a few yards down the field, he juked a guy so hard he fell over and Davis walked in for the score.

And while Davis was proving he was the best running back in the game in 1997-98, he came up with a little TD celebration of his own—The Mile High Salute. The salute is the best celebration in the history of the Broncos, something respectful done with a fellow teammate after a successful drive. Davis supposedly started doing the salute in honor of his father who was in the military, and the small gesture pumped up the Broncos faithful in a huge way.

In total, Davis’ 7,607 career yards and 60 touchdowns are two of the 47 Broncos franchise records he holds and he added three pro-bowls to his resume as well. But, neither of those numbers rank him even in the top-25 among running backs and many say his career was too short.

I say, a player’s career length should not keep a player out of the HOF, especially when he was the best player at his position—arguably the best player in the NFL at the time. Terrell Davis definitely belongs in Canton along with Elway, Sharpe, and their lineman Gary Zimmerman.

The ironic thing about it all is that while both Sharpe and Davis were great on the field, they couldn’t be more different in character. Sharpe was the loud and proud, larger than life figure—the personality of the Broncos—while Davis was a reserved, quiet perfectionist that let his game do all the talking.

And now that the two are in the top-25 finalists to get into Canton in 2010, the writers must silence Sharpe and speak up for Davis and make sure both Broncos greats are in the Professional Football Hall of Fame—if not this year, then soon.

George Karl, Is an Eight-Man Rotation Right for the Denver Nuggets?

Rich Kurtzman — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:54:00 -0500

Today Benjamin Hochman reported that Anthony "Carter gets lost in bench shuffle " and that, "Now that J.R. Smith is back from suspension, the Nuggets normally play three guys off the bench—Smith, Lawson and Chris Andersen."

Really, this is nothing new, as George Karl has played mostly with an eight-man rotation for the last couple of years—but is the approach effective?

Sure, the starters have to get their large amounts of minutes—the big four (Melo, Billups, Nene, K-Mart) all average over 31 minutes per game, but they do need their rest.

I realize balancing the minutes of an entire NBA team must be difficult and frustrating, but it seems that getting nine or 10 players on the court a night helps two-fold.

First, injuries happen, in the NBA, it's a fact of life. Now, I would absolutely love it if every one of the Nuggets stayed healthy for the entire season, but it's probably not going to happen.

And if someone is injured, others must be ready to step up and play. While Carter is not as skilled as he once was, taking all of his P.T. will make him a liability if and when he is needed. Malik Allen is the Nuggets fourth big man and he will have to play later in the season. And besides those two, Joey Graham may be the Nuggets bench player that needs the most time.

Graham is versatile, as his size (6'7" 225) gives him the versatility to play both shooting guard and small forward, meaning he can guard both positions as well. But, Graham only gets in for 10 minutes a game, and it's usually during garbage time. While his services aren't a must now, he will be needed or the Nuggets will be outsized when Carmelo Anthony wants a breather.

The other reason a bigger rotation is better is that it makes it easier to give starters rest. Let's face it, this Nuggets team is built to go deep into the playoffs, but if they want to do that, starters will definitely required some time off.

Chauncey Billups is aging, as is Kenyon Martin, and and the other big two play so much they may be too fatigued come playoff time to lead Denver deep into them.

Why not rest some players regularly throughout the season, instead of too often during the stretch run?

While both players have stayed healthy the past couple years, each one has sustained major injuries earlier in their careers that forced them to miss entire seasons (three together) and both have to sit lots at the end of the year. Last season, the two sat out of 22 games combined and most were in March and April, so why not evenly distribute those games earlier in the year?

Plus, anyone that watches the Nuggets knows if K-Mart or Nene go down for a significant part of the season, Denver's year is likely over.

Lastly, the Nuggets have been blowing teams out, but still some starters have remained in the game deep into fourth quarters. Those situations present perfect opportunities to get all the deep bench players more P.T. and in turn make the Nuggets more deep overall.

So, at least for now, Karl should ponder the idea of a nine or even 10-man rotation instead of the eight-man one he's currently going with. By giving starters more rest now, it could benefit the team in the long run.

A Denver Sports Fan's Perspective on What To Be Grateful for

Rich Kurtzman — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:43:49 -0500

On Thanksgiving, there are many things to give thanks for; family, friends, health, and others. But for a sports fan, while those things are a given, there are many other reasons to be thankful as well.

In Denver, where expectations of teams are a mile high, every professional sports franchise has surprised in the past year. And because of that, a fan only has to think for a few minutes to realize they should be very thankful to many individuals for their favorite team’s success.

So, without any further ado, here is what, and who, I am thankful for this Thanksgiving from a Denver sports fan’s perspective.

I am thankful for Super Joe, Joe Sakic, the amazing Avalanche center that retired at the end of last season. Sakic was the undoubted leader of the Avalanche for the past 12 seasons, since they came to Denver from Quebec in 1995, and he was the consummate professional and teammate.

Sakic’s wrist-shot was the best in the NHL during his time, and he was a deadly scorer—but Super Joe was at his best when passing to teammates. His 1,016 career assists rank him 11th all time, he was a 12-time All-Star and his 84 goals in the playoffs put him seventh best all time.

I am also thankful for the Colorado Rockies’ success in 2009, even if they lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Rockies were horrible to start the year, 19-29 under Manager Clint Hurdle and they looked to be the same old sorry Rockies from years passed.

But Colorado GM Dan O’Dowd made the switch from Hurdle to then bench coach Jim Tracy at the end of May, and the run the Rockies made from there was remarkable. After Tracy took over, Colorado went 72-42, won 91 games which was a franchise best and were 22 games over .500 which was an all-time team best as well.

And not only was Tracy’s baseball smarts good for the team, so was his gentle spirit and true care for his players. Multiple times this year, Tracy embraced his players in a hug, while crying, showing he not only cares about wins but the state of his players’ well-being too. Tracy is not only an asset from an X’s and O’s standpoint, he’s a great person too—a rarity to find in an MLB Manager in 2009.

Next, I’m thankful for Allen Iverson. I know, this doesn’t seem right, coming from a Denver fan’s perspective, but hear me out. Iverson brought a lot of excitement to the Nuggets when he was traded here, and with him he brought back many Nuggets fans that stopped caring after a decade of losing.

But not only that, Iverson being in Denver for a year and a half set up the Nuggets to return the king of Park Hill, Chauncey Billups back to town.

Billups has completely revamped and returned Denver’s franchise back to greatness in the NBA, leading the team to their first Western Conference Finals appearance in 25 years. Mr. Big Shot Billups totally changed the mindset and culture of the Nuggets, making sure teammates know he’s all business and took the leadership role from jump.

And I’m not only thankful for Iverson and Billups, but I’m also thankful for Joe Dumars, the Detroit Pistons’ GM. Dumars decided to take Darko Milicic instead of Carmelo Anthony with the No. 2 pick in the 2003 draft, and as they say—the rest is history.

Melo has been outstanding for the Nuggets, taken the team to the playoffs every year he’s been in Denver and is even competing for the NBA MVP this year. If everything works out perfectly, maybe Billups and Anthony can even bring Denver its first NBA championship in the near future—which would add another reason for Denver fans to be thankful.

Finally, I’m thankful for Mike Shanahan, Denver’s best ever professional coach. Shanahan took a decent team and turned them into back-to-back Super Bowl champions in under five years.

And even though Shanny missed the playoffs in his last three years in Denver, which made Pat Bowlen give him the axe, it was recently announced that Shanahan and Sakic will both be going into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in February.

And really, because Shanahan is gone, it gave Josh McDaniels a chance, who I am also thankful for. McDaniels was under scrutiny from the time he got the job, as he is the second youngest head coach in the NFL today. Then he traded away Jay Cutler and it seemed like deja-vu when he and Brandon Marshall had much covered disputes.

But since then, McDaniels has fully righted the Broncos ship, although it has been taking on lots of water in the past month. Sure the Broncos are 6-4 after starting 6-0, but their record and the fact that Denver is in the playoff hunt means McDaniels has already met and exceeded expectations.

And as the Broncos get ready for likely their biggest game of the season against the Giants, a quintessential must-win, I would be the most thankful for a dominating Denver win.

So here’s to being with family, eating wonderful food and sports on one of the greatest holidays celebrated in the US.

The Denver Nuggets' Nene Has Nasty Night Against Nets

Rich Kurtzman — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:17:44 -0500

Nene is an unsung hero of the Nuggets, the big man and the beef of Denver’s basketball team. He plays the Center position, which just like offensive linemen in the NFL, is the least glamorous spot on the NBA court. Yet, when he’s on top of his game, Nene is a complete artist around the hoop.

He can back down almost any other Center in the NBA today, and his quick footwork means Nene can explode around almost any opponent. His favorite play from the block is an unstoppable spin move, from which he can throw up a hook shot or perform a deadly up-and-under move.

But what I love to see from the 6’11” Brazilian the most is when he’s cutting through or driving the lane to throw down a monstrous tomahawk dunk.

Tonight, Nene was his unrelenting self, attacking the hoop and forcing players to either foul him or sit back like fans and watch him rack up the points.

In the first quarter Nene went 4-5 from the field, and the only shot he missed the ball slipped out of his hand on a dunk attempt. But on three of his buckets in the first period, all Nene had to do was catch a perfect pass and slam the ball through the hoop.

Carmelo Anthony was a perfect passer tonight, and in the first quarter he zipped three passes into Nene for dunks.

Those early points weren’t all though, as Nene shot 8-13 overall (.615) for 17 points, beasted the boards for nine rebounds and added five steals (many during a key third quarter run). He even through in a blocked shot and an assist.

But if Nene wants to be considered an All-Star in 2009, as George Karl predicted, he must produce this kind of performance every night. And in reality, his numbers are solid at 14.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game are fourth and fifth best in the West respectively.

Meaning that even though he’s having a career year, Nene has to be even better to be the West’s starting center during the All-Star break—even with Shaq and Yao gone.

Whether or not Nene can play up to that type of caliber is up to him and will be seen starting tomorrow night in Minnesota (1-13). But for tonight, it was a great time to be a Nene fan as the Nuggets were carried on his broad shoulders and they dominated the Nets 101-87.

Denver Nuggets' Soft Schedule Should Mean Separation in the Northwest

Rich Kurtzman — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:00:37 -0500

The Denver Nuggets (9-4) sit slightly ahead of the surging Portland Trailblazers (10-5) atop the NBA’s Northwest division. And while the Nuggets have been on top of the Northwest since the beginning of the season, the Trailblazers have won eight of their last 10 games and are right on Denver’s heels.

Luckily for the Nuggets, their next five games present a schedule as soft as velvet pillows—meaning if Denver can capitalize, they should be able to stretch the lead in the division.

Denver starts their stretch of sorry opponents against the saddest NBA team in 2009, the New Jersey Nets, who have yet to win a game at 0-13. Another number that bodes well for the Nuggets is 5-0, the perfect record that the team maintains at home thus far in 2009. Denver looks to build that number to 6-0 on Tuesday, as they play the Nets in the Pepsi Center at 7 p.m. MT.

Following the Nets, the easy road continues for the Nuggets as they play at Minnesota Wednesday, the Nortwest’s cellar dwellers, then back at home to face New York, Minnesota again, and Golden State. The five teams don’t even have as many wins combined as the Nuggets do on their own, as they are a disastrous 8-55 (.127).

Comparatively, the Trailblazers play against some better competition starting with the Chicago Bulls tonight. Following the Bulls, Portland plays the horrible Nets and Grizzlies, the middle-of-the-pack Jazz, and a decent Heat team. And while there are some winnable games for the Blazers, their opponents combined records are much better at 25-39 (.391) than what the Nuggets have to face.

And at the risk of sounding like a cliché-spouter, all Denver can worry about is taking care of their own business one game at a time.

Really though, the Nuggets are, and can be, one of the best teams in the NBA when they play to their full potential. Denver is currently third in the league in scoring at 107.9 points per game, and while they are 22nd on defense, their 6.61 point per game differential is fourth best in the NBA. The Nuggets are also eighth best in the NBA in steals (8.2) and 10th least (13.5) in turnovers, meaning they value holding onto the ball and use those possessions to score points.

Denver has room to improve in some areas too though, most noticeably rebounding and personal fouls.

The Nuggets foul 23 times per game, which sends opponents to the line for an average of 27 free throws. Denver big men Nene (3.8) and Kenyon Martin (3.3) need to find a way to stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court, where they are both assets to their team.

Easily the biggest area of concern for the Nuggets is their rebounding, as they are 24th in the NBA at 40 per game. Nene, K-Mart, and Chris Andersen have to box out better, as they have been soft around the hoop. The rest of the team must gang rebound as well. If just a fraction of NBA players followed their own shots, they would have many more second chance opportunities and score more points.

So the Nuggets have some things to work on starting against the Nets, but heading into the game Tuesday, they have some positives to look forward to as well.

Carmelo Anthony was better than his usual self and played arguably the best game yet this season with 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists Saturday. Melo’s 30 points in the game made it the ninth time in 13 games he’s scored over 30, but the Nuggets are only 5-4 when he does so. Meaning that while Anthony’s scoring is appreciated; Denver needs others to step up as well.

One player that started making lots of noise on the court last week was JR Smith. In three games last week, Smith scored 29, nine, and 19 points, and he was a major reason why the Nuggets won in Chicago Saturday. Smith put in 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, which helped secure Denver’s 112-93 over the Bulls. The most amazing of his points was a run-out two-handed windmill dunk that was an exclamation point on the win.

Following the game, George Karl said, "He's an explosive player. I thought we ran a couple of plays that got him going.''

Certainly Smith’s athleticism and scoring will be needed for Denver to win even against sorry opponents, as well Chauncey Billups’ leadership and Nene’s inside presence.

So as Denver starts likely their easiest stretch of the season, they cannot overlook anyone they face. As long as they keep their focus and composure, the Nuggets should be able to win four, if not all five games and stretch their lead in the Northwest.

AFC's Wild West Creates Weird Week for Denver Broncos Fans

Rich Kurtzman — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:20:35 -0500

Most weeks, the best result for a Broncos fan would be if every other team from the AFC West were to lose and Denver to grab a win. In Week 11, almost the opposite was true in one of the weirdest weeks to be a football fan from the Mile High City.

As the Broncos lined up to face their most competitive division rival in the San Diego Chargers, both teams were tied atop the West and the contest was set up as the biggest game of the season for either squad.

What resulted though, was a dysfunctional and distraught Denver team getting drubbed by the new leader of the division—the Chargers.

Chris Simms started at QB but was completely ineffective in the game. He went 2-4 for 10 yards and fumbled momentum away on the first drive of the game after seven straight successful running plays in a row.

After Simms’s third unsuccessful drive in a row, he was benched in favor of the injured Kyle Orton. Apparently Orton felt good enough to go in the second quarter, but not to start the game. Regardless, Orton did not hear a boo today, as New Mile High Stadium erupted in a cheer of excitement for the quarterback that was unwanted until he was injured last week.

Orton marched down the field, 60 yards with three passes, but the Broncos were again halted by a turnover, this time by Knowshon Moreno on the six-inch line. And although Denver was down, they were not out at 13-0 going into the half.

The Broncos finally came up with some momentum to start the third quarter but were held to a field goal. Then, something completely unexpected happened—Josh McDaniels had a momentary lapse in reason.

He decided a surprise onside kick was in order, and it even almost worked until Josh Barrett alligator armed the ball and let it slip through his mitts. The Chargers jumped on the loose pigskin and had less than half the field to go to score the touchdown that put them up three scores with less than 22 minutes left in the game.

It turned out it didn’t matter, because the Broncos couldn’t even score again, and the Chargers poured it on for 12 more points to win 32-3.

In all, the Broncos offense lacked balance, made the switch to Orton too late and left him in too late, and McDaniels took way too many risks too early.

Denver ran only 17 times all day, compared to 33 pass attempts, meaning they ran only 10 times after Simms fumble in the first drive of the game. While Orton can pass decently enough, constant passing gives the defense a better chance at stopping throws. And the Broncos averaged over 6.8 yards per rush, showing they should have stayed with a more balanced attack.

Even though Kyle Orton gave the Denver team and crowd a shot in the arm, he was put in too late in the contest to really make a difference. If you’re going to put an injured quarterback in, let him start and give him the chance to win the game. McDaniels must have felt the Broncos needed to abandon the game plan completely, even though they were only down two scores, and Orton passed over and over again.

And if Orton was really too injured to start, he should not have been behind center to finish the game—especially with the Broncos next game in four days against the Giants on Thanksgiving.

To go along with McDaniels mistakes in play-calling, he further looked like a rookie head coach by gambling too early and too often on Sunday. First, McDaniels missed on the onside attempt, then, on the Broncos' next drive, he went for a 4th-and-5, which came up incomplete.

Sure, the field goal would have been from 57 yards, but kicker Matt Prater has a big enough leg and Denver needed points not more disappointment.

In the end, teams are 29-0 this season when they are on the positive side of a 3-0 turnover differential and coughing the ball up took away Denver’s chance of winning Sunday. But besides those miscues, the Broncos also committed nine penalties and the coaching staff was a complete no-show against the Chargers in a midseason playoff game.

And now, as Denver was sitting atop the AFC five weeks ago, the Broncos have slipped to seventh and out of the playoffs if they were to begin today.

Luckily for Denver, both the Chiefs and Raiders won Sunday against current AFC playoff teams. Oakland beat Cincinnati, meaning the Bengals are only one game ahead of the Broncos and Denver would have the head-to-head tiebreaker. And since Kansas City defeated Pittsburgh in overtime 27-24, the Broncos are tied with the Jaguars and Steelers at 6-4.

Denver would have to leap-frog Pittsburgh in the standings though, since the Steelers beat the Broncos two weeks ago.

So, things could be worse for Denver heading into a very short week in which they face the also 6-4 New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day.

Let’s face it; Kyle Orton must play on Thursday for two reasons. First, he has to save face with the fans and gut out a performance despite being hurt. And second, the Broncos have seemingly no chance if Simms has to go the whole game.

At some point, the struggling Broncos have to catch a break, or they will be broken.

Three-Headed Monster at Point Guard Leaves Tough Decision for George Karl

Rich Kurtzman — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:03:13 -0500

What team is deeper than the Nuggets at point guard?

Nobody. Nil. Nada.

That is, according to Denver head coach George Karl. “We have the best third point guard in the NBA,” the wise old coach told The Denver Post Tuesday.

With Anthony Carter returning from a strained hip injury, the same one that kept him out of four games last year, he gives Karl another option in the backcourt.

But, it also takes minutes away from rookie phenom Ty Lawson, which may add to the bad rap A.C. has already received from fans.

Karl touched on it Thursday in The Denver Post saying, “I’ll be honest, I think sometimes the fans have been too hard on A.C. And not to respect what he does is, I think, fanatically fanlike.”

But really, is the fans’ criticism of the aging player warranted?

This is Carter’s fourth season with the Nuggets and 11th overall, and he was the starter in the Allen Iverson year. At the time, he was solid, but never spectacular—and last year even speaking of Carter as solid came into question.

His speed has declined greatly, and with it, his ability to be Denver’s best perimeter defender—a title Karl gave him two years ago. As Carter’s speed has slipped, so have ball-handling skills and decision making.

His turnovers were up to two per game in 2008-09, but likely the mistakes that plague the minds of Nuggets fans the most are two errant in-bounds passes by A.C. in the Western Conference Finals last May against LA.

Both happened late in games Denver had a chance to win, but instead the ball and hopes of making the NBA Finals were thrown away by Carter.

Certainly, as I surround myself with some of the most diehard Denver fans for games, the dislike for Carter is evident.

Sarcastic comments of, “Great D A.C.” or, “Nice pass” are frequent. As are more direct disses like, “Carter can’t cover him,” or the simple, “Carter sucks!”

Even when I read the headline of this piece to my roommate he couldn’t help to say, “One of the heads is slower than the others.”

Let’s make it clear, A.C. is a decent NBA player, and we as fans may be too hard on him as Karl alluded to.

But, Nuggets fans started noticing his deficiencies before this offseason brought the young and explosive Ty Lawson—although Lawson’s arrival has left Denver dudes (and dudettes) clamoring for more P.T. by the rookie.

Carter’s numbers are down across the board from last year, from points (5.3-3) to assists (4.7-2.1) to shooting percentage (.43-.33), and Lawson has excelled early in the season.

Lawson’s 9.9 points, 3.1 assists and one steal per game are all better numbers than the veteran has put up, and Lawson’s intangibles are another reason he should backup Billups.

Ty Lawson is literally lightning quick and faster than a speeding car. It’s almost as if Ty is breaking the “Law Son” as he easily strides down the court faster than anyone and darts in and out of opponents on his way to the hoop.

And even though it seems coach Karl is grasping onto the Anthony Carter that was, defending him at every turn, Lawson has been rewarded with more minutes (21.6-17.1) and basically the second point guard position.

Lawson performed well last night in that reserve role, despite the Nuggets loss to the Clippers, as he went 3-4 on three pointers and ended with 12 points.

And really, no matter who is the No. 2 or 3 point guard, Denver’s depth at the position will bode well for them as the season goes on, especially if there are any injuries that arise.

Look for the three-headed monster to be back in full force tonight for Denver against Chicago at 7 p.m. as Anthony Carter is expected to return from injury, adding depth to the Nuggets already deep bench.

Could Allen Iverson Really Come Back To the Denver Nuggets?

Rich Kurtzman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:29:05 -0500

Today a report broke about perennial All-Star Allen Iverson looking for a new team, as he’s not yet ready to quit playing the game he loves—NBA basketball.

The fact that A.I. still has the burn inside that makes him yearn for an ever elusive championship is not surprising. What is surprising is that the Denver Nuggets came up as one of the teams he’d like to play for.

Sure, Iverson said he liked it in Denver when he played here—and he and Carmelo Anthony became friends—but A.I. was an experiment gone wrong in the Mile High city.

The Nuggets were the highest scoring team in the league in his year and a half. Iverson averaged better than 25 points per game in Denver, but the Nuggets' only option was to outscore every team they played as A.I. and Melo were liabilities on the defensive end. Even though Denver scored more than anyone else from 2006-08, it was a two-headed monster with little to no ball movement. And if either were off, the team was likely to lose.

Plus, Melo learned from A.I. that he could focus solely on scoring instead of working on becoming a well-rounded player.

And when asked about the possibility of Iverson being a Nugget again, head coach George Karl did not dismiss the idea totally, saying he would consider it if the team suffered a major injury—the likes of a Chauncey Billups going down probably.

There are other possible suitors for the once great Iverson, in the Cavaliers and Knicks, and apparently New York may be the answer for A.I. The New York Times’ Howard Beck blogged that “Allen Iverson will become a free agent Thursday evening and he might become a Knick soon after that.”

And Pardon the Interruption hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon agreed saying the “Knicks appear to be the chief team among [the suitors].”

Hearing Iverson’s name come up as a potential Nugget wasn’t as exciting this time around, it was more surprising. But A.I. will not be calling Denver his home team again unless a fluke injury occurs for the Nuggets; and it’s better for all parties anyway.

Iverson wants to be a starter, and the Nuggets don’t need him for recognition or scoring anymore. Even if A.I. never gets his coveted championship, he’s still one of the most exciting players in the Association to watch, so hopefully he can find somewhere to play for the rest of this season—just not in Denver.

Denver Nuggets Newcomers Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo Add Energy Off Bench

Rich Kurtzman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:13:16 -0500

During the 2009 offseason, almost every contender in the wild Western Conference improved through free agency, and it seemed the Denver Nuggets stood pat.

The World Champion Lakers got All-Star Ron Artest from the Rockets. The aging Spurs added an older Richard Jefferson. And in the Nuggets’ Northwest division, the Trailblazers picked up ex-Nugget Andre Miller, although he’s underutilized as of now.

What did Denver do in response? They started by resigning Chris “Birdman” Andersen to a multi-year deal. Then, after Dahntay Jones left to the Pacers, the Nuggets traded a future second-round pick to the Pistons for Arron Afflalo—a third year player and relative no-name in the NBA.

Possibly the biggest pickup of the offseason was a draft-day trade with the Timberwolves for speedy Ty Lawson.

Both Nuggets newbies Afflalo and Lawson didn’t act like they were inexperienced when they came to Denver, as each have made a significant impact on the team since day one.

Afflalo, a 6’5” 215 pound shooting guard, can be sold as a defensive specialist, but he’s much more than that. In 10 games this season, Afflalo averages 9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24 minutes a night.

He’s strong and athletic, as Afflalo is not afraid to drive to the hoop. But his best asset is his outside jumper, as he shoots 47.1 percent from three-point range so far this year.

On Friday night versus the Lakers, Afflalo played “Kobe stopper” as he forced the perennial All-Star into tough turnaround fade-aways that missed badly.

And at the end of the first half, Afflalo even stripped Kobe and the ball was run out for an easy bucket for Denver which gave the Nuggets momentum heading into the break.

Like Afflalo, Ty Lawson has been huge for the Nuggets, and he’s played bigger than his 5’11” 195 pound frame leads on.

Lawson has basically worked his way into the backup point guard position, behind Chauncey Billups and ahead of Anthony Carter with his supreme play.

In just under 22 minutes per game, Lawson averages 10.3 points, 3.1 assists and two rebounds.

Lawson is lightning quick and so fast he’s down the court before opponents know what flew by them. When he comes in the game, the energy of the Nuggets skyrockets and teammates must run with him or lose out on scoring opportunities.

Lawson is an efficient scorer too, knocking down 50 percent of his three pointers (9-of-18), is shooting 94 percent from the free-throw line, and can knife through the lane for an easy lay-up.

Lawson’s most impressive play in NBA so far was a quick crossover dribble that turned into an explosive dunk on Lakers reserve Didier M’Benga on Friday night.

It was impressive from the standpoint that Lawson is under six feet and M’Benga is a seven-footer. It was so big; the Pepsi Center erupted, including the Nuggets bench.

So the good news for the Nuggets is that both youngsters are playing great already, and their confidence continues to grow.

The influence of the two newest Nuggets is two-fold, as they both impact the team from the bench now, and both could be integral to Denver basketball for years to come. Lawson’s potential likely has a higher ceiling, but both players could develop into starters in the future.

Plus, both are extremely coachable and are proven winners, as each went to an NCAA Championship in college; Afflalo with UCLA in 2006, and Lawson won with North Carolina last year.

For Denver, both Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson will are already impressing now, and could be great later. Either way, it will be a lot of fun to watch for Nuggets fans.

Denver Nuggets Reply To Questions With a Blowout Win vs. LA Lakers

Rich Kurtzman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:34:29 -0500

Carmelo Anthony’s 25 led the Nuggets in scoring, and Denver dominated the loathed LA Lakers 105-79 in the Mile High city Friday night.

But to read just that would be to miss the importance of the victory, as Denver answered many questions that I asked prior to the game. As it turns out, all the answers were intertwined and everything fell into place for the Nuggets Friday.

The first question I asked was, "Is Carmelo Anthony going for MVP good for the Nuggets?"

Well, Melo answered that tonight, as he was spectacular in the scoring department, with 25 points on 11-20 scoring, but he also snagged four rebounds and dished two assists. What he didn't do is take too many shots or hold onto the ball too long.

When he takes quality shots, Carmelo usually makes them, and when he's covered the most productive thing to do is pass to teammates. Plus when everyone is getting involved, he's more likely to receive passes in transition, which happened multiple times tonight against LA.

And when Melo is unselfish, the whole team is, answering my question about chemistry.

Besides Anthony, the Nuggets had four players score in double digits, two starters, and one (J.R. Smith) will be one soon.

And while Smith's 20 were impressive, he could average around that once he starts on a regular basis. The big story was the big scoring by Denver's bigs tonight against the World Champion Lakers.

Nene scored 13, grabbed six boards and even handed out four assists. He could score relatively easily against Andrew Bynum in the post, and was too quick for Bynum when he faced up.

Kenyon Martin was vintage K-Mart, and even though he only scored 10, he was very aggressive on the boards with nine and passed well too with five assists of his own. And he set a physical presence by bullying Lamar Odom into a tie-up and a jump ball. The jump that Martin tipped was grabbed by a racing Chauncey Billups, who dropped the ball to Melo for an easy lay up. The play was a turning point in the contest, the end of a 10-0 run by Denver.

Which finishes with my other two questions that centered around the front courts of either team.

Ron Artest, Bynum and Odom actually outscored their usual 42.6 points per game with a combined 44 point effort, but the three were dominated physically. Artest drew his fourth and fifth fouls quickly in the third quarter, and had to sit the rest of the game. And Chris Andersen, K-Mart, and Nene out-rebounded the Lakers big three 26-25, a small margin, but the effort on the boards was certainly up in a huge way last night.

So, even though the Nuggets' three best front court players were outscored, they outplayed their competition tonight, as all three were on top of their game.

But, let us not forget that this is a game early in the season, the Lakers are without their second best player in Pau Gasol and LA played the second game of a road back-to-back tonight which showed.

Still, the Nuggets and their fans should revel in the huge victory, one in which all the Lakers (Kobe) fans at the Pepsi Center left early because their favorite player couldn't score after half. Denver beat LA for the first time this year—the first rematch since last year's Western Conference Finals and the win should prove to give confidence to the team as they move forward in the coming weeks.

Denver Nuggets Have Questions To Be Answered Heading into LA Lakers Rematch

Rich Kurtzman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:53:18 -0500

The Denver Nuggets (6-3) sit atop the Northwest division, only ahead of the Portland Trailblazers (6-3) because of their head-to-head victory in the second game of the year. After the first 10 days of the season, Denver was the No. 1 team in the West at 5-0, but the Nuggets have struggled to win only one of their last four contests.

And while the season is quite young, Denver still has discovered some questions that need to be answered.

Is Carmelo Anthony going for MVP good for the Nuggets?

Melo started on a tear, with 91 points in the first three games this season, and is currently third in the NBA in scoring at 30.2 points per game. He also averages 6.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per contest as Anthony attempts to lead his team deep into the playoffs once again—while also tossing his name into the NBA MVP hat.

But, the 22 shots he takes per game are taking a toll on the Nuggets now. Let’s face it, Melo can score with the best of them, and while he gets his points, teammates struggle.

Nene, K-Mart and others are reluctant to move because they know Melo probably won’t pass them the ball—so the offense bogs down. Against the Bulls, Anthony missed six straight shots down the stretch, and his ball hogging was so bad Chauncey Billups decided to drive the ball through three defenders rather than pass Melo the rock.

So really, while it may give Melo more acclaim as one of the best to play basketball to win the MVP, it would be counterproductive if his team can’t play to their full potential and can’t win the division.

Can the Nuggets improve their rebounding?

After the first nine games of the season, Denver has shown its lack in size, as they are 22nd in the NBA in rebounding at just over 40 per contest. Nene is the Nuggets leading rebounder, grabbing just over nine boards per game. Past that, Kenyon Martin snatches 6.9 and Chris Andersen 6.7 rebounds per game, which are solid but not spectacular numbers all around.

Really, the Nuggets need to just play more fundamentally under the basket, getting position and boxing out on opponents. The most frustrating thing to see Denver is a wide open player shooting at a basket with one, or even no teammates attempting to grab a rebound.

If the Nuggets can’t rebound better, they won’t be as good as last year, and will continue to lose to lesser competition all year.

Can Denver ’s big men match-up with the Lakers and other contenders’ frontcourts?

This question is related to the last one, as Nene, K-Mart, and “Birdman” Andersen all have to rebound extremely well against LA for Denver to even have a chance to win a series against the improved Lakers.

But beyond that, the Nuggets front court has to score and play defense at their top levels, all at the same time, for Denver to compete with Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom. Oh yeah, and Ron Artest, too!

So far in the 2009-10 season, Artest, Bynum, and Odom combine for 42.6 points per game, which over shadows Nene, K-Mart, and Birdman’s 28.6 per. And the Lakers big three (in terms of size) also bring a menacing presence on the defensive end, tallying 3.92 steals and 2.77 blocks per contest, they are likely the best front court in the NBA today.

Plus, Pau Gasol isn’t healthy for the defending champion Lakers yet, and he will only make them bigger still.

Basically, the Nuggets will lack height in their match ups versus LA, but how much they are at a disadvantage and how well the guards can counter with speed will determine the season, and likely a playoff series.

How will George Karl fix already seen chemistry issues?

The Nuggets started so well with out J.R. Smith, it seemed they could only get better with his arrival. But in fact, head coach Karl finds himself in need of resolving a chemistry problem with the team.

Smith should be starting at two-guard, but since he’s not up to regular season shape and there is still some rust, he’s coming off the bench. Meaning Karl has been starting both Anthony Carter and Arron Afflalo in his spot and while both are decent players, neither possess the athletic ability or scoring prowess that Smith does.

Next, Melo’s ball hogging has hurt the Nuggets’ bigs, as both Nene (13.7) and K-Mart’s (10) scoring numbers have dropped since last season. Along with that goes offensive movement, as players are less inclined to move without the ball if they don’t think they will get it anyway. So, the lack of player and ball movement result in an absence of production and easy buckets—and some hurt feelings as well.

And beyond that, Ty Lawson has played so well he’s making a case to be the backup point guard, and shown he deserves playing time. But really, Lawson could be the key to the chemistry problem after all.

In Wednesday’s game against the Bucks, the Nuggets most effective lineup down the stretch was Billups, Lawson, Smith, Melo, and Nene—a group with explosive speed, athleticism and ability to score. But, while that lineup worked against a smaller Milwaukee team, it won’t against the big Lakers.

So, as the season continues, Karl and the Nuggets’ players will have to continue to grow as a unit and we’ll all have to wait and see what lineups work the best together.

Now though, Denver goes into the 10th game of this 2009-10 season and the Nuggets will begin to answer some of these questions in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals against the LA Lakers. The game takes place tonight at 8:30 ET on ESPN.

J.R. Smith Is a Huge TV Fan: Proclaims “My Name Is Earl” Then Goes Back

Rich Kurtzman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:38:44 -0500

It seems like something written into a television program. A burgeoning star in the NBA, whose fame is dependent upon the name he's made for himself, decides to switch for no apparent reason at all.

Was it because the player found his reputation too shrouded in negativity, and he hoped to start anew? No, although that would have been an acceptable reason for the young and somewhat troubled baller.

According to the Denver Post J.R. Smith announced on Tuesday before the Nuggets game in Chicago that “from now on, he wanted to be called by his given name, Earl.”

"I just felt like changing it. It's been a long time and J.R. has no significance to my name. My name is Earl, so I figured, why not?” Smith explained Tuesday morning.

But after the game, apparently many of J.R.’s friends and family heard the news and Smith claimed, “There was too much controversy with the switch. I got a lot of calls and text messages and e-mails. It wasn't a good move.”

Thank goodness for the technological age of 2009 we live in, because Earl Smith just doesn’t have the same ring that J.R. does. J.R. is open to many more nicknames—like J.R. Swoosh, Junior Kobe, June Bug, or just plain junior—and let’s face it, if Smith wants to be a star in the NBA, he needs a sweet nickname.

But really, this is somewhat discouraging news coming from J.R. Smith.

Smith has already had his share of on and off the court distractions, and this serves as another. First J.R. couldn’t get along with coaching in New Orleans, which brought him to Denver. Then he argued with George Karl and the two weren’t on speaking terms for a while.

Now, the day he comes back from serving a seven-game suspension for a reckless driving charge that killed his best friend, Smith makes sure he’s in the spotlight.

J.R. is at his best when he’s silent in the media and loud on the court. Last season, Karl and Smith patched things up and J.R. thrived—to the point the Karl announced he will start soon.

Smith’s also said that the accident made him grow up, and that could be the reason behind the name change—an attempt to leave the name and person behind that he used to be.

Maybe he wanted to make a personal Karma list like on his favorite TV show, and find ways to make up for the wrongs he's done along the way.

No one can say for sure, but all Nuggets fans can do is hope that was the real reason, and that J.R. Smith will continue to progress both on the court and in the way he carries himself.

If so, J.R. Swoosh could blossom into one of the best shooting guards in the West today.

The 2009 Denver Broncos: Shades of Super Bowl Years, or Last Year?

Rich Kurtzman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:45:41 -0500

Okay, Broncos fans, reality check time is upon us.

Sure, Denver started out 6-0, and literally everything went the Broncos way in those games.

First, Brandon Stokley caught an 87-yard tipped ball for a touchdown to beat the Bengals in Week One. Next, when the Broncos played the Cowboys, Champ Bailey stopped back-to-back passes that could have tied the game up.

Then, Kyle Orton led Denver on a 98-yard drive to tie the game against the Patriots, and took the Broncos down the field to have Matt Prater win the game in overtime.

The cherry on top of the good luck sundae was Eddie Royal taking both a kickoff and a punt back for a touchdown, and Denver won against the division rival Chargers 34-23.

The hot start was reminiscent of many great Broncos’ starts, as every time they’ve gone 5-0, Denver has also gone to a Super Bowl. But, like last year, was Denver counting its chickens before they were hatched?

The Broncos started 4-1 in 2008, only to fall to 4-4. And even when they thought the division was wrapped up at 8-5, Denver lost the last three games and the AFC West to San Diego.

Now, the Broncos are looking at a possible relapse into their downfalls of last year, and are finding new ways to lose in 2009 as well.

Denver’s defense led the Broncos to their six-game winning streak, but now it looks somewhat soft. All game, at any time, the Steelers were able to pass on Denver’s D, even though the pass rush was better than most weeks.

And really, one could argue that the defense kept the Broncos in the game. Kenny Peterson forced Ben Roethlisberger to fumble and Robert Ayers took the ball to the house to take the lead 10-3. Then, as Pittsburgh was threatening to score while up four points already, when Andre Goodman picked a pass off at the goal line.

But the defense did seem tired at points, and allowed the Steelers to stretch their lead to 11, at 21-10, and eventually Pittsburgh put in another score to win 28-10.

Was it really their fault, though?

The offense was dismal to say the least in the second half, scoring zero points when their team needed it most, and only ran 19 plays after halftime. Their six drives amounted to four punts and two interceptions in the third and fourth quarters, definitely not enough to give the team a chance to win.

And let’s be clear here, the real problem with the offense, and the one position that has been affecting the entire Broncos team for the last two weeks—is quarterback Kyle Orton.

Orton has been efficient, but far from explosive in 2009, the definition of a “game manager” but he doesn’t ever have the ability to take a game over.

Orton showed in this game, that the only thing an opposing defense has to do is get within three yards of him; because Orton will take his eyes from downfield to up close if he thinks he might see contact.

Let’s face it, Orton is similar to a sloth when he tries to move in the pocket, but tonight he showed signs of “happy feet” which translates to scared play.

A quarterback cannot make solid throws, let alone read the defense when he’s afraid to be hit—therefore, the offense struggles.

Also, Josh McDaniels basically abandoned the run in the second half, and the Steelers knew they could blitz and force Orton to throw quickly.

While it seems McDaniels’ offense is the wave of the future, with its short, precision passing and misdirections—the young coach needs to gamble and go deep sometimes.

Not attacking the safeties deep allows them to suck up close to the line of scrimmage and attack both the run and the QB.

So really, the problem is two-fold—McDaniels won’t throw the ball deep, but it’s because Orton doesn’t have the arm strength.

So, while Denver may be a good team, and will likely make the postseason, they cannot win a championship until they find a franchise quarterback—something McDaniels traded away before the season began.

But, even if the Broncos had Jay Cutler, it would not necessarily mean they would even be 6-2, let alone better.

So for the Denver faithful, let’s all count our blessings and be happy the Broncos are atop the AFC West and in a position to make to playoffs this year, even if we may not compete for the Super Bowl quite yet.

Still, not a bad first year for an incredibly young head coach in the pressure-packed NFL.

Colorado State Isn't Stuck With Stucker: Fairchild Should Switch To Jon Eastman

Rich Kurtzman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:58:38 -0500

Grant Stucker did well to start the season, throwing for 576 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions, all while leading the Rams to a perfect 3-0 start. Included in that winning streak was a massive victory against rival CU, as it was the first time CSU had won in Boulder since 1986—Stucker was high on the mountain top.

But since then, Colorado State (3-6 Overall) hasn’t won a game, and Stucker has struggled. In the last six games, the Rams senior quarterback has only passed for eight touchdowns (four were in a loss against Idaho) and nine interceptions.

And while Stucker has struggled, CSU has as well. Now I’m not saying that the only reason the Rams have lost just because of their quarterback—injuries have depleted the defense and caused Leonard Mason to miss almost two games, and the special teams unit has been mediocre at best all season—but in football when the team stumbles, the QB takes the most heat.

And let’s face it, the CSU must win out, which may not be as difficult as it seems as their opponents, UNLV (3-6), New Mexico (0-8) and Wyoming (4-4), only have a .280 winning percentage. But with the Rams on the verge...

To continue reading click here .

Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups Are Officially the NBA's Best One-Two Punch

Rich Kurtzman — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:40:20 -0500

Sure, Denver is only two games into their 2009-10 season and it’s so early some could say the games don’t matter.

Realistically, in an 82 game season, it’s the games at the end of the season that matter more than the ones at the beginning, as some teams will go on a tear to start, only to fade late. It is so early in the season the Nuggets still don’t have their full starting lineup, because J.R. Smith has five games left on his seven game suspension.

Still, in two tough Northwest Division battles against the Utah Jazz and Portland Trailblazers, the Nuggets pulled through and won against the two contenders for Denver’s division crown.

And coming into tonight’s game against the lowly Memphis Grizzlies and ex-Nugget Allen Iverson, the way Denver is winning is with their star power—namely Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

Through two games in the 2009-10 season, Anthony has been amazing, and Billups a beast.

Melo scored 30 against Utah and 41 in Portland Thursday, the second game in a back-to-back, after the team got in at 4 a.m. Anthony’s 71 points to start the season makes him only the seventh Nugget to score over 60 in the team’s first two games, and only Alex English’s 79 points in 1985 and 74 in 1988 best Carmelo’s great start to this year.

What’s amazing about Anthony’s scoring fest is that everything seems to be working for the six year pro—the deep jumper, the lightning quick drop-step, and he’s finally finishing strongly at the rim.

Carmelo is officially the purest shooter in the NBA today, as the ball rarely even grazes the rim when his beautiful jumper drops through the net. Melo has been so solid shooting so far in 2009 that he has made over 50 percent of all field goals (.512) and is exactly 50 percent on his shots from downtown.

The most awesome part of Anthony’s scoring is his finishing around the hoop. In the season opener against Utah, a shot was missed and the Jazz rebounded the ball, but instead of just giving up and backpedaling down court, Melo jumped in, stole the ball, and emphatically cocked back the ball and threw it down on Ronnie Brewer.

The next night, Carmelo dunked the ball after running behind the hoop, and finished strong over Joel Przybilla, and even when he thought he was fouled, Melo didn’t complain.

Not only is Anthony scoring though, he’s helping the team out with four assists, seven rebounds and a steal per game as well. Melo is all over the court, including playing solid defense, and is making a case for MVP of the league so far, early in this season.

To go along with Anthony’s astonishing scoring and all-around great play, veteran leader Chauncey Billups is playing wonderfully as well.

Billups has “changed the culture of Denver,” as ESPN analyst Hubie Brown said in the season opener. No longer are the Nuggets about outscoring opponents at all costs, they know they can score at will, but also realize defense will bring them closer to a championship—as last season proved.

Billups is a hard-nosed defender, with size on his side, and still has enough quickness to stay with most point guards in the NBA. And when he gives his all on the defensive end, Billups leads by example and the rest of the team buys in as well.

But don’t think “Mr. Big Shot” Billups can’t score, as he got his nickname by shooting lights out in Detroit. In Game One against Utah, Billups went 7-15 for 25 points, and against Portland he scored 22—all while shooting a great 41.4 percent from the field. Against the Jazz, it was Billups who carried the Nuggets in the third quarter, as he put in 14 points in the period.

Billups is basically the definition of a team player for Denver though, as he is more comfortable passing to teammates than scoring huge amounts of points for himself.

Billups is the leading passer with four assists per game, and adds in three-and-a-half rebounds and half a steal per contest too.

Basically, Anthony and Billups’ biggest impact so far this year has been on the offensive end, as together they have scored 118 of the Nuggets 211 points so far in 2009. They lead the NBA for one-two punches, the second best being Toronto’s Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani with 98 points in their first two games.

Both Melo and Billups will knock down a three-pointer at will, especially if left open. Both use the rules and referees in their favor and either will take over a game if it’s needed.

Following their game against the Jazz, Utah point guard Deron Williams gave respect to the two stars saying, "They're huge, especially the way we finished last year with our road record, this was a game we wanted to come out, make a statement and win. They won the division last year and this was a big game for us."

So, even though the season is just underway, Billups and Melo are showing they should gain national respect for being the best duo in the NBA today. Anthony should be in the MVP conversation as long as his play continues to be at this elite level, and Billups is the consistent, vocal leader of the Nuggets who has made the team respect head coach George Karl.

Billups, Melo, and the Nuggets look to stay undefeated tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies at 6 p.m. MT. The game can be found on Altitude in the front range and all over the mountain west region on Comcast channel 25, HD channel 664.

Update: The Nuggets are now 3-0 on the 2009-10 season and their 133-123 win over the Grizzlies was largely due to the performances of Anthony and Billups. Melo scored a season-high 42 points with seven rebounds and five assists. Billups was great as well with a double-double of 22 points and 12 assists. Both further made a case that they are the best duo in the NBA today.

Nuggets Season Preview: Denver Must Be On Guard to Go Far in 2009-10

Rich Kurtzman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:03:29 -0400

What is the most important player on the court for a basketball team?

The point guard.

Luckily for the Nuggets, they landed veteran Chauncey Billups last offseason in a trade for Allen Iverson—a trade that has made the front office’s I.Q. look a mile high.

Billups, the home town leader of the Nuggets, has been no-nonsense since his days at George Washington High School, and his approach to the NBA game greatly helped Denver make a huge turnaround in 2008-09.

Billups has been largely credited, at times by head coach George Karl, for being the chief catalyst of the nuggets record-tying 54 wins in 2008-09; partly because he so easily adapts and accepts coaching. Karl changed Denver’s style from “fun and gun” to “defense first” last year, and Chauncey made it clear his first day back in town that the Nuggets would follow Karl’s coaching completely.

And Denver did follow Karl and Billups, all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

But Billups not only bought into Karl’s coaching, he worked as an on-court general as well. Chauncey is at his best in a leadership role; getting on teammates, including Carmelo Anthony, when they’re not giving enough effort, or directing traffic vocally and calling plays every time down the court.

At one point, just before the playoffs began, Billups got together with Karl and told him he believed the Nuggets needed another in-bounds play. Karl agreed, and acquired Billups’ play, which Denver used successfully in the playoffs.

And while leadership is key, Billups can still downright hoop with the best of them.

Chauncey earned his nickname “Mr. Big Shot” after years of clutch shooting in Detroit, and he continued those ways in Denver last season.

Billups is a very deft outside shooter, at 39 percent from the three-point line in his career, but he enjoys driving the lane to toss up a runner in the paint, too.

Also, Billups is Denver’s best passer, averaging 7.5 assists last year. And the way he accumulates the great assist numbers is by playing old-school point guard as a pass-first, team-oriented one who is more inclined to get teammates involved than balloon his own scoring numbers.

On the defensive end, Billups is a stud—at 6’3” and 202 pounds, he’s bigger than most point guards in the NBA. He showed how dominant he can be in last year’s playoffs against who many think is the No. 1 point guard, Chris Paul. CP3 was all but taken out of the series against Denver as he struggled to score in his normal explosive fashion.

Speaking of explosive, while Billups is the steady and consistent leader, starting shooting guard J.R. Smith is the athletic specimen, and oft-times human highlight reel.

Smith, a fifth-year NBA player, will be thrust into the starting five for the first time this season since his rookie year in New Orleans.

In 2008-09, Smith proved he’s worthy of more minutes by improving his game all around. Smith’s ball-handling and passing abilities are much enhanced, and while his turnovers were up (112-150), his assists were up (128-297) by a huge margin last year.

But J.R. “Swoosh”, as teammates affectionately call him, is most effective with the ball in his hands looking to shoot. He scored a career-high 45 points in a game last year, and regularly drops jaws and fills seats with butts at a high rate.

Smith has grown into an absolute three-point assassin, as he loves to catch and shoot from downtown all game long. His signature move after draining a three is to put up three fingers on each hand while skipping down court—a move that is usually gold for getting the Nuggets’ faithful out of their seats and into an uproar.

But that’s not the only cheering J.R. receives, as he regularly tears the roof off the Pepsi Center after driving ferociously to the hoop and throwing down an emphatic dunk.

J.R. can flat-out fly. He is a perennial slam dunk contest participant during All-Star weekend, and many recognize Smith’s dunking ability, which he uses to go up, up, and leap over even the tallest centers in the Association.

Smith’s largest improvement last year though, was the defensive intensity; he now plays with a much more consistent basis. Sure, J.R. will never be a defensive specialist like Dahntay Jones, but with his athletic ability on the offensive end, strong effort on the defensive end is what really matters. Especially since as a starting two Smith will be expected to cover the most talented scorers in the league including Kobe Bryant, Kevin Martin, and Brandon Roy.

But because J.R. has only recently shown maturity (not arguing with Karl or teammates) the Nuggets will be without his services for the first seven games this season. Smith was involved in a car accident in which he was driving the car and resulted in his friend’s death—a dividing line for Smith’s life, which he says has made him grow up.

So, Arron Afflalo, another ex-Detroit guard, who will back up Smith regularly, will likely be the starter for the first seven games for Denver.

After Jones’ loss to the Indiana Pacers, Afflalo was brought in to fill the void as a defensive-minded stopper.

Afflalo is a second-year shooting guard, who ex-teammate Billups is high on his shooting as well as his defensive play . “He’s already a really, really good defender…And he studies the game. It’s going to be a great, great move for us…I think he’s really gained their (coaches) respect with just how serious he is about the game.”

The other two guard spots on the Nuggets are taken up by backup point guards Anthony Carter and Ty Lawson.

As of now, the start of the season, Anthony Carter is second on the depth chart behind Billups for Denver point guards. Coach Karl loves Carter’s intensity on the defensive end, and he believes A.C. is the Nuggets best perimeter defender. Also, Karl likes the ball in his hands when Billups is out since he’s a 10-year veteran.

Personally, I believe Carter has lost a step, and may be the least athletic player the Nuggets currently have. His defense is decent, but he’s too small to body anyone up, and he’s unable to jump high enough to make opponents alter their shot. And as far as ball security, it was partly due to two horribly thrown in-bounds passes by Carter, that the Nuggets lost to the Lakers in last year’s playoffs.

Rookie Ty Lawson is the third point guard now, but that is only for now. Lawson has shown he can play at the NBA level, and even though Karl is famous for not giving rookies much playing time, he may be forced to change his ways and get Lawson into games. Ty Lawson is both quick and fast, which allows him to beat even the fastest players down court and will likely give him some open lay-up opportunities.

My prediction is that Lawson will supplant Carter as the backup point guard behind Billups by season’s end, if not definitely before the playoffs. Carter will need rest, and Lawson will possibly play better than many expect.

In all, the guards will determine whether, or not Denver will be able to compete for the NBA championship again this year. Billups will be his usual consistent self and will likely be the MVP of the Nuggets again this season. Smith must continue to improve on defense, and needs to lower his turnover numbers while playing with the pressure that a starting spot brings.

Denver needs defense from Afflalo, and any offensive production would be an added bonus. From Carter, he’s basically playing for his own playing time, so he’s got to go at 100 percent at all times. As for Lawson, the sky is the limit and he’s got to find a balance between scoring and distributing the ball to teammates.

If the Nuggets guards can play with lots of energy efficiently, look for Denver to once again go deep into the playoffs in 2010. Denver will win 55 games, a new team record, will win the Northwest and compete for the NBA Finals. Even with many contenders gaining star players, the Nuggets will play in the NBA Finals versus the Boston Celtics, and Denver will win the championship in seven games.

Denver's Ty Lawson Shows Glimmer of What May Be a Bright Star Rising in Rockies

Rich Kurtzman — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:26:25 -0400

Friday night, Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony both sat due to George Karl’s decision, likely to get his biggest stars some rest with the regular season’s start looming this Wednesday against the Jazz in Denver.

But with the stars sitting, it gave the backups an opportunity to shine—and rookie Ty Lawson grabbed his chance and ran with an amazing 29-point performance against the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Lawson drove quickly and distributed the ball well, with six assists, and added five steals as well. Sure, he was playing against the Lakers reserves for the most part, but the numbers are still encouraging for a first-year NBA player.

But Friday night wasn’t Lawson’s only big performance, as he’s had some others already this preseason. Two games ago against Minnesota (Oct. 20) the youngster scored 10 points with eight assists, six rebounds and four steals.

In Denver’s second game against Indiana in Beijing, a 128-112 blowout, Lawson scored eight with four rebounds and two dimes.

In seven games this preseason, Lawson’s first NBA action, he’s averaged 10.6 points, 2.4 assists, two rebounds and 2.3 steals in 18 minutes per game. Those are definitely promising numbers, second in points and assists behind Jonny Flynn (14.6, 4.5) of the Timberwolves.

But even with all the success, realistically Lawson may not be the Nuggets’ backup point guard in 2009-10 even though he seems to have lots of upside.

Sure, he went to North Carolina, and George Karl loves fellow Tar Heels, but Karl also loathes giving rookies too much playing time.

Obviously Billups, the 13-year veteran leader of the Nuggets will be starting for Karl this year, and Anthony Carter will likely stay ahead of Lawson on the depth chart.

Karl has consistently called Carter Denver’s best perimeter defender, and the coach likes the ball in the hands of a veteran during key points in games.

No matter how much time Lawson gets this year though, he is turning out to be a great move for the Nuggets front office this preseason.

While Billups has said many times recently he wants to finish his career in Denver, his hometown, those playing days may be closer to being over than any Nuggets fan could hope.

Denver is in need of a point guard of the future, and Lawson will with any luck be that player.

Now, everyone in Denver hopes his upside is a mile high and one day he can consistently play at the level he did Friday night.

CSU-SDSU: CSU Loses Fifth Straight To SDSU 42-28

Rich Kurtzman — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:15:39 -0400

The Colorado State Rams (3-5, 0-4 MWC) came ready to play Saturday against the San Diego State Aztecs (3-4, 1-2 MWC) on a sunny but windy day in Fort Collins. And CSU started strong, jumping out to a 21-7 lead at half, but were outscored 21-7 in the second half and ultimately lost their fifth straight game 42-28.

The Rams first score was put in by running back John Mosure as he capped off a short drive with an electrifying run to the left, and the exclamation was a leap into three Aztecs as he reached the ball over the plane of the goal line. CSU was up 7-0 with 6:34 left in the first quarter.

On the next drive, after CSU forced a three and out, Michael Kawulok was injured on a hard block to his leg. He couldn’t put any weight on the leg and it was a big blow since the linebacking corps for the Rams is hurt by injuries and missing Ricky Brewer who was suspended by the team.

The next CSU drive showcased Grant Stucker’s arm. On one play, Stucker forced a ball into Rashaun Greer , who was surrounded by three SDSU defensive backs. A few plays later, on a third and seven, Stucker tossed a beautiful ball to Tyson Liggett who had to make a one-handed reception. After making the catch, Liggett quickly turned up the field and streaked to the end zone. CSU led 14-0 with 3:48 remaining in the first quarter.

To finish reading the piece, click here .

Veteran NBA Officials vs. Replacements: Which Refs Would Make the League Better?

Rich Kurtzman — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:24:21 -0400

A story was broken yesterday by our friends at the worldwide leader, ESPN, saying how a “Ref agreement closer” in the NBA. After both NBA Commissioner David Stern and referees’ union representative Lamell McMorris separately pulled out of negotiations weeks ago, many believed replacement refs were an undeniably sad reality.

But now, referees are planning to vote on a newer version of an NBA/ref agreement, which may bring the referees back this year. The vote is scheduled to happen this Friday at league offices in New York, as the league is hopeful to get veteran referees back in time for the NBA regular season’s start, next Tuesday.

And while NBA officials declined comment Tuesday, NBA Players’ Association head Billy Hunter expressed his true feelings about the possibility of the veteran refs returning as he told the AP, “I think it’s great. We’d welcome them back.” And with those words, it’s obvious Hunter is not only speaking for himself but for all of his players, including the Nuggets’ Kenyon Martin.

Martin voiced his concern with the replacement refs last month saying he thinks the replacement refs will be “terrible” and, “There are going to be more ejections. Tempers are going to be even worse. Attitudes are going to be even worse.” Sure, there will likely be more technicals not only because referees may be more quick to blow a whistle, but players are likely to be angrier at blown and missed calls than usual.

And no, even with the practice of the preseason, it seems the replacements are not getting better. They called 72 fouls in the Suns-Kings game last night, enough for 82 free-throw attempts and even Grant Hill got thrown out. We’re not talking about a rough and tough playoff battle, this is a preseason game between two of the softest teams in the NBA.

Following the debacle, Sacramento guard Kevin Martin said , “It was just an ugly game. It was like the ball was deflated and we were stopping every second and that’s all I’m going to say about that.”

Denver’s Anthony Carter may have made a better point on the subject saying, “It's always going to be tough when you have a whole new set of refs. The other refs kind of know what other players do and what their moves are. Who's flopping? It's going to be a big challenge for them.” The refs won’t know who the biggest flopper's are, and they won’t know other players’ special moves either—but this could actually be better for the game.

No more LeBron crab-walking legally for four or five steps (in my day we called that traveling). Maybe the new refs would even call the game as it was supposed to be, no one is allowed more than two steps, no matter what the name and number on the jersey say. We could even hope for an end to ticky-tack, no-touch foul-calls that superstars like Kobe get when they miss a shot.

Changing all the refs, from ones that obviously favor certain players (stars) for whatever reason (the league tells them to) to new refs may actually make the game better, with a more even result.

Then again, maybe not. Along with the backlash from some players, many coaches have already voiced their displeasure with the replacement referees on and off the court.

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins was fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing officials this preseason. Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown was docked $60,000 for verbally abusing the replacements and refusing to leave the court in a timely manner after he was ejected, and for publicly criticizing officials after the game. The organization was fined an additional $60,000 for Brown's actions during a preseason game.

Orlando Magic head man Stan Van Gundy spent $35,000 for his thrashing of the refs, and the team was ordered to match his fine as well.

Even Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Pini Gershon was thrown out of a game earlier this week when playing against the New York Knicks. The scene was made even worse when the coach refused to leave the court and a Rabbi that set up the event petitioned the replacement refs to allow Gershon to stay on the sidelines to no avail. The incident looks even worse in the eyes of David Stern, since he has already mentioned his intentions to expand the NBA to Europe with some European-based teams.

And along with all the fines and player gripes come negative attention from the media, something else Stern doesn’t want.

The solution? Bring the veteran referees back, and fast. Which is exactly why he likely called McMorris, and wanted to get the ball rolling to resolve the referee issue.

But even if the veteran referees are back in time for the regular season, one thing is for sure—since the vets missed their training camp and have yet to call a game since June, the officiating in the NBA will be bad at the beginning of the season.

So, the NBA tried to save a buck and now the fans will be forced to struggle through horribly called games. That is, until the refs get back into the usual swing of things, making their superstar calls, and missing travels night-in and night-out—when we can all remember how much we loathe them anyway.

But in the end, it has become quite evident that the veteran refs are actually good, no, the best in the world at what they do and we all need them for there to be an NBA.

Colorado State Rams Lose Starting Senior Safety Klint Kubiak

Rich Kurtzman — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:12:16 -0400

As if the Rams needed any more bad news after losing their fourth straight game this Saturday versus TCU, today they learned they will be without one of their best players in safety Klint Kubiak for the entire second half of the season.

Kubiak, whose torn pectoral muscle was repaired with surgery last week, was given an eight-to-10 week recovery timetable, meaning, sadly, CSU will be without their defensive leader for crucial stretch contests. Kubiak commented on the border war with Wyoming saying, “It's just heartbreaking news, being my senior season. Running out of that tunnel on Senior Day against Wyoming would have been great being in full pads, but it didn't work out for me."

Although sad, this is nothing new for the fifth-year senior, as he missed most of the 2007 season with an ulcer and almost half of 2008 with a knee injury—Kubiak has only played 15 games since the ’07 season started. But the worst part is Kubiak is special when he is on the field.

To finish reading this piece, click here .

Colorado State-TCU: Rams Get Jumped on by No. 8 Horned Frogs, 44-6

Rich Kurtzman — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:04:29 -0400

CSU (3-4, 0-3 MWC) came out strong in their toughest contest of the year, against an undefeated TCU team (6-0, 2-0 MWC), as the Rams led 6-0 after the first quarter. But CSU was demolished by the Horned Frogs’ relentless offensive attack, which put up an unanswered 44 straight points as they blew out the Rams in Fort Worth, TX.

To begin the game, CSU stopped TCU on consecutive drives, one a punt and the second a forced fumble and the Rams capitalized by scoring back-to-back field goals. Everything looked good, but it was evident soon that CSU should have turned those scores into touchdowns, as TCU turned on their explosive offense from the second quarter on.

In that second quarter, the Horned Frogs scored 17 points on the shoulders of quarterback Andy Dalton and the legs and amazing moves on a 69-yard TD punt return by Jeremy Kerley .

CSU on the other hand, could only punt three times, all of which were much shorter than MWC all second team punter Pete Kontodiakos usually boots the ball. And, Leonard Mason , who was running the ball effectively against TCU early, left the game after injuring a rib and was unable to come back into the contest.

So, at halftime, the Rams were down 17-6, but still virtually in the game. Head coach Steve Fairchild expressed his disappointment as he tweeted at halftime, “We're obviously not covering kicks very well. Hanging in there defensively but offensively we've got to get a better push.”

To finish reading the piece, click here .

CSU-TCU Preview: No. 8 Horned Frogs Prove Rams Must Play Perfect to Win

Rich Kurtzman — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:52:45 -0400

The Rams (3-3, 0-2 MWC), losers of three straight, go into today’s game attempting to avoid stumbling all the way down the mountain, by pulling off what would be a most incredible upset against TCU (5-0, 1-0 MWC).

While CSU has been better this year and last, going 10-9 since Steve Fairchild’s hiring, including the New Mexico Bowl win in 2008—the Rams are admittedly still not among the class of the Mountain West Conference.

Coach Fairchild said it himself this Monday, “TCU is well coached and talented, and they are what we are trying to catch and emulate. We know we can play in this game; just knowing we can win it is a different story, and until we do it, the burden of proof is on us.”

He also tweeted at halftime of last Saturday’s homecoming game that he felt the day to prove CSU has graduated to the next level, but they lost in the end due to costly turnovers.

And it’s too bad the Rams couldn’t get that big-time win against Utah because this week’s game will be even tougher.

While CSU’s offense is ranked 60th at 377 yards per game and scores 25 points per, TCU’s defense is the seventh in the nation giving up only 15 points and just under 250 total yards per contest.

Possibly the only good statistic for the Rams offense is the fact that the Horned Frogs only have four turnovers forced on the year, all interceptions. Meaning, while it will be difficult for CSU to move the ball on TCU, when they have their opportunities QB Grant Stucker cannot throw errant balls that end up in the hands of opponents.

To finish reading the piece click here .

Steve Fairchild Addresses Rams' Disappointment After CSU's Third Straight Loss

Rich Kurtzman — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:20:12 -0400

Colorado State started on fire in 2009, going 3-0, and everyone in Fort Collins was wondering how high up the Mountain West the Rams could climb.

Then CSU ran into a roadblock in BYU, lost late to Idaho, a WAC team, and fell to a much better team Utah on Saturday.

Now, at the halfway point in the Rams' season, they are at 3-3 overall, without a win in the MWC at 0-2.

Arguably, the biggest loss of the season was last Saturday’s tough one, a late 24-17 defeat on homecoming that was thrown away by CSU quarterback Grant Stucker. Following the loss, this week has seen some interesting gripes in the Rocky Mountain Collegian, Colorado State’s daily newspaper.

"RamTalk," a rant/rave section that is written by students wanting to voice their opinions, has seen multiple complaints about the Rams football team.

Two particular students to voice their opinions said, “Dear Rams, Please show up to the second half of the football game on Saturday. Love, your loyal and frustrated fan,” and “Who would have thought that Utah's secret weapon wears green and gold and the number 18.”

Really, the grievances are valid. First of all, the game against Utah was lost on turnovers, specifically Stucker’s three interceptions, two of which came in the second half. Secondly, in four of six games so far in 2009, the Rams have all but not shown up after halftime—either letting teams back into games or allowing opponents to pile up their winning margin over CSU.

Against Weber State, CSU had to win the game at the very end by jumping on a muffed snap by the Wildcats. Against CU, Idaho, and Utah, the Rams let comfortable leads slip away and only won one of the three games, against the Buffaloes.

The problem is, even when CSU can come out strong against opponents to start the game, they show signs of fatigue and make mental errors late in contests—during crunch time. That is exactly what has happened to the Rams this year; they’ve been crunched down the stretch, losing games they should have won.

Luckily for CSU fans, head coach Steve Fairchild realizes and recognizes the glaring problems and addressed some of them during this week’s press conference on Monday. “We are obviously disappointed with the outcome of the game last Saturday..."

To continue reading and to see all of what Fairchild said, continue reading here.

Carmelo Anthony Reintroduces Himself to China with 45-Point Performance

Rich Kurtzman — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:40:08 -0400

Dwight Howard is now famous not only for his great basketball play, but his constant tweeting of "Heyyyy World!"

Tonight, that tweet would be more appropriate for Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony as he brought his all star play back to Beijing, the site of the 2008 Olympics where Melo was a star in his own right earning a gold medal with Team USA.

Carmelo was amazing tonight, as he ate former Nugget Dahntay Jones’ defense alive. Melo shot over him, as the beautiful jumper from the purest shooter in the NBA was wet tonight. And as his offense blossomed, his defense progressed. After making three straight shots in the first half, he got in on a loose ball and almost stole it. Then on the next Indiana possession, Anthony blocked Troy Murphy's lay up attempt.

But in the second half, Melo went off, with 17 points in the third quarter he was constantly confusing and frustrating Jones. On consecutive plays on the offensive end, Melo was pushed by Jones in the air but splashed the ball home anyway, drawing Jones’ fifth foul.

His 40th point came on an emphatic dunk, followed quickly by a perfect three point attempt. Melo even hit 45 points against the Pacers with half of the third quarter remaining.

Sure, it was just a preseason game, and against the Pacers who have no answer on the defensive end for Anthony, but Melo’s dominant performance should not be ignored. Anthony is showing he is ready for the season to begin, and if he can play anywhere near the level he did tonight on a regular basis, Melo should compete for a scoring title if not the MVP of the league. Along with his 45 points, which tied a career high, Anthony added nine rebounds and two blocks, leading his team to an outstanding 128-112 win tonight in Beijing, China.

If anyone is sleeping on the Nuggets right now, wake up, because even though many western conference powers have improved this offseason with huge name signings, Denver has kept some in-house players in Chris “Birdman” Andersen and Anthony Carter, signed Malik Allen, Aaron Afflalo, and Ty Lawson, and Melo just keeps on getting better.

With a starting lineup including Melo, Chauncey Billups, a healthy Kenyon Martin and Nene, and young athletic talent J.R. Smith, the Nuggets are sure to compete for the Western Conference title once again, if not the NBA Championship in 2010.

Rich Kurtzman is the Colorado State Rams Examiner for examiner.com, a Denver native, and lover of all things sports, especially all sports a mile high.

Follow Rich on Twitter @richkurt

Follow Rich on Facebook @here.

CSU-Utah: Rams Lose a Heartbreaker on Homecoming Weekend 24-17

Rich Kurtzman — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:12:24 -0400

The Rams (3-3, 0-2 MWC) came into their homecoming game against the Utah Utes (4-1, 1-0 MWC) as a huge underdog, as many believed they would be beaten handily by the Utes. CSU lost 24-17 to Utah in a bitter cold day in Fort Collins, but they hung in until the end against a better opponent. Contrary to what many thought, CSU came out ready to play, on the defensive end that is.

Utah is usually an explosive offensive team, usually scoring more than 28 points per game on average; but the Utes were only able to manage three points in the first half, which came on their second drive of the game.

CSU’s only points of the first half came on their first drive of the second quarter. The drive was run heavily as Leonard Mason rushed four times for 18 yards. The big play of the drive was a 30-yard pass from Grant Stucker to Dion Morton who ran deep and across the field and found himself wide open. But the Rams got bogged down after four first downs in the drive, and couldn’t move deeper than the Utah 26.

Ben DeLine converted on the 43-yard field goal and CSU found themselves tied with the Utes 3-3 at halftime.

Things were seemingly going the Rams way, and even though their offense was struggling to put together first downs, the defense helped them hang tough. Coach Steve Fairchild tweeted at halftime, “Our defense is keeping us in this game. We’re making too many mistakes on offense.” The second half has been CSU’s bugaboo all season though, as the team seems to get tired.

To continue reading this piece and to hear about the amazing plays the Rams executed after halftime, click here.

Broncos-Cowboys: Denver Wins Grind-It-out Battle 17-10, Mile High at 4-0

Rich Kurtzman — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:42:45 -0400

The Broncos (4-0) came into today’s contest against the Cowboys (2-2) undefeated but many criticized that they had yet to play against any good talent. Denver beat Cincinnati (3-1), Cleveland (0-4), and Oakland (1-3). But Dallas brought a respectable team that had averaged over 200 yards per game coming into the mile high city.

And even though some, like Troy Aikman, thought the game would be a shoot-out, it was anything but. This was a classic hard-nosed battle in which defenses shined and offenses couldn’t cope.

To start the game, the Cowboys’ offense looked strong while the Broncos’ O struggled mightily. After both teams were forced to punt on their first drives, Dallas drove down the field with three straight first downs and an eight-play 40 yard drive ending up in a 49-yard field goal. Denver forced itself into a three-and-out because of a penalty on their next drive and had to punt to Dallas once again.

The Cowboys drove with ease, as Tony Romo passed for 59 yards of the 61 Dallas went for a touchdown and the Cowboys led 10-0 after the first quarter.

Denver’s offense strained to make any progress once again and punted the ball away, but that is when the Broncos defense decided to play tougher. Reportedly, Brian Dawkins yelled at his defensive teammates and told them it was time to make a stand, and that’s exactly what happened. After starting on their own 12 yard line, the Cowboys got a first down but then after a tripping penalty, Denver made their first huge play on defense all day.

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan sent a safety blitz with Renaldo Hill, who came in untouched and forced the ball from Romo’s hands for a fumble. The Broncos recovered the ball on the Dallas nine and the next play Kyle Orton passed the ball to Knowshon Moreno for Denver’s first points of the day. So, five minutes into the second quarter and the Cowboys still led 10-7.

Neither team could do much to end the first half, as Denver kept stopping themselves with penalties and Dallas decided to go to half rather than risking another turnover.

The first play of the second half, Knowshon Moreno fumbled a ball deep in the Broncos territory, at the 27. Romo though, made another mistake and through a ball to the sideline when his receiver went inside and Champ Bailey made an amazing interception. The Denver O bogged down though and they were forced to punt again. On Dallas’ drive, Romo was sacked again on their second first down which forced them into a difficult situation and they had to punt again.

On the next Broncos drive, which started on their eight yard line, was the first time Denver had run the ball effectively all day. McDaniels showed his confidence in the rookie Moreno as Knowshon ran the ball seven times for 19 yards on the drive. But, as McDaniels gambled on a fourth and one call, Moreno, the Broncos, and young Josh came up short. Denver should have kicked the field goal, and would have tied the game with a Matt Prater make, 10-10. Instead, the Cowboys remained in the lead by three points.

On the biggest drive of the game for Denver’s defense, they came up massive to give the ball back to the offense and a chance at a game-winning drive. The Cowboys did get three first downs on the drive, but on second and 13, Vonnie Holliday sacked Romo for a four yard loss and put Dallas into a third and 17. Romo’s subsequent pass was incomplete and the defense gave Orton and the offense a chance to win the game with 2:47 remaining in the contest.

Denver went into the two minute warning with the ball on their 35-yard line, hoping to get into field goal range for the win—what they got was much more than they expected.

Kyle Orton finally risked a throw and it paid off in a substantial way for the Broncos. Orton under threw a pass that was luckily high enough for Marshall and his 6’ 5” frame to go up and grab over Dallas’ Terrance Newman. Then Marshall took off, down the field and to the middle, only to stop on a dime and reverse directions, making two Cowboys collide and cruised into the end zone. Denver finally had its first lead at 17-10 with 1:46 in the game.

In the next drive the game seemed to be over, as the Broncos made the Cowboys go for it on fourth-and-three, but Romo made an amazing play to save Dallas’ chance at the win. Romo was flushed out of the pocket but tossed a great touch-pass to Sam Hurd who took the ball 53 yards to the Denver 20. Romo then threw two short passes in a row to take the Cowboys to the Broncos’ eight-yard line but Dallas had to call their final timeout with :27 left.

Again Romo passed short for six yards down to the Denver two-yard line and Dallas had to spike the ball to stop the clock with a mere nine seconds remaining. The whole contest came down to the final two plays as this classic would have to be won as it was all day, by the Broncos’ defense.

For some reason, the Cowboys decided to attack one of the greatest corner backs in the league and today’s player of the game, Champ Bailey, on two consecutive passes over the middle. The first was easily deflected by Champ, and he got his hand on the second ball as well, along with Jack Williams’ helmet on Hurd’s belly and the ball.

McDaniels was pleased with Champ saying, “We did a nice job of denying the ball there on the last two [plays]. We blitzed them. We were going to make him [Romo] throw fast and he did and Champ was in great position.”

The Broncos defended their home stadium and improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2003.

Following the game, Josh McDaniels was seemingly ecstatic when talking about his team. “I’m proud of our team. It’s a sixty-minute game against a really good football team. I give Dallas a lot of credit.”

McDaniels on Marshall’s game-winning touchdown, “He made a great catch and an even better run. Maybe one of the best runs I’ve ever seen after the ball was in his hands. And that’s just what a great player will do and that’s was he is.”

In all, despite some struggles early including penalties leading to punts, the offense still played solidly against a good Dallas defense. Orton out-played the more hyped Romo with a 20-29 for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Romo was a less efficient 25-42 with 255 yards, an interception, and a fumble.

Following the game Orton said, “I don't listen to things about me. I play this game to win football games and compete with 53 other guys. It is not about me. It is not about what happened in the offseason. It is about working hard every week and competing our butts off. Every chance that you get to play a football game, you play as hard as you can. That is the approach that I take. If that means that I throw for 100 yards or 300 yards, I'll be happy either way as long as we win.”

But really, the game was won by the Denver defense, not with Orton and the O.

Denver held Dallas to only 74 yards rushing on the day, a considerable drop-off from their usual 193.7 per game. The pass rush constantly confused and overwhelmed Romo, who was sacked four times in total, one of which resulted in the fumble that gave the Broncos their first score of the day.

So, now the Broncos have had their first respectable test of the year, and they passed, even if it wasn’t with flying colors. The defense showed up in a huge way even after getting down by 10 points early, and didn’t allow a single point in the last three quarters of the game. The offense, after repeatedly slowing themselves down with penalties and misfires in the first half, produced well in the second half.

After four weeks of play the Broncos sit at 4-0, more wins then some thought they could get all year, as one of only five undefeated teams remaining in the NFL. And Denver sits a mile high atop the AFC West as all divisional opponents the Raiders (6-29), Chiefs (16-27), and Chargers (28-38) all lost today.

Instead of all the “doom and gloom” that national and local media had predicted, it seems everyone in the Broncos organization has come into this 2009 season energized, and united under McDaniels' ideology of team-first.

In Broncos Country, everything's tinted in a beautiful orange and blue like a Colorado sunset so far in 2009.

Welcome to Rocktober 2009: Colorado Makes Playoffs Under Jim Tracy's Tutelage

Rich Kurtzman — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:24:11 -0400

Sports are made of competition, coach vs. coach, team vs. team, man vs. man. Sometimes, deep within all the blood, sweat and tears that are expended during a grueling season—magic happens.

Something as unbelievable as a player hitting for the cycle and getting an unassisted triple play in his career, one of only two MLB players ever. Something as magical as a player sticking with his team and being one of 50 MLB players to eclipse the 500 doubles mark. Something as astounding and awe-inspiring as a team being down three runs going into the 14th inning only to have their reserve outfielder hit the first ever walk-off grand slam in team history for the win. Then winning the next night on a walk-off as well.

That’s the thing about magical moments, they happen in the blink of an eye—that is most of the time.

For the Colorado Rockies, magic spanned the final four months of the season, as the moments like the ones I described above seemed to happen night-in, night-out.

To begin the year, the Rockies were plain bad, at 19-28 and looking at another season as the basement dweller in the NL West, it was clear a change needed to happen. In his eighth season as Colorado’s manager, Clint Hurdle was handed a pink slip on May 29 and bench coach Jim Tracy was promoted to manager.

Since Tracy has taken the reigns of the Rockies in late May, Colorado has gone an incredible 73-40 overall, and has been in wild card contention since late June. Everything seemed to turn around for the Rockies in June, as they won 11 straight games and 17-18 during one stretch. When the month was over, they had amassed 21 wins, the most ever in franchise history for one month.

In the dog-days of summer, Colorado stayed tough and on the ball as they went four games over .500 in both July and August, and were an awesome nine games over in the month of September, stretch time in baseball. The Rockies won all those games the right way, coming to the ball park every day with a champion’s work ethic—with many strengths including their strong starting pitching, great bullpen, and a lineup with athletic hitters from one-eight.

Today, as October was brought in at Coors Field, the Rockies sat just one win away from clinching the wild card against the Milwalkee Brewers. The Brewers, after losing the first two games of the series, were no match for this Colorado team that has seemed destined for greatness since June.

Aaron Cook, the ace of the squad, made his second start since June 28th and pitched extremely well. Cook went eight innings with only four hits given up and an earned run on a Ryan Braun homerun. "It's not been as crazy a ride coming down the stretch but it's been just as fun," Cook said after the game. "So, we're going to enjoy it just as much."

The Rockies showed once again they are not a one dimensional team, with four batters getting multiple hits on the day, as Colorado won at home 9-2. Troy Tulowitzki, a rising star on the team and in the league, went 3-3 and scored two runs on the day, and post game had this to say about the Rockies making the postseason again. “It’s exciting. I’m happy for guys like Todd that have been here for a long time…we could do some special things.”

Helton, the 13-year veteran leader of the Rockies, who has spent his entire career in the mile high city, spent most of that time a mile low as part of a perennial loser in Colorado. Even though he was one of the best hitters in the game from 1999-04, Helton stuck with the Rockies and it seems his patience is finally paying off as he gets prepared for Colorado’s second postseason appearance in the last three years.

And as the season winds down, Helton has been ramping up his hitting as of late. He was business-like after the big win saying, “It’s just an exciting day. We knew we had to come out and do a job and we did it.” With the win, the Rockies became one of only six teams in MLB history to start 12+ games under .500 to make the playoffs.

But the real reason the Rockies have improved so greatly in such a short time lies in Manager Jim Tracy. Tracy brings a relaxed attitude and allows players to just go out and play, where Hurdle was a perfectionist, always asking more of his players than they could produce. Tracy is the opposite of most nose-grinding managers too worried about bottom lines and records, Tracy legitimately cares about his players. How many MLB Managers would embrace their player for seemingly minutes after they hit a walk-off homerun during the middle of the season? Not many.

If you don’t believe me, check out this quote by the Rockies Manager, “How much do I love them? I don't have words to describe it," he said. "The best thing about this club, look around this clubhouse and the veteran leadership that we have and the youth and the mix that we have here. The young people will be able to feed off this for a long time. I guarantee if you get this taste in your mouth and it won't go away."

He also made some gutsy personnel decisions, including benching veteran third-baseman Garrett Atkins for a youngster named Ian Stewart. As Atkins struggled early in the season, Stewart stepped in gracefully, hitting 25 homeruns, and 19 doubles good for 70 RBI. On top of that, Tracy put youngster Carlos Gonzalez in to play the outfield, a decision that was berated by the local media, but one that has proven Tracy a genius in evaluating talent. In his 87 games with the Rockies this year, Gonzalez has hit 13 homers, 14 doubles, and seven triples with a .285 batting average.

Following the game, Tracy, seen tearing in an interview proclaimed, “This is one of the proudest moments in my 33-year baseball career. Their (players) unselfishness and their dedication towards one another, and to climb out of the hole we were in when we started, it says a whole lot about these kids, not only right now but moving forward. There’s still a lot for us to accomplish this year, but moving forward, this is quite an organization.”

The Manager with the biggest heart in the MLB couldn’t stop his emotions from getting the best of him as he experienced a truly special moment with his team in front of over 38,000 Rockies fans that braved the cold October weather. Now let’s hope Tracy’s power of perception is as deft as his interpersonal skills and the Rockies really do have more to accomplish this year in Rocktober ’09.

Denver Nuggets Preseason Notes: Sept. 29 Edition with Breaking News!

Rich Kurtzman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:06:54 -0400

Kenyon Martin speaks his mind about replacement refs

Just in (11:00 p.m.) from Fanhouse and Denver Post writer Chris Tomasson, Kenyon Martin voiced his displeasure in the seemingly inevitable reality that is the replacement referees in the NBA this upcoming 2009-10 season.

Martin believes the replacement refs will be “terrible” reportedly. He said, "I'm going to get suspended in the first month of the season. I'm going to have 15 technicals in the first month just for the simple fact (replacement officials) don't know how I run my mouth. They don't know how I approach the game.''

K-Mart continued, “It will be terrible. I believe guys will get more technicals. There are going to be more ejections. Tempers are going to be even worse. Attitudes are going to be even worse. They know how we can talk to certain refs. Certain guys know me. I don't mean no harm sometimes. I might get out of line sometimes.

But, for the most part, I get a little leeway. But with the [replacement officials], I don't have that leeway...You know how you can approach certain refs, what you can say to certain refs.''

He has a decent point too, as I have been more and more surprised while watching NBA contests the last few years how much the referees have been letting go in the way of complaining. Players can yell, and they run around, throw their hands in the air and usually refs will let it go.

Backup point guard Anthony Carter chimed in on the subject, “It's always going to be tough when you have a whole new set of refs. The other refs kind of know what other players do and what their moves are. Who's flopping? It's going to be a big challenge for them...They're going to be cursed out a little bit. They just have to have thick skin. They're going to miss calls, and we're going to be complaining. But that's part of the job.''

A.C. might have the best point about flops and other plays that are special to a certain player, like LeBron’s “crabwalk,” or A.I.’s crossovers, or really any player in today’s NBA palming the ball almost every time they dribble. And, if players are cussing out these new refs, likely the replacements will not be ready for these high-profile players getting all over them with dirty language mixed in, and more players will be ejected on average probably.

Head coach George Karl had the best quote of the day saying, "I think there will be just more emotion in the game, more verbal confrontation of calls. To me, I think the players should just, at least in the first four to six games, not worry about it and just play through it. Understand we'll get good whistles and we'll probably get some bad whistles”

“Coaches think refereeing is bad no matter how good it is.''

Anthony Carter accepts role as backup point guard, sharing minutes with Ty Lawson

George Karl is still apparently still high on Anthony Carter even though retired coach Dug Moe and many Denver fans are low on the veteran guard. Moe called Carter the “worst player he’s ever seen” in his 35 years of basketball experience. Many Nuggets fans complain he’s over the hill and remember the two in-bounds passes against the Lakers that partially lost two games for the Nuggets.

Karl said, “Carter sometimes isn’t pretty, and statistically he doesn’t deliver, but when you coach him you have all the confidence in the world you’re going to win the game.”

“A.C. is one if the best backup point guards in the NBA.”

Karl has repeatedly said that Carter is the best perimeter defenders on the Nuggets and he regularly puts him in at key points in games. And as a backup with lots of experience, Carter usually makes great decisions with the ball, and has great energy on the defensive end as well.

Carter explained his situation sharing minutes now that Denver drafted Ty Lawson from North Carolina in this year’s draft, “It’s not even about minutes with me. Whatever my role is going to be, I’m embracing it, whether it’s five, 10, 15, 20 minutes. I just want to make a difference when I’m out there.”

A.C. shows in this quote that he is the quintessential team player, willing to sacrifice his own stats and minutes for the better of the team. He also knows his time in the NBA is growing short and that Lawson is the future of the point guard position in Denver. But, at least for the 2009-10 season, the Nuggets bench will be in good hands with Carter as the ball handler and leader.

Aaron Afflalo shows signs of progress and will help secure Nuggets bench

According to the Denver Post’s Chris Dempsey, “Afflalo was one of the brightest stars in the September workouts and has kept the momentum going through the first three days of camp.”

This offseason has seen some Nuggets leave, including starting shooting guard and defensive specialist Dahntay Jones and shooting threat Linas Kleiza. Denver and coach Karl are hoping he can fill both voids. Afflalo, a third-year, 6’5” 215 shooting guard acquired from Detroit, hopes to be a major role player for the Nuggets this year.

Karl raved about the young guard saying, “He’s been tremendous. He’s been in the gym many, many hours already. The coaching staff loves him. Hopefully the fans will love him too.” He also calls Afflalo the most organized and regimented young player he’s ever met.

If he can defend with the intensity of Jones, and shoot with great touch like L.K., Afflalo should have no problem winning the fans over in the Mile High City.

Chauncey Billups was Afflalo teammate in Detroit from 2007-08 and his experience with the youngster leaves “Mr. Big Shot” a mile high on Afflalo as well.

“He’s already a really, really good defender…And he studies the game. It’s going to be a great, great move for us…I think he’s really gained their (coaches) respect with just how serious he is about the game.”

After learning of the high praise by the team’s captain and coach Afflalo commented, “…you can’t make excuses. You have to continue to work on your game and when you get your opportunity, be your best.”

Those are very veteran words from such a young player.

The Nuggets begin their preseason this Thursday at Utah in their NBA preseason opener and their first experience with the replacement referees.

Hey Raiders Fans: How Do You Like Your Crow? Smoked, Like Your Team?

Rich Kurtzman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:08:02 -0400

Ah Raiders fans. They’re the only thing more entertaining than their sorry team to all other AFC West opponents’ fans.

Raiders fans are the ones that take fandom too far in the NFL, dressing up in their craziest garb from Darth Vader helmets and gorilla masks to silver and black face paint that rivals '70s hair band KISS. Some think Oakland fans like to dress up to look more macho, as some wear shoulder pads with spikes and other decorations. Or is it that the fans are trying to make up for their team’s deficiencies?

Most likely it’s because the fans are honestly scared for their own wellbeing, as there’s no telling how out of control a Raiders player might get.

Really though, Oakland Raiders fans are the No. 1 audience on B/R, and they show out feverishly, with much fervor and ferocity. They back their team, even to the point of going onto rival team’s pages to trash talk about how the Raiders have been, are, and will be great.

Before this most recent Broncos/Raiders game, I wrote a prediction piece that also attacked Oakland’s organization because we all know they can and should return to their once great standing in the AFC West and the NFL. But as of now, and for the past 15 years, besides 2000-02, when they went to the playoffs but lost all three years.

I attempted to use statistics to explain to Raiders fans how bad they have been especially really recently, like the last seven years. I’ll say once again, Oakland has a measly 25 wins since 2003, and average of less than six a season.

But loyal “black holians,” or maybe “black hooligans” fits them more suitably, as they fought my logical statistics with a few of their own, and some more illogical comments as well.

Fingersrdrs Raiders wrote, “31-10 the Raiders beat Mr Ed the last time they played…” As Rick wrote in his piece “Raider Fan Trash Talk: A Premonition” Raiders fans can’t help but talk about the past, the last time their player did well or they beat your team, because they knew this time around could be trouble.

SR is one of the best examples of a Raiders fan that’s crazy for his team. “lol these horse fans crack me up with all these stats,were only 2 games into the season, u can throw all them stats out the window, u can think whatever you want, its about to go down in the town, black hole will be ready.”

That’s the greatest part though, Oakland natives, “real” Raiders fans, didn’t show out! The game was blacked out in Oakland because the stadium couldn’t sell out, even when a local grocer offered any fan that bought two tickets a $100 gift certificate.

Even Raider Card Addict, No. 3 in the B/R football writer rankings overall, couldn’t defend his team; just try to take stabs about the Broncos being bad since Elway retired.

That was until he brought up the storied history of the Raiders, where they have slight edges on the Broncos in many categories, and Oakland’s all-time head to head lead by 14 games was built in the ancient 1960s when the Broncos were horrible for the entire decade.

The point is, or points for that matter, is that the Raiders are not a great team, not even good and were destroyed by the Broncos 23-3, and it should have been worse.

Some Raiders fans talked bout how Richard Seymour and the Oakland defensive line was going to eat Kyle Orton and Denver’s running game alive; however, the opposite was true. Sure, Orton only passed for 157 yards, but he wasn’t sacked once, nor did he throw an interception.

As for the running game, Correll Buckhalter ran for 108 yards with a gaudy 7.7 yard per gain average, and rookie Knowshon Moreno carried the ball 21 times for 90 yards and a touchdown.

In total, the Broncos were dominant in total yards (372-137), first downs (21-9), turnovers (3-1), and average gain per play (6.8-1.8) among almost every other stat that could be measured.

The defense was remarkable as well, nabbing two easy interceptions early in the contest, only to have those turnovers translate into points, and adding a fumble recovery on three forced fumbles too. The Denver D held Oakland to 3-10 on third downs, some of which drew many boos from the black hole, or wherever most of the Raiders fans have fallen into.

Elvis Dumervil was the star of the game once again as he added two more sacks to bring his total to six for 2009, and Darrell Reid added a sack of his own. DJ Williams flew all over the field with a team leading seven tackles and a forced fumble also.

Denver played a compete game on both sides of the ball, won their first divisional game of the year, and remained undefeated at 3-0 leading the AFC West. Next up for the Broncos is the real meat of their schedule, as they start with Dallas and face many perennial playoff teams in a row.

But Denver should focus on this huge win right now, and Raiders fans should enjoy their crow and eat up. So, Rai “duhs” fans, what are you going to say now until your team plays the AFC West leaders again? Now you can’t rely on the popular, “we beat your donkey asses last year, remember, like nine months ago,” routine.

CSU Loses 42-23 to No. 19 BYU After Burying Themselves Early with Turnovers

Rich Kurtzman — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:08:06 -0400

The CSU Rams entered their first Mountain West Conference game with a 3-0 record.

Heading into the game, TCU was the only other undefeated MWC team. No. 19 BYU was 2-1 and were coming off a tough home loss to Florida State University.

Most believed the Cougars would come out hungry and would win the game, and even the most loyal Rams fan knew the team needed an excellent game and a little luck to capture this huge upset.

CSU started the game with the ball, and on what seemed to be a first down pass from Grant Stucker to Rashaun Greer, the ball was tipped off of Greer’s hands and into the mits of a running BYU defender for an interception.

The Cougars punched in the ball for a touchdown two plays later and took the 7-0 lead. Colorado State and Stucker then produced a very methodical drive, marching down the field only to be stopped on BYU’s 14 yard line. The 11-play 66-yard drive—which mixed runs and passes well—brought the Rams no points as kicker Ben DeLine missed the 32-yard field goal wide left.

The Cougars got the ball back, but were held and forced to punt by CSU. On the very next play, Stucker threw a 20-yard dart to Greer, that went through the receiver’s usually sure hands and to yet another defender for Stucker’s second pick of the day.

After the second interception off the hands of Greer, head coach Steve Fairchild sat the team’s leading receiver for the rest of the game. The Cougars made sure to capitalize on the Rams turnover once again as QB Max Hall tossed a sweet pass to O’Nei Chambers for 37 yards and down to the CSU two-yard line. Hall punched the ball in to give his team the 14-0 lead.

Next came what seemed to be the game-deciding play. The Rams went three-and-out and were forced to punt from their own 40-yard line. The punt attempt was blocked and BYU recovered on CSU’s 18 yard line.

Running back Harvey Unga capped the short two-play drive off with yet another touchdown to give BYU a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Some Ram fans were ready to call it quits, but the team kept fighting despite the lopsided score.

As the second quarter began, CSU went into a pass-heavy offense. Stucker completed six passes for 62 yards on the drive, including the three-yard touchdown pass to Dion Morton that gave the Rams their first points of the day, 21-7.

The rest of the second quarter was filled with six straight defensive stops and CSU remained down by 14 points at half time.

In the third quarter...

To finish reading the article click here.