Manning the man. The game of football is better with Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning playing in it. If I recall, Timmy Tebow only completed — what? — two passes to win a game in Kansas City. Manning only played 10 snaps in a preseason game against the Chicago Bears. No offensive rhythm. Yes, he was 4-of-7 in pass completions, but it’s a big improvement over Tebow.
TL, Wyoming
Kiz: What if Kyle Orton or Tebow had thrown an interception in the red zone during a preseason debut? The booing from back home would have come down harder than the rain fell on Manning in Chicago. Manning is a great QB. He gave an average (and short) performance against the Bears. He’ll get better as the rust comes off. And he better improve if the Broncos want to win a Super Bowl. That’s the truth. But at this point in the honeymoon period, anything construed as the slightest criticism of Manning causes Broncomaniacs to go bonkers.
Kiszla off-track. I realize you believe your job is to write columns that grab attention and provoke controversy, rather than to inform your readers about the Olympics. But your blast at U.S. male track athletes is pretty shallow. You do a disservice by reinforcing the idea that only gold medals count. The United States had three runners in the top five in the 100 meters. You are cherry-picking the results. The USA is still the dominant track and field country, by far.
Doug, Fort Collins
Kiz: Big props to Aries Merritt for winning the 110-meter hurdles to become the lone individual U.S. male to win a footrace in London. American runners did make a nice showing in the middle-distance races. But here’s the rub: We like to boast of being the greatest country in the world, but don’t like facing the music when falling short. I just heard U.S. Olympic Committee board chairman Larry Probst say: “We like to come in first, there’s nothing wrong with that.” Agreed. And when U.S. male runners come this close to getting shut out of gold for the first time in history, there’s nothing wrong with pointing out Team USA needs to pick up the pace.
Blown coverage. Watching the Olympics on NBC feels like a circus. It feels staged. They televise sports Americans win. It feels like a lot of propaganda. They play sports with massive sex appeal, like beach volleyball. There never seems to be any weightlifting. NBC seems to forget swimming should have never been billed as Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte. It took away from the nationalism surrounding the Games. I could also gripe about lack of water polo coverage, but there has never been any of that.
Kevin, Bloomington, Ind.
Kiz: NBC’s nightly package seems targeted for folks who would rather watch “Dancing with the Stars” than track or field. We understand why. Crossover appeal pays the bills. But the tape-delayed coverage is not my cup of tea. Guess I’m more of a bourbon-on- the-rocks type of guy.
Kudos to Solo act.Your column on the hubris of U.S. soccer goalie Hope Solo reminded me of quips made by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee a few years back: “The more self-centered and egotistical a guy is, the better ballplayer he’s going to be. … Show me 25 (jerks) and I’ll show you a pennant.”
Joe, Boulder
Kiz: Solo reminds me of one of the greatest athletes in Colorado history: Patrick Roy. That’s a good thing, but it makes Solo controversial because she’s not always as polite or reserved as female athletes are expected to be.
On the cheap. And today’s parting shot is a quick kick to the shins of our favorite local sports mogul. Oh, I’m afraid this is going to merit a yellow card.
“My son is a junior at the University of Denver, as well as an ardent hockey and soccer fan. He has coined his own name for Arsenal: Walmartsenal.”
Kick it with Kiz by writing mkiszla @denverpost.com. Or listen to him 7-9 a.m. Monday through Friday on 93.7 FM and 1510 AM.
