The buzz on B-Marsh.
“Do you have any insight on Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall? Has any NFL team actually made him a contract offer? What’s the word on him?”
Brad, Westminster
Kiz: NFL general managers are sending the Broncos and you a message. It’s loud and clear: For all his undeniable talent, Marshall is not a truly elite player. Why? B-Marsh has caught a total of 23 touchdown passes during the past three years; Randy Moss scored 23 TDs in 2007 alone. Marshall seeks a salary of $10 million per year, and whatever team signs him to such a ridiculous offer would also have to compensate Denver with a first-round draft choice. At those prices, he better be a sure- fire Hall of Famer. And Marshall is simply not all that. Which leads to the interesting question: If Josh McDaniels got bashed for granting quarterback Jay Cutler’s request for a trade, how would Broncomaniacs respond if the Denver coach tried to keep Marshall in town against his will?
Dantley needs to take charge.
“Thanks for your column suggesting Nuggets acting coach Adrian Dantley needs to step up in the absence of George Karl. I have noticed Denver assistant Chad Iske with the clipboard in his hands more than once sketching plays during critical game situations as A.D. looked on. Don’t get me wrong. I like Dantley, and I am sure the players respect him, but he needs to have a more concrete leadership role in critical situations. A.D. looks a little lost at times. It appears to me he does not have the technical knowledge to lead this team.”
Patrick, Lafayette
Kiz: Well, Jeff Bzdelik is twiddling his thumbs up the road in Boulder. Think the Nuggets could hire him as coach on a temporary basis until Karl feels better? I’m just sayin’.
Tourney expansion could pay off.
“Expanding the NCAA basketball tournament to 96 teams will destroy a major aspect of the tournament and also cause many more students to miss class time. But missing class time for many players is not a problem, as they don’t go anyway.”
Ray, Fort Collins
Kiz: Listen, I actually think a 96-team tourney could work, but not unless you start paying every college player in every sport a monthly stipend. Otherwise, the lone reasons for a Bigger Dance are more job security for millionaire coaches and more cash in the coffers of NCAA bureaucrats. Exploitation is one word that comes to mind.
Season-ticket soul-searching.
“I am a lifelong Broncos fan, a season-ticket holder for 12 years and was a witness to the Holy Grail of Denver games, when John Elway won the Super Bowl. I have to decide whether to renew my season tickets. Never in my life have I seen one man destroy a team like McDaniels. I want to keep an open mind. Keep my tickets or not?”
Pierre, miffed in Montreal
Kiz: What do I look like, Dear Abby? It is more than 1,600 miles from your home in Canada to your seats in Denver. Long-distance romances never work. Sell your tickets. Here’s thinking 20,000 folks in Colorado might be willing to buy ’em.
Avs versus Av-nots.
“Please quit writing articles about the Avalanche. You have never put on skates in your life and you know nothing about the sport. You are a joke and the reason why outsiders assume people from Colorado are hockey stupid.”
Daniel, hockey genius
Kiz: Way back on Jan. 7, as the self-proclaimed hockey cognoscenti were discovering the Avs and proclaiming these young players 100 percent legit, this dummy wrote the team’s flaws had been exposed and Colorado would be lucky to make the playoffs. Well, have you checked the NHL standings lately?
“Hess” an inspiration
And today’s parting shot is a big thumbs-up to former CU quarterback John Hessler. After teaching himself to walk again in the aftermath of a hit-and-run car accident, “Hess” recently walked down the aisle with bride Sarah Bindel.
“I have had the pleasure of speaking with John and Sarah at the Pepsi Center in recent years. He is a true inspiration. She has been a dynamic force. Yes, ‘Hess’ still wears that ‘What, me worry?’ smile on his face, even if the illegal immigrants that caused him the pain have fled the country. The Lord has placed Sarah in John’s life.”
Dick, Arvada
