A quick question: So what do the Nuggets and their goal of winning the NBA title have in common with Allen Iverson's rap career?

The answer: They are both finished.

Iverson's rap career was quicker than his crossover dribble.

Denver's painful malaise into Western Conference medicority has been much lengthier, but just as painful.

Consider that if the Nuggets do not qualify for the postseason with an $80 million payroll, it just won't be the roster that will be shaken up.

The Nuggets do lead the league in one unofficial category: Complaining.

Seemingly, every game they lose, head coach George Karl has a perfectly reasonable excuse for. If they had as many wins as excuses, they wouldn't be on the outside looking in on the Playoff picture.

To his immense credit, the only player on the team that seems to be vocally outward about not making excuses and just asking everyone to look in the mirror and evaluate themselves
is-----Iverson. As many that watch the Nuggets agree, if they just had more players not with Iverson's skills (too much to ask for) though at least shared his desire, this team would be a lot better off.

The theory goes that if the Nuggets do not make the field of eight in the West this season, Karl is not going to be better off. He could be on his way out. I am actually starting to think some guys have already stopped listening to him speak. As bad as that sounds, I'm not sure which is worse: Players possibly conspiring against Karl or if that is the case, Karl not really even caring about the slight himself.

I am just speculating on those two scenarios, but I have a little proof to go along with my prognostications.

At the outset of the season, Karl wanted to stress defense. He has been hammering home that point all season. He figures with two of the top scorers in the NBA on his roster, offensive point production wouldn't be an issue. However, they had gaping holes on defense and everyone knows that defense wins championships. If they didn't, Phoenix and Dallas would have a Larry O'Brien trophy to display today.

So here is the ultimate insult: Karl has stressed just one thing all year--defense--yet that is the one thing they continue to struggle with. Karl is talking, but the question remains, is anybody listening?

-"z"

The Broncos claimed that they were not going to be too active in free agency shopping this offseason, and at this point, it appears they may not even enter the supermarket again. Their one trip to the grocery store resulted in them putting Keary Colbert in the shopping cart. If I were the Broncos, I would keep the receipt, just in case they find damaged goods and need to get a refund on their new $7 million man.

The idea that they are paying more than $2.3 million a year for this guy is astounding. Stephen Colbert? Worth every penny. Keary Colbert? Huh? Not so much.

Well, speaking of not so much, how about Keary's numbers. He has never caught more than 47 passes in one season. That output came in his rookie year of 2004. He dipped to 25 catches in 2005. In 2007, his season came to an end early due to a knee injury. Not exactly the most stellar track record for somebody competing to be the second receiver in an offense that has the potential to be highly productive.

The last thing the Broncos need is another wide receiver with knee problems. They just got rid of one of those guys after they signed him to a $40 million contract after one good season wearing orange and blue. However, you could at least make the argument that when healthy, Javon Walker could have been worth that that pay

Other than upside, there is no reason to think that Colbert and his medicore career should be financially valued at such a high rate by any team, much less a franchise that has to be judicious in how they spend their free agent money, considering their 2007 spending spree hasn't exactly paid big dividends yet.

I know the cap room is available, but just because you have $16 million available, doesn't mean you have to spend it recklessly.

Full well realize that reclamation projects are nothing new in the NFL these days, but this just seems so much like their philosophy of "they will become better players here." How did that work out with Jake Plummer? Or Sam Adams? Or Gerard Warren? Or Courtney Brown? At least, those guys had something to bring to the table before they got to Denver and eventually underwhelmed. Colbert brings very little to Dove Valley----and his numbers prove it.

In my opinion, with $16 million to spend, why not go after an upper echelon wide receiver? Instead, they have spent it on a guy who they hope, but don't know, can be an impact player. So what is four years in the NFL with little buzz worth these days? About $7 million.

The big winner, no matter what happens, is Colbert. If it doesn't work, Mike Shanahan, Jay Cutler, and Brandon Marshall will be wondering the same thing the Panthers do today: Why didn't Colbert ever pan out to be the player we thought he could?

-"z"

This seems hard to imagine, but on that spring afternoon in 1991 at the NFL Draft, when NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue came to the podium to announce the second round selection of the Atlanta Falcons, he mispronounced the player's name. His name: Brett Favre.

Safe to say, nobody will ever mispronounce "Favre" again. In 1991, he was a little known quarterback from Southern Mississippi. Today, 17 years later, the Falcons probably regret the day they traded Favre to the Green Bay Packers. After all, they don't have any problems at quarterback do they?

Through his career he won a Super Bowl, legions of admirers, multiple MVP awards, and in 2007 alone became the career passing yardage leader by passing Dan Marino.

He also, in 2007, became the career wins leader for a quarterback, passing some dude named John Elway.

The question today becomes why would Favre retire yesterday even though it appears he had a few good seasons left in that gunslinger's arm. That will be debated for weeks. Did he make the right decision? Did he make the wrong decision? In my opinion, it's HIS decision and we have no right to question it. Speaking of questions, there were many about Favre's future just a few years ago. To his credit, he evolved and became so GOOD again, that at the age of 38-----when almost every player in the league has been retired for years-----Favre still, according to many, had a FEW solid years in front of him.

That aside, there is more than just Favre football withdrawl in this country today, with the residents of Green Bay, feeling particularly blue. I think, Favre, as a person, may have been just as important as Favre, the football player.

One of the reasons I think Favre connected with America so well is because outside of the enormous shadow he cast and considerable paycheck he warranted, he is like so many of us. He dealt with the death of one of his inlaws, his wife's breast cancer, the death of his father, his addiction to painkillers, and ----he did it all PUBLICLY. His life was an open book and as a sports star in America, we were all interested. Athletes deal with issues, just like the rest of us, though, rare is the case that we got a peak inside the personal world of an athlete, like we did with Favre. The news wasn't all rosy, but that made him much more "human", likable, and a sympathetic figure.

The man is one of the few athletes whose face is known in a "helmet" league. For many years, he was the "face" of the NFL. Though, unlike, other sports, the NFL is more about the uniform than the person wearing it. The League just gets more strong by the year, despite the departure of star power. They just replenish the old stars with a constellation of new ones. We like the players, but we LOVE the game. The NFL will survive, it will almost certainly continue to thrive, but it just won't be the same without Favre there.

"z"

Make that "Father Knows Best," but for the purposes of today's blog, let's just switch it up a bit.

On Thursday, the Denver Broncos signed their second "Bailey" but neither one of them has ever been on "Party Of Five.'

They already had one of the game's best players in cornerback Champ Bailey. Other than his $4.1 million guarantee, there are no guarantees about the performance the Broncos will get from his brother, Boss.

They gave him a deal that in total is five years in length and worth $20.5 million and if Boss can be half as good as Champ, it will be worth it.

As we can agree--maybe even Coach Mike Shanahan does too--their previous dips into the defensive line/linebacker free agent pool have been icy and in shallow water at best.

The Broncos said they were going to be light spenders in free agency this season, after a less than stellar foray into that arena a year ago. Even still, Shanahan has always been one to make the bold move, so it wouldn't surprise me if something still occurred.

They may be living up to their word on free agent spending, though. After all, they have committed "only" $20.5 million to Bailey and $7 million to wide receiver Keary Colbert. They also signed John Lynch to a one-year deal, with a big cut in salary. In comparison, the Jets have signed also three players of note, however, their total contract amounts hover at close to $107 million.

Will admit the Jets were 3-13 last season, while the Broncos were 7-9. Then again, without Jason Elam, the Broncos could have been much closer to the Jets record-wise than they were to the postseason. That being said, the question remains: Why is Elam still a free agent?

One thing is sure: If they have chosen to not be a major player in free agency, they must do well in the NFL Draft. However, the team's mistakes there are the reason they were 7-9 last season. The statistic has been dished out several times, so what's once more? The team has one player remaining from their selections from 2001-2004. The only one that remains is linebacker D.J. Williams.

The ability to efficiently build through the NFL Draft is a proven way to succeed; Indianapolis and New England have won Super Bowls doing it, and the team the Broncos are looking up at in the AFC West hierarchy--the Chargers--may be as good as anyone in evaluating college talent. Finding talent through the NFL Draft is also cheaper. Draft mistakes are easier to overcome than free agent missteps from both a personnel and financial viewpoint. So while the Broncos have withstood the urge to spend in March, they now would rather select players in April, and they can only hope that it pays off next February.

Have a nice weekend.

-"z"

Apologize for being out of the loop for the last few days, though we're back on track--unlike the college basketball landscape around here. That, more than anything, will serve as an appropriate transition to our subject today.

The highlights of the Front Range college basketball season:

1) Tim Anderson of Air Force wins the MWC Defensive Player of the Year Award.

2) Marcus Hall of CSU leads all MWC players in scoring average at 17.2 points per game.
(Note: Hall leads in scoring average for all games, New Mexico's J.R. Giddens leads in MWC scoring average).

3) The Pioneers won 11 games this season, up from their total of four, just a year ago.

That is about all I could come up with.

The opposite end of this list is more or less discovering how low we can go and what depths of basketball despair we can reach. To some, a scary task, with potentially frightening results. I mean, there was so much ineptiude on the hardwood this season, it's hard to just bring it all together. Let's put it this way: When asked to look into the failure, even the champion of hard-charging determination, fearless Governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, declined the chance to investigate.

He kept saying he could not help the basketball cause in Colorado because he needed to be in Washington, D.C. Why is that? Isn't he (for now) the Governor of New York?

Much like his constituents back on the East Coast, I have more or less given up on Spitzer,so I will try to figure out the basketball riddle on the Front Range, on my own.

1) Have to say that I am completely floored by this first statistic, but it's pretty wild. For the first time in a decade, the NCAA saw a school in Division I Basketball, Colorado State, fail to win a regular season conference game in men's and women's basketball. The women's team should be applauded for their positive attitude as they won their conference tournament play-in contest on Thursday, despite the adversity of a tough season. Speaking of "tough season", the men's team should try and patent that phrase. They finished the regular season on a 17-game losing streak and today face Wyoming, who like everybody in the MWC, handled the Rams this regular season. Two teams, zero regular-season conference wins...winning a national title is difficult, not winning at all, as CSU can attest, may be even tougher.

2) The Buffs won three games in Conference play this season. There were more people in line at the Passport office I was at today than there seem to be watching this team at the Coors Event Center. Win and the crowds will show up. It is that simple. That winning part, though, has proven to be rather complicated. It's year one for Jeff Bzdelik, therefore, a lot cannot be interpreted from this season. However, at times, their lack of interest and hustle is worrisome, particularly for a guy like Bzdelik, who stresses intensity on the floor.

It was not that long ago that CU had Chauncey Billups and that CSU played Duke in the NCAA Tournament. It just seems that way.

Hope to see you tomorrow, have a great Wednesday, everyone.

-"z"

Wednesday night at around 6:00 P.M. Mike Shanahan called Broncos General Manager Ted Sundquist into his office and essentially told him "Thanks for your help over the last 16 years, now why don't you hit the road?" Make no mistake, the rubber has now hit the road with this organization and there is only one person that is now directly responsible for the course this franchise will chart from here on out: Shanahan.

The firing comes as a surprise to me, but that Shanahan would blame somebody else for the team's decline into mediocrity, does not. In the last few years, he has fired three defensive coordinators, gave up on a quarterback that took him to the AFC Championship game (they haven't been to the playoffs post Jake Plummer), and now the blood has moved from the coaching staff to the front office.

I respect Shanahan immensely as a coach, two Super Bowl titles and 11 winning records in 13 years, is full proof of his ability. That said, I also respect anyone who has been with any company for 16 years, especially a business as tremendously grueling and incredibly competitive as the NFL. Sundquist moved his way up from scout all the way to GM of the team. Then again, that was in title only.

We all kind of get the impression that Sundquist's position may make for an impressive business card, but in Denver, being a front office decision maker, is a job in title only. You have to assume that with the widespread authority that owner Pat Bowlen has placed in Shanahan, it makes the coach, the person with the final say. So, therefore, the buck will ultimately have to stop with him. Greg Robinson, Larry Coyer, Jim Bates, Plummer, and Sundquist are all convenient and easy to dismiss as scapegoats.

That means there is only one logical thought left to arrive at: there is nobody left to dismiss. Shanahan has put himself on an island with this move.

In a sort of skeptical way, I thought he might as well retain Sundquist. That way, if you have a disappointing 2008 season, that is when you let Sundquist go. By doing it now, a man that has more security than I think anybody realizes, has effectively put himself into a corner. Why do that to yourself and marginalize your potential long term security? . Maybe because he doesn't feel there is a job security issue.

Taking a step back, it is clear that some move had to me made. An organization that has goals as high as the Broncos, finds missing the postseason in consecutive years as more-or- less unacceptable, and rightfully so. They have been as active as any team in trades and are willing to spend on free agents. They have been hit-and-miss in those areas and as a result, find themselves in the predicament they are currently in.

The track record of their drafting in recent years is another reason for their lack of success. So, in fairness, if you make bad trades, sign underwhelming free agents, and draft poorly, it is the fault of the general manager, right? Yes. However, does anyone actually think Sundquist goes to Shanahan and tells him what direction the team is going in? I think it is actually just the opposite.

In the last few seasons, they admitted their mistake on Javon Walker, they restructured Travis Henry's contract, gave $30 million to a tight end that needed to play on the offensive line because they didn't have adequate help at the position. They let Plummer go, they brought in and gave up on Courtney Brown, Sam Adams, and Gerard Warren. They drafted and traded Tatum Bell and George Foster. They released Willie Middlebrooks. They really thought it was a positive idea to draft Maurice Clarett. They signed Simeon Rice and paid him to more or less complain. They had a malcontent punter.

All I am trying to say is that if you think Sundquist pulled the strings on these guys and everything else, then he deserves to go. However, the bottom line remains that Shanahan is the face of the franchise, he drives the organization and its development, and he rightly deserves much praise for his tremendous accomplishments. Although, I also think he must honestly be held responsible if the future does not turn out to be as bright as his past has been.

Hope to see you on Friday.

-"z"

I know this means nothing but if...The Nuggets were in the Eastern Conference, they would be the fourth seed in the postseason. As you know, as of today, in the West, they are out.

They are now 38-26, good enough to be the ninth invitee in an eight-member party in the West. In the East, they would be ahead of Cleveland, Toronto, Washington, Philadelphia, and New Jersey--all of whom would be in the postseason today and Denver would not.

To put that in perspective, consider that the Nuggets would have to sit and watch two teams-the Sixers and Nets-who have losing records. The Nets are 27-38 and may be rewarded for that. The Nuggets have played considerably better and might reward George Karl with his walking papers. This disparity is frustrating, though the world of professional basketball is cyclical. The Celtics, the Pistons, and the Bulls, all Eastern Conference teams, have had their moments over the years.

The NBA's Western Conference may be very strong now, but eventually, if history is any indication, things will even out. Although, there are two issues that are going to make NBA fans in our city even more disappointed.

First, the one squad in the West that may have the most upside of all--is a team not even in the postseason hunt this season. Portland has a young collection of talent and with Greg Oden practicing yesterday, they added to their mix a center who they hope can be a centerpiece for their franchise. They are too inexperienced to compete for a spot this season, yet even without Oden, held their own most of the way and in the opinion of many, overachieved. Their future looks bright.

Second, the Nets are in with a losing mark, though consider what makes this even more strange. The Bulls at 26-38 so far, the Hawks also with a 26-38 record, the Pacers with a 25-39 record, and even the Charlotte Bobcats at 24-40, still have a chance. Forty losses with 18 games to go and still with a shot? The Bobcats, with that subpar play are just 2.5 games out of it. The Nuggets, with 14 more wins and 14 less losses, are two games out. So in a way, 38 wins for the Nuggets, has them just slightly better off than a team with 24 victories.

Life is not fair, even in world of the NBA, though if the Nuggets have to sit and watch one of these teams come the postseason, they are going to be in a world of hurt.

To all, enjoy your weekend, I hope to see you here on Monday.

"z"

"We just lost tonight. We just lot by a lot."

You know, I think Sonics forward Kris Wilcox summed up last night's loss to Denver rather accurately and succintly.

As hard as it is to fathom, the Sonics scored 116 points--and lost.

Did we mention they lost by 52 points?

The Nuggets 168 points were the most they have ever scored in a regulation contest. The francise record for points was 184 in a 1983 triple OT defeat to Detroit.

In their previous meeting, Denver scored 138 points in a victory in Seattle. By relative comparsion, that output seemed like a drought compared to the output on Sunday night.

A quick look at the numbers:

The Nuggets had scored an NBA season-high 48 points at the end of the first quarter.

The Nuggets had 84 points at the half.

They scored another 84 in the second half and their lowest scoring quarter was the second, in which they only scored 36 points. They scored at least 41 or more points in each of the other three quarters.

They shot 60.4 percent from the field for the entire game.

They hit 16 3-point shots.

The team had eight players score in double figures.

They had a total of 44 assists.

They led by as many as 55 points.

About as solid as it gets. There is one other statistic that is worth mentioning, though. Despite a win that all NBA fans will be discussing today, they are still 1.5 games behind Golden State for the eighth and final Playoff spot in the West.

I hope you have as good a Monday as the Nuggets did their Sunday.

-"z"

Several years ago when Michael Jordan came out of retirement--the first time--he did something you would expect from an athletic marketing mogul and predictably, and, like much of Jordan's career, it was pure genius.

He simply changed his uniform number. The back of his jersey still had "Jordan" affixed to it, but below that, it was not the familiar "23", but rather "45." Tons of people already had a "Jordan 23 jersey", but a "Jordan 45"? Let's just say apparel stores couldn't stock them fast enough.

That said, college basketball has also taken a publicity lesson from the guy who hit the shot to win the sport's National Championship in 1982.

The evolution and spirited discussion over "bubble teams" has become the equivalent of the new Jordan jersey--it's new, it's fresh, it's got buzz, but what does it all mean, really?

Jordan's jersey is just that, a sleeveless shirt.

A "bubble team", is just that: a team so average that if they were to get into the field of 65, almost nobody would give them much of a shot to a win even a single game, but will give impassioned pleas on their behalf until they turn (Carolina) blue in the face.

I think many of us would agree that we wouldn't lay $20 on one of the "last four teams in" to make it to a Final Four. So if they have virtually no shot, why is there so much outrage? Let's face it, would you feel confident that the alleged biggest snub, Arizona State, would even win their first round game if they got in? I wouldn't, and yet their omission is being treated like some crime against civilization.

I may be oversimplifying it here, but seriously, you play about 30 games a year. Earn your way in. This isn't college football, where your season can end in September. This is a sport where they give you credit for scheduling tough, while essentially telling you it's acceptable to lose, as long as your caliber of competition is solid. You can struggle throughout Conference play and still get in by winning the automatic bid in the Conference Tournament. There are a lot of ways to get in, so if you're left out, it's nobody's fault but your own.

College basketball is the only sport where the most attention goes to the least deserving teams. And you know what? Like Jordan's jersey, it is pure genuis.

Just consider this: assuming you never attended these schools, have you ever felt so strongly about Arizona State, Illinois State, and Dayton in your life? We can rattle off their RPI and SOS faster than we can a relative's birthday, and we are crestfallen when some school that we have never been to, barely see on television, and can't even name their head coach, gets snubbed. We take it personally, which is kind of strange.

Then again, we are emotional--all of us college basketball fans, at least.

This game we love is unique because unlike in many other sports, emotion is a huge factor. All athletes play with certain levels of intensity, but just watch a college basketball game on television compared with an NBA one. In that respect, there is no comparison.

Back to our topic at hand.

The last four teams in and the last four teams out get so much of the publicity and analysis, it takes a while to realize that there were plenty of other teams who truly are deserving of their spot that nobody is talking about. Instead, we all want to focus on the merits of a team----that by it's own definition as a "bubble team", tacitly admits their resume is shaky at best, therefore making an argument that they could be in or out. If you need to make an argument to support your profile, it normally means you had a chance to get in on your own, but couldn't do it.

Who has gotten more buzz in the last day or so? Arizona State or the overall number one seed, North Carolina? I would say ASU and that makes no sense.

We love these next few days because of the upsets. That is what makes this event so great for all fans. I think upsets are what we remember, but "chalk" is what we normally get.

The lowest seed ever to win it is Villanova, an eight-seed, in 1985.

In the last 30 years, only two mid major programs have even made it to a Final Four. Penn in 1979 and the incredible run by George Mason in 2006. However, I still believe that the run by the Patriots two seasons ago is arguably the single greatest story this event has seen in three decades. They defeated three number one seeds along the way, not too bad for a 13th seed from the lightly regarded Colonial Athletic Association. The story is great, but in my opinion, there is a reason, Penn and George Mason come around once every 30 years or so.

We love upsets, though we also have to face reality. Since The NCAA Tournament exapnded to 64-65 schools, there have been 92 games between a number 15 seed and a number two seed. The number two seed has won 88 times.

We also love near upsets. There have also been 92 games between a number-sixteen seed and a one seed. Never has the one seed lost. However, one game---Princeton almost stunning Georgetown in 1989----is more fondly recalled than the other 91 games involving those seeds combined.

I will say that I do think some "bubble teams" have legitimate arguments, such as Dayton. Their strength of schedule and RPI were great, but injuries played a role in their exclusion. You could say that they were more deserving than Georgia-----who went 37 days this season without an SEC win, until it won four in four days to gain entry .

On the merits, I agree with that assesment, the numbers seem to favor Dayton over Georgia. However, the numbers weren't exactly in George Mason's favor either and look how that turned out.

Lesson learned. Anybody can make a run, and that is why this event is so wonderful.

In most cases, in most areas of life, I am a "body of work" evaluator. I will always put more stock into what somebody does throughout the course of a job or relationship--as opposed to one defining or, shall we say, one shining moment (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist)--here or there.

However, the Conference tournaments are here to stay, if not for anything but to get an automatic qualifier into the field from a small conference and give them a chance to do what their tiny school's football program can't--actually have a chance--albeit, one as small as their school---to win. However, they get a chance, and that's all you can ask for.

College basketball isn't perfect, but three weeks of pure excitement makes it close, no matter who is in or out.

Have a great day.

-"z"

I'm not sure any opposing player has ever been cheered at a pro sports event in Philadelphia.

Then again, upon closer inspection, I'm not sure how often hometown athletes are cheered in Philadelphia.

I think tonight those two worlds will collide.

Philadelphia selected Allen Iverson with the first pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. That year, Carmelo Anthony turned 12 years old.

Iverson became a legend in Philadelphia, despite never winning an NBA title. The Sixers have not put their hands on the Larry O' Brien trophy since 1983--but in 2001--they came close, only due to the fact that Iverson was on the roster.

They lost to the Lakers in five games in the NBA Finals that year, though in a stunner, won the first game in Los Angeles behind 48 points from the man they call "A.I." That performance more than anything embodies the enigma that is Allen Iverson.

He led his team to an Eastern Conference Chamionship that year and coincidentally defeated George Karl's Milwaukee Bucks to accomplish that.

As was pointed out to me by my colleague, Ben Billings, he had virtually no help on that team, yet still got to the NBA Finals. Ironically, that same lack of help five years later and the realization that another Finals appearance was becoming more remote, forced his hand to ask for a trade from the only pro team he ever played for.

In 2001, the Sixers gave Iverson such stalwarts as Aaron McKie to help him out on the floor. McKie was a good player in the city of Philadelphia...then again, that was in 1993 when he was playing for Temple.

This next comment may sound a bit bizarre, though I think it has some merit to it: Despite all of his problems in Philadelphia with management, Larry Brown, practice, the media, practice, the police, practice, Billy King, and shall I mention practice, I think Iverson's best chance to reach the NBA Finals has come and gone.

There is almost no arguing that he has a better crop of talent here than he did in Philadelphia, but the quality of the competition is just too strong in the West now for me to honestly think the Nuggets can break through. In 2001, Dallas was owned by Ross Perot, Junior and was about as irrelevant as his dad's 1996 Presidential campaign. The Suns were eight years removed from their 1993 NBA Finals team, led by another Sixers legend, in Charles Barkley. The Jazz were three years removed from their loss to Chicago, in Michael Jordan's last game as a Bulls player. Point is, the West is a lot deeper now, so, even though Iverson is surrounded by more overall skill on the floor, so is everybody else.

I think, in a single game, the Nuggets can hang with anyone. They are the only team in the NBA that has had four different players (Iverson, Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Linas Kleiza) score at least 40 points in a game this season. Those types of situations are rare, though. In a best-of-five or best-of-seven playoff format, good, solid, and consistent play, is the key. The Nuggets have the feel of a knife--that is, sharp one moment and dull the next. In the Playoffs, that hot and cold streak won't get it done.

Then again, they may have to make the Playoffs first, if they even want to see how far they can go.

One thing is pretty certain and the fans in Philadelphia can tell you this better than almost anyone. If everyone on the Nuggets played with the dedication, intensity, and determination displayed by Iverson, Karl wouldn't be worried about making the Playoffs he would more concerned with figuring out how to win the NBA Finals.

So when you hear that cheer go up in Philadelphia tonight, remember, it may be the only time you do...and in Philadelphia for 11 years, they got to experience what we know here in Denver today: there is only one Iverson.

Tip-off is at 7:00 P.M. from the Wachovia Center.

Have a great day, everyone.

-"z"

He had 32 points.

The Nuggets had 113 points.

Advantage, Allen Iverson.

I cannot say this enough: as always, Iverson played with incredible emotion in last night's tough 115-113 loss in Philadelphia. Sure, he was playing his old team, a city whose fabric Iverson embodies. For that reason, you would expected "A.I." to play with extra intensity last night. Emotionally, that was most likely the case. Physically, hard to imagine.

Iverson plays hard no matter who the opposing team might be. He has been playing with a non-displaced fracture on his right ring finger. Not sure how close that is to being a broken finger, but the bottom line is, any basketball player needs his right hand. Iverson had 32 last night and the only pain you saw was on the face of Philadelphia fans who were torn, rooting for Iverson to play well, but pulling for the Sixers to win.

The victory put the Sixers at 34-34, they have four in a row--big comeback over Chicago, a win in Detroit, a win against San Antonio, and a win over the Nuggets.

The last trip the Nuggets took to Chicago? Loss. Last trip to Detroit. Gave up 136 points in a loss. Last game playing San Antonio. A loss. I'm not sure that, despite being a few games better in the win column, right now, Philadelphia isn't more dangerous than Denver. The Sixers have no maximum contract player. The Nuggets have three of them. The Sixers are thriving, the Nuggets are surviving---barely. Sure, playing in the East helps but you play the hand you are dealt. The Nuggets play in a more competitive Conference but have much better overall talent and that should be the mitigating factor, after all, the NBA, by many accounts is a player's League.

That said, this morning I'm not sure I think the Nuggets truly are better---right at this moment---than a team that is 34-34, though, I think Iverson deserves better.

Have a great day.

-"z"

If the NFL season started tomorrow, which, of course, it doesn't, but if it did, the Broncos' kicker would be somebody by the name of Matt Prater.

Let me guess: you don't know much about him either.

Well, he is famous enough to have his own Wikipedia page, and here's a summary of what that says: He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He was released on August 27th of that year and subsequently had tryouts with three other NFL teams. He signed a futures deal with the Dolphins in 2007, though lost out on the starting job. He then tried out for the Atlanta Falcons where he attempted two field goals in a regular season game. It says he missed both.

Another website says that he made one field goal from a distance of 40-49 yards in 2007, so--and I say this tongue-in-cheek--there "conflicting stories" about his career.

Here is one thing that everyone can agree on: he's going to have some large shoes (appropriate for a placekicker, I guess) to fill.

Jason Elam left Denver after 15 seasons on Friday, signing a four year, $9 million deal with the Falcons. He grew up in Snellville, Georgia, so in a way, you could say it was a homecoming for one of the classsiest players in Broncos history. However, after 15 years, may considered Denver to be his home, including Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. He said he would get involved in negotiations to keep Elam, should that need arise. It appears, as though that never had the chance to take place.

The Broncos will more than likely bring in competition to kick with Prater. However, no matter who they do invite to training camp, they will not be as reliable as Elam. Olindo Mare is out there, though I will take Elam. As we know, his kicks on the final play of four games--including two in OT--gave Denver a boost in the win column last year.

I have always been somewhat confused by why teams don't put more stock into kickers. The Patriots won three Super Bowls, each by three points, thanks in very large part to the most clutch kicker in our lifetime, Adam Vinatieri. If he isn't clutch, how many Lombardi trophies does New England have? If Elam doesn't rescue the Broncos last season, how much worse than 7-9 do they finish?

I realize that Elam did not handle kickoffs, but despite just handling field goals and extra points, he was worth, in my opinion, every penny. He made 27 of 31 attempts and was 17-17 from 39 yards or less. He was a little weaker on longer kicks, as he connected on 10 of 14 kicks of 40 yards or longer. To me, the four game winning kicks though make that last statistic less important. You can kick a short field goal but if the situation is long on pressure, like all of those attempts were, really there is nobody I wanted more than Elam.

Then again, this is pro sports, with that said, maybe we should just be glad to have had the chance to watch him for 15 tremendous years. Jason, you will be missed.

I hope everyone has a great day.

-"z"

In 2007, Brandon Marshall had what many would term a "breakout" season.

In March of 2008, Marshall apparently just caught a bad "break."

It seems about as likely as a fourth round draft pick from Central Florida being on the cusp of NFL superstardom, but this is what Marshall said led to him possibly missing most of the offseason with serious injuries to his right arm.

He says last Saturday morning, about ten or so of his buddies were about to go jet skiing. They started, as Marshall told The Denver Post, what he referred to as "horseplaying" and it ended up with him slipping on a McDonald's bag and crashing through an entertainment system.

As a result, according to The NFL Network, he ended up severing a vein and a nerve in his right forearm. It was also reported that he severed the tendons to five muscles.

I am not going to prejudge anything here, even though Marshall has had his scrapes with the law in Denver and dropped to the fourth round of The NFL Draft in 2006 due somewhat to character issues. I would like to think Marshall has learned from those mistakes, but only one person knows for sure.

I do wonder, though, if he has a clause in his contract that would prevent him from jet skiing. There are stipulations in many contracts as to what physical activities may or may not be off limit to current players. He obviously wasn't injured while on jet skis, but if that is something his contract forbids him to do during his playing days for fear of injury and subsequent non performace, than maybe I can be more skeptical of his excuse here. Until then, though, I believe Brandon and I think most Broncos want to believe him when he said "We'll laugh about it later".

Have a great Tuesday.

"z"

If you were arguably the best player in the NFL at your position, and you were in the prime of your career, and you had great expectations about your team's chance for success, and for the most part, you did not see that level of play materialize... then you'd know what it feels like to be Champ Bailey.

More or less, no ordinary player is going to criticize any offseason moves made by his team. Then again, Bailey is no ordinary Broncos player. He is extraordinary, and his skill with his hands and feet allow the words coming out of his mouth to be heard.

Pretty much everybody knows complaining about personnel moves with the Broncos, is, in essence, showing displeasure with head coach Mike Shanahan. That's a line that most players will not cross. However, most players do not have a $63 million contract like Bailey does. He is playing by a different set of rules and his play on the field merits that lone voice of dissent within the organizational structure.

There are plenty of people around here who think letting Jason Elam sign with Atlanta was an error in judgment and you can count Bailey among them. He went so far as to say that he would not be happy if the team does not have a real solution to replacing him during camp. That seems unlikely. The two top prospects are Olindo Mare, who was 10-17 on field goal attempts last year, though remains a free agent. The incumbent kicker, Matt Prater, has one career regular season field goal to his credit--or three less than the amount of game-winning kicks Elam had in 2007. I think Bailey makes a lot of sense.

One last thought: the Broncos offered Keary Colbert the same amount of money as Elam. Of those two, if you could pick one, who would you rather have on this team?

I think I know which way most of you are leaning.

Have a great day!

-"z"

Starting tonight, the Nuggets will begin a two-game stretch that will most likely either bolster their playoff hopes, or perhaps, put them away for good.

This morning, they are in the ninth invitee to an eight-team party. They are one-half game out of the eighth spot, currently held by Golden State. The Nuggets will see the Warriors on Saturday night.

They are two games out of seventh place. That spot is currently held by Dallas. They play the Mavericks tonight.

Of those three teams, let's take a look at their remaining schedules.

Dallas, seventh seed
-Remaining games: 11
-Four at home, seven on the road.
-Eight of those teams have winning records.

Golden State, eighth seed
-Remaining games: 12
-Six at home, six on the road.
-Eight of those teams have winning records.

Denver, in the ninth spot
-Remaining games: 11
-Six at home, five on the road.
-Seven teams with winning records.

It may be a little bit of a simplistic comparison here, but the Nuggets have a bit of an easier schedule. They have been great at home this season. Being great at home the next two nights....now that would be really great.

I hope everybody has a great Thursday.

-"z"

Tell me if you agree: Over the last few years, if you could choose one word to describe the Nuggets, would you choose "inconsistent?" If so, we're on the same wavelength.

At least in one regard, you have to hand it to the Nuggets--they are consistently inconsistent and that is not easy to do.

Case in point: They can defeat the Celtics, Suns, and Spurs, but seem to fizzle against the likes of the Bulls and the Bucks. If the Nuggets do not qualify for the postseason, they will look back at that mini-Midwest road trip that headed south as the main culprits in a list of games, that, talent-wise, they had no business losing, but as inconsistent teams do, lost anyway.

This can all be squashed--at least momentarily--if the Nuggets win on Saturday night. They play Golden State and a win puts them into the eighth spot in the Western Conference. Then again, almost every Western Conference seed position should be preceeded by the word "tenous" since there is still so much in flux. One thing that is clear, however, is this: A win Saturday night means the Nuggets control their own fate, a feeling they haven't embraced in far too long.

Thursday night saw the Nuggets pull into a tie for the eighth spot after a 118-105 win over the depleted Mavericks. However, Golden State's win over Portland late last night, pushed them a half-game back in front. May be a fight to the finish for arguably two of the NBA's most talented teams...that's saying something for the depth of the Conference, considering those teams are fighting for the last Playoff spot.

Have a good weekend!

-"z"

After a Saturday night victory over the Warriors, the Nuggets stood one half-game in front of Golden State for the eighth and final Playoff spot in the NBA's ultra tough Western Conference.

Then, after not even playing on Sunday, they moved into seventh place. Pretty good, right? Well, that depends. What's better? Being all alone in eighth or in a three-way tie for seventh? Yes, Denver is currently sharing that seed with Dallas and Golden State.

Will they be able to hang on? Each morning the Nuggets play one of their remaining nine games, the blog will take a look at that night's contest, offer a little useful information on the contest, as well as give an often inaccurate prediction.......hey, I'm trying.

Monday, March 31 Nuggets At Suns

Outlook: Should be closer than the last meeting between these two. A 126-113 win on March 5 by the Nuggets was accomplished as Shaquille O'Neal was still adusting to playing for Phoenix. That game was played in Denver, where the Nuggets are 30-7 this season. On the road, they have a medicore 15-21 record. This season, at home, the Nuggets have defeated the Spurs, Celtics, Suns, Warriors, and Mavericks, to name a few. On the road, the number of big wins is considerably less. Tonight, would be a great night to prove they can become Western Conference road warriors as well.

Numbers: The Nuggets have won five in a row. Phoenix has won two straight and had won seven in a row earlier in the month. They are 12-8 since O'Neal came to town. On Saturday night, Suns forward Amare Stoudemire had 33 points and 15 rebounds in a win in New Jersey. He had 37 points and 15 reboundsin O'Neal's desert debut on February 20. Those two games marked the only times in O'Neal's career where a teammate had at least 30 points and at least 15 rebounds in a game. Never in Orlando with Penny Hardaway, never in Los Angeles with Kobe Bryant, and not once with Dwyane Wade in Miami. In other words, O'Neal grabs the attention, but others front line players are not ceding to his presence.

Prediction:The Suns set on Denver tonight. The winning streak ends at five. Though they could start a new one on Tuesday night when they play host to, yeah, the Suns.

-"z"

As mentioned in the Monday entry, I was ready to put forth an "inaccurate prediction" on the rest of the games the Nuggets play. I am proud to say, I was well on my way to that dubious achievement, when the Nuggets, to my chagrin, actually.......for once.......proved me right.

It was a strange feeling. As the Nuggets 22 -point lead was being trimmed and eventually evaporated totally, let's face it..........you were probably more shocked that they had a 22-point lead rather than them blowing a 22-point lead.

As I mentioned yesterday, they just are not a viable threat to knock off most of the elite teams in the West Conference on the road. Sure, they are 30-7 at home, though if the Nuggets get into the NBA Playoffs, they will most likely not have the home court advanatge in any round. They need to to prove to everyone---especially themselves----that they can win a big game away from Denver.

I think of the three teams battling for the seventh and eighth spot, the Warriors pose the biggest threat. The first or second seed can only hope that a tired and wilting Mavericks team or an inconsistent Nuggets team will be the opposition.

That said, our Nuggets preview continues. Tonight, their opponent is last night's opponent, the Suns.

Outlook: The Nuggets have to be feeling despondent today. Last night wasn't just a chance to win but also prove to themselves that could be a legitimate NBA Playoff force. Instead, their five game winning streak is over and tonight, I think, to put it frankly, the Nuggets need to win more than the Suns.

Numbers: The Nuggets were outscored by 13 points in the third quarter and by 21 points in the fourth quarter last night. The Suns scored 46 points in that last quarter. Remember Nuggets head coach George Karl trying to emphasize defense to this team? They don't either.

Prediction: After Monday night, it stands to logically reason, the Nuggets are in trouble. However, this is just the type of game and type of circumstance they can rally around, so, as strange as it sounds, one night after the Suns(s) set on the Nuggets, I like Denver to return the favor this evening.

Enjoy your Tuesday, hope to see you tomorrow!

-"z"