And now Ian’s annual Broncos prediction piece, which tests his swami-like ability to see the future through the bottom of a bourbon glass. Strap in for the bumpy ride that will be Denver’s up-and-down 2010-2011 season…
There is a brief moment after all the 7-layer dip has been mauled, the dead soldiers cleared, and the celebratory rampages have petered out into hungover walks of shame. A moment when every team, save one, is once again equal in their quest for the Lombardi, and every fan equal in their deep dread at the prospect of another long offseason filled with Mike Mayock talking out of his ass.
The 2010 Broncos season is just one draft, three shockingly random trades, and five months away. The once proud residents of Broncoland, who have spent most of this offseason trying to avoid the new ‘all news is bad news’ flavor of the organization, are desperate to know how Denver stacks up against its 2010 competition.
All things being equal, it is difficult to decipher the tendencies of McDaniels and Xanders after their free-wheeling, pick-trading 2009 Draft odyssey. If the stars aligned perfectly, the Broncos could spend the first two picks setting the middle of their defense & offense with Rolando McClain & Maurkice Pouncey respectively.
Control was an issue all the way through the 6th inning, but from the 7th on he had firm control of the game. Ubaldo finishes with 7 SO and 6 BB. A no-no with 6 BB is impressive. Even more impressive was the fact that this wasn’t the San Diego Padres. This was the Atlanta Braves. By the end of the season Atlanta team will be a top-ten hitting team. U-Ball crushed a good team today.
Broncos starting Quarterback Kyle Orton has signed a restricted free-agent tender with Denver, indicating that he will stay with the team through the 2010-2011 season. Orton was tendered at a first-round draft pick, but is not likely to follow the tender-to-trade path that Brandon Marshall took out of town.
With Game One finished in 7 of 8 Conference Quarterfinal Series, NHL audiences have already seen what makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs the premier event in pro sports.
Dr. Jumper spent a lot of time on the court Monday night when the Nuggets took on the Suns in Phoenix.
For the Canadians & Americans, the NHL-sized rink is a major advantage. Against each other, the game will look very much like an NHL All-Star game, separated into Canada vs. United States, and played like the 7th Game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Should be exciting.
The winning point went to Jason Smith and the American Men’s Curling Team in the 10th End. The final American throw was the Men’s fifth chance to win with a single stone, and the first that hit home.
