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Humans have always had a complicated relationship with weather. Ancient cultures prayed and made offerings to gods in hopes of receiving conditions conducive to growing crops. Adverse weather, then, w…
Humans have always h…
Humans have always had a complicated relationship with weather. Ancient cultures prayed and made offerings to gods in hopes of receiving conditions conducive to growing crops. Adverse weather, then, was often interpreted as displeasure on behalf of those same beings—a punishment for failing to observe proper rituals. It doesn’t take a history scholar to understand this impulse. Weather, now as then, is both an enemy and ally. On one hand, it provides everything from the raw material for food—sunlight driving photosynthesis, wind the primary method of plants spreading their seeds—to …
Sometimes, writing about art and theater feels a lot like falling down the proverbial rabbit hole as I try to find the angle to write about wandering through a haunted-theater immersive experience, ge…
Sometimes, writing a…
Sometimes, writing about art and theater feels a lot like falling down the proverbial rabbit hole as I try to find the angle to write about wandering through a haunted-theater immersive experience, getting splashed in a Halloween horror show in the basement of a spaghetti emporium, sweating through a DIY D&D in a comic shop, savoring (har har!) Sweeney Todd’s enraged high notes, and trying to quiet my howling dog in a public house. I’ve found myself in some odd and awkward scenarios. To update the metaphor, writing this column is a lot like drunk-clicking through an endless algorithm o…
Jessie Hanson
January 8, 2020
It all started years back, when NBA TV would offer a free preview for the first two weeks of the season. Snuggled in the corner of my living room, I would binge watch NBA basketball like your favorit…
It all started years…
It all started years back, when NBA TV would offer a free preview for the first two weeks of the season. Snuggled in the corner of my living room, I would binge watch NBA basketball like your favorite Netflix series. But unlike your favorite shows, I didn’t need to watch the entire series to figure out the ending. You may need an entire season or more to see Tony Soprano die, Walter White blow up a cartel, or Jon stab Daenerys. All I needed was a dozen games to tell me all that I needed to know. I can’t predict mid-season trades, or who gets hurt, but after a dozen games I can t…
If you’re a Carolina Panthers fan, Sunday must have been rough. Losing 28-14 to the Denver Broncos doesn’t seem that bad on the surface, but when you allow Bo Nix to throw for 3 TDs and rush for …
If you’re a Caroli…
If you’re a Carolina Panthers fan, Sunday must have been rough. Losing 28-14 to the Denver Broncos doesn’t seem that bad on the surface, but when you allow Bo Nix to throw for 3 TDs and rush for another, it’s not a good look. The Panthers’ (1-7) best quarterback, Andy Dalton, is a 38-year-old backup that couldn’t play after being involved in a small car accident. Carolina’s second-best quarterback, Bryce Young, continued his short career struggles throwing two more interceptions in what seems to be a first-round bust. To make things worse, Young was selected one pick before…
As a Fantasy Football team owner, I did my thing. I spent countless hours listening to podcasts. Spent weeks going over players, stats, and projections. Sharpened my game by doing endless amounts…
As a Fantasy Footbal…
As a Fantasy Football team owner, I did my thing. I spent countless hours listening to podcasts. Spent weeks going over players, stats, and projections. Sharpened my game by doing endless amounts of mock drafts. Trusted the platform recommendations, my strategy, and my board looking to draft a league winner. Then crossed my fingers. Every Fantasy Football season we anoint ourselves as General Manager of the Year after our draft is completed. And every Fantasy Football season we curse ourselves for being so stupid, just four weeks later. To be fair, unless you’re Biff Tannen or …
To be honest, I always assumed that Deion Sanders would be gone sooner than later. My black and gold sunglasses still envision a time when Kordell Stewart, Rashaan Salaam, and Chad Brown played for…
To be honest, I alwa…
To be honest, I always assumed that Deion Sanders would be gone sooner than later. My black and gold sunglasses still envision a time when Kordell Stewart, Rashaan Salaam, and Chad Brown played for the Buffs. When the Buffaloes were often ranked in the top 20, sent tons of talent to the NFL, and even won a National Championship. But like the transfer portal and NIL deals – Times have changed. The Colorado Buffaloes have a record of 52-104 since 2006, no thanks to some questionable coaching hires that include Dan Hawkins (2006-2010), Jon Embree (2011-2012), Mike MacIntyre (2013-2018…
Every year I provide my readers with valuable insight that helps support their Fantasy Football rosters. I list the top running backs, sleeper picks, and draft strategies necessary for success. …
Every year I provide…
Every year I provide my readers with valuable insight that helps support their Fantasy Football rosters. I list the top running backs, sleeper picks, and draft strategies necessary for success. I list a dozen wide receiver 2’s that most have never even heard of. I keep you calm as others panic, drafting quarterbacks and tight ends many rounds before they should have. Yet, how do you reward me? You butcher your squad by coming up with lame team names such as The Dak Attack, Purdy Damn Good, and Houston - We Have No Problem. Did you learn nothing from last year’s gems that su…
In retrospect, I felt I did everything right during the 2023 Fantasy Football Draft. I ended up with Christian McCaffrey as the first overall pick, and not only did he play the entire season, but…
In retrospect, I fel…
In retrospect, I felt I did everything right during the 2023 Fantasy Football Draft. I ended up with Christian McCaffrey as the first overall pick, and not only did he play the entire season, but he also rolled up points as the top RB1 in Fantasy. AJ Brown was killing it during the first half of the season and finished as the WR4. And my RB2 may not have started the season in that spot, but after 21 TDs and 1,012 yards rushing, Raheem Mostert (RB3 overall) fit in just fine. I may have reached a little early for my quarterback, but Lamar Jackson (QB3) seemed worth the risk. Michael P…
Understanding the basic concept of the Olympic Games seems simple. Qualify for an individual or team event, compete against other countries that are doing the same, and stand on the podium if you fin…
Understanding the ba…
Understanding the basic concept of the Olympic Games seems simple. Qualify for an individual or team event, compete against other countries that are doing the same, and stand on the podium if you finish in the top three. Understanding the difference between Olympic style handball and American handball. That’s more of a mystery. And what is up with 3X3 basketball? I’ve watched plenty of Ice Cube’s Big3 League, but the Olympic version is different. I have questions about scoring difficulty in Diving and Gymnastics, the point of running over a wall and jumping into water during …
Ah, Paris in the summer. The sights, the cigarette-filled cafes, and the smell of bad cologne covering up worse body odor. The arrogant, the pompous, and the distain for anything American. A…
Ah, Paris in the sum…
Ah, Paris in the summer. The sights, the cigarette-filled cafes, and the smell of bad cologne covering up worse body odor. The arrogant, the pompous, and the distain for anything American. And of course, that unmatched reputation for pure rudeness. But enough about Brooks Koepka. All joking aside, while thousands of athletes arrive in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics this week, Brooks Koepka will not be one of them after withdrawing his name from consideration back in May. Athletes from 206 countries along with the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will compete for honor, glo…
Ryan McMahon was named the Colorado Rockies token All-Star reserve last week in Major League Baseball’s version of “Orange slices for everyone.” As of yesterday, McMahon was hitting .274 with…
Ryan McMahon was nam…
Ryan McMahon was named the Colorado Rockies token All-Star reserve last week in Major League Baseball’s version of “Orange slices for everyone.” As of yesterday, McMahon was hitting .274 with 14 HRs and 45 RBIs for a team that currently sits in last place with a record of 32-59. In a game that showcases stars like Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, and Shohei Ohtani, it may surprise some that McMahon was added to the National League roster. Afterall, while this will be the first All-Star Game appearance for McMahon, it is still one more than Kirk Gibson ever played in. But, like Elias …
In theory, it shouldn’t be that difficult to create an NBA Mock Draft that closely aligns with the thought process of a lottery team’s General Manager. With an exception or two, everybody knows…
In theory, it should…
In theory, it shouldn’t be that difficult to create an NBA Mock Draft that closely aligns with the thought process of a lottery team’s General Manager. With an exception or two, everybody knows who the top dozen players are. If you need a big man, you probably have Alex Sarr, the 7’1, 19-year-old from France at the top of your board. Or possibly Donovan Clingan, the 7’2 shot blocker from UConn. At the small forward position, France’s Zaccharie Risacher sits atop most boards as a 6’9 athlete with an outside shot and a defensive reputation. And if you’re in need of a gu…
Back in the day, there used to be a show on television called The Wide World of Sports, hosted by the legendary Jim McKay. Every Saturday, for years, the program would cover relevant sporting events …
Back in the day, the…
Back in the day, there used to be a show on television called The Wide World of Sports, hosted by the legendary Jim McKay. Every Saturday, for years, the program would cover relevant sporting events from around the globe and the stories that went along with them. The Wide World of Sports occasionally highlighted unknown events such as Jai-alai or Mexican Cliff Diving. But the show was better known for its innovation and understanding of the average American sports fan, being the first to televise Wimbledon, The Indianapolis 500, The British Open, and The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament…
Calling it a difficult sports weekend for Colorado fans may be a bit of an understatement. It was bad enough that the Colorado Avalanche were knocked out of the NHL Playoffs on Friday by the Dallas…
Calling it a difficu…
Calling it a difficult sports weekend for Colorado fans may be a bit of an understatement. It was bad enough that the Colorado Avalanche were knocked out of the NHL Playoffs on Friday by the Dallas Stars when former Avs Matt Duchene scored the game-winner in double overtime. But when the Denver Nuggets squandered a 20-point lead, in game seven, at home, just two days later – I was sick. The Nuggets were up 53-38 at halftime, stretched the lead to as many as 20, Nikola Jokic had 34 points and 17 rebounds, Jamal Murray added 35 points, and yet, the Minnesota Timberwolves ended their N…
The last two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves were not pretty. A seven-point loss in game one, followed by a 26-point spanking in game two. But I’m not worried. The Denver Nuggets are t…
The last two games a…
The last two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves were not pretty. A seven-point loss in game one, followed by a 26-point spanking in game two. But I’m not worried. The Denver Nuggets are the defending NBA Champions, and they have Nikola Jokic. Is it a little concerning that Michael Malone undoubtedly made some adjustments after the game one loss, and the team did even worse in game two? Sure. Is it troubling that Jamal Murray is imploding a bit? Yeah. Is it nerve wracking that game three is in a couple of days, on the road, and no playoff team has ever come back from an …
On paper, this year’s NFL Draft seems immensely predictable. The three teams at the top of the draft board are all in desperate need of a quarterback, and there are three projected prospects jus…
On paper, this year…
On paper, this year’s NFL Draft seems immensely predictable. The three teams at the top of the draft board are all in desperate need of a quarterback, and there are three projected prospects just waiting to hear their name called. After the quarterbacks have fallen, the board is left with three dynamic wide receivers, all thought to be true difference makers. While the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, and New York Giants all have a specific need for their rosters – a dynamic, difference making, wide receiver. The assumption is that the rest of the top half of the draft i…
With the baseball season upon us, I must admit that I struggled to find the positives when it came to writing about the Colorado Rockies. The team had gotten off to another slow start, the pitchers w…
With the baseball se…
With the baseball season upon us, I must admit that I struggled to find the positives when it came to writing about the Colorado Rockies. The team had gotten off to another slow start, the pitchers were getting shelled, and Kris Bryant was again, a virtual no-show. So, I cheated. I sat down at my computer, then asked ChatGPT to write me an 800-word article about the Colorado Rockies and all that was good. Within minutes, there it was. The words Cold Beer repeated 400 times. So, here it is. My annual story about the Colorado Rockies, written before they become too irrelevant, w…
Entering the Sweet Sixteen, I have to say that my bracket is looking pretty good. It helps that I had Kentucky going out a little early, picked Clemson over Baylor, and primarily went with the favori…
Entering the Sweet S…
Entering the Sweet Sixteen, I have to say that my bracket is looking pretty good. It helps that I had Kentucky going out a little early, picked Clemson over Baylor, and primarily went with the favorites up until this point. And I would like to think that my current success was due to the countless hours of work I have put in preparing for this tournament. Researching rosters to identify upperclassmen, checking player minutes to establish team depth, and scouting free throw percentages as games get tight at the end of March. I prefer strong guard play, note a team’s pace of play, alwa…
Like many Bronco fans, I was struggling to figure out Sean Payton’s quarterback plans after letting go of Russell Wilson, despite still owing him $40 million. The Denver Broncos lacked the cap …
Like many Bronco fan…
Like many Bronco fans, I was struggling to figure out Sean Payton’s quarterback plans after letting go of Russell Wilson, despite still owing him $40 million. The Denver Broncos lacked the cap space for any high-priced free agent, were absent of the draft capital needed to move up for a top-three pick, and obviously, Jarrett Stidham could never be the answer. But it all became clear the other morning as I sat in bed watching the 1987 classic, The Princess Bride. Remember the scene in The Princess Bride, when the man in black (Westley) challenges Vizzini in a Battle of Wits to …
In a Super Bowl that featured celebrities in the stands, clever commercials, and of course, Taylor Swift, it would be easy to lose focus as a sportswriter and simply put together 1100 words that avoid…
In a Super Bowl that…
In a Super Bowl that featured celebrities in the stands, clever commercials, and of course, Taylor Swift, it would be easy to lose focus as a sportswriter and simply put together 1100 words that avoided the game – and just focused on the Swifties, and their clicks. But Super Bowl LVIII wasn’t just about Taylor. It was about heroes like Andy Reid, Travis Kelce, and Pat Mahomes. Not the Anti-Hero. The game deserves an article that treats the play on the field with respect. Not a Blank Space. All that attention on Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Ice Spice, and Usher. I’m just going t…
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