Columnists

Alan Tapley is an educator, author, and blogger who has lived just outside of Boulder for the last twenty years. His published work includes two novels, two children’s books, a series of cartoons in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and multiple sports related articles. His love for family and the state of Colorado is only matched by one thing, his passion for sports. The first baseball game he ever attended was at Wrigley Field, before there were lights. At the final Bronco game at the old Mile High, he allegedly cut out a piece of his seat in the South stands. But regardless of being here for the Avalanche’s last Stanley Cup, the Rockies only World Series appearance, and all the Broncos’ Super Bowl Victories, his wife never fails to remind him that he wasn’t at the University of Colorado in 1990, like she was. The year the Buffs football team won the National Championship
Recent Content

It is being called one of the biggest trades of all time. Bigger than Shaq to the Heat (2004), Harden to the Nets (2021), or Durant to the Suns (2023). Bigger than Michael Burry during the col…
It is being called o…
It is being called one of the biggest trades of all time. Bigger than Shaq to the Heat (2004), Harden to the Nets (2021), or Durant to the Suns (2023). Bigger than Michael Burry during the collapse of the housing market (2007), George Soros messing with the Bank of England (1992), and bigger than Peter Minuit trading beads to the Indigenous People to get Manhattan (1626). Okay, maybe not that last one. Just days before the NBA Trade Deadline, the Dallas Mavericks sent Luka Doncic, a 5-time All-Star and 5-time All-NBA First Team selection, to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Dav…


The Grossman Theory was first hypothesized prior to the coin flip of the 2007 Super Bowl. The Indianapolis Colts were led by a young quarterback by the name of Peyton Manning. Manning was the first …
The Grossman Theory …
The Grossman Theory was first hypothesized prior to the coin flip of the 2007 Super Bowl. The Indianapolis Colts were led by a young quarterback by the name of Peyton Manning. Manning was the first pick of the NFL draft nine years earlier, the son of a former NFL star, and one of the faces of the league. The Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback was Rex Grossman, a no-named backup quarterback with a handful of starts, a lousy completion percentage, and average at best. I thought to myself, in a world in which only names like Staubach, Bradshaw, Montana, and Aikman have hoisted the Cham…


I should have known that week eighteen was going to be a weird one after checking my Fantasy Football lineup for my championship finale, and reading that Jayden Daniels was only projected to play the …
I should have known …
I should have known that week eighteen was going to be a weird one after checking my Fantasy Football lineup for my championship finale, and reading that Jayden Daniels was only projected to play the first half at most. The good news was that the list of free agent quarterbacks available was plentiful. I could go with starters from Kansas City, Buffalo, San Francisco, or even Philadelphia. The bad news is those starters were Carson Wentz, Mitch Trubisky, Joshua Dobbs, and Tanner McKee. Let’s just say that when your Fantasy Championship is reliant on either Bailey Zappe or Joe Milto…


On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, the Broncos winning 35 to 3. (Okay, technically the first day of Christmas has the Chiefs at Steelers and the Ravens at Texans. But whatever.) …
On the first day of …
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, the Broncos winning 35 to 3. (Okay, technically the first day of Christmas has the Chiefs at Steelers and the Ravens at Texans. But whatever.) On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a two-team parlay that I love, and the Broncos winning 35-3. On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three 7 and 10’s (as in, the final season wins and loss record of Indy, Cincy, and Miami, which would assure the Broncos a playoff spot regardless of their last two games.), a two-team parlay that I love, and the Broncos w…


The College Football Playoff brackets were announced last Sunday, and to be honest, only three teams should be upset about it. The Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3) had a legitimate beef with the second h…
The College Football…
The College Football Playoff brackets were announced last Sunday, and to be honest, only three teams should be upset about it. The Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3) had a legitimate beef with the second hardest Strength of Schedule in all of football, wins over Georgia and South Carolina, the fact that they play in the SEC, and of course, the obvious. They’re Alabama. The Miami Hurricanes (10-2) had a gripe as well. They have a Heisman quality quarterback, only two close losses to Georgia Tech and Syracuse, and both losses came on the road. And the Army Black Knights (11-1). Okay, may…


I’ve been getting ready for Thanksgiving for months. Thirteen weeks to be exact. Countless hours of watching sports, three to four days a week concentrating just on football, excessive drinking an…
I’ve been getting …
I’ve been getting ready for Thanksgiving for months. Thirteen weeks to be exact. Countless hours of watching sports, three to four days a week concentrating just on football, excessive drinking and overeating, and even nightly arguments at the dinner table, all preparing for the big day. Our setting will resemble the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight. We will all get a little blurry, act a little fake, stand around not doing much, except my family is not afraid to throw a few punches. I know. Thanksgiving can be difficult sometimes. The infighting, backstabbing, and awkwardness of…


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…
