Super Bowl 44 Commercials Sneak Peak (Video)
By Jeremy Glasoe | February 6, 2010
Every year we gather our family and friends in front of the television for the great event that is the Super Bowl, but football isn’t the only thing we get excited for. We love the funny commercials and for that reason we are bringing them all to you… even a couple that were banned.
Don’t you love how the NFL showed their Bronco pride?
Are you ready for more?
Follow me after the jump!
Broncos’ Floyd Little Joins Pro Football Hall of Fame
By Jeremy Glasoe | February 6, 2010
Floyd ‘The Franchise’ Little led the NFL in rushing from 1968-1973 and now he will be the first Denver Broncos running back to run into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Dreams do come true.
In 1967, Little was the 6th selection of the first common NFL-AFL draft and was the first ever first-round draft pick to sign with the Broncos. Through 117 games in his career he amassed 6,323 rushing yards with 43 rushing td’s and 2,418 receiving yards with 9 receiving td’s. Little retired as the 7th leading rusher in NFL history, the six in front of him were already in the Hall of Fame.
Floyd Little was nicknamed ‘The Franchise’, after saving the Broncos from an almost certain relocation by forcing the expansion of Mile High Stadium. He was part of the first class to go into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1984 and is in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. He was also the first Bronco to have his jersey (#44) retired, the other two are Frank Tripucka (#18) and John Elway (#7).
Today, breathe a sigh of relief Broncos Country, Floyd Little was elected to the Hall of Fame.
I am not sure what took so long to get this Man in the Hall, all he did was save the franchise, lead the league in rushing for 6 years, and retire as one of the greatest. Who knows what Denver would be right now without the Little? Where would the Broncos be, would they be Broncos, would the colors still be Orange and Blue? Questions that don’t have to be answered, because Floyd Little saved the Denver Broncos.
Marquardt set for UFC 109 fight with Sonnen, eyes guaranteed title shot with win
By John Livingston | February 6, 2010
With a win today, Denver’s own Nate “The Great” Marquardt will put himself in position for his second shot at Anderson Silva’s 185 lb. title.
UFC President Dana White confirmed on Wednesday that the winner of tonight’s UFC 109 middleweight bout between Chael Sonnen and Marquardt will decide who gets the next title shot against the winner of a April 10 fight at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi between Vitor Belfort and the reigning champion Silva.
“We always had it in mind,” White said. “These are two of the top five [middleweights] in the world depending on what you look at. Nate’s been deserving it for a while.”
Since losing to Silva in his first title shot back in July 2007, Marquardt has been on a tear on his way back up to the top of contention. He was won four of five fights since then (all via stoppage) with his only loss coming by the way of split decision in a fight where Marquardt dominated Thales Leites, but was penalized during the bout for a few illegal blows. He is 10-2 over the past five years.
His most recent win was a vicious 21 second knock-out of Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia back in August 2009.
He had to wait around awhile to find an opponent as there was much confusion as to who would fight Silva next and when the champion would heal from an elbow injury he decided to take time to recover from.
Former PRIDE middleweight and light-heavyweight champion Dan Henderson believed he was deserving of another shot at the belt and fans dreamed of a number one contender fight between Marquardt and Hederson, but contract dispute between Hendo and UFC brass fizzled and he eventually left the organization in favor of STRIKEFORCE.
UFC matchmaker Joe Silva came up with the plan of Sonnen in late 2009 and now Sonnen has to be excited about his opportunity at a quick title-shot.
Sonnen is now 2-1 with back-to-back decision victories over Dan Miller and Yushin Okami after a submission loss to Maia since coming back for another stint in the UFC.
Sonnen hasen’t exactly performed as well as Marquardt of late and some argue the competition he has faced is undeserving of a number one contender’s fight, but as we all have seen, anything can happen in the octagon.
If Marquardt is victorious look back here at Colorado Sports Desk for a look at how he matches up with Silva and Belfort and to hear how much he has improved since that first round TKO loss to Silva in 2007.
Tonight’s action can be found only on pay-per-view at 8:00 p.m. MDT. UFC Hall of Fame members Randy “The Natural” Couture and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman headline tonight’s card ina light-heavyweight bout and the two 40+ year-old MMA pioneers and wrestling standouts will most likely cancel eachother out on the ground leading to a strikign duel on the feet, where Couture should have a major advantage.
Check with your cable provider for ordering information.
Western Conference showdown tonight features Nuggets at Lakers on ESPN
By John Livingston | February 5, 2010
It is a measuring stick the Denver Nuggets have been up against all season since losing in the Western Conference Finals last season. How well do the Nuggets match up with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers?
Tonight, coach George Karl and his team will have another chance to show the Lakers they have improved as they travel to the Staples Center for another important game in playoff positioning.
The Nuggets routed the Lakers 105-79 on Nov. 13 at the Pepsi Center in the teams’ first meeting this season, and no doubt Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will be looking to bring the currently hot Nuggets team back down a notch.
Games between the two squads have been chippy dating back to the pre-season, and, with teams looking to finish strong before the All-Star break, viewers should expect to see playoff-like attitudes from both teams.
The Nuggets (33-16)currently hold the second seed in the West just 4.5 games behind the Lakers (38-12) and every game could help the Nuggets claim a ever so important home-court advantage in the playoffs
A big question is whether or not Nuggets All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony will be available for tonight’s contest for the first time since rolling his ankle over a week ago in an overtime period of a home win against the New Orleans Hornets. His injury was originally believed to be minor and he originally expected to not even miss a game. The past week Melo has been a game-time-decision but after going through warm-ups has not been able to play.
The Nuggets training staff insists holding Anthony out is pre-cautionary and perhaps with the team playing at a high-level, they have just been holding their superstar out until he is fully back at 100 percent and regains his explosiveness.
Anthony practiced Thursday but there is no word on his availability tonight and there is some doubt in reports that he will play tonight or tomorrow against the Utah Jazz. It is believed the more likely date will be Tuesday when the Nuggets play the Dallas Mavericks.
Tonight’s game is about as big as they come in the Western Conference at this point in the season and one would expect if Melo is close to being back that he might give it a go tonight with some rumblings of people questioning his toughness.
The Nuggets could certainly use Anthony with fellow All-Star Chauncey Billups nursing a recently tender ankle of his own. Billups received treatment yesterday but is expected to play tonight; however, the team’s floor-general may be a bit limited in what he is usually able to do.
We will find out how much he has to bring to the table tonight and whether or not Anthony will make his return at 8:30 p.m. MDT on ESPN.
Chauncey Billups named CP3’s injury reserve for 2010 All-Star game
By John Livingston | February 4, 2010
Denver Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups has been named by NBA Commissioner David Stern as the replacement for New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul for the 2010 NBA All-Star game, which takes place Feb. 14 at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Paul has been forced to withdraw from the exhibition as he recently elected to undergo surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee and is expected to miss 1-2 months.
Billups, who will make his fifth All-Star appearance, will join Nuggets teammate Carmelo Anthony, who will start, among the Western Conference All-Star squad, and will be coached by Nuggets coach George Karl, who is slated to lead the West.
“It’s crazy, man. It’s kind of humbling, to be honest,” Billups said about being named an All-Star. “It’s kind of surreal to see how my career started and everybody pretty much kind of wrote me off and thought I would be out of the league. To be able to make five straight All-Star games, it’s crazy. I really don’t have the words. It’s crazy.”
He is averaging 19.2 points and 6.1 assists and four rebounds per game this season and has been instrumental in the Nuggets improved play the past month since returning from a groin injury that sidelined him for nearly three weeks in late December and early January.
He was originally not selected by the coaches as a reserve and was passed up in favor of guards Brandon Roy, Deron Williams, and Paul. Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash were selected by the fans to start at the two guard positions for the West.
“It’ll be fun,” Karl said. “Having Chauncey, along with Nash and Deron Williams, I won’t have to do a lot of coaching.”
The NBA All-Star Game will air live on TNT at 6 p.m. MDT on Sunday, Feb. 14.
Denver Broncos 2010 Pro Bowl Wrap-Up
By John Livingston | February 2, 2010
Five Denver Broncos competed last Sunday in the NFL’s annual Pro-Bowl exhibition game, which was held at newly named Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Fla.-the game took place a week before the Super Bowl for the first time in league history.
Those Broncos helped the AFC claim a 41-34 victory over their NFC foes, which earned them a $45,000 payday while NFC players took home $22,500.
Fans in Denver were most intrigued to see Brandon Marshall’s last game of the season and first game of 2010. After being benched for the Broncos 2009-10 season finale, Marshall had at least one more chance to take the field in a Broncos helmet, and he made the most of his single opportunity to make up for his touchdown drop on a Peyton Manning pass in his first Pro Bowl appearance a year ago.
AFC quarterback Matt Schaub, who won the game’s MVP award, took advantage of a relaxed NFC secondary early; after hitting fellow Houston Texans’ teammate Andre Johnson on a 33 yard bomb, Schaub found Marshall on a 23 yard pass connection that Marshall capitalized on by stretching the ball over the goal line for another touchdown that gave the AFC a 14-3 lead just seven minutes into the game.
The touchdown would be Marshall’s lone grab of the day as he was mostly running diversion routes with Schaub pump-faking his way and then looking deep to the other side of the field.
After the touchdown, Marshall spoke with an ESPN sidelines reporter and when asked about his future in Denver he replied: “I love the city of Denver. I started there and would love to finish there.”
It seems now that Marshall is content playing the PR game in an attempt to make him more attractive to potential suitors that he hopes to engage in long-term contract talks with upon his departure from Denver, which still appears imminent.
While many fans would also “love” to see the Broncos and Marshall work out their differences, the fact remains that it is simply too far of a stretch to expect any reconciliation. With McDaniels clearly building a team and staff that he can control and will be accountable, it would seem very strange for him to have a change of heart about the problematic receiver. Even fellow Broncos Pro-Bowlers believe that any positive press Marshall gives the city of Denver and the Broncos team is too little, too late.
Broncos All-Pro corner back Champ Bailey was asked about the Marshall situation and said, “I’ll put it like this: The way things have gone, I’d be surprised if he’s back.”
Bailey was one of the team leaders that McDaniels consulted before his decision to bench Marshall for the team’s last game, and it is clear the team is ready to move on without the talented wide-out. For more on Marshall’s story stay tuned into us here at the Colorado Sports Desk and we will bring you updated trade rumors once they start to really heat up after free-agency officially starts Feb. 27.
Marshall was joined on the AFC offense by second year tackle Ryan Clady, who was forced to play right-tackle as opposed to his customary left-tackle position due to Browns tackle Joe Thomas’ seniority.
Clady played the duration of the game and helped solidify an AFC offensive line that surrendered just one sack during the game. Clady will look to make the Pro Bowl a yearly habit as he continues to mature as a top tier NFL tackle.
The other three Broncos in the game played on the other side of the ball with Brian Dawkins starting at safety and Elvis Dumervil starting at linebacker, with Bailey coming off the bench in relief at corner.
Dawkins high-lighted the game defensively for the Broncos players as he intercepted a pass from his old long-time Philadelphia Eagles teammate Donovan McNabb. Dawkins looked to return the ball for a score but after getting wrapped up just 3 yards into his return he lateraled the ball to fellow Bronco Bailey who returned the ball another few yards before attempting to lateral the ball again himself, fumbling it away in the process. The ball eventually fell to the turf where Dawkins covered up the loose ball to bring the play to a conclusion.
“We practiced that all year, and just to get a chance to do that in this game, it’s special to us,” Bailey said of the lateral. “It’s great. We’re on prime-time TV, we’ve got to make something happen.”
Dawkins finished the game with three tackles, all solo, and the interception while Bailey, who surrendered a deep touchdown to New York Giants wide-receiver Steve Smith, got in on another three tackles.
Dumervil’s role as a linebacker was a bit unusual for last season’s leading pass-rusher in the league. Under Pro-Bowl special rules, defenses are prohibited from blitzing the quarterback with only the defensive lineman allowed to pressure the quarterback. AFC coach Norv Turner played Dumervil at his starting linebacker position and because of this he was limited to coverage, something far from his specialty and the reason he made the Pro-Bowl in the first place.
Eventually, late in the game, Turner gave Dumervil a shot to play some defensive end and the league’s top-sack artist took advantage of his chance to rush the passer. Along with Sean Ellis, Dumervil wrapped up Tony Romo and brought him down for a sack in the fourth quarter.
Overall, it looked like a great learning experience for the first time Broncos Pro Bowlers and another good trip to the exhibition for the perennial Pro Bowlers.
“It was great,” Dumervil said. “Being among the best of the best is everything I thought it would be. A lot of good guys, great character here — you see why they’re Pro Bowlers. You learn a lot of things, it’s a great experience, and I was a winner my first time, so that’s always a great thing.”
Rockies and Melvin Mora agree to one-year deal
By John Livingston | January 31, 2010
The Colorado Rockies and infielder Melvin Mora agreed to a one-year, $1.3-million deal today, and the veteran will serve as a backup at second and third base as well as a right-handed pinch hitter.
The Rockies were quick to make the deal with Mora after fellow free-agent Orlando Cabrera accepted the Cincinnati Reds‘ one-year $3-million contract to be their starting shortstop. If he would have accepted a similar contract with the Rockies he would have competed at second base with Clint Barmes and third base with Ian Stewart for starting time. Clearly Cabrera, a shortstop by trade, was enticed by the opportunity to start at shortstop for the Reds, something the Rockies could not offer with Troy Tulowitzki holding down the position.
Now Mora, the 2004 American League Silver Slugger and two-time All-Star, could compete for the starting job with Barmes at second.
Mora, a native of Venezuela, began his pro-career in 1999 with the New York Mets. He spent the majority of his career with the Baltimore Orioles and the Mets and has spent the last nine seasons in Baltimore.
He is a life-time .278 at the plate and has averaged 19 home-run’s and 80 RBI’s per every 162 games. In 2009, he hit .260 with eight home runs and 48 RBI’s in 125 games.
Mora brings even more depth to the Rockies, who re-signed Jason Giambi who only plays first-base when playing the field. While Giambi will be a big help in filling Garrett Atkins old job of giving extra days off to Todd Helton, he, unlike Atkins, cannot also fill in at third base. This meant the Rockies needed to add another all-around utility infielder, and signing an experienced guy like Mora seems to be a perfect fit.
“Versatility is the key term…we needed a guy who can play a couple of spots,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said last week.
Mora will look to help to get the Rockies back into the post-season in 2010, somewhere he has not been since his first year in 1999.
Carmelo Anthony to miss fourth straight game
By John Livingston | January 31, 2010
Denver Nuggets All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony will miss his fourth consecutive game today when the team takes on the San Antonio Spurs at 11 A.M. MDT on ABC. Anthony rolled his ankle eight days ago in over-time of a home win against the New Orleans Hornets.
Anthony originally said after injuring the ankle that he would be ready for the teams game against the Charlotte Bobcats the just two days later. However, after testing the ankle in each of the last four pregame, Melo has been unable to go. The team continues to say that keeping Melo out is strictly precautionary.
Nuggets coach George Karl said Anthony still isn’t comfortable making sharp moves, and Denver was expecting a fast-paced game against the Spurs. He added that, barring any setbacks, the plan is for Anthony to play against the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
Melo is still leading the league in scoring at 29.7 ppg.
Spurs guard Tony Parker will also miss the contest making both sides short-handed in what is sure to be a highly-competitive and hard-fought game.
The Nuggets are 2-1 this week without Melo and they are coming off of an embarrassing 101-84 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Expect Joey Graham to once again get the start at SF in place of Anthony.
Martindale officially promoted to Broncos Defensive Coordinator position
By John Livingston | January 28, 2010
The Denver Broncos officailly promoted linebackers coach Don Martindale to the teams defensive coordinator position on Thursday. Martindale will assume the position that Mike Nolan stepped down from a few weeks ago after he and head-coach Josh McDaniels “mutually agreed” to part ways.
Martindale was a Oakland Raiders assistant from 2004-2008 and coached Denver’s linebacker’s in 2009 under McDaniels and Nolan. The in-house promotion guarantees the Broncos system will not change in 2010 and the team will continue to build around their still developing 3-4 defensive scheme.
“Our system won’t change, our philosophy won’t change. He’s a very aggressive coach,” said McDaniels of Martindale.
“Wink,” as Martindale is nick-named, will be the Broncos fifth defensive coordinator in the last five seasons but he will have the advantage of taking over a system Nolan greatly improved during just one season with the Broncos. Nolan turned the Broncos into the seventh best defense in the league after being ranked 29th just a season before.
Martindale appeared to be a popular locker-room hire and the players shouldn’t miss a beat in continuing to develop their system under a coach who became familiar with it over the course of last season.
Broncos linebacker Darrell Reid said on his twitter account on Jan. 23 “Dat wuz my pick anyway,” when asked about the rumors of Martindale being the guy slated to lead Denver’s defense.
Wink’s main competition for the job came from Dean Pees, who was a former New England Patriots defensive coordinator. However, as Martindale became more favorable in Denver, Pees accepted a job with the Baltimore Ravens to fill their linebacker’s coaching position.
The next big-step for the Broncos defense will be negotiating a contract with impending free-agent Pro-Bowl linebacker Elvis Dumervil.
Dumervil, who led the league in sacks last season, would be a big target for Nolan, who accepted the Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator job shortly after leaving the Broncos, after how much success he had a season ago pass-rushing in Nolan’s system. The Broncos need to get a deal done with Dumervil to keep him in Denver for the next several years. He has been Denver’s best pass-rusher in years and it will be important for the Broncos and Martindale to have him as a weapon as they go forward in building this 3-4 defense.
Chauncey Billups named Western Conference Player of the Week
By John Livingston | January 26, 2010
The Denver Nuggets‘ Chauncey Billups has been named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Jan. 18 through Sunday, Jan. 24. Billups averaged 25.7 ppg, 7.7 apg and 5.3 rpg as he carried the Nuggets to a 3-0 record during the week.
Billups week was high-lighted on Jan. 20 in the Nuggets game against the Golden State Warriors when he scored a career-high-tying 37 points while dishing out eight assists and grabbing eight more rebounds.
Mr. Big Shot also had his 3-point shot on lock last week as he shot .591 (13-22) from behind the arc; his shooting all-around was stellar at .909 (20-22) from the foul line, and 524 (22-42) from the field.
Billups’ big week came just one week after Nuggets All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony received the honor and it marked just the second time in franchise history that two Nuggets have claimed the award in back-to-back weeks (Alex English and Fat Lever 1/25/87 and 2/1/87).
This is Billups’ fifth player of the week honor as he earned three with the Detroit Pistons and another in the West in November 2008 after re-joining the Nuggets.
Billups’ high-level of play comes at a perfect time as All-Star reserves will be named this Thursday; the coaches will certainly have to give Billups increased consideration after he has lifted the Nuggets back to an elite team after returning from injury earlier this month.
The Nuggets are currently riding a seven game win-streak and have re-claimed the #2 overall seed in the Western Conference while pushing the Northwest Division lead to four games over the Utah Jazz.