If you’re looking for a great deal on ski and snowboard equipment for the upcoming winter, Sports Authority is the place to be!

["SNIAGRAB" Sports Authority (Downtown Sportscastle) Broadway & 10th - Denver, Colorado]

SNIAGRAB, or bargains spelled backwards, is the World’s Largest Ski and Snowboard Sale and is celebrating it’s 56th year this Saturday, Sept. 4th, where you can Save up to 75% (off original price) on ‘09-’10 Boards, Skis, Outerwear and Accessories.

If you want to get some great deals and doorbusters you better get there early, because people began camping out in tents on Saturday. This event has become a tradition for the Labor Day weekend and attracts folks from all over — not only for the big savings, but also for the fun.

If you can’t make it down to the extravaganza, no worries, for the first time ever, you can shop SNIAGRAB online! This begins at 12am EST on Saturday, September 4, 2010.

Not looking to buy? They even offer leasing!

There is one thing that online shopping can’t replace though, and that’s hands on help of professionals from around the state as well as top company representation from the likes of Burton, Volkl, Bolle, and many other top brands. You know you’ll have the right fit.

It was 2003 the last time Anthony Dorsett (33) stepped foot on an NFL field. In 2007  he was in camp with with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, but was cut during camp. He had not stepped foot on a professional football field as a player since.

That changed this past spring when, at age 36, Anthony Dorsett signed with the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL. Having played 8 years in the NFL (four with the Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans and four with the Oakland Raiders) he knows well the mettle it takes to perform. He has been through the camps, the injuries, the Monday roll outs where the body wants only the touch of the bed due to the wounds, aches and dings of the battle the day before. He has marched alongside his teammates onto the grandest stage this sport knows…the Super Bowl. Anthony was the starting free safety in Super Bowl XXXIV for the Titans who suffered a loss at the hands of the St. Louis Rams, literally by a matter of inches. He was part of a defensive unit that almost prevented the cementing of “the greatest show on turf” as a championship juggernaut. Few players in the world can say they were so close to the NFL, let alone a moment like that.

So on 8/28/2010, on a blistering field in eastern Nebraska one question came into my mind. Could a soon-to-be 37 year old safety still get it done? When I saw Anthony Dorsett stride confidently onto the field, I knew the kind of man I was seeing. I knew I was bearing witness to a player who had been there. Done that. Done it well. But he would be 37 much sooner than later. As I watched him head towards me, a familiarity I could not shake set in. In the way he carried himself, in the way he donned his gear…but it escaped me. As I watched him warm up, I found my temperature rising and took off my hat to wipe my forehead…and the hat in my hand lit the bulb above my head. “Weapon-X”…Brian Dawkins…soon to be 37 year old safety of the Denver Broncos. I am by no means comparing the two talent-wise, for I will not pretend the man I saw in Omaha plays on the level as the man I watched at Dove Valley these past few weeks. It was not the play at that point. It was the swagger…the barely contained animal-like aggression that had Dorsett pacing the sidelines and muttering to himself between drills. Anyone who has been to training camp, or watched the Denver Broncos warm up before a game last season and closely watched Dawkins knows what I am talking about. Mr. Dorsett was much the same Saturday.

For the first half of the scrimmage, the defense dominated as a whole.  Dorsett was unleashed throughout. In the first offensive series, QB D.J. Shockley handed the ball off to RB Shaud Williams who saw a seam and cut into it hard. Unfortunately for him, ‘33′ met him in the hole and decimated Williams for no gain. Dorsett popped up and trotted back to the huddle, Williams rose slowly and did the same. “Woo!-lick“…back to the huddle. Been there. Done that. Gonna do it again. All day. This is a pro’s pro. As the practice went on, the trend continued. This was his field, and to take even an inch of it…one was to be faced with Anthony Dorsett.  Former Colorado School of Mines QB Chad Friehauf completed a screen pass to FB Tommy Fraser into the flat off the offense’s right side. Three steps after the catch Tommy Fraser completed a trip out of bounds as Anthony Dorsett body-rocked him with authority!  Soon after, former Penn State QB Anthony Morelli tried a pass over the middle into the heart of the secondary. Former Bronco David Kircus was ready for a big gain…until Dorsett flew in and tipped it away. This was the theme for Dorsett’s day. He was everywhere.

At the conclusion of the scrimmage, Nighthawks Public Relations Director Kat Welch asked me who I would like to speak with.  I gave her two names…and from the above, I think you know Anthony was one of them. When he walked up to me, his physique was impressive. He is cut, chiseled…game ready. I was enthused at this opportunity

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Now, I do not pretend to be a professional member of the fraternal order of sports journalists. Not at all. But I do pride myself on keeping my thoughts straight and articulate and relaying them well. Unfortunately for me, z-e-r-o sleep since 6:30am the day before made this interview…less than seamless. Thankfully, I was dealing with a pro’s pro. Been there. Done that.

So when I stumbled all over my first question which was to be: “Watching your father and his attempt to elongate his career in Denver, can you see any comparison between what you are doing here in Omaha?” he did not miss a beat:

“I’m here to play the game I love and do it well. I’m trying to get back to the NFL and keep playing the game I love.  That simple.”

I then asked him about playing in Houston/Tennessee and Oakland as far as his personal feeling of responsibility as a role model in the community of Omaha:

“Absolutely. There is a lot of responsibility to this community, these fans and this league. We just want to make the fans and this community proud.”

Having played both positions, I asked him to tell me his preference between cornerback and safety:

“As a defensive back period, you know, we’re the best athletes on the field. We have to be. The other guy knows where he is going, and we have to keep up and also make a play on the ball. When you do it right, it’s like poetry in motion.”

With that, I thanked him for his time and he, graciously, returned a thanks for mine before sauntering away towards whatever the rest of his afternoon and evening had in store for him. Just like anything else he did that day, I have no doubt it was met with the same swagger and competency I was witness to on the field.

Poetry in motion.

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Before I go any further, let me thank Kat Welch, Public Relations Director of the Nighthawks. She truly defined class, efficiency and graciousness in accommodating my wife and I with access, positioning and an overall sense of being fully welcomed. Her professionalism spoke volumes alone, but it only got more impressive from there.

The first thing I thought upon arriving at this session was of all the conversations I had had over my lifetime about “old school football”  with my mom, Uncle Jerry, my cousin Doug, and my brother. Mostly about the Denver Broncos back in the day and the Nebraska Cornhusker tradition. I also hearkened to a recent conversation I had with my father-in-law about his own time spent in Minnesota watching Fran Tarkenton of the Minnesota Vikings running all around Metropolitan Stadium. Few frills, but e-v-e-r-y player out there putting it on the line for two simple reasons:

1) Passion

2) To simply play the game

The session Saturday was held amidst a scorching Omaha, NE day. There were no oscillating misters for players to run to in order to counteract the heat. No benches for players to rest upon. Their cooling systems were made using compressed air pushed through water barrels with PVC piping that had holes for the water to escape. The drinking water was provided in air-compressed coolers with hoses fixed upon them. No frills. Just well executed football played by men of skill who love the game.

For those of you who know Denver Broncos history…think Hilltop Stadium. In some ways this day had an almost college ball feel to it. Not the performance on the field, but the feel. Some of it was the location of the field, Papillion La-Vista High School, right across the street from a convenience store and an Applebees.

They will play their games in Johhny Rosenblatt Stadium, but the organization chose to do their “fan appreciation” in the heart of the community. This speaks volumes to me, and to those in attendance as well!

The Nighthawks show a tie to this community that is not “fan/team” as much as it is “community/family”. The players are greeted warmly and with respect, like the new neighbors on the block.

Perhaps the best example? Ahman Green (30). One time star running back for the ‘Huskers. Former Pro Bowl running back for the Green Bay Packers.  He would surely have a team assigned “fan buffer” for his adoring Nebraska fans right? Not at all. He took a seat 4 or 5 feet down the way from my wife and I, where he shared embraces with friends and family alike. No fan who approached him was turned away when asked for an autograph. He even welcomed a handshake and kind exchange of words with yours truly before the session began.

Defensive line coach Carl Hairston even noticed my wife’s Las Vegas Locos shirt she acquired last year at the 1st ever UFL Championship Game in Las Vegas. Coach Hairston reminded us that he was the D-line coach for the Locos’ opponent in the Championship game, the then-unbeaten Florida Tuskers and that we needed to “…get the right gear on in Nighthawk country!” When we told him we were at the championship last November he laughingly agreed to give us a pass, but reminded us playfully that it would be “Just this once!” I cannot prove it, but I think my Broncos hat brought out his old spite…being a former Kansas City Chief assistant coach and all. I know the rivalry runs deep, so I’ll let it slide…but just this once Carl!

I could go on with such examples. The moment when a young child realized that “the man in the mask” waving at him was his daddy, wide receiver Keith Eloi (17). The time former Prow Bowl quarter back Jeff Garcia spent to snap a picture with me…even though he was being told to move on to the next part of the function. The way former Colorado School of Mines quarterback (and 2010 School of Mines Hall of Fame inductee) Chad Friehauf’s (15) eyes lit up when my wife revealed to him that she too was a former ‘Oredigger‘. Former Bronco offensive-lineman P.J. Alexander (69) repeatedly asking the crown directly if they were enjoying themselves, asking them to let him hear it. Even coming over to me after I finished talking to Friehauf simply because of my Denver Bronco hat to talk some Bronco football!

Family feel. “Old time” style football. These men are here for a myriad of reasons. Some want back to the show…the NFL. Some want a few more snaps before the body says “no more”. Whatever the reason, for the Omaha Nighthawks, (heck…the entire UFL for that matter!) it comes down to only two things:

1)Passion

2) Play

It was a hard vibe not to buy into.

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Heavyweight Brendan Schaub (6-1) is preparing for the biggest fight of his young career against former top-contender Gabriel Gonzaga (11-5). Schaub, a graduate of the University of Colorado where he played football, is coming off of two massive wins after losing in the finale fight of The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 finale against Roy Nelson. Schaub fought on the UFC on VERSUS 1 card in Broomfield, Colo., this past March, and landed a 47 second knockout against opponent Chase Gormley. Schaub came right back at UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin to record another 1-minute, 7-second knockout over Chris Tuchscherer.

Schaub finds himself on the main card of the stacked UFC 121 card, which features Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez scrapping for the heavyweight title. Schaub faces an intriguing fight against Gonzaga, and despite Gonzaga’s great size and strength, Schaub should enjoy an advantage in the stand up department. However, as most MMA fans have seen 1,000 times, one Gonzaga head kick can end a fight.

Schaub is the perfect example of a fighter that would benefit greatly from a new middle-heavyweight division. The 245-pound Schaub could easily make a 235 weight class, which would give an opportunity to the fighters who cant make the 205 weight cut, but likely will be too out-sized to take on the larger heavyweights like Lesnar and Shane Carwin.

Fighting Gonzaga will be a huge test for Schaub and a good measuring stick for how well Schaub’s quick and powerful hands match up with the upper echelon fighters in the weight division. This is one fight I cannot wait for, and I am sure Schaub is working hard and eager to make another statement in the UFC.

Chris Camozzi (13-3) makes his return to the octagon the same night, and will open the UFC 121 fight card in a match against Dong Yi Yang (9-0) Yang will be making his debut in the UFC after signing with the organization in June. He trains with Chan Sung Jung (aka The Korean Zombie) at Korean Top Team, and will be looking to burst onto the American MMA scene in the same exciting fashion as Jung.

Camozzi earned his way into the UFC by impressing president Dana White during his brief stint on The Ultimate Fighter Season 11. Camozzi was sent home from the reality show with a fractured jaw after a win against Victor O’Donnell, but returned during the show’s finale to defeat James Hammortree via unanimous decision.

After taking time to heal from a shoulder injury, Camozzi is back and ready to fight again, and will be aiming to give Yang his first loss, not only in the UFC, but in the sport.

UFC 121 promises to be another great card from the UFC and matchmaker Joe Silva. See below for the full fight card.

Main event:

265 lbs.: Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez

Main card on Pay Per View:

205 lbs.: Matt Hamill vs. Tito Ortiz
265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brendan Schaub
170 lbs.: Martin Kampmann vs. Jake Shields
170 lbs.: Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago

Spike TV “Prelims”:

185 lbs.: Ryan Jensen vs. Court McGee
185 lbs.: Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor

Under card:

265 lbs.: Todd Duffee vs. Jon Madsen*
155 lbs.: Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor
170 lbs.: Mike Guymon vs. Daniel Roberts
185 lbs.: Chris Camozzi vs. Dongi Yang*

*Fight not officially confirmed by UFC.com

Thanks to MMAMania.com for the card.

Just 33 games remain in the Rockies season, including tonight’s game as the Rockies open a three game series with the San Francisco Giants, that stand just 1.5 game back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League Wild Card.

After the Rockies three game set with the Giants, the team returns home to Coors Field for one game against the Phillies before traveling back out to California to play the NL West leading San Diego Padres for another three games. Simply put, the next seven games for the Rockies could make or break their playoff/ wild card hunt.

It will be a tough week for the Rockies on the road, where they have been terrible. The offense has struggled mightily on the road and, just as the team takes on one of the biggest road swings of the years, the team is uncertain as to the availability of Troy Tulowitzki.

Tulo tweaked his groin a bit on Sunday against the Dodgers and was held out of tonight’s lineup, although Jim Tracy did say he would be available to pinch hit. It is still unclear as to whether he will be in Tuesday’s lineup.

Ian Stewart was also place on the 15-day disabled list today due to a strained rib cage. The 15 days is retroactive to Aug. 26.

The infield will survive however as Clint Barmes was reactivated from the bereavement list after he returned home from visiting his ailing father. However, it is Stewart’s and Tulo’s bats that will be missed the most, especially on the road.

The Rockies need Tulo back as soon as possible, but risking a more severe injury is something they have to avoid, and that is why Tulo will sit until he is fully recovered.

Aaron Cook will also return to the starting rotation this Friday after his recent stint on the DL with a toe injury. Cook has looked awful since spring training, but has had success at PetCo Park, like many pitchers. He has a 2.15 ERA at PetCo in 10 starts, and Tracy intentionally pushed Cook back to Friday to allow him to start the first game of the series there. Jhoulys Chacin will pitch on normal rest in Thursday’s game.

The Rockies will really need Ubaldo Jimenez to get over the hump and record his 18th win after the Rockies and Jimenez have been unable to record a win in his last three starts.

If the bats can get it going on the road like they have been at home, the Rockies will find themselves in great position to close out the final 26 games of the season in the hunt for the playoffs. But if the bats slump the way they have so far on the road this season, the Rockies could be right back out of contention by the end of the week.

Reports from late last week indicate forward Chris Andersen could miss “significant time” while recovering from a recent knee injury. Andersen’s knee surgery is his second surgery of the off-season, as he also underwent finger surgery in June.

Martin also underwent off-season knee surgery, and is in the same boat as Andersen as he is expected to miss a good portion of the beginning of the season while recovering.

The Nuggets signed forward Al Harrington this off-season, and he will greatly help the Nuggets with Martin and Birdman out. However, the Nuggets have Martin, as well as J.R. Smith, on the trading block, and are hoping to move him if at all possible. Martin already expressed his displeasure with the Nuggets’ signing of Harrington, and Nuggets fans shouldn’t be encouraged by his lack of will to compete for playing time anyway.

Nene and Harrington will be huge for the Nuggets in the first half of the season, as they are currently the only two big men on the roster with starting skills.

All indications point to Carmelo Anthony being traded before the start of the season, so perhaps the Nuggets can land another big man in any potential deal, but that will be an entirely different saga, and the Nuggets will be lucky to come out with any players with half the talent of Melo.

Smith is also in legal trouble currently after choking a D-League player in practice earlier in the month. Police have reopened the investigation after the player had originally called police, but not witness would step forward. However, the police received a witness testimony and are still investigating. With all of his past on and off court problems, it seems unlikely the Nuggets will get many serious offers from any NBA team, and a release seems imminent.

Regardless of who is on the roster this year it looks like the Nuggets will be taking a giant step back. It is time for the fans to remember the recent successes of the team, as well as the playoff failures, and accept that the Nuggets will never look the same on the court as they have the last three or four years.

The Broncos closed out its home preseason schedule against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and walked away with the team’s first win of the preseason, defeating Pittsburgh 34-17.

A lot of people feel like the preseason does not matter, but nothing could be further from the truth for Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, who appeared to be in mid-season form running down the sidelines along with Andre Goodman as Goodman returned an interception for a 77-yard touchdown with just 11 seconds remaining in the first half, allowing the Broncos’ starters to exit the field with a 17-3 lead.

Kyle Orton marched the team down the field for an impressive touchdown drive, capped off by a Lendale White 2-yard touchdown run. White, who grew up in Littleton, Colo., played his first game for his hometown team, and was introduced last to the fans, all of whom gave him a standing ovation. However, White was less than impressive in his playing time, rushing for just 34 yards on 12 carries. Unless the Broncos become desperate, it appears unlikely White will still be wearing orange and blue when he comes off of the suspended list in Week 5 of the regular season.

Orton looked fantastic in his second year under McDaniels’ offense, and has shown this entire preseason just how much he has improved in 12 months time. On Sunday, Orton was 9-12 for 80 yards and an interception, but made it looks easy to move the ball against the Steelers’ defense. He escaped a dangerous situation when he tried to make a tackle on James Harrison, who was returning a fumble that was later ruled not a fumble, when Harrison decided to hit Orton instead. The blow knocked the wind out of Orton, and McDaniels felt the shot was dirty. Harrison later explained that Orton had it coming for “running his mouth,” during the Broncos’ touchdown drive.

The Broncos defense is what impressed me the most on Sunday though. The Broncos got pressure on the quarterback, whoever that was, and I was especially thrilled with what I saw out of Robert Ayers. Ayers disappointed many in his rookie season in 2009, but one has to realize he was adjusting to an entirely new position at outside linebacker. Ayers got to the quarterback twice on Sunday, although one of the sacks was called back on a penalty. If he can give the Broncos a solid pass rush from the edge this year, it will take some of the sting out of Elvis Dumervil’s absence.

The defense was without Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey last night, but Goodman stepped up nicely with the pick-6, and rookie Perrish Cox made a Bailey-esque interception in the end zone as he barely tapped both toes in bounds for the turnover. It also looks like Cox has a firm grasp on the returners spot, but fellow rookie Syd’Quan Thompson also had a nice punt return, as well as another interception he returned 48 yards for a touchdown.

Joe Mays pressured the quarterback on numerous occasions, getting to and bringing down Byron Leftwich at ease. The Broncos held Leftwich, who is competing for the Steelers’ starting job for the opening weeks while Ben Roethlisberger serves his suspension, was held to 0-4 passing by the Broncos.

McDaniels also showed the competition for the second-string quarterback job is heating up now that Tim Tebow is once again healthy enough to strap on his helmet. Tebow worked the third quarter ahead of Brady Quinn, who played one series while Orton was out after having the wind knocked out of him, as well as the fourth quarter.

Tebow was once again considerably better than Quinn on the night, going 5-10 passing for 72 yards, a touchdown to fellow rookie Eric Decker, and one interception, which would have been returned for a touchdown if Tebow had not chased the cornerback out of bounds at the 1-yard line.

Quinn was 1-2 for 2 yards, and took a massive sack on the drive he filled in for Orton while the starters were still in the game.

The Broncos’ offensive line did its job last night with some changes to the left side. Rookie Zane Beadles saw time at left tackle while Stanley Daniels saw time at left guard. I still fully expect Beadles to start Week 1 at left guard when Ryan Clady returns from injury.

Lance Ball once again looked like the top option at running back with Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter still nursing injuries. Ball has 10 rushed for 75 yards, including a long run of 43 yards. Justin Fargas was dropped from the team today after running for 4 yards on 1 carry Sunday.

The Broncos need to stay healthy this week before and after playing the Minnesota Vikings in the preseason finale. Moreno is expected to return to practice this week, but likely will not play Thursday. When he and Demaryius Thomas return healthy the Broncos offense could look explosive, giving the Broncos a chance to win many more games than a lot of people expect in McDaniels’ second season.

What will be most interesting to see this week however, is whether or not Tebow will once again take second-team snaps ahead of Quinn.

There was not much in the way of  hiding the big reveal before clicking to see who was on the list…Denver Broncos’ LT Ryan Clady was clearly pictured on the headline. What was a smidge surprising was that he was named, in Mr. Chadiha’s opinion and by association ESPN’s too, THE most indispensable emerging player in football. Period. Even ahead of stud Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice and golden boy Atlanta Falcons QB Matt “It’s not Ry-an, it’s Ryne!” Ryan.

In fact, Mr. Chadiha presents the following bold statement about our soon-to-be -back-healthy” LT:

“This dude is well on his way to being the best left tackle in the business, if he isn’t there already.”

Hard to argue. He is entering his 3rd year and is already a 2-time All-Pro, Pro Bowl player. He surrendered .5 sacks as a rookie in 2008 and has allowed a total of 6.5 in his all 32 games over the same 2 year span.

The fact that he sits atop this list, even having missed all of the off-season and all of training camp with a torn left patellar tendon, only enhances the impression Clady has left on Mr. Chadiha. No doubt the majority of NFL management, coaches and fellow players league-wide concur.

I think Broncos fans, and the organization as a whole for that matter, can feel the sting of Clady’s 2008 Pro Bowl snub in favor of ‘08 top overall pick Jake Long of the Miami Dolphins lessen a bit reading this. I sincerely doubt I was the only one who finished reading Mr. Chadiha’s piece, sat back and with a quiet vindication utter one word.

“Exactly.”

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Hawpe cleared waivers on Aug. 18 and was released from the Rockies to make room on the roster for reliever Matt Reynolds.

“It’s a business. All players go through this,” Hawpe told the Denver Post’s Troy Renck on the 18th.

The Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox were all interested in Hawpe’s services as either a right fielder or first baseman, but today the Tampa Bay Rays got the deal done.

Hawpe, now 31, was drafted by the Rockies in the 11th round in 2000. In seven season with the Rockies, Hawpe hit for a .280 average with 118 home runs, 464 RBIs, 749 hits, but 711 strikeouts. He was an All-Star selection in 2009, and was a big part of the Rockies’ sprint into October in 2007.

He was slated to be a free agent this offseason, and a deal with the Rockies was unlikely. Hawpe will be paid $2 million for the rest of the season by the Rockies, minus any salary the Rays may offer him, according to Renck.

Hawpe could DH, play first, or outfield for the Rays, who may go after Manny Ramirez to add another bat to the lineup.

The Rockies will be responsible for the $2 million remaining on Hawpe’s contract, less any salary he draws from the Rays.

His departure means more playing time for Eric Young Jr. and Seth Smith, who have rightfully earned the extra time.

The Rockies are just four games back of the wild card and have been hot as of late. Ubaldo Jimenez will man the mound tonight when the Rockies open up a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On Wednesday, the National Football League approved his $750 million bid to purchase the remaining 60 percent of the St. Louis Rams franchise that he did not already own, making him the majority owner.

Because of this, Kroenke will have to transfer his executive power of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche by the end of the year to comply with the NFL’s cross-ownership policy. He has already found a solution to that problem however as he has handed control of those teams over to his 30-year-old son, Josh.

Kroenke will have to surrender his majority stake in both of those teams by 2014. While Josh will set the budget for the Avs, Pierre Lacroix will remain in control of the franchise, as he did under Stan. However, Josh will take over control of the Nuggets, along with new general manager Masai Ujiri. Their first task will be to sort out the Carmelo Anthony situation, and to find a trade partner willing to take J.R. Smith.

Ujiri was the assistant GM for the Toronto Raptors the last three seasons and spent time with the Nuggets organization as an international scout. He takes over after the Nuggets did not renew the contract of Mark Warkentien.

Stan Kroenke also owns 30 percent of the Arsenal Football Club as well as the Colorado Rapids and Colorado Mammoth. He will remain in control of those franchises, as well as the Pepsi Center.