“None of us knows what really happened to Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams. To me, a simple answer that there was some sort of confrontation not affecting Williams personally is too pat of an explanation. Someone had some terrible reason to spray his limousine with bullets that killed him. Too many of these accidents seem to happen to guys whose early lives are surrounded by such confrontations. Add guns to the equation and you have the potential for what we are seeing now.”
Charlie, Lancaster, S.C.
Kiz: At the funeral service for Williams, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen vowed to a grieving audience that his No. 1 goal was to bring the people responsible for the murder to justice.
Guns not the answer
“In the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2007, a coward took the life of Williams and wounded more than the two who were shot in the limo. You wounded others in a way I must say is incomprehensible. To quote former NFL linebacker Bryan Cox about how one should not leave home without a gun is incomprehensible. A gun would not have saved Williams’ life. Instead, a gun took his life.”
Clarence, church deacon
Kiz: Unless pro athletes want to be prisoners of fame, they will leave the safety of home and mingle with the masses. Like it or not, more athletes will be tempted to carry a gun because of the fear instilled by Williams’ death.
Hard questions for Denver
“I was sitting in my favorite bar, where the bartender knows little to nothing about sports, but does know a lot about life. He knew I’m a Denver guy, and the first words out of his mouth were not ‘Hello’ or ‘What’s up?’ but rather, ‘I thought Denver was safe.’ Later, he asked, ‘Have any professional athletes been shot in Detroit?’ Ouch! My favorite city’s reputation is hurting.”
Jeff, Salt Lake City
Kiz: Folks who know absolutely nothing about Colorado other than what they see on tabloid TV have two impressions of our dusty old cow town. No. 1: It snows all the time. (Which, of late, is hard to dispute.)
No. 2: We’re all wackier than Ward Churchill.
A.I. means me, me, me
“Allen Iverson will not make the Nuggets better and, in time, will become the disruptive force he was in Philadelphia. He is not a winner, but the ultimate ‘me’ player. How nice it was to see Terrell Owens leave the Eagles, and no tears will be shed with the loss of A.I.”
Jerry, Allentown, Pa.
Kiz: The Sixers acquired a fine point guard in Andre Miller. But nobody’s going to rename your fair city Andretown. Here’s the deal. A.I. plays with such intensity, it not only fills an arena, but leaps off the TV screen. And you gotta love that.
Parting shot
And today’s final word is a bitter farewell to a football season that started with so much promise for the Broncos, only to end with seven losses and too many questions to answer for a team short on playmakers.
“Looks like your Donkeys rose to the level they are worth. Poetic justice. How sweet it is. Will coach Mike Shanahan ever learn? Instead of talking Super Bowl in training camp, don’t you think he may well be better served just to talk about taking care of business on Sunday?”
Richard, Loveland
