“Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke would be dumb not to try to acquire Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, no matter what Denver has to give up. The same goes for any NBA owner. Do you know what Bryant would do for ticket sales? Duh!
“What kind of writer are you? One that does not have common sense, I bet. Bryant would be the best thing to happen to any organization, and you know it. How about you just write a story about how much you hate Kobe? That would make more sense than you writing about Denver not wanting him.”
David, Jacksonville, N.C.
Kiz: Got news for you, buddy. If the Nuggets make a trade with the Lakers in the near future, it won’t be for Bryant. To stop Kobe’s kicking and screaming, L.A. needs to add veteran talent. Denver wants to lighten its burden of long-term salary commitments. Could the two teams do a deal involving 33-year-old Nuggets center Marcus Camby? I don’t see how if the best the Lakers can offer is Kwame Brown. But substitute Andrew Bynum, Vladimir Radmanovic and L.A.’s first-round draft choice for Brown, then maybe we’d have a trade worth considering by the Nuggets.
J.J. also starred as AD
“The late Jim Williams never received the credit due for his dedicated service to Colorado State and Fort Collins. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, I was a ball boy for the Rams’ basketball team. Many forget Williams, while serving as athletic director, got the job done by overseeing the construction of Moby Gym.
“A lot of people credit Fum McGraw with the success of CSU athletics, but it was J.J. who really made things happen.”
Scott, Dillon
Kiz: By the time I first had the pleasure of a long conversation with Coach Williams, he was already in his 80s, but his mind and passion for the game was astounding. He grabbed my arm firmly, demanded I turn over my notepad, then enthusiastically scribbled X’s and O’s plays for the next 60 minutes. It was an advanced class in hoops, taught by a master.
CSU had wizard, too
“For someone who played for Coach Williams in the 1950s, your column brought back many fond memories. Coach Williams – J.J., as we called him behind his back – was a positive factor in many lives of those who played for him. I maintain he was the best defensive coach I ever saw.”
Ted, Class of 1959
Kiz: Any coach capable of twice beating UCLA’s John Wooden must have been quite the basketball wizard himself.
State of soccer
“It is my belief there is something extraordinary about soccer, and that is precisely why it is threatening to the average American sports fan. Soccer has potential, therefore it is dangerous to the old guard of American sports. People say the quality of the game isn’t as good in the United States. I have seen it improve year after year, and we are now very close to a world-class level of play.”
Jon, Denver
Kiz: Soccer in our country will truly arrive when top-quality American pros don’t have to go overseas to get the level of pay or competition they deserve. When DaMarcus Beasley and Carlos Bocanegra want to play for a club on our home turf, then you’ll know it’s a level pitch between the USA and rest of the futbol world.
Parting shot
And today’s parting shot echoes in a ballpark on Blake Street with too many empty seats and not nearly enough hope.
“New Rockies slogan: The Mistake on Blake.”
Eric, Kittredge
