Talking up the Tide tackle.
“You guys all think John Elway is the smartest mind in football. There seems to be this serious man crush you have on him. I was at those Super Bowls that Elway and the Broncos lost. It’s funny, but all I heard was John didn’t have enough talent around him. The Broncos win two championships, and it was all Elway. Denver fans and I wanted Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus in the NFL draft. Know why? The Broncos are soft up the middle.”
Danno, Lakewood
Kiz: New Broncos linebacker Von Miller can bring the heat on the quarterback. Elway deserves major props for the selection. But, as reported in your Denver Post, the team ultimately decided to pass on a chance to trade for an additional first-round choice, which apparently would have been used to draft talented and controversial Auburn defensive lineman Nick Fairley. Really? Pardon me while I cringe. Here’s betting Fairley will have a bigger impact in the NFL than the combined efforts of UCLA safety Rahim Moore and Miami offensive lineman Orlando Franklin, the Broncos’ second-round picks.
Here’s to Miller Time.
“Until reading your nice column on Von Miller, I was not convinced he was a better selection for Denver than cornerback Patrick Peterson of Louisiana State. I am now convinced. I also enjoyed your take on former coach Josh McDaniels. The destruction that man leveled on the Broncos in 1 1/2 years will take at least three years to undo, but franchise owner Pat Bowlen has no one to blame other than himself. Getting John Elway on the executive team was a huge step in the right direction.”
Patrick, Columbia, Mo.
Kiz: A year ago, McDaniels created the big buzz of the first round by taking a gamble on quarterback Tim Tebow. It’s a highly risky proposition for any football team requiring immediate improvement to acquire a first-rounder unable to help right away. That’s one big reason McDaniels is gone. While Elway’s refusal to address the team’s obvious needs on the defensive line early in this draft was a head-scratcher, his approach to building a winner seems more sound and less flashy than the look-at-me picks made by McDaniels.
Thunder binds state.
“Mr. Kiszla, your column hit the nail on the head about how Oklahoma feels about its NBA basketball team. As I travel through the country from my home state, people often ask me about tornadoes, American Indians and about the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. In a state that has been historically divided by college football teams, the Thunder has allowed us all to come together and show the nation how great the people here are.”
Jason, Thunder fan
Kiz: Want the three biggest reasons why Oklahoma City eliminated Denver from the playoffs in five games? 1) Kevin Durant owns the sweetest jumper in the NBA; 2) the Nuggets lacked the clutch shooters to knock down free throws or finish games, and 3) student Scott Brooks outcoached mentor George Karl of Denver.
Compliment incomplete.
“Mr. Kiszla, please refrain from trying to pay our ‘small town’ a compliment. Your suggestion that we are known for nothing except the Oklahoma City National Memorial and your clever way of weaving in Walmart and tornadoes is as cheap a shot as Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin’s shove of the Thunder’s Serge Ibaka.”
Alan, Oklahoma City
Kiz: Mind if I pass along a note from Kari Watkins, the executive director of the Oklahoma National Memorial and Museum? She loves how the joyous noise made by the NBA Thunder has become a new way to tell the story of a city on the rise, and she appreciated that a visitor from Colorado was perceptive enough to recognize it.
Browns faithful thankful
And today’s parting shot is from a video-game wizard who must be punching the X and Y buttons on his controller with joy.
“As a longtime Browns fan, I want to thank McDaniels and the Donkeys braintrust for the trade that sent running back Peyton Hillis to Cleveland. Hillis beat out stars from 31 other NFL teams for the cover of Madden 2012. I think fans who voted know something the Donkeys don’t.”
Paul, Littleton
