Author: Mark Kiszla mark.kiszla@denvergazette.com
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Mark Kiszla: Her name is Hope. She’s quiet, but scores loud goals for the Buffs
BOULDER – CU soccer sensation Hope Leyba speaks softly and carries a big kick. On a Colorado summer evening when the clouds hovering near the Flatirons lit up like a Monet painting at sundown, I went to watch the greatest player in the 30-year history of the Buffaloes’ soccer program practice her art. And Leyba…
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Kickin’ It with Kiz: Joker should be NBA ambassador, not royal pain in the arse
I have a hard time with a superstar in any pro sport making a statement like Nuggets center Nikola Jokic did about his decision to be rude to fans wanting a piece of his time. Interacting with fans is part of the highly paid deal. If people aren’t respectful, that’s one thing. But, in general,…
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Mark Kiszla: How big a football geek is Sean Payton? Chiefs fixing to find out.
With Broncos coach Sean Payton, the hay is never in the barn, because he’s maniacally ripping apart every haystack for a needle. Nobody in the NFL likes story time better than Payton. And everybody knows it. In fact, Broncos CEO Greg Penner once told me what Payton does best is win football games. But a…
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Mark Kiszla: How John Elway knows way Bo Nix can win his first NFL ring
With quarterback Bo Nix and the boys in Super Bowl-or-bust mode, this team is setting up Broncomanics to lose their ever-lovin’ minds. We’re talking about a full-scale, orange-and-blue meltdown. Can you say freak out? I’m not saying the Broncos can’t win the Super Bowl. In fact, I was crazy enough to have predicted more than…
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Mark Kiszla: How Bo Nix can bulldoze smoldering remains of Chiefs Kingdom
The first week of the NFL season is a liar, but want to know the honest truth? Here is the Broncos’ big chance to go to Kansas City and not only burn what remains of Chiefs Kingdom to the ground, but scatter the ashes to the wind. For the first time in nearly a decade,…
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Mark Kiszla: For CSU coach Jim Mora and his 91-year-old father, winning never gets old
FORT COLLINS – As his son grabbed the Bronze Boot with gusto, and CSU students stormed the field in celebration of a resounding 35-13 Rams victory over archrival Wyoming, Jim E. Mora watched with a twinkle in his eye that was the very definition of paternal pride. Sweet dreams for a football family are made…
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Kickin’ It with Kiz: Kroenke rep discussed buying Rockies before Penners got deal done
Stan Kroenke should’ve bought the Rockies instead of the Angels. — Ray, woulda, coulda, shoulda Kiz: We might not know much here at Kickin’ It Headquarters, but we absolutely, positively know this for certain. As recently as the early months of 2025, a man trying to broker a sale of Charlie Monfort’s share of the…
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What grade do Nuggets receive for their offseason moves? | Friday Faceoff
Friday Faceoff: What grade do the Nuggets receive for their offseason moves? Mark Kiszla, sports columnist Grade: D+ The Nuggets are trying to get by on a DeRozan and a prayer. At age 37, DeMar DeRozan is supposed to be the savior of a former NBA champion in steep decline. Well, isn’t that special? I’m…
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Mark Kiszla: Bad JuJu turns into miracle man when Buffs needed quarterback most
ATLANTA – On a southern night stickier than a cockroach stuck in a molasses trap, CU quarterback Julian Lewis was a hot mess. Until it mattered the most. “He didn’t shrink in the moment,” Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders said Thursday. “He stood up and did his thing.” Standing shoulder to shoulder with his CU teammates,…
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Mark Kiszla: If Bo Nix is on nobody’s top 10 list of NFL quarterbacks, who cares?
Bo Nix and John Elway don’t belong in the same sentence, except in one essential way that makes them both winners. As a young NFL quarterback, Nix is nothing special for three quarters. But with the game on the line in the final 15 minutes, he’s Elway. Or a young prince in the mold of…