Bring on the anchored reporter at CBS News Colorado, our friend romy Bean Roby,
how you doing this evening? Ah, gentlemen, it's good to be
here. Big, big week for Colorado sports. You know. You look
back, the Broncos got a new quarterback in the draft, and Bowe nicks
the Abs and the Nuggets continue to roll on in their respective playoffs. The
Colorado Rockies are incredibly consistent at losing. And then there's the kerfuffle at CEU
with the latest comments from coach Prime and Shador. We were talking a little
bit about that earlier. And while I love the fact that Colorado is currently
the center of the college football universe in a lot of ways, perhaps the
quarterback sitting there calling former teammates mid is not the greatest. Look. Yeah,
you know, it is funny that I keep going back to the fact
that it is crazy and fun to me that Colorado is the center of the
football universe. It's still a kind of a bizarre thing right all these year
or so later. But nonetheless, I think that my assumption was that came
out of a bit of you know, emotion defending his dad. But at
the end of the day, not the best luck and at the end of
the day, when you want to go where you want to go, if
you're shouldor probably shouldn't be doing that, I think it comes more from me,
you know, wanting to defend your dad aspect, I guess, But
it's like just certain situations you got to take the high road, and that's
one of those where you probably should romy in your opinion. Does this kind
of back and forth Twitter battle, beef, whatever you want to refer to
it as. Does this put added pressure on a program that is already surrounded
by pressure within itself. I don't know if it adds any pressure, only
because I think that pressure is already there. I think the people who want
the Dean Sanders and the bus to fail will perhaps this adds fuel to the
fire, but really I don't know if it does or it doesn't, because
they're just hoping that they fail, and people that want Deon Sanders and the
bus to succeed then will take a side of the young Sanders and the bus
and just want them to succeed that much more so. I guess if anything,
it just divides that line even more so. But this is like a
great psychological experiment that they should study at college campuses. One day is the
effect, the prime effect in terms of how much people either love or hate
them and everything that happens, this tiny little thing becomes just massive news.
It's kind of crazy. I don't know. I don't really think it adds
more pressure, but I do think to your point, Nick, the pressure,
the pressure is there, and the pressure is there because they put the
pressure there, and you know, they want that pressure there. I guess
they want all of this attention and the success or failure is going to be
amplified because of it. Or does this fall in the old time beefs,
you know, Magic versus Bird versus poc Nick Wright and Keishawn Johnson versus the
Denver Nuggets. Where does this fall in the old time Beef's list? Certainly
not as high as any of those, especially not Nick. Right in the
Nuggets. I mean, that's the Alzheimer right, Jush. I don't know.
I feel like I'm trying to think of something witty and funny and I
don't have anything. Leave it a good one. Well, speaking of the
Nuggets, I mean, you got Jamal Murray first time ever game winning shots
multiple times final seconds of a series over the Lakers. Lebron's future there remains
a question mark, but the Nuggets look like they're dialed in for the playoffs.
He saw a little bit of faltering down the stretch, but then you
know, they kind of put it together back here in the playoffs. But
they have what I think is the toughest matchup on paper coming up next with
the Wolves. You got a team that's got to grow a lot of length,
They're strong, and Edwards provides a challenging matchup that you're going to have
to kind of adjust to defensively. What is our confidence level in the Denver
Nuggets against the Minnesota Timbwolves. I am confident, but I completely agree this
is going to be the toughest matchup that they played all of last year's playoffs
and arguably probably the rest of the way here too, is the Minnesota Timberwolves
were quite literally built to beat the Denver Nuggets. Former Nuggets GM Tim Connelly
went over to Minnesota and tried to and essentially trying to do what he helped
do here in Denver. A lot of those players, of course, were
there when he got there, but outside of Rudy Gobert, really that homegrown
idea bringing in a few added pieces, but you're growing it right around around
your talent, around and around Kat and this team is That's the entire kind
of motto, almost if you will, of how the Minnesota Timberwolves have been
built by Tim Connelly and you have to have a lot of confidence in Tim
Connelly. Look what he did here in Denver, and Calvin Booth, who
is under him, has now continued it and he is out there in Minnesota.
I mean, give this guy his flowers. But again, Minnesota was
quite literally built to beat Denver Nuggets. Now when it comes down to it,
and this is kind of a maybe you can call it a lazy,
a cop out answer, whatever you want, Kolokich is the best player on
the planet. As long as he is out there on the court. I
always have confidence that, quite simply, nobody can beat the Denver Nuggets in
seven games. I do think this one will go six or seven. I'm
picking Nuggets and seven right now. But health is a huge factor. Obviously,
Jamal Murray, he needs to stay healthy. KCP was battling man through
that game five. Hopefully a little bit of time off this rest is huge.
But health is a big factor for the Nuggets. I think their bodies
through last year's run and now it's like you can see a lot of them
have kind of struggled with injuries here and there throughout the season. They have
to stay healthy. But if they're at there, if they're healthy or at
least push through, I still think they went out. But this one's gonna
be tough. And for Minnesota it comes down to what are you gonna do.
If you're gonna double Nikoliokicic, somebody else is gonna be opened. And
Michael Malone said it today. If they're gonna double Yokich, they're gonna double
Murray, We're gonna get wide open looks in that other They have confidence that
other person's going to make it. And that's the hardest thing with the Nuggets
when starting five is out there, if you double somebody, somebody else is
open and they're probably going to get buckets. So I'm curious to see how
Minnesota attacks it as well. And let's be honest, and is a problem,
And he's so much fun to watch. I can't have as much fun
watching him this series, you know, but he is fun to watch.
I was talking to some individual I know in Minnesota who covers all things sports
in that area. And it's funny that you bring up Anthony Edwards because his
level production is going to be important and determining whether the Nuggets actually accomplished what
everyone is hoping that they do. But if you're a coach Malone, how
do you, I guess, stop or slow down Anthony Edwards if at all?
I mean, that's a great question and we're going to find out.
But it'll be interesting the matchups that they put on Anthony Edwards, who they
put on them, how they try to slow them down. You know,
I think last year or a lot, they had TCP on him. They
think their first ground on him a little bit when the bench was out there.
So I am curious what they're going to do. I don't know if
he's throwing and Gordon over there a little bit, but at one of those
guys where you know, as clichie as as he's going to get his you
have to just figure out how to how to limit it, how to pressure
him, and are you confident you know, maybe doubling him and not everybody
letting somebody else live or you know, might have to do that. But
I am curious to see what the niggest game plan is for him because he
has been and continues to just to elevate the elevated game. In the biggest
moment, Colorado Avalanche knock off the Winnipeg Jets in a series that was supposed
to feature strength on strength, the Jets one of the better defensive teams,
but one of the best goalies, if not best goalie in hockey, and
and it turned into two teams hemorrhaging goals to one another. Where do the
Avs go from here and what is our confidence level in them going forward?
I have to be honest, and I'm trying to pace myself here, but
the Ads are playing like the Abs that won the Cup two years ago.
They are absolutely unstoppable. And you got to give Alexander Yorg give all the
credit in the world. I was one of the people, I will admit
it that was just dogging him after that first game. I'm admitting it.
I went on TV and I publicly apologized to him. I'm he was not
good, he was a sim It was a disaster, But boy, that
guy just shut everybody up, myself included, and I give him all the
credit in the world. And the defense in front of them got their act
together as well. So, I mean, after Georgie gave up seven in
that first one, he only gave it five the rest of the way.
He is playing so great. But when the Abs play with this level of
speed and offensive power, they're just so hard to beat. Nathan McKinnon,
Kale mccarr playing like the best players in the world. They look so good
that when they're playing this fast, this is it is the exact same formula
is how they won the Cup two years ago. Plus the depths. The
depth scoring has come through too. It's a lot of things they didn't have
last year. They lacked the depths last year, they lacked this kind of
level of intensity that we're seeing and so and Miko Randon finally got loose.
The moose got loose. You were waiting for it to happen. It's like
once the damn broke, you feel pretty good about it. You cannot understate
the value of val Nachushkin on this team, but what he brings. I
don't know if the numbers have changed, guys, but as of yesterday,
of the top ten points leaders in the NHL Playoffs, fifty percent around the
Colorado Avalanche. So when you're playing like that, your odds are pretty good.
So going into this previous matchup with the Winnipeg Jets, the Jets dominated
the season series. And when you look at a who weights well, the
ads of weight, whether whether it is the Vegas Knights or the Dallas Stars.
I mean they're two and one this past season the regular season against the
Knights and three and one with the advantage over to Dallas Stars. Do you
have a reference preferencecuse me as a fan, who you rather see the Abs
actually face? No, I kind of want doubt. I think a lot
of people will o say the Nights. I kind of want Dallas because I
think they're a little bit weaker defensively, and if the Avs can continue to
play at the level they have offensively, I just feel like that for me,
feels like a little bit better of a matchup than Vegas Knights. Even
though I think the popular opinion is Vegas, I'm gonna go with Dallas.
Interesting. Interesting, Yeah, the Vegas has been the has been the favorite
I think I've seen on social media from the fans as far. Nick and
I were talking a little bit earlier. The Broncos obviously drafted Bone Nicks with
the twelfth overall pick in the draft. And I've talked to people who and
I kind of try to get the temperature of the fan base here, and
I think this fan base would be crushed if he was not starting Week one.
How big of a disappointment would it be if bo Nicks is not the
starting quarterback in the never Broncos Week one over Zach Wilson, Jared Stidham and
Ben Denucci. You know, I think it's one of those things that I
think that's what the fan base wants. I think that's what everybody would like
to see. But I think that there's also I could see Bonnicks starting,
you know, middle of the season too. You know, if he's not
ready, you really want to throw him out there and bust another guy.
Now that being said, I really the fans of you know, they just
they want to see the kid. They want to see him go. But
maybe he needs a little bit more time to develop. And I don't think
that's the worst thing in the world if you don't start him right away,
I think because I think the fans would be okay with it because they know
full well that Zach Wilson is not the long term option right, and that
they I would hope. I would think people would see that, Okay,
bonus will come out when he's ready. That being said, fans are impatient.
We know this. They've been waiting eight years. So I think everyone
would much prefer to see bone and they will be a little bit disappointed.
But I don't know. I was disappointed as if you put him into early
right, and then we're here again next year and then sending out cryptic tweets
after another quarterback. You know this is funny because here's the thing I do
that every year. This is the first year I got caught. I would
have never caught on, by the way, So kudos to the internet for
figuring that one out. I will I have to come up with a heart
or a more difficult puzzle for people to solve next year. Yeah, you
better hope it's not like Shador. Good luck with that one. I honestly,
I kind of want the challenge. Ooh, I'm excited for the you
sentence speaking of challenge, that the NFL is on the verge of another challenge
because every single year we talk about player safety and Roger Goodell talker talked about
the idea of having eighteen games. We had Troy Vincent on and we talked
to him about how will the lead kind of get that done with their their
I guess network partners, but more importantly getting the NFLPA to kind of agree
to that. Will you look at the idea of eighteen games. I know
it's great for us, being as though you're covering the sport, well,
when you think about the game as a whole, I mean, should that
be the push for eighteenth maybe nineteen game NFL game? You know what's funny,
Nick, As you're asking me this question, the first thing that popped
into my head was when they moved it to seventeen games. And if you
remember, we talked to Justin Simmons afterwards and he was not happy about it.
I don't know if you guys remember that, but like you know,
he was like, as a player, like, this is not you know,
he kind of said, I understand it, but I'm not this is
not great for us and our health and everything. And I think that the
truth is it's inevitable. You follow the money, right, It's the same
thing like there's too many teams in the playoffs these days, right, should
there really be an NBA play in with the bottom four teams. Probably not,
but it makes money, you know, I mean how many you know?
And same thing with baseball they expand in the playoffs. It's all money.
And so I think that this has been inevitable and it sadly comes back
to that same discussion of do they really care about player safety? Because the
money is certainly the first thought here. And as soon as they went to
seventeen games, I thought was how long till eighteen? Right, that's the
best thing for the player? Probably not. I mean, they're you know,
you look at the one good thing is that the kind of the recovery
and the training and the nutrition is better than ever. Right, it's unparalleled,
and the resources that these players have. But nonetheless, you know,
eighteen games is going to take a huge physical toll on their body. And
I just it kind of seems like if the NFL wants it, the NFLPA
always case. And I don't know, I don't know the business behind that,
but I can't imagine the NFLPA went in that one. No, I
can't either. Talking with Roamy Bean from CBS News Colorado, Romie, we
always appreciate the time. Oh, I love it when you guys have me
on your best. We try Roby Bean