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Keeler: Sean Payton has replaced Russell Wilson as face of Broncos. And he’s not done purging yet. “You have to win.”

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Keeler: Sean Payton has replaced Russell Wilson as face of Broncos. And he’s not done purging yet. “You have to win.”


You ask if Sean Payton is done, and Roman Harper laughs. Of the Saints the Broncos coach marched to the Super Bowl XLIV, the ones who flummoxed Peyton Manning and the Colts, only six players remained from the roster Payton inherited four years earlier.

“In New Orleans, it was the same,” offered Harper, the SEC Network analyst and ex-Alabama great who played his first eight NFL seasons under Payton in New Orleans. “But he believes in his way. Because if you’ve had success doing it one time when you’re young, you’re going to believe you can do it again.”

Big Easy football icon Deuce McAllister, who’d literally carried the Saints across the line for years, was released after 2008, Payton’s third season as coach. In 2006, Payton’s first season in Louisiana, the Saints were led by a Pro Bowl stalwart who was strong on the field and even better off it, a giving soul who’d visited fans displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

The Saints cut him the next March. Joe Horn, meet Justin Simmons.

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“I’m not shocked,” Harper told me by phone Tuesday, about the time linebacker Josey Jewell joined Simmons, Russell Wilson and Jerry Jeudy in the Broncos Alumni Club. “I would say this any time a new regime comes in, that none of those things shock you.

“It should put everybody on heightened awareness. It’s about what-have-you-done-for-me-lately. I think (Payton) runs a tight ship. He’s not (just) a players’ coach, so you just have to — he wants the sustained success, so you have to win.”

Of the six Broncos named captains before Week 1 last season, three of them — Wilson, Simmons and Kareem Jackson — are now off the roster. A fourth, Courtland Sutton, recently scrubbed any references to playing for the Broncos off of his Instagram and “X” accounts.

“Then you see somebody like Russell Wilson being let go and still being owed a huge amount of money,” Harper continued. “What it tells you is that the (Broncos) ownership group chose Payton and his future over Russell Wilson.”

Payton’s replaced Big Russ as the face of Broncos Country, love it or lump it. And those who know him best say he’s just getting warmed up.

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“Winning cures everything,” Harper said. “So when you don’t win, it’s changes that always happen. Nobody gets to have a non-winning season in the NFL and then change doesn’t happen.”

Harper was part of Payton’s first draft class in New Orleans 18 years ago, probably the greatest one-year haul in franchise history: tailback Reggie Bush in the first round; safety Harper in the second; guard Jahri Evans in the fourth; defensive end Rob Ninkovich in the fifth; and guard and future Broncos offensive line coach Zach Strief and wideout Marques Colston in the seventh.

To hear Harper tell it, Sunshine Sean and Big Russ were doomed from the start. Each was too stubborn, too set in their respective ways, to come around to the other guy’s vantage.

“(Wilson) was just never a natural fit,” Harper said. “Russ likes to cook. It’s more of an off-schedule, roll around a bit (style) … it’s never a 3-step-drop or a 5-step drop-and-throw.

“Although I don’t know what (the Steelers) are trying to run now, but Ben Roethlisberger was never a QB that threw on time, consistently. He was never the 5-step-drop-and-throw (type), the way Sean would would probably love his offense to be run and be coordinated.

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“It was a little bit difficult for Russ. So that (breakup) never surprised me.”

As a Bill Parcells disciple, Payton has always been down on free spirits, down on me-first guys. During his first training camp with the Saints, he opened a meeting by putting the names of the 2004 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball roster up on an overhead projector, a star-studded group that included Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, and a teenaged LeBron James, all coached by Larry Brown.

“Look at these players. This is one of the greatest collections of talent ever assembled,” he reportedly said of the Olympians, who lost by 19 to Puerto Rico and wound up with the bronze. “But they didn’t win. They weren’t the best team.

Winning cures everything. Until that corner turns, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many bodies get chucked under the bus, nobody’s truly safe.

“And so sometimes, you’ve got to go young,” Harper said. “Sometimes, you’ve got to flip a roster upside down to get the results needed.”

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Four paths will get you off Broncos Parkway or Potomac Street and onto the Centura Health Training Center campus. But only two roads really count in Dove Valley anymore: Sean’s way or the highway. And ne’er the twain.

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Denver, CO

Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings. December 11th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs

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Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings. December 11th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs


Community Guidelines

Welcome to Denver Stiffs! We’re glad you’re here.

Denver Stiffs is a community where sports fans from all backgrounds gather to share their passion. We strive to create a fun and welcoming place for everyone to come fan with us. These guidelines help ensure that happens. Here’s the short version:

  • Be respectful in your interactions with contributors and fellow fans.
  • Don’t be a jerk, and don’t call other people jerks.
  • We’ll remove anything we see that jeopardizes our communities.
  • We ask that you do your best to keep the conversation to sports and primarily our favorite NBA team. Why? Because there are plenty of other sites where you can air your opinions about everything from politics to soup recipes.
  • You can help with that. If you see something that doesn’t align with our guidelines, let us know. Flag any comments or usernames that violate our guidelines so our community managers can review them.

These rules extend to our communities everywhere: in our comments, on social media, and in real life.

We do not allow any of the following:

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  • Personal attacks: This includes name-calling, insults, threats, hurtful comments about someone’s appearance, voice, or style, and all other forms of attacks. We want our communities to be welcoming and fun. Personal attacks are the opposite of that.
  • Attacks on staffers: It’s fine to critique a post, disagree with a take, or point out errors. We draw the line, however, at personal attacks (see above) about writers, editors, moderators, etc.
  • Discriminatory or derogatory language: This includes racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or other forms of discrimination.
  • Harassment: This includes, but is not limited to, intimidation; stalking; unwanted photography; inappropriate physical contact; use of sexual or discriminatory imagery, comments, or jokes; and unwelcome sexual attention.
  • Wishing harm on athletes: Don’t root for an injury, don’t root for harm to befall a coach or athlete. You can want someone to get fired or released, but please do not hope for bodily harm.
  • Misinformation and disinformation: Sharing demonstrably false information about news or world events, beyond the scope of reasonable sports opinion or analysis, can be harmful to our communities. These comments will be removed and may result in a suspension or a ban.
  • Illegal activity: Don’t promote, encourage, or make light of any kind of illegal activity, including DUIs, domestic violence, or sexual assault.
  • NSFW images and comments: Keep it PG-13, or you will be removed. This includes language and images that are sexual, violent, or generally offensive in nature.
  • Excessive profanity: Fans get worked up on game days, and we’re fans, too. We understand that. As a general rule, keep profanity to a minimum. Some communities prohibit profanity, so be sure to review guidelines for the individual communities you participate in.
  • Multiple accounts and throwaway emails: These are a signal that you’re not interested in being a productive member of our communities, and we do not allow it.
  • Trolling: We know it when we see it, and we’ll remove it. Don’t go to a rival team’s community for the sole purpose of riling up their fans, either. Moreover, you should never publish any private or personally identifiable information. Doxxing is strictly prohibited.
  • The “first post” rule: If you break any of these guidelines with your very first post or interaction, it signals to our community managers you’re just here to be disruptive. Violators may be banned, blocked, or removed.
  • Spam: We have a zero-tolerance policy on spam, which includes sharing links to illegal game streams or downloads. Spam will be deleted and spammers may be banned, blocked, or removed. 
  • Political commentary: Denver Stiffs is a site dedicated to the Denver Nuggets, not politics. There are many sites available on the internet to discuss politics, Denver Stiffs is not one of them. Please refrain from any political commentary while using our site.

Anyone who doesn’t follow these rules when engaging in our communities will at best be removed from the conversation, and at worst will end up banned from that community. These decisions will be made at the discretion of our community managers and other Mile High Sports personnel. Community managers and moderators have final say on interpretation of violating our community guidelines, and on all decisions resulting in a warning, suspension, and/or ban.

If you see any of these things happening in our communities, please flag it and it will be reviewed. You can also reach out via our contact page.



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Denver, CO

Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/11-12/14 – 303 Magazine

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Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/11-12/14 – 303 Magazine


When: Dec 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver
Cost: Price varies
The Lowdown: 

Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.





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Louisiana child rape suspect arrested in Denver

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Louisiana child rape suspect arrested in Denver


DENVER (KKTV) – A man out of Louisiana suspected of child rape is now in custody in Colorado.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force said they arrested 43-year-old James Connolly Tuesday morning in Denver.

The U.S. Marshals Service said Connolly was wanted by West Baton Rouge Parish deputies for first-degree rape of a child under 13 years old.

According to the U.S. Marshals, a full-scale investigation into the allegation was launched, and probable cause was found to file charges.

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After an arrest warrant was issued on August 12, they said Connolly was likely aware of the warrant and had fled the state.

On Monday, officials reportedly received information that he could be in Denver. The next day, the U.S. Marshals Service said the Colorado Violent Offender Task Force found Connolly working maintenance for a company near I-270 and York Street in Denver under the name “Alli” with a changed physical appearance.

Officials said Connolly was then positively identified and taken into custody.

“The success of this arrest represents a culmination of extensive cooperative investigative efforts between the U.S. Marshals in Baton Rouge, U.S. Marshals Colorado Violent Offender Task Force – Denver, West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Englewood Police Department, and Colorado Department of Corrections,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a release.

He’s currently in the Adams County Jail pending extradition back to Louisiana.

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