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Kiszla: Coach Sean Payton is now on the clock in Broncos Country, where we’re all out of patience for losing

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Kiszla: Coach Sean Payton is now on the clock in Broncos Country, where we’re all out of patience for losing


Sean Payton, we don’t give a hoot if you were the toast of Bourbon Street. In Broncos Country, you’re officially on the clock. Win, or else we’ve got a hot seat waiting with your name on it.

“The main message for Broncos Country that I would have is we’re just as impatient as you are to win here,” franchise owner and CEO Greg Penner said Tuesday. “We understand that we have a lot of work to do.”

While preparations for the Super Bowl tournament began in earnest from Miami to San Francisco, the Broncos management team fitted another season with a toe tag during a meeting with media members. Two days after their season came to an end, they talked mealy out of both sides of their mouths about how the relationship with quarterback Russell Wilson was irrevocably and awkwardly broken over money after the biggest victory of the season.

If the Broncos flushed Wilson and beaucoup bucks after only 30 starts in a Denver uniform and “Huggy Bear” Hackett was tossed into an orange-and-blue dumpster after going 4-11, how long does prickly Payton get to prove that his let-’em-eat-cake approach wins football games?

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What did Payton establish during his first season in Denver?

No. 1: He is indeed a better coach than a man he labeled one of the worst head coaches in NFL history.

And No. 2: He despises the way Wilson plays quarterback so much he would rather have no viable NFL starter than Wilson.

But has Payton really built anything resembling a foundation for winning football with the Broncos, especially on the offensive side of the operation, where his expertise is supposed to shine brighter than the Colorado sun?

“I don’t know if you’d say, ‘Laid the foundation,’” said Payton, who admitted these Broncos were stuck in the muck of parity in the middle of the NFL, citing the fact his team couldn’t win a single game this season if it failed to win the turnover battle.

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“Were we as good as we expected or wanted to be offensively this year? Absolutely not … (It’s a) heavy-duty work in progress. I would say we’re not building on that foundation yet. We’re still putting the friggin’ pilings in, based on what I saw.”

But rather than addressing the attributes Payton needs in his next signal-caller, the Broncos are still playing the silly charade that the volcanic rift between this team and Wilson could heal, claiming the door’s open to his return, even though we can all see the police tape strung across the entrance for a dead QB walking.

Know what’s worse than the game mismanagement in the Christmas Eve loss to the Patriots that left a pit in the stomach of Penner and everyone in Broncos Country?

When Payton should’ve sat down with Wilson after a stirring victory against Kansas City and told him man-to-man that he couldn’t work with him, the coach left it to minion George Paton to unsuccessfully bluff the veteran quarterback’s agent into contract concessions with what was perceived as a threat to bench a Super Bowl champion for financial reasons.

So now there’s a matter of a messy divorce with Wilson before the Broncos can really get down to the serious business of ending an eight-year playoff drought.

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“I felt like we had a chance, and this team had a chance to get into the postseason,” Payton said. “I feel that same way now. I’m disappointed because of that.”

I’m not so certain, however, Payton has fully grasped we’re so sick and tired of losing NFL games around here that the Emperor of Bourbon Street has no clothes in Broncos Country, especially when he now backs off a bodacious preseason vow to be ticked off if this team failed to make the playoffs.

Starting to feel the heat, Payton proved there might be a heart somewhere beneath his prickly exterior by sending a holiday treat to the media wretches who cover the Broncos: Five quarts of Jenni’s ice cream, with gourmet flavors ranging from Brambleberry Crisp to Salty Caramel.

My gift was packed in a big orange box with dry ice and specific instructions to open immediately because there was ice cream inside. Unfortunately, it arrived Saturday, after I had already departed for Las Vegas, where the Broncos barely put up a fight in a 27-14 defeat to the Raiders.

When can ice cream be a metaphor for another football season that was a crying shame in Denver?

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Payton made a brilliant play call.

But his yummy ice cream turned to lukewarm soup, going rotten on the stoop, the result of either poor execution, operational issues, or both.

Me? I blame the quarterback.

Penner said he expects the team to win more games next season.

Hey, we’re all fresh out of patience.

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The Broncos don’t need to pay Payton $18 million per year to miss the playoffs.

Fangio, Hackett or any bum off the street could do the same for a fraction of the cost.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.



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Denver, CO

Colorado activist convicted of doxxing Denver police commander in first-of-its-kind case

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Colorado activist convicted of doxxing Denver police commander in first-of-its-kind case


DENVER — A Colorado community activist was convicted of doxxing a Denver police commander last week in a first-of-its-kind case that has fueled debate about whether the state’s online privacy laws violate free speech rights.

A jury in Denver County Court found Regan Benson, 53, guilty of sharing the personal information of a protected person online after she repeated a Denver police commander’s home address during a livestreamed protest and suggested her followers should meet up there so they could “have a pig roast party,” according to an arrest affidavit.

State law prohibits a person from sharing the personal information of police officers online if the person knows that doing so “poses an imminent and serious threat” to the safety of officers or their families. The law protecting police officers’ information has been on the books for more than two decades, but drew renewed attention in 2021 and 2022 when legislators expanded the doxxing protections to other professions, including health care workers, animal control officers and code enforcement officers.

Benson appears to be the first person in the state convicted under the anti-doxxing statute, said Jamie Hubbard, her attorney. She and Benson believe the criminal prosecution was unconstitutional retaliation for her criticism of the Denver Police Department, including a lawsuit she had filed in June.

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The misdemeanor conviction can be punished with up to a year in jail.

Read the full story from our media partners at the Denver Post here.

Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos


Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.

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Nuggets’ Peyton Watson week to week with hamstring injury, David Adelman says

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Nuggets’ Peyton Watson week to week with hamstring injury, David Adelman says


This Sisyphean season of injuries for the Nuggets has at least one more setback in store.

Peyton Watson is considered week-to-week with a right hamstring strain after he left Wednesday’s game at Utah feeling tight, coach David Adelman said.

And so after their long, slow climb back to full health, the Nuggets will climb again. They had about a week to catch their breath with their opening-day rotation available.

Adelman didn’t rule out the possibility that Watson could return before the end of the regular season, but Denver has only five games remaining, followed by a few days of rest and preparation for a first-round playoff series that was clinched this week.

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“I mean, the hope would be playing next week,” Adelman said after practice Friday. “… I think it’s being careful with him. At the same time, competitively, wanting him back as soon as he feels comfortable, and also that week leading into the playoffs, you hope he’s able to go through the preparation of what it is to play in a Game 1. So we’ll see how it goes.”

Watson initially injured his right hamstring Feb. 4 in New York, causing him to miss six weeks. After slow-playing the final stages of his recovery process to be extra cautious, he returned on March 22 and played in five games before the setback. He said on Tuesday that he felt ready to increase his minutes from 20. But he also suggested that he hadn’t felt like himself in Denver’s last two games.

“This is the longest I’ve ever been out, so I thought once I got over the hump of being back that I was gonna stop having problems with my body,” Watson said before the team flew to Utah. “The first game I came back, I felt amazing. The second game I came back, I felt amazing. But the third and fourth game, I’m like, ah, I kind of feel like how I did some of those days during the rehab process. So I think just, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The 23-year-old wing is averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this season on 49.1% shooting from the field and a 41.1% clip from 3-point range. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.

“So unfortunate,” Adelman said. “He’s had such a good year. I feel for him as a person. Just not having the opportunity to come back and play right now is completely unfair to somebody who’s put the work in.”

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Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. also left the game in Utah — a knee injury in his case — but he was able to participate in practice. The Nuggets are hopeful he’ll be available Saturday afternoon when they host the Spurs, but he’ll be evaluated again before the game to be officially cleared. Spencer Jones (hamstring tightness) didn’t practice Friday and remains day-to-day, Adelman said.

Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama missed Thursday’s win over the Clippers for maintenance reasons, but if he plays in Denver, it’ll be the first time this season the Nuggets will face him. In a new ESPN poll of prospective MVP voters released Friday, Wembanyama had surpassed Denver’s Nikola Jokic for second place in the running. The Nuggets will face San Antonio twice in their last five games.



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Former Denver Nuggets NBA Champ’s Future Plans Revealed

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Former Denver Nuggets NBA Champ’s Future Plans Revealed



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The Denver Nuggets could lose Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in NBA free agency.

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After a run with the Denver Nuggets, the two-time NBA champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit the free agency market to sign a lucrative multi-year contract in 2024.

Caldwell-Pope landed a $66 million offer from the Orlando Magic during the summer of 2024. The third season of the deal costs $21.6 million, and it’s up to Caldwell-Pope if he wants to exercise that or become a free agent again.

As the contract is currently on the Memphis Grizzlies‘ books, the team recently landed an update on the veteran’s plans from the NBA insider, Michael Scotto.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s Future Plans Revealed

Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-PopeNuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 04: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #5 of the Denver Nuggets looks to pass in front of James Harden #1 of the LA Clippers during a 102-100 Clippers win at Crypto.com Arena on April 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

via Michael Scotto, HoopsHype: Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to exercise his $21.6 million player option for the 2026-27 season, league sources say. It’s the last year of a 3-year, $66 million deal negotiated by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. More on KCP and Ja Morant on @YESNetwork.

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Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to exercise his $21.6 million player option for the 2026-27 season, league sources say. It’s the last year of a 3-year, $66 million deal negotiated by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. More on KCP and Ja Morant on @YESNetwork

The 33-year-old guard spent just one season with the Magic.

In Orlando, Caldwell-Pope appeared in 77 games. He averaged 8.7 points, while shooting 43.9% from the field and hitting on 34.2% of his threes.

Last summer, the Magic cut ties with Caldwell-Pope in the Desmond Bane blockbuster. The veteran’s first season with the Grizzlies included 51 appearances. He averaged 8.4 points while shooting 31.6% from three.

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Back in late February, the Grizzlies announced that Caldwell-Pope would undergo season-ending surgery on his pinky finger.

Although Caldwell-Pope plans to pick up his final option, that doesn’t guarantee he is staying with the Grizzlies for the entire 2026-2027 NBA season. Veteran players with a notable resume on expiring deals tend to get moved to contenders when their current team is in the midst of a rebuild.

An NBA Veteran Worth Looking At

Nuggets' Nikola Jokic and Kentavious Caldwell-PopeNuggets' Nikola Jokic and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 25: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles as Nikola Jokic #15 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #5 of the Denver Nuggets defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden on January 25, 2024 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Caldwell-Pope has been in the NBA since 2013.

Coming out of Georgia, he was selected eighth overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2013 NBA Draft.

After a four-season run with the Pistons, Caldwell-Pope joined the Los Angeles Lakers. During his four-year run with the Lakers, Caldwell-Pope won his first NBA Championship.

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The Nuggets traded for the veteran guard during the 2022 offseason. He was moved for Monte Morris and Will Barton. When the Nuggets picked up Caldwell-Pope, he was rewarded with a $30 million extension over two years.

Before leaving Denver, Caldwell-Pope posted averages of 10.4 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds, while shooting 41.5% from three.

He was a member of the Nuggets’ 2023 NBA Championship squad.

Justin Grasso Justin Grasso is an NBA reporter, covering trending league news, transactions, injuries, and player developments. He is a credentialed journalist with nearly a decade of insider access. More about Justin Grasso

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