INDIANAPOLIS — One of the Broncos’ most heated position battles of training camp was on display at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
The quarterback competition may garner the biggest headlines, but the running backs have locked into a fierce struggle for playing time — and that came through loud and clear in the Broncos’ 34-30 victory over the Colts in their preseason opener.
In head coach Sean Payton’s offense, the run game is essential. He is high on having a backfield filled with versatile players. On Sunday, nearly each running back impacted the game in a multitude of ways, as Denver outrushed Indianapolis, 131-64.
“They all had a spark,” Payton said.
However, their performance emphasized the tough decision looming over the organization of how many running backs it keeps on the initial 53-man roster and who.
Javonte Williams started the game, rushing for 15 yards on four carries in the opening quarter. Then the young guys went to work. McLaughlin had 56 total yards (30 rushing and 26 receiving) on nine touches. He averaged 4.3 yards on seven carries.
Estime had 10 carries for 31 yards while undrafted rookie Blake Watson was active down the stretch. In the fourth quarter, Watson showed why Denver signed him when he caught a short pass from Wilson before bursting down the sideline for a 33-yard gain. Watson finished with 10 touches for 59 yards, including 26 on the ground, and a touchdown.
Tyler Badie had his moment in the spotlight when he ran 11 yards for a touchdown to extend Denver’s lead to 27-17 with 2:18 to go in the third. Denver’s offense finished with three rushing touchdowns.
“We have a bunch of guys who can do it all,” Estime said. “We have smaller guys (and) bigger backs but no matter who you are, you gotta be able to (play) all three downs. I feel like it’s a great group of guys.”
While Denver’s backfield had its moments, veteran Samaje Perine offered a lowlight. In the first quarter, Perine couldn’t control a short pass from quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The ball juggled out of his hands and was picked off by Colts cornerback Kenny Moore. The failed reception was his only target, and he didn’t have a single rushing attempt the rest of the game.
As a whole, Payton wasn’t pleased with Denver’s ball security from the running backs, as they had two turnovers. In the third, Estime fumbled at the Broncos’ 47-yard line before cornerback Micah Abraham recovered the ball and scored to cut the deficit to 20-17 with 6:58 remaining. Later in the fourth, Watson fumbled a handoff from quarterback Zach Wilson that was recovered by the offense.
“Those are the things that you gotta make sure you clean up (and) those guys will learn from that,” Payton said.
During training camp, Williams, Estime and McLaughlin have stood out at running back. If Sunday was a reflection of what’s to come, that trio could be taking snaps this fall.
The Broncos had already anticipated McLaughlin to take another step in Year 2, while Williams was encouraged by Payton to lose 11 pounds, hoping to return to the player he was in college and as a rookie. Meanwhile, Payton thought Estime had the potential to be an early-down running back when the team took him in the fifth round in April.
If the Broncos decide to keep four running backs, Watson and Perine would be fighting for the final spot. Even though Perine was a reliable check-down option last season, Watson provides similar traits as a receiver and is quicker.
Sunday was a reflection of how tough the competition has been. And it has the potential to heat up even more as training camp progresses.
“We compete and push each other every day,” Estime said.
PARIS — The U.S. women’s soccer team is golden again.
And, as has been the case throughout the team’s run at the Paris Games, the Americans have Colorado to thank.
The United States won its fifth Olympic gold medal by beating Brazil 1-0 on Colorado native Mallory Swanson’s early second-half goal in the tournament final Saturday at the Paris Games.
The Americans, who hadn’t won gold since the 2012 London Olympics, closed out an undefeated run to the title in their first international campaign under new coach Emma Hayes.
Along the way, it was the golden feet of Coloradans Swanson, Sophia Smith and captain Lindsey Horan who did the most damage. Swanson finished the tournament with four goals and two assists, while Smith had three goals and one assist.
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher preserved Saturday’s win with a one-handed save on Adriana’s header in stoppage time at Parc des Princes. At the final whistle, the U.S. players celebrated as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” played in the stadium.
The loss is more heartbreak for Brazil and its iconic star, Marta. The six-time world player of the year has never won a Women’s World Cup or an Olympics. This is expected to be her last major international tournament.
It was the third victory for the United States over Brazil in an Olympic final. The Americans also beat the Brazilians in the 2004 in Athens and four years later in Beijing.
Brazil has never finished better than runner-up at the Olympics.
“I’m very emotional. It’s been a dream of mine to be in this position,” said Hayes, a London native. “I have to thank my dad because he’s the one who pushed me to this point to be able to come and coach an unbelievable group of players that have received me so well and taken on board everything I have asked. They are tremendous people and players and role models. Yeah, I love them.”
United States team players celebrate after defeating Brazil during the women’s soccer gold medal match between Brazil and the United States at the Parc des Princes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Three years ago in Tokyo, the U.S. settled for the bronze medal. The Americans were knocked out in the quarterfinals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Swanson’s 57th-minute goal came in her 100th appearance with the United States.
Tom Cruise and former U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe were among those in the crowd.
The U.S. also won gold in 1996 at the Atlanta Games in the first women’s soccer tournament at the Olympics.
Brazil finished third in its group in France, earning one of two third-place spots in the knockout round.
Marta was playing in her six Olympics. Her first was in 2004 — when she was just 18 — which ended with a silver. But she started the match on the bench after a two-game suspension for a hard foul on Spain’s Olga Carmona in the team’s final group match.
Hayes was named coach of the U.S. back in November but she didn’t join the team until May so she could finish out the season with Chelsea — guiding the Women’s Super League squad to its fifth straight title.
Hayes was tasked with turning around a U.S. team that crashed out of last summer’s Women’s World Cup earlier than ever before. Despite her short time with the Americans, she quickly fostered chemistry within the young squad, particularly between forwards Smith, Swanson and Trinity Rodman.
The trio scored 10 of the 12 U.S. goals in France.
Brazil had the best chances early. Ludmila was alone in front of the goal in the second minute but her shot went straight into Naeher’s arms.
Ludmila appeared to score in the upper far corner in the 16th minute but was offside.
Swanson took off on a break down the left side in the 25th minute but Brazil goalkeeper Lorena easily stopped her shot.
Naeher kept the game scoreless at the break by punching away Gabi Portilho’s shot in first-half stoppage time.
Brazilian midfielder Vitoria Yaya was stretched off with an injury early in the second half.
The U.S. continued to threaten after Swanson’s goal. Smith nearly scored on a break in the 66th but her attempt went wide.
Horan smashed a free kick into the wall in the 82nd after Tarciane fouled Smith just outside the box.
Hayes made one change to her lineup for the final, starting Korbin Albert in place of Rose Lavelle. It was the second youngest U.S. lineup to start a gold medal match, with an average age of 26.7. The average age of the team that started the 1996 final was 25.8.
The U.S. advanced to the final with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Germany in Lyon. Smith scored the lone goal.
Brazil earned its spot with a wild 4-2 victory over Women’s World Cup champions Spain.
Germany went on to win the tournament’s bronze medal with a 1-0 victory over Spain in Lyon on Friday.
Justin Simmons could be on the verge of finding a new home.
The former Broncos safety is set to visit the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday, a source familiar with the situation told The Denver Post. The news was first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
Simmons is one of the best free agents available. In eight seasons with the Broncos, Simmons recorded 604 tackles, 30 interceptions and 65 passes defended. Simmons’ interception total is the most by a player since 2016.
He made his second Pro Bowl appearance in 2023 after he totaled 70 tackles, three picks and eight passes defended. In March, the Broncos parted ways with the 30-year-old defensive back to save $14.5 million in cap space. Following the departure of Simmons, Denver retained P.J. Locke on a two-year deal while signing former Dolphins safety Brandon Jones to a three-year deal, worth up to $22.5 million.
On Monday, the Broncos released safety Caden Sterns after an injury plagued tenure in Denver, as they team is relying on Locke, Jones and second-year safety JL Skinner to defend the back end of the field. Sterns was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday.
In June, Simmons expressed that he wanted to join a team that gave him the opportunity to continue playing at a high level, but more importantly, ready to win. The Saints finished 9-8 in 2023 and haven’t been to the postseason since 2020 when Sean Payton was still the head coach.
If Simmons ends up signing with the Saints, he will join a secondary that consists of safety Tyrann Mathieu and cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
Can we just get on with it? Please? Declaring Steady Stiddy as your starter, as Payton more or less did for Sunday’s preseason opener at Indianapolis, is just delaying the inevitable. It’s cute for cute’s sake. It’s either an epic troll job or a backdoor message to Nix, picked 12th in this past spring’s draft to be your franchise quarterback, that his present isn’t promised.
“I’m not ready for a depth chart, but I have to get (the league) a depth chart,” Payton said after Tuesday’s practice. “So it’s easy to push the (younger) players to the back of the line and then make sure it’s kind of where we sit right now.
“And that’s really it. No, it’s a good question, but I’m not trying to send messages at all.”
Whatever. No. 10 turns 25 in February. Start the meter or get a different cab.
This isn’t 2021. This isn’t about Drew vs. Teddy, about dividing the family and picking a side. This isn’t about an unproven coach who desperately needs to win now, the way Uncle Vic Fangio had to and didn’t.
Broncos Country should be united around Nix, until he gives them ample cause, gives them enough evidence, to cut bait and turn the page. Which might be never.
But dang it, there’s only one way to find out.
It’s about 2025. And 2026. And 2027. Until then, you’re thumb-wrestling with the Raiduhs for third in the AFC West.
It’s about the long game. The Chiefs are the new Patriots; Patrick Mahomes is the new Tom Brady. The Chargers are casting their mercurial lots with Jim Harbaugh — which history says will burn very hot, burn very fast, and, fairly quickly, burn itself out.
Ask yourself this: If Nix is more Josh Rosen than Kyler Murray, wouldn’t you prefer to figure that out sooner as opposed to later?
Sure, Stidham probably gives you the best chance to win now. If your idea of “winning now” is 6-11. Better to stink young.
First-round QBs are like a sports car. In the wrong hands, such as those belonging to Nathaniel Hackett, it’s a sexy wreck waiting to happen.
But there’s a fine line between careful and constipated. You spent the dough to make a show. What’s the point of letting that bad boy sit in the garage all weekend, gathering dust in the darkness?
“I didn’t realize how fast he was,” linebacker Jonas Griffith said Tuesday, eyes widening, when asked about the Broncos’ rookie signal-caller. “It’s kind of crazy because he had (an opening), he was running, I think it was a few days ago, and I was like, ‘Whoa, he’s kind of fast.’ And I consider myself a fast guy.”
Let’s see how fast this kid does 0 to 60. What’s the worst that can happen?
Say Nix gives into his inner Lock, becomes a turnover machine, and stinks up the joint. Congratulations! You’ve backpedaled your way into another top-12 pick, something the Broncos haven’t had in consecutive springs since 2008 and 2009.
The former turned into tackle Ryan Clady. The latter turned into Knowshon Moreno.
“Rookies are at the back of the line,” Payton said.
With most NFL coaches, it’s best to weigh podium proclamations with several grains of salt. With Payton, you take half a shaker. Sunshine Sean is begrudgingly honest in front of a microphone, selectively honest when circled by tape recorders. We are the jackals and hyenas he feeds the way a parent feeds an irresponsible child’s pet hamster. Not because he wants to. Because he has to.
When it comes to any depth chart on Aug. 6, Payton’s right, in theory. It’s too early, it’s too soon, and who cares?
But here’s the difference: When you’ve declared an open QB competition, every rep, every sound bite, is a potential lean, a potential tell.
Although with Payton, who knows? In his six preseason openers since 2016, only two of the coach’s eventual or presumed starters actually took the first snaps of the preseason. Those honors usually went to backups such as Chase Daniel (2017), Tom Savage (2018), Teddy Bridgewater (2019) and Taysom Hill (2021).
Daniel never threw a regular-season pass in ’17. Savage wound up getting cut on Sept. 1 of ’18 after losing the backup battle to our old pal Teddy B.
“Like I said, there wasn’t a lot of thought,” Payton continued. “I mean, we just got the depth chart out (Tuesday) and that’s it. And that’s where we’re at now.”
Some seasons are about winning at all costs. Some are about development. You can split the difference, of course. But six years of always trying to thread that particular needle has left the Broncos a little cross-eyed.
Payton would sooner share a booth at Subway with Russell Wilson than punt 20-24 months of a precious, ticking clock. But in this league, sometimes the surest path forward is by taking two steps back first.
Former CSU Rams football coach Steve Addazio, whose Fort Collins tenure was short and tempestuous, is transitioning to television. ESPN announced that Addazio has joined the network as a college football analyst and will start calling games later this month.
Addazio posted a 4-12 record at CSU from 2020-21 and had a 61-67 career record as a head coach with the Rams, Boston College (2013-19) and Temple (2011-12). He was fired at CSU in December 2021, a few days after completing a 3-9 season and after being ejected from a 52-10 home loss to Nevada, then coached by Jay Norvell.
Norvell would replace Addazio as CSU’s coach shortly after.
Addazio spent the 2022 and ’23 seasons as the offensive line coach at Texas A&M under then-coach Jimbo Fisher. He was not retained by new Aggies football coach Mike Elko.
At 16 games, Addazio’s stint as full-time Rams coach was the briefest since George Cassidy posted a 0-5 record in 1910. The longtime former Urban Meyer assistant was also the subject of internal and external investigations during his brief tenure, although a third-party investigation largely absolved Addazio of the accusations that had been levied against him.
Colorado’s Angel-filled nightmare continued in Tuesday’s series opener in Anaheim.
The Rockies entered the game with the lowest winning percentage against the Angels of any opponent in franchise history at .311. And that mark slipped a little more after the Rockies blew an early lead en route to a 10-7 defeat at Angel Stadium.
Right-hander Cal Quantrill was roughed up in the defeat, yielding a season-high seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.
“We had the lead 6-2, we had the lead 6-4,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters. “It was surprising and frustrating for Cal that he couldn’t get through this one. He’s been so good for us all year, so that was unexpected.”
Colorado jumped on right-hander Griffin Canning right off the bat, with two runs in the first inning and then four in the second.
Kris Bryant’s sacrifice fly and Brendan Rodgers’ RBI double made it 2-0 early, then after Taylor Ward’s two-RBI single off Quantrill in the bottom of the frame, Ezequiel Tovar’s sacrifice fly plus Ryan McMahon’s three-run homer gave the Rockies a commanding early lead.
But Quantrill — who remains in a Rockies uniform despite being the subject of trade speculation up through Tuesday’s deadline — wasn’t sharp.
The right-hander lacked command of his signature pitch, the splitter. Los Angeles got a two-RBI double by Matt Thaiss in the third, then Ward and Thaiss drove home runs in the fourth to swing the lead back to the Angels, 7-6, and chase Quantrill from the game.
“There were some elevated pitches, and (Quantrill) threw a number of splits and that was part of the gameplan, he just didn’t have the feel for it,” Black said.
Tovar tied the game in the seventh off southpaw Jose Quijada via the shortstop’s 18th homer of the year, tying Michael Toglia for a team high. Tovar was the Rockies’ lone baserunner after the second inning.
Los Angeles retook the lead, again, in the bottom of the seventh via Jo Adell’s monstrous solo homer, a 439-foot shot to center off right-hander Jake Bird.
The Angels then added on to that late lead via Zach Neto’s push bunt and Thaiss’ RBI single that plated two more runs off Justin Lawrence.
“The pitching wasn’t up to par at all today,” Black said. “We didn’t hit in (a four-game sweep in) San Francisco… Today we hit, and we didn’t pitch.”
Thaiss finished with five RBIs, and is the first player in Angels history to drive in five runs and have two steals in a single game. Thaiss is also just the second catcher in MLB history to accomplish that feat, joining Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane, who did it for the Tigers in 1934.
Meanwhile, the Colorado offense couldn’t muster another surge with the game on the line, getting set down in order in the eighth by Ben Joyce before fellow right-hander Hunter Strickland did the same to the Rockies in the ninth.
Wednesday’s pitching matchup
Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-4, 6.23 ERA) at Angels TBA
7:38 p.m. Wednesday, Angel Stadium
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Freeland was in a groove before getting derailed in his last start in San Francisco, when the Giants tagged him for six runs on eight hits in four innings, including a pair of homers. Before that, he posted five straight quality starts following his return from the injured list due to an elbow strain. The southpaw’s been decent getting hitters to swing at pitches out of the zone, as he ranks in the 68th percentile in chase rate. He’s also been striking out more hitters lately than he usually does, including eight K’s in his last outing and nine in Cincinnati on July 10. Los Angeles has yet to announce its starter for Game 2 of the series.
Pitching probables
Thursday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-10, 4.99) at Angels RHP Carson Fulmer (0-2, 3.77), 7:38 p.m.
Friday: Rockies TBA at Padres TBA, 7:40 p.m.
Saturday: Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (2-7, 4.79) at Padres RHP Michael King (9-6, 3.26), 6:40 p.m.
Did not practice: Physically Unable to Perform list — S Caden Sterns (knee), S Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) and LB Drew Sanders (Achilles). Non-Football Injury list — RB Blake Watson (muscle strain). Out — OLB Nik Bonitto, OL Nick Gargiulo. Dropped out — S Brandon Jones (hamstring)
Payton told reporters after practice that Jones “tweaked” his hamstring and was being evaluated. He also expects Bonitto to be back to practice work Saturday.
QB Race Today
Zach Wilson did, indeed, get all the No. 1 reps during practice Friday, continuing the rotation that began earlier this week with Jarrett Stidham on Wednesday and Bo Nix on Thursday.
The Broncos didn’t waste any time, getting a 7-on-7 period and three team periods in during their first full-length camp practice of the summer. Head coach Sean Payton said afterward that the team put a heavy emphasis on third-down situations.
None of the three quarterbacks turned the ball over in team settings Friday, though Wilson and Nix were each almost picked by corners Riley Moss and Reese Taylor, respectively.
“There’s things you have to evaluate sometimes,” Payton said. “In other words, the pocket, was it broken down? There’s certain things that can take place that can affect their execution. So when you’re evaluating and breaking down the reps, you have to take all of that into account. I like the way they’re protecting the ball and I think they’re working through their progressions. … They’re getting a lot of looks.”
Top Play
On a Friday devoid of big, spectacular plays, beauty was in the eye of the beholder. Maybe you preferred a pretty looking toss play to the left for Jaleel McLaughlin? Or a couple of nice plays on the ball by Moss, the second-year corner? Or the continued, consistent pressure that the defensive line generated? All come with caveats: It’s early and more to the point they’re not wearing pads yet.
Thumbs Up
Reynolds’ all-around addition: Wide receiver Josh Reynolds made a couple of plays Friday and is already showing the kind of versatility Denver coveted in free agency. He’s a tall, long receiver, a smooth runner and a willing blocker.
“He’s flexible, he’s smart,” Payton said. “(Passing game coordinator) Johnny Morton worked with him in Detroit so we had a little bit more knowledge of the player. He loves playing. … He’s been a good addition.”
Welcome, Bo: Not surprisingly, the rookie quarterback got a big cheer from the crowd on hand Friday. With fans in attendance for the first time since Nix was selected No. 12 overall in April’s draft, it’s no surprise he got a warm welcome considering it’s the highest Denver’s drafted a quarterback since Jay Cutler went No. 11 in 2006.
Thumbs Down
Safety net?: The Broncos’ depth at safety is already a question mark with Sterns on PUP. If Jones ends up missing substantial time with the hamstring issue, Payton and company will have to take a realistic look at whether they’ve got enough depth on the roster.
Dink and dunk: The NFL’s not much of a home-run league these days. Not only that, but Payton talked about the situation-heavy work Friday, the still-early installation schedule and more that is all reality this time of year. Still, the Broncos’ trio of quarterbacks at some point is going to have to show the ability to attack down the field with the ball. That hasn’t shown up much yet this offseason.
Odds and Ends
• The evaluation changes dramatically for everyone when pads come on, but some positions more than others. One of the most interesting players to watch: Rookie RB Audric Estime. He’s a load and has looked good so far this week.
• Early means early — and it’s early — but so far the center battle has not seen as much rotation as the quarterbacks. Luke Wattenberg so far has seen most of the top-group work. We’ll see as time goes along if he’s truly leading or if Alex Forsyth or Sam Mustipher makes a move.
• Country megastar Kenny Chesney was on hand for practice Friday ahead of his Saturday night show at Empower Field. Chesney got a workout in in the morning and then had a chance to catch up with Payton, a longtime friend, before practice.
• Payton continues to like the youthful energy of his team and sounds like a coach who’s interested to see who grabs the bull by the horns at several different positions. “I think young and hungry can be very dangerous,” he said. “And I’ve told them that. I think that can be very successful.”
• Garett Bolles is excited to watch the quarterback battle play out, saying Friday, “They all can play, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. That’s how Coach Payton rolls. He’s not going to bring someone in here he doesn’t think he can play and run his scheme and run his offense. He’s had one great quarterback in Drew Brees and he has a certain way of doing things. He knows all three of these quarterbacks can be special for us. … All those guys I love dearly and it’s just my job to keep their jersey fresh. It doesn’t matter who’s back there as a left tackle.”
• One thing that does jump out about the trio of Denver quarterbacks is that each has mobility. Stidham might not have the same flat-out wheels that Nix or Wilson have, but they each do feel comfortable moving around. Another element of their games to watch as camp progresses. Who can use that to his advantage and who maybe over-relies on it?
Saturday schedule
The Broncos are back at it for the NFL’s Back Together Weekend. Parking lots open at 8 a.m., gates at 9 a.m., and practice begins at 10 a.m. Then Sunday is off before a six-day workweek next week.
On a 93-degree Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field, tempers boiled over between the visiting Red Sox and Rockies.
Colorado right-hander Cal Quantrill escaped a jam in the fourth inning by getting Reese McGuire to fly out to center fielder Brenton Doyle for the third out. Quantrill, a demonstrative player, pumped his arms to celebrate and then exchanged heated words with McGuire as McGuire ran up the line.
The two players moved toward each other, and players from both benches and bullpens rushed onto the field. Colorado catcher Jacob Stallings got between Quantrill and McGuire.
No punches were thrown and no one was ejected. Colorado was leading 8-2 at the time of the incident. It scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 13-3 lead.
Denver Post reporters Parker Gabriel and Ryan McFadden cover key storylines as the Broncos get ready to start 2024 training camp under Sean Payton, including Quinn Meinerz’s massive contract extension, whether Pat Surtain II might be next and how the three-man QB race between Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson sets up in the coming weeks. All that and more on the latest edition of the 1st & Orange Podcast.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.
“That’s an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”
The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.
Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.
Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.
“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.
Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.
The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.
Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.
“Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”
Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pulled a 400-foot drive to right off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.
“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”
When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.
Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.
Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.
“I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”
The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.
Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.
The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League’s 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.
AL starter Corbin Burnes arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.
After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.
Quick game
Played in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.
Won in both leagues
Bruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL’s San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.
Up next
The MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.
Grounds tickets for the final two rounds of the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club next month have sold out, tournament organizers announced Tuesday. Parking for those days is still available, but organizers expect it to sell out as well.
Fans who want to attend Colorado’s first PGA Tour event in a decade have options, though. Grounds tickets, which run from about $30 to $125, are available for the first two rounds of the tournament, Aug. 22 and 23. To watch the weekend rounds in person, fans will have to shell out a bit more money for upgraded options: Canyon Club tickets are $600, and Centennial Club tickets are $1,350.
DENVER, CO – JULY 13: Tracy Cortez (black trunks) goes to her corner between rounds agiants Rose Namajunas (blue trunks) during a UFC Fight Night flyweight bout at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Saturday, July, 13, 2024. Namajunas won the bout by way of a unanimous decsion. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Andre Petroski made fighting in the UFC look easy on Saturday night at Ball Arena.
In the UFC’s return to Denver for the first time in six years — a period in which Petroski’s been in recovery from drug addiction — he won by unanimous decision over Englewood resident Josh Fremd in a middleweight preliminary bout. Petroski entered the night coming off consecutive losses and admitted the possibility of getting cut from the promotion with another defeat loomed in his mind.
But for someone who battled heroin addiction and came out the other side, a fighting career hanging in the balance is small potatoes.
“I really have been through so much (adversity) in my life, with the drugs and substance abuse, going through treatment and getting arrested,” Petroski said. “I’ve been through way worse positions than losing a fight or losing two fights in a row. If I don’t wake up and have to go find $10 to get high, then I’m winning at life.”
With that mindset and a well-constructed game plan, Petroski defeated Fremd 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 as the former college wrestler capitalized on his clear edge in grappling. Petroski took down Fremd in each round, and each time, the Factory X fighter was unable to get off the canvas.
“I had done some training with Josh in the past, and I knew where I had the advantage over him,” Petroski said. “I think that I’m a better striker than Josh, but I also knew my grappling was so much better than him.
“I was in a position where I’m coming off two losses and it’s not about getting a highlight or anything like that. It’s about doing what I have to do to win and keep this career going and provide for my family.”
Petroski improved to 6-2 in the UFC with the victory, while Fremd fell to 2-4. Petroski paid no mind to the deafening cheers for Fremd when the local stepped into the Octagon, nor did Petroski mind the chorus of boos that rained down on him throughout the fight and after he was declared the winner as the crowd expressed its distaste for the one-sided wrestling match.
Andre Petroski (white trunks) controls Josh Fremd (black trunks) during a UFC Fight Night middleweight bout at Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Petroski won the fight via unanimous decision. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
The Philadelphia fighter held Fremd down for the majority of the first round, nearly submitted Fremd via a triangle in the second round, and then fended off a quick flurry of punches from a desperate Fremd in the final round to eventually notch another takedown.
After the victory, Petroski reveled in the win and recalled how six years ago, he was an amateur fighter who was winning on the regional scene but his body was “depleting” as he battled his intravenous heroin addiction.
Now, he’s a father of three, including a newborn son who arrived two months ago amid his training camp for Fremd.
“(In 2018), I tried really hard to kick it, and ended up getting high and overdosing and got arrested,” Petroski said. “After that, I went through treatment and was able to get clean and go pro. My life has been constantly getting better (since that point).
“Me overdosing was my act of providence. Because I couldn’t stop. I had tried a million times to stop getting high and I couldn’t, but that happening was the interference from God. … The hardest reminder for me is seeing the guys I was in treatment with, and a lot of them are still getting high. I’m so many worlds moved on from that, and I’m so grateful that I’m not there anymore.”
Montel Jackson (white trunks) celebrates after defeating Da’Mon Blackshear (black trunks) during a UFC Fight Night bantamweight bout at Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday, July, 13, 2024. Jackson won the fight via first-round knockout. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Lightning-quick knockout. The highlight of the preliminaries came in the bantamweight fight when Montel Jackson knocked out Da’Mon Blackshear in just 18 seconds.
Jackson, who has now won five bouts in a row, hadn’t fought in over a year. His knockout of Blackshear came on a slick one-two combo where he connected with Blackshear’s face with a straight left punch.
“(Blackshear) came out a little passive, so I knew I could get on the gas and I went for it,” Jackson said. “… A lot of these (other bantamweights), they’re ducking…. eventually, I’m going to see everybody. I want to fight again ASAP. If something comes up on short notice, if somebody drops out, I’ll say yeah, even though I’m not sure if they’d say yeah to me.”
Cody Brundage (black trunks) winces after taking blows from Abdul Razak Alhassan (white trunks) during a UFC Fight Night middleweight bout at Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday, July, 13, 2024. The fight was ruled a no contest after Brundage was unable to continue as a result of incidental blows during the first round. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Controversial finish. The first fight of the main card came to a controversial ending 37 seconds into the first round after Cody Brundage, a Parker resident who trains at Factory X, could not continue.
Brundage’s opponent, Abdul Razak Alhassan, landed a couple of blows to the back of Brundage’s head as the Ghanaian had Brundage on the ground. The referee stopped the fight, and Brundage appeared confused as he took several minutes to get off the canvas, repeatedly asking his corner, “What happened?”
After being evaluated by medical personnel, it was deemed Brundage could not continue. The crowd was not pleased, and a loud chorus of boos permeated the arena. Alhassan was clearly furious at the stoppage of the fight, pacing around the octagon and cursing.
When Cody Brundage steps into the Octagon on Saturday, he’ll carry his daughter’s fight with him.
Brundage, one of four locals on the UFC Fight Night card in the promotion’s return to Denver at Ball Arena, has gained strength from watching 3-year-old Kingsley battle ALG13-CDG — a rare disease caused by a genetic mutation.
“This (fighting) life is pretty hard in terms of balance because it demands everything of you, and a lot of times it doesn’t really give that much back,” Brundage said. “At one point fighting was the most important, biggest thing in my life. But with kids, that changes, and especially with Kingsley and the care she needs.
“I know as long as I’m being a good dad and good husband and partner, I’ll check the boxes with fighting and that will take care of itself. I didn’t really have that perspective before.”
Doctors initially told Brundage and his wife, ex-UFC fighter Amanda Bobby Brundage, that Kingsley would likely never be able to use her hands, sit up or feed herself. But Kingsley has already met those milestones, and though she remains nonverbal, the Brundages feel fortunate with where she is now.
That includes getting Kingsley’s seizures under control over the past couple of years. When she was an infant, she was having roughly 130 seizures a day.
“Imagine trying to go off to training when you know your baby at 6 months old is going through that many seizures a day,” Amanda Brundage said. “You’re trying to fight for your dreams, which is what Cody’s been doing, and that’s going on at home. It makes it hard (to focus).”
Amanda, who fought in the UFC from 2016 to ’18 and was on the cusp of returning to the promotion when she got pregnant with Kingsley, gave up her professional MMA career to be a mom. While Cody trains at Factory X in Englewood, she stays home with Kingsley and the couple’s other daughter, 1-year-old Millie.
“People can view living through someone else as kind of a negative thing, but for me, it’s a positive,” Amanda said. “I’m living through Cody. I’m supporting him, watching him train. I want him to go to the top, to reach all his dreams and potential. I still get to go to the gym to train. So I still get my feel for the sport, I still learn stuff, and he’s teaching me now.”
That latter part has been a role reversal for the couple, who initially met at an MMA gym in Michigan where Amanda was an instructor. She became the first MMA coach for Cody, an ex-college wrestler searching for his next step in life.
“She was in there doing private lessons and she came up to me and was like, ‘You have no idea what you’re doing,’” Cody recalled with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Thanks for that.’ And in my mind, I was like, ‘Who is this little woman telling me I don’t know what I’m doing?’ Turns out she’s in the UFC.
“She would always tell me, ‘You’re just going to owe me 2% (of future earnings). I’m not ever going to charge you anything now for coaching.’ I’ve been chasing that 2% deal ever since.”
On Saturday, Brundage (4-5 in the UFC) will look to get back into the win column after losing his last fight by submission to Bo Nickal in April.
Brundage’s middleweight opponent at Ball Arena is Ghanaian fighter Abdul Razak Alhassan. Brundage, a 30-year-old Parker resident, is expecting “chaos and fireworks” in a bout between two fighters capable of big finishes. All six of Alhassan’s UFC wins have come by KO/TKO.
“We know Razak is a tough opponent, and we also know that Cody’s skill set could be Razak’s kryptonite,” Factory X head coach Marc Montoya said. “We think this is a fight he can win. Now, he just needs to go prove it. … Cody’s skill set is very well-rounded. Razak’s obviously a good striker, super powerful and explosive. Can Cody’s well-roundedness on the feet and defensively negate what he’s doing?
“I don’t think Razak’s game plan is to come out and try to finish Cody on the ground. The hardest part for our opponent is figuring out what Cody is going to do because he’s very well-rounded.”
Anthony Hernandez grapples Josh Fremd in their middleweight fight during the UFC 273 event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 09, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Fremd’s “coming-out party.” Another 30-year-old Factory X middleweight on Saturday’s card is Josh Fremd, who will fight Andre Petroski in the evening’s second preliminary bout.
Fremd is 2-3 in the UFC and coming off a KO loss to Roman Kopylov via a body blow last September. The Connellsville, Pa., native and current Englewood resident said he’s underperformed in his five big-show bouts so far.
“This one’s going to be my coming-out party for the UFC,” Fremd said. “Coming up through the regional scene, I was having viral knockouts and performing great, and then when I got to the UFC it’s been a whirlwind. Even my two wins, they weren’t my best performances. I want to do better and show everyone what I’m actually capable of.”
Like a lot of fighters, Fremd’s road to the UFC was underscored by a rough upbringing. He was in and out of juvenile detention centers, halfway homes and foster care before his grandparents took him and his five siblings in.
But Fremd came out the other side, then developed his will to fight on the regional scene, where he dealt with various injuries and worked as a bartender/bouncer to make ends meet.
“There’s been so many times I could’ve quit, took the easy route out, got a (9-to-5) job, and said, ‘To hell with it.’ But I’ve fought through a lot and it’s taught me work ethic,” Fremd said. “… My boxing and my cardio are my strengths, but at the end of the day, I’m just a fighter. I’m not going to cave, give in or wilt under pressure. I’m okay to get beat up for a little bit just to turn it around and finish a fight.”
Montoya believes Petroski is going to want to capitalize on his grappling ability against Fremd.
“Josh and Cody are in a very similar spot where they’re young in the UFC and they have a high, high ceiling,” Montoya said. “Josh just needs to go out and perform. When you see a confident Josh Fremd, he is scary to fight. And what I’ve seen in the build-up to this fight is that it seems like Josh has found a lot of the swagger he had pre-UFC, and that’s a big deal.”
While Fremd and Brundage fight, Factory X’s top UFC fighter, flyweight Brandon Royval, will be in the stands watching. The Denver native and top-ranked contender in his division had an offer to take on an unranked fighter Saturday but turned it down.
Montoya said the fight didn’t make sense considering Royval is waiting for another shot at a title fight against Alexandre Pantoja, whom he lost to in December before beating then-No. 1 contender Brandon Moreno in February.
“That’s the man of the city right there,” Fremd said of Rovyal, “so in honor of him, I’m going to go out and knock this fool out.”
Rose Namajunas celebrates as the referee kneels over Zhang Weili during a UFC 261 mixed martial arts bout Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)
Main event preview. The night will conclude with one of the state’s all-time fighters in the main event.
Westminster resident Rose Namajunas, a former two-time strawweight champion, fights Tracy Cortez in Namajunas’ third flyweight bout since moving up a weight class. Namajunas was originally supposed to fight Greeley native Maycee Barber, but Barber withdrew a few weeks ago due to medical issues.
Namajunas is No. 6 in the UFC flyweight rankings, and Cortez is No. 11. A win will inch Namajunas closer to an eventual title shot and a chance to become a two-division champion. Alexa Grasso currently holds the belt and is the No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound female fighter.
“I’m feeling lots of excitement, nerves, gratitude for this chance to fight here,” said Namajunas, a Milwaukee native who moved to Colorado about a decade ago. “I’ve had such a great career so far, with some ups and downs, so to get to this point of my first time fighting in Denver, there’s a lot to take in and a lot to process.
“If my heart is right, and my spirit is right … I’m the best for a reason, and (Cortez) will have to find that out.”
Cortez is riding an 11-fight win streak coming into Saturday — with five of those triumphs coming in the UFC — and is eager to hold on to her status as one of the promotion’s intriguing up-and-comers.
“I know right now (Namajunas) is a veteran, and we’re in her home, we’re in her backyard,” Cortez said. “All of that doesn’t really intimidate me. She was an amazing champion at 115 (pounds), but I don’t think she’s yet to face a true 125er like myself in her career. This is going to put both of us to a good test to see if, one, if she belongs in the flyweight division, and two, if I’m really as talented as I believe I am.”
During Namajunas’ training leading into Saturday, she worked with other local UFC fighters, including reigning bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington as well as flyweights Miranda Maverick and JJ Aldrich.
With Namajunas headlining alongside the trio of local men — UFC veteran lightweight and Colorado resident Drew Dober faces Brazilian Jean Silva in the third-to-last bout — Brundage believes Saturday will be a marquee night for the Centennial State’s MMA scene. The last time the UFC held a card in Denver was Nov. 10, 2018, at the then-named Pepsi Center.
“Hopefully we make enough of a statement that it doesn’t take six years to come back,” Brundage said. “This is where the UFC started (with UFC 1 in 1993 at McNichols Sports Arena), and there’s a ton of great MMA culture here. The fans here are awesome, they understand the sport. There’s a ton of jiujitsu gyms here with a lot of high-level UFC fighters who have fought for world titles, won world titles.
“I feel like with the history of this place with MMA, especially UFC, it’s crazy they haven’t been back sooner. … (We local fighters) are all going to go out, push a hard pace and show them what’s up.”
Drew Dober, left, exchanges strikes with Rafael Alves of Brazil in their lightweight bout during UFC 277 at American Airlines Center on July 30, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
UFC Fight Night
Saturday at Ball Arena
Preliminaries — 5 p.m.
Evan Elder vs. Darrius Flowers (Welterweight)
Josh Fremd vs. Andre Petroski (Middleweight)
Luana Santos vs. Mariya Agapova (Flyweight)
Montel Jackson vs. Da’mon Blackshear (Bantamweight)
Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Fatima Kline (Flyweight)
Joshua Van vs. Charles Johnson (Flyweight)
Main Card — 8 p.m.
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cody Brundage (Middleweight)
Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez (Featherweight)
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa (Welterweight)
Drew Dober vs. Jean Silva (Lightweight)
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov (Welterweight)
Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez (Flyweight, Main Event)
The Colorado Avalanche signed its final restricted free agent remaining Friday, inking forward Jason Polin to a one-year contract.
Polin, 25, was an undrafted free agent from Western Michigan at the end of the 2022-23 season. He had one goal in seven games with the Avalanche in his first full season as a pro, spending most of his year with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL.
He had four goals and 10 points in 42 games for the Eagles. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward is likely to begin next season with the Eagles, but could be an option as an in-season callup again.
Polin joins Casey Mittelstadt and Wyatt Aamodt as RFAs who have signed contracts to return with the Avalanche. Colorado did not extend a qualifying offer to Alex Beaucage or Gianni Fairbrother, which made them unrestricted free agents.
Avs wrap up camp: Colorado’s prospects concluded summer development camp Friday at Family Sports Center. Calum Ritchie, a 2023 first-round pick and the club’s top prospect, was a standout throughout the week.
The other first-round pick in attendance, Oskar Olausson (2021), did not participate in the scrimmage (shoulder). He wore a non-contract jersey when he was on the ice during practices earlier in the week. Avs director of player development Brian Willsie said the club expects Olausson to be full-go for the start of training camp.
Jones finds a new home: Another member of the 2023-24 Avs squad moved on officially Friday. Caleb Jones, the club’s No. 7 defenseman for much of last season, signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Los Angeles Kings. Jones, whose father is Nuggets assistant coach Popeye Jones, had five points in 25 games for the Avs and appeared in three playoff games.
It took 14 innings and required clutch defense, but the Rockies gutted out a 5-4 win over the White Sox Sunday afternoon at Guarantee Rate Field.
Colorado manufactured the winning run in the 14th when Sam Hilliard’s sacrifice bunt moved Ryan McMahon from second to third, and then McMahon scored on Michael Toglia’s sacrifice fly.
Lefty reliever Jalen Beeks kept the White Sox from scoring in the bottom of the frame to help the Rockies end their five-game losing streak.
The Rockies won despite getting only six hits, striking out 21 times and going 2 for 17 with runners in scoring position.
Without web gems from center fielder Brenton Doyle, left fielder Nolan Jones, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and third baseman Ryan McMahon, the Rockies would not escaped Chicago with a victory in the three-game series.
Long before the 3-hour, 25-minute marathon was decided, lefty Kyle Freeland gave the Rockies 6 2/3 workmanlike innings. His only big mistake through the first five innings came in the fourth. He threw a misplaced 0-1 slider to leadoff hitter Andrew Vaughn, who parked the ball to left to get the White Sox on the scoreboard.
The sixth was a little rough for Freeland. He gave up solid singles to Vaughn and Eloy Jimenez, but Freeland’s defense rescued him. Doyle did a Superman dive to rob Luis Robert of a hit, and Jones snared Paul DeJong’s sinking liner.
Chicago tied the game, 2-2, in the seventh when Freeland faltered. Corey Julks and Lenyn Sosa opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and Danny Mendick’s perfect bunt moved them into scoring position. Freeland got out No. 2 by inducing pinch-hitter Korey Lee to pop out to center fielder Doyle.
But then Freeland walked Tommy Pham, loading the bases. Manager Bud Black called on right-hander Victor Vodnik, but Vodnik walked Vaughn on five pitches to force in the tying run.
The Rockies took a 2-0 lead in the second by doing something they haven’t done very often on the road this season: string quality at-bats together. McMahon led off with a single and raced to third on Elias Diaz’s single. McMahon scored on starter Garrett Crochet’s balk and Diaz advanced to second.
Toglia’s single moved Diaz to third and Diaz scored on Hunter Goodman’s sacrifice fly to right.
Colorado Rockies’ Elias Diaz celebrates after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Goodman during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Sunday, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
If DaRon Holmes calls you a legend, don’t be too flattered.
It’s nothing personal. It’s just Holmes’ all-encompassing expression, his hello and goodbye. It started in high school. By the end of college, it was practically a comprehensive attitude on life.
“Every time he saw you, every time you did something, it’s: ‘You’re a legend. You’re a legend. You’re a legend,’” Dayton basketball assistant coach Ricardo Greer said, laughing. “Eventually I was like, that’s the last ‘legend’ you’re gonna call me.”
“All my friends, we call each other kings and legends,” Holmes explained. “… So I always say to everybody, ‘You’re a legend.’ And the first time I say it, people are just happy, like, ‘Thank you, man!’ And then after a couple of times they’re like, ‘You call everybody this.’”
Denver’s newest rookie wields a friendly disposition to go with his versatile basketball skillset — characteristics that won over the Nuggets in equal measure this spring during the pre-draft process. They traded up six places in the first round Wednesday to select Holmes 22nd overall, their latest bet on non-lottery youth as a viable asset capable of contributing to championships.
Holmes is a player whose shape-shifting ability could position him to play right away. At 6-foot-9 without shoes, he occupies the awkward space between a power forward and small-ball center. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth outlined a future this week in which Holmes can eventually start as a four. It’s certainly easy to envision him defensively in lineups next to Nikola Jokic, who plays higher up the floor against ball screens than most centers. Holmes was an elite college rim protector and help defender who could rotate across the paint to anchor Denver behind the less vertically gifted Jokic.
For now, he seems just as well suited to space the floor as a center, which could help provide Denver’s second unit a fresh look. Dayton played a lot of five-out last season with Holmes, even entrusting him to bring the ball up and start the offense.
“I definitely see (playing the four) in the future, especially the way the game is now,” Holmes said. “You look at the Grizzlies. They just got Zach Edey. They’re probably gonna play him and JJ (Jaren Jackson Jr.) together. I think that’s perfectly fine for me. Small-ball five will be good at times. I don’t think that will be an all-time thing for me. I’m probably not gonna start at the five if I’m gonna be a starter (someday).”
Holmes grew up mostly in the Phoenix area. His mom coached him in YMCA hoops, but he didn’t instantly gravitate toward basketball as a dream career. He enjoyed playing soccer as well.
Above all, Holmes’ goal was to travel the world. Then he started to develop basketball talent, and as he put it, “I found out, hey, I can make money playing this thing. After I found that out, I was like, ‘I’ve gotta train as hard as I can.’”
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II stands on the court during an NCAA college basketball game against Davidson, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Holmes transferred twice in high school, going from Arizona to Florida and back, before becoming the highest-ranked high school recruit to ever sign with the Flyers.
His full potential as a pro prospect was unlocked last season, when he started making 3s. In his first two years at Dayton, Holmes was 27% beyond the arc. As a junior, he catapulted to 38.6% with a wide-base form that Booth compared to Al Horford’s.
Behind that improvement was a commitment to training that Denver loves to see in its draft targets.
“We did the same drill every night. And this was the first year I can truly say I was in the gym, dang near every day, and just getting up a lot of shots,” Holmes said. “I also was asking my coaches about just the little details I can fix on my shot.”
His standard regimen took anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes, usually after practice or otherwise the night before a game. It started with 10 shots from each of the five spots around the perimeter. Then a star drill. Then the same pair of exercises, repeated at the other end (but first, free throws in between). Then another drill in which he gradually slid his feet along the perimeter between every attempt, covering every inch of the arc until he hit 50 shots going corner to corner.
Then back the way he came. Another 50.
Then more free throws.
Then shots out of specific sets, like pick-and-pop 3s at game speed.
“My freshman and sophomore year, mainly the bigs would be in drop (coverage),” Holmes recalled. “I didn’t really even notice, because my mind was just: ‘Catch. Swing. What am I supposed to do next?’ … I was just trying to make sure I was doing everything right — which is good. You need to do a lot of things right. And then we looked at the film.”
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II (15) dribbles the ball against St. Bonaventure center Noel Brown (20) during an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Holmes remembers head coach Anthony Grant bringing him into his office, along with Greer, to show him how an improved shot could change the dimensions of Dayton’s offense. “I literally need to see how it can impact winning if I can bring that to the table,” Holmes said. “So they showed me how, if I’m able to knock down that shot, it will make the big come out. And if the big comes out, you have so many other options.”
With increased time in the gym came elevated confidence. That was the story of Holmes’ shooting evolution, but also of his entire development throughout college, from Greer’s perspective.
“The first year, I don’t think I heard him curse one time,” Greer said. “He would get mad, and he’ll go ‘Darn it’ or ‘Yeesh.’”
He was afraid of imperfection at first. Dayton allowed him to play through mistakes and mismatches, and he slowly learned to get over it.
The growing pains are the pivotal moments that resonate with Holmes now. Early in his freshman season, Lipscomb’s 275-pound center went for 21 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against him. Dayton lost by 19. A week later, he was the primary matchup against Belmont senior Nick Muszynski (245 pounds). Dayton escaped with a two-point win, but Holmes got demolished inside again.
“He was moving people with his arms,” Holmes said. “I will never forget, he had a play where he caught it on the right block, and I was trying to front him. And one of my teammates came to help me, and he literally had this arm right here and moved both of us. Hit a hook shot.
“This is when I’m a freshman, and I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I’m built for this.’ But all those moments really truly helped me out. Because I would go back and watch the film and see, ‘Hey, this is how you do handle those situations.’”
He learned to trust his IQ and talent eventually. Greer started to notice him swearing more — and calling people “legend” more — signs that Holmes was growing more comfortable in his own skin.
His rookie season in the NBA might resemble a reset of freshman year, but Holmes wanted the opportunity to experience that in Denver, where he can observe “one of the best big men of all time.” He knew the Nuggets were especially interested in him during the pre-draft process, though he says he wasn’t sure if that interest was to the extent of a full promise.
“I’m here to have fun. I’m here to win. I’m here to get better,” Holmes said. “And if (people) do see me (in Denver), don’t be afraid to come up to me and say what’s up. I’m very cool, chill. I’m not the type of athlete that’s like, ‘Oh, I can’t talk to you.’ That doesn’t apply to me. My family raised me a way to be respectful to everybody.”
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II (15) dunks the ball during an NCAA college basketball game against St. Bonaventure, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
The way the Colorado Rapids celebrated last Saturday after Rafael Navarro scored his 11th goal of the season said it all.
The one-touch laser to the far post in second-half stoppage time of a 4-1 win over CF Montréal garnered wide smiles — even wider than the one usually on Navarro’s face — and a group hug.
In the back of their minds, his teammates and coach Chris Armas knew a permanent signing was on the horizon. Wednesday, pen was put to paper, and Navarro will remain in burgundy through 2027 with an option for 2028.
“That (celebration) spoke volumes to how he’s liked in the locker room,” Rapids president Pádraig Smith told The Denver Post.
Navarro has 11 goals in 20 games this season, good for sixth in the MLS this year. His loan period was set to conclude at the end of the month. Now, the 24-year old Brazilian will stay in Commerce City for years to come.
“I’m very happy to be here,” Navarro told media members after Friday’s training through his translator and Rapids language specialist Andre Hilf. “All three of (Hilf, Armas and Smith) were fundamental for me and for my performance. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be in this situation and wouldn’t be performing the way I’m performing.”
Like much of the team last season, Navarro got into dangerous spots but only had one goal to show for it through 10 games. But what the organization saw was a goal-dangerous forward who was willing and able to defend, no matter the lows the team saw in its results.
With a revamped team around him and a coach in Armas who centers game plans around players like Navarro, goal-dangerous turned into goal-scoring in 2024. At one point, he scored in five straight games, one game shy of the franchise record.
“With Armas’ arrival, the style of play changed a lot and helped me very much,” Navarro said. “The coaching staff has been very supportive of me and has a lot of trust in me. They’ve told me what to do, what’s expected of me, playing inside and outside the box, so that has helped me a lot. I’m very grateful for it.”
At his position, Navarro is one of the best defenders in the league this year, too.
According to FBref, he is among the top 20% in a number of defensive metrics. It’s always been a part of Navarro’s game, but it has flourished in the MLS.
“Back in Brazil, (Palmeiras coach) Abel Ferreira also practiced this style of play, so it helped when I came here and played this style,” Navarro said. “If I’m not scoring goals, I can help the team in other ways, whether it’s defending or anything else, I have to help the team. That’s the way it has to be.”
For Smith, the decision to pursue a permanent deal wasn’t made the night Navarro scored his 11th, though. It wasn’t when he scored in five games straight.
Thoughts of keeping him came much earlier. As the deadline came closer, it was only a matter of when, not if, the signing would take place.
“We felt very early on that Rafa was a player we wanted to keep on the team,” Smith said. “We knew he was a good fit culturally, we had seen that last year. That was further confirmed right from the beginning of preseason this year.
“Once he got on his run, it was like, ‘Look, this kid’s the full package.’ He’s just turned 24 years of age, so there’s still a lot of room for growth. He does everything we want from our possessions and everything we want from a character perspective. He’s a culture fit, works hard against the ball and can score goals at the MLS level. That’s a great package for us.”
Navarro said his personal goal for down the line is to win the Golden Boot in the MLS. In a normal year, he’d be on pace to do so, but 2024 has been far from it. Navarro’s 11 goals has him in sixth, five behind Real Salt Lake’s Cristian Arango, who leads the league with 16 goals just more than halfway through the season.
In the team’s future, Navarro has MLS Cup aspirations in mind. But now that he’s a permanent Rapid, his first test on the job will be a tough road match against LAFC this Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
As Sean Payton embarks on his second season as the Broncos head coach, he has felt rejuvenated.
Denver’s offense has been sprinkled with youth, sparking position battles — and not just at quarterback — as players are try to make their mark on a team that’s in the midst of a rebuild.
“I think it’s that challenge of working with a young team,” Payton said. “I think that’s the one thing I notice at least watching. I feel the competition.”
Courtland Sutton didn’t show up to the Broncos’ facility until mandatory minicamp, but for the two days the veteran wide receiver was on the practice field, he felt the same energy.
He said the offense is filled with hungry players who are determined to go on the field each week to prove themselves, which is one reason there’s excitement among the players and coaches about training camp.
Indeed, the battle between rookie Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting quarterback job will be the highlight of the summer. But the competition at center, wide receiver and running back could be just as heated. The current state of the organization has created opportunity for first- and second-year players to step into meaningful roles this fall.
“You have a lot of guys that are still on their rookie deal, just got drafted or (undrafted) free agents,” Sutton said. “(We have) a team full of hungry dogs.”
Denver’s wide receivers room is filled with young players who have the potential to make an impact. After the Broncos traded wideout Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns in March, Marvin Mims Jr. has a chance to be a second option in the passing game. Denver also has rookies Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele, both of whom could command significant playing time, depending on how they perform during training camp and preseason games.
At running back, the one-two punch of Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine might not be guaranteed. The Broncos drafted former Notre Dame standout Audric Estime — who has been sidelined due to a knee procedure — and is viewed by Payton as a first- and second-down running back. Meanwhile, Jaleel McLaughlin and undrafted rookie Blake Watson have spent the offseason program displaying the receiving traits that Payton desires from running backs.
With Greg Dulcich continuing to work his way back from injury, there’s an opportunity for tight end Lucas Krull to show the coaching staff that he can potentially be the pass-catching threat that the Broncos desperately need at the position.
“It felt different this year in a good way,” Payton said of the competition level within the team.
While there might be an emphasis on the Broncos developing their young talent, Sutton said the mid-career veterans have something to prove as well. Wide receiver Tim Patrick, who restructured the final year of his contract, is hoping to show that he can still be a reliable asset in Denver’s wide receivers room despite having back-to-back season-ending injuries — and despite the team drafting Vele, who has similar traits.
Perine and Williams, as well as left tackle Garett Bolles, will be unrestricted free agents in 2025.
“It’s been cool to see the desire and hunger,” Sutton said.
Another part of Denver’s hunger ahead of training camp is the lack of national recognition. The Broncos have two only prime-time games this season, and Sutton said the team has kept a mental note of that.
“You see teams with six to seven prime-time games, and we have two,” Sutton said. “I think that speaks a lot to where the respect level is for us. We will carry that chip on our shoulder.”
The Colorado Rapids attacked their off-week by not attacking anything.
Winger Omir Fernández went home to New York to see his family. Coach Chris Armas, when he wasn’t watching soccer, spent time with his dog.
Returning to training this week after a week away, both of their tanks are full. With the rejuvenated energy, the week of training leading up to Saturday’s home match against Austin FC will be dedicated to righting the wrongs that led to a four-game winless streak heading into the international break.
The main focus: Shoring up play in the penalty box on both ends of the field. Those moments led to some disappointing results at the end of May and into June, but Armas says it’s just part of the process of improving as a team.
“We are becoming the team we want to become. We make young mistakes, but we are a young team,” Armas said. “When I look at it, taking care of both boxes (is important). We think we’re pretty stingy in many ways defensively. Can we get a little more urgent around our own box, stepping into plays and putting out little fires? And then (offensively), can we get a little more ruthless, make an extra pass to score more goals?
“We’re going to get there. We have a good group.”
Those sorts of issues have become a killer for the Rapids, whether it’s a matter of execution or just misfortune. Take the most recent game against Vancouver, when the difference between a win and a loss was a curling shot from Fernández that hit the post and went out with the game tied in the 85th minute.
Six minutes later, Vancouver won the game when Keegan Rosenberry and Sam Vines were a split second late to push the offside line up, keeping Damir Kreilach onside for the game-winner.
For Fernández, some struggles can be traced to earlier moments in possession that can make or break an attack: the first touch, whether on a long ball or key pass. Either way, he said, it’s just another one of the little actions the Rapids have to perfect in order to swing momentum in their favor moving forward.
“As much as it doesn’t seem like it in a game, it’s our first touch that can kill or create attacks and that’s one of the small things we’re harping on,” Fernández said. “Small details, at the end of the day, cost us or give us goals and if we get better each game, we’re going to concede less and score more.”
There’s no better opportunity than a home match after a two-week break, which might mean a little bit more given Austin will likely feature two former Rapids in Gyasi Zardes and Diego Rubio.
Austin sits two spots and one point ahead of the Rapids in the Western Conference at the halfway point of the season. A win at home against another team jockeying for a middle position in the playoff race would be huge, particularly for a struggling Rapids team.
The Rapids have the personnel and tactical prowess to exploit some of Austin’s glaring defensive weaknesses. In a lopsided 5-1 loss to Real Salt Lake, Austin struggled against a high press and speedy wingers finding space in behind the defense.
Both those things are Armas-ball specialties. Fernández is well aware of it.
“I’m going to try to unbalance them as much as I can with my runs and obviously I’m a player who likes combinations, so mixing a little bit of both,” Fernández said. “They’re strong defending on the ball and they’re kind of weak in behind, so I have to mix it up and just keep playing my game.”
The match will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday.
