Maybe Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic should move to another NBA team.<\/p>\n
\u2014 R., antsy in his pantsies<\/p>\n
Kiz: My only real complaint about Jokic? He\u2019s too nice. The complacency afflicting the Nuggets that was decried by president Josh Kroenke after a disheartening exit from the NBA playoffs results in no small measure because Joker is a low-maintenance star who isn\u2019t comfortable demanding better from Denver\u2019s front office. If the Nuggets don\u2019t find a point guard or fail to retain Peyton Watson, here\u2019s hoping Jokic is so livid he threatens to end his career elsewhere, because the team will have broken its promise to do everything possible to give the best player in franchise history the best shot of winning another chip. Me getting angry with the Nuggets brass does\u2019t make any difference. But Joker? That would be a whole \u2018nuther story.<\/p>\n
The USMNT\u2019s loss to Turkey wasn\u2019t the ideal result. But better to lose that game than a more important one in the knockout stages. The incredible energy from the fan base is building real momentum. We may be in the most historic run in USMNT history!<\/p>\n
\u2014 Kevin in Connecticut<\/p>\n
Kiz: Coach Mauricio Pochettino spent two years harping on the need to establish a take-no-bleep-from-anybody attitude on the U.S. squad then decides just when the USMNT is finally rounding into form and building momentum to take a night off against Turkey with a couldn\u2019t-care-less approach. Arrogance is earned. The USMNT hasn\u2019t proved jack. You either play to win the game. Or you don\u2019t. A smart coach never sends a mixed message. With the late substitutions in the hope of pulling out a victory against Turkey, Poch revealed he made a mistake in treating a World Cup game like a friendly.<\/p>\n
Do you even know anything about soccer, Kiz? You don\u2019t play guys who had previous yellow cards, and why risk injury? NFL teams do the same thing.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Marc, Broncos Country<\/p>\n
Kiz: I\u2019ve got no beef with sitting players on a yellow to avoid any chance of suspension for the knockout round. But trying to compare Week 18 of the NFL season to Game 3 of the World Cup is not only poor math comprehension but a painful lack of recognition that the USMNT is not France or Argentina. Poch was silly to play scared of injury when he\u2019s trying to build a fearless culture. I was in SoFi Stadium. The home crowd so essential to lifting the USMNT was looking for more reasons to believe rather than being deflated by don\u2019t-worry, be-happy excuses.<\/p>\n
If nothing else, Poch knows which guys are unplayable going forward in the tournament.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Sam, Aurora\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kiz: All that could be conclusively garnered from the momentum-stifling loss to Turkey was that 32-year-old goalie Matt Turner should never play for the USMNT again. He ain\u2019t no Tim Howard. Far from it. Despite Pochettino\u2019s obsession with load management for a squad facing the less-than-arduous task of playing three matches in 13 days, the Americans would\u2019ve come away with no less than a draw against Turkey with a competent performance from their keeper.<\/p>\n
And today\u2019s parting shot shows surprise for my recent suggestion that the Rockies should trade pitcher Kyle Freeland to a playoff contender.<\/p>\n
Kiz: You have a heart! Who knew? Unfortunately, franchise owner Dick Monfort does not. I\u2019m afraid Freeland will end his career in Colorado.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Matt, keeps on truckin\u2019<\/p>\n
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