Kickin' It With Kiz

We all know the Broncos signed offensive lineman Graham Glasgow as a free agent to allow quarterback Drew Lock to sleep easier at night. But know what gives Glasgow and his wife peace of mind during the age of coronavirus? A dog named Gordy. "He's basically our son. I even call him that," Glasgow told Mark Kiszla in this edition of the Kickin' It Podcast. Plus in "The Just One More Thing" segment, Kiz idly wonders how much life would be better for the Broncos, if only John Elway had traded up to draft running back Christian McCaffrey in 2017. A harmless pipe dream? Not if you ask one irked Broncos fan.

Edwin Moses, among the greatest U.S. Olympians of all time, never stumbled while winning 122 straight races in the 400-meter hurdles from 1977-87. But when the coronavirus recently came knocking at his family's door, Moses was shaken to his core. "It's no joke," Moses told says in this edition of the Kickin' It pod. Plus in the "Just One More Thing" segment, a Broncos fan bristles at any suggestion a 9-7 record and playoff berth would be considered a success for the team in 2020.

With COVID-19 ravaging the health of American citizens and the U.S. economy, Rockies first baseman Daniel Murphy and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright have pledged a combined $350,000 to assist financially struggling ballplayers. In this edition of the Kickin' It pod, Mark Kiszla talks to Jeremy Wolf, the executive director of More Than Baseball, about the very real challenges faced by poorly compensated minor-leaguers who often live below the poverty line. Plus in "The Just One More Thing" segment, a fan gives Kiz grief for trying to stir up trouble between running back Phillip Lindsay and the Broncos.

Colorado's favorite son couldn't get anybody out. During a rough 2019 season on the mound, Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland admits, "I'd be lying to say that my mind never went there to think: 'This (stinks) in general. And I (stink).' " Freeland shares how he bounced off the bottom with Mark Kiszla in this edition of the Kickin' It pod. Plus, in the "Just One More Thing" segment, Kiz stands up to cheer the Olympics for postponing the Summer Games until 2021.

What's wrong with this picture? While the NFL conducts the big business of NFL free agency, shuttered sports bars in Denver do zero business. "Our income is 0.0; we're talking Bluto's grade-point average," said Jim Armstrong, owner of Bender's in Westminster and The Kentucky Inn in Denver. For years, Mark Kiszla worked with Armstrong at The Denver Post. In the latest Kickin' It pod, two old friends talk about the impact of coronavirus in the sports world where hard-working, everyday people live. Plus, in the "Just One More Thing" segment, a sports fan asks: In a time of national crisis, is the NFL tone deaf?

"Be mad. I understand you're mad," said Altitude broadcaster Vic Lombardi, who shares fans' frustration with the TV dispute that has blacked out Avalanche and Nuggets games all season long for much of the Denver audience. In this edition of the Kickin' It pod, Mark Kiszla and Lombardi sat in his mother's kitchen, sharing a dinner of lasagna, chicken and sausage, as well as reasons why this could be a prolonged fight between Comcast and Altitude. Plus, in the "Just One More Thing" segment, a fan wonders if pro sports franchises have the real concern about coronavirus all wrong.

The question has dogged pro wrestling champs from Gorgeous George in the 1950s to Ric Flair in the 1980s and Jon Moxley to this very day. Is this stuff real sport? "Pro wrestling is blood and guts," Moxley told Mark Kiszla in the new Kickin' It podcast. "You're always hurt in this business." And Moxley has the stitches in his face to prove it, as he prepares to climb in the ring Wednesday for All Elite Wrestling's "Dynamite" show at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield. Plus, in the "Just One More Thing" segment: How much havoc could the coronavirus wreak on the sports world?

After nearly 10 years of service to the Avalanche and surviving the tough times, Erik Johnson is no longer the team's No. 1 defenseman, but his desire to bring the Stanley Cup back to Colorado has never been greater. In this edition of the Kickin' It Pod, Johnson explains how he became happier living inside the glass of NHL rinks by learning the subtle art of not giving a (bleep) about what his critics think. Plus: In the "Just One More Thing" segment, Kiz asks fans about general manager Joe Sakic's moves at the trade deadline ... and hears two widely varying opinions.

Happy anniversary, Miracle on Ice. A bunch of American college boys staged one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history on Feb. 22, 1980, when Mike Eruzione scored the game-winning goal to beat the mighty Soviet Union hockey team. Forty years later, the Miracle might still be the best thing on ice since Scotch. Mike Moran, who served as the official voice of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1979-2003, shared behind-the-scenes stories of the Miracle in this edition of the Kickin' It Podcast. Plus: In the "Just One More Thing" segment, a Colorado football fan tells Mark Kiszla the program is better off without coach Mel Tucker, who shocked the Buffs by leaving for Michigan State.

After more than 40 years of covering sports for a living, Denver Post sports columnist Mark Kiszla still gets questioned on his dubious choice of a profession by his mother. "I thought you wanted to be a lawyer," said Bonnie Kiszla, who recently celebrated her 88th birthday by sitting down with her son to remind him where he got his writing ability and scold him for being a bad influence on his two younger brothers. Plus: In the "Just One More Thing" segment, a Chiefs fan serves Kiz a little crow after Kansas City's first Super Bowl victory in 50 years.