Kickin' It With Kiz

Tad Boyle might well have his best team in 10 seasons as CU basketball coach. But if cheaters prosper in the college game, why does Boyle insist on playing it clean in recruiting? Listen to this edition of the Kickin' It Pod to find out. Plus: In the "Just One More Thing" segment, Mark Kiszla worries the Pro Football Hall of Fame might come up with a new excuse to snub Broncos safety Steve Atwater from the Class of 2020.

Jack Mills, based in Boulder, is a sports agent who has represented big football stars for 50 years, from Randy Gradishar to Eric Dickerson to Baker Mayfield. He has seen salaries explode and free agency change the landscape. In this edition of the Kickin' It Pod, Mills not only offers an inside look at the business of the NFL, he gives advice the Rockies would be wise to heed in dealing with disgruntled third baseman Nolan Arenado. The solution "doesn't have to be about more money," Mills said. "It could be about a little bit of appreciation." Plus: In the "Just One More Thing" segment, Mark Kiszla offers his own idea for a resolution to the tiff between Arenado and Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich.

What's one thing captain Gabe Landeskog tries to pack on every road trip with the Avalanche? A book. An old-school, hardback novel. In this edition of the Kickin' It Podcast, Mark Kiszla talks with Landy about literature rather than pucks, and why reading helps make him a better team leader. Plus, in the "Just One More Thing" segment, Kiz asks: The Broncos are getting another new offensive coordinator? Again? Where's the continuity John Elway insisted was so important to improving the Denver offense?

With all due respect to Terrell Davis, the real MVP of the Broncos' victory in Super Bowl XXXII was safety Steve Atwater. He's got a ring. Now, Atwater needs a gold jacket. He talks about his wait for that knock from the Pro Football Hall of Fame with Mark Kiszla in this edition of the Kickin' It Pod. And in the "Just One More Thing" segment, Kiz contemplates how handsome Tom Brady would look wearing a powder blue uniform as quarterback of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Broncos president Joe Ellis is at the center of the Bowlen family feud for control of the team. He talks with Mark Kiszla about the looming ownership battle in this edition of the Kickin' It Podcast. And in the "Just One More Thing" segment, this big, bold question is posed: Quarterback Drew Lock for NFL most valuable player in 2020?

Ask John Hessler what he wants for Christmas, and the former CU quarterback replies: "I don't need everything; I've got everything." He nearly died in a 2003 car accident. But look at "Hess" now. He's married. He's the father of two two beautiful children. He's eating barbecue with Mark Kiszla in this holiday edition of the Kickin' It Pod. (OK, two out of three ain't bad.) And in the "Just One More Thing" segment, we offer Broncomaniacs a reason to give the Raiders a hug instead of grief.

While emerging as the Broncos' No. 1 receiver, Courtland Sutton has made a name for himself with catches that cause us to wonder: "Wait ... what? How did he do that?" Sutton explains the art and science of a one-handed grab for a touchdown in this edition of the Kickin' It Podcast. And in the "Just One More Thing" segment, Mark Kiszla suggests a trade destination for linebacker Von Miller.

How does a coach handle a teaching moment for a struggling hockey team with championship aspirations? Although the Pioneers are ranked eighth in the country, they have won only one of their last eight games, with an emotional series against bitter rival Colorado College looming. "If you went super negative, things could spiral out of control," DU coach David Carle tells Mark Kiszla in this edition of the Kickin' It Podcast. And in the "Just One More Thing Segment," there's already loose talk of rookie quarterback Drew Lock being enshrined in Canton? Yes .. and we're not kidding. That's why they call it Broncomania.

"My bags were in my car about to go to Miami," said linebacker Alexander Johnson, explaining how his NFL career with the Broncos nearly ended before it began. In this edition of the Kickin' It Podcast, Johnson teaches Mark Kiszla how to screech like a big, mean dinosaur. (You've gotta hear it to believe it.) And in the "Just One More Thing" segment, a Broncos fan wonders if it's time to trade Von Miller.

"I remember everything," CU star McKinley Wright IV says. "I remember how he went to prison. I remember that exact day." This edition of the Kickin' It Pod is a Thanksgiving story of love and basketball, as Wright explains why the Roman Numerals at the end of his name mean everything to him. And in the "Just One More Thing Segment," Mark Kiszla listens to fan angst about Brittany Bowlen filling her father's big shoes at Broncos headquarters.