Kickin' It With Kiz

Colorado School of Mines coach Gregg Brandon leads an undefeated Orediggers football team into the NCAA Division II playoffs. In this edition of the Kickin' It Pod, find out how words from his father's deathbed shaped Brandon's no-excuses attitude throughout a long career, with coaching gigs everywhere from tiny Ellicott, Colorado, to the Las Vegas Locomotives of the now-defunct UFL. Plus: In the "Just One More Thing" segment, Kiz asks whether the Broncos should have taken quarterback Josh Allen instead of linebacker Bradley Chubb in the 2018 NFL draft.

You need a sledgehammer to break the glass ceiling in the old-boy network of sports administration. "Yeah, I ruffle feathers," says Rhonda Blanford-Green. She's the first female commissioner in the history of the Colorado High School Activities Association. She talks about her journey with Mark Kiszla in this edition of the Kickin' It Podcast. And in the "Just One More Thing" segment, Kiz identifies the biggest error John Elway has committed in the NFL draft.

His father made the biggest trade in Nuggets history. He threw the winning touchdown pass at the Pro Bowl in 1976. He walked away from the sport at age 28. Now, decades later, Mike Boryla takes center stage in a one-man play to explain his abrupt divorce from football. He joins this edition of the Kickin' It Pod to unravel the mystery with Mark Kiszla. And one more thing: We swap tall tales about his dad, Vince.

Steve Bartalo, a 5-foot-9 walk-on from Colorado Springs who rushed for 4,813 yards from 1983-86, made us believe anything is possible for CSU football. But can sustained football success ever return to Fort Fun? "There's no doubt in my mind," Bartalo says in this edition of the Kickin' It Pod. The legendary running back, however, adds this caveat: "We've got to do something different ... because what we're doing is not working."  And in the "Just One More Thing" segment, Kiz responds to a Broncomaniac who believes quarterback Joe Flacco's neck injury is far from the worst ailment plaguing team headquarters.

What two recent developments in Derek Wolfe's life have made the 29-year-old Broncos defensive lineman begin to formulate an exit strategy from the NFL? And just how close is Wolfe to retiring from the game he loves? Wolfe reveals his thoughts, dreams and fears in the latest edition of The Kickin' It podcast. Plus: In the "Just One More Thing" segment, Kiz listens to Broncos fans react to the trade of veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders, then tells president of football operations John Elway to not stop there. The Broncos need to move cornerback Chris Harris Jr., as well.

Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker drops by the Kickin' It Pod to offer Denver fans hope that their man Randy Gradishar, who hasn't made a tackle since 1983, might finally get rewarded next year with a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio. "It's not the Hall of really, really good ... so it should be hard to make it," Baker says. And in the "Just One More Thing Segment," an e-mailer prompts Kiz to wonder if what's best for the Broncos would be for the Bowlen family to sell the team.

In the new edition of the Kickin' It with Kiz Podcast, Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla tackles a serious issue that high-profile coaches sometimes joke about: stress.

In the latest edition of the Kickin' it with Kiz Podcast, Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla makes a plea for Broncomaniacs' mental health before sitting down for a conversation with CU Buffs football coach Mel Tucker. The two talk about Tucker's motivational catchphrase "So what, now what?", why Colorado was an enticing opportunity for him, and what the title of Tucker's book might be after the Buffs win their second national championship. And, lastly, a listener wonders if Nikola Jokic could stand to lose a few pounds.

In the first Kickin' it with Kiz Podcast, Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla examines who's really to blame for the Broncos' 0-3 start before sitting down for a conversation with Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. The two talk about the frustration of Colorado's losing season, the pressure of Arenado living up to his big contract, sharing an infield with his cousin and why he admires the rapper Post Malone. And, lastly, a reader vastly underrates Kiz's trade value in "One more thing."