Sports Krunch w/DKROM

1. After not making the final cut for a second straight year in 2022, just how much doubt did you have about this dream ever coming true? How were you able to overcome that mental hurdle?

2. What was your experience as a Dallas Stars Ice Girl like? What in your mind, aside from the ice, distinguishes the atmosphere at an NHL game from those of the other three major sports leagues in North America?

3. Even though you weren't a DBC the previous two seasons, you were still on the field on game days as a member of the Broncos Orange Rush Flag Crew. Did that experience help at all in your quest to wear the chaps, and if so, how?

4. Other than Colorado, what would you say was the best place you've ever lived? What would you say was the best place you've ever traveled?

5. Do you view your job of being a social studies and history teacher as an extra important task given the times we are living in right now?

6. What has been the most memorable experience you've had as a DBC thus far? Has it officially sunk in that your dream has finally come true?

7. How hopeful are you about the Broncos this season and going forward with Sean Payton now in charge?

8. Best Songs For DBC Routines

-Classic Rock: Thunderstruck (AC/DC)

-Country: Cowboy Casanova or Good Girl (Carrie Underwood)

-90's Pop: Supernova Girl (Kristian Rex(

-Taylor Swift: Shake It Off

9. If Pom-Poms Were A ?

-If pom-poms were a musical instrument, what would they be? Maracas

-If pom-poms were a household appliance, what would they be? Washing machine

-If pom-poms were a vehicle, what would they be? Volkswagen Beetle Slug Bug (early 2000's)

-If pom-poms were a super power, what would they do? The power to make anybody feel cheerful and happy at any time

10. Use one word to describe the following teammates of yours (and friends of the pod):

-Sophia F: Joyful

-Shannon: Empathetic

-Chelsea: Compassionate

-Biebele: Authentic

-Lily: Genuine

-Ariana: Multi-talented

-Berkleigh: Fearless

1. Do you see Ezekiel Elliott's role in New England as essentially a short-yardage/goal line back and nothing more?

2. Do you see Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook splitting carries 50/50 all season long?

3. Would it be wise to make a bet at this very moment on the Jets to lead the NFL in sacks this season?

4. Despite the WILD roller coaster ride Anthony Richardson has been in both camp and preseason play...and will likely be all season long...the Colts had no other choice but to name him their Week 1 starting QB, did they?

5. Taking Jimmy Garoppolo's injury history into account, should the Raiders be giving Aidan O'Connell reps with the first-string offense in practice starting now?

6. Do you think the Bears have the ingredients in place for Justin Fields to have a Josh Allen/Jalen Hurts-level breakout season?

7. If the Broncos OL doesn't show substantial improvement these next few weeks, do you think Russell Wilson gets benched due to injury (or poor performance) by Week 5, if not sooner?

8. Standout performers from Preseason Week 1

-DKrom: Jordan Love, Keeanu Benton

-Hal: Deuce Vaughn, Malik Cunningham

9. What are the main things you're looking for in this week's preseason games?

1. Does the suspension of Charles Omenihu give Chris Jones additional leverage in contract negotiations with the Chiefs?

2. IF the Chiefs end up trading Chris Jones, what kind of package should they expect in return?

3. If Joe Burrow is just say 80-85% on the eve of the season opener against the Browns, should the Bengals rest him for the first game or two, if not longer?

4. What is the case for the Bills to be the team to dethrone the Chiefs in the AFC as opposed to the Bengals?

5. With Dan Snyder now (finally) out of the picture, does this whole ridiculous episode prove that Jim Irsay is now the worst owner in the NFL? If Jonathan Taylor is either traded or doesn't play this season, do you fear his absence will stunt the growth of Anthony Richardson?

6. If the Commanders offense doesn't gel quickly, do you see this as a situation where the wheels fall off fast given Ron Rivera's comments about Eric Bieniemy?

7. The Tennessee Titans are doing something very interesting for their preseason opener against the Bears. On Friday and Saturday (which is the day of the game), HC Mike Vrabel will transfer head coaching duties to Assistant Head Coach/DL coach Terrell Williams, who's regarded as a promising potential HC in league circles. I am personally a big fan of what Vrabel is doing here. So my question is Hal, should the NFL require every team to give one of their assistant coaches, especially a minority, a chance to build their resume by letting him be the acting head coach in a preseason game?

8. What are you watching for in the Texans/Patriots game tonight?

9. What are the main things you’ll be paying attention to in the rest of this week’s preseason slate?

1. As we mentioned in the intro, you're a Kansas native. Would you say most or all of your family are big Chiefs fans? If so, what's the dynamic like between you and them on game days when the Broncos play the Chiefs?

2. Coming out of college, what made you want to try out for Broncos?

3. After initially hanging up your chaps in 2018, did you ever think you'd want to be on the team again? What made you want to put the chaps back on after two seasons off?

4. What was your favorite children's books series growing up? What are some books you've read recently?

5. As I've said time and time again on this series, as demanding a job as an NFL cheerleader is, it's only a part-time gig...and you and all of your teammates work full-time day jobs just like all of us do. Describe for us in-depth exactly what you do in the tech industry.

6. Just a few weeks ago, you were down in Miami with your fellow SI swimsuit finalists for a fun weekend get-together. What made that such a bucket list experience? In addition, the folks listening to this at home that want you to be chosen as the next SI swimsuit model still have plenty of time to vote for you. How, how often and for how long can people do so?

7. How hopeful are you about the Broncos this season and going forward with Sean Payton now in charge?

8. Country Music This Or That (Which Song Makes The Better DBC Routine?)

-Boot Scootin' Boogie (Brooks & Dunn) or Knockin' Boots (Luke Bryan)

-When It Rains It Pours (Luke Combs) or Hannah Ford Road (Luke Combs)

-Dirt On My Boots (Jon Pardi) or Alright (Darius Rucker)

-She Had Me At Heads Carolina (Cole Swindell) or LA (Lainey Wilson)

9. Country Music Superlatives

-Best country song to get you pumped up before a game: She's Country (Jason Aldean)

-Best country song to celebrate a Broncos win to: This Is How We Roll (Luke Bryan & Florida Georgia Line)

-Country song that best describes the person you are: Country Girl [Shake It For Me] (Luke Bryan)

-Country Music "Mount Rushmore" (Your four best country artists of all time): Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Kenny Chesney

10. What are the core characteristics that best describe a truly beautiful person?

1. Do you think the Chiefs pass rush is the main area that could potentially prevent them from winning their third Super Bowl in five years...or is it something else?

2. Do you think 2023 could be the best season in Justin Herbert's career to date with Kellen Moore now calling the plays?

3. Would you fault anybody for betting on the Panthers to be NFC South champions in 2023?

4. Do you think it's a good bet that the Texans win 5, 6, or even 7 games this season as opposed to just 3 or 4?

5. How possible is it that we see a similar stat-line from Anthony Richardson in 2023 to the one Fields put up in 2022?

6. If he doesn't have a similar year three growth spurt as Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts, then how would you define what a successful 2023 campaign for Justin Fields looks like?

7. On a scale of 1-to-10 how concerned are you about Jalen Hurts taking a sizable step backwards with Steichen no longer calling the plays?

8. Based on what you saw on tape, how optimistic are you about Brock Purdy being the long-term answer at QB in San Francisco?

9. As I mentioned a few minutes ago, headed into the season, it is very hard to find a legit Super Bowl contender in the NFC outside of Philly and San Francisco. That said, which other NFC team, if you had to pick one, do you see as on the cusp of becoming a formidable threat to win it all this year?

10. Come January, will Trevor Lawrence be considered by the consensus as a top-five QB in the NFL today?

11. If Deshaun Watson plays anywhere remotely close to the level he played at in Houston, are the Browns a serious threat to win the division, if not the conference championship?

12. Do you think the Dolphins are far better equipped to weather the storm of say a 3-4 game absence for Tua this year compared to last year?

13. Do you think Aaron Rodgers has one more MVP-level season in him and if not, what is the most realistic expectation for Aaron Rodgers this season?

14. Which team is more likely to overtake the Bills for the AFC East crown: Dolphins or Jets?

15. Bold and Not-So-Bold Predictions (Buy or Sell)

-Bijan Robinson leads the NFL in rushing yards

-Russell Wilson gets benched in Week 4, and Jarrett Stidham starts the rest of the season at QB for the Broncos

-Jonathan Gannon will be a one-and-done head coach in Arizona

-The Packers make the playoffs as a Wild Card…with Jordan Love having a very similar season as the one Geno Smith had last year

-Garrett Wilson wins OPOY honors

-Patriots and Steelers both finish last in their divisions…despite winning 9 games each

-Both Los Angeles teams will be searching for new head coaches after the season

1. What made Sean Payton change his mind and decide to take the Broncos job, rather than stay in broadcasting for another year?

2. The first order of business for Sean Payton in Denver is trying to fix Russell Wilson, who had, by far, the worst year of his career in 2022. In your view, what is the most realistic expectation for Russell Wilson this season?

3. Just how short of a leash is Russell Wilson on? If he starts out the season and plays just as bad as he did last year, could we see Jarrett Stidham start by Week 5, if not sooner?

4. If the season goes south with Russell Wilson showing he’s beyond repair and the Broncos only winning 5-6 games again, can you see Sean Payton embracing the challenge of doing a full-scale rebuild, or something close to it?

5. Which of these four free agent signings do you see making the biggest impact for the Broncos this season: G Ben Powers, RT Mike McGlinchey, RB Samaje Perine or DL Zach Allen?

6. Which of the Broncos five 2023 draft picks do you anticipate playing the biggest role this season?

7. Do you think the odds are Javonte Williams plays in Week 1 or shortly thereafter?

8. Do you think it's more likely we see Baron Browning on the field at some point this season, or is there a good chance he might not play at all in 2023?

9. Which training camp position battles will you be paying the most attention to and why?

10. According to BetMGM, the Broncos Over/Under win total for this season is set at 8.5. Will the Broncos win more or less than 8 games this season?

1. Is it fair to expect Anthony Richardson to assume the starting job some time within the first five weeks of the season?

2. Even though he missed all of OTA’s, do the Colts still plan for JuJu Brents to be one of the starters at boundary corner this year?

3. When it comes to Josh Downs, does he figure to be featured in the Colts 11-personnel packages regularly this season?

4. As much as I loved what the Colts did on Day 2 of the draft, I loved what they did on Day 3 even more. Three of their picks in rounds 4-7 that stood out to me were South Carolina CB Darius Rush and two guys who played right up the road from me at Northwestern: DT Adetomiwa Adebawore and RB Evan Hull. Which of those aforementioned Colts Day 3 picks would you say is most likely to make the biggest impact this season?

5. The Colts don't only have a very promising crop of rookies. They also have some very promising guys entering their second season in the league, especially on offense, where they have three players who they spent premium draft picks on last year. Which of those 2022 draft selections is poised to make the biggest “sophomore leap” this season in Steichen's offense: WR Alec Pierce, TE Jelani Woods or LT Bernhard Raimann?

6. In the Colts eyes, what was the biggest culprit for their uncharacteristically poor OL performance last year, and should we be expecting a dramatic bounce back campaign for this unit as well as the run game in 2023?

7. What’s the latest on Shaquille Leonard’s health and is he expected to be ready to go by Week 1?

8. Which Colts training camp battles will you be watching the most and why?

9. According to BetMGM, the Colts Over/Under win total for this season is set at 6.5. Do you think the Colts win more or less than 6 games this season?

1. What is your understanding as to how big of a role [new Eagles offensive coordinator] Brian Johnson played in developing Jalen Hurts into the player he is right now?

2. Outside of having Jalen Hurts, for what reasons will the 2023 Eagles offense minus Shane Steichen NOT take a significant step back?

3. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles replaced Jonathan Gannon with Sean Desai, who was Seahawks associate head coach last season and Bears defensive coordinator the season before. Somebody I know of who studied Desai's units in Seattle and Chicago noticed that he is an elite secondary coach, but his run defenses often leave much to be desired. Last season, the main weakness on the entire Eagles team was stopping the run. Do you have any level of concern that the Eagles run defense could get even worse before it gets better this year?

4. Would you anticipate seeing Jalen Carter on the field for around 50% of the snaps or more in 2023, or would you expect him to be a more rotational player before he permanently succeeds Fletcher Cox in 2024?

5. Do the Eagles believe Nolan Smith has some noticeable skills that Hassan Reddick doesn't bring? With Nolan Smith now in the fold, do you think there's a pretty high likelihood that Hassan Reddick will only be an Eagle for two more years maximum?

6. Do you get the sense within the organization that the plan for Tyler Steen is for him to be the starting RG in 2024, if not sooner?

7. Would it surprise you if Sydney Brown eventually overtakes one of Terrell Edmunds or Reed Blankenship at some point this season? Even if Sydney Brown is not a "starter" this season, do you expect Sean Desai to run a healthy amount of dime packages with him on the field?

8. Which players who aren't well known at the national level stood out the most for the Eagles during this year's offseason program?

9. What Eagles training camp battles are you keeping a close eye on and why?

10. Which NFC team is the biggest threat to de-throne the Eagles as conference champions this season?

1. NFC North

-Bears (Was Darnell Wright worth it with the #10 overall pick? Why Bill is more bullish on Gervon Dexter, Sr. than he is on Zaach Pickens. What is Roschon Johnson's likely role in the Bears offense? Why Bill believes the selection of Tyler Scott should NOT preclude the Bears from re-signing Darnell Mooney)

-Lions (Why did the Lions ignore positional value in the first round? Why Sam LaPorta over Michael Mayer? What roles will Brian Branch play this season with similarly versatile DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the fold as well?)

-Packers (Why Lukas Van Ness must be utilized very similarly as George Karlaftis. How do Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft complement one another?)

-Vikings (Why is Jordan Addison a worthy successor to Adam Thielen?)

2. NFC South

-Panthers (Why did Carolina take Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud? What does Jonathan Mingo bring to the Panthers offense right away?)

-Falcons (What role does Tyler Allgeier play with Bijan Robinson now the lead RB in Atlanta? Why will Zach Harrison have a healthy role in the Falcons base defense this year?)

-Saints (Bill on why overall expectations for Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey must be tempered. What makes Kendre Miller a worthy long-term replacement for Alvin Kamara?)

-Bucs (Why is Calijah Kancey in excellent position to thrive in Tampa? Bill on why he LOVES rookie pass rushers YaYa Diaby and Jose Ramirez)

3. NFC East

-Commanders (Why is Emmanuel Forbes a better scheme fit for Washington than Christian Gonzalez? Why did the Commanders choose Jartavius Martin over his fellow versatile Illinois DB Sydney Brown?)

-Giants (Why did the Giants select the higher ceiling Deonte Banks over the higher floor Joey Porter, Jr.? What are the best long-term expectations for Jalin Hyatt?)

-Cowboys (Is Micah Parsons excitement about Mazi Smith warranted? How does Luke Schoonmaker help the Cowboys execute their new offensive system right away?)

-Eagles (If the Eagles keep Hassan Reddick in the fold for another 2-4 years, how will Nolan Smith be utilized? Does Tyler Steen have a shot at the starting right guard spot this year? What makes Sydney Brown so special and what will his role be this season?)

4. NFC West

-Cardinals (Why were Paris Johnson, Jr., Garrett Williams and Michael Wilson all very good pick to establish the new culture?)

-Seahawks (Does the addition of Devon Witherspoon make this the best Seattle secondary since the Legion of Boom? Do the Seahawks have the most dangerous WR trio in the NFL outside Cincinnati with the addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Why Bill believes Kenneth Walker III will still receive two-thirds of the carries despite the selection of Zach Charbonnet)

-Rams (What should we expect from rookie edge rushers Byron Young, Nick Hampton and Ochaun Mathis this season? Can Stetson Bennett be a good "bridge QB" in addition to being a good backup?)

-49ers (How will Ji'Ayir Brown complement Talanoa Hufanga?)

1. What would you say were the "secret ingredients" that separated UNLV from other college cheer/dance teams? Do you still keep in regular contact with your college teammates who cheer for other NFL teams during the season and try your best to make it out to their games if possible?

2. When you were a kid, you starred on a Colorado PBS children's TV program. Would you say that experience helped prepare you for that interview and all other public aspects of being a DBC?

3. When did you get your insurance license and what kind of insurance do you help sell?

4. Thus far, what would you say your most memorable experience as a DBC has been?

5. Do you feel a special, deep bond and level of trust with your 27 teammates that you'd be willing to lay down your very life for them? Who are some of YOUR biggest influences in any realm (sports, music, business, family, et al) when it comes to leadership and teamwork?

6. In 1999, while beginning a search for a new head coach, the Philadelphia Eagles did some in-depth psychological research on all the great NFL head coaches and what made them so successful. And the conclusion that they drew was that all these coaches were beloved by their players but at the same time, were people you couldn't take advantage of and tended to annoy their players with how extremely detail-oriented they were. And the candidate that best matched those aforementioned traits was somebody named Andy Reid...and we obviously know what he has done since then. Do you see similar traits in your DBC coaches and choreographers...and in yourself as well?

7. How hopeful are you about the Broncos this season and beyond with Sean Payton now running the show?

8. Broncos 2023 Season Predictions

-Rushing yards leader: Javonte Williams

-Receiving yards leader: Tim Patrick

-Leader in total TD (rushing and receiving combined): Tim Patrick

-Leader in sacks: Baron Browning

-Leader in interceptions: Pat Surtain II

-Regular season record: 14-3 or 15-2

9. 2023 NBA Finals Prediction

-Nuggets/Celtics scenario: Nuggets in 6

-Nuggets/Heat scenario: Nuggets in 7