👋 Good Morning!

As we wrap up the preseason here and get that much closer to the start of the regular season, I wanted to write a little bit on the concept of hope.

Hope is one of the strongest things we have in life. And if you ask me, it’s one of the most important elements of being a sports fan.

The reality is that sports are often about 90 percent frustration and letdown. Game 7 losses, Super Bowl beatdowns, you could name about a million examples of the times it’s been a real bummer to be a local sports nut.

Despite the odds being heavily against us — only one team can win it all — we all chase the dream anyways. Because it’s the hope of reaching the mountain top that keeps us going year after year. And without the hope, then what are we putting ourselves through this excruciating process of being a fan for?

This is all supposed to be fun. It’s what I remind myself going into every season. And it’s what I tell myself repeatedly over the course of the fall when things inevitably go poorly on a couple of Sundays.

There’s going to be plenty of time to be frustrated as a football fan. Why not go into the year feeling hopeful and optimistic? As the great Scott Van Pelt often says, why not? It costs the same.

— Justin Michael

The Broncos seem to be close to getting a new deal for Nik Bonitto done. Or at the very least the relationship seems to be in a good spot based on the edge rusher’s most recent comments.

After returning to practice following some missed time to deal with a bone spur in his foot, Bonitto told reporters yesterday that the contract negotiations are going well. He also said he believes it’s not a matter of if, but when the team will lock him down with an extension. And that while he’d like to get it done before the regular season, it won’t be a point of contention for him if that doesn’t end up being the case.

The truth is he’s probably better waiting off until Micah Parsons resets the market for the EDGE position, so there are some other reasons why he might not want to rush a new deal anyways. But these types of situations can so often become a toxic s*** show when guys are going into the last year of their current deal. So I commend Bonitto’s team-first attitude and the way he’s taking the high road with the public element of this whole song and dance.

The Broncos have already shown a willingness and desire to take care of their guys with the other deals they’ve gotten done in recent months. I don’t want to get too carried away but the organizational culture just feels night and day from what it was during the tough times. There’s a confidence that’s clear and it seems like players really want to be a part of it all. It’s all really encouraging.

There’s no way to quantify how any of this will translate to total wins or anything like that. But winning teams have clear-cut structure and a building full of people who are all on the same page. The Broncos finally have that again and it’s a big part of why the future looks so bright right now.

Read more on what Bonitto had to say in the latest piece from Zac Stevens.

The Avalanche surprised us last night with the addition of Victor Olofsson. The veteran winger reportedly signed a one-year contract and should provide the Avs with another legitimate scoring option for the bottom six.

READ: Avalanche add more goal-scoring depth | by AJ Haefele

What will be the greatest strength of the CU Buffs this fall? The guys gave some thoughts on it below.

READ: CU Football Mailbag

One of CSU’s biggest playmakers this season might just be a true sophomore who walked onto the team.

READ: Why CSU fans should be excited about their “underrated” receiver | by Justin Michael