Until that changes, neither will anything on Nikola Jokic’s spring travel itinerary.

Another Memorial Day in Sombor. Another June with no parade. Another year closer to the end of the greatest career in Nuggets history.

So, to the next Denver general manager, especially if that’s interim Ben Tenzer, we humbly beseech three things.

First: Be heartened by the pluck and guile the Nuggets showed against the Thunder three weeks ago.

Second: Do not be fooled or charmed by it.

Third, and this is key: Do not give in to insanity. Do not do the same thing, over and over, and expect a different result.

Do not run it back. Please. For the love of Pete Williams, do not run it back.

Do not look at Thunder vs. Timberwolves or Thunder vs. Pacers and decide, in your head, that the job is mostly done. Do not settle. Do not tell yourself that rest, a coaching change and schematics are the only things between you and a return to the NBA Finals.

“You know, we took the Oklahoma City Thunder, (which) is playing some of the best basketball in the league, if not the best right now, to seven games,” Nuggets president Josh Kroenke reflected late last month. “Which, you know, is great. We took a great team to seven games. That series could have been 4-0 the other way. That series could have been 4-1 us. I don’t think we lost Game 7 during Game 7. I thought we lost Game 7 during Games 4 and 5.

“These series are very fragile things, and they come down to little moments in time and certain actions over the course of a few-minute span in games. And so while I think we were close in some ways, I don’t think it was a 4-0 sweep for Oklahoma City.”

It wasn’t. And they are close. But not “Nuggets-Thunder was the real NBA Finals!” close. You don’t hang banners for almosts.

Yes, the Nuggets took the best team in the West to seven games with their “Core Six” — the starting five plus Russell Westbrook — held together by guts, gauze and chewing gum. Michael Porter Jr. had one good shoulder. Aaron Gordon had one hamstring. Westbrook had one good hand.

The Nuggets played the underdog card as if Michael Malone, a terrier of a man who loved punching up, had never left. It was beautiful. Well, except for Game 2. And Game 7.

Ask yourself this question, and be honest: What would’ve happened to this same Nuggets team if it had sprung the upset vs. OKC and landed Minnesota in the conference finals?

Oh, you know. Anthony Edwards knows. Chris Finch knows. Russ knows. The Joker knows.

Deep down, Josh knows, too.

“We’re close,” Kroenke said, “but I don’t want to be naive in thinking of how close we are. But I don’t want to underestimate how close we were either. I mean, shoot, thinking back to the first round, I mean, we’re an Aaron Gordon tip-dunk away from perhaps coming back (to Denver) down 3-1. And then what does that series look like? Do we even have the opportunity to go out and try and chase a team as great as the Thunder? So there (are) lots of ways to kind of weigh how close we are.

“But I think that as a group, we feel confident that we can go toe to toe with a lot of teams around the league. And now we’re going to get to work seeing about how we can go toe to toe and then overtake them.”

For a start, the most impactful piece sitting next to Jamal Murray can’t be a heat pack.

The Nuggets, bless them, emptied the tank. They gave all they had. Which, by mid-May, wasn’t much. A roster that runs six deep won’t last two rounds before you throw a rod, before a timing belt snaps like a dry twig.

“I think that the way that our players responded over the last six, seven weeks or so really told the world that the Nuggets’ job, whether it’s coaching or front office, is a really special one,” Kroenke continued. “And especially where we are right now,”

Hope is fine. Delusion is the enemy of progress.

Until that bench gets addressed with more than lip service, someone’s always going to come along by Mother’s Day to steal Jokic’s Thunder. At this time of year, a first aid kit will carry you only so far before the plaster cracks.

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Keeler: On 20th & Bleak, we laugh to keep from crying. Staring at the Rockies for too long is like staring into the sun — brother, it burns. The Local 9 has two All-Stars, although only one will actually make the team. Love ya, Jake Bird, but the nod goes to catcher Hunter Goodman, who as of Monday morning topped all National League backstops in hits, home runs, RBIs and … (checks notes) errors. The 25-year-old Memphis Masher is the rarest of breeds in LoDo these days: A Rockies player you’d happily pay to watch.

Renck: Goodman has been the Rockies’ best player. Drew Goodman might be their most valuable, having to broadcast every game. Settling in as the everyday catcher, Goodman leads the Rockies in home runs (10) and RBIs (37). He has thumped right-handed pitching (19 extra-base hits) and earned his stats the hard way with eight of his dingers coming on the road. Jordan Beck is the only other player in the conversation, and he was already sent to Triple-A once this season. The reason Goodman really isn’t an All-Star? He is not a good defender, his erratic throwing has led to six errors. As for disappointments, how much time do you have?

Keeler: Not enough for this dumpster fire. On a team of Falling Stars, the real challenge is settling on just one. The Rockies’ “plan” was to build a lineup, a foundation, around Ezequiel Tovar at shortstop and Brenton Doyle in center field. Two problems arose, though: Tovar’s body is breaking down, and Doyle’s bat is made of Swiss cheese. Doyle’s easily the most disappointing regular. He’s what I like to call a Bill Schmidt Special: A player with three really strong tools (fielding, arm strength, speed) that are perfect for Coors Field, combined with two that are so terrible (hitting for average, hitting for power) that they absolutely bury the upside. All that good, young pitching from Rocktober 2018 is no longer young and no longer good.

Renck: Kris Bryant has been first-team Falling Star since the moment he signed. But everyone with eyes knew he was done. Doyle was supposed to be good. He has been a mess offensively, dropped from leadoff to fifth in the order. He is hitting .159 over the last month with five extra-base hits. Not even his Gold Glove defense has prevented him from posting a minus-1.0 WAR. First baseman Michael Toglia was mercifully demoted to the minors after leading the league in strikeouts, but there were suspicions about his 2024 breakout season. And Adael Amador is back with the Isotopes after posting a .146 average in 89 at-bats. His age (22) is used as an excuse. But in multiple stints with the Rockies, his lack of power makes him look a lot closer to a utility player than an everyday starter.

Keeler: With Amador, at least we’ll always have that flying glove moment against the Yankees. Me? I’m still waiting for that air-tight defense Schmidt and Dick Monfort promised. According to Statcast, the Rox’s infield ranked 19th out of 30 clubs in Outs Above Average and 19th in runs prevented. Per the Fielding Bible, Colorado’s team defense was 27th in runs saved (-30). If you build it, they will numb.

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On the first day of Legend’s football summer camp, Ryken Banks thought he knew the drill. Except for the bit where his new coach decided he was Hellbent on being an active part of it.

“He walks in the weight room, and he looks over at us, and he was like, ‘I’m next,'” Banks, the Titans’ running back, said of Jake Heaps’ first June in Legend blue. “So, he hops in.”

Before long, Banks, who averaged 6.4 yards per carry over his first three varsity seasons, was doing something he’d never done during a Titans lifting session before: Spotting his head coach on the bench press.

“Playing since I was a freshman, I’ve kind of had the same thing for three years,” the 6-foot-1 senior reflected. “Getting this new thing, seeing the type of players we have and (Heaps) really playing to the best of our abilities, it’s just kind of a new, refreshing thing that’s exciting.”

Dave Logan’s Cherry Creek dynasty rolls on like the Gunnison River. Valor Christian is tweaking again. Legend? Your reigning Class 5A football runners-up might be the most fascinating Front Range gridiron tale south of Boulder this fall.

Bolles on board

This past February, longtime coach Monte Thelen was replaced by Heaps, better known around these parts as Russell Wilson’s personal QB guru.

It’s one of those hiring Hail Marys that can get an athletic director in hot water if things go off the rails. Yet the Titans haven’t stopped swinging big since. Quarterback DJ Bordeaux, a three-star passer who’s committed to Boston College, got a hardship waiver to enroll at Legend, making the Titans his fourth program in four years. One of Heaps’ first hires was to bring in Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles on board to serve as director of player development.

“So, our wives are best friends. We’re best friends,” the affable Heaps, who quarterbacked BYU (2010-11), Kansas (2012-13) and Miami (2014), told me last week. “Our kids are playing the same flag football games together. And so we got really close. But going back to the mantra of we’re going to do it better than everybody’s ever done it before. I mean, I’ve got this unbelievable resource. How am I not going to get him involved in our program?

“When I took the job, (Bolles) was like, ‘OK, what can I do?’ He wanted to jump in and be on the coaching staff. And I’m like, ‘Oh, buddy, hey, you’ve got other things to do here, man.’ When you’re done playing, heck yeah, we’ll do this thing together. But I’ve got to keep you in a certain role. I don’t need George Payton and Sean Payton breathing down my neck, you know what I mean?”

There will be more Broncos, past and present, in and around Hilltop Road in the months to come, if Heaps can keep pulling strings.

“We’re working on it,” the coach said. “… We got some good relationships still there (at Dove Valley). And so, yeah, we’re,  I’m working all those things and not trying to put it all out there all at once, but yeah — we’re taking advantage of that connection. For sure.”

Sean Payton?

He laughed.

“That’s a Garett question,” Heaps countered. “He’s always welcome. We would love to have him, for sure. But we’re excited. I think Garett having that connection is just a fun opportunity for these kids to get exposed to that.”

Russ, too?

“I don’t know if I could get him to come back for the bye week,” Heaps replied. “But Russ will certainly have an influence and an opportunity to meet our kids, and for them to meet him, absolutely. How can I not pull all the resources that I possibly can?”

Was Russ OK with this?

“That was a really cool conversation, because I couldn’t take this job without his blessing,” Heaps continued. “That’s my first priority. And the school knew that.

“And immediately he was like, ‘You’ve got to do this. You are born to do this. This is going to be such a great opportunity for you to grow your craft.’ (Him) recognizing that as a best friend, which is what he truly is, was really cool and really special.”

‘I don’t want to try to be Dave Logan’

Legend built something special under Thelen, too, which only adds to the intrigue. Heaps, meanwhile, had never coached in this state, or at this level, before the Titans sought him out. Why this gig? Why now?

“I crave impact,” Heaps said. “And the reason why I crave it is because I know how important it was to me in my career, in my journey. And how important (my) high school coach was to me and shaping me and who I am and what I became.”

The office still needs some shaping. Actually, it’s not so much an office as a skeletal approximation of the old “Gruden’s QB Camp” set. A whiteboard hangs from one wall, opposite a wall that’s entirely a whiteboard. A small couch is tucked into a back corner.

“And eventually we’ll get like a little desk over here with a couple monitors and all that,” Heaps said. “Get it ready for the film-watching and all that good stuff.”

With Wilson with the Giants and ex-Ohio State QB Will Howard, another protégé, in Pittsburgh, Heaps figures to be racking up the airline miles soon, breaking down Grandview and Columbine tape while jet-setting to NFL stops. Which sounds not unlike a certain voice of the Broncos, now that you mention it.

“(Logan) is a legend here, and he’s done such a great job,” Heaps said. “It’s so unique to take over all the programs that he has had and then to churn out consistent, constant winners … he’s been a winner his entire life. And so you admire people like that.

“And Dave is Dave. I can’t be Dave, but I can be Jake Heaps … I don’t want to try to be Dave Logan. I don’t want to try to be anybody else. Dave’s uniquely Dave. I want to be me. And that’s how I’m going to do this thing: Full throttle.”

Among his players, though, that 13-10 loss to Logan’s Bruins in the 5A title game still burns. The Titans even have a group rolling that’s called “ABC.”

As in, Always Beat Creek.

“I’m absolutely grateful for what we had last year. Don’t get me wrong,” Legend wideout Ryan Iglesias said. “But this year the hype is up, and we’re ready to hit the hype. We have everything we need.

“I’d say we’re the bar. I don’t think anyone else is the bar. I think it’s us … we’re a better team than we were before. It’s going to be the best year we’ve ever had yet. Mark my words. We’re the bar.”

Heaps has Pete Carroll on speed dial. He could hook on with any number of NFL and college staffs from coast to coast. Instead, he’s grinding away in a room with no desk yet. Lifting with his kids at the crack of dawn.

“It’s just really funny,” Iglesias noted. “Not only is it super cool to see your coach lift like that, but I think it’s better because we get to connect with our coach personally. It’s so much fun because obviously I get to lift with my boys, and then I get to lift with another head coach that I really love.”

And like it or not, he’s next.

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The Stanley Cup Finals are here, and the only thing about that fact that depresses the puck lovers on the Grading The Week crew? How the Oilers coulda been, shoulda been the Avalanche.

But despite the boys in burgundy being dormant for about a month — it feels longer — as of last Friday, the first week in June turned into a fairly newsy one for Avs faithful.

Alas, not all of that news was good. Or pleasant.

Still: Let’s start with the good stuff, shall we? Especially a little skating schadenfreude delivered by, of all people, the Dallas Stinkin’ Stars. Stars that, for once, might actually be aligned in Colorado’s favor.

Pete DeBoer’s firing — A (Although it depends on where he lands)

As a point of editorial policy, Team Grading The Week (GTW) tries very, very, very hard not to celebrate coaches or general managers losing their jobs.

Will we call for it? Oh, sure. Sometimes. Occupational hazard. Will we cheer it lustily once the deed’s done? Not as loudly as you’d think.

There are, however, some milder exceptions to those rules. Such as when Pete DeBoer once again finds himself out of work.

Whiny Pete is an interesting case study. He’s eliminated the Avs for what feels like nine of the last 10 Colorado postseasons. The wacky part is how he’s done that particular deed with three different franchises since 2019 alone. And how he’s now looking for a fourth after Dallas GM Jim Nill gave DeBoer his walking papers on Friday.

Strange, isn’t it? Our man Pete is wired — maybe wound is a better word — so tightly that his act eventually turns his locker room against him. This time, DeBoer fought his No. 1 netminder, Jake Oettinger, during a mess of a series against Edmonton. And lost.

He’s also a darned good coach — one of the better bosses of his generation, having missed the playoffs just once from 2015-2025. While also somehow getting canned after Year 4 with San Jose, Year 3 with Vegas, and Year 3 with Dallas. He’s like the Jim Harbaugh of NHL coaches, a force who burns hot, burns fast, and then inevitably burns out.

The upside for Avs faithful — and downside for Pete — is that Dallas was the league’s only vacancy during the summer hiring cycle. The music’s stopped. And, at the moment, there’s nowhere for DeBoer to go.

Which, if you’re a Colorado fan, might be the best news of all. Until Whiny Pete becomes Zombie Pete and inevitably rises again. Hopefully in the East.

Logan O’Connor’s hip surgery — D

No sooner had the GTW kids cleaned up the break room for our Brock Nelson Extension potluck that news came over that one of our favorite bottom-6 Avs, forward Logan O’Connor, was going on the shelf for 5-6 months after undergoing hip surgery.

On the plus side, it was successful. Less sunny? It was O’Connor’s second such procedure in the last 16 months. For a player who relies on physicality — and that’s what we love about him — as much as LOC does, it does complicate the Avs’ third-line/fourth-line picture with three weeks until the curtain goes up on NHL free-agency.

Gabe Landeskog’s Instagram message of thanks — A

Back atcha, min kapten. Right. Back. Atcha.

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No, really.

Vele arrived for spring workouts with clear intent, determined to open eyes and change minds. During media viewing periods, few players have looked better, though Marvin Mims Jr. is turning heads in practice as well.

Vele is not unknown.

There were cameras at his locker as a rookie, but they were usually trained on Garett Bolles seated a few cubicles away. Vele did more than occupy space. He caught 41 passes, 26 of which resulted in a first down. He collected 475 yards and three touchdowns, a meaningful contribution for a seventh-round pick.

Like Bo Nix, the man most often throwing to him, Vele looks different. He is more confident. His athleticism continues to shine.

When you think, you stink, the saying goes in sports. And Vele’s mind has clearly slowed down at the start of Year 2.

The prediction of a big season for the former Utah star doesn’t make sense given the roster. But witnessing Vele’s sticky fingers and sharp routes raises the question: What if contract talks with Courtland Sutton do not result in an extension? Vele definitely looks like a long-term answer as his replacement.

You know the circumstances, right? The Broncos entered into a staring contest with Sutton last offseason, creating acrimony as he skipped voluntary workouts before the sides reached an awkward compromise — a restructured contract with $1.7 million in incentives. Sutton, a revered team captain, cashed in $1.5 million with the best performance of his career, reaching individual thresholds while helping the Broncos make the playoffs.

So, here we are again. Sutton is entering the final season of a four-year, $60.1 million extension. He is due $13.5 million this year with no guaranteed money remaining on his contract. And he made a strong case to get paid with 81 receptions for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns last fall.

As recently as April, Sutton told The Post that he believed talks were “moving in the right direction.” Still, there has been no deal. And no leaked updates.

Did Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins ruin this for everyone?

Higgins agreed to a four-year, $115 million contract with $40.9 million guaranteed this offseason. He is a No. 2 receiver who is viewed as a No. 1. Sutton is a No. 1 who is viewed as a No. 2.

Tomayto, tomahto.

Sutton wants another big bite at the apple. As he should — and likely deserves.

He can ask for north of $25 million per season, despite being three years older (29 to 26) than Higgins. That simple request, if issued as a firm demand, could complicate matters.

All-Pros Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen are considered higher priorities for extensions.

And let’s be honest, it’s hard to see the Broncos rewarding three players before the season starts. It is not impossible. But it feels unlikely. This math and the drafting of Sai’vion Jones are why no one expects standout defensive end John Franklin-Myers to get a new deal.

The Broncos can’t pay everybody. And in Sutton’s case, Sean Payton’s history of turning players like Vele into standouts works against him.

Marques Colston, anyone? Colston, too, was a seventh-rounder and finished his career with 711 catches and 72 touchdowns.

Vele is not Colston. But he is also not your typical second-year player. Vele went on a Mormon mission after high school when he received exactly zero college offers. He arrived in Utah with uncommon maturity and determination. He earned a scholarship as Utah coach Kyle Whittingham raved, “There is nothing not to like about him.”

History appears to be repeating itself in the NFL. At 27, Vele approaches his craft with a seriousness and focus that grows on coaches. He has the traits to evolve into a bigger role — 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds with the ability to make the difficult look routine. He was built for the quick slant and the slow developing crossing routes, while third-round pick Pat Bryant profiles for Lil’ Jordan Humphrey’s blocking role.

By the end of last season, after overcoming a rib injury in the season opener that cost him three games, Vele was a second option behind Sutton. He scored twice over the final three weeks. It makes projection fascinating. He played 52% of the offensive snaps and was targeted 55 times. If that number jumps to 70% and 75 targets, he should post 700 yards and five touchdowns.

You know who that is? Tim Patrick. The same player who was cast for a bigger role in 2023 before he tore his Achilles in training camp.

Yes, it is June. The season for hypotheticals and What-Ifs. But know this: If the Broncos play hardball with Sutton, Vele’s ascension will likely be one of the reasons.

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But does that mean that Michael Malone can’t coach? Hardly.

He won more games with the Nuggets over 10 years than anyone in franchise history. He served as the stern father, nurturing the development of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. His abrasive style eventually wore thin — the kids were grown up with kids of their own and no longer needed browbeating and grievances aired in press conferences.

But with a fresh start and lessons learned — ditch the paranoia, stay out of office power struggles — there is no better free agent.

Would it be weird in New York? Sort of. The same complaints about Tom Thibodeau have dogged Malone. He plays his starters too much, including in routs, and is slow to trust his bench. But Malone brings an edge and competitiveness that translates to players, and he is adept at dealing with the media.

Like Malone, Tom Thibodeau deserved better. He inherited a red-faced franchise, took it to the playoffs four times in five years, and received a pink slip. The Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals before the Pacers eliminated them.

Whether because of friction created by assistant coach Rick Brunson, star player Jalen Brunson’s dad, or team president Leon Rose believing he could not push this team across the finish line, Thibodeau was canned.

The Knicks are in championship-or-bust mode, operating like the Yankees overnight. And for all the similarities between Thibodeau and Malone, there is one huge difference: Malone has a ring. He led the Nuggets to their only title two years ago.

Could he do it again, returning to his eastern roots as a high school graduate of Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J.? Unlikely. But leading the team to the Finals is not an unreasonable request.

Rose had to have someone in mind before making the unpopular decision to fire Thibs. He is expected to interview Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. But no one is more qualified to lead the Knicks than someone who was a former New York assistant. Malone’s career, post-Nuggets, should resume in The Garden.

Dad Deion: Deion Sanders must stop creating distractions for son Shedeur Sanders. During a recent appearance on the “Say What Needs to Be Said” podcast, Coach Prime labeled reports that Shedeur was unprofessional in pre-draft meetings with teams “foolish.” The problem is, he wasn’t there. Therein lies the solution. Disappear into the shrubbery.

Shedeur doesn’t need his dad in his life this way. Not anymore. He has a realistic path to start — especially if the Browns cut Kenny Pickett in camp — and is getting rave reviews for his early work. Dad needs to leave Cleveland decision-makers alone in public and behind the scenes, and trust that his son will earn the spot. He has the talent to pull it off.

Seeing Stars: Well, the Avs received some good news Friday without making a move. The Stars fired coach Peter DeBoer, who has owned his counterpart Jared Bednar in the playoffs. When it comes to the Avs, not having to face him can only help. As an aside, it’s a tough year for pro coaches losing in the conference finals (see Thibs and DeBoer).

SEC Not A-OK: The SEC boasted the No. 1 overall postseason seed in men’s basketball, softball and baseball and none made the championship game. Is it time for a new slogan? The SEC: It Just Means Less.

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When he signed with the Broncos as a free agent in 2023, of course, the money mattered. But the coach, not the Brink’s truck backing into his bank account, made the difference.

“I played for Kyle (Shanahan), one of the best. And I know how hard it is when that guy isn’t right. I have heard that a lot from my buddies who signed with us (in San Francisco), and guys when I first got here,” McGlinchey told The Denver Post.

“As an NFL football player, your life can be really miserable if you have an idiot for a head coach. I made sure that I wasn’t going to turn my career over to just anyone. I wanted to compete at the highest level. And Sean (Payton) was the deciding factor.”

As he shielded his 6-foot-8, 315-pound frame from the bright sun Thursday, McGlinchey explained how he trusted Payton’s vision, his belief, his conviction. But it also took blind faith that Payton was as good at identifying a franchise quarterback as he was at coaching one.

The selection of Bo Nix changed everything.

Last April, Nix startled veteran running back Samaje Perine with how well he knew the playbook. McGlinchey felt like the kid was straight out of central casting.

“We were all seeing and saying the same things,” McGlinchey said.

Watching Payton run practice and Nix run the offense at OTAs, it continues to validate McGlinchey’s decision to come to Denver. The culture has changed. The nonsense has vanished. The losers are absent. The compass is pointing straight north after a 10-win season, something felt in the huddle and on every snap with Nix.

“The confidence, the competitiveness, the willingness to get after Sean at times, this is Bo’s team. He knows that. Everybody knows that,” McGlinchey said. “And it’s really cool to see him manage expectations. He doesn’t give a (bleep). He has such a talent of blocking out anything that doesn’t matter to him. I think that’s what separates the great ones: simplifying your life to make sure that everything is going towards one goal. The way he has looked the last two weeks, this kid is on his way to really taking off.”

This is why McGlinchey came to a franchise enduring “pretty dark times.” He wanted to be part of the renovation. But nobody is putting away the hard hats and hammers after ending the eight-year postseason drought last winter. Not after getting smoked by the Bills. Not after lacking balance offensively.

There remains plenty of room for improvement. The Broncos must run the ball better after former starter Javonte Williams led the team in rushing with 513 yards.

“Our running game can take that next step, and we need it to. We understand that in order to be as dominant as we want to be, you have to be able to control the ball on the ground, especially with the defense that we have,” McGlinchey said. “If you can run the ball, you can control the clock, control the sticks. It makes it really hard for the opponent to gain traction.”

In his third season in Denver, McGlinchey has become a cornerstone of an offensive line that is central to the Broncos graduating from relevant to a legitimate threat to Kansas City’s nine-year run of AFC West dominance. All the starters and every backup returned. It is allowing the group to make progress, to spend more time on how to block rather than who to block. There are also a few new wrinkles, including the sprinkling in of outside zone run blocking principles.

“I have never been in a situation like this with this much continuity,” said McGlinchey, who is entering his eighth season. “We have the right guys. And everybody is here to do the right things.”

The truth is, you haven’t always liked McGlinchey as the right tackle, citing penalties. You still might not like him, bothered by his salary. Some of you may never like him. But the Broncos need him.

The Broncos’ surprise success was also McGlinchey’s. He delivered arguably his best season in 2024 despite missing four games with a knee injury, demonstrating consistency in the run and pass game while allowing only three sacks. When he was younger, McGlinchey obsessed over personal honors like the Pro Bowl. His mindset has shifted.

“It’s not about the accolades. They would be nice, but that is out of my control,” McGlinchey said. “I think there is so much more for me to accomplish in this league. It’s about me being my best for my team.”

McGlinchey’s chest puffs out when he talks about the Broncos, about the grunts up front. Both were panned before his arrival. Now, the Broncos no longer look like a giraffe on roller skates. This is a team, three years in the making. A team that is coming.

It is not yet a stampede. But the object in the rearview mirror is much closer than it appears.

“To go from where we were two years ago to where we are now, we all take pride in that, and in making sure our program never steps back to that again. It is so much fun. We are ready to be on the big stage of the NFL,” McGlinchey said. “We are on the right track. Guys are believing. Being able to consistently execute in the biggest moments is the next part of it.”

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The Avs and Nuggets continue to stretch the elasticity of loyalty, determined to run it back with rosters that fell short this spring. This point was driven home Wednesday as the Avs re-signed free agent Brock Nelson to a three-year, $22.5 million deal.

The move means the Avs will feature their best opening day roster since 2022, their last championship season. And it puts general manager Chris MacFarland and coach Jared Bednar on notice.

Colorado deserves praise for taking big swings. But there are no consolation prizes for shots off the post. Another early playoff exit must come with consequences. And a slow start — say 9-15-1 — has to spell the end for Bednar, regardless of how well he is respected or his resume.

The Avs are where the Nuggets were. And we all know how that ended for Calvin Booth and Michael Malone.

They believe they have a Stanley Cup-worthy team. If this fails, everything not bolted to the floor — Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Gabe Landeskog, Val Nichushkin and MacKenzie Blackwood — must be slapped with a price tag.

President Joe Sakic made it clear last month that he wanted to keep the main pieces in place. Nelson was always part of the plan. At first glance, this seems like an overpay.

Some of us are old enough to remember when Nazem Kadri was deemed too expensive at $7 million per season.

The Nelson move, however, makes sense with context. The Avs’ most pressing need is a second-line center. Is Nelson worth $7.5 million? No. But the alternative was even more unsettling: filling the position with spare parts before making a desperate trade at the deadline, a strategy that has not worked the past few years.

Players who could have slipped into the 2C role — Calum Ritchie and Casey Mittelstadt — were shipped off last season. And did you really want Charlie Coyle in that spot?

Nelson was the second-best free-agent option behind Florida’s Sam Bennett. He had leverage with Minnesota expected to offer big dollars to bring him home. And what’s considered market value is rapidly changing with the salary cap increasing over the next three years.

It is OK to not like the deal. But like the fit.

A second line of Landeskog, Nichushkin and Nelson is ridiculous if the players are healthy and available. It is the type of depth that can win another ring.

But in keeping Nelson, MacFarland penalty boxed himself into a corner. The Avs will likely need to buy out Miles Wood and deal Ross Colton when his full no-trade clause becomes limited on July 1. They have limited assets. There will be no repeat of the 2024 in-season roster upheaval.

This is it. And for MacFarland, the onus is on Martin Necas to produce. He is eligible for a new deal this summer, and could ask for $10 million-plus if he reaches 100 points playing alongside MacKinnon after next season.

There has been speculation the Avs will attempt to trade Necas, that he might be unhappy in Colorado. But lest we forget, he was the centerpiece of the Mikko Rantanen deal. Moving him means trying to get a similar haul all over again. That would put yoke on MacFarland’s face that is already smeared with a Denver omelette after Mikko’s postseason performance.

The Avs and Nuggets are similar, but not identical.

The Nuggets’ belief that they are close to usurping the Thunder and Timberwolves is delusional without change.

The Avs are better off. They held a two-goal lead over the Stars with 13 minutes remaining in Game 7, and would have likely been favored, or close to it, in all remaining matchups.

But Dallas’ Pete DeBoer outcoached Bednar. And that cannot be dismissed when the Avs begin 2025-26 as one of six teams with a realistic shot of winning a championship.

Nelson’s return is evidence that the Avs’ posture hasn’t changed. They are all in.

Life is about moments. And this just doesn’t feel right. The Avs had their best chance in 2023 and 2024 before Nichushkin vanished. Now they are like the couple that forgot to take the heart hands photo in front of the Eiffel Tower. When they returned to recreate it, the vibe was off.

It’s the same picture. But it is different. The Avs insist it is not. That is why Nelson is back. So, the challenge is clear after three straight disappointing summers: Prove it.

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If CU followed Klatt’s advice on expanding the College Football Playoff, Bronco Mendenhall would be coaching his beloved Buffs right now.

Low risk. High floor. Safe. Boring, but safe.

You know what the Buffs did instead? The athletic department bet on itself.

AD Rick George bet on himself. CU, a football graveyard for most of its decade-plus in the Pac-12, pulled out all the stops to nab the most head-turning, camera-loving, scene-stealing name in college coaching.

CU outkicked its coverage with Deion Sanders. And kicked a dead program into three straight years of season-ticket sellouts and must-see TV.

So why should the Big 12 go the Bronco route? Why should it accept its status as a second-tier conference and concede more playoff spots, and playoff dollars, to the Big Ten and SEC?

CFP expansion is coming, as we all knew it would once TV got a taste. A 12-team championship bracket is now being pitched as a Sweet 16. It’s just a question of how many seats each conference gets at the table.

The Big 12 and ACC prefer what’s known as the “5+11” model, in which the five highest-ranked conference champions would receive automatic bids. The remaining 11 slots would be at-large and divvied up according to the CFP selection committee’s rankings.

According to reports, the Big Ten would prefer a “4+4+2+2+1” model, in which that league and the SEC would automatically get four bids each, guaranteeing that the two richest and most powerful conferences always take up half the 16-team field.

“I think it is absolutely bananas that the Big 12 and their ADs and their coaches would argue for (a 5+11 model),” Klatt, the venerated FOX Sports analyst, said on his podcast Monday. “Because they’re going to get crushed by this. If you want the sport to continue coalescing power in only two power conferences, then go to a 5+11 model. Because that’s exactly what will happen.”

Fair enough. Yet why not make them earn that power, instead of handing it over in return for scraps?

Look, if you’re Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, every avenue stinks. Yet each of the 12 CFP teams in ’24-25 pocketed at least $4 million just for making the bracket, plus another $3 million to cover expenses incurred over each round. I’ll be darned if I’m going to concede that before the games are even played.

Want an equitable field?

Settle it on the field.

Give the Big Ten an inch, they’ll take 2,846 miles. Which is the distance between the University of Washington in Seattle and Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. — a 43-hour drive that now separates a pair of conference rivals.

Now that’s not to say Klatt, the former Buffs and Pomona High QB, doesn’t raise a point. At-large bids are subjective beasts. The Big 12 in 2024 wouldn’t have produced a top 16 team outside of league champ Arizona State last fall (although BYU was 17th in the final CFP rankings, while Iowa State and CU wound up 18th and 23rd, respectively).

It’s less than ideal to put the fate of multiple Big 12 berths in the hands of a committee that already looks upon the league the way the world used to look at the Big Ten West: Scrappy, bizarrely competitive and totally weird — just not nationally relevant.

That said, the problems for the Big 12, and CU, with the “4+4+2+2+1” model are threefold.

One is that it would officially codify the Big 12 — along with the ACC — to second-tier status. And if we’ve learned anything about business deals with the Big Ten and the SEC, it’s that they don’t concede and they never give anything back once it’s in their mitts. Enough — money, marquee schools, TV eyeballs — is never enough.

Two, good luck selling your “+2” to potential recruits. Especially when Big Ten and SEC peers are out on the trail waving a “+4” designation and “+4” cash in their families’ faces.

Third, it’s about access. Relevance. Opportunity. Remember TCU? Boise State? America loves an underdog story. TV viewers love an underdog story. Even if Big Ten presidents don’t.

Just because bean-counters always win in the end doesn’t mean you forfeit the fight.

Do you trust a committee to treat a 10-2 CU team better than, say, an 8-4 Georgia or Alabama bunch? That’s a risk. But in a world of bad options everywhere, it might be the only one worth taking.

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“It’s more than just one or two changes,” the former Rockies closer told me by phone Monday. “It’s got to be a whole new everything.

“It’s been the same group (of leaders) for 30 years. Throughout the whole organization, nothing’s really changed a whole lot.  What’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting a different outcome?”

“I’d love nothing more than for the Rockies to get that thing back on track. But it’s just crazy.”

The crazy is the National Pastime’s new national punchline. Yet it’s always been there. Buried inside the walls. Creeping into the floorboards.

When you ask Veres how the Rockies Experience differed from the other four baseball franchises he played for, the ex-righty reliever and current Cherry Creek High School pitching coach, recalled his first spring training with the Cardinals.

This was February of 2000. The previous November, he’d been traded to St. Louis, along with Darryl Kile and Luther Hackman, after two seasons with the Rockies. When the new guys in red arrived, one of the first things they heard was a warning.

“Don’t make any plans before Halloween,” the Cards told him. “We’re playing through Halloween.”

Fast forward a bit. Veres has a pal who owns a ranch in a neighboring state. He said this pal told him a Rockies player once called asking to reserve a spot at the ranch for him … on Oct. 1.

“That’s the mentality, the mindset,” Veres sighed. “And when you have that within the organization …”

It spreads. It festers. The rot seeps in and never leaves. The floorboards start to creak and give.

Then one day, they give way completely, opening a hole into the cold, dark basement below. You’re 10-50, and everything feels broken. Because it is.

Consider this: Scottie Scheffler won three PGA events between May 4 and June 1. During that stretch, the Rockies also won exactly three times.

“As somebody who lives here, it’s hard to ignore,” Garrett Atkins, the Rockies’ slugging third baseman from 2003-09, texted me Monday. “(I’ll hear), ‘You see the Rockies lost again? What do you think the problem is?’

“I’m sure (it’s) the same questions the media, players, coaches, front office are getting daily from everywhere. It’s got to be frustrating for everybody in the organization because it seems to be the same story every game. Turn the game on in the fourth inning, and they are losing, 3-1.”

We know Monfort, the Rockies’ CEO, isn’t going to clean house to appease the snarky columnists in town. So do it for the alumni, Dick. Do it for the former Rockies who’ve watched your baseball ops besmirch the sweat, the toil and the legacy they left between the lines.

Do it for Atkins. Do it for Veres, 58, who now thinks twice about putting on his beloved Rockies pullover before heading out to the gym.

“Why would they want to (sell)?” Veres laughed. “I remember back to the Dodgers’ previous ownership, when fans would come in the third inning and leave in the seventh. Their model was, ‘We get the same number of fans if we win or if we lose, so why should I put money back into the team?’ At least, that’s what I heard … it seems like that’s the route the Rockies have taken lately.”

Veres isn’t tossing sour grapes. He’s been too busy winning state titles with the Bruins to get riled up about old grudges. He just calls it as he sees it.

“Bud Black was a scapegoat,” Veres said. “What can you do? Your hands are tied as a manager. If you’re dealt the roster you have, it’s not like you can make somebody a better player or a different pitcher.”

Buddy’s Rockies were 7-33 when he got the boot. Warren Schaeffer’s Rockies were 3-17 after Monday’s series opener at Miami. New manager. New hitting coach. Same owner. Same GM. Same results. We’ve all done the math.

“I feel bad for the fans,” Atkins said. “Everybody knows what a great sports town this is. I run into people all the time who were at the playoff games and felt the energy at Coors Field. Everybody just wants that back.”

Veres wants it, too. The first Rockies pitcher to save 30-plus games in a season here (31 in ’99) bought a house here 26-ish years ago when he became Colorado’s closer. Dave eventually pitched in 14 postseason games from 2000-2003 with the Cardinals and Cubs. In the meantime, he fell in love with the Front Range, putting down roots in Douglas County.

He raised a family here. The nest is empty now, and Veres was babysitting his kid’s kids, working in some swim time around the storms, when I called him Monday to talk shop.

“Do your grandkids know or care about the Rockies?” I asked. “Does Coors mean anything to them other than food and a good time?”

“I guarantee they don’t know,” Veres replied. “I guarantee they don’t.”

Which breaks his heart a little, too.

“As a fan, you want it to succeed here,” Veres said. “As a player, you want to be proud of where you played.”

They feel for the current Rockies. They’ve been there. The season is a marathon, a nine-month flight through stormy weather that takes off on Valentine’s Day and lands sometime in October.

“No one wants to lose,” Veres continued. “I’m sure they’re tried of being the butt of the jokes … It just wears on you.”

“What’s the state of this franchise,” I wondered, “in a word?

“Disappointing,” Atkins said.

“Frustrating,” Veres added.

Dave still keeps that Rockies pullover in the rotation, though.

“It’s kind of funny,” Veres said. “I actually thought about it one time: ‘Should I wear my Rockies sweatshirt (in public?)’

“I still love this game. I’m still a fan. And being a local guy now, they’re my hometown team. I want them to be successful. Hopefully, they can figure it out, because it’s a great place to play. With a great fan base that wants and deserves what most fans want.”

Sanity. If only for a summer.

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