The Denver Post

Lindsay state’s pro athlete of year?

- Mark Kiszla responds

Local hero. Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay deserves to be Colorado’s pro athlete of the year, for being an underdog out of high school to being an underdog leaving CU, when he was not even invited to the NFL combine prior to the draft. After being disrespect­ed, Lindsay has come so far, it’s hard to overlook. G.M., Colorado proud

Kiz: We all love Lindsay. He’s a remarkable athlete and an inspiring story. But when the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame decided Lindsay was the profession­al athlete of the year, were the voters drunk on Orange Kool-aid? Yes, this is a Broncos town. But there are at least three obvious reasons Lindsay was not the top pro athlete in our fine state during the past 12 months: 1) Avalanche center Nathan Mackinnon, who was a bona fide MVP candidate; 2) Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, and 3) the most dominating pro athlete in 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin. Oh, yeah. We forgot to mention Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland.

Money talks. Serious question: As an Olympian, is Shiffrin categorize­d as a profession­al athlete? Ron, former Marine

Kiz: Here are fun facts to tell friends who might still be living in the 1960s or a cave. Shiffrin earned $738,000 in prize money last season as the world’s No 1 skier. The NFL paid Lindsay $488,000. Oorah!

Not OK with DJ going. Could you help me understand how letting DJ Lemahieu go makes sense for the Rockies? I’m still unclear on that … unless it frees up money to sign third baseman Nolan Arenado to a long-term contract. Danny, Denver

Kiz: Lemahieu is a righteous dude. Slick glove. Smart bat. Awesome teammate. In Colorado, DJ will be missed by many, both great (Rockies skipper Bud Black) and small (me). But it was time for Lemahieu to go. Unless you’re the New York Yankees, and print money, a major-league roster has got to churn. Why pay Lamahieu $12 million a year into his 30s, when the Rockies have young players who can do 80 percent of what DJ did at a fraction of the cost?

Mistakes of youth. The majority of the Avalanche’s core is a bunch of 18- to 22-year-old players. Of course, this is taking time for them to grow. Did everyone think they would be championsh­ip contenders after one good season? Marc, Loves hockey, eh?

Kiz: After a recent public spat on the team bench, coach Jared Bednar and Mackinnon have bro-kissed and made up. They’re all good. But the team? Not so much. If the Avs don’t get their act together, they’re going to miss the NHL playoffs. Is it too much to expect meaningful progress from the young core? Joe Sakic still has a way to go before proving he can build anything close to a championsh­ip contender.

What’s the good word? And today’s parting shot is fired in defense of the direction the Broncos are taking under the guidance of general manager John Elway, whose first five years on the job were outstandin­g.

Kiz, I’m honestly confused with what you are saying, like you are scared you will jinx the Broncos if you say something good or get excited. Braxton, Pocatello, Idaho

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