Super year for Broncos

The Denver Broncos are held in high esteem in NFL preseason predictions, being picked by at least two magazines to reach the Super Bowl.
The Broncos are picked to win the West in five forecasts listed by USA Today.
In other Colorado sports news around the Web:
-- A Canadian news outlet has a two-week ban on mentioning the name of Paris Hilton, who has been linked with Colorado Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore at a party last weekend in Toronto.
-- Former Avalanche star Chris Drury and the Buffalo Sabres are the early favorites to win the 2006-07 Stanley Cup, fending off a Western challenge from San Jose or Anaheim. The Avalanche is said to be fading fast in the West.
-- Ryan White, a center from the Calgary Hitmen, is projected as the Avalanche's pick in the No. 18 position of Saturday's NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, British Columbia. See draft rankings and prospects.
--The sleeper in the NHL draft Saturday could be Nicklas Backstrom, a Swedish standout whose style reminds many scouts of former Avalanche star Peter Forsberg.
-- Former University of Colorado star Chris Brown and former Chatfield High School standout LenDale White are competing with Travis Henry for the No. 1 running back spot with the Tennessee Titans.
-- It's unlikely the 49th selection in the NBA Draft next week will provide much of an immediate impact on the Denver Nuggets.
-- The Nuggets' Kenyon Martin still is being mentioned as a candidate to join the Philadelphia 76ers.
-- Could former Nuggets coach Larry Brown, fired Thursday by the New York Knicks, wind up with fellow North Carolina alum Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats (registration required)? Brown is no Stan Van Gundy if Isiah Thomas has ideas of pulling a Miami Heat move with the Knicks.
-- Coby Karl, son of Nuggets coach George Karl, never intended to enter the NBA Draft but simply attended predraft workouts for the experience.
-- The Texas Rangers, who open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies in Denver on Friday night, have batted .296 and scored 5.95 runs a game since the return of hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo, who was recovering from surgery for prostate cancer. Texas pitcher Robinson Tejeda is hoping the third time in the majors this season is a charm when he pitches against the Rockies on Saturday night.
-- Former Rockies catching prospect Josh Bard praises the pitching of San Diego's Clay Hensley after a series-ending loss against Texas.
-- Former Rockies pitcher and Colorado native Scott Elarton finally got some offensive support, the most he has received in a major league game, in Kansas City's 15-7 win against Pittsburgh (toward middle).
-- The current media firestorm between former Denver sports columnist Jay Mariotti and Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is another example of some of the insanity of expanding sports commentary problems.
-- Criticism by former Colorado Rapids star Marcelo Balboa of U.S. soccer coach Bruce Arena doesn't cut it with a former teammate of Balboa. Subpar moment is what the Rapids' Pablo Mastroeni called the U.S. World Cup effort.
-- Former Nuggets forward James Posey must decide by Tuesday whether to take his $6.4 million option year contract with the NBA champion Miami Heat.
-- Denver native John Grahame, who was a backup goalie on Stanley Cup winner Tampa Bay in 2003-04, earned anti-Vezina consideration for 2005-06, according to ESPN.com's anti-NHL awards.
-- Returning to Yankee Stadium as Florida Marlins manager this weekend is just another trip for Joe Girardi, a former Rockies catcher.
-- Colorado Mammoth coach Gary Gait was passed by John Tavares of the Buffalo Bandits as the all-time National Lacrosse League scoring leader the past season but should hold the No. 2 spot for some time.
-- Former Denver Bears manager and player and Rockies coach Rich Donnelly, now a coach with the Dodgers, says his team has plenty of respect for the Seattle Mariners, whom Colorado plays next weekend.
-- The recent hitting exploits of Jose Reyes of the New York Mets were previously accomplished by Mark Grudzielanek, a former Trinidad State infielder, in 2005, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Grudzielanek goes against a major baseball axiom.
-- Former Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will change the Houston Texans' defensive structure to better utilize the talents of defensive end Mario Williams, the No. 1 draft pick.
-- The Green Bay Packers are taking a page from former Bronco offensive line coach Alex Gibbs -- that of using the cut block.
-- The value of Broncos receiver Ashley Lelie is on the decline and that of Rod Smith on the rise, according to FOXSports.com fantasy evaulations.
-- Rockies prospect Chaz Roe was a winner in his hometown of Lexington, Ky., Thursday night, pitching the Asheville Tourists to a South Atlantic League win against the Lexington Legends.
-- The return of offensive guard Jeff Byers, a former star at Loveland High School, should help the University of Southern California football team overcome some losses (registration required).

Rockies-Angels Preview

On a staff that includes a former Cy Young Award winner, Ervin Santana is making his mark as the ace of the Los Angeles Angels staff.
Santana looks to win his fifth straight start and help the Angels (35-42) bounce back from a decisive loss when they wrap up a series with the Colorado Rockies (39-38) on Wednesday.
With reigning Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon missing much of the first half of the season with a shoulder injury, the 23-year-old Santana has picked up the slack, allowing two runs or less in three of his four starts this month.
Despite earning the win in Los Angeles' 8-2 victory over Arizona in his last start Friday, Santana gave up a season-high six walks in six innings. He had allowed just seven walks in 33 2-3 innings in his previous five starts.
''I was average,'' said Santana, who has given up just seven runs and 18 hits during his streak. ''But I battled and did not give in.''
Santana has never faced Colorado, but is 3-2 with a 4.83 ERA in six career starts against NL teams.
Jeff Francis (5-7, 4.37) looks to avoid his third straight loss when he takes the mound for the Rockies. In losses to St. Louis and Texas, the left-hander has been tagged for 11 runs and 14 hits in 11 2-3 innings.
After cruising early, Francis allowed four runs in the sixth inning of an 8-6 defeat against to the Rangers on Friday. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle also said Francis' fastball didn't look very strong, and Francis said his velocity was there, but his performance ''wasn't great.''
With a victory, Francis would Jason Jennings and Aaron Cook for the team lead in wins. He has never pitched against the Angels, but is 2-4 with a 5.70 ERA against AL foes.
After giving up five runs in the eighth inning of a 5-4 loss in the series opener, Colorado bounced back with a 12-4 rout on Tuesday. Clint Barmes and Garrett Atkins each had two hits and three RBIs in the victory.
Barmes has 41 RBIs this season. He had 46 in 81 games last year in a season shortened by a broken collarbone.
''I think that speaks volumes,'' Cook said. ''Statistically, his average isn't where he wants it to be, but he's getting timely hits and sacrifice flies. He's going up there in key situations not trying to do too much with guys in scoring position and he's getting the job done.''
Colorado is 8-3 in interleague play and trails first-place San Diego by 1 1/2 games in the NL West. With a win in this game, Colorado would improver to 20-20 on the road - they went just 27 games away from Coors Field all of last season.
Veteran Angels left fielder Garret Anderson was scratched from Tuesday's game with back stiffness and is day-to-day. The Angels' all-time hits leader, Anderson needs two for 2,000 in his career.