The Drive

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to a trade idea that involves the Nuggets sending out Aaron Gordon in return for Derrick Jones Jr. and a first-round pick. Could the Nuggets take a step back financially and competitively to reset the organization moving forward? We react to Mike Klis' article detailing the biggest questions for the Broncos this season. How will Davis Webb look as a first-time play caller, and will we learn anything about him during OTA's? Will the Broncos be improved in explosive plays? Did all the Avalanche representation in the Olympics come back to bite the Avs in the butt when it mattered the most? Were the guys gassed after 7 straight months of high-level hockey? We wrap up the show summarizing everything we learned in Denver sports today, including Jared Bednar not being fired yet, the Broncos almost crossing the line of making Burnham Yard their future home for a stadium, and much more. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach, Phil, and the guys compete in our weekly trivia competition against the morning show. Can we beat the morning show's 2-2 performance from earlier today? Zach and Phil react to the lack of news on Jared Bednar and debate if the silence around the situation means Bednar will be returning to the Avalanche. What could be the delay for not having an end-of-the-season press conference? Zach re-pitches the idea of the Broncos trading for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. How much would it cost the Broncos to bring in Richardson? Would Richardson be able to take work off Bo Nix's plate in running situations? Are the Broncos in a position to "rehab" Richardson, or do they need a win-now backup quarterback? 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil finish up their conversation on Aaron Gordon and the Nuggets before pivoting to the Broncos. We continue to react to Mike Klis' article detailing the biggest questions for the Broncos this season. How will Davis Webb look as a first-time play caller? Will the Broncos be improved in explosive plays? How much will a tougher schedule impact the team? Will we see the Broncos blowout teams in a way we didn't last season? Today's "Three Count" features an update on the land agreement for the Broncos' next stadium location at Burnham Yard, previewing Game 7 between the Thunder and the Spurs after a heated series, and breaking down the Colorado Eagles in the AHL Western Conference Final. Did all the Avalanche representation in the Olympics come back to bite the Avs in the butt when it mattered the most? Were the guys gassed after 7 straight months of high-level hockey? 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Jake. The guys do a full deep dive into the Western Conference Finals and preview Game 7 tomorrow night. Is the Thunder's championship window already closing with many contributors being free agents heading into the offseason? Zach and Phil react to the lack of news on Jared Bednar and debate if the silence around the situation means Bednar will be returning to the Avalanche. Zach re-pitches the idea of the Broncos trading for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. How much would it cost the Broncos to bring in Richardson? Would Richardson be able to take work off Bo Nix's plate in running situations? Are the Broncos in a position to "rehab" Richardson, or do they need a win-now backup quarterback? Does Sean Payton still feel the same way about Jarrett Stidham after the AFC Championship? We react to a trade idea that involves the Nuggets sending out Aaron Gordon in return for Derrick Jones Jr. and a first-round pick. Could the Nuggets take a step back financially and competitively to reset the organization moving forward? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Chris Simms' rankings of the top 32 quarterbacks in the NFL. Where did Bo Nix land on the rankings? We go quarterback by quarterback and debate if Nix should be ahead or behind those individuals. We hear from Simms on Nix's clutch gene and the tools he possesses. Does Bo need to work on being more efficient and consistent? Is Bo's age a concern as he will end next season as a 27-year-old? We react to Von Miller making another plea to be a member of the Broncos again. Do the Broncos have a roster spot to use on Miller while they are in a championship window? We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com's Aniello Piro joining the show to discuss Jared Bednar's job security with the Avalanche. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the rumors of Cale Makar's injury and potentially missing the beginning of next season. We speculate what the injury could be and debate how much money Makar will make on his contract extension. Would a new Makar contract put the Avalanche in a tough position to fill out the rest of the roster with good depth? We give former Avalanche Claude Lemieux a heartfelt tribute as he took his own life this week. How safe is Jared Bednar to return as the head coach of the Avalanche next season? Zach shares the history of the most recent coaching hires for the Avalanche, mostly being first-time head coaches. Would they continue this track record if they move on from Bednar? We dive into the Broncos and debate if Que Robinson is ready for a bigger role on the defense. We react to ESPN listing Payton Watson as a top restricted free agent in the NBA this offseason. Could the Nuggets move on from Cam Johnson and/or Christian Braun to make room to retain Watson?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Chris Simms' rankings of the top 32 quarterbacks in the NFL. Where did Bo Nix land on the rankings? We go quarterback by quarterback and debate if Nix should be ahead or behind those individuals. Could Bo Nix be a top 10 quarterback after this season? We hear from Simms on why ranking Nix was so difficult with the limited sample size of two NFL seasons. Does Bo need to work on being more efficient and consistent? How much running will we see from Nix in year 3? Today's "Three Count" includes an all-time upset in tennis earlier today at the French Open, Shohei Ohtani doing Shohei Ohtani things by hitting a homerun and pitching 6 innings of no-hit ball last night, and previewing the Colorado and CSU announced game times and networks. We react to Von Miller making another plea to be a member of the Broncos again. Do the Broncos have a roster spot to use on Miller while they are in a championship window? 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss Cecil's comic book journey as he heads out of town for a convention this weekend, and we debate Jared Bednar's job security with the Avalanche moving forward. Zach and Phil dive into the Broncos and debate if Que Robinson is ready for a bigger role on the defense. Will the Broncos carry extra running backs on the roster with JK Dobbins' history of injury? We react to ESPN listing Payton Watson as a top restricted free agent in the NBA this offseason. Could the Nuggets move on from Cam Johnson and/or Christian Braun to make room to retain Watson? We speculate why the Avalanche are waiting so long to have their end-of-the-season press conference. Zach shares the history of the most recent coaching hires for the Avalanche, and the guys debate if the Avs move on from Bednar, will they once again hire a first-time head coach? 

In the fourth and final hour of The Drive with Zach Bye and Phillip Lindsay, the fellas try to make sense of the Avs getting swept in the Western Conference Final, and hear what Jared Bednar had to say after the game that might be his last as coach of the Colorado Avalanche.  We also take a listen to what Paul Bissonette said on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast about whether or not the Avs should fire Bednar or if there are other moves they can make without moving on from Jared Bednar.  And to close out the show, the guys welcome in "Scrappy" Will Peterson to give his thoughts on the series before starting Denver Sports Tonight.        

For hour three of The Drive, Zach and Phil listen to comments from Mackenzie Blackwood about being too frustrated to think about his performance and ask if he's frustrated with the team or just the terrible result.  Zach reads some alarming stats about the series and lists off all of the players who didn't score a goal in the Western Conference Final.  They close out the hour by asking where this loss ranks on the list of all-time worst collapses in Denver sports history.         

In the second hour of The Drive with Zach Bye and Phillip Lindsay, we break down the terrible loss from the night before and compare it to all of the biggest collapses in Denver sports history, and ask the Ramoslaw.com text line which is number one.  The guys took a look at Patrick Mahomes in training camp, so Zach and Phil tell us how they think he looked and how he will look in week one against the Broncos.  We close out the hour by getting into the CU Buffs and how high they think Deion Sanders ranks among the best coaches in the power four conferences.     

For the first hour of The Drive with Zach Bye and Phillip Lindsay, the guys take a good hard look at last night's playoff-eliminating loss and hold the Avs accountable.  Zach lists off some of the players that had zero goals and dives into more aspects of the loss.  The guys then take a look at some of the other worst losses in Denver sports history and decide how high this one gets ranked.     

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Avalanche as they look to fight off elimination in Game 4 tonight. Have the Avs mirrored the Nuggets in getting out-executed against a lesser team? How do the guys feel about Jared Bednar making a change at goal tender and putting in MacKenzie Blackwood to make his first start of the series? Have the Avs shown that playoff collapses are their identity, and the Stanley Cup run in 2022 was the aberration? Are the Avalanche front-runners that wither when times get tough? If the Avalanche lose tonight and get swept, will tonight be Bednar's final game as the Avs head coach? We wrap up the show with the guys sharing their predictions for tonight's game and comparing this series to the 2004 Boston Red Sox. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Jamal Murray being named to an All-NBA team for the first time in his career. Zach explains why this achievement is bittersweet and why he is open to trading Jamal Murray this offseason while his stock is at an all-time high. How did we get to the point where the Avalanche are on the brink of elimination tonight in Game 4? Have the Avs shown they are front-runners, and when times get tough, they aren't built for it? Zach shares the history of teams to come back from down 3-0 in a series, and the guys debate if the Avs have it in them to get it done. Have the Avs outplayed the Golden Knights despite being in a 3-0 hole in the series? We pivot to the Broncos, and Phil fills us in on what the Broncos will be doing at OTA's next week. How will the absence of Bo Nix impact the work they can do? We hear from Justin Simmons and a story between him and Sean Payton on Payton not wanting Simmons to wear sleeves, Simmons refusing, and eventually getting let go from the Broncos. 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Avalanche as they look to fight off elimination in Game 4 tonight. Have the Avs mirrored the Nuggets in getting out-executed against a lesser team? Do the guys agree with Jared Bednar's decision to bench Scott Wedgewood and go with MacKenzie Blackwood? If the Avalanche lose tonight and get swept, will tonight be Bednar's final game as the Avs head coach? Have the Avs shown they are front-runners, and when times get tough, they aren't built for it? We go one-by-one and point out all the Avs players underachieving in this series. Today's "Three Count" includes the Knicks railroading their way to the NBA Finals and pushing their winning streak to 11 straight, if the Knicks have a chance against whoever wins the Western Conference, and a crazy stat with the most recent 4 teams to represent the East in the NBA Finals. We react to the reports that Nashville could be waiting to hire the Avs' Chris MacFarland as their next GM. Could the Avs lose their general manager to another organization over finances? 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss the current state of the Colorado Avalanche as they go into Game 4, down 3-0. Is Cale Makar's absence in the first two games an excuse for the hole they've got themselves into? Zach and Phil compare the Avalanche to the Nuggets as teams to be favorites in every game and lose a playoff series. Zach shares the history of teams to come back from down 3-0 in a series, and the guys debate if the Avs have it in them to get it done. How have the Avs outplayed the Golden Knights according to the stats, but lost every game by 2 goals? How much faith do the guys have in the Avs to extend the series and send the series to a Game 5 in Denver? We pivot to the Broncos, and Phil fills us in on what the Broncos will be doing at OTA's next week. How will the absence of Bo Nix impact the work they can do? 

In hour 4 of The Memorial Day edition of The Drive, John Davis and Chad Andrus continue to dive into the Nuggets and Avalanche playoff disappointments this year. Are the Nuggets in a position to overhaul their roster to compete in the modern NBA? Is Denver still a destination for players around the NBA with Jokic as the fulcrum? Has Joe Sakic's playstyle from his NHL days led this Avalanche team to being too fast and skilled and not putting enough of an emphasis on toughness and defense? Is there any hope the Avalanche can mount a comeback from down 3-0 in the Western Conference Final? What do we need to see in Game 4 from the Avs to start believing? Are the Avalanche the "better" team in the series or just the more talented team? We wrap up the show comparing this Avs team to other teams in sports history with a high-flying offense that couldn't get it done in the playoffs. 

In hour 3 of The Memorial Day edition of The Drive, John Davis and Chad Andrus debate if the Avalanche have a chance at digging themselves out of a 3-0 hole in the Western Conference Final. Will the Avs defense be able to kick it in gear and give their offense a chance in games moving forward? Will/should Jared Bednar make another change at goaltender and give MacKenzie Blackwood a chance? Has goaltending been a main issue for the Avs and a reason they find themselves in a 3-0 hole? Is Blackwood a better option, or could he provide a spark off the bench? What has to go right for the Avalanche in Game 4 to push the series back to Denver? Are both the Nuggets and Avalanche not built to succeed in the playoffs? Do both teams need to overhaul their play style? 

In hour 2 of The Memorial Day edition of The Drive, John Davis and Chad Andrus debate which injury in Denver sports was the most impactful in derailing their team's championship hopes between Bo Nix, Cale Makar, and Aaron Gordon. Would the Nuggets have had a chance at winning a championship if Aaron Gordon were healthy? Would Bo Nix have led the Broncos to a Super Bowl if he hadn't missed the AFC Championship? Was Cale Makar the difference in the Avs being down 0-3 or being competitive in the series? How much did the coaches on each team help or hurt after each team sustained injuries? Today's "Three Count" features recapping the Spurs and Thunder as they go into game 5 in a 2-2 series stalemate, Princeton taking home the NCAA Men's Lacrosse championship, and previewing the Knicks and Cavaliers as New York looks to sweep the Eastern Conference Finals. Is trading Jamal Murray the best course of action for the Nuggets to become more flexible with the roster and also add youth and athleticism? 

Today's Memorial Day edition of The Drive kicks off with John Davis and Chad Andrus cross-talking with Dan Jacobs. The guys discuss the collapse of the Colorado Avalanche as they fall behind 3-0 in the Western Conference Final. Are both the Nuggets and Avalanche not built to succeed in the playoffs? Do both teams play too soft? John and Chad debate how much Jared Bednar is to blame for the position the Avalanche are in. Are there no excuses for Bednar with how great of a roster the Avs have? Has Bednar's message gone stale in the locker room? We react to Jamal Murray finally being named to an All-NBA team. Should the Nuggets trade Murray while his value is still high? How have other teams routinely been able to slow down the Avalanche's high-powered offense in the playoffs? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Avalanche as they get set for Game 2 of the Western Conference Final tonight. We react to the news of Cale Makar being ruled out for the game, and debate who needs to step up for the Avs the most in Makar's absence. Zach shares the history on what a win or loss means for the Avs tonight. Will Jared Bednar's adjustments to the top 3 lines get the Avs' offense going? DenverSports.com's Will Petersen joins the show live from Ball Arena to discuss how the Avs can get to Carter Hart, his reaction to Cale Makar being ruled out of Game 2, and if MacKenzie Blackwood would take over in net if the Avs lose tonight. Will we see a desperate version of the Avalanche tonight? We wrap up the show with the guys sharing bold predictions for the game and their predictions for the result of the game. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach, Phil, and the guys compete in our weekly trivia competition against the morning show. Will we bounce back from a 1-3 performance from last week and beat the morning show's 2-2 performance from earlier today? We preview tonight's massively important Game 2 of the Western Conference Final for the Avalanche. We react to the news from this morning that Cale Makar will remain out and not play in Game 2. At what point are we expecting to see Makar in this series, if at all? We hear from Ben Dinucci on how the Broncos offense will look different with Davis Webb calling plays and how Bo Nix will have more time at the line of scrimmage with a quicker play call. We revisit Mike Klis' comments on Sean Payton still having a hand in play calling and could call 10-12 plays per game. We react to ESPN's Bobby Marks forecasting what Peyton Watson's contract will look like this offseason, and the guys debate if the Nuggets will be willing to take on that contract or what trades the Nuggets will make to take on an expensive contract. Does Watson want to be in Denver long-term? 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Avalanche as they get set for Game 2 of the Western Conference Final tonight. We react to the news of Cale Makar being ruled out for the game, and we share what our panic level is heading into the game. We hear from Paul Bissonette saying the Avs will not win the series without Makar, and Zach shares history on what a win or loss means for the Avs tonight. Who needs to step up for the Avs the most in Makar's absence? Is there a chance we see MacKenzie Blackwood in Game 3 if tonight doesn't go well for Scott Wedgewood? Today's "Three Count" features the Knicks winning their 9^th straight playoff game with Josh Hart exploding offensively, and the Hurricanes getting blown out by the Canadians after the Canes 8-0 start to the playoffs. Our 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis joins the show to discuss how the Broncos will approach preseason football, what the offense will look like with Davis Webb calling plays, and if Sean Payton will still call a handful of plays each game. 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil live from Schoolyard Beer Garden. The guys reminisce on the last time they did a live show from Schoolyard and begin to preview tonight's massively important Game 2 of the Western Conference Final for the Avalanche. We react to the news from this morning that Cale Makar will remain out and not play in Game 2. At what point are we expecting to see Makar in this series if at all? What version of the Avs will we see tonight? Zach shares the history on what a win or loss means for the Avs tonight. We hear from Ben Dinucci on how the Broncos offense will look different with Davis Webb calling plays, how Webb's history with a spread offense will impact the Broncos offense, and more. We react to ESPN's Bobby Marks forecasting what Peyton Watson's contract will look like this offseason, and the guys debate if the Nuggets will be willing to take on that contract or what trades the Nuggets will make to take on an expensive contract. Does Watson want to be in Denver long-term? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Avalanche as they fell in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. Zach shares the numbers on teams that go on to win a series this postseason when they win game 1, and the guys discuss what a Cale Makar would mean for the Avs. Will Scott Wedgewood play better in Game 2 than what we saw in Game 1? Are we in store for a seven-game series now? Who needs to step up the most from the Avalanche going forward? Did the temperature in Ball Arena impact the game and the condition of the ice? We reach out to the text line and the YouTube chat and gauge their feelings about the Avalanche falling behind 0-1 in the series and what their panic level is. We hear from both the Avs and the Knights' head coaches after the game, and where both teams go from here. We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com's Aniello Piro joining the show to discuss the Avs and how they looked after the long rest from the last series to this series.