The Grading The Week gang gets accused of a lot of things, half of which we might even fess up to after a few pints. But we never get enough good news coming across the desk — especially as the crew’s getting ready to stare into a pretty light five weeks from mid-June through Day 1 of Broncos training camp, the official end of our summer. (The Nuggets could change this math, of course, and long may King Julian Strawther I reign over the ’25 NBA playoffs.)
So we’re out of the gate with sunshine and rainbows to launch today’s installment. Starting with a belated tip of the cap to one of our favorite Front Range unicorns.
Travis Hunter, CU’s all-around good dude — A
Given the man’s vertical leap, is it any surprise that the Travis Hunter era in Jacksonville has already taken off like one of Richard Branson’s rockets?
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner and ex-CU Buffs player is having a pretty sweet spring, even by his standards. The two-way star walked the stage at the NFL Draft in Wisconsin late last month as the No. 2 overall pick to Jacksonville. Duuuuuuuval is an acquired taste, but the GTW wonks think it could be an ideal fit for the wideout/cornerback on several fronts.
We also had a notion that once people in North Florida got to know him personally, they’d grow to love him. The humility. The humor. The politeness. The work ethic. The dance moves. Sure enough, Hunter stole the show at the Jags’ rookie minicamp, where he ran routes on offense at wide receiver (new coach Liam Coen promises that reps at defense are coming next) while his No. 12 became the hottest jersey purchase in the area.
“It’s more just his presence and the energy he does provide,” Coen told reporters, “both in the classroom in the meeting rooms and also out here on the field.”
But our fave Hunter news item from the past few days wasn’t about football at all. It was the Facebook post that went viral from Ms. Sandy Hawkins Combs, who just happened to be sitting next to the greatest athlete in CU football history on a recent United flight out of DIA.
“I met the nicest young man who sat next to me,” Combs wrote. “He offered to put my bag in the overhead compartment and helped me with my tray. He was always polite, saying ‘Yes, ma’am,’ or ‘No ma’am.’ Anyone would be proud to have him as a son or grandson — so polite …
“He’s so humble and down-to-earth — I would have never guessed he was a professional athlete. JACKSONVILLE JAGS, you did good!”
They sure did.
The Schaeffer Rockies look like the Black Rockies so far — D
In the first three games after Bud Black was fired, the Rockies went 0-3 in Texas, hit .190 as a team in Arlington and got outscored 14-5. They’re headed into a weekend series at Arizona with a record of 7-36. Not to say Team GTW told you so, but … yeah. We did. Like, many, many, many times. Sure, Buddy wasn’t helping. But Buddy wasn’t the biggest problem, either.
We wish all the best to interim skipper Warren Schaeffer, of course, a decent feller by all accounts. It’d be hard for anybody chucked into the middle of the Indy 500 about 48 laps in to keep pace in a Plymouth Breeze. Hey, if the owner ever decides to fire himself, Team GTW will get matching Darren Holmes shoulder tattoos. Just don’t hold your breath on that front.
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