Comment on Howard helps Magic rout Hawks 114-71 (AP)

Mikko Rantanen is going to sign a very long, very profitable contract in the near future, and he’s not worried that it hasn’t happened yet. Rantanen has one year left on his current deal, with an average annual value of $9.25 million. He would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if he and the Colorado Avalanche do not come to an agreement before then. “I think there’s been talks with my camp and the front office.

Denver Post reporters Parker Gabriel and Ryan McFadden are joined by columnist Troy Renck to break down the Broncos’ 0-2 start and what’s hurting the team’s anemic offense so far this season. The guys talk through Denver’s disappointing performance in the run game, Sean Payton’s plan to fix it, and how Vance Joseph’s defense has been keeping the team in games so far this season.

The Big 12 cannot match the Big Ten or SEC for star power (players or programs), but it should lead all conferences this season in frayed nerves and shredded fingernails. The difference between best and worst is the Big 12 is smaller than anywhere else, making the potential for chaos on a weekly basis greater than everywhere else. Results from the opening weeks have caused the Hotline to reconsider many of our preseason assumptions.

Pedestrian in transition, too little urgency and too many turnovers. The Colorado Rapids deserved every bit of their 4-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday night. SKC’s third goal summed the game up perfectly. The Rapids finally got out on a good-looking break in the 69th minute, but midfielder Cole Bassett ran out of time and options with his wingers breaking inward into SKC’s trap, leaving him triple-teamed and swiped of the ball. While Bassett expressed clear frustration with the lack of width, SKC swiftly counterattacked and substitute Erik Thommy scored his first of two goals on the night. In fact, the first three SKC goals came in some way off turnovers or mistakes by the Rapids.

When Bo Nix was asked about the characteristics of a good red zone offense in the NFL, the rookie quarterback didn’t shy away from the truth about his rough experience in critical situations. “In the NFL, I haven’t figured out a whole lot because we haven’t scored in the red zone, yet,” Nix said after Wednesday’s practice. Even with former quarterback Russell Wilson across the country in Pittsburgh, Denver’s red zone struggles have remained.

Before the Rockies’ relievers could even settle into their seats beyond the right-field wall, Corbin Carroll jolted them awake. Carroll’s 438-foot blast on Austin Gomber’s seventh pitch Wednesday ricocheted off the second-deck facade and landed in the home bullpen, setting the tone for Gomber’s disappointing start, the bullpen’s long afternoon and the Rockies’ 9-4 loss to the Diamondbacks. “Threw a lot of stuff in the middle of the plate,” Gomber said.