Mike’s Blog Round-up

Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler was named Colorado Sportswriter of the Year for 2024 by the National Sports Media Association on Tuesday. It marked the first time Keeler has won the award and 15th time a Denver Post writer was honored by NSMA in the last 17 years. Voted on by peers, the award was given to Keeler for his columns covering Deion Sanders’ CU Buffs football program, Travis Hunter’s historic run to the Heisman Trophy, the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup playoff run and much more. “Whether it’s Coach Prime’s Buffs or the state track and field championships, Sean works tirelessly to find unique stories and perspectives regardless of the assignment,” The Post’s sports editor Matt Schubert said.

Josh Allen isn’t just difficult to sack. He’s taken fewer than any quarterback in football this year. The Buffalo star has been sacked just 14 times on the season, putting the Bills eight clear of Green Bay, the second-best team in that department. The Broncos aren’t just good at sacking opposing quarterbacks. They’ve generated more than any team in football this year. Denver’s balanced attack led by Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper has a franchise-record 63 sacks on the season, nine more than any other team in football. That makes Allen and the Bills’ offensive front against Denver’s front seven one of the central points of tension Sunday when the teams square off in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. If Buffalo can keep Denver’s disruptive defense at bay, the Broncos are in for a long afternoon.

It’s all love between Von Miller and the Broncos. In preparation to face his former team in the Wild Card round on Sunday, Buffalo’s veteran edge rusher doesn’t want to act like he has hatred toward Denver. The franchise still holds a special place in his heart. “I’ve had two days to really think about it, and it’s all love,” Miller told reporters in Buffalo on Wednesday.

This article is part of The D. C. Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. Since Election Day, Democrats have rightly been in something of a funk. They sauntered into November expecting Kamala Harris would hold the White House for the party, the House might tip their way, and they even dared to dream about keeping a majority in the Senate. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Then, votes were counted. Americans decided to send Donald Trump back to Washington for another four years.

Flames from the devastating Palisades Fire—the largest of four fires currently impacting Los Angeles County—have engulfed nearly 16,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon since it was first reported by Cal Fire on Tuesday. About 1,000 structures have been destroyed, L. A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone confirmed during Wednesday’s press briefing.

With thousands of Los Angeles County residents forced to evacuate as the Palisades fire, Eaton fire and the Hurst fire burn through the region, local organizations are mobilizing to help displaced residents. Organizations such as the American Red Cross and Salvation Army are accepting online cash or check donations. While supply donations are welcome, cash is often more helpful because it could avoid storage issues and allow for quicker responses to immediate needs, Red Cross national hotline representative Angela Rodriguez said. RELATED: Map: See where the Eaton, Hurst and Palisades fires are burning in Southern California For those looking to help emergency responders and residents, the organizations listed below are taking donations. California Fire Foundation The foundation is taking donations online at cpf.salsalabs.org to provide aid and resources for both fire crews and residents. The American Red Cross The American Red Cross is accepting donations online.