On draft day last week, the Denver Broncos traded back into the second round to select Richard Quinn?

Puzzling? Very.

Even to Quinn. Check out this quote from the above link.

“Honestly, when the process first came along I thought maybe I would be a free agent and maybe be blessed to have the opportunity to come to a team and try out. It was a big shock and I am thankful for the people who believed in me and God is good, it’s a blessing and I’m just happy to be where I am now.”

Awesome. Draft a guy who wasn’t expecting to be taken at all. And trade into the second round to get him.

The Nuggets beat the New Orleans Hornets and have advanced to the second round for the first time since 1994.

It’s almost as if the Avalanche and the Nuggets have swapped positions. The Avalanche finished dead-last in the Western Conference and the Nuggets finished 2nd in their conference.

In related news, an exclusive Birdman shirt is available through Altitude Authentics.

So I recently changed back to my old backpack (yes, my life is a circle) and lo (or is it low) and behold, I found my first schedule from freshman year. Let’s evaluate.

Fall 2005

• ITA 101 (Elementary Italian) TTH 6:40-9:25 p.m. Staff

So I can’t remember my teacher’s name, but I remember she was from Bari. Anyways, this class was fairly straight forward, but had a lot of busy work. I remember bringing food to this class (specifically Saltines) and also falling out of my chair. Twice. Woo. And there were a lot of interesting characters in this class (which is to be expected in a classroom full of Italians).

• AST 112 (Intro /Stars-Galaxies) TTH 9:15-10:30 a.m. Hester, J.

I should note this class involved a lot of physics. My teacher was awesome and had a sweet beard. I should also note, being the naive freshman I was, I was unaware I needed a lab for this class until the next year. Oops. I believe this might of been my earliest class during my tenure at ASU. Awesome.

• ARS 394 (ST: Greek Art/ Myth) TTH 12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Lewis, A.

This was perhaps the hardest class I took at ASU (and I love that it satisfied pretty much nothing I needed). However, this might be my favorite class I took. I absolutely love Greek Mythology and I recommend a class like this to anyone who has a passion about it as well. A lot of interesting stories and how they were depicted in art. Very cool.

• ITA 420 (Italian Cinema) W 3:40 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Candela, G.

Another really cool class. I was probably the only freshman in this class and also the only person who did not smoke. Candela was awesome. He is an immigrant from Sicily and would just rip things in class. It was hysterical. Perhaps the hottest girl I ever saw at ASU was in this class as well and I do have an interesting story involving her and my stupidity.

• ENG 101 (First-Year Comp) TTH 4:40 p.m.-5:55 p.m. Simmon, V.

All I really remember about this class was the fact that my teacher was a hippie and I hated the writing the papers because our topics were chosen for us.

So there it is, my first semester at ASU, in review, nearly four years later.

So the Denver Nuggets finished a walloping of the New Orleans Hornets last night, beating them by 58 points and taking a 3-1 lead in the series.

The Nuggets are on the verge of winning their first playoff series since Dikembe Mutumbo and crew upset Shawn Kemp and the no. 1 seeded Seattle Supersonics back in 19-forty-deuce.

In all seriousness, the additions of Chauncey Billups and Chris Andersen have sparked the team and everyone, even my most hated Nugget Kenyon Martin, is playing well.

I predict the Nuggets will make it to the Western Conference Finals and lose to the Lakers in 6. You heard it here first.

Ok. So I was fine with the Bronco trading Jay Cutler. That is, until I saw our draft.

First, while I think Knowshown Moreno will be a very talented player, I question why we drafted him.

The Broncos signed three free-agent running backs, all of which had the potential to make a very potent running attack. And now we add a fourth back into that mix and someone is going to be the odd man out.

I understand that pick though. I really do. He has the potential to be great and I respect that.

The one move that truly baffles me is trading our first-round pick next year for the second-round selection that turned into Alphonso Smith.

Rey Maualuga was available and fits a need that the Broncos have had since Al Wilson departed. I feel this trade would make sense had they drafted Maualuga, a player that many feel was a first-round talent.

Every student at the University of Colorado-Boulder received an interesting e-mail recently.

The e-mail asks students to not attend the annual 4/20 event held in the middle of the Boulder campus.

The Interntaional Cannibus Day at CU is expected to attract a crowd 15,000 people.

I laugh at this pathetic attempt for the administration to stop this event. They know they cannot stop it, so they justify to themselves that they tried by sending out some half-assed e-mail.

Bravo, CU.

Chauncey Billups may have been waiting his whole life for his moment last night.

A playoff game in his hometown, for his hometown team.

Billups responded, going 10-15 from the field (8-9 from 3-point range). He scored 36 points and added 8 assists to lead to Nuggets to a 29-point blow-out of the New Orleans Hornets.

This is Billups first playoff game as a Nugget, despite playing for the team in the late 1990’s. The team was dismal at the team and Billups had not yet reached the form which we know him for today.

On June 11, Metric will make their return to the Mile High City at the Ogden Theater.

Metric recently released a new album, Fanatasies, in April.

The band is touring in support of the CD and Denver is one of the few U.S. cities getting hit.

Check out ticketmaster for tickets at $20 a pop.

No Doubt is traveling with The Sounds to Denver, Colo. for a show on May 27 at Fiddler’s Green. Ticket prices range from $10 (for the lawn) to $80.

As a bigger fan of The Sounds, I was super excited for this show until I saw the ticket prices. I love Fiddler’s Green, but I don’t really want to be on the lawn for one of my favorite bands.

I am a fan of No Doubt, but not to the extend where I have personally bought any of their music.

Digger deeper, I found my solution. The Sounds are playing a headlining show on May 26 in Colorado Springs. All tickets are $15 and it’s a general admission show. Plus they will most likely play a longer set since they are headling.

Jay Cutler was officially traded to the Chicago Bears last week, along with a fifth-round draft choice.

The Broncos received two first-round choices (one in 2009, one in 2010), a 2009 third-round selection and quarterback Kyle Orton.

Broncos fans still are not happy about the trade. Owner Pat Bowlen had to send out a letter explaining the organization’s actions to season ticket holders.

My dad is one of those season-ticket holders. He sent an e-mail to his sales representaive and immediately received a phone call back.

The Broncos know they have taken a huge risk and season ticket holders know it, too.

Draft picks don’t necessarily turn into good players. Although it is likely that one of the two selections the Broncos received from the Bears, it is unlikely that both will turn into quality, long-term players.

The Broncos should have gotten more proven talent and not risk their future solely on the draft. I hope they can prove my mind schema wrong and I will forever think I am dumber than Pat Bowlen and the Broncos’ organization.