Grading the Week: Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson channels Early Cretaceous Period once again – The Denver Post

It’s been a long, long 13 months.

So long, we’ve often had to search for things to do — with extremely limited options.

Judging by Alexander Johnson’s tweets earlier this week, the Grading the Week staff has an idea how the Broncos middle linebacker filled his time: consuming coronavirus conspiracy videos.

“Plan pandemic” — F

For those who missed it, everyone’s favorite dinosaur dancing linebacker channeled the Early Cretaceous Period yet again Tuesday afternoon when he fired off a couple of tweets in response to Broncos players announcing they would not attend voluntary organized team activities due to the pandemic.

His first tweet: “Hell nah!! I’m not with the COVID-19 excuses… Plan Pandemic!!”

Then, upon realizing it might be construed that he’s not standing with his teammates, Johnson posted another tweet: “I’m definitely rocking with my team and support my teammates about not being in person based off all the other factors that help the individual players, just not for excuses around a planned pandemic.”

Now, it’s one thing if Johnson really wanted to get back to work, which seemed to at least be part of the motivation behind his initial tweet. But that “Plan Pandemic” part? Well, that’s something altogether different.

That’s spreading misinformation unworthy of Johnson’s 32,000 Twitter followers — easily debunked claims that make the work being done by thousands of health care workers on the front lines even harder than it already is. And it’s been plenty hard during the past 13 months, considering the coronavirus death toll is now past 560,000 in the United States, including more than 6,300 in Colorado.

When challenged by another local scribe, Johnson doubled down that he had done his own research and later linked to an Instagram video shared by Jay Cutler (yes, that Jay Cutler) that was flagged for “false information” by independent fact checkers (and has also been debunked by other guys in white coats).

The folks at Grading the Week are all for athletes voicing their opinions. They are citizens of this country just like the rest of us, and are entitled to share their own thoughts on any number of issues. So, please, don’t consider this a “shut up and dribble” sort of critique.

We are more than supportive of Johnson’s right to share his views.

All we ask is that he does more, perhaps better, research.

Nuggets doom and gloom — D+

In yet another instance of terrible luck for a seemingly cursed franchise, Jamal Murray is now lost for the season after suffering an ACL tear earlier this week.

In the wake of that devastating news rose a cacophony of national voices declaring the Nuggets’ title hopes dead.

While it’s hard to argue Murray’s loss is significant, and possibly even fatal for Denver this season, might we pump the brakes just a tad on all the doom and gloom?

Last the Grading the Week staff checked, Nikola Jokic, the likely NBA MVP, still suits up in Flatirons Red for the team that calls Ball Arena home — as do several other players who are quite good at basketball.

Let’s give them a chance before throwing dirt on their graves. They just might surprise us.

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