J.K. Dobbins showed joy, versatility and intelligence in his breakout game with the Broncos on Monday night.
And that was off the field.
After becoming the Broncos’ first 100-yard rusher since 2022, Dobbins conducted an interview with John Sutcliffe of ESPN Deportes in Spanish. He discussed the game, told us Bo Nix is ‘especial,’ celebrated Bad Bunny as the choice for the Super Bowl halftime show and roared with laughter.
Every team wants a running back with a multifaceted skillset. But bilingual? That is a rare commodity.
Interested, I asked Dobbins about the genesis of his viral postgame moment.
“My mother is Dominican. She didn’t speak Spanish in the house growing up, but my grandma did, and so did many of my relatives,” Dobbins said. “So, I learned to speak it. I just don’t do it regularly.”
It was a little more Spanglish. Who cares? Dobbins deserves full credit for his curiosity and confidence.
He grew up in La Grange, Texas, and made trips to Guadalajara, Mexico, to immerse himself in the language, including as recently as 2023. He became a huge fan of the local Atlas Futbol Club. They outfitted him with a kit. And his love for Mexican and Texas culture is why he embraces the nickname “El Toro.”
It works. Dobbins bulls defenders over, ranking among the league leaders in yards after contact. He also bowls people over with his personality. He has conducted interviews in Spanish before, but never live. His enthusiasm proved a perfect fit for the moment.
What did his family think?
“They loved it,” said Dobbins, who is quickly becoming a fan favorite. “But they also told me if I planned on doing more interviews like that, to call once a week to brush up on my Spanish.”
Rams-Avs optics: Broncos Country reacted with vitriol over Avs players wearing Rams jerseys at Thursday night’s game at SoFi Stadium. Stan Kroenke owns both teams, so there was an obvious connection. Still, the optics were not great. But it did not bother me as much as others. It is not fair to expect the local hockey players to be fans of the Broncos. And it is not like the Rams are a rival. More annoying to me about the Kroenkes is that they have yet to build a modern practice facility for a franchise that has 21 playoff berths since moving to Colorado. Players would likely prefer that over a bonding experience at an NFL game.
Mimes the Word: Shedeur Sanders did an odd pantomime interview on Wednesday when asked about remaining the third-string quarterback for the Browns as Dillon Gabriel prepares to make his first start. Sanders’ fans thought it was funny, his famous father included. But it was just unnecessary. Sanders was apparently reacting to over-the-top criticism by ESPN’s Rex Ryan by not saying anything. Ryan went too far, but Sanders should not let him control his response. First, he was not required to talk. So maybe not be in the locker room when reporters were present. Secondly, just say, “I am working hard, and ready to help Dillon any way I can.” Instead, Sanders fed into the same narrative tied to his draft slide: That he is not worth the distraction.
WNBA call-out: Credit to Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier for her scalding criticism of WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert this week. Engelbert has come across as tone deaf and arrogant as labor talks become contentious. WNBA players deserve better referees and definitely better leadership than Engelbert.
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