Sports

Colorado is one of the top six sports betting states in the U.S. since local voters first legalized sports gambling in 2020 — and this month may prove the most profitable yet.

Why it matters: The state collects tax revenue from sports betting and funnels it directly into gambling addiction services, including crisis hotlines and counseling, as well as infrastructure investments like water conservation and storage projects.

Head coach Vic Fangio is out, but the Denver Broncos' real problem remains firmly rooted.

State of play: The Broncos lost their final game of the season Saturday to division rival Kansas City.

Colorado's ski areas received 3 to 10 feet of snow over the holidays — a welcome gift after a dry start to the season.

Driving the news: Crested Butte reported 99 inches in the nine-day storm cycle, OpenSnow founding meteorologist Joel Gratz reports.

Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater left Sunday's game on a stretcher in the third quarter of their 15-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

What happened: Bridgewater scrambled down the field, dodging a tackle before getting hit from behind and going down head-first into the turf.

Denver's professional sports franchises are seeing their schedules slashed, with game postponements and expectations for the season up in the air.

Why it matters: COVID is affecting the sports world in ways not seen since before the vaccine became widely available, Axios’ Jeff Tracy writes. The recent onslaught of cases may foreshadow a fifth wave of the pandemic, spurred by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

The Broncos delivered an emotional win in Denver on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, paying tribute to Demaryius Thomas, the former wide receiver who died this past week at the age of 33.

• In front of a raucous crowd, the team soundly defeated the Lions 38-10.

Of note: Broncos players wore "88" decals on their helmets and started the game with 10 players, rather than 11, as a tribute to Thomas.

Well, it could have been worse.

State of play: The division-leading Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos 22–9 in football primetime Sunday without much trouble.

What to know: The Broncos kept the score close for much of the game, but quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw two interceptions, the second of which sealed the loss.

Why it matters: This could have been the game that transformed the Broncos' mediocre season and vaulted them toward a tie in the AFC West Division.

• Yes, but: The Broncos (6-6) performed much like the team we know.

American Travis Ganong made history at the FIS World Cup hosted at Beaver Creek Resort over the weekend.

Details: He grabbed his career-first podium in the super G race down the famed Birds of Prey course, finishing third.