David Ramsey   Gazette sports columnist David Ramsey offers opinions, views and thoughts on the world of sports

In the last week, I’ve heard from TCU supporters who compared Horned Frogs quarterback Andy Dalton to Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Roger Staubach. They compared Andy favorably to those quarterbacks.

I don’t agree. Dalton was a nice college quarterback who fit perfectly into TCU’s system. He was supported by a mighty defense. He didn’t make many mistakes. (Not going to bring up that throw to Air Force’s Carson Bird in  2007 that doomed the Frogs to defeat. That would just be mean.)

Don’t see him as an NFL starter. He lacks the arm strength. He lacks experience in a pro-style offense. He will make a nice NFL backup. A career backup.

But, hey, the future is in Dalton’s hands. Maybe he will develop into a quality NFL starter. I doubt it, seriously doubt it, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Dalton certainly will be given the opportunity. He has a wide-open shot at the starting job for the Bengals, who picked him in the second round of the NFL Draft.

To all my new TCU friends, be sure to get back to me after Dalton’s first  start.

Look forward to hearing from ya’ll. Maybe we can all get together for a chicken fry and mashed potatoes.

The infamous K-Mart

Yes, Kenyon Martin just finished a strong playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. And, yes, Martin brings toughness – barely within the rules toughness – to the Nuggets.

And yet …

It’s time for the Nuggets to find a new power forward. Martin is limited as an offensive player. He can’t shoot beyond 10 feet, and every trip to the free-throw line is an adventure.

But Martin’s health the main reason the Nuggets must look elsewhere as they gaze toward the future. His knees are shot. In his seven seasons in Colorado, Martin played in 70 or more games only twice.

He showed courage in battling back from his injuries. He tried to show himself worthy of his seven-season, $90 million contract, which expired at the end of this season. He was always doomed in his attempt. Martin is a limited player, a role player, really. He’s great at scaring people. He’s not great at anything else.

The contract was fantastically ridiculous, the worst part of Kiki Vandeweghe’s reign as Nuggets guru. The Martin contract ranks – and will always rank -as one of the worst deals in Colorado sports history.

It’s time to wave farewell to Kenyon Martin. With his creaky knees, he has only a few years left. It’s best for all if he spends them elsewhere.

Last week, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun shook  hands with President of the United States Barack Obama. The handshake ended a long break. Air Force had not won a Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy since 2002, which meant the Falcons had not visited The White House in eight years.

From 1983 to 2002, Fisher DeBerry traveled to The White House 15 times. It was a rite of spring. It was expected.

DeBerry visited with Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Today, he talks about Bush.

“He lot of spirit and  a lot of fight and a lot of tenacity about him,” DeBerry said. “He loved being with those guys and cutting up with those guys.”

Bill Clinton and Barack Obama

Fisher DeBerry is talking this week in the blog about his 15 visits to the White House from 1983 to 2002. He and the Falcons received the trips as rewards for winning the Commander in Chief’s Trophy.

Today, he talks about meeting Bill Clinton:

“He was very gracious,” DeBerry said. “As long as you would talk about football, he would sit and talk for hours. One time, we were standing in there talking and talking about Arkansas football and talking about college athletics.”

DeBerry began to get a little nervous. He could tell it was time for the football conversation to end and time for the ceremony to begin. DeBerry explains that everyone was ready for the ceremony and everything was ready for the ceremony.

Everything but the President  of the United States.

“They had to come out and knock  on the window three  times for us to come out.”

 TOMORROW: George W. Bush

George H.W. Bush in 2010

Fisher DeBerry went to the White House 15 times between 1983 and 2002 to talk with the president after winning the Commander in Chief’s Trophy.

Today, he talks about meeting with George H.W. Bush:

“He really made an impression with me,” DeBerry said. “He was just so laid back. He was an athlete and athletics was very important to him. You could sense that and see that. ”

On one visit to the White House, Bush met with each of the Falcons in the Oval Office.

“He was so easy to talk to,” DeBerry said. “Each player  walked  into the oval office and he talked to each one of them, found out where they’re from. He really spoke to each of them  invidually. They were in awe, and I was in awe that he would even think about that. We were so honored to be there. All those kids came in there, and he he shook their hands while they took a picture, and he  sent those pictures to each player. He was just so appreciative.

“Good feel for the air force academy because his favorite aide, I think, was Mike Gould.” (Gould worked as an aide in the Bush White House. Gould is now AFA’s Superintendent.)

TOMORROW: FISHER TALKS ABOUT BILL CLINTON

Ronald and Nancy Reagan

Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry won the Commander in Chief’s Trophy 15 times from1983 to 2002, which meant he met with every president from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush. For most of Fisher’s time as AFA coach, winning the Commander’s Trophy was expected, almost a given.

That’s changed. This week on the blog, we’re honoring Air Force’s first victory in the Commander in Chief’s Trophy sweepstakes since 2002. We honor this accomplishment by turning the blog over to Fisher, who will talk about the many trips he took with his Air Force Falcons to the White House.

Today, he talks about Ronald Reagan.

“He was very congenial, smiling, laughing and seemed to be very happy we were there and proud of what our young people had accomplished,” DeBerry said. “Very sociable, just the real deal.  Very, very gracious you know. I was impressed with his stature and with him as a man.”

TOMORROW: George H.W. Bush

Let me say that again:

Andy Dalton is not an NFL starter.

He was a nice college quaterback who fit perfectly into Texas Christian’s offensive system. He often demolishd Air Force. He won a massive pile of college games, but a dozen other college quarterbacks would have collected just as many victories.

And maybe a couple more. (Thinking about that 2010 bowl battle against Boise State and TCU’s 2007 loss at Air Force. Dalton’s throw to AFA’s Carson Bird remains the single dumbest throw I’ve ever seen in person.)

Dalton does not have the arm strength to succeed in the NFL. He might spend four or five years as a backup, but I don’t see him starting another game in his life.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated believes the 49ers should select Dalton with the 11th pick in the first roud.

This is football insanity. Guess King believes the 49ers need two severely overrated Mountain West quarterbacks on the roster. The other, of course, is former Utah QB Alex Smith, who somehow fooled scouts into believing he was a big-time prospect. Smith, the first pick in the 2005 draft, ranks as one of the bigger washouts in NFL history.

Andy Dalton is not worth a first-round pick.

Andy Dalton is not an NFL starter.

John Elway

John Elway is a big fan of former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, who led the Tigers to the national title this season. Newton’s NFL future is a matter of much discussion, and disagreement. Is he one of those great college quarterbacks who will fail in the NFL? Or will he become a star?

Remember, Vince Young was a dominating QB for Texas, and he’s failed to find happiness in the NFL. Young and Newton are, in my eyes, virtual clones.

Elway has a different view. This much is clear: You can count Elway among the Newton believers.

“I think he is incredibly talented,” Elway said, before trying – and failing – to think of another quarterback “as athletic” in recent memory.

Elway talked about a recent visit with Alabama coach Nick Saban, who told the Hall of Fame quarterback Auburn would have won “four games” last season without Newton.

With Newton, the Tigers won 14 games.

“That tells you what a special player he is.” Elway said.

Elway also talked about Newton’s ability to rally a team when it’s down. This, of course, was Elway’s most memorable skill as leader of the Broncos. Elway was often awful through three quarters and then, against all odds, magnificent in the fourth.

He sees a similiar spirit in Newton.

“He’s a guy that has rare competitive instincts in the second half,” Elway said. “A lot of those football games they were behind in that second half and he was, the great competitor that he was, he got them back in and won all of those football games. He’s got a lot of unique traits.”

Yes, I know Newton’s skill set strongly resembles the skill set of Tim Tebow. Don’t see Elway putting action behind his words. In other words, don’t see Cam arriving in Colorado to play for the Broncos.

AFA coach Jeff Reynolds

Zach Bohannon made a baffling decision this week. He announced he’s leaving Air Force’s basketball team.

Bohannon would have started for the 2011-2012 Falcons. Would have played a key role. Could have become the team’s second-best player behind Michael Lyons.

Instead, he heads off into the unknown.

He could be heading off to basketball oblivion.

Bohannon is an ideal player for Air Force. He’s more skilled than talented. He’s listed as 6-foot-8, but he’s 6-foot-8 the same way Nick Welch was 6-foot-8. I’d place him at 6-foot-6, same height as Nick.

Air Force’s system allows limited players such as Bohannon to become solid, reliable college basketball players. Bohannon fit in well with the system. He played diligently for coach Jeff Reynolds. He played wisely. He played effectively.

Bohannon walked away from a nearly certain starter’s job.

I don’t see him starting at too many other Division I programs.

Bohannon told The Gazette’s Frank Schwab this was a personal, not basketball, decision. He did not see himself serving in the military.

If that’s the truth, his decision makes at least some sense.

If he made the decision on the basis of basketball, his decision makes no sense.

Here’s Frank’s story from today’s Gazette:

http://www.gazette.com/sports/force-116458-air-transfer.html

WHO CAN STOP THIS MAN?

The Nuggets Sunday night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder was hugely entertaining. I’m thinking especially of Nene’s rim-shaking (earth-shaking?)fourth-quarter dunk when the ball quite literally bounced off Nick Collison’s head after it ripped through the net.

The Nuggets often looked spectacular. They started fast. They faced down the Thunder’s ridiculously loud crowd with a fourth quarter comeback.

But the basics doomed them. They couldn’t hit free throws. They couldn’t guard Kevin Durant. And they couldn’t find anyone to take wise, makeable shots in the fourth quarter.

This is not the day to miss Carmelo Anthony, who missed 13 of 18 shots Sunday in the Knicks loss to the Celtics.

This is the day to wonder who will emerge in this series against the Thunder as the Nuggets go-to guy in the clutch.

A couple thoughts:

The go-to guy will not be Danilo Gallinari. He can’t beat double teams, and he seems hesitant in the game’s tense final minutes.

The go-to guy could be Wilson Chandler, who has a nice step-back jumper and appears immune to pressure.