Columnist Mark Kiszla is answering reader questions about Denver sports at noon in a live Lunch Special chat. Mobile users, if you can’t see the live chat, tap here.

Two changes leap to mind.

The divide between the football haves and have-nots on the college level is likely to widen more rapidly following the fiscal strife caused by this pandemic. Let’s rework big-time college football into six leagues of 12 teams, with an eight-team playoff. All in favor say: Aye!

And I’ve also had it in mind that big ballparks for baseball and huge stadiums for football make little sense as our home entertainment devices keep advancing. In the long term, I think baseball parks with 20k seats and football stadiums with no more than 40k seats make more sense for a more personal experience. Turn the acreage around those facilities to multi-use parks of restaurants, residents and urban parks, then have a big community “tailgate” party at every game for those who don’t have tickets to get inside. 

Hi Mark, it’s clear that some of the changes we are seeing in life are going to not be temporary. With respect to sports, what have you heard regrading the future? What are the biggest potential changes people are discussing. I’m not talking about just this summer and fall, but potential permanent changes. For example like post 9-11 the enhanced security we have now. Will stadiums be designed differently from now on? More emphasis on broadcast with live audiences being a thing of the past? Thanks Mark.I’m far from a baseball purist. When it took 3 hours and 34 minutes for the Rockies to win a 3-2 game in Texas, I wondered if calling this abbreviated baseball season a sprint might be an oxymoron. While I like the double switch and all that managerial jazz, a permanent move to the DH in both leagues would be find by me. Then again, I think baseball would be a better game if it were 7 innings instead of 9 innings. So what do I know?What are you thoughts about seeing the DH at Coors Field this season? Think this will be a permanent change?A pox on the houses of both Altitude and Comcast. Despite the unseemly whining from Altitude, who botched these negotiations long ago, there are no victims in the TV dispute other than fans. That being said, I will hold out a whiff of hope that Altitude and Comcast can end this stalemate in the same spirit of cooperation that Americans decided to get together to wear masks (oh, wait … what? … nevermind.) The Avs have a real chance to win the Cup. For Colorado, it’s all a mater if this team has the right goalie to win a championship.I’ve seen several “experts” believe the Avs will with the Cup this year. What are your thoughts and will we actually get to watch them on tv?It’s a very easy answer for me. I love the Olympics. I love the heroes for a day. The political circus. The whole nonsense. The arguments over wretched excess and the tears of a man or woman crying with pride during the playing of the national anthem. In a year without COVID, I would be doing this chat in the middle of the night from the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. I miss that. A lot. But I’m also just barely insightful to know that there are Americans by the tens of thousands hurting far worse from the havoc this virus has wreaked.We’ve obviously missed a lot this year because of covid, from all the major sports to college, high school and the olympics. What story did you miss the most during this time and why?*on what sports nicknamesI do not like the chop. I do not like it in Atlanta. I do not like it in Kansas City. I think it’s bush league and juvenile, at best. I’m a Polish kid from the Midwest who fell in love early in life with a college football team known as the Fighting Irish. So I don’t pretend to be an expert — or have deep insight — or what sports nicknames should be considered offensive. But Redskins has sounded terribly out-of-place to my ears for decades. Indians deserves to circle the drain because the Chief Wahoo logo nonsense undermines any idea that it was ever a nickname of respect. In and of themselves, the words Braves or Chiefs do not connote disrespect to my ears.So I would leave it to Native Americans to give their opinion, with my ears open to listening and learning..You made a case that the Braves need to get rid of the chop and their mascot. But you seem content that KC keep the chop and their mascot. Are you secretly a chiefs fan working in Denver?During my vacation. I traveled by car. And most of my days were filled with 5-8 mile hikes in remote areas of Wyoming or Montana where I would not see more than two or three strangers during the course of two or three hours. We spent two nights in a bed and breakfast in Saratoga, Wyoming, in which our party of four were the only guests in the house. And we spent the rest of the time in a family cabin that’s at the end of 14 miles of mostly dirt road in a gorgeous corner of Montana. We ate indoors at a restaurant once in two weeks … so, all in all, I had a very socially distanced but enjoyable time away from it all. I feel blessed.sorry, not a sports question, what was it like traveling? Any trouble finding motels or restaurants?Nuggets are having trouble getting more than eight players on the court down in the Magic City bubble and you ask if trading Malik Beasley was a mistake? I think team management didn’t like the way Beasley conducted his business off the court. Well, I don’t like the way Gary Harris shoots his jumper on the court many nights. I think Nuggets chose chemistry over talent. We shall see if Tim Connelly and the gang made the right decision.probably still too early to say, but who do you think won the malik beasley trade at this point?The Rockies are on a roll to open the season! My bold prediction that Colorado would fashion a 33-27 record to make playoffs is looking sweet so far! .And you still want to gripe about DJ LeMahieu moving to the Yankees? Hey, it was a mistake to let DJ go for Daniel Murphy…  even if Murph’s crawl-on-the-belly-like-a-reptile flop back into first base during a base-running error in Texas was high comedy. Thank goodness for the DH rule in 2020 so Murph can spend less time mucking up things at first base with his glove.Back to a common question….. the Rockies signed Daniel Murphy because they needed a first baseman. LeMahieu was not re-signed because of that, and moved on to the Yankees. Why didn’t the Rockies have that kind of insight? Convert him to first. OR move McMahon to first and pay DJ the same as Murphy. A very missed clubhouse presence

Welp. After playing fewer than 100 games in a long-delayed season, major-league baseball was forced to postpone games Monday in Miami (vs the Orioles) and in Philadelphia (vs the Yankees). That might not qualify as a nightmare scenario for major-league baseball. But it’s pretty close. Months ago, the idea of a baseball bubble (in both Arizona and Florida) didn’t fly when franchise owners and players were arguing about everything from money, safety, inconvenience and whether the sky was blue. You think MLB might now be regretting nixing those bubbles?

The MLB season is in serious jeopardy. Here’s why: If the Marlins can’t play their home-opener in the a city that doesn’t give a hoot about them, maybe that’s no big deal. And if the Marlins can safely call up 15 or 20 players from their taxi squad to fill out one of the worst rosters in the sport, maybe that’s no big deal.

But what happens if there’s a COVID outbreak on even one team during the first round of the 16 game playoffs? Does the whole tournament go on suspension? Does the sick team have to opt out?

Those would be questions that would go directly to the core of the game’s integrity.

we’ve already seen an outbreak among one MLB team. what do you think it would take to shut down the season?Hey, y’all. I’m back from two weeks of vacation in wilds of Montana and Wyoming. Did ya miss me? (No need to answer.) I missed sports. And you. Let’s chat.Hey gang, welcome to another edition of the Lunch Special. Columnist Mark Kiszla will be along at noon to answer your sports questions. Should be plenty to talk about with the Rockies season underway, the Nuggets playing exhibition games and the Broncos and Avs not too far off. Submit your questions now!