This is one in a series of interviews with Colorado journalists.

By Ed Otte

Digital journalism brought Nicki Jhabvala to The Denver Post in April 2014. This fall, the Denver Broncos are the reason her byline appears in print and online.

The 2007 University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill journalism graduate joined The Post as sports digital editor after working as a senior staff editor for 18 months at The New York Times and as an NBA online editor and producer for five years at Sports Illustrated.

In May she became one of The Post’s three Broncos beat writers. The assignment requires a lot of coverage – even in the offseason – to satisfy fans’ desire to read about their favorite team. The workload, however, hasn’t affected her sense of humor.

If you Google Jhabvala’s name, among the many images you will see is an unfaltering one of NBA star LeBron James. Why?

“The nose-picking LeBron was just too good not to use. I’m also a five-year-old at heart so the silliest things amuse me,” the 30-year-old journalist explained.

Question: Why did you choose sports reporting instead of news for a career?

Jhabvala: I got lucky. After my sophomore year of college, I, on a whim, elected to take a night course on sports writing that was taught by former Sports Illustrated writer Tim Crothers. I had no intentions of making a career of it. I was honestly just hoping for a decent grade, because my GPA was awful. But I loved it. Crothers made me love sports writing because of the variety and creativity that comes with it. Sports can be fun, but they are also a window into bigger societal issues.

Question: Who are your favorite sports writers or sports broadcasters?

Jhabvala: (Sports Illustrated writers) Lee Jenkins and Jack McCallum are two of my favorites. Both have mastered the art of the interview and both write simply and beautifully. I learn so much when I read their stories.

Question: Your weekly Broncos Q&A interviews include personal as well as sports questions. Is this intended to make readers see the players as more than athletes?

Jhabvala: That’s one of the goals. You’ll read countless Xs and Os about these guys. But you don’t always hear about their lives away from the football field. I like getting them away from football, and I’ve found they enjoy talking about their families and their interests more than recounting their route in the second quarter of a game two weeks ago.

Question: Who was the best interview of your career? The worst?

Jhabvala: The best, so far, would be Spencer Haywood. Hearing him recount his NBA career and his favorite moments in Denver was just awesome to me. The worst? I’ve had a few, but I’ve been the one at fault. Picked the wrong questions. And the wrong days to ask them.

Question: How does covering training camp differ from coverage of the regular season?

Jhabvala: Training camp is a circus, primarily because you have to keep tabs on 90 guys instead of 53. The access is limited and the media contingent is much larger. So it’s more difficult to get the stories you want, or to go beyond the usual practice reports.

Question: The Post has three Broncos beat writers, plus columnists, covering the team. How do you divvy up the stories?

Jhabvala: Can never have enough Broncos content in Colorado. But to answer your question: Communication. A lot of it.

Question: Do you get feedback from coaches or players about your Broncos Grades report card after each game?

Jhabvala: I haven’t personally. I don’t try to rip players in those. I grade them as I see them. I don’t grade them for catchy headlines. The players, to their credit, have been really good about accepting fair criticism. But if I or anyone else writes something unfair or incorrect, they totally have the right to call us out on it.

Question: Many years ago, USA Today affected how newspapers covered NFL teams. Then, ESPN and Sports Center influenced local newspaper and TV sports coverage. Now, how does social media affect the coverage?

Jhabvala: Makes it easier and harder. Everyone wants the news instantly now, so I often feel like I’m attached to my phone or computer. But Twitter, Instagram, Facebook – they also give you access to many more potential stories. I’ve written a number of pieces that started from a player’s post on social media.

Question: How do you explain the popularity – even in the offseason – of the NFL and, in this region, the Broncos?

Jhabvala: The Broncos are the only game in town for not just Colorado, but also many of the surrounding states. And frankly, the other pro teams around here just haven’t come close to the Broncos level. The Rockies and Nuggets have been mediocre for a long time now. The Avs have had good years but haven’t been consistent long enough, and the NHL in general doesn’t have the fan base of the NFL.

It’ll be interesting to see how, if at all, the landscape changes when Peyton Manning retires. Denver is fortunate enough to have teams in all four major American pro sports, and others, with the Colorado Rapids and Colorado Mammoth. But the Broncos reign.

It’s interesting for me, because I previously spent seven years in New York, where I watched the celebrations following two Super Bowl wins by the Giants, but also watched the Yankees and Mets dominate coverage. The Knicks were the Knicks and the Jets were the Jets. And before New York, I spent 20 years in North Carolina, where college sports were the biggest draws. It’s fun to experience this side of it.