Thursday, December 27, 2001 - The Denver Nuggets are Cimmerians who dwell in a land, Homer described, of perpetual darkness and gloom.

A Nuggets' factotum says he "can't see light at the end of the tunnel."

Most of us can't even see the tunnel, it's so dark here.

The shaft goes on interminably.

On Wednesday Dan Issel took the easy way out and the money - and ran. His three-year plan ended a quarter into the fourth season. The Nuggets can gyrate, but Issel decided to quit last week. A source involved in the buyout negotiations said out loud Sunday, "He wants out, and we want him out." Issel's gone. Forgive him, forget him, forge ahead.

Who's got next - the next 10-year plan?