It’s spring. It’s 80 degrees outside. Baseball is right around the corner.

But what is dominating sports news cycles from Ozette, Wash., to West Quoddy Head, Maine?

Pro football, of course.

The NFL is the king of all things sports in the United States. This week proved it.

Peyton Manning signed with the Denver Broncos, commissioner Roger Goodell slapped the New Orleans Saints back to the time of the Aints with unprecedented punishment for Bountygate and Tim Tebow got traded to the Jets ... and to the Jets again.

Oh, and one of the most beloved Pittsburgh Steelers of all time, Hines Ward, retired.

Just an average week.

These four stories pretty much run the gambit of the NFL these days. All four stories were very different, except in scope.

• Let’s start with Peyton Manning, who handled his free agency tour about as well as anyone could.

He worked out for teams. He was honest with them. He turned the teams away that he knew he’d never play for in a million years instead of entertaining all offers and he made a quick decision.

It was class all the way.

To me, Denver is a perfect fit for Manning. The Broncos won a playoff game — against the Steelers no less — with a very raw quarterback (although some don’t think that Tebow guy is a real QB) and a solid defense.

Imagine what they can do with Manning — if he’s healthy.

And that’s a big if.

It only takes one shot to that surgically repaired neck and the Broncos are looking at Adam Weber under center.

Yes. Adam Weber.

But at least the Broncos will have a coach.

• Another Payton was in the news, this one New Orleans coach Sean Payton — and it wasn’t all sunshine and roses.

Payton knew about the bounty program of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and helped try to cover it up. That led to Goodell handing him a year off without pay.

Harsh? Yes. Fair? You betcha.

Williams got the dreaded “indefinite” suspension, meaning he could be drawing up defensive schemes only on Madden video games for awhile.

The Saints also were fined $500,000 and lost a pair of second-round picks.

Again, fair.

• Because Manning landed in Denver, that meant Tebow was soon to depart.

And he did. Twice.

The Jets traded for him Wednesday morning, tossed him back because of a contract snafu, and then traded for him again.

Tebow in New York is a disaster waiting to happen. It is the worst possible place for him.

• And then there is Hines Ward, who decided wearing one jersey his entire career was worth more than one last money grab.

Kudos, Hines. More should follow your example.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.