My Top Ten Colorado Sports Moments 2025

 TEN:

December 21st:

Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild 5-1. The Wild beat the Avs in a shootout in a prior meeting.  Minnesota had acquired star defenseman Quinn Hughes 9 days earlier to become a legitimate threat to the Avs in the Western Conference.  It didn't matter to the Avs as they dominated Minnesota on the Wild's home ice to get the win. The only mention of the Avs in my top 10. They had a disappointing first round loss to Dallas in the playoffs, but started the new season strong with an amazing 29 wins and only 2 regulation losses as of December 31st.

NINE

March 21st

CSU Basketball 78 Memphis 70

Colorado State's Men's Basketball team wins 11 in a row to claim the Mountain West Conference title and then defeats Memphis in the first round of the NCAA tournament.  It was an amazing run by CSU after their early season struggles (they lost to Colorado 72-55 in December and the Buffs were not good last  season). A heartbreaking lost to Maryland at the buzzer in round two of the NCAA tournament didn't take away from the great season the Rams had.

EIGHT:

May 23rd:

Rockies 3 Yankees 2  Before a sellout crowd at Coors Field the Rockies shock the Yankees with an improbable win.  The Yankees had won 4 straight going into the game, while the Rockies had lost 5 straight.  The Rockies with an 8 win 42 loss record going into the game was the worst start in modern major league history.  The Rockies were starting Tanner Gordon, too, just called up from the minors to start this game.  An improbable win for sure.

SEVEN:

August 1st:

Rockies 17 Pirates 16 The Rockies fall behind 9-0 in the first inning, trail all game until the winning walk off home run by Brendon Doyle.  DNVR says the Rockies were the first team in MLB history to:

- Give up 15+ runs in a game

- Give up 9+ runs in an inning

- Face a 9+ run deficit

...and still win the game

Watch the winning home run here:

https://x.com/rockies/status/1951491022304755823?s=51

Yes the Rockies were terrible in 2025 (with a franchise worst 119 losses) but two games stood out to give the fans something to cheer about.

SIX:

Dec 25th

Nuggets 142 Timberwolves 138 in Overtime Christmas night. Nikola Jokic had one of his best games in nba history with 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists. The nuggets trailed by 9 points in overtime yet came back to win.

FIVE:

April 26th

Nuggets beat Clippers 101 - 99 with an Aaron Gordon dunk at the buzzer.  Tieing their playoff series 2-2.  See the replay here:

https://x.com/NBA/status/1916294536441041174

FOUR:

May 5th:

Nuggets 121 Oklahoma City 119 - In one of the best finishes in Nuggets history Aaron Gordon sinks a 3 pointer with 2 seconds left to give Denver a come from behind victory over the #1 seed Thunder in the first game of their 7 game playoff series.  Watch the shot here:

https://x.com/NBA/status/1919610015645659382

THREE:

Oct 5 Broncos 21 Eagles 17

Broncos come back from 14 points down in the 4th quarter to beat the defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles 21-17.  The Broncos were 1 win 112 losses in their history when being behind 14 or more points in the 4th quarter before this game.  Biggest franchise win since Super Bowl 50

TWO:

Oct 19th Broncos 33 NY Giants 32

In one of the wildest Bronco home games ever, Denver scores 33 points in the 4th quarter to beat the Giants.  New  York had an 18 point lead with 6 minutes to play.  The Giants go ahead 32-30 with a minute 14 seconds to go, then the Broncos drove 56 yards with no timeouts to setup the game winning 39 yard field goal as time expired.

watch key 4th quarter plays here:

https://x.com/nfl/status/1980087508785668395?s=42

ONE:

Nov 16th

Broncos 22 KC Chiefs 19

Huge win for the Broncos to go to 9 wins 2 losses and send the Chiefs to a 5-5 record.  Close throughout.  Bo Nix leads a 4th quarter comeback for the Broncos to win as time runs out. Wil Lutz clutch in making 5 field goals including the game winner.  This victory was key in the Broncos winning the AFC West division for the first time since the 2015 season.

Top Colorado Sports Moments 2024

 Here's my annual list of the top Colorado Sports Moments for me in 2024:

TEN:

March 30th:

Rockies 9 Diamondbacks 4 - after being outscored 23-4 in the opening two games of the season at Arizona, not was expected of the Rockies in game 3.  Colorado surprised with a 9-4 win and some good performances by the team's young players (Tovar and Doyle had 2 run homers, Nolan Jones had a 2 run triple, Montero drew 3 walks)  I may rate this game higher than other year end reviews because I was there in person to watch this!

NINE:

January 23rd:

Todd Helton is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame!  The second Rockie (after Larry Walker) to get this honor.  Todd played his whole career with the Rockies.

EIGHT:

March 22nd

Colorado 102 Florida 100 - Buffs beat Florida with KJ Simpson's basket with 6 seconds to go to advance:

https://x.com/SBS_CU/status/1771311130855546990?s=20

Longtime buff fan Tyler Ziskin @TZiskBuff wrote on twitter:

I think we just witnessed the best CU basketball game of all time. Dead serious.

SEVEN:

April 22nd:

Nuggets 101 Lakers 99.  After trailing by as much as 20 points the Nuggets beat the Lakers in game 2 of their playoff series with a Jamal Murray buzzer beater.  One of the biggest shots in Nuggets history. See Jamal's shot here:

https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1782630073633296413?s=51&t=SmJYumy51iVHNXKiLmwjOA

SIX:

May 8th

Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic is named NBA MVP for the 3rd time in 4 years.  Since the implementation of a media voting panel in 1980-81, only three players have finished top-two in MVP voting four consecutive years: Bird, Tim Duncan and now Jokic (source: Denver Post)  Watch this video narrated his wife:

https://x.com/BennettDurando/status/1788357559323165031

FIVE:

Sept 21st 

Buffs win 38-31 in overtime over Baylor in their in their first game in the big 12.  2 seconds to go, Buffs down 7, Buffs get a 45 yard touchdown pass to force overtime.  Then buffs win in overtime when Baylor fumbles going in for the tieing TD.  One of the most dramatic Buff wins in their long football history!

FOUR:

Sept 22nd 

Broncos 27 Tampa 7 The Broncos entered this game with 2 losses where rookie quarterback Bo Nix did not play well.  That all turned around in Denver's week 3 upset of tampa Bay (Tampa was a 6 point favorite).  Nix was 25 of 36 passing for 216 yards, rushed for 47 yards and had a rushing touchdown.  

THREE:

June 27th:

Nathan McKinnon wins the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP

https://www.nhl.com/news/colorado-avalanche-nathan-mackinnon-wins-hart-trophy#:~:text=MacKinnon%20won%20the%20vote%20for,votes%20and%201%2C269%20voting%20points.

TWO:

April 13th

Denver Pioneers 2 Boston College 0 One of college hockey’s most prestigious programs has officially become the first to win 10 NCAA men’s hockey championships after a 2-0 win over Boston College  The only championship on my list by a Colorado team!

great save by DU goalie Matt Davis:

https://x.com/Romi_Bean/status/1779306789244146115

ONE:

December 14th:

Colorado's Travis Hunter wins the Heisman!  An amazing athlete who plays both cornerback and wide receiver, Hunter is the best player I have ever seen play for the Buffs. 

Top Colorado Sports Moments in 2023

 Though I don't post as often as in the past, I am keeping up with my tradition of the top 10 Colorado sports moments in the past year:

Ten:

Rockies 3 in 1: The Rockies had an awful season, with a worst ever 103 losses. Still 3 events deserve mention - April 6th: Rockies 1 Washington 0.  Only the 11th 1-0 score  in Coors Field history and first time in a home opener. Colorado native Kyle Freeland pitches a gem in front of the home town crowd, and another Colorado native, the Rockies Pierce Johnson, got the save with a 1-2-3 ninth.  Also deserving mention is the the Rockies season opening win over the favored Padres in San Diego.  The Rockies had 17 hits AND 17 strikeouts from their hitters, an unusual feat that hadn't been done from a team since 1900.  CJ Cron led the way with 2 home runs and 5 rbi.  And finally the first Rocky to win MVP of the MLB All Srar game! Catcher Elias Diaz earned the honor with a 2 run pinch hit homer in the 8th inning to give the National League a 3-2 win.

Nine:

January 15th: Nuggets 119 Orlando 116.  Nikola Jokic hits a 3 pointer in the last 3 seconds to defeat the Magic.  See the replay here:

https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1614827828067069955?s=20

Eight:

Colorado Women's Basketball 2 in 1: Nov 6th CU Women's Basketball team beats defending NCAA champion LSU Colorado 92, LSU 78 to open their season. Also deserving mention is the team's  CU 61 Duke 53 victory in the NCAA tournament earlier in the year.   The 6th seeded CU women upset 3rd seeded Duke on the Blue Devil's home court to make it to the Sweet 16 .  It was CU's first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2003.

Seven:

Feb 3rd: The Broncos name Sean Peyton as their new head coach.  Peyton brought a long record of success as coach of the New Orleans Saints to the Mile High City.  First season results were mixed with a lot of drama (Russell Wilson benched) at the end of the year.

Six:

May 11th: Nuggets 125 Suns 100.  The Nuggets close out the Suns with a dominant victory on Phoenix's home court to win the series 4 games to 2.  The Nuggets get to the Western Conference finals for the 4th time in franchise history.

Five:

May 22nd: Nuggets 113 Lakers 111. The Nuggets sweep the Lakers!  All the games in the series were close.  In this one the Lakers had a 15 point lead at half time.  The Nuggets stormed back to take the lead after 3 quarters, and hit some clutch shots at the end to hold on.  After losing 7 series to the Lakers in their history, it was great to finally beat the mighty Lakers!  Jokic had an amazing 3 pointer in the final minutes:

https://twitter.com/justinadamsTV/status/1660976421668364289?s=20

Four:

Oct 29th Broncos 24 Kansas City 9 Broncos break a 16 game losing streak to the Chiefs with a big home win over the defending Super Bowl champs.  This was the high point of the season for the Broncos.

Three:

May 18th: Nuggets 108 Lakers 103.  After trailing for most of 3 quarters, the Nuggets stormed back in the 4th, thanks to Jamal Murray's 21 points that quarter, to beat the Lakers.  The Nuggets went up 2 game to 0 in the series with the Lakers after this win.  Veteran Denver sportcaster Vic Lombardi rated this game as one of his top 5 Denver sports moments ever: https://twitter.com/VicLombardi/status/1659547553313218560?s=20

Two:

Sept 2nd CU Buffs 45 TCU 42.  CU beats last year's runnerup on the road in a stunning victory.  What a way to start the Coach Prime era!  Though the Buffs later struggled in the season to finish with 4 wins, 8 losses this victory was the talk of College Football that week.  Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders:

🏈38-of-47

🏈School record 510 passing yards

🏈4 TDs

🏈0 INTs

CB/WR Travis Hunter vs TCU:

* 11 Catches

* 119 Yards

* 1 INT

* 3 Tackles

One:

Nuggets beat Miami Heat 94-89 in game 5 to win the NBA title!  It was a long wait (47 years) but the Nuggets finally won a championship!  Nikola Jokic became the first player in history to lead the NBA in points (600), rebounds (269) and assists (190) in a single postseason. He won the Bill Russell trophy as the NBA Finals MVP

Phoenix Open Golf

 

Since moving to Arizona in November 2020 one of our favorite activities is to attend the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February each year.  2023 was the third year we attended the tournament and it was as good as ever.

Pictured above is our view from the grandstands about the 12th hole par 3 green.

Here's a view of the crowd in the 12th hole grandstands.  This was one of the few holes where the grandstands were open to the general admission tickets we had.  While the Phoenix Open is known for the crazy action at the iconic 16th hole surrounded by high priced suites, we prefer this location.

We saw many good shots from the pro golfers and some bad ones.  This pga pro had an awful shot from a green side bunker which landed precariously close to a cactus! He ended up with a triple bogey on the hole.

Other spectators walked the course following their favorite golfers.  Here is a crowd following Rory McElroy's threesome as he approached the 12th green.

After watching the action at the 12th green in the morning we walked some of the course ourselves after lunch.  We were able to position ourselves right next to the 3rd hole tee box where we had close up views of pga pros ready to tee off on this par 5.  Pictured above is the eventual tournament champion - Scottie Scheffler.

We saw pga star Jon Rahm up close too!  This year's Phoenix Open had the best field of top pga pros in the three years we have attended the event.

If you are visiting Arizona in early February we recommend attending this golf tournament! (most years on the week preceding the Super Bowl) We like to attend the opening round on Thursday.  This way we avoid the weekend crowds (Friday and Saturday are the busiest days). On Thursday we get to see the full field play, too, instead of after the 2nd round cut Friday evening.

Top 10 Colorado Sports Moments 2022

 

I haven't posted to this blog much in 2022, but I still kept track of big sports events during the year.  Enough to publish an annual list of my top 10 Colorado sports moments.  Two championships are among this year's list along with other highlights - overall thanks to hockey it was a good year!

Number 10: June 27th: Rockies 3 Dodgers 0. The Rockies Chad Kuhl had a complete game shutout surrendering three hits, at hitter friendly Coors Field no less.  Kuhl was just mediocre the rest of the season so this performance was a surprise, especially against a Dodger team that won 111 games in the 2022 regular season. The Rockies, by contrast, only won 68 games in 2022.

Number 9: February 16th: Nuggets 117 Warriors 116. Monte Morris hits a 3 pointer at the buzzer to beat Golden State on the road.  The Warriors would go on to win the NBA championship later in the year. . Watch the game winning shot here: 

https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1494184927612456963?s=20&t=T_4ZUi3vhGZ6aAartQZAgg

Number 8: Sept 25th: Broncos 11 49ers 10.  Russell Wilson leads a come from behind win in the 4th quarter as the Broncos starting quarterback.  A defensive battle, Wilson struggled but then produced some big plays at the end before a national tv audience on NBC's Sunday Night Football.  In retrospect this was a quality win as the 49ers at year's end are one of the NFL's best teams.

Number 7: May/June A couple of Denver athletes honored league wide for their play: Nuggets Jokic wins second consecutive NBA MVP., and the Avs Cal Makar wins the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman.  The first defenseman in franchise history to win the award.

Number 6: Dec 3rd: Deion Sanders named new football coach of the CU Buffs.  That the 1 win 10 loss Buffs could get such a dynamic, big name coach was a big surprise and bodes well for the future of the school's football program.

Number 5: April 9th DU Hockey Pioneers win National Championship with a come from behind win against Minnesota State.  Denver scored 5 goals in the 3rd period to win 5-1, their 9th national championship!  I've been following DU hockey since Murray Armstrong was coach in the 60's - good to see the program get another title!

Number 4: May 23 Avs 6 Blues 3 Nazem Kadri scores the Avs first ever road hat trick in a game where St Louis tries to rough him up. Avs take a 3-1 series lead on the way to closing out the Blues.  A Kadri unintentional  hit on goalie Jordan Binnington had put the Blues goalie out of the series in the previous game.

Number 3: May 27 Avs 3 Blues 2.  Avs come from behind to beat the Blues and advance to the Western Conference finals.  One of the most dramatic goals in team history as veteran 4th liner Darren Helm scores the winner with less than 5 seconds left in regulation. Watch it here:  https://youtu.be/K9cPykH7cTw

Number 2: June 16th: Avs 4 Tampa 3 Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Overtime.  Avs come out fast and lead 3-1 before Tampa ties it 3-3.  Andre Burakovsky gets the winning goal 1 minute 23 seconds into OT to send the home town Denver crowd into a frenzy.  The first Stanley Cup Final game in Denver in 21 years.

Number 1: June 26th: Avs 2 Tampa 1 Avs win the Stanley Cup 4 games to 2!  The 3rd title in franchise history and first since 2001. Watch the final seconds here:

https://youtu.be/Yx9bg4Xq7Ig

photo courtesy of espn

LA Chargers/Denver Broncos Road Trip January 2022

 

I was with a group of Denver Broncos QB Club fans who attended the Broncos/Chargers game on January 2nd. While the game didn't turn out as we had hoped (a 34 to 13 loss to the Chargers) our group enjoyed the experience of seeing a game in the NFL's newest and largest stadium!

Sofi Stadium had the latest in technological advancements, including this unique wrap around video board above the field. With this setup you could sit anywhere in the stadium and have a good view of the replays on the scoreboard. There just wasn't enough replays of good Bronco plays this day!

I liked the wide concourses Sofi had. Compared to past Bronco QB Club road trips to Arizona's, Minnesota's, and Dallas' stadiums these were the widest concourses I have seen. The stadium refreshment stands were plentiful with lots of options for food and drink.

Is Sofi an indoor stadium or an outdoor stadium?? It's both! I hadn't seen this unique setup in other stadiums where the ends of the stadium had concourses open to the outside air, while the field was covered with a retractable dome. The stadium was built on the grounds of the old Hollywood horse race track. The lake you see in this picture was in the infield of the horse track - they kept the lake and built the stadium grounds around it.

The next day our QB Club group got a private tour of the stadium - just for us! Here our guide is explaining the many features of the stadium. There were short video presentations that gave us more information on the tour.

After touring different seating areas, suites, and stadium lounges as part of the tour we got to go on the field! We walked through a tunnel from the Chargers locker room to the field just like the players did on game day.

On the field different challenges were set up for us. The passing drill shown above, with field staff providing us footballs was one. There was also a field goal challenge (my kick was just under the crossbar from extra point range - I don't have the leg Brandon McManus showed on game day where he kicked his Bronco road record 61 yard field goal!)

Here I am recreating on the field the spot where Drew Lock just came up short of a 4th down touchdown. The artificial turf of Sofi was very soft and would be easy to play on. Not like the concrete like Astroturf from stadiums years ago.

A Bronco QB Club road trip also gives fans the opportunity to explore the city we visit the day before the game. Our group had free time on that Saturday. One couple of our group attended the Rose Parade and sent us this picture!

To conclude our stadium tour we visited the LA Rams locker room. We had to visit the locker of one of the greatest Broncos ever - Von Miller!

Sofi was the best stadium I have been to yet! I enjoy going on these Bronco road trips. While I didn't see the Broncos win like I had on other road trips, the chance to experience the NFL's newest stadium was worth it.

Top Ten Colorado Sports Events for 2021

 2021 didn't see any championships for Colorado sports teams.  Generally it was a down year for our teams but there were a few highlights:

NUMBER TEN:

Oct 1st: Rockies 9 Diamondbacks 7 at Arizona: The Rockies come back from a 7-0 deficit to win 9-7, scoring 3 runs in the 9th to cap the come from behind victory.  It was the largest road comeback in team history, and I was in attendance to see it.

NUMBER NINE:

June 1st: Nuggets 147 Blazers 140: Double Overtime Game 5 playoff series win.  Nuggets overcome a stellar performance by Portland's Damian Lilliard (55 points, multiple clutch 3 pointers to extend the game) to win the game and eventually win the series.

NUMBER EIGHT:

February 19th: Nuggets 120 Cleveland 103: Jamal Murray scored 50 points on hitting 21 of 25 field goal attempts and 8-of-10 from behind the three-point line, with NO FREE THROWS!  First player in NBA history to score 50 points with no free throws.

NUMBER SEVEN:

March 20th: Colorado 96 Georgetown 73, first round ncaa tournament:  12th seeded Georgetown was favored by many media experts over 5th seeded Colorado, but the game wasn't close.  The Buffs dominated from the start for a sweet win against a prestigious program like Georgetown and their legendary player turned coach Patrick Ewing.

NUMBER SIX:

June 2nd: Avs 3 Golden Knights 2 in overtime:  There's nothing like overtime in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and this game was no exception.  Despite being outshot 41 to 25 the Avs got an outstanding performance from goalie Philipp Grubauer (39 saves) to steal a game from Vegas.  This game would have been higher in my rankings had the Avs won the series, however after this game the Avs lost four straight to Vegas to lose the series in one of the year's biggest disappointments.

NUMBER FIVE:

November 28th: Broncos 28 Chargers 14. After a disappointing loss to Philadelpia and the bye week, the Broncos surprised division rival Chargers with a convincing win.  Rookie Patrick Surtain had two interceptions including one for a touchdown that clinched the victory.

NUMBER FOUR:

April 1st: Rockies 8 Dodgers 5 In their first time opening at home since 2011 the Rockies beat the defending World Series champion Dodgers.  It was not a good year for the Rockies starting with the terrible trade of Nolan Arenado, but opening day was a bright spot in an otherwise dreary season.

NUMBER THREE:

June 8th: Nikola Jokic voted NBA's Most Valuable Player.  An amazing accomplishment for a little known second round draft choice from Serbia.

NUMBER TWO:

July 12th: Home Run Derby at Coors Field: No Trevor Story didn't win but the Home Run Derby was a huge success in front of a sellout crowd and a national tv audience. With home runs flying out of the ballpark one commentator said "Baseball should have the home run derby at Coors Field every year."

NUMBER ONE

November 7th: Broncos 30 Cowboys 16: The Broncos had lost 3 games in a row and then had an unimpressive win over the Redskins at home.  The Cowboys had won 6 in a row and were big favorites in this game.  The Broncos shocked the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, opening up a stunning 30-0 lead before eventually winning 30-16. One of the biggest upsets in team history.

My First NASCAR Experience

 

I never followed NASCAR races.  When NASCAR coverage came on ESPN I would change the channel to something else.  Not interested.  Until ...

After moving to Arizona this past year I had the opportunity to attend the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday November 7th.  The age 55+ community I live in chartered a bus to the event with seats near the finish line.  "Why not?" I thought, "Let's see what this NASCAR craze is all about."

Much to my surprise, it was awesome!

When I arrived I could tell this was no ordinary race.  Many tents were setup outside with race fans eager to purchase merchandise or see a celebrity in attendance.  This reminded me of the atmosphere when I attended Super Bowl 50   For NASCAR fans, I figured, this was their Super Bowl.

Once inside the Phoenix Raceway I was pleasantly surprised by my seat location - near the finish line in what turned out to be in the shade the whole race.  That was a good thing as I didn't know if I'd be sitting in the hot Arizona sun this afternoon.

The pre race activity reminded me more of a beauty contest than a sports event!  The top competitors walked across a stage waving to the crowd.  The very top racers, the ones in contention for the NASCAR Cup, each rode around the track standing up in a flatbed truck waving to the crowd.  Broadway star Kristen Chenoweth sang the national anthem. "This is a big deal," I thought, remembering hearing Lady Gaga sing the anthem at Super Bowl 50.

While the prerace activity was interesting, the highlight was the race itself.  The closely bunched cars raced by me at high speed to start the race.  The noise was deafening - much louder to hear in person than what you may hear in watching the race on TV.  How can cars go so fast, so close together, without wrecking?

There were a few minor accidents this day, with a few cars bumping the track's outside wall when trying to take a turn too wide.  Nothing too serious.  While a wrecked car was cleared from the track the drivers got the "yellow flag" to reduce speed.  During the yellow many race cars would visit pit row to get a new tank of gas and new tires.  I marveled at how fast these pit crews could service their race cars and get them on their way.

The race was 312 laps around a 1 mile track.  A bit repetitive?  Yes.  However the intermittent yellow flags slowing the race, and then the cars coming out of the yellow all bunched together in a thrilling start, kept my interest.  I also was impressed with the driving skill of some of the racers as they tried to maneuver around the cars in front of them.

Overall I was impressed with the show that NASCAR put on this day.  I don't anticipate becoming an avid NASCAR fan like many in the crowd.  But if given an opportunity to attend the championship race in 2022 at this same Phoenix track, I think I'll do it!

Will the Broncos Curse over the Browns Strike Again?

 

"I don't ever want to see the Denver Broncos play in my stadium," said then Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell when the NFL was in talks with the rival AFL for merging the two leagues. 

The merger did happen, the Broncos joined the NFL in 1970 along with the other AFL teams, and the team had a surprise for Modell when the Broncos visited Cleveland Municipal Stadium in 1971.

The Broncos totally destroyed the Browns 27-0. To this day one of the most dominant Bronco performances I have ever seen and so unexpected. Cleveland was a contender that year (the Browns ended up 9-5) while the Broncos struggled (with a 4-9-1 record in 1971).  Over the years I have saved newspapers of great Bronco victories, and this was one (see the photo above)

Years later I talked to Broncos great Floyd Little about that game at a Denver Broncos Quarterback Club meeting.  "That win meant a lot to Lou," Little said about Broncos head coach Lou Saban.  Little went on to tell me that Saban had played for the Browns in the late 40's. 

It was to be Saban's last win as Broncos head coach. He resigned midseason as the Broncos failed to have a winning record during his five year tenure.

But Denver's "curse" over the Browns lived on.  Three Broncos AFC Championship victories vs Cleveland, including the famous "Drive" game in that same stadium, made Art Modell regret his words disparaging the Broncos.  Overall the Broncos have 11 wins against 2 losses against the Browns for games played in Cleveland, and an overall record of 24 Broncos wins vs 6 losses in games against the Browns.

Will the Broncos curse over the Browns strike again this Thursday night when the two teams meet in a nationally televised game?  The Browns are heavily favored and the Broncos are in the midst of a three game losing streak.  If the Broncos do win, perhaps the curse has struck again!

More details about the Broncos 1971 victory over the Browns can be found in this Sports Illustrated story about the game.

My 2021 Bronco Predictions

 As is my yearly tradition (though I missed doing it last year in that crazy covid19 football season) I like to predict the Denver Broncos record before any regular season games are played.  This year's predictions:

1 Sun, Sep 12 @New York Giants

WIN - Giants offensive line is shaky, running back Saquan Barkley is still not 100% from last year's season ending injury. The Giants do have a good defense so it'll be a good test for Teddy Bridgewater and the Broncos offense, but I think they score enough to get the win.

2 Sun, Sep 19 @Jacksonville

WIN - A rookie quarterback going against the Denver Defense?  Win

3 Sun, Sep 26 vs New York Jets

WIN Ditto - Jets rookie qb against the Denver D is a good matchup for the Broncos, and the Broncos traditionally have played well in home openers

4 Sun, Oct 3 vs Baltimore

WIN - The Ravens are one of the AFC's best teams.  The Broncos have a chance though, since this is at home, and the Ravens have significant injuries at running back. If the Broncos are 3-0 entering this game as I predict, the momentum of that fast start will give the team a win over the favored Ravens.

5 Sun, Oct 10 @Pittsburgh

LOSS - Big Ben still has enough left to lead the Steelers over the Broncos

6 Sun, Oct 17 vs Las Vegas

WIN - I predict the Raiders/Broncos split their 2 games this year with both teams winning at home

7 Thu, Oct 21 @Cleveland

LOSS - Browns will be one of the most improved AFC teams this year

8 Sun, Oct 31 vs Washington

WIN - home field gives the edge to the Broncos in a close contest

9 Sun, Nov 7 @ Dallas

LOSS - Cowboys are a different team with Dak at QB

10 Sun, Nov 14 vs Philadelphia

WIN - Bronco D should handle another young QB

12 Sun, Nov 28 vs Los Angeles Chargers

LOSS - Chargers get revenge for a close loss at Denver last season

13 Sun, Dec 5 @ Kansas City

LOSS - Tough to beat the AFC's best team on the road

14 Sun, Dec 12 vs Detroit

WIN - Lions are one of the NFL's worst teams

15 Sun, Dec 19 vs Cincinnati

WIN - Broncos improved secondary will handle Joe Burrow

16 Sun, Dec 26 @ Las Vegas

LOSS - see week 6, home teams win this series

17 Sun, Jan 2 @ Los Angeles

LOSS - I hope not as I'll be at this game!  But Chargers look to be much improved under their new coaching staff.

18 Sun, Jan 9 vs Kansas City

WIN - I'm guessing KC has their playoff position clinched by now, they'll rest some starters, giving the Broncos the edge.

Overall record: 10 wins 7 losses  That may be good enough for a wildcard playoff berth, depending on how the rest of the AFC shakes out.  

Other thoughts: I think Teddy Bridgewater will do better than the other short term veteran quarterback fixes the team has tried in recent years (Case Keenum, Joe Flacco in their one year stints).  I don't think he's the long term answer at qb though.  If the Broncos were thinking long term, Drew Lock should have been the starter this year, to determine if Drew is the answer or not.  Lock did have a bad year last season, but with a new offensive coordinator and a covid19 shortened preseason it was not surprising that the 2nd year qb struggled.  Fangio wants to win to keep his job, and Bridgewater gives the team the best chance to win now.

I think the Broncos defense is the best we will have seen in years (barring significant injuries), close to the 2015 SB 50 champ bronco D.  That defense will give the team lots of wins.

Still the Broncos did not take a quarterback when they had the chance with an early draft position.  It was Josh Allen they passed on in 2018.  This year the team passed on Justin Fields and Mac Jones in round one, both of whom have shown promise in the preseason.  In 2021 if I am close to my win/loss position the Broncos won't be drafting early enough to get one of the top qbs in the 2022 draft.  And if Drew Lock isn't the answer (there's at least a 50/50 chance he is not) then the Broncos will again be hoping for a veteran free agent qb to lead them.  It worked with Peyton Manning.  Back in the day it worked with Charlie Johnson and Craig Morton (Morton via trade).  Most times it doesn't work, though.  

Bottom line: the Broncos should have taken a quarterback when they had the chance with an early first round draft choice in recent years.

RIP Floyd Little, the 1968 play that defined who he was

 

I have many fond memories of Floyd's playing days as a young bronco fan in the late 60's/early 70's. One play stands out: 

The first year I had season tickets in the South Stands at age 12 I attended the Buffalo Bills/Bronco game in November 1968. This was the game where Lou Saban "fired" Floyd after Floyd fumbled as the Broncos were trying to run out the clock. The Bills recovered and kicked what appeared to be the winning field goal. Floyd is walking dejectedly to the locker room under the South Stands when all of a sudden he runs back on the field, tells Fran Lynch he's replacing him, and Floyd tells Bronco qb Marlin Briscoe to throw a deep pass to him. And that's what happened. Floyd makes a great diving catch (still one of the best I have seen in my many years of being a bronco fan) that sets up the winning field goal for the Broncos. It was cold that day too - I was freezing in the South Stands when Floyd made that catch! I only found out later of what drama transpired between Floyd and Lou Saban. 

That game, and that play, symbolized what Floyd Little was all about. He was an inspiration to me and many Denver area youth in the late 60's and early 70's. The message Floyd gave us: never give up, always give your best, and good things will happen. Rest In Peace Floyd.

Top Ten Colorado Sports Events for 2020

The covid19 pandemic put a damper on the Colorado sports teams and on sports nation wide in 2020.  Still there were some memorable games for Colorado teams.  My annual top 10 list:

NUMBER TEN:

Denver Broncos 10/18: It was a disappointing year for the Broncos as the team only has 5 wins heading into the season finale vs the Raiders.  But the Broncos did get two entries on my top ten list.  The first?  The Broncos beat their long time nemesis the New England Patriots 18 to 12 on the Patriots home field.  Sure the Patriots did not have Tom Brady in 2020 but this was especially a surprise with the Broncos starting 3rd stringer Brett Rypien at quarterback.

NUMBER NINE:

Colorado Rockies 9/6: Rockies 7 Dodgers 6 A second straight win for the Rockies in LA (they had lost 17 of 19 against the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine before this series). The Rockies were the only team to win a series against the World Series Champion Dodgers in 2020.

NUMBER EIGHT:

Denver Nuggets 8/30: Jamal Murray with a 50 point performance to give the Nuggets a win in an elimination game vs Utah (119-107) and squaring their playoff series 3 games to 3. Murray has scored 142 points combined in 3 consecutive playoff games, emerging as Denver's next all star.

NUMBER SEVEN:

Colorado Buffaloes football 11/7: The Buffs beat ucla 48-42 in karl dorrell's first game as head coach.  This was a big surprise as Dorrell was a late hire after previous coach Mel Tucker quit unexpectedly.  With limited off season practices and with a quarterback who played at safety the year before, this was a surprise win.

NUMBER SIX:

Colorado Avalanche 8/31: Facing elimination down 3 games to 1 the Avalanche raced to a 5-0 lead in the first period and won their playoff game 6-3 against the Dallas Stars.  The Avs were without their top 2 goalies and won the game with 3rd stringer Michael Hutchinson in net.  The Avs losing this series in game 7 was the year's biggest sports disappointment, but this win and the game 6 win when facing elimination were highlights at the time.  They just couldn't win 3 straight elimination games like their arena partners the Nuggets did vs Utah and the LA Clippers.

NUMBER FIVE:

Denver Nuggets 9/11: Nuggets 111 Clippers 105 Down 3 games to 1, facing elimination in the series and behind 16 points in the 3rd quarter, it didn't look good for the Nuggets.  But the team had an amazing comeback to win the game in the 4th quarter to force a game 6.

NUMBER FOUR:

Denver Broncos 11/1: Broncos 31 Chargers 30  Broncos come back from 21 points down in the 3rd quarter, and score on the last play of the game with 1 second on the clock, to beat the Chargers.  Drew Lock had 3 td passes in the comeback and Phillip Lindsay had a big 55 yard td run to spark the comeback.

NUMBER THREE:

Colorado Avalanche 8/2:Nazem Kadri scores with 1/10th of a second left to give the Avalanche a 2-1 win over St Louis in the first game back after the pandemic shutdown.  A big win as the Blues were in 1st place, the Avs in second place at the time.

NUMBER TWO:

Denver Nuggets 9/15: Nuggets 104 Clippers 89 - Nuggets win game 7, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit, to reach the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2009.

NUMBER ONE:

Denver Nuggets 9/1: Nuggets 80 Jazz 78 in game 7 to win the series after coming back from a 3 games to 1 deficit. Sure the Nuggets came back from a similar 3-1 deficit in their next series against the Clippers, but this game had more drama than any other Nuggets playoff game at the end. Utah had a 3 pointer that just missed at the buzzer which would have given the Jazz the win and the series.

So the Nuggets surprising playoff run to the Western Conference Finals was my highlight of the Colorado sports year in 2020.  What surprises will 2021 bring?  Stay tuned ...

37 years ago Gary Kubiak was suddenly the Broncos starting qb (just like Kendall Hinton will be today!)

 

The Broncos have never faced a situation like today in starting Kendall Hinton at quarterback. The only situation kind of like it was November 20, 1983. Elway's rookie year. John came down with the flu game day morning. His backup, Steve Deberg, was unavailable. So the Broncos had to start 3rd string rookie Gary Kubiak at qb that day. "Kubiak??!!!!" my Mom said when she heard the news. Kubiak was not the household name he is today - rather a little known rookie qb who made the team knowing he'd never be the starter in Denver with Elway around.

Kubiak went on to lead the Broncos to a 38-27 win over the Seahawks that day. His first TD pass was a 78 yarder to Steve Watson.

I'll be rooting for Hinton today, just like I was for the unknown Gary Kubiak when I was sitting in the South Stands watching Gary's debut 37 years ago!

My Top Ten Bronco Home Openers in the Past 52 Years

 

This week I was featured on a CBS Channel 4 segment on the Denver Broncos opener.  My story is that I have been to every Broncos home opener since 1967 except for one!  I will also miss Monday night's home opener against the Titans (as well as all other fans) but I'll be cheering on the team from home.  Pictured above is my ticket from the first home opener I attended at age 11 - at a $2 kids end zone price of $2!

This segment got me to thinking - what were the best Bronco home openers I have attended?  Listed below is my top ten list. I have lots of great memories from these games!

NUMBER TEN:

1971 Broncos 10 Miami 10 - the famous "half a loaf" game where the broncos, tied with the Dolphins in the last two minutes, ran out the clock rather than go for the win.  Coach Lou Saban said after the game "half a loaf is better than none" (meaning he'd take the tie) which alienated him with Bronco fans for the rest of his time in Denver.  Actually in retrospect a tie was a good result for the Broncos as the Dolphins went on to a 10-3-1 record while the Broncos finished 4-9-1 with Saban leaving as head coach half way through the season.  The only Bronco touchdown?  from wide receiver Dwight Harrison, who was later traded to Buffalo for one of the best Bronco receivers ever (Haven Moses).

NUMBER NINE:

2001 Broncos 31 NY Giants 20 - a Monday night football opening of the new stadium. The fans go home happy but then find out Bronco legendary wide receiver Ed McCaffery had suffered a season ending injury and the 9/11 tragedy happened the next morning.

NUMBER EIGHT:

1977 Broncos 7 St Louis Cardinals 0 - Broncos famed Orange Crush defense was in fine form with this shutout of the Cardinals at the start of a magical 77 Bronco season leading to the team's first Super Bowl appearance.   The Broncos offense was a mess under new qb Craig Morton in this game but came around as the season progressed (highlighted by scoring 34 points in the franchise's first playoff game against the Steelers)

NUMBER SEVEN:

2016 Broncos 21 Carolina 20 - In a rare Super Bowl rematch in the kickoff game of the 2016 season, the Panthers miss a field goal in the final seconds to give the win to the Broncos.  Peyton Manning had retired, and going into the game the Broncos were underdogs with qb Trevor Siemian getting his first start. But Siemian had a surprisingly good game to lead the Broncos to the win.

NUMBER SIX:

1980 Broncos 41 Cowboys 20 -a promising home debut for new Bronco qb Matt Robinson, who had 2 rushing td's, as the broncos got revenge for the Super Bowl 12 loss to America's team two years earlier.  Siemian and Robinson's first games as Broncos starting qbs would not to lead to long term success for either, but at least they can think back to their successful openers.

NUMBER FIVE:

1967 Broncos 26 Patriots 21 - My first ever home opener at age 11.  It was Floyd Little's regular season debut, and fans were excited after the Broncos were the first AFL team to beat NFL teams in two preseason games (the Lions and the Vikings). This win gave us more hope.  Hopes that were quickly dashed with a 51-0 loss to the Raiders the next week which led to a Broncos 9 game losing streak.

NUMBER FOUR:

1975 Broncos 37 Chiefs 33 - Charlie Johnson throws 3 td passes in a game that featured a spectacular debut for Broncos rookie Rick Upchurch. Rick had a 13 yard td run, 3 catches for 153 yards including a 90 yard td, 3 kickoff returns for 88 yards, and a 30 yard punt return.  To this day the best opening game for a Bronco rookie I have ever seen.

NUMBER THREE:

2008 Broncos 39 Chargers 38 - Jay Cutler throws 4 td passes including the winning td and a successful 2 point conversion with 24 seconds to play.

NUMBER TWO:

1986 Broncos 38 Raiders 36 - John Elway throws for 2 tds and scores on a pass from Steve Sewell on another to give the Broncos a thrilling come from behind win over the Raiders.

NUMBER ONE:

2013 Broncos 47 Ravens 27 - Peyton Manning throws 7 tds as the Broncos avenge their playoff loss the previous season to the defending Super Bowl champ Ravens.

What was the one Bronco home opener I missed?  2012's win over the Steelers featuring Peyton Manning's Bronco regular season debut.  I was on a once in a lifetime Alaska trip at the time, doing a flight seeing excursion over the great mountain (Denali) at kickoff.  This 2012 game would have been in my top 10 somewhere had I been there!

With Von Miller likely out for the season the Broncos are underdogs for Monday night's opener vs the Titans.  But I have learned over the years - never count out the Broncos, no matter how bad the team looks, in a home opener!  The Broncos record for home openers I have attended?  44 wins 8 losses!

Remembering Carroll Hardy, could Jack Lambert have been a Bronco?

 

Carroll Hardy passed away this past week.  He gained fame as the only player to pinch hit for Ted Williams during his baseball career.  But there was much more to Hardy than that, as this article on the cubuffs.com site relates.

 Though I was only 9 years old I do remember seeing Hardy play for the minor league Denver Bears in 1965 at the end of his baseball career.

What I remember more was his role with the Denver Broncos.  As the cubuffs.com article says: 

"As a pro football executive, he was often credited with helping to build Denver's famous "Orange Crush" defense that led to the team's first AFC West Division title and Super Bowl appearance in the 1977 season."

As a big Bronco fan and young season ticket holder in the 70's I wanted to learn more about the game.  I saw an ad for a book called "Scouts Guide to the NFL".  I ordered it. This 1976 publication was written by Joel Buchsbaum, one of the earliest NFL draft analysts (even before Mel Kiper).  In it he speculated that the 77 Broncos would be a threat to take the division title away from the Super Bowl Champion Oakland Raiders.  I was stunned - though hopeful of a good Bronco season I hadn't read anywhere that the Broncos could actually beat out the Raiders in 1977.  And of course that's what the Broncos did - shocking the pro football world.  Buchsbaum gained credibility with me and I always read his draft guides until his death in 2002.  Buchsbaum had a unique life of his own - read more about him here.

Buchsbaum once wrote about Hardy's role in the 1974 Broncos draft. The Broncos had selected Randy Gradishar in the first round. When the team's second round pick came up Hardy, as part of the Broncos scouting staff, recommended another linebacker, rated at the top of the Broncos draft board.. "We already have our linebacker," coach John Ralston said. The Broncos drafted defensive lineman Carl Wafer in round 2 (who never did anything in the NFL)

The linebacker who the Broncos scouting staff led by Hardy had rated at the top of their draft board in round 2?

Jack Lambert

Lambert went four picks after the Broncos to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

If this is true, imagine the Orange Crush 3-4 defense with both Gradishar and Lambert!  John Ralston deserves a lot of credit for the strong drafts the Broncos had in the early 70's, but Carroll Hardy had a big part in those drafts too.  RIP Carroll.

53 Years of Denver Bronco Home Games

Recently I was watching the 1967 Denver Broncos highlight film online. Before the closing credits a crowd shot of the Bronco fans was shown.  I saw a familiar pair in the crowd - my brother Dave and me! Upon further study (and with Dave's confirmation) it was us! The story of that picture and 53 years of me attending Bronco home games:

My brother and I attended the home opener that year against the Boston Patriots.  My Dad dropped us off at the stadium (I was 11 years old, my brother was 14).  That was the only game we bought tickets for, but we went to other home games that season.  At the old Mile High (then “Bears Stadium”) there was a gap between the West stands and the South Stands were you could see 3/4ths of the field for free from a hill just outside the stadium.  My Dad used to drop off my brother, my friend Greg, and me before the game, we’d watch the action from “the hill”, and then with about 6 minutes left in the 4^th quarter the Broncos would open the gates and let everyone in for free.

That 1967 season got me hooked on Broncos football.  The next season (1968) the Broncos had a kids end zone season ticket price of $2/game and $14 for the 7 game season (for age 12 and under).  I bought one season ticket in the South Stands, my friend Greg bought the seat next to me.  I bought Greg’s season ticket rights in the 1980’s (when you could do that from a non-family member).  52 years later I still have my season ticket (and the rights to Greg’s)!

When I asked my parents if I could buy my season ticket in 1968 my Mom said, “you only have $25 in your bank account – are you sure it will have lasting enjoyment?” Uhh, I think it did have lasting enjoyment Mom! (thanks to my parents for letting me make that purchase!)

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball," from the James Earl Jones character in the movie Field of Dreams. My variation of that is "The one constant through all the years, Tim, is Bronco Football!" In 53 years of attending games, thru life's ups & downs, there has always Bronco football for me to enjoy in the Fall. I hope despite this coronavirus challenge we will be seeing NFL games later this year.

Simon Fletcher Again Visits the Denver Broncos QB Club

Denver Broncos Ring of Famer made a return visit to our Denver Broncos Quarterback Club luncheon today.  Simon entertained the standing room only crowd with new stories AND he cooked a delicious bbq lunch for us!

Simon was in Houston to see Von Miller break his record for career sacks by a Bronco.  "Every year I want to see Bronco records fall, including mine.  That means the team is improving," Simon said.  Simon related how he worked with Von in Von's rookie year to teach him the subtleties of rushing the passer.

Simon predicted the Broncos will make a run for the playoffs in 2020.  "Drew Lock is a fiery leader, the entire team rallied around him," said Simon.

After a few remarks Simon took questions from the audience.

"Why did you pick #73 as your uniform number?"

I was #82 in high school, #19 in college, and when given a choice of numbers I wanted two that added up to 10 like they did in high school and college.  So 73 was the choice.

"Do you hate the Raiders?"

I never hated the Raiders.  If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have set the Bronco record for all time sacks!

"What was your most memorable game?"

In my rookie year I just played special teams until we played Pittsburgh.  Joe Collier decided to go to a four man front that game so he put me in the starting lineup.  I ended up with 13 tackles and assists!.  After the game a few of the great Bronco defensive players I had admired and now I played with (Tom Jackson, Billy Thompson, and others) came up to my locker room and said, "Way to play like a Bronco, rookie!"

"Who was the toughest offensive tackle you played against?"

Gary Zimmerman.  He was so athletic and a tough matchup when we played the Vikings.  I was glad he was my teammate later in his career.

"What would your game be like if you played today?

I promise you I could chase Mahomes butt down if I played today with my speed!

The luncheon was held at a new and special location for the club - American Legion Post 22 in Northglenn.  The Legion were great hosts as they helped with the lunch and told us of the work the Legion does in the community.  The QB Club donated one half of the proceeds from their raffle items this day to the worthy causes of the Legion.

After speaking Simon met fans individually, taking pictures and signing autographs.  Simon was very generous with his time this day!

And the BBQ lunch Simon made for the club was delicious!  Pictured above is information about his catering company.

The QB Club thanks Simon and American Legion Post 22 for a great event!  Stay tuned for an announcement of our next meeting.

My Top Ten Colorado Sports Events for 2019

The Avalanche and local football teams gave me the most thrills in 2019 for sports events of the year, with some baseball and basketball thrown in. My top 10 list:

Number 10:

12/21 University of Colorado Basketball: Colorado 78 Dayton 76.  The most recent entry on my list: De'Shawn Swartz sinks a 3 point basket at the buzzer to give the Buffs the win over 13th rank Dayton.  It was the highest ranked team CU had beaten on the road since 1990 when the Buffs beat 6th ranked Missouri.

Number 9:

9/28 Rockies 3 Brewers 2 In the second to last game of the season, the Rockies win a tight game all the way with some great plays on both sides.  The Rockies were one out away from a loss when rookie Sam Hilliard hits a game tying home run, then Trevor Story wins it with a walkoff in the bottom of the 10th.  It was a disappointing season for the Rockies but they ended in style with a 3 game sweep of the Brewers (the team they lost to in the 2018 playoffs) depriving Milwaukee a chance for first place in the NL Central Division.

Number 8:

11/3 Broncos 24 Browns 19 Free agent quarterback Brandon Allen, in his first start, leads the Broncos to the win.  Rookie tight end Noah Fant has a break out game including a 75 yard td (the longest bronco td of the season)

Number 7:

4/27 Nuggets 90 Spurs 86 - Nuggets win a game 7 playoff series at home, the first game 7 home game for the franchise in 41 years.

Number 6:

9/21 University of Colorado football: buffs beat arizona state on the road 34-31, their first road win over a nationally ranked top 25 team since 2002!  This despite losing their best offensive player (laviska shenault) and their best defensive player (Mustafa Johnson) early in the game due to injuries.

Number 5:

5/7 avs 4 sharks 3 game 6 of the series: avs on the brink of elimination win in OT to force game 7.  While the Avs ended up losing the series in game 7 the game 6 win was one of the best avalanche games in the last 10 years.  This would have been ranked #2 on this list had the Avs won game 7.

Number 4:

12/8 Broncos beat the Houston Texans 38-24 on the road with rookie quarterback Drew lock throwing for 3 tds and 309 yards. The Texans had defeated the New England Patriots the week before so this shaped up as a tough road game for the Broncos. Could the Broncos have their quarterback of the future?  This game showed Lock could be the man!

Number 3:

4/17 Avalanche 3 Flames 2 - trailing 2-0 in the 3rd period the Avs come back to win in overtime to take a 3-1 series lead! This game essentially clinched the series for the Avs as they won the next game easily to win the series.

Number 2:

4/13 Avalanche 3 Flames 2 - #8 seeded Avalanche tie the series 1-1 over #1 seed Calgary in Calgary with a thrilling overtime win after being down 1-0 with 7 minutes to go in the 3rd period.

Number 1:

9/7 University of Colorado football: Buffs beat rival Nebraska 34-31 in overtime after trailing 17-0 at halftime.  An incredible comeback highlighted by a 96 yard flea flicker TD from the shadow of their own end zone, and several clutch completions by QB Steven Montez towards the end of regulation to send the game to overtime.  The Buffs don't play the Huskers too often anymore.  It was great to sweep the 2 game series winning at Nebraska in 2018 and with this home win in 2019!