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 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!

My Top 10 Colorado Sports Events in 2018

It was another interesting year for the Colorado sports fan, with the Rockies and Avalanche having strong seasons while the Broncos did not.  For this fan who has followed Colorado sports since the 1960's, here are my top ten sports events in 2018:

Number 10: 

October 21st - Nuggets 100 Golden State 98 - Nuggets beat the defending nba champs to go 3-0 to start the season despite missing 18 free throws. A big block by Juancho Hernangomez at the buzzer preserved the win.  This early season victory was an indication of how competitive the Nuggets would be in the NBA this season (at year's end the Nuggets win/loss record was in the top 3 in the Western Conference).

Number 9:

February 4th - Going back to the previous season, the Nuggets seem to play Golden State better than most NBA teams.  On this night the Nuggets beat Golden State 115-108 in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a game at the Pepsi Center.  The defending champ Warriors were 41-11 coming into the game and the Nuggets were only the second team to beat the Warriors twice during the 2017-2018 season after this game.

Number 8:

November 18th - Broncos 23 Chargers 22.  It was another down year for the Broncos but this game was the team's biggest surprise win. The Broncos appeared headed for another loss, down 19-7 in the second half, before coming back to win in the fourth quarter.  With the Chargers being 7-2 and the 

Broncos 3-6 entering this game, few gave the Broncos a chance for a win, especially since the team hadn't won an AFC West road game since 2015.

Number 7:

November 25th - Broncos 24 Steelers 17.  The best home win for the Broncos in the 2018 season.  Building on the upset victory over the Chargers the week before, the Broncos again came from behind to beat the Steelers.  At the time this game got the team back in playoff contention. The Steelers had won 6 straight before this game so the Broncos victory was a big one.

Number 6:

August 11th - Rockies beat the Dodgers 3-2 with a 2 out 3 run homer by Ryan McMahon in the bottom of the 9th, pulling within 1 1/2 games of first place.  The Rockies and Dodgers were in a tight race all season for the National League West crown (and eventually tied for first place after the 162 game season).  This game looked hopeless as the Dodgers dominated the Rockies through 8 and 2/3rds innings before McMahon's big blow.  The game also gave an early indication of the impact McMahon could have on the Rockies in the future.  McMahon will have a much bigger role with the team in 2019 with the expected departure of DJ LeMahieu.

Number 5:

April 7th - Avalanche 5 Blues 2. It's rare in the NHL's 82 game season you will find two teams playing each other for the last playoff spot in the season's final game.  That's what happened on this night, and the home town Avs didn't disappoint with a thrilling win. Making the playoffs for the Avs was a huge accomplishment after the terrible season the team had the season before.

Number 4:

September 5th - Trevor hits 3.  Rockies shortstop Trevor Story hits 3 home runs in his first 3 at bats, including the longest home run in Coors Field history, as the Rockies beat the Giants 5-3. The win extended the team's lead for first place in the NL West.

Number 3:

April 20th - Avalanche 2 Nashville 1 in game 5 of the teams' NHL playoff series.  Trailing 1-0 with 5 minutes to go in an elimination game, the Avs score 2 goals in the the last 5 minutes for a thrilling win over the heavily favored Predators.  Andrew Hammond, the team's 3rd string goalie, had 44 saves!  “One of the most epic periods I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Kyle Keefe of Altitude TV afterwards.

Number 2:

September 8th - Colorado 33 Nebraska 28.  An extra sweet win for this longtime Colorado football fan as the Buffs spoiled the debut of the Huskers head coach Scott Frost in Lincoln. The Buffs came from behind to beat the Nebraska on 40 yard td pass from Buff QB Steven Montez to wide receiver Laviska Shenault with a minute left to the play in the game!  While the Buffs season was an overall disappointment, this win was the Buffs' best in the past 10 years.

Number 1:

October 2nd - Rockies 2 Cubs 1 in 13 innings in the National League's wildcard playoff game.  The Rockies weren't given much chance to win this one after losing their division to the Dodgers the day before.  Kyle Freeland showed he was one of baseball's best pitchers, shutting out the Cubs over 6.2 innings.  Light hitting Tony Wolters was the extra inning hero, driving in the go ahead run in the top of the 13th with a 2 out single.  Though the Rockies were to lose the next series vs the Brewers, knocking the Cubs out of the playoffs in this game was a huge surprise!

What will 2019 have in store for Colorado sports fans?  A new head coach for the Broncos?  Playoff appearances for the Avs and Nuggets?  Can the Rockies stay competitive with the Dodgers like they did in 2018?  I'll be watching and compiling my 2019 top 10 Colorado Sports Events list - check back next year at this time!

My Top Ten Colorado Sports Moments of 2017

Nolan Arenado's walk off game winning homer for the cycle is #1 on my "Top Ten Colorado Sports Moments of 2017" (photo courtesy of MLB)  Here's this year's list:

10.  Avalanche 4 NY Rangers 2, Opening Night, 10/5/17 - The 2016/17 season was one to forget for the Colorado Avalanche.  "The 22-56-4 record, for 48 points, not only was by far the franchise’s worst in its 21 seasons in Denver, it was the worst in the NHL since the 1999-2000 Atlanta Thrashers went 14-57-7-4 for 39 points," as reported in the Denver Post.  The surprising win on the road in the season's opener, on the league's biggest stage (Madison Square Garden) signaled that better times were ahead for the Avalanche. While the Avs are still out of a playoff position at year's end (17-16-3 as of 12/28), the team is on the upswing and the opening night win against the NY Rangers was a start to a much better season.

9.  Nuggets 96 Golden State 81, 12/23/17 - I had my top ten list all set then the Nuggets worked their way into my list with a stunning road win against the defending champ Warriors just before Christmas.  The win stopped Golden State's 12 game winning streak.

8.  Avalanche trade Matt Duchene, 11/5/17 - It was no secret Matt Duchene, the #3 pick overall in the 2009 draft, wanted out.  Duchene demanded a trade over a year ago, and Avs GM Joe Sakic received much criticism as Sakic failed to make a deal over the many months of Matt's discontent.  But in the end Sakic got a great haul for Duchene - promising young defenseman Sam Girard, other prospects, and a bunch of draft picks.  After the trade Nathan MacKinnon stepped up his play to become one of the best players in the NHL this season.  Well done, Joe Sakic!

7.  Gary Kubiak resigns as Broncos head coach, 1/2/17 - Just one year after winning the Super Bowl, Gary Kubiak resigns as Broncos head coach.  Any Bronco coaching change is big news, and this one was more of a shocker given the success the Broncos had achieved under Kubiak.

6.  Rockies 2, LA Dodgers 1, home opener, 4/7/17 - The first of four Rockies moments on my list. The Rockies home opener is always a special event on the Denver sports calendar, and this win was extra sweet as home town boy Kyle Freeland wins his first ever start in the majors in front of a sellout crowd at Coors Field.

5.  Broncos 42, Dallas 17, 9/17/17 - The only Bronco game on my top 10 list.  Everything went right for the Broncos this day as they beat America's team (the Dallas Cowboys) in an early season stunner.  The season as a whole was a big disappointment for Denver fans, but at least for one day the Broncos were the talk of pro football with this dominating performance.

4.  DU Pioneers 3, Minnesota-Duluth 2, National Championship Game, 4/8/17 - The DU hockey team wins its 8th National Championship with a narrow, nail-biting 3-2 win over Minnesota-Duluth.  The Pioneers stellar 2017 and championship gave Denver hockey fans something to cheer about in lieu of the Avalanche' disappointing season.

3.  Rockies 3, Atlanta 0, 8/14/17 - In his first game back after a cancer diagnosis in the spring, Rockies starter Chad Bettis pitches seven shutout innings at Coors Field to defeat the Braves.  Bettis comeback and amazing performance made news beyond baseball, inspiring many whose lives have been affected by this debilitating disease.

2.  Rockies 10, White Sox 0, 7/9/17 - Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland's second appearance on my list, as he takes a no hitter into the 9th inning against the White Sox.  Freeland ends up pitching a one hit gem in what I rate as the best performance by a Rockies starter at Coors Field ever. 

1.  Rockies 7, San Francisco 5, 6/19/17 - In front of a packed Father's Day crowd at Coors Field, Nolan Arenado hits a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 9th to give the Rockies a come from behind win over the Giants.  If that weren't dramatic enough, Arenado's blast also completed the cycle for the Rockies 3rd baseman, only the 8th cycle in Rockies history.  The playoff bound Rockies were the top story in Colorado sports in 2017, and Arenado's performance this day was the highlight of an outstanding season.

Denver Sports Memories: Billy Martin and the Denver Bears

 



Legendary New York Yankees manager Billy Martin got his first managing job in Denver - taking over for the Triple A Denver Bears midseason in 1968.  The Bears had a record of 7 wins, 22 losses when Martin took the helm, and under Martin’s fiery leadership the team had a complete turn around, winning 66 games and losing 50 in their remaining games. 

The success with the Bears led to Martin being promoted as manager to the American League Minnesota Twins the next season.  Martin would never manage in the minors again, serving as manager for the Twins, Tigers, Rangers, A's, and of course the Yankees over his career.

One of the stars of that Bears team, third baseman Graig Nettles, would later star for Martin’s New York Yankee teams.  Art Fowler was Martin's pitching coach for the Bears - Fowler also followed Martin to serve as pitching coach in New York.

During that 1968 season the Denver Bears hosted a “kids day” at the stadium for area youth baseball teams.  I played second base for my team and I was in attendance that day.  Billy Martin was always very personable with the fans, and he was on this day, too, giving a small group of young second basemen (including me) personal attention in showing us the finer points of playing the infield. 

As a baseball fan all my life, I always remember the job Billy Martin did to turn around that 1968 Denver Bears team.  It impressed on me that a good manager in baseball can have a positive effect on a team more than a head coach in any other sport. 

My Top 10 Denver Sports Moments of 2016

2016 was a good year for me as a Denver sports fan.  Here are my top 10 sports moments:

10. Colorado Avalanche 5 Detroit Red Wings 2, Alumni Game 2/26  

The old timers got together for an alumni game in an outdoor venue - Coors Field!  The NHL/Rockies/Avs did a good job of setting up Coors Field for hockey.  I watched this game from a luxury box thanks to an invitation from the Las Vegas visitors bureau.  It was fun to see the Avs alumni from their great teams in the 90's, early 2000's beat the hated Wings this night.  Patrick Roy was fantastic in making several great saves.  The next night was disappointing as the NHL Avs lost to the Wings, but I did get to meet Adam Foote in the club level of Coors Field.

9.  Denver Nuggets hand Golden State Warriors 3rd loss in 40 games 1/13 

The Nuggets were one of the few teams to beat the Warriors in the NBA regular season.  Read more about the game here.

8.  Colorado Avalanche beat Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in OT in season’s 2nd game 10/17

After a thrilling 6-5 win in the opener against the Dallas Stars at home, the Avs win their second game on against the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins at Pittsburgh.  At year's end the Avs had the worst record in the NHL, but the 2-0 start gave their fans some thrills early.

7. Colorado Buffaloes 27 Utah Utes 22 11/26

The Buffs success in football was one of the best stories of 2016, capped by this win over Utah to win the Pac 12 South division and earn a berth in the pac 12 championship game.

6.  Colorado Rockies beat Arizona Diamondbacks 10-5 in season opener 4/4

Trevor Story hits two home runs in his major league debut.  Story was the "story" of the major league season in April as the rookie surprised us all with an early season power surge.  Story had a good chance to be the Rockies first rookie of the year before a thumb injury prematurely ended his season in early August.

5.  Denver Broncos 21 Carolina Panthers 20 9/8

The Broncos win the Super Bowl rematch in the NFL's season opener on a Thursday night before a national TV audience.  The Broncos came back from a 17-3 deficit in the 4th quarter in an exciting game that was decided by a missed Panther field goal as time ran out.

4.  Colorado Buffaloes 41 Oregon Ducks 38 9/24

The Buffs surprise the perennial power Oregon Ducks in Oregon in a high scoring game decided in the last minute.  This was a program defining win for the CU program, and spurred the team to go on to a 10 win season.

3.  Denver Broncos 23 Pittsburgh Steelers 16 in division round 1/17 

The Broncos come from behind to beat the Steelers in a first round NFL playoff game.  This game turned out to be the toughest of the 3 Bronco playoff games.  Brandon Mcmanus 5 field goals on a windy day proved to be the difference.

2.  Denver Broncos 20 New England Patriots 18 AFC championship 1/24 

The 5th time I've seen the Broncos win the AFC Championship at home to earn a berth in the Super Bowl, and this AFC title was one of the best. The last 6 minutes was the most intense for me ever at a bronco home game as the patriots threatened to tie the score to force overtime, but the Broncos held on.  The final failed 2 point attempt by the Patriots was right below my seats in the North end zone.

1.  Denver Broncos 24 Carolina Panthers 10  Super Bowl Win !!! 2/7

The hope for any NFL fan is to see their team win a Super Bowl in person.  I was privileged to have that experience as my Broncos beat Carolina in Super Bowl 50!  It was a memorable weekend in San Francisco that I wrote about on this blog here.

The Rooftop At Coors Field

Wednesday afternoon my wife Anne and I took in an afternoon Rockies game at Coors Field - the first Rockies game we've attending in three years.  I have always been a Rockies fan, and once I had season tickets in the 90's, but in recent years I have found it more difficult to attend games in person.

On this sunny April day, though, I wanted to once again see the Rockies with my own eyes to check out this season's team and see the changes to Coors Field.  The most prominent change is the new Rooftop section (shown above) high above the right field wall.

The Rooftop draws quite a crowd, even for this game on a weekday afternoon where the overall attendance at 20,000 was less than what the Rockies typically draw on the weekends.  For most games rooftop tickets are $14 which includes a $6 concession credit.  Ticket buyers can choose to stand in the rooftop area or sit in the general admission section of Coors.  If you choose to stand, arrive early to get a spot on the rail for a view of the field!

Here's a picture I took before the game from the rail on the Rooftop.  As you can see, you are far from home plate, and balls hit to the wall in right field are not within view.  Still this section allows fans to be part of the action for a bargain price.

 

Also featured as part of the Rooftop are a variety of food and drink options.

 

Away from the action fans can relax on these comfy couches and watch the game on the hi-def monitors.

 

Not needed on this sunny day, but for those cold early season night games fans can warm up next to this fire pit behind the concession area.

 

Here's the view from the general admission section that rooftop ticket holders have access to.  Our seats were in another section, but after the second inning we chose to sit in general admission for the shade and cool breeze at the top of the stands.

Would I purchase Rooftop tickets for a future game?  Probably not, as I had trouble picking up the flight of the baseball from this far away.  I prefer the upper deck behind home plate, where I used to have my season tickets, if I don't want to pay the higher prices of the lower level or club level.

Still I think the Rooftop is a good addition to Coors Field.  It drew a younger crowd this day, most of whom seemed more interested in socializing than watching the game itself.  But that's OK - part of the beauty of baseball with its slower pace is enjoying the sunshine and the company of the people you are with.

For more information on the Rooftop check out this FAQ from the Rockies.

Time for O'Dowd to go?

The Rockies Saturday night traded their best pitcher, Ubaldo Jimenez, to the Cleveland Indians for a bunch of prospects. I hate to see the Rockies resort to trading their top talent in order to get more depth in the organization. If General Manager Dan O'Dowd and the scouting department had done their jobs right this decade depth would not be a problem.

When O'Dowd first came to town in 1999 I was a Rockies season ticket holder. I attended O'Dowd's first meeting with the season ticket holders in the club level at Coors Field. I remember sitting right behind new manager Buddy Bell. I was not that impressed with Bell at the time and thought "I sure hope O'Dowd is right about him". The Bell hiring was one of several mistakes O'Dowd has made in his tenure.

O'Dowd's master plan as he outlined it that day was to eventually have a continuing flow of young talent from the minor league system. This plan has not come to fruition. Hyped prospects like Ian Stewart, Chris Ianetta, Dexter Fowler, Chris Nelson, and others just haven't produced at the major league level as expected. Instead the team has to resort to trades and marginal veteran free agent signings to make up for past draft mistakes. Ubaldo did not have to be dealt for salary reasons like Matt Holliday. He had a club friendly contract for a pitcher of his caliber for a couple of more years.

The O'Dowd regime has done some good things in Denver (including finding a talent like Ubaldo). And from a baseball standpoint the Jimenez trade doesn't sound terrible. The Cleveland prospects are decent. Maybe the Rockies are right in dealing Jimenez now if Ubaldo's struggles this year are a sign of long term problems. Regardless, if the organization had the depth it was suppose to Ubaldo would not have needed to be traded.

Because of the lack of production overall from the farm system I think after the season is over it is time for a change at the top. O'Dowd has had 12 years to build a productive minor league talent pipeline, and it just hasn't happened.