This isn’t the first blog I’ve done like this. But every year, I think some of us well rounded sports fans, the ones that love the Broncos, Nuggets, Rockies, Avs, Rams, Buffs, etc. are forced to wonder if this will always be JUST a blue and orange state? There’s a lot going on this time of year and it’s worth getting excited about. Let’s look at April alone; The Avalanche were in a win or go home season finale against San Jose and they won, putting them back in the playoffs for a second season in a row. With two games remaining, the Nuggets find themselves in a similar position; win out and you’re in the playoffs for the first time in 4 years. And finally, the Rockies just started their season and optimism is higher than it’s been in recent years. Yet, there’s still a sense that the looming NFL draft, that 5th overall pick for the Broncos and their uncertain future at QB are the talk of the town. Even on The Hull Show we can’t ignore the Hulligans’ demand for Broncos and draft talk. I am a die hard Broncos fan so I have no issue talking Case Keenum, Von Miller and prospects at number 5 but I’d be crazy if I pretended that was more important than what our pepsi center teams have and may accomplish in 2018. I’ll admit, my hockey knowledge is not what it should be but one can’t ignore a team that went from last place in the NHL to a contender in this years playoffs. The Nuggets are a young team that should be a playoff team for years to come. So can the Broncos share the love? And just why do they captivate Colorado in a way that forces several fans to ignore the rest of the pro and college teams? Let’s take a look:
College football and bball. Whether you are a Rams, Buffs, Bears or Air Force fan, you should all agree; the number of consistent REAL winning seasons between them all is few and far between. The CU Buffs hoops team, in recent years, has probably been the most successful as they have been to the Big Dance 5 times since 2003. The Rams went 3 times since 03 and the UNC Bears went…wait…no they didn’t…NCAA sanctions wiped that season from our memories just like that memory thingy from Men in Black…. As for football; the Buffs had a tremendous season in 2016 as they went to the Pac 12 championship but before and shortly after that season they’ve seen quite the bowl drought. The Rams keep getting into bowls lately but I suppose one can debate just how successful that makes a team (I hate bowl season save for playoffs 😉 The point; College sports in Colorado, consistently, has not had much to celebrate. No wonder the pro teams garner so much attention.
Onto the BIG FOUR: The Avalanche were easily the second biggest thing next to the Broncos when they were winning Stanley Cups but in the past 10 years, despite this season, they have only made the playoffs 3 times. Could we see them return to former glory? I won’t hold my breath just yet. After (Coach) Patrick Roy’s team made the playoffs in his first year as head coach, we thought the Avs just might be the most successful franchise for the foreseeable future. But after Roy left abruptly before the 2016 season and the 3 year post season drought, that optimism was halted…until now.
At one time, the Nuggets were the most consistent team in the state; making the playoffs 8 years in a row. But only one of those seasons yielded a trip past the first round. George Karl was fired over 4 years ago and the Nuggets have been nursing back to health ever since. With 45 wins so far this year, they are certainly on the improve but here again, consistent success has been absent from this franchise.
The Rockies could be the second most popular franchise in Colorado but they have the least amount of playoff experience between all four teams. Yes, they have a World Series birth under their belt but aside from that, playoff runs have been few and far between. With only 7 winning seasons and 4 post season births, Rockies fans are starving for more success. If they can give us just a small taste of greatness, the Rocks will have no problem keeping up with the Broncos in the next 10 years.
As for the Broncos: Besides the fact they play football, America’s REAL past time, they have witnessed more post season success over all, especially since 2003. Since then, they’ve been to the playoffs 8 times, 6 division championships and 1 Super Bowl. The Broncos are never terrible. If they have one bad year (under a .500 record) they never follow it up with another. Since 1990, they’ve only had 6 seasons with a record under .500 and also since then they’ve never suffered two losing records in back to back seasons.
So as you can see, it’s fairly obvious why the Broncos are kings of Colorado. Their winning ways are superior to the rest. But could their time at the top of the hill be challenged soon? At the very least, they might have to get used to moving over for those “other” teams as all 3 can make a case for a future full of playoff games and maybe, just maybe, some championships.
