Here are the top Denver sports stories of 2021:
Ineptitude of the Rockies
In February, the Rockies made the most frustrating move in franchise history by trading Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for a few much lower-caliber players. To add insult to injury, the Rockies sent the Cardinals not just Arenado, but $51 million.
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The team then went on to post a 74-87 record in the 2021 season, with a respectable 48-33 record at home but no shot at a post-season spot. Even so, the Rockies opted against moving shortstop Trevor Story before the trade deadline; now a free agent, Story will likely sign with another team rather than return to Colorado. And the Rockies made another boneheaded move by not re-signing pitcher Jon Gray, the rare player who knew how to pitch effectively at Coors Field.
Nuggets Injury Woes
After Jamal Murray blossomed in the bubble and 2020 playoffs, the Canadian point guard looked ready to combine with Nikola Jokic to make a real run at the NBA Finals in 2021. However, in April, Murray tore his ACL in a game against the Golden State Warriors, hurting any chances of winning a title. The Nuggets ended up being swept by the Phoenix Suns in a playoff series.
Murray still hasn’t returned from his knee injury. But while he’s reportedly on the mend, forward Michael Porter Jr. is out indefinitely following a back injury that led to surgery in November. The University of Missouri product also had back surgery prior to the 2018 NBA Draft, which is really the only reason he was still available when the Nuggets were picking that year.
As though that wasn’t enough for the injury situation, young guard P.J. Dozier also went down with a torn ACL in November and will be out for the rest of the season.
Surprise Rapids Run
After winning an MLS Cup title in 2010, the Colorado Rapids have spent their past few seasons building back. With talented young players like Cole Bassett out of Littleton and U.S. Men’s National Team fixture Kellyn Acosta manning the midfield, the team made a massive jump this year, earning the top overall record in the MLS Western Conference.
The team ended up losing at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park against the Portland Timbers to bring the season to a close. Still, it was a heck of a run for a team that largely sits in the shadows of the Broncos, Nuggets and Avalanche. The only evidence those shadows remain is that the Rapids have trouble filling an outdoor stadium, while the Nuggets and Avalanche can pack an indoor arena, even during a pandemic.
A familiar image for Broncos fans: Demaryius Thomas streaking down the sidelines clad in blue and orange.
Demaryius Thomas Death
On December 9, legendary Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, 33, was found dead in his Georgia home, devastating the NFL and football fans everywhere.
With his uncanny blend of size and speed, Thomas earned four Pro Bowl invites during his time as a Bronco, which began in 2010; he was also part of the winning Super Bowl 50 team. But while he made many great plays, the one for which he’ll be forever remembered was his game-winning touchdown in the 2011 AFC wild-card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tim Tebow connected with Thomas on the first play of overtime and Thomas turned on the jets to take it eighty yards into the end zone. Rest in peace, big guy.
Altitude TV Dispute
Since September 2019, Avalanche, Nuggets and Rapids games have been blacked out on Comcast because of a contract dispute between Comcast and Altitude TV — which, like the teams, is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. Altitude TV is also blacked out on Dish Network, making DirecTV the lone major TV provider to carry the games.
And that’s a shame, since the Avalanche and Nuggets are both stacked with talent these days. But there is some hope: Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered Altitude and Comcast to come to an agreement. And since then, Altitude has already said that it would revise its offer.
All Star Game Coming to Denver
Following the passage of legislation that made it more difficult to vote in Georgia, Major League Baseball decided in April to move the July All Star Game from Atlanta to Denver — thanks to much encouragement from Governor Jared Polis and Mayor Michael Hancock. Democrats generally praised the MLB’s decision, while Republicans chastised the league for the switch. At the losing end were the people of Atlanta, who were ready to benefit economically from so many tourists and visitors traveling to the city. The winner? Denver, which got a big economic and fun boom one weekend in July.
But the end of the season still had an ironic twist: The Atlanta Braves won the World Series.
Rocky the Mascot
After first taking the floor as Rocky at a December 1990 Nuggets game, acrobat Kenn Solomon did the job with flair, excitement and excellence, whether playing jokes on young fans or making incredible half-court shots from the top of a ladder. Rocky deserved his reputation as the NBA’s best mascot. But something’s different about Rocky this year: Solomon quietly retired, and one of his sons now fills the mountain lion suit.
It would be a layup of a PR victory for the Nuggets to highlight the passing of the mascot costume from father to son, but the Nuggets have been silent on the switch.
Nikola Jokic
The Nuggets knew that Nikola Jokic was an amazing pickup when the team drafted the Serbian national in 2014. What became apparent in the 2020-2021 season, however, was that Jokic is not just an all-world talent, but one of the greatest big men to ever play the sport of basketball. Last season, Jokic posted 26.4 points, 10.8 rebound, and 8.3 assists per game, numbers that are near impossible to generate over the course of a season much less ten games. Jokic ended up winning a much-deserved Most Valuable Player award in June.
And since he’s already putting together a season that looks even more impressive than last one, expect the Joker to earn some more hardware next June.
Von Miller Trade
When Broncos edge rusher Von Miller won the MVP in Super Bowl 50, it looked like the young man out of Texas A&M would be a Denver great for the rest of his career. Like John Elway, Miller had the type of talent that keeps a player in the blue and orange forever.
But the Broncos have never approached the level of play that the team had in the 2015 season, and in November management moved on from the eight-time Pro Bowler: General manager George Paton traded Miller to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for second- and third-round picks.
Bon voyage, Von. It’s been real.
Sports Betting Overload
The start of sports betting in Colorado in May 2020, after the passage of Proposition DD by voters the previous November, has given sports fans plenty of enjoyment, even during a pandemic. Although a Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets matchup might have drawn groans from sports fans years ago, now they can have fun watching even these boring games, since sports betting makes the matchup exponentially more interesting.
But while Coloradans wagered $2.3 billion on sports in the first year of legal gaming and the state collected millions of dollars for the Colorado Water Plan from the tax on sports betting, there’s been a negative side to it all: too many damn commercials.
Turn on Hulu, there comes a Caesar’s Sportsbook commercial. Go to ESPN, there’s FanDuel. Switch to FOX, and there’s an ad from DraftKings. Here’s to fewer sports betting commercials in 2022.
Hip, hip, parlay!
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