Colorado Sports: An Unbiased Rebuttal

This post is in response to the post over at my friend Aaron Birch's blog entitled "Why I Hate Colorado Sports". While I am not a big backer of Colorado sports and their teams, there are too many inaccuracies/biased opinions to let this one completely slide into oblivion like an Arizona Cardinals season.

In my short time here in Colorado I have not become a fan of any of the local sports teams. There is good reason for that as I am an avid Chargers and Padres fan and have a rooting interest in the Jazz as Deron Williams is probably my favorite player in the Association right now. Besides that, Holliday still hasn't touched home plate! With that being said, I entered into Colorado territory knowing full well that the teams I love will love to be hated here, which is fine. After all, you should expect that type of thing when you are in enemy territory. The only thing that really irritates me is watching Rockies and especially Nuggets games. The announcers have got to be the biggest homers I have ever had to listen to. They are so publicly biased that it can really ruin a game for me. However, I can take this bias from local fans, as that is what fans are supposed to have. Other than that, I have no issues with Colorado, the teams or the fans. In fact, I quite enjoy living out here with all it has to offer. Now on to my rebuttal. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

Aaron, considering you are not a sports fan, I am puzzled by this lengthy discourse on, well, sports. As you are not a sports fan, maybe that is a good reason why you are bothered by or don't understand fans (fanatics) attitudes and opinions. I am a little perplexed on your assessment of Colorado sports being ignored outside the region they call home. Isn't this true of most any sports team/franchise with the exception of some of the more storied franchises in history, i.e. the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs or in basketball the Lakers and Celtics or in football the Cowboys and Steelers. This seems fairly common and I am not sure why this is a knock against them as it is something entirely out of the city's control. On to that chip your describe. I, for one, have never had the impression that Colorado sports fans carry a chip on their shoulder, after all, between the Rockies, Avalanche, and Broncos in the last 20 years they have made it to their respective league championships a combined 8 times, totaling 4 titles, which is nothing to sniff at. I am not sure there is much of an inferiority complex going on there. Not sure how there could be. This seems more like biased opinion than fact, but I guess that is just my opinion as well. And to address your statement about "teams walking on water", I think it would be pretty pathetic if a sports town didn't rally around a team that is doing well. If not, then why have the sports franchise anyway? As an a-side, Denver was picked as the 7th Best Sports Town In America, one sport ahead of Phoenix. It should be noted that Denver was the number 1 sports town in America, as voted by The Sporting News, in 1995 and 1997. Clearly, sportswriters ain't buying what you're selling.

Moving on. I will give you a point for referencing the rather pedestrian start by the Broncos last year that coincided with the Rockies miracluous run to the Fall Classic. When the Series ended, the Broncos stood at 3-3. That is where the bonus points end. Fans coming out of the woodwork? Are you serious? The Rockies averaged 29,000 fans a game in 2007. May I note that this was just ahead of the D-Backs average attendance. Now the uneducated fan might believe the average must have been raised by the crazy finish they had to the season where the stadium was thumping to full capacity. But in their run where they won 14 of 15 to finish the season, only 9 of those games were played at Coors Field. 9 games does not a season average make. The fact is Denver has generally turned out in droves to support the Rockies and only in recent years has fan support waned. Look over at baseball-almanac.com for attendance analysis for the Rockies and D-Backs. As you can see each team has been supported fairly well since coming into the league. For the Rockies first 9 seasons, they drew more than the league average, the D-Backs did if for the first 7 seasons. Even if a team isn't good, for the first couple of seasons you would expect that fans would turn out for the sheer fact that a new pro sports team is in their city. However, one question has to be raised, why is it that the Rockies, through all the terribles seasons and one measly playoff appearance prior to last year get such high attendace? Hmmm, maybe because Denver is a pretty good baseball town. Why, also, don't the D-Backs do better, considering they have been to the playoffs 4 times and even won a World Series, and they can't keep fans in the stands? Maybe Phoenix doesn't really care for baseball. I don't know, you tell me. All I know is this is not a case of bandwagoning. This is a case of the city of Denver being shafted for so many years by pathetic teams and could only take so much. I mean, the Rockies do hold the MLB single season attendance record at 4,483,350; that is a ton of fans. When the Rockies started winning, of course excitement grew as the prospect of making the playoffs is exciting to any fan, especially a playoff starved baseball town.

The more I read your post, the more bitter you seem. Your jab at the Rockies for attempting to trademark the phrase "Rocktober" seems kinda silly. Why is it so hard to fathom that people might be optomistic that having a good team could be a year-in year-out thing? Oh thats right, in Arizona, fans, know not to expect too much for the fear of heartbreak. Thats why you will never feel the highs nor the lows, there is no investment there. No real fans either.

One thing I found interesting was that you linked that article from the Denver Post that was recapping one of the NLCS games and you say how Denver fans are bitter. Did you even read the article? Do you remember what happened in that game? I mean come on, look at that game/article from an outsiders perspective. The fans were throwing all kinds of crap down on the field at the players, if that is not disrespectful and downright childish I don't know what is. I know that is not reflective of all fans, or even the city/state as you mention. But the cold hard facts of life are that a few bad apples can spoil the bunch. And from my perspective, that is exactly what happened that night. If you are going to admit to anything, don't admit that the D-Backs didn't even show up for the series, but admit that the fans crossed the line, and you don't agree with that type of behavior. Unless of course you do agree with it, in which case, well, I wouldn't know what to say.

But seriously, the next statement is straight up pathetic. I am glad you don't claim to be a sports fan, because your fanhood would be revoked on the spot for saying, "Maybe it was because people who knew baseball knew that whoever won the NLCS was just going to go on to be embarrassed by the Red Sox". You can't be serious. First of all, that statement at its base is flawed, because the Red Sox weren't waiting in the wings to take on the NL champs. In fact, the day after Colorado won the NLCS, the Indians, not the Red Sox, held a 3-1 lead in the ALCS. But besides that, you say "people who knew baseball". Did you ask baseball fans? As you mentioned before, you are not one of them, so I would expect that you forgot how the Tigers were supposed to roll over the Cards in the 2006 series and ended up losing in 5. Or how the 2003 Marlins were going to get wiped up by the Yankees and instead won in 6 games. Or how could you forget your hometown D-Backs pulling the upset on the Yankees in 2001. Then there is the 1997 Marlins. I could go on and on. People who know baseball, or any sport for that matter, know that the favorite does not always win. So your assertion that the D-Backs didn't care because they knew they would lose anyway is ludicrous beyond belief, and in fact belittles and disrespects them as competitive athletes.

Ok, lets get to the next paragraph where you start off with some more doozeys. You claim all the Rockies fans have abandoned ship and gone over to the Nuggets. Well, look at the facts, the Rockies aren't playing great, but they are still drawing fans. They are 6th in the NL in attendance and 10th overall. Whereas those rabid D-Backs fans sit below them at 1oth in the NL and 14th overall, and they are in 1st place! Where is the fan support? I mean, even the Giats, arguably the worst team in baseball is higher than Arizona. So its clear the Rocks have plenty of support regardless of your factless claim that they only support them when they are winning. You go on to say how Colorado fans take it out on Arizona. Sorry, but that just sounds like a little crying kid. Don't give yourself so much credit. Maybe you should attend/watch more Devner sporting events when an Arizona team isn't involved, the results are the same. Its called fans supporting their team and booing the other. Thats what fans do. And by the way, the Jazz are much more hated and seen as a rival to the Thuggets than the Suns are. Lastly, I am not really sure what your point about Carmelo Anthony's DUI is. Are you saying that anytime a player has a brush with the law the moral police should swoop down and suspend the guy? This is not a city or even team issue, its a league issue and the league will punish him if it feels necessary. The tox report isn't even back yet. I mean, I am not defending the dude, he made a huge error in judgement and is lucky that noone was hurt, I don't condone that in the slightest, but it's not like its the first time its happened. But you do raise an interesting memory in my mind. Going back to 2001, I remember when Jason Kidd admitted to abusing his wife. Oh, he played for the Suns then too. Maybe the league should step in, supsend Anthony for the playoffs do the same retroactively to Kidd. I don't recall him being suspended for the 2001 playoffs.

In closing, I am glad you moved to Colorado. I enjoy hanging out with you guys, maybe you guys don't feel the same, who knows. Also, if moving here has increased your fanhood, then I am all for it. Just don't be too biased, it just sounds a little childish at times and even sounds like you might be the one with the chip on his shoulder. In reality, you are probably just having a little bit of culture shock, sports-wise. Sometimes its not easy to hear negative things about your teams, but that is the reality of sport. I have to give you credit, you do put together a decent argument that I am sure most would just swallow, even throwing in some good wit. I enjoyed the read. Not sure if you will enjoy mine as much(this thing took on a life of its own). I hope you know this is all in good fun. But seriously, I don't expect you to understand, after all you are NOT a fan!