Dear Wisconsinites, I come to you as a Coloradan of 18 years, the daughter of a physical education teacher and former collegiate diver, and a friend of three very passionate white boys to tell you one thing: Denver has the best professional sports scene in the United States. Sorry.
Let’s start with the glaringly obvious: Colorado has the best basketball player and a top three hockey player in the world right now to boot. There is no denying the greatness of Nathan MacKinnon and Nikola Jokić, and if you try to argue, I’ll assume you’re just jealous. Throw in the genuine potential that Bo Nix showed this year to be a true franchise player for the Broncos, and the stage is set for three high-performing teams all at the same time, this very year.
The quality of the teams is greater than just their superstars, particularly when it comes to fan engagement and the players’ “public personas.” Just look at MacKinnon’s affinity for skipping star on the ice announcements whenever he gets a chance, or Jokić’s desperation to return to his horse races in Serbia after winning an entire NBA championship. These players are the kind of superstars that go supernova a little too easily because they’re more interested in their sport than putting on a show.. Luckily, each Denver team has a talented supporting cast to keep audiences engaged AND their MVPs performing at their best. After all, what are one or two bigwigs supposed to do if the rest of the team can’t bring home the championship? Ask the Edmonton Oilers about that. (Sorry again.)
So who in Colorado has both the personality and the game to back it up? First, take a look at Courtland Sutton, Jamal Murray AND Aaron Gordon, and Cale Makar. Overall, I think every Denver team has plenty of players to fill this wide niche of both fan service and genuinely good play, making the team’s vibe more appealing to the public. Finally, I’d be a fake Colorado fan if I didn’t mention our current active GOAT in this category: Gabriel. Freaking. Landeskog. Argue with the wall.
Depth goes a long way, too. As a general fan of an underdog story, a late-round rookie with limited minutes, or a comeback arc of the year, you already know my true favorite players are the likes of Pat Bryant (Broncos), Julian Strawther (Nuggets), and Sam Malinski (Avalanche). Honorable mention here goes to my favorite NHL player, who reinvented his career in two years spent in Colorado as a top-tier MacKinnon merchant (2023-24 and 24-25), then promptly basically fell off again after leaving (please don’t make fun of me). Championships are won on players who can step up under high pressure situations, whether that’s offering a career-high legacy game during the injuries of others (like 85% of the Nuggets roster throughout this season) or even a few well-timed goals in an essential playoff series (like Avalanche legends Darren Helm, Andre Burakovsky, and Andrew Cogliano in the ‘22 Cup Final).
Ultimately, Denver sports fans bring an interesting fanbase to the table for our teams. Speaking from experience, we ride or die for our teams. I watched my dad stick with his team through the Broncos’ 10-year drought. I cheered for Jarrett Stidham with the best of ’em when he became our only hope for an AFC Championship this January. I watched my basement TV with bated breath on the night of June 26, 2022, when the Colorado Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup only five years after playing one of the worst NHL seasons of all time. Denver fans won’t give up on a team when times get tough, and they won’t give up on a player unless it’s really time for him to go. Sorry, Michael Porter Jr. I think this makes the market in Colorado much more desirable for a player than the most hardcore of markets, like Philly football or Toronto hockey.
In hopes of appealing to the audience who might hate me at this point in time, I’ve been sticking to three of the four big men’s leagues — NFL, NBA, and NHL. However, this isn’t even all Colorado has to offer. The Colorado Mammoth in the National Lacrosse League (men’s box lacrosse) recently set a franchise record for consecutive wins with seven straight wins on a random day in February. The Rockies are… an MLB team that you can see at Coors Field. Ball Arena just hosted a PWHL Takeover Tour matchup between the reigning Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost and the New York Sirens, with over fifteen thousand people in attendance chanting that Denver wants a PWHL team of its own! Don’t forget the newly-minted inaugural season of the NWSL’s Denver Summit, for which the iconic USWNT captain and midfielder Lindsey Heaps (Horan) IS COMING HOME TO COLORADO in June. My fellow women’s sports fans, we have to capitalize on this, as the first women’s pro team in Colorado since the short-lived Colorado Xplosion of 1996-98. To all the franchise owners out there: please put a WNBA team in my state and I will probably sell my soul to you. Besides, look at everything else I just talked about! The market is clearly there!
In conclusion: I love my state. I love my teams. They are probably better than yours. Peace and love on planet Earth.
Featured image: Colorado Springs Gazette
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