Fall really is the prime time to be a sports fan. In the state of Colorado, professional sports carry a certain mantra to them and everything from Broncos season to a Rockies postseason run makes it a fun month of fanship.
As a Colorado sports fan, I am used to disappointment. Around this time last year the Colorado Rockies made it to the playoffs for the first time in eight years but suffered a heartbreaking loss in the very first game of the postseason. The Denver Broncos started the 2017 season 3-1 but went on an eight-game losing streak starting in mid-October.
This year is a different story. The Rockies made it past the dreaded Wild Card Game by beating the Chicago Cubs in an instant classic after 13 innings of great baseball. The Broncos are 2-3 but are showing signs of improving with more positive aspects of their gameplay compared to last year at this point.
Other seasons are starting up within the month as well. Both the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets are preparing to start the regular season and neither of them is aiming to disappoint. After the Nuggets failed to make the postseason in 2017 and the Avs were knocked out in the first round by the Nashville Predators, the sky is the limit because of the young and growing talent on both teams.
Many people would say that Colorado sports team are known for chocking in important games and losing when it matters the most. To some extent that is true. Having the Rockies in the playoffs can create a sense of doubt when watching the games because, in the past, Colorado hasn’t had a winning tradition.
The only time the Rockies went to the World Series they were swept in four games by the Boston Red Sox. The Nuggets have never made it to an NBA Finals and the Avalanche have not won the Stanley Cup since 2001.
The only championship that has been won in the state of Colorado recently was the Denver Broncos winning Super Bowl 50 in 2015. Since then it has been a struggle to get back on top.
However, these teams that have had a history of disappointing losses are starting to create a stir. The Rockies brought Rocktober back to Colorado for the first time since 2007, the Avs made the playoffs for a consecutive season last year and can only improve while the Nuggets are poised to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Times can be tough for a sports fan no matter what city you are in. So yes, times can be tough in Colorado but there really is something special about being a sports fan in the Rocky Mountain region. Being at Mile High Stadium or Coors Field creates a special feeling that can only be felt at those venues.
A Denver sunset in the background with the crisp fall Colorado air is an element that only professional sports in the Centennial state can bring.
