It’s called “Dancing with the Stars.”
Not “Dancing with the Journeymen.” Not “Dancing with the Respectable Veterans.” Not “Dancing with Guys Who Have Some Potential.” Not “Dancing with Good Locker Room Guys.”
Stars. That’s it.
And, as I may or may not have been watching ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” last night, it dawned on me: You gotta have a star.
That’s the only way to win a title. You can have all the rah-rah locker room speeches about teamwork and hard work and unselfishness. Give me a star or two, and we’ll see who wins the big one first.
Von Miller? He’s a star. No question. He’s got that certain pizzazz. The cameras just seem to find him. He’s a so-so dancer – he and his partner Witney Carson earned a 20 out of 30 last night – but more importantly, he’s a household name all across America. It doesn’t matter if he can dance or not, or if he’s got gas, or if he’s late to dance practice – people love him, and that’s why he’s on the show. He’s got star power.
And that’s what the Broncos have. And what everyone else in town does not. At least as of now. It’s why the Broncos won a Super Bowl, and why every other Denver team is still on the hunt. All of us in the sports world can analyze things to death, but it’s all so simple really: If you’ve got a star, you’ve got a chance. If you don’t, you don’t. The best you can hope for is an overachieving run that ends in heartbreak.
Overly dramatic? Not always the case? I don’t think so. Look no further than very own trophy case for evidence.
When the Denver Broncos have won Super Bowls, they’ve done so with the likes of John Elway, Terrell Davis, Steve Atwater, Neil Smith, Alfred Williams, Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey, Peyton Manning, Miller, Demaryius Thomas, DeMarcus Ware. Stars. Each and every one of them (and I’m probably leaving a few off the list).
How about the Buffs’ first-and-only national football title? Williams, Darian Hagan, Eric Bieniemy, Charles (E.) Johnson, Michael Westbrook, Kanavis McGhee; Chad Brown, Deon Figures. Wikipedia-page guys – all of them.
And the Avs? For a while there, it seemed like that was a requirement if you wanted to play for Pierre Lacroix’s club – you had to be a star. Look at this list of hockey’s who’s-who-ers: Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, Peter Forsberg, Rob Blake, Ray Bourque. Whether you live in Canada or Minnesota or South Padre, you know those guys are stars.
When the Rapids won an MLS title in 2010, they too had stars. Within the game, everyone knows Pablo Mastroeni and Conor Casey.
Look at the teams that came close, too.
The very best Nuggets teams had stars: Alex English, Fat Lever, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin. Every basketball fan knows those guys.
When the Rockies went to the World Series, they featured Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Troy Tulowitzki and a rising star in Ubaldo Jimenez.
By this logic – I’m afraid to report – outside of the Broncos, it doesn’t appear that any other other team will be winning a title any time soon. I know that’s not exactly a newsflash, but when you break it down by gazing at the stars, it’s plain as day. Take a look.
Undeniably Bright Stars…
(Household names, guys at the very top of the game)
Von Miller – He’s on top of the world. All he needs is a mildly competent quarterback and the Broncos could repeat.
DeMarcus Ware – He’s an aging star, but a star nonetheless. He brings star power and the voice of reason to the Broncos locker room and sideline.
Demaryius Thomas – Sure, he didn’t have a great season. But, “not great” for DT means 105 catches (7th) and 1,304 yards (7th). That’s a star, folks.
Nolan Arenado – Premature, you say? The folks at ESPN disagree. Arenado is legit. Specifically, they’ve ranked him one of the game’s top-25 players. When a Colorado Rockie receives that kind of national attention, it speaks volumes. (Editor’s Note: There’s a caveat in baseball, though. Title contenders must have stars both in the field and on the mound; it’s, like, a rule.)
Tim Howard – The newest Rapid is as big a name as soccer can produce. The question, however, is whether or not a 37-year-old goalkeeper can make all the difference. Howard knows how to win at the highest level, and the Rapids are hoping that oozes out across the entire roster.
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Rising Stars
(A a few of these fellows will have their own Fatheads soon enough)
Emmanuel Mudiay – Based on his numbers this season, he’s not a star yet. But, his development over the second half of the season, his ability to play well during crunch time and his age (at 20 years old he’s just a baby) are all signs that point in the right direction – especially for the Nuggets, who have been devoid of a star since Carmelo Anthony headed to New York. A prediction: Heading into the 2017-18 season, Mudiay will top this list.
Nikola Jokic – There’s something about “Mudiay to Jokic” that just sounds right. While Mudiay came to the Nuggets amidst high expectations, Jokic slid in under the radar. But after a season of watching this youngster’s silky touch and solid footwork, I believe the big man has a bright future.
Dillon Serna – At 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds, you might not recognize this local product at the Flatirons Mall, but in the soccer world, he’s already a big deal. Serna has already had a few national team call-ups and he’ll likely figure into the United States Under-23 National Team’s fortunes at the Olympics this summer. Rapids defender Eric Miller also gets a nod for earning the same invite.
Trevor Story – Is it fair to put a 23-year-old shortstop who has never taken a major league swing in this category already? Well, the Rockies sure hope so, and all signs point to Story being the special player they need him to be. Spring Training doesn’t count, but it should be noted that Story is hitting .378 – and that has everyone perking up.
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Fading Stars
(As Def Leppard once wisely said, it’s better to burn out than fade away…)
Carlos Gonzalez – This isn’t a total slap. Remember, to make this list at all, you had to be a star at one time, and CarGo is (still) a star. But he’s also a different kind of star. Despite the fact he’s got the team’s sweetest swing and biggest arm, injuries and inconsistencies have plagued his production. If CarGo plays like CarGo can play, the Rox are worth watching, no matter where they are in the standings.
Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Semyon Varlamov – Look, let’s just lump them all in together, because what can be said for one can be said for all. Each of these guys has shown signs of being great, and that’s probably what had us all calling them “stars” early on. Were they ever? Starved for playoff hockey, we might have been premature in that assessment. Or, maybe they were – or still can be – stars, but collectively, they’ve become the Avs’ underachieving core. Two years ago, when this group made an unexpected run to the playoffs, Denver was abuzz with excitement. Fast forward to the here and now and we’re starting to question whether or not it’s time to shake things up. He might have been high-maintenance, but trading away Ryan O’Reilly might have been saying goodbye to the team’s truest star.
So, who’s going to win the next title? Only time will tell, but the answer is generally in the stars.