Supporting the Colorado Rockies is a moral conundrum.
On one hand, the team is a joke; they’ve had just six winning seasons in the last two decades, and since their last playoff appearance in 2009, the organization seems to be burrowing deeper and deeper into MLB’s cellar.
On the other hand, going to a Rockies game is a blast. It doesn’t matter how bad the team is, we all know that for as long as the Rockies exist, fans will show up, grab a margarita at the Rio, chill on the party deck and continue to incentivize the Rockies to keep doing what they’re doing.
Because why change the product when the product continues to rake in the big bucks? In fact, since 2008, despite boasting one of the worst on-field products in baseball, the Rockies have remained in the top-half of attendance totals each year.
Now, is this a sign of Denver being one of the country’s best baseball towns, loyal to a fault? Or are we just attracted to shiny objects that contain a lot of alcohol and sunshine?
I’m beginning to think it’s the latter, and so, it seems, is the rest of Denver.
According to ESPN’s latest “Ultimate Standings,” a power ranking of all 122 teams in the four major professional sports, the Rockies own fans voted the team the second worst MLB franchise in America and the 110th worst franchise overall, 19 spots lower than they were in 2014.
Here’s what ESPN had to say about the Rockies fan’s perspective:
This year’s standings show fans don’t have a lot of faith in the Rockies’ title chances — or trust in many of their stakeholders. Even worse? Voting was completed before that controversial Troy Tulowitzki trade. Rockies fans’ frustrations run the gamut — the club ranked last in all of sports in categories including “demonstrates a commitment to winning” and “showing appreciation to the fans.”
Still, I know Colorado loves it’s baseball and their Rockies, but the organization has clearly lost the trust of the entire fanbase.
I know I’m not the first to say this, and I most certainly won’t be the last, but if the Rockies are ever going to improve, us fans will have to improve, too. No more blind, unconditional support. If the Monforts want to fill their stadium day in and day out, we need to make them earn it.