Strike 2: T’was the Day before Christmas, a time for revealing wish lists.
We’ve got a lot to be thankful for around here, that’s for sure. It’s an amazing time to be a Denver sports fan. Two first-place teams and another who’s just a tick below. It’s not likely, but not impossible, that Denver could host three championship parades in 2026. Nowhere else can they say that.
And then there are the never-been-seen before changes happening in the front office at Coors Field. It’s not wrong to be optimistic about the future there, either.
So while things are pretty good, they can always be better, right? Is it greedy to have a wishlist of things that could make our sports landscape even more jovial?
The Denver Broncos list is easy: We want a standout, every-down Pro Bowl running back who can rush for 1,400 yards and stay strong and healthy for a full season. Also, a game-breaking wide receiver who can beat defenses deep, and while we’re at it, a defense that can’t just rush the passer (which is great) but can also take the ball away and give the offense a short field a couple of times a game. That stuff tends to make a difference.
The Colorado Avalanche aren’t lacking for much. We’ll just wish for continued good health and a way to fit all their standout players under next year’s NHL salary sap. Oh, and can we get the NHL to change their dumb playoff format so the Avs don’t have to open the playoffs against the second-best team in the league every season?
That’s a very fair ask.
The Denver Nuggets need better health, and hopefully that’s on the horizon. That, and a third big man who can fill in some quality minutes when needed if foul trouble and/or any more injuries – like Aaron Gordon’s balky hamstring – persist. A backup point guard would be a bonus, but we don’t want to be greedy. And we definitely won’t wish for the NBA refs to start treating that group down in Oklahoma like they treat the rest of the league. That would be too much to ask for.
We know Santa Claus doesn’t have room in his bag for everything that the Colorado Rockies need right now, so best to take this list in smaller bites. For starters, how about a legit big-league starter or two? The new front office is an impressive group, even if some of their coaching hires are head-scratchers. But can we get this team a couple guys that can pitch into the sixth and seventh innings every fifth day, and who knows, maybe a fourth-straight 100-loss season can be avoided?
Can we also ask that veterans like Kyle Freeland get to decide what pitches they’re going to throw, and that the laptops and the algorithms stay out of the bullpen?
There will be a lot more on the Rockies wish list a year from now, but when you’re the worst team in baseball, you need to be good with baby steps. This is a multi-year project.
This seems like a modest list, and we’ll be good as long as at least one parade is included. No need to be too greedy.
