ProSportsColorado.com » Crush http://www.prosportscolorado.com A community for fans of all Colorado professional sports teams Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:54:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Nuggets vs Mavericks Conference Semifinal Preview http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2009/05/12/282-nuggets-vs-mavericks-conference-semifinal-preview/ http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2009/05/12/282-nuggets-vs-mavericks-conference-semifinal-preview/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 23:13:42 +0000 Ian Cerveny http://www.prosportscolorado.com/?p=282

A cursory glance at the Conference Semifinal series between the Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks gives you the impression that these teams are simply going to work to outscore each other on the way to the Conference Finals. But this series will be defined by which team’s defense can find consistency in the second round.

Both the Nuggets and the Mavericks bullied their way through the first round with impressive 4-1 series wins. Denver blew out the offensively-challenged Hornets, thrice resorting to resting starters in the fourth quarter of games that were over at the end of the third. Dallas fielded occasional challenges from a Spurs team missing its most dependable scoring threat (Manu Ginobili). By double-teaming Tony Parker, the Mavs defied Tim Duncan to beat them on his own, and the aging star was not up to the task.

Now the teams roll into Denver with two collective heads full of steam, and firing on five of six cylinders respectively. Despite the first round smack-downs, neither team received outstanding performances from their biggest scorers. Dirk Nowitzki struggled to find a rhythm, and the Spurs worked overtime keeping him out of the paint. Carmelo Anthony hit a few hot streaks that propelled the Nuggets to impressive offensive runs, but he was a catalyst not a finisher in the first round largely due to the Hornets’ stout defense. Expect both players to outshine their teammates in a more open run ‘n gun game-plan featuring two offensively dynamic rosters.

Therein lies the quandary for the teams’ coaches; how do we slow them down? The difference in this series is likely to come down to defensive bench play, and the Nuggets definitely have the edge. Chris Andersen was second in the league in blocks in limited playing time, and his fanatically energetic defense demands that opposing teams change their natural approach to scoring. With JR Smith lending Denver’s second team a healthy helping of offense, the Nuggets’ bench will be able to challenge the Mavericks on both sides of the ball. While Dallas does have equally dangerous scoring threats off the bench in Jason Terry and Jose Juan Barea, they are severely lacking in defensive depth. The Mavs will have enough trouble stopping the Nuggets’ first team offense. Beyond starting center Erick Dampier, Dallas does not have a player capable of defending the paint against Denver’s many low-post threats.

This will not be a short series, though. Dallas plays extraordinarily well at home, but Denver has home-court advantage as the West’s second seed. The Nuggets may steal one game on the road, but definitely not two. What’s more, Denver’s regular-season sweep (4-0) of the Mavericks was a bit misleading, as three victories came by a combined total of seven points. Expect this series to go the distance, with Denver outlasting the Mavericks in a seven-game slug-fest.

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]]> http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2009/05/12/282-nuggets-vs-mavericks-conference-semifinal-preview/feed/ 0 Cutler, McDaniels to Schedule Slapfight http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2009/03/17/239-cutler-mcdaniels-to-schedule-slapfight/ http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2009/03/17/239-cutler-mcdaniels-to-schedule-slapfight/#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:56:56 +0000 Ian Cerveny http://www.prosportscolorado.com/?p=239 Englewood, CO — Two days after Denver quarterback Jay Cutler put his four-bedroom, seven-bathroom, one-waterfall, custom-built Denver area home on the market, the Broncos announced a final shocking twist in a saga that has increasingly resembled a Mexican soap opera. What began as a shady proposal for a three-way trade involving his former boss, has quickly become a full-blown fiasco for first-year head coach Josh McDaniels. For Cutler, who is preparing to enter his fourth year as a Broncos quarterback, the news was reportedly enough to cause him to wet his pants and demand an immediate diaper change.

A meeting between the two feuding sides occurred behind closed doors over the weekend. An anonymous source present at the meeting described it as, “Very much like a meeting of your class government in high school… and then the cheerleader and the class president start throwing pom-poms and clip-on ties and calling each other names. Yes, very much like that.” The first scheduled team meeting under the new head coach occurred Monday morning, but was conspicuously not attended by Cutler. Reports are now circulating that, having been denied his diaper change, Baby Jay is now demanding a trade instead. Although he is rumored to be willing to accept his weight in gold-plated pacifiers to stay with the team.

The Broncos’ VP of Public Relations, Jim Saccomano, appeared before select members of the local and national media on Monday to detail owner Pat Bowlen’s plans for resolving the embarrassingly public spat between Cutler and McDaniels.

“After careful consideration of Josh and Jay’s perspectives, Mr. Bowlen has decided that both are basically immature, self-centered idiots. Pat has lost sleep over this, you know? He’s a very involved owner. He didn’t know what to do since both individuals were clearly in the wrong” began Saccomano. “We’ve given them time to sort this out by themselves, but they are clearly such little bitches that it’s just not gonna happen. Mr. Bowlen has been forced to invoke the Slapfight Clause.”

For those unfamiliar with the Broncos organization, the Slapfight Clause has been written into every contract since Dan Reeves was forced out of Denver after years of tension between himself and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. To avoid a similarly disruptive situation in the future, Bowlen drafted the first version of the Slapfight Clause while shooting tequila with fellow University of Oklahoma alumni.

Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity brother Horace Bringsby recalls that evening. “So Patty slams, like, his eighth shot in an hour. I mean, really slams it. He stands up and says, ‘Football isn’t fun when I got to play mommy to a couple of little bitches.’ And then he grabs a pen and paper and hollers for Marty to come over, he was our frat lawyer back in the day, and they start hammerin’ out this new contract clause.”

Although Bowlen could not impose the freshly written clause on Elway and Reeves’ existing contracts, he was sure to include it in every contract signed since that evening. The result has been a remarkably low rate of bitch-related activity in an NFL era defined by prima donnas and super-egos. In fact, a 2006 study showed that the Broncos were consistently in the bottom five Least Annoying Teams since 2003, the year that Reeves was fired and replaced by a gelatinous substance sometimes called Wade Phillips.

The clause, once invoked by the team owner, gives the offending members of the organization three days to schedule a no-holds-barred, publicly televised slap fight. Saccomano said that both Cutler and McDaniels had been notified of the decision by an irate Bowlen mere hours before the press conference. “Pat’s a great guy. One of the best owners in the league. But when he thinks you’re being a bitch, he’s gonna let you know it.” The winner of the slapfight earns the right to drop the title ‘Little Bitch’, and take on the less embarrassing title of ‘Whiny Punk’.

Requests for comment were not returned by Cutler or McDaniels, although Snoop Dog did make an unsolicited call to my Manhattan office just previous to publication of this story. “I just want to go on record, aight? I just got to ask… why ya’ll gotta be bitches? Come on now! How much money you make and ya doin watchu love, and ya’ll still got ta act like bitches. Damn! Getchyoselves straight.”

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]]> http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2009/03/17/239-cutler-mcdaniels-to-schedule-slapfight/feed/ 1 Colorado; Sporting Mecca http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/10/12/72-colorado-sporting-mecca/ http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/10/12/72-colorado-sporting-mecca/#comments Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:47:57 +0000 Ian Cerveny http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/10/12/72/ Denver, Colorado has long been a sports town. Ever since the Broncos joined the AFL’s Western Conference in 1960, Denver (and populated regions throughout the great expanses of Colorado) has taken pride in its teams and in representing those teams where it really matters; at live home games. Other big cities from coast to coast and up and down the Mississippi can dish out all the “cow town” crap they want but, when it comes right down to it, all that means is that we’re wild out here in the wide open west. Every Sunday during football season big cornfed honkies and scruffy mountain men and hardnosed city dwellers and blitzed college kids pack the stands of Mile High Stadium to represent a culture of oddly diverse (but always hardcore) fans united by the orange and blue. Because Denver is, first and foremost, a football town.

If cities could fall in love (which they can), Denver’s first was the Broncos. The team and the city grew up together over the last half century, and the histories that define both entities are intertwined throughout. A Denver native, I was raised to bleed (predominantly) orange and to silently revere the magnificent oranges and blues of the Rocky Mountain sunset as a reminder that we live in a beautiful and blessed state… and that God is a Broncos fan. But in my lifetime this city has blossomed into a full-fledged sporting mecca. The Avalanche came into their own right away; a veteran team that found itself quite suddenly in possession of one of hockey’s all-time greatest goaltenders. Denver was ready for them when they came, a hockey town since the 80′s thanks to the hapless five-year experiment that was the NHL’s Colorado Rockies, but also thanks to the one year wonders that were the Turner Cup (IHL) winning Denver Grizzlies. The Avs took The Stanley Cup in their first season (1995-96) and the furvor that followed was the catalyst for the complete re-making of Denver as a sports town. The Broncos doubled up with back-to-back Superbowls in the following two years, and the Avs brought The Cup back to Denver in 2001. But this is no two-team sports town. The Nuggets made NBA history in the 1994 playoffs, beating the top seeded Seattle Supersonics as an 8th seed in the first round of the playoffs (and then taking the Utah Jazz to seven games before getting knocked out.) And the Colorado Rockies fought their way into the 1995 MLB playoffs as a wild card, beating the Braves in just one game (the only team to beat the Braves on the way to their World Series Title) but contending each game closely throughout the series. And all the while fans packed seats and screamed and clapped in unison, because Denver is a sports town.

If you’ve ever been to a Broncos game on Sunday, you know how it feels to be part of the singular massive organism that is Broncos Nation. If you were at The Tiebreaker that finally and unequivically landed the Rockies a playoff berth, you know how it feels to be a part of sports history. The fans at that particular game were rabid with excitement, from old timers (my fifty year old father included) to young pups (my four year old son included) everybody gave the team every ounce of energy they had. Even those that were newer Rockies fans understood that Coors Field, like all places of sport worship in Denver, is hallowed ground reserved only for those who are willing to give their heart and soul to a team in return for that team’s best effort in the game. Every player on that Rockies bench had to feel the collective power of the scene and behold it with awe, just as I did from the upper deck. The stadium was alive. When the Rockies went down two runs in the 13th on a (typical) terrible performance by Jorge Julio, I saw perhaps a handful of fans walk away in disgust. Those fair weather few deserved their fate, and I imagine many of them could hear from a mile away as they approached their cars the explosion of heartier fans reveling in that impassioned come-from-behind victory in the bottom of the inning. The stadium emptied into the streets, normally sane and level-minded individuals tearing up and down Blake with the carefree exuberance of a child. I remember stating earlier this season that Denver was a baseball town waiting to happen. It happened. It was glorious.

And that short history of Denver sports is just the tip of the iceberg. Our minor league hockey and lacrosse teams have been winning championships with regularity for the better part of this century, and even soccer has found a niche in the Colorado sporting community in which to thrive. The broad sports market in the Denver Metro area has spawned a minor league team every twenty miles from Denver to Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs is an impressive sports community unto itself. The proliferation of burgeoning cities along the I-25 corridor has ensured that the Colorado sports market will continue to grow as major cities across the country stagnate and are forced to come up with lame marketing strategies to bring people to their games in markets long over-crowded with mediocre teams.

This is sporting country out here. And whether it’s the ample open spaces and culture of fitness or some more subtle draw, Colorado continues to attract and keep sports fans of all types. So I’ll tip my hat (a Rockies hat today) to Colorado sports fans and the proud tradition that they represent. The many teams that we are so proud to lend our collective will and energy to have made this a great place to be a fan.

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]]> http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/10/12/72-colorado-sporting-mecca/feed/ 0 simply crushed. http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/26/26-simply-crushed/ http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/26/26-simply-crushed/#comments Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:39:48 +0000 Jason Ackerman http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/26/simply-crushed/ Oh yeah. So that’s what Arena Football is all about.

Once you get over the name “Football” and begin to treat it as a different game, you can begin to appreciate it for what it is.

Now that’s not to say that it held my attention. I mean, honestly, who could turn their eyes from the roller-coaster ride that was the 9th inning of the Rockies game last night? What it came down to was that the Crush, though a playoff team, were simply outgunned and in the midst of a colossal losing streak. Even if you didn’t know going in that they were on such a slide, you could tell by their faces– life as the Crush just wasn’t fun last night.

Though it was nice to see Elway in the booth talking it up, the arena game just doesn’t quite excite me. I really feel like I need to attend a game. That’s what got me into hockey 10+ years ago, I had watched some games on TV, and not really picked it up, but when I went to my first Portland Winterhawks game (WHL – major junior hockey… remember Adam Deadmarsh? He came through the system in Portland), being there in person helped me pick up on the passion and the nuance of the game. I think arena football will be the same. Perhaps not, but it’s worth a try.

Things I like about AFL:

- It’s a shootout. Offensive dream, defensive nightmare. Though well-played defense in a game geared to offense can be a beautiful thing.
- Fast-paced. There can be many touchdowns in the span of a minute.
- Not just a breeding ground for future or rejected NFLers anymore. There are guys that have played entire careers here. Yeah, they all would trade it in to play NFL, but you can have a decent career as an arena player now that the league is 20+ years established, and has gotten over the expansion bug.
- Creative rules. You can catch the ball off the wall, for instance. The nets are in play. That’s pretty cool, and allows for some excitement.

Things I don’t like about the AFL:
- it’s not the NFL. Petty though it may be, there’s something about the expanse of an NFL field that enhances the ‘gridiron battle’ aspect. The 50-yard field just feels like the whole thing is a toy, a mere mockup of the real thing.

I guess that’s it. But that’s one big con to a list of some “ok” pros. I’ll keep giving AFL a chance. Hopefully the Crush can get their heads back in the game, because what I saw last night was just downright stinky. But you gotta love a sport where putting 50+ points on the board can qualify as “stinky”.

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]]> http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/26/26-simply-crushed/feed/ 2 it’s too freaking hot to do anything. http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/25/24-its-too-freaking-hot-to-do-anything/ http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/25/24-its-too-freaking-hot-to-do-anything/#comments Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:45:12 +0000 Jason Ackerman http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/25/its-too-freaking-hot-to-do-anything/ As much as I’d like to share a room with 30,000 people tonight, the heat-induced lack of energy as well as the slow-business-induced lack of funds will prevent me from attending and reporting on the Crush game tonight. It is on ESPN, however, so I’ll probably just stay planted in front of the TV with an adult beverage or 3. We’ll see how long Arena Football can keep my attention.

In other news, the Rocks sure crashed hard this weekend. It’s unfortunate, because they are a better team than they showed. It’s going to take a solid year of production without the ridiculous streaks, and some indication from the top that the organization gives a crap about winning, to bring the fans back to Coors Field en masse. Winning will bring them back in streaks, but short of a miracle playoff run, I don’t see the Monfort-owned Rockies drawing the crowds anytime soon.

And finally, John Elway executed another solid drive to win himself a reality show title. Somehow, I don’t see that award sitting prominently on the trophy shelf, but hey, whatever tops the dude’s sundae, right?

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]]> http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/25/24-its-too-freaking-hot-to-do-anything/feed/ 0 Activity in Absence http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/19/22-activity-in-absence/ http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/19/22-activity-in-absence/#comments Tue, 19 Jun 2007 22:01:44 +0000 Jason Ackerman http://www.prosportscolorado.com/2007/06/19/activity-in-absence/ So let me start by saying it’s only because the last few days got a little hairy that I haven’t given this site the attention that I meant to. Hopefully this won’t be a continuing problem.

In the meantime, however, my few but valued readers, I sincerely hope you’ll take the time to read the “State of the Rockies” and “The Avalanche and the Myth of the New NHL”. These are long articles to digest, but it’s because they are well thought out. Grab a cup of coffee (mug of beer?) and get reading. ProSportsColorado.com is only going to get better as our writers hit a stride.

Coming soon, we’ll be adding a new writer who really digs the Nuggets. Since NBA is probably the sport that least attracts my interest, it will be nice to have a b-ball fan on the team. Whether you dig the Nugs or not, you can’t deny the team dynamics and personalities at least make this team entertaining.

Finally, I just want to let you know that I plan to attend the final Crush home game next Monday night. I only have limited exposure to Arena Football, and I’ve never attended a game, so it will be a new experience for this hardened NFL fan. I’ll be sure to write a review of the experience. Thanks for reading, and a public thanks to Dan and Ian for writing some solid pieces over the past week.

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