Put your finger on the pulse of Denver this week and the stock show would move more blood than the Broncos. Nationally, the Broncos have become the trendy pick to be upset, with every pundit wannabe pointing to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady as the deciding factors over Mike Shanahan and Jake Plummer. But do Denver fans really expect this to happen?
We can’t tell either way, but the Broncos certainly aren’t on the collective tongue of this town like they used to be. Maybe in the six years since Denver last hosted a playoff game – in January of 1999 on its way to the second of consecutive Super Bowl titles – fans have forgotten how to get excited. Maybe fans are waiting for the Broncos to get past the divisional round, or maybe they want to see the Broncos win the first playoff game at Invesco Field before letting their guards down. Or maybe fans don’t think Plummer and Shanny can shed the “haven’t won in the playoffs since Elway” label that follows them like a nasty head cold.
One thing is certain, this town isn’t seeing orange like it once did. Remember in the late 1980s, during John Elway’s first two Super Bowl runs, when radio stations recut and replayed old songs with Broncos-themed lyrics, including “Johnny Be Good” (“Throw, Johnny, throw”) and “Johnny Elway,” sung to the tune of “Johnny Angel?” And before that, in 1977, Broncos fullback Jon Keyworth recorded “Make Those Miracles Happen,” which fans drank up while downing their Orange Crush sodas and wearing Orange Crush T-shirts.
Remember when pregame rallies drew thousands of die-hards who just wanted to scream for a few hours for no good reason? Where have you gone, Ricky Nattiel? And why doesn’t Jake Plummer have a song?
WEAK IN REVIEW
World Cup skier Bode Miller, who pens a regular column from the tour for The Denver Post, wrote that the only reason he told CBS’ “60 Minutes” he had once skied while “wasted” was to “test their integrity.” Miller thought the television news magazine should be creating role models for kids, instead of reporting on sensational quotes to garner headlines. How does Bode expect “60 Minutes” to be a role model when Andy Rooney regularly scares away young children with those huge, menacing animals where his eyebrows are supposed to be?
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
The governors of Colorado and Massachusetts retract their boring bet on the Broncos-Patriots game in which the loser has to wear the other team’s jersey. Instead, they should wager something useful. How about if the Broncos win, Boston will be forced to take Channel 4’s Vic Lombardi off our hands for a while. And if the Patriots win, Denver will take New England’s most annoying sportscaster, or Ted Kennedy.
THE COUCH
ON: In an altogether poor scheduling move, the NHL will not be bringing Peter Forsberg and the Flyers to Denver to take on the Avalanche. The teams play once this season, in Philadelphia on Saturday. Fortunately for Avs fans, the game will be on national TV, and we don’t mean the Outdoor Life Network, a station about as national as a short-wave radio. The Avs and Flyers face off on NBC at noon, on the first day this season of the Peacock’s hockey coverage. And just in time: The Avs are on their biggest streak of the season, having won six straight games, including a 2-1 win over Montreal on Wednesday.
OFF: Let us count the reasons why Saturday’s Lafayette Oatmeal Festival is THE reason to get off the couch this weekend:
1. The fest includes a 5K walk/run – an official Bolder Boulder qualifying race – beginning at 9:30 a.m., with fees starting at $12. Pets are welcome.
2. It has a health fair. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science and Boulder Community Hospital will screen for all kinds of health issues, from blood pressure, osteoporosis, hearing and vision and the always crowd-pleasing fasting lipid panel.
3. They will offer – we’re not kidding – an oatmeal aromatherapy session.
4. The oatmeal breakfast will include a toppings bar with more than 145 items. Find out which ones go with oatmeal on Saturday at the Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, 111 W. Baseline Road in Lafayette. Events start at 8 a.m. Find more information at discoverlafayette.com.
AROUND TOWN
An early favorite for an Academy Award nomination in the documentary category, “Murderball” tells the story of national wheelchair rugby players and offers a look at the sport with all its aggression, intensity and drama. A similar event takes place in Highlands Ranch this weekend, when Metro State hosts its first Collegiate Wheelchair Tennis Classic at the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center. On Saturday and Sunday, players will compete in a national tournament, with essentially the same rules and regulations as able-bodied tennis, except players are allowed two bounces of the ball. The field of about 10 players will be paced by Metro State sophomore Charlie Burns, who, along with his doubles partner, currently ranks third nationally in the United States Tennis Association’s Intercollegiate Wheelchair Tennis League. The free event is open to the public.
