Historically, Denver baseball can be categorized as either PH or AHpre-humidor or after-humidor — invoking a time that was either wildly offensive or more in line with realistic statistics.
But in these AH times, something has gone awry. Defenselessness is back, and it has spread to sports beyond baseball. When did Denver teams stop protecting their end zones, baskets, goals and turfs? Orange Crush has turned to orange mush.
Through seven weeks, the Broncos are the third-worst defense in the NFL, allowing 394.6 yards per game. Through six games, the Avalanche was the fifth-most scored upon team in the NHL, with 3.67 goals against.
The Nuggets, predictors seem to agree, are headed for an NBA low on the defensive end. The Rockies, too, gave up the fifth-most runs this season.
Only the Rapids are respectable defensively, ranking seventh among 14 MLS teams in goals-against this season.
Denver has become as defenseless as Little Big Horn.
And yet all is not lost. The Broncos (4-3), on a bye before hosting Miami on Nov. 2, are atop the AFC West.
The Avs, who are on a four-game winning streak after beating the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, entertain the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday for a 7 p.m. game at the Pepsi Center (airing on ALT).
The up-tempo Nuggets, who face the Clippers in Los Angeles tonight to conclude their preseason, start their regular-season campaign at Utah on Wednesday.
And the Rapids host Real Salt Lake in a must-win regular-season finale at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Colorado can earn the last available MLS playoff berth with a victory. Salt Lake is in with a win or a tie.
That “D” in the crowd next to the cutout picket fence spells something, but it’s not d-fence.
Gimme a “D”
Without the Broncos in action this weekend, Denver still will be abuzz. Among the games:
Avs: vs. Buffalo Sabres, at Pepsi Center, Sat., 7 p.m. (ALT)
Rapids: vs. Real Salt Lake, at DSG Park, Sat., 7:30 p.m.
AROUND TOWN
Getting their kicks.
The Big 12 Conference regular-season soccer championship could be on the line Sunday when Colorado hosts rival Texas A&M.
The Buffaloes (12-2-3, 6-1-2, 20 points) begin the weekend atop the Big 12 standings, followed by Texas A&M (12-3-1, 5-2-1, 16 points). Sunday’s regular-season finale — 1 p.m. at Prentup Field — likely will decide the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament.
The Denver men’s and women’s soccer teams also will conclude their home schedules, on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
STAY ON THE COUCH
Eye on the Tigers.
Colorado will have its hands full when the Buffaloes travel to Columbia on Saturday for a 4:40 p.m. game against No. 16 Missouri. The game, airing nationally on FSN, will feature the fifth-highest scoring team in the country — Missouri, not Colorado.
Five of the six highest-scoring teams this season are from the Big 12, the oddball being high-flying Tulsa. Colorado has played one of those teams, losing 38-14 to Texas. The Buffs also will face Oklahoma State, another of the top scorers.
The CU-Mizzou game is part of an FSN tripleheader on Saturday, preceded by Oklahoma-Kansas State at 10:30 a.m. and followed by Southern Cal-Arizona at 8:15 p.m.
GET OFF THE COUCH
From goblins to gorillas.
Myriad Halloween-themed road races begin tonight with the Scream Scram 5K at Washington Park in Denver at 6 p.m. (bkbltd.com). But there are two other big-time recreation events on Saturday.
• The Denver Gorilla Run, an annual city favorite, races Saturday at 11:30 a.m. starting at the Wynkoop Brewing Co. in LoDo. Racers can run, walk, crawl, whatever, through the city in a full-body gorilla costume. The whole scene is hilarious and raises money for the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund (denvergorillarun.com).
• Also on Saturday, the 20th VeloSwap at the National Western Complex will bring together cyclists to buy, sell, trade, recycle and replace bikes and bike parts. It’ll be Colorado cycling central this weekend (veloswap.com).
A HELPING HAND
Hockey giveaway.
Anyone who’s ever gotten a whiff of a postgame hockey locker room knows it’s not an inviting place.
Anyone who’s ever tried outfitting a hockey player to begin with knows the cost is more difficult than the smell.
The Ponderosa Ice Hockey Booster Club will help players suit up on Saturday with an equipment giveaway. Some $50,000 worth of skates, sticks and pads were donated to the club from the foundation of Avalanche player Scott Parker and the Shaka Foundation.
The giveaway runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Big Bear Ice Arena (8580 E. Lowry Blvd.) in Denver.
