With all due respect to the recently surging Avalanche and the always-contending Mammoth, the team in this state nearest a league title must be the Denver Nuggets.
See ya later, Broncos. Thanks for playing, Rockies. Rough road this year, Rapids.
But with the Nuggets’ crown of “Best Colorado Team” comes considerable scrutiny. No more hiding behind minor Broncos news on the front page. No more hoping the ski season distracts debate.
Front and center, George and Melo. The town turns its hungry eyes to you.
And we’ll have plenty of time to pick apart the pros and cons this month. Saturday’s game against Chris Paul and New Orleans starts a seven-game homestand. The Nugs don’t hit the road again until Jan. 19. They play 10 of their 14 games this month at the Pepsi Center.
This season, the Nuggets are 11-4 at home and 10-8 away. And they score more points in Denver (105.3) than on the road (100.5.). Conversely, Denver is more aggressive on the road. The Nugs average more offensive rebounds and more steals on the road.
Still, Denver is where the Nuggets excel. And the coming homestand could be what the Nuggets need to put some distance between them and the rest of the Northwest Division. The Nuggets lead Portland by just half a game. But the Trail Blazers are below .500 on the road this season, with six road games in January. And they have to play the Lakers, Cleveland, Utah and Detroit this month — no small task.
The Jazz, which trails Denver by two games, will also be busy on the road in January. And they, too, have a difficult schedule, with the Lakers, Hornets, Pistons, Mavericks, Rockets, Cavs, Nugs, Spurs and Blazers on the slate. Ouch.
After tonight’s game in Oklahoma City against the Thunder, the Nuggets’ comfy home schedule starts at 7 p.m. Saturday. To mark the occasion, the Nugs are hosting an “I Love the ’80s Night” with a special appearance by Vanilla Ice. Welcome home, Nugs.
AROUND TOWN
Time for some home cookin’.
An up-and-down season for the Avalanche’s Peter Budaj has continued during a solid run by Colorado.
Budaj, the Avs’ No. 1 goaltender, had just given up only four goals on 70 shots in winning two games and helping the Avs to a tidy three-game winning streak. But then he allowed three goals in a 3-1 road loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday.
He and the Avs can right their ship beginning this weekend, when the team kicks off a run of four of its next five games at the Pepsi Center. Those home games include one against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 tonight and another against the Minnesota Wild at 6 p.m. Sunday. Both games air on Altitude.
STAY ON THE COUCH
A bevy of bowls.
Scattered on your television dial this weekend, the college football bowl season continues its sprint toward the finish line with five games today through Monday.
But throw out tradition. The Cotton, Liberty and Sugar play today. New Year’s Day is no longer the pinnacle of bowl season. The Fiesta Bowl goes Monday in prime time. Saturday features the oddball International Bowl in Toronto.
After Tuesday’s GMAC Bowl, the season concludes with Thursday’s BCS title game between Oklahoma and Florida, which will play more than a month after the Sooners’ last game.
Today’s games: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech in the Cotton (noon, KDVR-31); Kentucky vs. East Carolina in the Liberty (3 p.m., ESPN); and Utah vs. Alabama in the Sugar (6 p.m., KDVR-31).
Saturday’s International pits Buffalo vs. UConn (10 a.m., ESPN2). And Monday’s Fiesta has Ohio State going against Texas (6 p.m., Fox).
GET OFF THE COUCH
How about some Springs skiing?
The first big cross country ski race of 2009 rolls through Steamboat Springs on Saturday with the 24th edition of the Steamboat Stampede, a 23- and 42-kilometer skate and classic race.
The course, which goes over rolling terrain, will loop around town beginning at 9:30 a.m. And, for the short-distance fans, there will be 3K, 5K and 10K courses to race.
The Stampede is part of the Sven Wiik Cup Nordic Series. For more information, go to .
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Shoot ’em up.
The college basketball season officially starts on scattered days during the fall. But the real tipoff to hoops season has a shotgun start — this weekend.
A full — and by full, we mean over the rim — slate of games packs the schedule Saturday.
Ten Division I men’s and women’s games go on Saturday alone, covering each of the area big schools. It also is the start of the Mountain West Conference schedule, with Colorado State, Wyoming and Air Force playing their first league games. They join Denver (Sun Belt) and Northern Colorado (Big Sky), which are already in conference play.
Colorado still is in its nonconference schedule. CU’s women’s team plays Pepperdine on Saturday and Hawaii on Sunday in the Paradise Classic in Honolulu. The men’s team is off until Monday.
Check for full schedules.
