Hey, Kool-Aid!.
“Mark, you’re drinking the purple Kool-Aid. Longtime Denver sports fans, whose all-time favorite baseball team is still the Bears led by Tim Raines and Andre Dawson, are tracking the Rockies. But there’s a lot of baseball to be played, and based on the past, the Rockies have a long way to go until they get my blood, sweat and tears. In the meantime, I’m more interested in seeing how Denver’s Team performs with a young and very questionable new football coach at the helm.”
Paul, Denver
Kiz: Well, after the pain of watching the Broncos bomb by the Bay, you must be recovering from a more severe headache than if you drank a case of purple Kool-Aid. Take two aspirin and call me when Kyle Orton figures out he doesn’t want to break the oldest record in the Broncos’ book (Frank Tripucka, 34 interceptions in 1960).
Tulo’s triple was a “homer.”
“Your column on major-league baseball being lost in the technological dark ages was right on. One thing that was obvious watching the instant replay during Colorado’s 11-5 victory against the Cubs was the error by the official scorer on the triple by Troy Tulowitzki that gave him the cycle. It was obviously a double and a throwing error by the relay man. A halfway decent throw and Tulo is out by 10 feet. It was a ‘homer’ call to give Tulo the cycle. I’m not shocked a scorer would make the call. I am shocked writers haven’t criticized him.”
Dennis, Evergreen
Kiz: You want to declare it a homer call? Go ahead. I hear your argument. But unlike most critics, I was actually in the ballpark when Tulowitzki hit for the cycle. And I say it was a triple. Here’s why: The dude was going for it from the second he rounded first. I say he forced the action and stole an extra base with a wild combination of hustle and chutzpah. That’s what makes him Tulo. Sometimes you have to be at the park to see and feel everything involved in a play that a TV camera cannot possibly capture. That’s why repeated viewings of instant replay from afar, whether you’re sitting on a sofa at home or on a chair in an ESPN studio, can occasionally distort, rather than clarify, what really happened in a game.
Standing “O” for O’Dowd.
“Yes, it would be nice for the Rockies to have Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes, but considering the team’s finances, general manager Dan O’Dowd and company did a fantastic job in playing the hand dealt. I loved Holliday, and I’m sure he would have put up huge numbers if he was still in Colorado, but it’s silly to dream about what might have been. Cheers to the Rockies as currently constructed, and let’s hope they can make the Los Angeles Dodgers sweat for the division lead as the postseason approaches.”
Bo, Golden
Kiz: A standing ovation to O’Dowd for making a number of smart moves, none better than the trade for pitcher Jason Marquis, which was a baseball trade rather than a financial deal. Holliday and Fuentes are playing key roles on teams that have a better chance of winning the World Series than the Rockies do. And isn’t winning it all what sports should be all about? The answer is obvious . . . unless ownership’s top priority is pocketing profits while hoping to be competitive.
Au contraire.
“As a confirmed Rockhead, I read with interest your column regarding the disparity in Denver fandom: Broncos versus Everyone Else. I agree with the sardonic take on the obsession with such weighty Broncos matters as rookie hazing haircuts. To suggest Broncomania confers sophistication on football fans while baseball fans are lacking is getting it completely backwards. The baseball product has generated great fan support when it has been warranted and not so much (but maybe still too much) when it has not deserved it. I call that pretty discerning and sophisticated.”
Brad, Denver
Kiz: As a sophisticated baseball fan, are you as concerned as I am about the tendency of the free-swinging Rockies to strike out way too often against the top-notch starting pitching they would face in the playoffs?
Parting shot
Tangled up in boos
And today’s parting shot not only proclaims the orange-and-blue sky is falling, but firmly places the blame for this catastrophe.
“It’s nice to see your calls for change in Broncosland have been so fruitful. Orton had three picks in the first half against the Niners. The Broncos are going to be horrible with your support and guidance. McDaniels will be fired within two years. Jay Cutler will do extremely well in Chicago. Mike Shana-han will resume coaching in 2010. Maybe Mark Kiszla will be run out of town. As Bob Dylan sang, ‘How does it feel?’ ”
Dave, blowin’ in the wind
