Games when the buzz gets louder, when people show up early, don’t leave their seats every five minutes and then leave late — those are rivalry games. You can feel them even if you don’t know.
This weekend, rivalries rush at us in a wave. Between tonight and Saturday, six long-standing foes resume hostilities.
The Nuggets host the Utah Jazz, Denver and Colorado College go at it in hockey, and Colorado State and Wyoming meet in men’s basketball.
Nuggets vs. Jazz, tonight, 8:30 p.m., ALT and ESPN. In the second of four matchups this season — in a rivalry that dates to 1976 — the Nuggets will try to separate themselves from Utah in the Northwest Division. Denver (29-20) is a half-game ahead of Utah (29-21) in the standings. But with their next two games against the Jazz coming in Utah — including what could be a crucial regular season-ending game on April 13 — now is the time for Denver to move up.
The game will show nationally on ESPN, with Dave Pasch on play-by-play and Hubie Brown doing the color commentary.
Colorado State at Wyoming, Saturday, 6 p.m. After a wrenching, final-seconds loss to No. 7 San Diego State on Wednesday, the Rams (15-7, 5-3 Mountain West) look good. Good enough to move up more toward NCAA Tournament consideration if they can top Wyoming (8-14, 1-7) in a renewal of the “Border War” on Saturday.
San Diego State and BYU look like NCAA locks for March. The MWC should get at least three bids, possibly four. Of course, much depends on the second round of league play and the MWC Tournament. The Rams’ main competition for a third MWC spot is UNLV, which has already lost at home to CSU.
Natalie Meisler, The Denver Post
Denver vs. Colorado College; tonight at CC, 8 p.m., CBSCS; Saturday at DU, 7 p.m., FSN. Friday night’s game at the Colorado Springs World Arena promises to be an emotional clash between bitter rivals. At least, the Pioneers are bitter.
DU visits Colorado College for the first time since the Tigers delivered a 9-2 whipping on Nov. 6. The Pioneers, who have gone 12-1-3 since absorbing their worst defeat since 1997, allowed six power-play goals in that game. DU produced only 17 shots.
“That game certainly bothers a lot of us,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said Thursday at Magness Arena, where this weekend’s home-and-home series concludes Saturday night.
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
AROUND TOWN
Avs are outside looking in.
On the surface, the Avalanche’s 5-7 record in January wasn’t the worst stretch ever seen in Colorado. But in a tight Western Conference playoff race, points are at a premium.
The Avs have faded out of contention, to 12th in the West. But the standings are tight. Just five points separate the Avalanche and No. 4 Nashville.
And the Avs are bunched in with fellow Northwest Division rivals, leaving plenty of games to make up ground.
That leaves Saturday’s hosting of the Anaheim Ducks at the Pepsi Center as a chance for the Avs to grab points.
It also may be the last game in Denver before the Avs and Peter Forsberg decide on his future. After practicing with the team the past two weeks, will Foppa sign with Colorado? Will he return to the NHL at all?
On Thursday, Adrian Dater wrote that Sunday may be an unspoken deadline, with the Avs set to start a four-game road trip Monday in Phoenix. Stay tuned.
STAY ON THE COUCH
Sunday should be Super.
More than any other professional American sport, the NFL is built for television. Replays, delays, short plays — the game watches better on screen at home, more than in crowded seats in a cold stadium.
Maybe that’s why the largest attendance at a Super Bowl was set way back in 1980 — a Steelers win over the L.A. Rams in XIV at the Rose Bowl in front of nearly 104,000 people — and hasn’t really been threatened since.
TV ratings are a different story. More people watched the Super Bowl on TV last year than ever before, some 105 million people in America.
Still, the Super Bowl TV ratings struggled some in the past 10 years (relatively speaking). Last year’s game between New Orleans and Indianapolis earned the highest rating in 13 years, with some 45 percent of TVs tuned into the game. The previous high over that span? The Broncos’ rout of Atlanta in January 1999 (44.5).
This year, with a stadium that can seat in excess of 100,000 people, Super Bowl XLV could set all kinds of records, in person and on TV.
Find out Sunday when the Packers, in home colors, go against the Steelers at 4:25 p.m. on Fox (KDVR-31).
GET OFF THE COUCH
Washington Park run planned.
Fight! Fight against the sofa pull! Rage against the flickering of the television light!
With more than 100 million Americans expected to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, the outdoor racing schedule will slow this weekend. But it doesn’t mean we must stay inside. We can get out. We must get out.
Appropriately enough, the RunDenver race series will host the Super Bowl 5K on Sunday at Washington Park. The 10 a.m. race includes the option to walk and will be followed by a kids’ 1K at 11 a.m.
Check for information.
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Mammoth looks to reverse course.
At 1-3 in this still-young National Lacrosse League season, the Colorado Mammoth already has ground to make up in the West Division.
Colorado is a full two games behind the division-leading Minnesota Swarm. But Saturday’s 7 p.m. game (on ALT2) with the Washington Stealth gives Colorado a chance to gain ground and earn redemption. On Jan. 8, Washington spoiled the Mammoth’s home and season opener with an 11-10 overtime win. The Mammoth hasn’t won at home this season.
Jamie Shewchuk’s 66 points pace the Mammoth, with Brian Langtry’s 65 points right behind.
