Something special is afoot every year around these parts come the first days of July. There’s a hum of heat in the air, and the fireworks start before the fireworks even start.
Take, for example, July 4, 1979. The Denver Bears, playing in the Triple-A American Association, went to the bottom of the ninth at Mile High Stadium trailing the Omaha Royals 14-7. The Bears recorded two quick outs. Then they rallied for nine runs, as Jack Cox’s three-run homer gave Denver a 16-14 victory.
It’s with that kind of expected excitement we welcome a weekend full of sports and fireworks from today through Monday.
Rockies vs. Kansas City Royals, tonight and Saturday.
The Rockies and Royals will put a cap on the interleague schedule with a three- game set at Coors Field this weekend. And the first two games — tonight and Saturday, with first pitches set for 6:10 p.m. — will be decided sometime before a Coors Field fireworks show. The games will draw more than just a stadium crowd. LoDo will fill with explosion seekers throughout the neighborhood. But for those at the games, rookie righty Juan Nicasio pitches tonight and ace Jhoulys Chacin goes Saturday for the Rockies.
Rapids vs. Houston Dynamo, Sunday.
Over their past two games, the Rapids were embarrassed for seven goals against in 180 minutes, losing by a combined 7-2 to the undermanned and visiting L.A. Galaxy and the Crew in Columbus. The Rapids return to DSG Park on Sunday with one of the worst home records in MLS at 2-2-4. But the 7 p.m. game (followed by fireworks) against Houston should draw a suitably loud crowd against a Dynamo team that is winless on the road this season.
Outlaws vs. Boston Cannons, Sunday.
The Major League Lacrosse game Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High should net the largest crowd of the season — for any team. The fireworks, shot from inside the stadium, should light up downtown. But the game should stand on its own. Denver and Boston are tied atop the MLL standings at 5-1. They are two games ahead of the next-nearest team. The game will also be a rematch of one from May 21 in Massachusetts, won by the Outlaws 13-12 on Terry Kimener’s game-deciding goal.
Stock cars and drag racers, Saturday and Sunday.
Colorado National Speedway (paved oval) and Bandimere Speedway (drag strip) will also offer fireworks celebrations after their races this weekend. CNS hosts its midseason championships Saturday and Sunday nights, with a combined nine divisions competing. And Bandimere Speedway will have its fireworks display in conjunction with the jet-car nationals.
AROUND TOWN
Fast-pitch tournament is in full swing.
The sight of summer little league isn’t unusual. But if you see a fast-pitch softball game on the Front Range this weekend, there’s a good chance it’s part of the 42nd edition of the national Fireworks Tournament or its sister Sparkler Tournament.
Through Sunday’s final day in Westminster, about 850 teams with upward of 12,000 players will have competed in nearly 3,600 games. Their families, fans and college coaches and scouts will create a buzz. And on Thursday, for the first time, two All-America teams chosen from earlier all-star games competed on national TV, with the 18-year-old future stars playing on a CBS cable network.
Similar craziness will take over the mountains this weekend for the 39th edition of the Vail Lacrosse Shootout, with teams in several divisions from high school to elite level.
It’s one of the largest lacrosse tournaments around, drawing top teams from across the U.S. and Canada.
STAY ON THE COUCH
Colombia next test for U.S.
The U.S. women’s soccer team played into a World Cup mystery Tuesday, facing an unscoutable North Korean team that plays behind an iron curtain.
After the Americans dominated in a 2-0 victory, the North Korean coach explained the loss by saying his team shouldn’t have played because it had been hit by a lightning strike during practice.
The U.S.’s next matchup — against newcomer Colombia on Saturday at Sinsheim, Germany — will be another one with question marks.
Colombia is playing in its first World Cup, and the team already lost its backup goalkeeper to a suspension after an improper hormonal treatment led to a failed drug test. But with a victory, Pia Sundhage’s crew can solidify a berth in the quarterfinals, even before it’s final group stage game Wednesday vs. Sweden.
The U.S. faces Colombia on Saturday at 10 a.m. on ESPN.
GET OFF THE COUCH
Feet, don’t fail me now.
It’s easy to get off the couch over Independence Day weekend. Without much effort, we’ll be roped into playing bocce, (oddly dangerous) lawn darts, badminton, beanbag tic-tac-toe, sprinkler dodging, horseshoes, wiffleball and slip-and-slide baseball pickle.
By participation alone, it might be the sportiest weekend of the year.
But if you need something more organized, try one of these four holiday-themed races:
• Four on the Fourth 4K in Boulder: A flat, fast course at the Avery Brewing Company on Monday at 9 a.m. Winning prize is your weight in beer ().
• Liberty Run 4-Mile and Firecracker Kids Fun Run: Family-style run Monday at 8:30 a.m. with postrace partying ().
• July 4th Fun Run: 30th running of a 4-mile, downhill race on the Santa Fe Trail in Palmer Lake on Monday at 7:15 a.m. ().
• Georgetown Fourth of July 5K Fun Run: 8 a.m. race Monday starts a day’s worth of events in the mountain town ().
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Coloradans going for gold.
The closing ceremony for the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens will be held Monday, an ocean away from American celebrations for July 4.
But before then, three Colorado athletes will compete for gold.
Denver’s Mai-Lin Hegel is entered in aquatics, Longmont’s Frank Ushiyama in bowling and Boulder’s Chelsea Wirsing in bocce.
They make up the Colorado contingent for Team USA and are among more than 7,000 athletes from 180 countries. Results and updates can be found at .
