This much unwatchable wretchedness hasn’t been squeezed into a 10-day period since the 10 days that ran in theaters.
It started, of course, on . That morning, I’m talking about where I’ll eat in Boston that following weekend. That night, . I might be forgetting a game or two, but has there been more of a disastrous Broncos game since the infamous Jacksonville Jagwads game of the 1996 season? That was when Denver Post columnist and Hochman mentor Woody Paige coming into Denver — who then beat Denver.
Well, this year, on this Jan. 11, the No. 2-seeded Broncos lost at home in the divisional round to the Indianapolis Colts. Denver quarterback Peyton Manning has seldom looked worse, and the team’s Super-Bowl-Win-Or-Bust burst in front of our eyes. Just like that, the season was over, the John Fox era was over and, possibly, even the Peyton Manning era.
The next night (Monday, Jan. 12), the Avalanche lost at the Capitals, 2-1 — and then Colorado lost the following night, too, 3-2 in a shootout in Carolina. The Avs did steal one in Florida — and scored a 19:53 goal to force an overtime at Tampa, before losing in the shootout. But then on Monday in St. Louis, the Avs looked horrendous. Horrible. Horrific. Colorado mustered only 18 shots in a 3-1 loss. Goalie Semyon Varlamov, man, he kept them in the game, just like, really, he kept them in the 2013-14 season.
Varly reminds me of Archie Manning with the Saints — super-talented on a bad team, trying mightily to keep his team competitive, while getting constantly pummeled.
The Avs have now played 48 games. They’ve outshot the opponent in only 14 of them.
Fourteen!
In this 10-day window, the Nuggets actually won their first game, defeating the Mavericks, who were without Dirk Nowitzki, Rajon Rondo and Tyson Chandler. Fittingly, Denver’s next game, last Friday, was at Dallas, where the actual Mavericks slapped Denver around.
The Nuggets also lost on Saturday. At home. To the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Then came Denver’s denouement. At Golden State on Monday afternoon, the Nuggets lost 122-79. Read that score again.
“We didn’t compete. We looked like we were scared,” Nuggets coach Brian Shaw told reporters after the game. “I’m trying to be guarded in what I’m saying because I don’t want to throw anybody under the bus, but I just don’t understand how as a team we can’t come out and compete when you’re playing the best team in the league.”
And on Tuesday, the 10th day of the stretch, the Nuggets lost at home again, .
But hey — at least the Rockies start soon!
Chew on this
• This is (and honestly, even if it was Dec. 21, not Jan. 21, it still might be my favorite story of the year). Some dudes go to see the statue of Rocky in Philadelphia and who’s at the statue? Stallone! (Sylvester, not Frank).
• Weird stat time. The Nuggets’ Arron Afflalo, according to Altitude TV, averages 18.4 points per game with zero days rest, but 15.5 with one day of rest and 11.9 with two days of rest. Sure enough, on Tuesday the Nuggets played the second game of a back-to-back, and “Spellcheck” scored 21 points, while often being defended by the talented Kahwi Leonard.
• — a touching football story (even though it involves the Seahawks!).
• And finally, happy 39th birthday to . I was more of a guy myself. Was meaning am.
Benjamin Hochman: bhochman@denverpost.com or
Visit each weekday near noontime for a serving of dish concerning Colorado’s sporting landscape from a Denver Post sports writer. Care for another helping? Scan .
