Derek in Denver: At Least We Have Trevor

Rocky Mountain High: Trevor Story
Through the first three series of the Colorado Rockies’ season, there’s been nothing but good feelings surrounding Trevor Story—everything from his seven home runs to his nickname for the new outfield wall at Coors Field. He called it the “Bridich Barrier” after hitting the wall twice in Wednesday’s game, costing him two home runs. If Story can be decent the rest of the way, it gives fans a reason to watch his at-bats around those of Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez and DJ LeMahieu (who I love to watch at the plate).

The one downside to Story is the puns. The media, expecting ten years of Brock puns, now has to rely on Story puns. I’ve been guilty, and my friend Jen sent me Ryan Spilbourgh’s tweet about charitable donations for puns about Story. However, his twitter handle is @TStory2, which conjures up images of Woody and Buzz.

 

Lodo Low: Just One Season

April just isn’t the same with both winter sports teams sitting out of the playoffs for the second year in a row.

The Colorado Avalanche not finding a way to get to 90 points was just a travesty. Being .500 at the beginning of the season or the end of the season would have landed them in the playoffs, but it might be better that they missed. This team is a long way from a Cup and a band-aid playoff appearance might have kept management from addressing big issues. Now, they have to look at themselves in the mirror while everyone else in the division competes for a Stanley Cup (except the Jets).

The Nuggets seem to have a lot of pieces, but they are still young and growing. It will be interesting to see how the young core develops and if they can find consistent chemistry. I’d take an exciting basketball team too—there are only a handful of those in the NBA right now. The great 2013 team seems a long way from where we are now, but the people I trust around the Nuggets have high regard for Tim Connelly and Michael Malone.

 

Feeling better about…

Colorado Buffaloes Football: They seem to be getting a few recruits. That giant new practice field is paying dividends. If these recruits don’t work out, I’m nicknaming that thing the “Star Killer Base,” which means that Chip the Buffalo would be a cooler bad guy than Kylo Ren.

The Nuggets: Three picks in the first round? If this was football they’d be set for years. Unfortunately, it’s basketball. I do trust their ability to scout and make trades. It’s funny that Houston lost this pick after they had to get rid of Lawson.

 

Feeling the Same about…

The Broncos: It was cool to see the Super Bowl banner go up in the practice facility. I’m really just trying to enjoy this offseason and avoid all the hype around a Kaepernick trade. He doesn’t make the Broncos that much better right now. A question since I’m in Chicago, do I go to the draft to accept all the GM’s congratulations to the Denver Broncos ?

The Rockies: I was feeling worse about the Rockies, but they’re hanging around .500. The bullpen has been bad very early this year, with a handful of blowout losses in the first week. This usually happens when the arms are tired, so what’s the excuse this year? They’re not warmed up? This team should be fun to watch with their collection of hitters, but blowouts are never fun.

 

Feeling Worse About…

The Avalanche. I don’t want to talk about them anymore.

 

So Long…

DU Pioneers: A Frozen Four! They almost pulled that game out on Thursday.

Kobe Bryant: I’ve come to accept that he exists in the world. His decline mirrored that of the Nuggets, which kind of killed any hatred I had for him. However, these farewell tours are ridiculous. I respect the athletes who either announce their retirement a week before their last home game or after the season… Tim Duncan…

 

The One Thing You Should Read This Week: I really enjoyed this analysis by Nick Groke on the way Trevor Story is hitting home runs: How sustainable is Trevor Story’s home run barrage? So far it’s coming from all angles

The One Story I Never Want to Read Again: Could the Warriors Beat the 1996 Chicago Bulls? If the Warriors don’t win the championship no one will care about the record.

Question for the Crowd: 

The Week Ahead: If the Rockies remain at .500 when they return home, does that mean they can survive to May 1st in contention? I’m seeing them play the Cubs on Sunday and a win against the GREATEST TEAM TO EVER PLAY IN CHICAGO (coverage around this year’s Cubs, not my opinion) would be fantastic.