Rocky Mountain Magic

Move over '69 Mets. All you had was a miracle. Miracles happen everyday. The Impossible? That only happens once in a lifetime.

For Rockies fans, October 2007 is that once in a lifetime. It's not that the Rockies made it to the World Series, it was bound to happen sooner or later (more likely much later). It's not even that they did it in a way that no team in sports ever has before. If the Yankees or another team with a billion dollar payroll had achieved it, it would have been spectacular, but not the same.

No, it's something different about this team. It's what makes something impossible.

A team of relative unknowns.
A team where not finishing last was exceeding expectations
A team who was told they had to not only win nearly every single game to make the playoffs, but had to count on other teams losing to even force just one more game to get the final win they needed.

It's what makes everyone who sat in Mile High Stadium that first year stop and make sure they're still awake, because they can't believe the Major League dreams they had for their home team are on the verge of becoming a reality after nearly 15 years

It doesn't even matter if the Rockies win the whole thing or not. There's a feeling in Denver that hasn't been felt since Ray Borque lifted the Stanley Cup in 2001. It's something very familiar that was felt in all those AFC championships in the 80's and those 2 special years in the 90's.

It's almost as if it went away for good on September, 10th 2001 as the Broncos christened a new stadium that would soon be known only as Invesco.

It's that special something that wasn't even recognized until John Elway appeared in the stands of Coors Field for game 4 of the NLCS. It's the same power that was behind the Drive. The same power that gave wind to the most miraculous Stanley Cup chases of all time. The power that gave Denver it's most coveted prizes as a city, OUR two Super Bowl Championships.

Mile High Magic.

It's back, and it's taken the form of a team a city had forgotten. In a season when football usually is the only thing that matters. In a time where the Denver sports fans had been heartbroken by a string of disappointing endings for the teams they had such high hopes for. The time when it was needed it the most.

This is why even those who don't know the difference between a strike and a ball are getting excited about this team. It's because they know the feeling so well and want to cling to it.

That magic is no longer confined to the original Mile High, it's transcended to become the Rocky Mountain Magic. It took a team so young, so humble, and so determined to bring it back. The only kind of team that can accomplish the impossible.

There are only a handful of players on the other Denver teams current rosters that have experienced this first hand. Joe Sakic, Tom Nalen, and Jason Elam are really all that come to mind. For the new players that don't fully understand the magic of the city they play in, soak in the special experience that is Rockies playoff baseball.

Few things seem more improbable than the Rockies in the World Series seemed until the final out of the 9th inning skipped passed Jamey Carrol and was scooped up into Tulowitzki's glove.

Because of this run it's no longer far fetched that the Nuggets could actually beat the Spurs in a playoff series with Tim Duncan on the squad.

Putting trust in a young Czech goaltender to get you back to a Stanley Cup, while the 6 Million Dollar Doorman sits on the bench willing only his hair to grow "Better...Stronger...Faster," doesn't seem so scary.

Even a 2-3 Broncos team missing the keystone of their offensive line, dealing with running back issues for the first time since Mike Shanahan took over, and has no rushing defense to speak of could make it to the Super Bowl.

By now the stats are well known, 21-22, 7-7, 3 runs in the bottom of the 11th; these are the stats that will be included in the new story told to prove to kids that anything is possible. It will be told of how all of Coors field held their collective breath, not really daring to believe it was true until Todd Helton finally took his foot off of first base only after he looked at the umpire to be absolutely sure that it really was the third out, the final out.

There's not a better cast of characters for this story, and there isn't another story written that could have brought back this Rocky Mountain Magic in the same way these boys did. It is why October 2007 will forever be known as...

ROCKTOBER!

SWEEP!!! SWEEP!!! SWEEEP!!!!

I know it's late, but I wanted to record my thoughts as I'm watching one of the biggest games in the most unbelievable run in sports history!!!

• Tony Gwyn is Sooo fat!
• Jordan is making me play NHL Hitz with him in between innings. Probably because he doesn't want to do his homework. I love Hitz and "Big Save by RA-WAH" (For Roy).
• LaTroy Hawkins just pushed a guy out and jordan told me about the Alex Rodriguez Purse slap. I need to find that video.
• Troy Tulowitski is so good.
• I'm so numb I can't believe that this is even happening.
• The Diamondbacks are not that good. Everyone needs to stop talking them up trying to make their fans feel better. They got out worked, look at the stats.
• The Rockies fans are so much better than Arizona they've been cheering "Go" "Rockies" For like 4 innings. I love Denver.
• More Hitz.
• I hope the Red Sox win so that people will actually watch the World Series. Plus that would be the best to beat their smug east coast bias fans.
• We're now playing "Who wore it best" with the girl wearing the same cheerleader outfit that Laney has. Laney wins. Hands down.
• "The Rockies are 6 outs from the World Series" How weird does that sound?
• Just saw John Elway. You got to love that he's as big a fan of Denver sports as every one else in the city.
• Again Hitz. 2-0 Jordan. Boo.
• OOOH. Goalie Fight. ROY takes down Belfour!!! Maybe I can score now.
  
• 1st Arizona hit since the 4th inning. They are that bad. Why is everyone booing?
• I've never wished I was in Denver more than I have in the past 2 weeks, and I was even there for a weekend. Downtown will be so fun. Knock on wood.
• Tony Gwyn. Still fat.
• Pop up...Tulowitzki is responsible for about 100 outs in this series.
• Rockies are 5 outs from the World Series. Yep, still weird.
• I really hope they bullpen doesn't let up any runs for the rest of the game cause they have only let in like one in the past month.
• Stupid East Coast making our game start so late. I'm getting tired, but I'm too excited to sleep.
• What a strike out!!!! 4 MORE OUTS!!!!
• Uh oh. Darn Fuentes. ARGGGHH.
• By the way, this won't be posted if they lose.
  
• We HAVE to get out of this inning. Baby Step to One Out!! Baby Step to One Out!!!
• I'm glad the crowd is getting back into it. I can't breathe right now.
  
• I can't handle this, I need some Kool-Aid.
  
• Ok, the Levi's commercial is a little racy.
• Hooray. Corpas is off. Hopefully he can finish us off.
  
• By the way, the Diamondbacks scored as many runs this inning as they have all series.
  
• YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! K!!!!
  
• 3 Outs AWAY!!! Seriously, who would have guessed?!?!
• Ok, they need to put this away. I can't take another extra innings game. No, literally I need to go to bed. I'm SOOO sleepy.
• HAHAHA, I'm just watching the highlight of when Holliday hit that homerun and Byrnes ran into the wall. Great stuff.
• I love the chant for Tulo, and the fans say it with such gusto. It gives me chills.
  
• How did it get to be 11:30?
• Here we go. We're all to nervous to finish the Hitz game. Oh well, maybe it's better that way. For me anyway.
  
• The Rockies better win now. I just had to endure Jordan singing the Viva Viagra song. So if they lose then this may be the worst night ever.
  
• I sure love the Office. What a great show.
• Back to baseball. 6-4 Rockies with Corpas on the mound.
• 2 OUTS AWAY!!! And Jordan is again singing the Viva Viagra song to celebrate.
  
• ok, I'm stopping typing and I'm going to focus on breathing.
  
• Two broken bats in a row!! Ahhggg.
  
• I can't watch. I've turned into my grandma.
  
• OHHH MY GOSH!!!! 1 OUT!!!!! THAT WAS A HUGE OUT!!!!
• NOW FOR THE WEIRDEST STATEMENT OF ALL...

THE ROCKIES ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!
SWEEP! SWEEP! SWEEP!
How fitting that it was Byrnes that got the final out.
That's not luck!!!

GOOD, no, GREAT NIGHT!!!

Playoffs?? Practice???

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH!!!

Greetings from 5,280 feet!!!! And yes, my blog is purple. (For those of you keeping track at home my blog has been pink and purple all within a few months. )

Well, again we have a special occasion! The Colorado Rockies have won a post season series in decisive fashion. This is the first time I have ever seen Denver more excited about the Rockies than the Broncos, but it is well deserved!

I had the amazing fortune of being able to be at Coors Field for game 3 of the NLDS game, and it has to be one of my top 10 if not top 5 sports moments in the greatest sports town in America, (according to me and Carmelo Anthony), and now 4 out of the 5 include partying in the street with complete strangers downtown in the middle of the night. I LOVE DENVER!!!

It has been nearly 15 years since I've really enjoyed baseball this much, and this may have been my pivot point for being a fan of America's Pastime again. You could feel the collective anticipation of each pitch just as much as you could feel the wind coming of the much taller Rockies to the west. The pitching, hitting, fielding, and strategy was as good as baseball gets for this game, but since there were a few people in my group that weren't there for the baseball (I'm not going to sporting events with my mom, I mean these unnamed people, ever again,) I've decided to rank my top ten moments of the night that aren't really related to baseball.

By the way, looking at this picture it's clear my dad was there for the baseball even though he was a little cold. It's almost as if he was going for the Steve Bartman look who is #1 on my list for the people I feel bad for.

Here are my top ten moments of the night.

#10 David, Max, and my dad getting free soft drinks for signing up to be designated drivers. We took the light rail down there.

#9 The sign for Troy Tulowitski that said "Tulo - Git - 2 - Quit - Ski"

#8 The blackout. They say computer malfunction, I say it was because nobody, not even the power company, expected the Rockies to be playing in October.

#7 During the blackout my mom said, "You don't think it's terrorists do you?"

#6 My mom couldn't believe that cotton candy was being sold in buckets and she thinks it's only supposed to be on a stick, and then my uncle shouted, "The Terrorists Have Won!"

(For as much as my mom complained about baseball, she certainly provided some entertaining moments)

#5 The first pitch was thrown out by the two sons of Mike Coolbaugh, the first-base coach of the Rockies' Double-A affiliate,who was killed by a line drive earlier this year. The Rockies are also giving his family a full playoff share. Here's the story.

#4 Giving high fives to everyone along Blake Street in low-do, and enjoying the moment with my favorite city.

#3 Shouting, "Sweep, Sweep, Sweep!" to one of the guys mopping up in one of the concession stands, and him shouting it back, but I'm not sure he caught the irony.

#2 Seeing Mayor John Hickenlooper and Former Governor Bill Owens cheering with everyone in the street, and then watching as someone picked up Governor Owens in a big bear hug, and lifted him up of the ground and shook him several times. (Only in Denver!)

and the #1 non-baseball moment of the night is....

#1 ROCKIES WIN!!!!! I know it's technically a baseball moment, but my mom loved that part and she thinks baseball is boring.


I still can't believe it, but it's real and now we're only 4 wins away from the World Series!!!

GO ROCKIES!!!!

Thank You For Being a Friend!

Do you ever have those moments where you are profoundly grateful for your friends? Well, I had one of those moments on Friday night at the Nickelcade.

Jordan and I were playing the best game ever!!!! It's a form of dance, dance, revolution but you move your hands over the sensors it has. (I would include a picture of it , but I spent over an hour looking for it on the internet, and now I'm done with it.) Anyway, the two of us were really getting into it, pulling dance moves and shakin' our money makers. After we finished some of the closest games in DDR history, I turned around to face Kali and she had this look on her face that seemed to say, "I have to be adopted." Then I turned to Victoria and her face echoed her brother's sentiments when he said, "Victoria, this is what you are marrying into."

As I left that night with sweat dripping down my face, I thought, "It is a miracle that I have friends." So thank you to all who have stuck with me through my lack of posting, my intramural games or any game for that matter, sporting events where I dress like I should have Stacy and Clinton raid my closet, stake dances, and especially for those who experienced girls camp with me.

I know I'm an embarrassment to some, to Kali at the very least, but I hope you all have enjoyed my company because you could be friends with boring people like this, this, this, this, this, or this.

Instead you get to be friends with this.

and most of all you get to be friends with this:

So actually you should all feel blessed that you know me after these fine moments in my life.

So if any of you are in town come I may let you come to the nickelcade with me and enjoy the experience that is being my friend.

And yes Victoria, this is what you are marrying into.
~CONGRATULATIONS~

Rockies, Welcome to October!!!!

The Rockies have had an amazing run for the playoffs this month, and I just want to say win or lose tonight, I'm proud to have them as a home town team (even if their mascot is Dinger and they have purple as a color. C'mon, really, purple?)

By the way, I figured the Rockies would have to be good eventually and I planned for this so I wouldn't be accused of being a bandwagon jumper. My heart belongs to the Broncos and the Avalanche which usually have a good chance of being good each year. I take their losses pretty personally, and so I don't have enough room to give the devotion to the teams that play sports I don't like as much and who are generally bad every year. Sorry, Nuggets and Rockies, but I do support you, just not as much as the other guys.

Also, as I'm writing I'm realizing that purple is a fitting color even though I hate it for sports teams. America the Beautiful was written in Colorado and it includes the words, "Purple Mountain Majesties." Although, I really don't believe that teams with purple uniforms do very well in general (Lakers aside). ARRGGH, this is quite the conundrum.

Ah forget it. GO ROCKS!!!