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Wait 'til next year, Colorado sports fans
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Jay Cutler and the Broncos could end up as another
disappointement in a year full of them for Colorado
sports fans (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Let's face it: 2008 hasn't been a great sports year in Colorado. And it doesn't look like it's going to end on a high note.
The Broncos seemed like they were going to provide a late bright spot, but a two-game losing streak has set up a winner-take-all showdown at San Diego on Sunday that no one is predicting to go Denver's way. If the Chargers win, the Broncos will become the first team in National Football League history to have a three-game lead in their division with three games to play and not make the postseason. Ouch.
But this defeat is just the latest setback. It's a continuation of a theme that's lasted throughout the year. Here are a few other lowlights:
1. The Nuggets got swept out of the NBA Playoffs in the first round, hardly putting up a fight against the Lakers. Yes, Los Angeles went on to win the Western Conference title, but Denver still didn't put up much of a fight.
2. The Avalanche were also swept out of the postseason, losing in four straight to the dreaded Red Wings. At least Colorado didn't face Detroit until the second round, meaning the Avs won one series.
3. The Rockies went from the World Series in 2007 to a 74-88 mark this season. They also saw some of their promising young stars -- namely Troy Tulowitzki and Manny Corpas -- go into slumps that leave question marks about their future, and Colorado shipped their best player, left fielder Matt Holliday, to the Oakland A's for three players that aren't exactly All-Stars.
4. The University of Colorado football team finished 5-7, missing out of a bowl bid by one win. To make matters worse, their final loss came at the hands of their archrivals, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, on a 57-yard field goal.
5. Colorado State University saw both its men's and women's basketball teams go through the entire regular season without winning a single conference game, although both did win their Mountain West tournament openers.
6. The Colorado Crush lost in the playoffs early in the year, only to find out later that the defeat could very well be the final game in the franchise's history. As of now, the 2009 Arena Football League season has been canceled, and a return of the indoor game at any time is in serious question.
That's a lot of bad news. And there wasn't much positive to offset it. Not even the Colorado Eagles, the state's most dependable winner, could hoist a championship trophy in 2008.
But there is reason to believe that 2009 will be better. There are promising signs on the horizon:
1. The Nuggets look like a contender now that Chauncey Billups is in the fold.
2. The Broncos have a young quarterback, Jay Cutler, that is a Pro Bowl caliber signal caller.
3. CSU and Air Force are coming off bowl seasons.
4. DU has another strong hockey team.
So maybe, just maybe, next year will be better. Let's hope.
And just to make you feel better, it could be worse. You could live in Seattle.
Happy holidays!
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