20/20 – The 20 most-memorable Colorado pro sports moments in the 2000s
Feb 6, 2020, 6:28 AM | Updated: 10:43 am
Since the start of the new millennium, sports fans in Colorado have seen their team at both ends of the spectrum. At one point, they’ve witnessed their beloved franchises be at the bottom of the barrel, cellar dwellers in their league. But they’ve also enjoyed the ultimate highs, watching a Stanley Cup and a Lombardi Trophy be paraded through downtown Denver.
During that time, many memorable moments have transpired. The Avalanche, Broncos, Nuggets and Rockies have created memories that will last a lifetime. Some were glorious. Some were heartbreaking. But all were unforgettable.
In honor of the past 20 years of baseball, basketball, football and hockey in the Mile High City, it’s time to take a look back at the best memories. Here are the 20 most memorable Colorado pro sports moments of the 2000s:
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20. K-Mart shoves Dirk
Were the Nuggets ready for the big time? Could they step in and take on Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks in a playoff series? Kenyon Martin answered that question quickly, drawing a flagrant foul in the first quarter of Game 1 when he shoved the future Hall of Famer out of bounds. It set the tone for the series, which the Nuggets would win in five games.
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19. Hiring No. 7 to be the GM
Coming off a disastrous 4-12 season in which Josh McDaniels was fired, the Broncos were at a low point. The franchise had missed the playoffs for five straight years and the fan base was getting restless. That’s when Pat Bowlen turned to Denver’s favorite son, John Elway, to save the day. They sealed the deal with a high-five at Elway’s steakhouse, as No. 7 rolled back into Dove Valley and got the franchise back on track.
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18. Game 82 vs. St. Louis
Rebounding from a last-place finish during the 2016-17 season, Colorado came into the final game of the 2017-18 regular season needed a win in regulation to secure the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. And the Avs had to do so against divisional rivals St. Louis, also vying for the final postseason spot left. On the backs of two defensemen — Tyson Barrie and Samuel Girard — the Avs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Then, the cavalry arrived, as Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog found the net followed by a late goal from Matthew Nieto. The two clubs had traded places in the standings during the months leading up to the regular-season finale, with Colorado eventually getting the edge.
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17. A.I. arrives in Denver
A blizzard delayed Allen Iverson’s arrival in the Mile High City after a blockbuster trade brought him to the Nuggets, but the guard made it just in time for a home game against the Kings. Although the Nuggets lost, Iverson’s 22 points showed what he’d bring to the table during his short stint in Denver, a big-time scorer no matter the circumstances.
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16. Champ’s pick of Brady
In the 2005 Divisional Playoffs, the Broncos were leading the Patriots 10-6 late in the third quarter, with New England knocking on the door and ready to take the lead. On third-and-goal, however, Champ Bailey stepped in front of a Tom Brady pass in the end zone, picked it off and ran 100 yards the other direction, before getting knocked out of bounds at the one-yard line. The play changed the game, as Denver went on to win 27-13.
OTHER 20/20 MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Top 20 Avalanche moments of the 2000s
Top 20 Broncos moments of the 2000s
Top 20 Nuggets moments of the 2000s
Top 20 Rockies moments of the 2000s
15. Peyton Manning throws seven touchdown passes against the Ravens
The Broncos 2012 season came to a shocking end when the Ravens upset them in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Baltimore went on to win the Super Bowl, setting up a revenge game of sorts to start the next season. Denver took advantage of the opportunity, winning 49-27 behind a seven-touchdown performance from quarterback Peyton Manning. Seven touchdowns. In one NFL game.
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14. 2015 AFC Championship Game
By this point, the clock was clearly ticking on Peyton Manning. He’d be injured during the season, his numbers were down and time was running out on his stellar career. So if the Broncos were going to win a Super Bowl with No. 18, it was now or never when the Patriots rolled into town for the 2015 AFC title game. In a game that came down to the wire, Denver held on for victory, sending them to Super Bowl 50.
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13. Colorado trades for Ray Bourque
With his career nearing its end and Boston at the bottom of its division, all-time great Ray Bourque requested a trade from the Bruins to a Stanley Cup contender to finish his career. On March 6, 2000, the club obliged, sending Bourque and fellow veteran David Andreychuk to the Colorado Avalanche for Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Samuel Pahlsson and a first-round pick. Bourque helped the Avs advance all the way to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals before the team fell short of the Stanley Cup Finals by a 3-2 margin to the Dallas Stars. But the Hall of Famer would return for one final season in 2000-01, wherein he helped Colorado to its second Stanley Cup victory.
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12. Ubaldo Jimenez throws the first no-no in Rockies history
Jimenez tossed a career-high 128 pitches, walking six Braves while striking out just seven. The Rockies ace had such bad command issues that he ditched his usual windup delivery, throwing from the stretch from the fifth-inning on. On top of his gem on the mound, Jimenez also helped his own cause, scoring Brad Hawpe with an RBI single in the fourth inning.
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11. Detroit selects Darko
When the Nuggets landed the third pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, most fans thought they were doomed. LeBron James was going to go No. 1 overall, while Carmelo Anthony would go second. That left Darko Milicic for Denver, a player Kiki Vandeweghe coveted. Fortunately, the Pistons saved the general manager from himself, taking Darko and letting Melo fall to the Nuggets.
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10. Rockies punch their ticket to their first World Series
Seth Smith’s two-run bloop double to open up a six-run fourth inning. The poetic justice of Eric Byrnes making the final out. The image of Todd Helton squeezing the ball on first base, reaching toward the sky in exaltation. Game Four of the NLCS in 2007 capped one of the most remarkable runs in MLB history, sending the Rockies to the World Series after winning 21 of 22 games. It would be the last game Colorado would win in 2007, but it will forever be a top moment among the purple pinstripe faithful.
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9. Elway goes into the Hall of Fame
Despite the fact that the franchise had been to six Super Bowls and won two Lombardi Trophies, the Broncos didn’t have a single representative in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. That grand oversight, a theme that continues to this day, finally was rectified in August of that year when John Elway was enshrined in Canton. Broncos Country made the trek to central Ohio, creating a memorable day for fans everywhere.
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8. Manning’s 2013 season
During Peyton Manning’s second season in Denver, the quarterback posted one of the most-prolific seasons in NFL history. By the time it was all said and done, Manning had thrown for 5,477 yards and a whopping 55 touchdowns. He became only the second QB in league history to eclipse the 50-TD plateau, besting Tom Brady’s single-season record by five in this season for the ages.
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7. Nuggets advance to the 2009 Western Conference Finals
It ended in painful fashion, but that doesn’t detract from the accomplishment. The Nuggets to the eventual-champion Lakers to six games in the Western Conference Finals, the farthest the franchise has ever advanced in the playoffs. The highlights can be a little painful to watch, especially some inbounds passes gone awry, but they show just how close Denver came to winning a title.
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6. Tebow to Demaryius
By the time the playoffs arrived, “Tebow magic” seemed to be over. The team’s six-game winning streak was a memory, replaced by a three-game skid to end the season as the Broncos backed into the playoffs. As a result, few expected them to knock off the Steelers and their top-rated defense. But Denver did just that, winning on the first play of overtime when Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown strike.
OTHER 20/20 MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Top 20 Avalanche moments of the 2000s
Top 20 Broncos moments of the 2000s
Top 20 Nuggets moments of the 2000s
Top 20 Rockies moments of the 2000s
5. The Rockies basically don’t lose for a month
From mid-September through mid-October 2007, Colorado sports fans witnessed one of the best stretches by a professional sports team in history. There are almost enough iconic moments from the Rockies road to Rocktober to make its own lists. Todd Helton’s walk-off blast against lights out Dodgers closer Takashi Saito. Brad Hawpe’s 14th-inning home run in San Diego. Josh Fogg, aka “The Dragon Slayer,” getting the ball in Game 163 against the Padres.
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4. Avs win second Stanley Cup in team history
Statistically the best team in the club’s history, with 118 points, the Colorado Avalanche raised the Stanley Cup in 2001 for the second time in just six seasons. That year, the Avs earned the Presidents’ Trophy for the top team in the league, captain Joe Sakic was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy for league MVP and goalie Patrick Roy earned his NHL-record third Conn Smythe Trophy for postseason MVP. Oh, and Ray Bourque, who had the most games played without winning a Stanley Cup in NHL history, earned his first championship, which was memorialized by Sakic allowing the legendary defenseman to raise the Cup first, breaking the tradition of the captain doing so.
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3. The Broncos win Super Bowl 50
Two years removed from getting blown out by the Seahawks, Broncos fans were a bit leery heading into Super Bowl 50. But behind a dominant defense, Denver was able to knock off league MVP Cam Newton and the Panthers, winning 24-10 to bring a third Lombardi Trophy back to the Mile High City. After the game, John Elway echoed the thoughts of Broncos fans everywhere when he told the football world, “This one’s for Pat!”
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2. The Broncos sign Peyton Manning
In March 2012, the greatest free agent in the history of the NFL was on the open market. Initially, nobody considered the Broncos in the hunt to secure his services; attention was on the Jets, Texans, Titans and other teams. But in the end, John Elway wooed Peyton Manning, convincing the future Hall of Fame quarterback to sign with Denver, ushering in what would arguably be the best four-year stretch in franchise history.
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1. Rockies need one more game for improbable playoff berth
Until Matt Holliday touched home plate in the 13th inning — and he absolutely did — the Rockies hadn’t held the lead in the wild-card race. But the chin-busting, controversial play at the plate send Colorado to the postseason for just the second time in team history — and sparked a run to World Series in which they didn’t lose a game. What an emotional rollercoaster the tie-breaker game ended up becoming. Colorado jumped all over Cy Young Award and triple crown winner Jake Peavy early but blew the lead when Adrian Gonzalez hit a grand slam in the third inning. Three-time all-star closer Briant Fuentes blew the game again in the eighth inning, allowing the Padres to tie things up 6-6 — a score that would stand until the top of the 13th. The silence that befell Coors Field after Scott Hariston’s tie-breaking blast in extra innings was only surpassed by the roar of Rockies fans during the team’s comeback in the bottom of the inning. Had it been the Red Sox and Yankees instead of the Padres and Rockies, Game 163 of the 2007 season would have gone down as one of the best — if not the best — games of all time.
