Three Colorado-based sports documentaries that need to be made
May 11, 2020, 6:20 AM
Sports documentaries are all the rage. Every Sunday, “The Last Dance” is one of the most talked about shows on television. ESPN’s “30 for 30” series has been providing great shows for more than a decade. And “Free Solo” was one of the best movies of 2018, winning an Academy Award.
As great as this content is, however, there’s one element missing. None of these shows feature Colorado’s favorite teams.
This certainly isn’t because the local teams haven’t produced good stories. There are all kinds of interesting angles associated with the Avalanche, Broncos, Buffs, Nuggets and Rockies. Filmmakers just need to know where to look.
In an effort to help the cause, here are three Colorado sports stories that would make great documentaries:
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1977
In the late 1970s, Denver was considered a “cow town” by most people in the country. It was a flyover city, a place that was widely ignored. That all changed in 1977, however, when the Broncos came out of nowhere to go from NFL laughingstock to a Super Bowl contender.
Prior to that season, Denver had never made it to the playoffs; for 17 seasons in both the AFL and NFL, they had languished at or near the bottom of the standings. But behind the Orange Crush defense, the Broncos went 12-2, beat the powerhouse Steelers and defending champion Raiders in the postseason, and advanced to Super Bowl XII.
The Mile High City went crazy, with people transforming anything and everything into shades of orange. And the country took notice. All of a sudden, Denver was on the map.
Since that memorable season, the Broncos have been one of the best franchises in the NFL. And the city has grown by leaps and bounds.
It can all be traced back to one year – 1977.
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Rocktober
Midway through September, the Rockies appeared dead in the water. They were 6.5 games back in the National League West with just two weeks to play in the 2007 season; it was too much ground to make up. And even the wild card seemed out of reach, with Colorado trailing San Diego by 4.5 games and a whole bunch of teams in between them in the standings.
But then, a crazy thing started to happen. The Rockies won day after day, game after game. It started with a 13-0 win over the Marlins, and continued with sweeps of the Dodgers, Padres and Dodgers again. Eleven straight wins got Colorado to 87-72, right back in the race.
A loss to the Diamondbacks ended the streak, and put the division out of reach, but winning the final two games of the year kept the Rockies in the wild card race. They’d won 13 out of 14 to finish the season, pulling into a tie with the Padres. Which team went to the playoffs would be decided via a play-in game, held the next day in Denver.
That game at Coors Field is arguably the greatest sporting event to ever take place on Colorado soil. In the 13th inning, San Diego scored two runs to take an 8-6 lead. That seemed insurmountable with Trevor Hoffman, one of the best closers in MLB history, heading to the mound.
But the Rockies rallied. They scored two runs to tie the score and the game-winning run was on third base with nobody out. Jamey Carroll hit a sacrifice fly to shallow right field, Matt Holliday sprinted toward home and in one of the most-memorable moments in franchise history, he’d slide chin first across the plate to give Colorado the win and a spot in the playoffs.
The streak would continue in the postseason, as the Rockies swept the Phillies in three games and broomed the D-Backs in four. All told, they won 21 out of 22 games, earning the franchise’s first-ever trip to the World Series.
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Playing for Sal
Things were starting to turn around in Boulder. The 1987 campaign saw the Buffs finish 7-4. And the next year, Colorado went 8-3 and earned a trip to the Freedom Bowl. Many expected CU to compete with Nebraska and Oklahoma for the Big 8 title in 1989.
But those plans were altered in March of that year. That’s when the team’s starting quarterback was diagnosed with inoperable stomach cancer. Sal Aunese, two months away from his 21st birthday, was given just six months to live.
It was devastating news, with the impact on the football field being the least of everyone’s concerns. Aunese’s teammates and coaches couldn’t believe that a young man could be taken so soon. The Buffs rallied around their friend, however, dedicating the season to their quarterback.
Colorado entered the 1989 season as the No. 14 team in the country and quickly climbed in the rankings. They blew out Texas, Colorado State and 10th-ranked Illinois at Folsom Field, cracking the top five heading into their first road game.
That contest would become one of the most emotional in the history of the program. On Sept. 23, Aunese passed away. A week later, the Buffs were on the field at Husky Stadium to face No. 21 Washington. CU played for their fallen teammate, blowing out the Huskies by a score of 45-28.
The winning continued, highlighted by a victory over third-ranked Nebraska on Nov. 4 at Folsom Field that earned the Buffaloes the top spot in the AP poll. Two road wins at Oklahoma State and Kansas State closed out the season, as Colorado finished 11-0 and earned an invite to the Orange Bowl.
There, the magical season came to a disappointing end. CU lost 21-6 to fourth-ranked Notre Dame. But a year later, they’d avenge the defeat and win the national championship, capping an amazing two-year run that was fueled by their love of Sal Aunese.
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Get to work, filmmakers. Those three documentaries would be must-see TV.
