Timeline 25: Remembering the biggest Colorado sports stories of 2009
Jun 23, 2020, 6:45 AM
On March 6, 1995, The Fan was born. In the 25 years since, a lot has transpired on the fields, courts and ice in Colorado, giving the hosts and listeners who’ve been part of the station during that time plenty to talk about and debate.
During the course of the next few weeks, we’ll take a look back at that history, remembering the good times and the bad, the winners and the losers, the successes and the failures. It’s a series we’re calling “Timeline 25” and it continues today with a look back at one of the biggest years in Colorado sports history – 2009:
***
One Pass Away
After acquiring Chauncey Billups early in the 2008-09 season, the Nuggets became a contender in the Western Conference. The veteran’s leadership, as well as his postseason experience, were the perfect addition to a star-studded team.
Behind Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, Nene and others, Denver finished the regular season with a 54-28 record, their best in more than 20 years. Most importantly, they earned the No. 2 seed in the West, giving them home-court advantage during the first two rounds of the playoffs.
In the postseason, where they had struggled during Anthony’s tenure in the Mile High City, George Karl’s team finally found some success. They beat the Hornets in five games, which included an epic 58-point victory in Game 4 at New Orleans. Then, they knocked off the Mavericks in five games, as well; that series was highlighted by Martin shoving Dirk Nowitzki out of bounds, a move that prompted a war of words between Mark Cuban, K-Mart and K-Mart’s mom.
That victory set up a showdown with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. It became one of the all-time “what could’ve been” moments in Colorado sports history.
Denver lost Game 1 at Los Angeles, falling 105-103. With 29.1 seconds to play, Anthony Carter’s errant inbounds pass was stolen by Trevor Ariza, a blunder that helped the Lakers secure the crucial win in the series opener.
The Nuggets were able to steal Game 2 in L.A., setting the stage for them to pull the upset. They’d give home-court advantage right back to the Lakers, however, blowing an eight-point, fourth-quarter lead in Game 3.
Denver would win Game 4 to draw even, but they couldn’t hold on to a lead in Game 5 at Los Angeles. Then, with the series slipping away, they were blown out at Pepsi Center in Game 6.
The Lakers would go on to beat the Magic in the NBA Finals, a result that most observers believe would’ve been the same if Denver had beaten Los Angeles. And if not for that errant inbounds pass in Game 1, a moment that still haunts Nuggets fans, that might’ve been the result.
While a disappointing finish, the season was a huge success for the Nuggets. They established a new high-water mark for the franchise, advancing further than any Denver team before or since. And they set the stage for what many expected to be a great rivalry atop the Western Conference for years to come.
***
Two Bad Innings
When people talk about the greatest team in Rockies history, many will point toward the 2007 squad. That makes sense, given that they won 21 out of 22 games down the stretch and in the postseason, making it all the way to the World Series.
In reality, however, an even better club took the field two years later. In 2009, Colorado finished 92-70, the best record in franchise history.
It didn’t look that way early in the season. After starting 18-28, the manager who had led the Rockies to the World Series less than two years earlier, Clint Hurdle, was ousted. Jim Tracy was named the new skipper, a move that would jumpstart the team.
Colorado went on to win 20 out of their next 25, righting the ship and steering them toward another postseason appearance. Usually devoid of pitching, the Rockies entered the playoffs as the only team in baseball with five pitchers posting 10-plus wins. Their well-rounded staff included Jorge De La Rosa (16 wins), Ubaldo Jimenez (15), Jason Marquis (15), Aaron Cook (11) and Jason Hammel (10).
Unfortunately, it was another pitch that would bring the season to a premature end. Huston Street was acquired along with Carlos Gonzalez and Greg Smith prior to the season, coming over from the A’s in the Matt Holliday trade. And during the regular season, the relief pitcher was quite good, racking up 35 saves.
But after splitting the first two games of the NLDS in Philadelphia, Colorado gave away both games at home to lose the series in four games. In each game, the Phillies scored in the ninth inning off of Street to win.
In Game 3, the closer surrendered two hits, one walk and one run in the ninth, allowing Philly to win 6-5. The next night, it was even more painful, as Street gave up three hits, one walk and three runs to blow a 4-2 lead, as Colorado lost 5-4 and was eliminated from the postseason.
They didn’t go as far in the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean the 2009 Rockies weren’t as good as the 2007 edition. If not for two bad innings, they would’ve beaten the Phillies, a team that went on to lose to the Yankees in six games in the World Series.
***
McJayGate
On January 11, 2009, the Broncos made a bold move. They hired Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to replace Mike Shanahan, making the 32-year-old the youngest head coach in the NFL at the time.
Initially, the choice was met with enthusiasm. Denver boasted a young a talented offense, one that featured quarterback Jay Cutler, wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, and tight end Tony Scheffler. Broncos Country was excited to see what an offensive mastermind could do with that kind of roster.
Unfortunately, they never got a chance to find out. In early March, word leaked that McDaniels was trying to trade for Matt Cassel, the backup quarterback who had helped New England to an 11-5 record without Tom Brady in 2008. That news didn’t go over well with Cutler, who thought he was the quarterback of the future in Denver.
Attempts by Pat Bowlen to calm the situation didn’t help. Allegedly, Cutler wouldn’t return the owner’s calls. And a now-infamous call between the quarterback, head coach and Bowlen on March 9 failed to smooth things over.
Cutler felt betrayed and wanted out. He didn’t trust McDaniels and wouldn’t play for him. On April 2, the Broncos granted the quarterback’s wishes, sending him to Chicago in exchange for Kyle Orton and two first-round picks.
This was the first of many conflicts the young coach would have during his short tenure in Denver. And it changed the trajectory of the franchise forever, setting the stage down the road for Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning to become Broncos quarterbacks.
***
Super Joe Walks Away
On July 9, 2009, Joe Sakic hung up his skates. After 21 years in the NHL, all with the Nordiques/Avalanche, the captain retired from the game. It came on the heels of a disappointing season, both for the team and Super Joe.
During the 2008-09 campaign, the Avs posted a 32-45-5 record, finishing dead last in the Western Conference. After the season, the organization parted ways with general manager Francois Giguere and head coach Tony Granato, replacing them with Greg Sherman and Joe Sacco, respectively.
Sakic’s season wasn’t much better. After signing a one-year contract to play a final season with the club, he was sidelined by a herniated disk after just 15 games. Then while recovering from that injury, he broke three fingers in a snowblower accident.
It was a less-than-fitting way for the greatest player in team history to end his career. Sakic retired as the franchise’s career leader in games played (1,378), goals (625), assists (1,016) and points (1,641).
Sakic would return to the Avalanche in 2011, joining the front office as an advisor. Then in 2013, his role was expanded, as Super Joe was named Colorado’s executive vice president of hockey operations, a title he holds to this day.
***
A Second-Half Collapse
Despite the rough start to his coaching career in Denver, where he traded away the franchise’s quarterback of the future before ever stepping onto the field for a minicamp as the head man, things looked bright for Josh McDaniels during his first season with the Broncos. He was the toast of the town, at least for a couple of months.
The head coach won his first game in spectacular fashion, as Denver beat Cincinnati in the opener when Brandon Stokley hauled in a deflected pass and scampered untouched for an 87-yard touchdown with 11 seconds to play. The score gave the Broncos an improbable 12-7 victory.
Things continued to bounce Denver’s way early in the 2009 campaign. They beat the Browns in Week 2, then knocked off the Raiders in Oakland, and started October on the right note with a 17-10 win at Invesco Field over the Raiders. That set up a showdown with McDaniels former team, the Patriots.
Behind 330 yards and two touchdowns from Kyle Orton, Denver was able to upset New England. They won on a 41-yard field goal by Matt Prater in overtime, a kick that caused a huge celebration. McDaniels was seen pumping his fist on the field, firing up the crowd after the big win.
The Broncos would follow up the emotional win with a victory at San Diego. Through six games, McDaniels and Company were perfect, entering their bye week at 6-0.
Then, the bottom fell out. Denver lost their next four games, scoring a grand total of only 37 points in the process. The Broncos rallied to win their next two, including a memorable victory over the Giants on Thanksgiving night when McDaniels was heard screaming an f-bomb at his players on the sidelines. But the resurgence was short-lived, as Denver lost their final four games of the season.
Losing eight of their final 10 games, including four out of five at home, the Broncos finished with an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs. They became just the second team in NFL history, joining the 2003 Vikings, to start a season 6-0 and fail to reach the postseason.
