Rockies
It’s hard to believe that Opening Day is this week … assuming all goes according to plan. The Rockies are scheduled to play two exhibition games Tuesday and Wednesday in Texas against the Rangers, with the opener set for Friday.
Colorado wrapped up it’s 15-day summer camp on Sunday and manager Bud Black was most excited about how good the offense has looked.
My thoughts: I’m definitely excited for the season to be here at last, but my expectations for the Rockies still haven’t changed that much from when Spring Training began months ago. I expect them to hover somewhere around .500, probably finishing a few games under.
In this shortened season though their playoff chances definitely have increased though. All it takes is a hot stretch for a couple of weeks and they’ll be right in it.
- Alex Rodriguez said the Rockies could be a very dangerous team.
- Reliever Scott Oberg pitched a scoreless inning during Colorado’s scrimmage Sunday, but he still remains questionable for Friday’s opener with a strained back.
Nuggets
The start of the NBA restart is coming up fast as well. Denver has its first scrimmage this Wednesday against the Washington Wizards and while they likely won’t play Gary Harris and Torrey Craig were reportedly en route to Orlando as of Sunday afternoon.
Harris was the final member of the Nuggets regular starting rotation that had yet to enter the NBA bubble. No word yet on the whereabouts of rookie Michael Porter Jr. though.
- The Denver Post had a great story this weekend about Peyton Manning talking with the Nuggets over a recent Zoom call. The team had been trying to arrange it since back in December.
Avalanche
As the Avs also near their return to action count Ian Cole among those players who believe Colorado has a legitimate shoot to lift the Stanley Cup in a couple months.
Cole, a 10-year veteran, begins growing his playoff beard at the start of the hockey season, in October, if he thinks he’s on a playoff team. And since the playoffs are usually over by now this is already the longest he’s ever had it.
Here’s hoping he still is growing it in late August.
- The Avalanche and Nuggets announced that beginning next season they’ll be following the Broncos lead and going to paperless tickets for games at the Pepsi Center.
- TheDNVR.com wrote about Tyson Jost and the Avs fourth line.
- The Athletic wrote about how Colorado is no longer a one-line team.
Broncos
The Denver Post began its series previewing the Broncos position groups. First up, the quarterbacks.
My thoughts: I’m cautiously optimistic that Drew Lock will be the long-term answer at quarterback for Denver. I don’t think that means he’s going to be be like Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes and win the MVP award in his second year in the league however.
I do love the fact that John Elway and company have surrounded him with talent though. I also am hopeful that even if he struggles some this year, which is highly likely, that he still gets another year or two to learn and grow into the position.
Nationally
ESPN previews the upcoming MLB season with a look at the stars and storylines they’re most excited to see. Not surprisingly no Rockies players made the list.
- Forbes ranked America’s best sports cities, Denver came in at No. 8 and you’re not even going to want to know who clocked in at No. 1.
- In golf, Jack Nicklaus revealed during Sunday’s CBS telecast of the Memorial that he and his wife Barbara had COVID earlier this year. Meanwhile, it wasn’t without controversy, but Jon Rahm won the event by three strokes and is now the No. 1-ranked player in the world.
- In soccer, it was announced that for the first time in its history the Ballon d’Or has been canceled for 2020 due to the pandemic. Megan Rapinoe and Lionel Messi won the award last year.
