Beltin’ Helton saved sports but he couldn’t save the Rockies
He came up big when we needed him – on a Sunday – with Peyton Manning and Eric Decker sitting in the stands. He saved sports but, in the end he couldn’t save the Rockies.
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Sunday, April 29, 2012 was not shaping up to be a good day in Denver Sports.
The Denver Nuggets had opened their first-round playoff series against the Lakers at Staples center on a distinctly sour note. They were beaten badly by Andrew Bynum and company, wire to wire, on both ends of the floor.
The final score, 103-88, didn’t illustrate how embarrassed the Nuggets had been. Denver was over-matched in every way and fans watching at home could not help but be deflated and hopeless.
So much for Nuggets in six! Most folks can easily picture a Lakers’ sweep, now. They are bigger, meaner, smarter and more experienced that Karl’s blue and yellow crew.
The Rockies were playing at Coors field at the same time the Nuggets were getting thumped on the road. Things weren’t working out much better for the purple guys. The Mets were up 4-0 in the top of the 8th inning as thousands upon thousands of TV viewers were switching their sets to Root Sports to check in on the game. More discouragement was what they found.
But, in the bottom of the 8th, the Rockies managed to fill up the bases … and Todd Helton approached the plate. Root Sports cameras found Peyton Manning and Eric Decker in the crowd, in their Rockies colors, cheering on Peyton’s pal.
The Colorado sun warmed cool Coors Field as Todd swung and connected perfectly . He banged a grand slam. Coors field erupted. I erupted. Twitter erupted and so did Manning and Decker, who high-fived for the cameras as Helton trotted around the bases.
Todd even took the curtain call.
It was a truly memorable Colorado sports moment. In fact, that home run saved sports on this Spring Sunday. It gave us all something wonderful to cheer about even of it didn’t prevent the Rockies from losing a second straigh game to the New York Mets.
At least this time the Rox took them to extra innings.
