Denver fans are doomed to sit amongst their enemies
“People come to Colorado with their allegiances in tow. Rather than adapt, to become ardent fans of the local teams, they show up to our venues to watch their teams play. Sometimes they’re obnoxious about it. But all the while they know that they’re here because the place they came from isn’t as awesome.”
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On Sunday night the Colorado Avalanche bid farewell to Pepsi Center for the remainder of the regular season. It was “Fan Appreciation Night” at the arena – a chance for the Cinderella Avs to thank their faithful for making the trek to see them play throughout the years and to share their excitement for what is to come in the playoffs. The team showed its appreciation through giveaways and promotions and via the tradition of having players peel off their game-worn sweaters and present them to season ticket holders after the game.
Pepsi Center was packed literally to the rafters for the final game of the 2013 / 2014 regular season. It might not have been as full, however, if not for the massive popularity of Colorado’s Sunday opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Although he was a healthy scratch in the game, Penguins centerman Sidney Crosby was the most well-represented NHL player in the building in terms of fans sporting his famous jersey. Everywhere one looked the name “Crosby” could be seen above the number 87 on a field of black and yellow. It was more prevalent even than Roy, Sakic, Forsberg, Duchene and MacKinnon.
For a playoff-bound team like the Avalanche to draw such a significant number of the opposition’s fans to a home game – especially on Fan Appreciation Night – was unsettling but it wasn’t surprising. For fans of Denver pro teams sitting amongst enemies is commonplace.
Attending a Nuggets game at Pepsi Center it can sometimes be hard to tell who’s arena it is. When teams like the Lakers, Clippers, Bulls, Celtics and Knicks make their way to Denver their fans turn out in droves to see them take on the blue and yellow. The same holds true when the Rockies host the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals or Cubs at Coors Field. Even the Diamondbacks draw well at our ball park and one can be certain that there will be plenty of White Sox jerseys in the stands tonight when Chicago comes to town to face the Rockies.
Denver is a destination city – and not just for visitors. People move here by the busload. Not only is Colorado’s capital city breathtakingly beautiful and unusually temperate, it’s home to a robust and growing economy that attracts industries and jobs to the region.
A drive around the fringes of the Denver Tech Center is all it takes to understand why we can’t go watch the Avalanche, Rockies, Nuggets or Broncos play without being surrounded by people wearing the opponents’ gear. Dirt is breaking all over the area surrounding Centennial Airport as data centers and office buildings, restaurants and retail stores are erected to house and serve the masses who move to the area from somewhere else.
Folks move to Denver from the Midwest. They come from the East. They come from California and they come from Texas. As a result, Native Coloradans are harder to come by than ever before.
All of this is great in terms of economics but it stinks when it comes to sports. This just isn’t the kind of place where fans of other teams are unwelcome. It’s so common to be seated amongst people who are booing our teams in our own facilities that sometimes we don’t even notice anymore.
The Broncos do the best job of the local clubs of encouraging fans not to let the enemy infiltrate Mile High. But it still happens. Steelers fans in particular are known for filling large sections of seats at the stadium.
It’s no coincidence that Pittsburgh is a city that was built on an industry that is dying in America – the steel industry. As jobs have migrated from places like Pittsburgh to places like Mexico and China people have had no choice but to pick up and move – to find jobs in places where there is growth – places like Denver.
People come to Colorado with their allegiances in tow. Rather than adapt, to become ardent fans of the local teams, they show up to our venues to watch their teams play. Sometimes they’re obnoxious about it. But all the while they know that they’re here because the place they came from isn’t as awesome.
It’s just something that we as Coloradans must learn to live with. But we can feel better knowing that the reasons they are here are the same reasons we love our state. Lots of fans flock here because Colorado is beautiful and the places they left are not, because Colorado is growing and the places they left are not, because Colorado has jobs and the places they left do not.
The next time you head to the ballpark or the arena to see your favorite Colorado team play and end up stuck next to a group cheering on the opposition don’t get angry. Smile inside knowing that even though their rooting on somebody besides a Denver team it’s in Denver where they’re dropping their dollars.
