In Colorado, sports fans experience mile-high excitement

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If you are planning to visit the Rockies, don’t forget about the Rockies.

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(And the Broncos, Avalanche, Nuggets, etc.)

That’s because the state of Colorado provides sports fans with the opportunity for out-of-the-ordinary spectator experiences in addition to the area’s natural wonders.

The altitude of Denver (5,280 feet above sea level, or a mile high) and other Colorado cities means that balls fly farther, and even world-class athletes will find the conditions to be a challenge.

The home teams aren’t shy about letting their opponents know it. Painted on a wall outside the visitors’ dressing room at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, is a reminder of the site’s elevation, the highest of any NFL stadium.

My wife Ruth and I were able to sample some of Colorado’s sports highlights during a recent visit to the state.

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DENVER

Empower Field opened in 2001, and can hold more than 76,000 spectators.

BALLS FLY FARTHER: Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater made a 64-yard field goal there on Dec. 8, 2013. Entering the 2024 season, it’s the second-longest FG in league history.

While the NFL schedule means visitors to Denver have only eight or nine chances to take in a Broncos regular-season home game annually, there are guided tours offered at other times in the year.

We attended one of these tours, which starts at the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, located at the stadium. Some of the hall’s honorees familiar to Canadians include players who are also in their respective sport’s hall of fame. Former Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay was born and raised in Colorado. Outfielder Larry Walker is a Canadian who played for the Colorado Rockies. Goaltender Patrick Roy is a Canadian who played for the Colorado Avalanche.

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Our Empower Field tour began with a look at luxury suites and the football media room (the press box can hold 400 people).

Going down to field level, we stood outside the officials’ locker room, identified by a sign which also contained Braille symbols. I’m going to avoid the obvious joke, but wish to mention that Empower Field is fully compliant with all federal stadium codes under the Americans with Disabilities Act. We then had access to the expansive visitors’ dressing room, and ended in seats along the 50-yard line.

Coors Field is home to Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies, who have 81 home games each year. In 2024, Opening Day attendance was 48,399.

BALLS FLY FARTHER: During the 2021 Home Run Derby, held at Coors Field the night before that year’s all-star game, three home runs were measured at a distance of more than 510 feet, including one of a Derby record 520 feet hit by Juan Soto. Because balls fly farther, the outfield dimensions at Coors Field are slightly longer than typical MLB parks.

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Some of the other special features at Coors Field include an ivy-covered wall and trees forming a green “batter’s eye” beyond the centre-field fence, solar panels above the outfield, and The Rooftop — an area in the upper deck of right field with bars, restaurants and space for socializing while watching the game.

An intriguing in-seat food option, especially on a hot afternoon, is a strawberry kebab, formed by three big strawberries and two brownies on a stick, covered with a white chocolate swirl.

One of the Rockies’ most popular players is outfielder/DH Charlie Blackmon, who debuted in 2011 and has spent his entire MLB career with the team. Your Love, a 1980s song by The Outfield, is played when he approaches the plate to bat, and fans will sing the word “Tonight” in the song.

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The Rockies’ primary colour is purple, visible in many parts of Coors Field — even the splash guards in the urinals of the men’s washrooms are purple.

Before or after the game, check out McGregor Square, which is separated from Coors Field by 20th Street. McGregor Square is home to bars, restaurants and The Rally Hotel, all of which form the boundary of an outdoor plaza with a huge videoboard. The lobby of The Rally Hotel contains plenty of baseball memorabilia.

Ball Arena, formerly known as the Pepsi Center, is a short walk from historic areas in Denver such as Union Station and Larimer Square. The arena is home to the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, and the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth — all of which have won their league’s championship in the 2020s.

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A Denver suburb, Commerce City, is home to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, where the Colorado Rapids of MLS play.

COLORADO SPRINGS

At more than 6,000 feet above sea level, Colorado Springs offers athletes the opportunity to train at altitude.

In 1978, the organization now known as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) moved its headquarters to Colorado Springs, and established a training centre for athletes who compete in dozens of Olympic events.

Colorado Springs now officially refers to itself as Olympic City USA.

According to the Colorado Springs city website, approximately 15,000 athletes train here every year. Tours of the training centre are offered.

In addition, Colorado Springs is home to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, which opened in July 2020.

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One of the museum’s modern features is a special visitor credential, which is connected to a digital locker of photos and videos from your visit. Something more basic — but a highlight of our visit — was a display of Olympic artwork by famed illustrator LeRoy Neiman.

Yes, fellow Canadians, the museum is geared toward the U!S!A! (the curling exhibit features U.S. skip John Shuster’s unlikely 2018 win), but there are areas which aren’t overwhelmingly bathed in red, white and blue. As an example, the three times that Canada has played host to an Olympics — Montreal (1976, summer), Calgary (1988, winter), and Vancouver (2010, winter) — are part of displays of Olympic medals and torches used to bring the Olympic flame to the host city.

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Colorado Springs is also home to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy.

FORT COLLINS and BOULDER

The state’s two big-name universities, in terms of athletics, are University of Colorado, in Boulder, and Colorado State University, in Fort Collins.

The biggest name connected with Colorado — they’re the Buffaloes, and play in the Big 12 — is Deion Sanders, the former MLB and NFL star, now the head coach of the football team, which plays at Folsom Field. One of his sons, Shedeur Sanders, is the team’s starting quarterback. Up until “Coach Prime” arrived in Boulder, Folsom Field was best known for appearing in the opening and closing credits of TV sitcom Mork & Mindy.

Colorado State — they’re the Rams, and play in the Mountain West Conference — is proud of its relatively new on-campus football facility, Canvas Stadium, which opened in 2017.

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CASTLE ROCK

Castle Rock is almost halfway between Denver and Colorado Springs, and has an elevation of more than 6,200 feet.

In August, the BMW Championship, one of the FedEx Cup playoff events on the PGA Tour, was held at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock.

Even though the course measured 8,130 yards (the longest in PGA Tour history) for the 50 pro golfers competing, it was just a par 72. Hole 1 was a 662-yard par 5, and hole 14 was a 655-yard par 5.

BALLS FLY FARTHER: The PGA Tour reported that in the first round of the BMW Championship, there were 26 drives of more than 400 yards, including one by Byeong Hun An of 431 yards.

Castle Pines is a private course — so you need to be a member, or a guest of a member, to play there — but nearby is The Ridge at Castle Pines North, which is a public course.

LOVELAND

The Avalanche doesn’t have to look far in case it needs to call up a player. Its American Hockey League affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, is based in Loveland, a 45-minute drive north of Denver. The Eagles play their home games at Blue Arena, a 6,800-seat multipurpose facility.

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