God bless the city of Denver as a sports town, but that ranking is right on the money. We’re a very passionate sports town, to be sure – slap “Denver” or “Colorado” on the front of a jersey for any professional or minor league franchise, regardless of sport, and we’re behind it 100%. And I’d put the volume level at Mile High or Pepsi Center up against any fans in the US – we know how to make some noise.

But one thing Denver isn’t as a sports town is sophisticated. We’re quick to panic, quick to point fingers in scattershot directions, and quick to declare all is lost. All of this is without, on average, a terribly impressive understanding of some of the nuances. There are people who believe that Denver is a major-market sports town, which absolutely kills me – we’re the 21st largest market in Major League Baseball, and we’re probably around that level in all of the other major sports leagues too, but if you ask Joe Denver Fan, he hates the Rockies and wants the Monforts strung up because they don’t spend like a large market team, which he thinks the Rockies are. In fact, where the lack of sophistication among Denver sports fans is most obvious is in the treatment of the Rockies – they have never gotten a fair shake in this town, especially in comparison with the Broncos and Nuggets (whose front offices make the Rockies front office look like Camelot). The relatively poor ‘voices’ of Denver sports – columnists like Paige, Kiszla, and Lincicome and talk show hosts like Clough and Moser who are absurdly reactionary – play a role in this too.

Don’t get me wrong – I love Denver teams (with the Donkeys being the exception) and I know there are some Denver fans, many of them who post here, that are pretty savvy. But in comparison with, say, Chicago as a sports town… there is no comparison there.

There’s a whole bunch of stuff here that I agree with. One thing I don’t agree with is comparing Rox fans with Cards fans. St. Louis is steeped in baseball tradition. Steeped. It has always been, and forever will be, a baseball town. Cardinals lore and the fans’ extensive knowledge of the game is on passed from generation to generation like other family heirlooms. The Rox don’t have that kind of history here. It’s hard to build that kind of “sophistication” when prior to 2007, 1995 was the only year in franchise history worth talking about. And no, it doesn’t help at all when the local media (all inclusive) doesn’t know any more about the game than the guy who thinks Jimenez is still the closer. It also doesn’t help that the atmosphere of all sports has become “win or else”.

I can’t pretend to discuss pitch selection to a particular batter. Doesn’t make me a bad fan. It is true that I don’t have the kind of knowledge of the game that others do. That doesn’t make me unsophisticated, however. It just makes me a regular fan. And the sports world would be bankrupt without the likes of us.

I was trying to point out how knowledgeable other teams fans are. I was listening to sports radio in St. Louis, and call after, call was “Why did so and so throw a slider” I was really surprised by the knowledge of their players, their struggles, their strengths and weaknesses. Same with Chicago fans. Our average fan just isn’t that into the Rockies and the ins and out. (also most that post here and other Rockies sites, are probably in the top 20%)

But I think the history may have a lot to do with that.

& I thought it was a pretty nice stadium, I’ve never been to PNC park though. I was there at the Pirates vs Rockies day game in 1998 when they announced to the crowd that they’re building a new stadium for the Pirates.

When they said the name is going to be PNC park the crowd boooed cuzz I guess they wanted the new stadium to be named after Roberto Clemente, but they did cheer when they heard the bridge by the stadium will be named Robert Clemente Bridge.