6 Non-Football Sports To Tide Over Broncos Fans Before NFL Preseason Mercifully Arrives
DENVER (CBS4) - We know: It's not football.
But until the Denver Broncos return in August for the preseason, something other than dark thoughts about how the season ended must keep sports fans occupied.
So here are six non-Broncos teams and sports events (yes, they do exist) to keep you engaged each month before the Broncos play a meaningless preseason game.
Until then…
February: Vail, Beaver Creek Host 2015 World Ski Championships
Beginning with opening ceremonies on Feb. 2, Coloradans will be treated to the best skiing in the world when the World Ski Championships begin in Vail and Beaver Creek.
More than 700 athletes from more than 70 nations will compete in six events. See the full schedule. Unlike the Olympics (or Broncos games, for that matter), watching the World Championships in person is free.
Colorado residents competing include Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin, Alice McKennis, Anna Marno, Katie Ryan and David Chodounsky.
The U.S. team looks to continue recent success; it won four golds -- most among competing nations -- and one bronze in the 2013 championships.
Vail hosted the championships in 1999 and 1989.
Closing ceremonies are Sunday, Feb. 15.
March: Colorado Mammoth Look To Extend Playoff Streak
By March, the Colorado Mammoth will be in the heart of their indoor lacrosse season, with three home games that month against the Toronto Rock, Minnesota Swarm and the Vancouver Stealth (and their ridiculous nicknames).
The Mammoth's season started Jan. 3 with a 20-13 victory over Minnesota.
The Mammoth will play another seven home games at Pepsi Center until early May, including matchups against last year's champion Rochester and runner-up Calgary. Tickets to Mammoth home games range from $10 to $72. Promotions this season include Zombie Night on Feb. 13, Blackout Night on March 6, Western Night on April 3 and Lacrosse Out Cancer Night on April 17.
The Mammoth, who debuted in 2003, have reached the postseason every year except one. They won the NLL championship in 2006.
April: Colorado Rockies Start Season, Hope To Forget Last Year's Foibles
Whether we "deserve" them or not, the Rockies open their 23rd season in April.
The long-suffering baseball franchise will attempt to snap its streak of four consecutive losing seasons, starting with its home opener against the Chicago Cubs on April 10.
The season arrives after one of the team's rockiest. Last year -- the second-worst in franchise history -- the Rockies lost 96 games, misspelled their best player's name on thousands of jerseys and listened to their owner, Dick Monfort, shove his foot in his mouth over and over again.
Still, spring baseball breeds optimism, and April is a relatively great month to catch Rockies baseball: They've posted a .500 or better record through April in four of their last five seasons.
Yet should the Rockies season seem doomed by the end of the month, there are some promotional days scattered throughout the season to tempt fans: fireworks on May 22, July 10 and Sept. 25; the Troy Tulowitzki bobblehead giveaway (assuming he's still on the roster on June 7); and the Star Wars bobblehead night on Aug. 22.
And, hey, every month there's $1 hot dog day.
May: Avalanche Hope To Play Late Spring Hockey
The Colorado Avalanche, who finished third in the NHL last year with 112 points and won the Central Division, are unlikely to mount that successful a campaign in 2015.
But they could still be playing hockey in May.
With 45 points, the Avalanche are four points behind Vancouver for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, jostling for position among Dallas and Calgary.
Assuming the Avalanche scrape their way to the playoffs and win their first-round series -- a feat they couldn't accomplish against the underdog Minnesota Wild last season -- they'll play May hockey. That's something they haven't done since May 1, 2008, when their season ended in a sweep at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings.
June: NBA Finals Unlikely, But There's Always The Lottery
The Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, find themselves in a similar spot, on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
Despite winning four straight as of Jan. 13, the Nuggets at 17-20 are still several games back from the eighth and final seed in the NBA's Western Conference. But there are three months of basketball left, so anything's possible.
Still, making the playoffs in the tough Western Conference this season is one thing; the Nuggets playing in June would mean they've reached the NBA Finals, which would be the Colorado sports story of the year -- Broncos included.
So what's to look forward to in June for Nuggets fans?
The NBA draft is June 25 when, quite possibly, the Nuggets will decide how to spend their lottery pick.
July: Colorado Rapids Fireworks A Midsummer Classic
Perhaps soccer isn't as American as mom, baseball and apple pie. But the Colorado Rapids' annual July 4 fireworks extravaganza is a tradition in Colorado.
The Rapids haven't been super-competitive in a few seasons, not qualifying for the MLS playoffs in three of the last four years. By the time the July 4 game against Vancouver rolls around, their chances on making the postseason will be clearer.
The Rapids' regular-season schedule begins on March 7 against Philadelphia and finishes on Oct. 25 against Portland.
