Denver Sports Teams and Venues
If you’re an athlete or a sports fan in Denver, life is good. This city has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most active, outdoorsy cities in the United States. With a sports team for every major professional league, Denver is one of a few cities that has it all. Game attendance is well above average across the board and Denver’s teams rarely fail to put on an impressive performance at home.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos represent Denver in the National Football League and they play at Invesco Field at Mile High. The Broncos have played in Denver for more than 50 years and have built a strong rapport with the city. To say that Denverites love their Broncos would be a major understatement; every single game since 1970 has been a sellout performance.
With six Super Bowl appearances and two wins to their name, the Broncos are always a dangerous team to play against. If you ever get a chance to stop in for a game at Invesco Field, prepare yourself for the Rocky Mountain Thunder (70,000 fans stomping their feet on 13,500 tons of steel girders), a 27 foot tall horse named Bucky the Bronco and plenty of references to Hall of Famer John Elway.
After the game, you can step outside and grab a hot pizza from Pizza Hut, stop in at Brooklyn’s for a beer and a burger or retire to your room at Hotel VQ. Or if you’re still up for even more action, you can stop in at any one of hundreds of stores, restaurants and bars that line the 16th Street Mall.
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies played their first Major League Baseball game in 1993 and currently reside at Coors Field. Despite a troubled youth, the Colorado Rockies have become a strong team in recent years. They hosted the World Series in 2007 and reached the playoffs in 2009.
A promising new pitcher named Ubaldo Jimenez threw the team’s first no-hitter in 2010 and continues to show great potential. Also in 2010, the Rockies pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks in franchise history. Down 9-3 going into the ninth inning, the Rockies managed to score 9 runs and win the game in dramatic fashion. A loyal fan base, beautiful stadium and lots of action make it a pleasure to catch a game at Coors Field.
If you can’t score home plate tickets, the upper deck offers a beautiful view of the field and a panoramic view of downtown Denver and the Rocky Mountains. Located in the heart of LoDo (Lower Downtown), the stadium is located close to hundreds of after-game bars, clubs and restaurants. Jackson’s Sports Bar is located directly across the street from the stadium and acts as a lively gathering place before, during and after every Rockies game.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets represent Denver in the NBA and have established themselves as a league powerhouse over the years. The Denver Rockets were formed in 1967 and then became the Nuggets when they joined the NBA in 1976. They got off to a quick start in the NBA and have consistently proven to be a tough, high-scoring team.
The Nuggets became one of the first teams to place an extreme focus on offense during the 1980s and the strategy led them to the playoffs multiple times. In the 1981-1982 season, the Denver Nuggets set an NBA record by scoring 100+ points per game for 136 consecutive games. More recently, the Nuggets set a team record in 2010 after winning 50 or more games per season for three consecutive seasons.
Denver Nuggets games are played at Pepsi Center, where there is seating for about 19,000 fans. After the game, fans can move straight from Pepsi Center to the Blue Sky Grill for one of the best after-game meals in the city. The Blue Sky Grill specializes in hearty Western food and features a wooden-lodge theme that looks like something you would stumble across deep in the Rocky Mountains.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have represented Denver in the NHL since 1995. They call Pepsi Center home and have achieved an impressive record despite their relative youth. Since 1995, the Colorado Avalanche have won eight division titles and reached the playoffs 10 times.
A fiercely loyal fan base has helped the Avalanche sell out nearly every game in the history of the team. They reached their 500th sellout out of 515 games in 2007, and that includes a streak of 487 consecutive sellouts. A constantly packed rink and powerhouse team make all Avalanche games an experience that’s well worth the cost of a ticket.
Before the game, you can hit any one of many bars and clubs along Market Street and then drive or walk the rest of the way to Pepsi Center. The Blue Sky Grill and Brooklyn’s serve as popular post-game gathering spots next door. And if you’re still standing after all that, the heart of Denver’s nightlife waits just across Speer Boulevard.
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids team was formed in 1995 to represent Denver in Major League Soccer. The Rapids play at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, which opened in 2007 and reigns as the world’s largest field complex. Consisting of 24 fully-lit fields and an 18,000 seat capacity, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is as good as it gets in the MLS.
The Rapids played their first game in 1996 and ended that season with the worst record in the league. Not to be deterred, the Rapids turned themselves around the very next year and made it all the way to the 1997 MLS Cup final. The team has had its ups and downs since then, but they still have one of the best attendance records in the league.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is located a little to the northwest of Denver near the intersection of Highways 270 and 70. After the game, you can stop across the street at Halftime Sports Bar or Shifter’s Bar and Grill for some surprisingly tasty bar food and drinks. Or if you want, you can catch I-70 to head West back into the heart of the city.
- Colorado Travel Info
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- List of Ski Resorts
- Guide To Denver