At the risk of being called a “stiff” for asking such a dumb question, I have one for area sports fans.
Especially those who have been here for 40 or more years.
Who is the most colorful sports figure of our time, in the greater Mile High City, along the Front Range, or in all of Colorado?
I’ve been thinking about it for several days, and I know I’m posing this to others without warning. So, I’ll share some of my thoughts as you decide.
Peyton Manning deserves strong consideration, even though Denver wasn’t the first city where he complemented his considerable football talent with a glib persona.
He brought the Broncos a Super Bowl trophy; he’s still treating Denver like it’s home; and he’s funny, or at least humorous, in virtually everything he does on television.
And how can you not consider Neon Deion, better known in these parts as Coach Prime?
His Colorado Buffaloes football teams may not have lived up to all the hype that overwhelmed CU fans upon his arrival, but he’s always . . . talkative Neon Deion.
What about the Duke of Denver, you say?
John Elway is unquestionably the biggest sports name in Denver, and likely always will be. (Apologies to Nikola Jokic, Todd Helton, Joe Sakic—three private, or at least reserved, superstars—and many other outstanding athletes of local renown.)
John’s in the Hall of Fame; is a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback; has car dealerships and his own wine label; appears in TV commercials a lot; and has been associated with the Broncos for most of his adult life.
But is he colorful? Funny? Always a good quote?
Many similar things can be said of John’s favorite coach.
Mike Shanahan won 138 games as Broncos head coach, including back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997-98; he’s had his name on the Shanahan’s steakhouse since late 2009; and his son Kyle is head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and has taken them to the Super Bowl twice (though lost both times).
Yet, is Shanny colorful? Does he make us laugh? Was he ever a good quote?
If you’re expecting to find a Bronco or ex-Bronco to be your “most colorful” standard-bearer, there’s Shannon Sharpe.
“Colorful” is certainly an accurate description for Sharpe, who was always good for lively quotes during his decorated career as a Canton-bound tight end for the Broncos.
And he’s made a post-football career out of making often outrageous comments on television and podcasts.
But can you look past the times when he was in hot water legally or otherwise?
The Rockies have had a few characters in their first 33 years, but I can think of only one who combined sustained performance with a perceptible public sense of humor.
Charlie Blackmon was a prankster, often the mischievous teammate who doused the “star of the game” during a postgame interview. But what else?
Which brings me to the reason for this whole exercise.
Doug Moe, who died nine days ago, was the head coach of the Denver Nuggets from 1980 to 1990. In the days after his death made the news, virtually every tribute included some form of “Denver’s most colorful sports figure.”
During that decade, Moe’s teams won 432 games, made the NBA Playoffs nine times, and led the league in scoring six times with an all-gas, no-brake offense.
This was before the arrival of the Rockies and Avalanche; the Broncos were just beginning the John Elway Era; and up in Boulder, CU was transitioning from, Chuck Fairbanks to Bill McCartney.
Thus, one could argue that Moe had little competition for the title of “Denver’s Most Colorful Sports Figure” back then.
But to know him was to know that no one since has even come close.
Doug Moe’s postgame interviews were as formal as having a beer in his basement. He called everyone he respected a “stiff,” especially his best players. His loyal, long-suffering wife was “Big Jane.” It was not unusual to see him at the King Soopers on Yosemite, leaving with a bag of groceries.
He was often foul-mouthed during a game, but only because he expected his “stiffs” to care as much as he did.
Win or lose, after the final buzzer he was back to being colorful Doug Moe—the stiff of all stiffs.
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Denny Dressman writes a weekly sports column for The Villager. You can write to Denny at dennydressman@comcast.net.