Chemistry Set

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”

~ Carl Jung

I still remember it as clearly as day. I was goofing around with a few of my dearest friends, and I looked across the room. She… stunning, beautiful she was sitting in a chair, chatting with her friends. I’d have sworn when I glanced her way, she was looking at me. So I kept looking until I was sure she had. We spent a little more time pretending to not quite be looking at one another, but every time we did, the glance would last a little longer. An hour in, we were openly smiling at the other’s not-so-casual gaze. By the end of the night, we’d met, spoken, laughed, and fallen pretty hopelessly. The chemistry was powerful and undeniable.

Conversely, I’d been set up on a date prior to that who was “perfect” for me. We met at a restaurant, and five minutes into our time, she’d rolled her eyes at me, the host, and the waitperson. The pattern continued through dessert. She could not have been less interested in the specials, the restaurant, or the conversation. But most especially, she couldn’t have been less interested in me, and the feeling could not have been more mutual. The chemistry was powerful. And undeniable.

Chemistry is a funny thing, whether in a love life, a laboratory, or a team. As Jung said, if there’s any reaction between the newly introduced objects, both are transformed. Add the right bit of fuel into a mixture, and you can get your engine running faster than ever before. But as any kid who’s ever built a Science Fair volcano knows, add the wrong something, or too much, and…

Colorado professional sports would of course be no exception to the rule. The teams we love the most have pulled the trigger on moves that have both decimated and energized franchises over the years, both in terms of additions and subtractions. There just as many examples of duds as there are gems.

The Denver Broncos have traded away eventual Hall of Famers like Willie Brown, and brought in locker room wet blankets like Joe Flacco. They’ve also brought home Championship trophies by swinging for the fences with the likes of Peyton Manning Gary Zimmerman.

The Colorado Rockies have recently subtracted a future Hall of Famer with the trade of Nolan Arenado, but over the years have also made trades like adding ten seasons of all-timer Carlos Gonzales for a disgruntled Matt Holliday. See? It’s not all bad, Rockies fans! It’s just… mostly bad…

The Denver Nuggets may have brought T.R. Dunn into the fold for the pick that netted Clyde Drexler, or tried to make the highly combustible mix of Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and J.R. Smith mesh. But swap out A.I. for a healthy dash of Chauncey Billups, and you’ve got a recipe for the Western Conference Finals on your hands. The Nuggets are hoping they’ve found an even stronger set of covalent bonds with the arrival of Aaron Gordon hopefully carrying them to their very first Finals, as the only major Colorado franchise to never make it to that last step.

The Colorado Avalanche have a trade deadline looming large on the horizon, with needs to shore up their second-tier goaltending and defensive needs before the season really starts to get serious. They’ve seen the help that both addition and subtraction can bring over the years, with an addition like Patrick Roy or a subtraction such as Matt Duchene. Will their already-strong chemistry be up to a shift in the current mix? Avs fans are hoping for the best, as the window they have with their currently slate of top-tier talent doesn’t stay open forever. Colorado will be smart to mix things up and take a risk on the shot that’s available to them now.

One just passed, another about to come along. There are new elements being introduced to your Colorado chemistry set, DNVR Nation. Let’s let them shake things up for a little bit longer, and then, hopefully…

BOOM