Getting Hitched

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, o-ohh
If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it

Beyonce

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.

Robert Quillen

Summer is wedding season, in case you didn’t know, or are not a follower of Bridal Wars, Bridezillas, Yes to the Dress, or any one of the other matrimonial shows whose titles I half-butchered there, as I am admittedly not a watcher of the genre. If you even spend a moment with your head up around your neighborhood, you’ll notice that this is the time of year that people are getting hitched. The Summer of Love is perpetual in bridal country, as it’s and the months adjacent are just the most sensible and simple time for most people to manage the multiple logistics of getting hitched.

Strangely, the season has proven to have a lot of Colorado sports figures getting hitched as well, upping or re-upping their vows with their Mile High digs and bringing a lot of love and celebration in the process. While much of Denver sports chats about when Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos will go from their two-year engagement to finally getting hitched, there have been a few folks who have gone and sealed the deal.

Jay Norvell, Colorado State University Football
CSU felt they found their man when bringing in former Nevada Wolfpack head coach Jay Norvell to the fold. With a spluttering offense the last couple campaigns under Steve Addazio and crew, the hopes are high that “Air Raid” author Norvell can cure those ills. CSU was feeling solid enough about the relationship to offer Jay a five-year deal. Both sides have said nothing but positive things about how they’ve come out of the gates, and the vibes have been strong enough for the Rams to be attracting a a lot of solid-looking talent to the fold as a byproduct. Look for more people than just DNVR’s Justin Michael to be high on the Rammies this season.

Joe Parker, Colorado State University Athletic Department
Sticking with the Rams for a moment, Colorado State also extended their nuptials with AD Joe Parker, who has already been with CSU for the last eight years. Joe’s five-year extension will match Jay’s, above, as the Rams decided to buck the flux the university is seeing at a lot of leadership levels, and stay consistent with a guy who’s had success in the seat. Parker has had the second-most titles in the conference during his stay, with unprecedented success in the women’s programs. Parker seems well aware he needs to land a conference title or three in men’s football or basketball to really secure a legacy, hence his pursuit of Norvell above, and another winner in hoops head Niko Medved.

Valeri Nichushkin, Colorado Avalanche forward
The Stanley Cup Champion Avs knew immediately what their top priority was before they even got to the parade. Nuke has proven himself to be one of the most effective and lethal two-way players in the league, truly stepping up during the playoff rounds. To reward him for his efforts, and to lock him into something that should seem reasonable by contract’s end, the Avs went long and locked Valeri up for a walloping eight more seasons. If he can give the team 90% of what he did during this last playoff run, this signing will be yet another feather in GM of the Year Joe Sakic’s cap.

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets center

In what was possibly the easiest decision in the history of signings, the Denver Nuggets signed the reigning and back-to-back two-time MVP to the longest and biggest extension they possibly could. Jokic has elevated his teammates and the franchise to unimagined heights. Knowing that any cast that surrounds Jokic will be two steps better just for playing with him. The type of force multiplier that Jokic represents in today’s NBA make him one of the best bang-for-the-buck values in the league, even at a max contract sort of a price point. The Joker gives Denver the best chance at a title they’ve had in… years? Ever? Put a ring on that, and hopefully he can bring a ring back home.

So, while we spend the next 2 days or 18 months salivating over the Broncos-Russell will-they-or-won’t-they?, there are a few spots recently filled in Colorado sports for the foreseeable future, and we as fans are all better for the marriages.