Hope on Tap

“Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”

– Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption

Hope is the name of at least three cities in the United States. Hope is the name of a cousin of mine. Hope is a dessert at this cool little place I went to in Arkansas. And hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things.

It’s also a commodity.

Do you need to get your roof fixed? There are a few dozen companies out there who would like to help you, and the one that gets the gig will probably be the one that gives you the hope you can get it done right and cheaply enough. Wanting to lose weight? There’s so many places that would like to offer you good advice, and maybe a dietary and/or exercise plan. But the one that will hook you is the one that offers you hope. Hope that maybe this time will be the one that sticks. The one that works out. There are very few things more intoxicating, more alluring, more hopeful than hope.

Your favorite sports franchises know this just about as well as anyone. See a flagging fanbase, or crappy ticket sales? That’s a group of people that’s lost hope in their team. Much of the reason teams vie for the best players, the best arenas, the best experiences is not out of the goodness of their heart. It’s because they need to put butts in seats, whether at the stadium or at home in front of a screen. They know that those numbers grow exponentially with success. But they tend to start that fire with a little kindling called hope.

The Denver Broncos will probably have more competition for tickets and seats this season after going all in to bring back their first bonafide superstar quarterback in nearly a decade. Russell Wilson immediately brings credibility, excellence, and stability to the position. But more than anything, he offers the Broncos and their fanbase hope. Several other free agents followed Russ, feeling some hope of their own. That snowball that started with Wilson moving to Denver has built up to a roar that nearly feels like an avalanche. But we’ll talk about Avalanche hopes in a few. If Russ can make the difference that Denver thinks he can, there will be even more momentum building. But he’s already the first bright ray of hope the franchise has seen in some time, and you can already feel the difference at Dove Valley.

The Colorado Rockies came out of the gates hotter than hell this season, offering some immediate hope to a franchise that has had little of it for some time. While their record has cooled off and settled back to earth, pitcher Chad Kuhl has already hung a couple of wins up in the young season, already notching a 1.0 WAR after posting a 2-0 record in his first three starts. Kuhl was not expected to be the stopper on this Rockies pitching staff, let alone leading the team in Wins Above Replacement, but he’s certainly helped keep some of that hope alive while a few new additions find their bearings.

Speaking of Avalanche, the Colorado hockey club has given Avs fans a lot to be hopeful about this year, showing themselves to be one of the hottest teams in the league. But after a couple of untimely injuries of late, the team has been literally doing a little limping to the finish line. The ray of hope on the horizon for Avs fans is the return of superstar Gabriel Landeskog, amongst others. With Landy back on the ice, and hopefully soon, Colorado should have its full complement of terrorizing offense and finally-solid D. With Landy and a couple others back, these Avs might just have Stanley Cup hopes on their hands.

While the Denver Nuggets season ended more with a whimper than a bang in Golden State a couple nights ago, there is still so very much to be hopeful about for this Nuggets squad, and nothing more enticing than the hoped-for return next season of Jamal Murray. While Nikola Jokic is the unquestioned leader and MVP of the team, Murray is the fire and oftentimes the backbone of this squad. Murray was just starting to be consistent in his All-Star potential when he went down late last season, and a hoped-for full return would offer these Nuggets more hope than they’ve felt in some time. Some might even say title hopes.

No matter which way you look at Denver sports, DNVR Nation, there is hope to be found, and those franchises want you to know it and feel it to keep putting those butts in those seats. Which franchises do you feel most hopeful about? Are there any upon which you’ve given up hope?