Rev up your Mr. Fusion and tighten up that automatically sizable jacket, because today is the day loaded with projections, conjecture and certainly a large amount of guesstimation. (That word, will be officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary soon, it’s Emjoi will be added in 2027.)
Today is October 21, 2015, the day in which Doc Brown and Marty McFly (we always forget to mention Jennifer, for some reason) came back from the past, made a quick stop in the present and are headed to in Back to the Future II.
And while the flying cars and hoverboards that Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale envisioned as being commonplace in their version of 2015 still exist only in the imagination of third graders and vastly overfunded experimental government R&D labs, there is plenty about the Future that came, more or less, true.
Video telephone calls? Sorry AT&T, Skype and FaceTime figured that one out first. Jaws 19 in 3D? Well, the Mosasaurus from the Jurassic franchise proved to be far more visually stunning (and probably box-office successful) than the great Great White, but they certainly nailed the excess number of sequels (are you listening Tiresome and Tedious, I mean, Fast & Furious) and the (now IMAX) 3D thing. Nike Mag sneakers with power laces? New click-to-tighten, quick-release lacing systems are darn close, ensuring that children born this year and beyond may never have to learn about the sad rabbit.
But more sadly, the No. 1 wild and crazy prediction of Back to the Future II now appears as distant a hope as the flying DeLorean. Down 3-0 in the National League Championship Series – a deficit only one team has ever rebounded from – it would take lightning striking the clocktower twice for the Chicago Cubs to come back and even make it to a World Series, let alone win another four games to fulfill the dream of North Siders and sci-fi geeks far and wide.
30 years ago, Major League Baseball and NHL hockey might have seemed only a dream to Colorado sports fans. A Super Bowl title certainly felt that way. And an NBA title? Well, three out of four ain’t bad, right?
Indeed, the sports landscape here in this dusty cow town, once a stop en route to a gold rush and now the destination for the “green rush,” has changed dramatically since Marty McFly found his way back to Hill Valley and back and again (how’s that for a space-time continuum displacement?). Here in Denver, we’ve seen the build of four new stadiums and the demolition of two (not to mention an airport), the rise of a game once played only at east coast prep schools and we sent a missile to win a handful of medals at the Olympic games, among dozens of other accomplishments.
What will come to pass in the next 30 years of Denver sports? We fired up the flux-capacitor and sent Danny Williams and Marcello Romano of Morning Mayhem and Benny Bash of The Big Show into Denver 2045 to get an idea of what things look like in the future. Curiously, they found two starkly different Mile High Cities.
Danny and Cello visit Titletown | Benny sees a sports (and other) desert
Welcome to Titletown 2045
As Dan Williams and Marcello Romano step out of the DeLorean and onto Josh Kroenke (formerly Speer) Boulevard, with Huey Lewis still rocking on 8-track in the background, they’re immediately surprised and delighted to see a massive “Welcome to Denver: Home of World Champions” sign spanning the eight-lane elevated thoroughfare with express parking exits for the WalBev Center.
Somewhat shockingly, their press passes from the 2015-16 Denver Nuggets run to the Western Conference Semifinals still work (though not as surprising as that run actually was). They’re ushered into a tactilegraphic (holographic is so 2025) history exhibit cataloging all of Denver’s (and Josh Kroenke’s) world titles. Their artificially intelligent tour guide begins to speak as real-life scenes are played out around them (thank you 3D printing technology)…
“After acquiring the Colorado Rockies when the Monfort brothers were forced to give up ownership because a rampant case of mad fan disease swept through Lower Downtown Denver, Mr. Kroenke immediately invigorated a longtime losing franchise. Through Mr. Kroenke’s visionary leadership, and propelled by the right arm of Dante Bichette III, the Rockies won a staggering six-consecutive World Series titles. Mr. Kroenke’s introduction of a barometric-pressure-controlled domed stadium was the ultimate difference-maker for the city once infamous for its thin air and home runs.”
The tour guide pauses for a moment for an obligatory sponsorship promotional message…
“We hope you’ll join us at Super Bowl 80, presented by AgroPharm. Your Denver Broncos are favored by 11.5 points against the Santa Monica Saints. Place your bet on the game using the team’s exclusive wagering service Bet Broncos and you could win an all-expense-paid trip via solar train with a VIP experience with quarterback Marshall Manning. Winners will also receive lodging at Jacksonville’s finest luxury beachfront hotel. Join us as the Broncos go for their tenth world championship and remember Bet Broncos!”
Danny quickly checks his wallet, but Cello reminds him that his credit card (even the new one with the microchip) probably will not be valid, unlike their Nuggets press passes. And with that, basketballs start flying around them and eight 7-foot-tall giants athletically leap and run past them at breakneck speed.
“The Denver Nuggets, Mr. Kroenke’s cornerstone franchise, have been a pillar of the World Basketball League since the National Basketball Association expanded worldwide in 2022. Denver was a leading proponent of the global expansion of the game, and it’s once-legal marijuana made the city a premiere destination for international fans. The Nuggets were perhaps the best in world to adapt to the four-man game and 12-foot rims, winning the first four WBL titles before the UN dictated recruiting changes to restore competitive balance. Still, the Nuggets have remained one of the great WBL franchises, having won an additional five titles since that time.”
“I could really go for a Pepsi,” Danny whispers to Cello.
“We’re sorry, but sugared, caffeinated beverages are no longer available at WalBev Center,” says their tour guide. “Please enjoy a WalBev Water – Reclaimed Seven Times, For You™”
“I think I’ll pass,” says Danny.
“Speaking of reclaimed water,” the guide says without missing a beat. “Did you know that the Colorado Avalanche were the first NHL team to use artificial ice? The artificial surface was originally intended for the exterior of a Mars transport vehicle and developed by scientists at the University of Colorado. When the manned mission to Mars was officially cancelled in 2037, Mr. Kroenke partnered with the university to create the league’s first non-liquid playing surface. It has been used in every NHL stadium since 2040 and the Avalanche won their fifth and sixth Stanley Cup titles playing on the new surface.
“For his contributions to all varieties of sport, Mr. Kroenke was recognized by the Smithsonian Sports Museum and his dedicated wing will be unveiled to the public next year. Physical or tactilegraphic ticket packages are available through your travel agent.”
“Strange that those survived,” Cello observes.
“It’s a strange future, indeed” notes Danny. “Let’s get back to 2015. I want a Pepsi.”
As they speed back from the future along the space-time continuum, they wave and smile at Benny Bash, who’s headed in the other direction to his own very different vision of the Denver sports future.
The Desert of Denver 2045
Benny Bash comes crashing to a stop in the sands of the South Platte wadi. Sand boarders stop to help him out of his DeLorean and brush the fine grains from his back and shoulders.
“It’s a little dusty out here,” Benny jokes with them. They stare back blankly.
“Where’d you come from?” A voice shouts from under a dilapidated bridge that spans only half of its former expanse. “I haven’t heard someone using words like that in these parts for 20 years.”
The words come from a surly looking codger who hobbles over from his encampment made of old solar panels and reflective tarpaulin.
“I came from 2015 to see the future of Denver sports,” Benny tells the old man who bears a waist-length beard and a striking resemblance to a former All-Star centerfielder for the Rockies.
“Well, in the future, we don’t use words anymore – that’s for one thing,” this fellow with “Nazty” tattooed across his knuckles says. “Except for me. Everyone else sends picture messages through their cortical implants. No thank you, for me.”
He ushers Benny back to his make-shift home, which is littered with sports memorabilia from Denver’s past.
“I hope you like the place,” he chuckles. “I donated all my playing days money to build a Children’s hospital. I never was suited for the high life.”
He pulls a faded yellow baseball from a pile.
“This here’s a ball from the last Major League game played by the Colorado Rockies. After 50 years and no division titles, baseball finally relegated them to the minor leagues. Now they’re the farm team for Cleveland. Ain’t that a kick in the pants?”
“But I still see Coors Field across the way,” Benny says.
“Yes, they play lacrosse and football over there – the Outlaws and Rapids are the most popular teams in town. Took over the lease when the Rockies had to move to Pueblo. At least they got to keep the name ‘Colorado,'” the old crank chuckles.
“And this is a Nuggets jersey from the 2029-30 season. They wore grape and magenta that year. I used to have all 47 uniform combinations, but I couldn’t keep up after they were sold to Madrid. I still can’t believe that after all this time they still haven’t made a Finals appearance. Even Charlotte went to the Finals once. They lost to Brisbane. I got to know Dr. Faried pretty well during my time in Denver – back before he was a Nobel Peace Prize winner – I really thought they had something in 2019. Turns out some things never change.”
“What about the Avalanche?” Benny asks. “They were a team on the rise where I come from.”
“Oh, you mean the Mudslides? They had to change their name after Colorado went 15 years without snowfall. They moved to Montana, but their arena was wiped out… by a tornado.
“Ironic, isn’t it?”
“Surely the Broncos must still be here! Not all of my favorite teams have moved out of town these past 30 years,” Benny implores the hermit.
“Oh, no. They’re still here. They used to be the best flag football team in the country. But now they have this aging quarterback – Marshall Manning – he’s 34 years old. Way past his prime. The next oldest guy in the league is 27. Sure, he gets Tommy John surgery every Wednesday so he can play on Sunday, but he’s not the same quarterback he was in his late teens. The game has changed. I think the only reason he’s still playing is because his Dad owns the Titans and his sister plays for the Colts. The league likes the story.”
“I guess some things don’t change,” Benny says to himself. “Well, I guess I better get back to my Denver, at least there’s some hope there.”
“Then I won’t spoil it for you,” the old man says. “I’ll just tell you this: Keep your schedule open in early February. The old man’s going to surprise some people.”