Sports & Recreation >>

• Best Mascot
  Rocky
  If Miles, that weird horse-head guy who trots the field during Broncos games, was sent to the glue factory, and Dinger, the Rockies' pathetic faux Barney, sank into a tar pit, many sports lovers in these parts would cheer. But were Rocky, the Nuggets' coolest cat, to head for the hills, all of... More >>
• Best Sports Announcer (2 Comments)
  Mike Haynes
  The worst thing that's happened to the radio broadcasts of Avalanche games is also the best thing that's happened to television coverage of the team. The irrepressible Mike Haynes, who's now a permanent fixture in the TV booth after establishing himself in the older medium, brings the same... More >>
• Best Rockie
  Matt Holliday
  The Rockies' "Generation R" advertising campaign smacked of desperation. At least, it did until Matt Holliday, the team's exciting young left-fielder, smacked 34 home runs last season -- a real accomplishment in the humidor era. But Holliday's more than just a long-baller. He maintained a .324... More >>
• Best Bronco (2 Comments)
  Champ Bailey
  How many Broncos are the best at their position in the NFL? Precisely one -- and he wears number 24. Although the term "shut-down cornerback" is overused by TV commentators, Champ Bailey comes closer than anyone in the league to making it mean something. Any time the ball is thrown to his half... More >>
• Best Nugget (1 Comment)
  Marcus Camby
  Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson have gotten all the attention this year, since both are capable of setting the scoreboard ablaze. But the underappreciated Marcus Camby truly anchors the Nugs. For one thing, he plays great defense every time he hits the court -- something that's all too rare on... More >>
• Best Av
  Paul Stastny
  Because the particulars of the NHL's 2005 collective-bargaining agreement forced the Avalanche to say so long to several fan favorites, the team needed newcomers to step up this year -- and Paul Stastny has done just that. A hometown hero thanks to his play on University of Denver championship... More >>
• Best Rapid (1 Comment)
  Kyle Beckerman
  There's a reason you're seeing Kyle Beckerman's face all over the city. And no, it's not those Sideshow Bob dreadlocks -- although those are noteworthy. The reason the Colorado Rapids chose to tattoo Beckerman, along with a handful of other Rapids, on the banners and billboards hyping the... More >>
• Best Crush
  Damian Harrell
  Granted, touchdowns are more plentiful in the Arena Football League than in the National Football League; it's not unusual for AFL scores to top sixty points. Still, props go to Damian Harrell, a Florida State grad and original member of the Crush, who holds the AFL record for consecutive games... More >>
• Best Mammoth
  Gary Gait
  The Colorado Mammoth certainly has some fine players, including defensemen Tom Ethington and Jamie Hanford, who were just named to compete on the U.S. national team at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in May. Still, these guys have a long way to go before they'll surpass the... More >>
• Best Sports Team -- Professional (1 Comment)
  Denver Nuggets
  While the Nugs may not have registered as many wins as anticipated at the start of the season, they've more than made up for their uneven play in drama. The team limped out of the gate, and when it finally seemed to be hitting its stride, Carmelo Anthony was suspended for fifteen games after... More >>
• Best Sports Team -- College
  Falcons Men's Basketball Team
  Cinderella isn't known for wearing pilot's gear, but given the accomplishments of the Air Force Academy's men's basketball squad this year, she should probably try a flight suit on for size. Since players must commit to military service, the Falcons have a smaller recruiting pool to draw from... More >>
• Best Coach -- Professional
  Mike Shanahan
  Nearly all great NFL franchises suffer downturns. Think of the once-invincible San Francisco 49ers, who only now are showing signs of emerging from the mire of mediocrity that followed their glory days in the '80s and '90s. Yet despite plenty of opportunities to do so, the Broncos haven't hit... More >>
• Best Coach -- College
  Jeff Bzdelik
  When Jeff Bzdelik was sacked by the Denver Nuggets, he could have grumbled loudly -- as he had every reason to do. Instead, he accepted the head-coaching position at the Air Force Academy and turned what could have seemed a dead-end gig into a dazzling showcase of his skills. He took a team... More >>
• Best Deal for Season- Ticket Holders
  Colorado Rockies
  Can't make it to a Rockies game, season-ticket holder? Can't find anyone to take your tickets because the Rocks are eight games below .500 and downtown scalpers are giving away tix for lengthy hugs? No sweat, season-ticket holder. Go to any Dugout Store or the Coors Field box office, and you can... More >>
• Best Batting Cages
  Denver Hitting Club
  What the Denver Hitting Club lacks in glitzy, suburban, mega-batting-cage luster, it makes up for in elbow grease. Elbow grease provided by Sam Morales. "I used to coach youth teams, and we were always trying to find a place to take the kids to hit, and we'd wind up having to take them out to... More >>
• Best Pitch
  HitStreak
  Play ball? The centerpiece of HitStreak's training is the ProBatter Professional PX2, an extraordinary pitch simulator that's hyped as the closest thing you'll find to actually batting against Johan Santana in the bottom of the ninth. Through the use of computerized video imagery and multi-pitch... More >>
• Best Terrain Park
  Keystone
  Sure, seventeen-foot-tall superpipes and outlandish circus rails might gain the attention of the pros and magazine photographers -- but for the average rider, bigger does not always equal better. The design team behind Keystone's A51 realized this a few years back and has since put together the... More >>
• Best Locals Mountain
  Loveland
  Even though there are much bigger mountains and badder terrain parks, Loveland remains beloved. There are no monstrous hotels here, no $8 cheeseburgers, no jerks running the lifts, no Texans. You don't even have to go through the Eisenhower Tunnel to get here, and less road time means more snow... More >>
• Best Upscaling of a Down-Home Resort
  Black Mountain Lodge
  Is nothing sacred? A-Basin, one of the last bare-bones ski areas around, just added some padding to its sleek skeleton. The mid-mountain Black Mountain Lodge features not just a sports shop, but an upscale 200-seat restaurant, with an "alpine bistro menu" that includes grilled salmon and Kobe... More >>
• Best Ski Deal
  Ruby Hill Rail Yard
  A visit to Ruby Hill is always a high point, since this park is a great place to see the sights of Denver. But this past season, it also became the site of the best ski deal around, when Winter Park Resort and the Denver Department of Parks and Recreation joined together to open Ruby Hill Rail... More >>
• Best Official Skatepark
  Sandstone Ranch Skate Park
  Boarders, bladers and bikers who've cruised through Sandstone Ranch Skate Park since it opened last June might take the 24,000-square-foot concrete course for granted. The smooth arrangement of the expert sections -- like the pool and flow course, alongside such street-plaza components as... More >>
• Best Unofficial Skatepark
  Highland Bridge
  Technically, the function of the new Highland Bridge is to connect the Commons Park area with the Highland neighborhood. And its form -- 320 foot-long, triple-rib beams arcing 70 feet over I-25 -- is designed as another display of downtown's emerging architectural beauty. But for skateboarders,... More >>
• Best DIY Project (2 Comments)
  Bennett DIY Skatepark Project
  With skatepark construction becoming a more formalized industry, it's easy to forget the sport's underground, do-it-yourself roots. But some of the most fun, inspired skate spots are built by the skaters themselves, wielding hammers and concrete trowels -- which is why the Colorado Coalition for... More >>
• Best Skateboard School (3 Comments)
  Colorado Skate University
  It was fated to be: The husband-and-wife team who run Colorado Skate University met in a skatepark. Their shared passion inspired them to open a school, which offers we-come-to-you lessons for boarders of all ages seeking to learn the ins and ollies of just about everything, from staying on your... More >>
• Best Secret BMX Spot
  The V
  For serious BMX riders, the V isn't really a secret, but rather a legend going back nearly twenty years, to when freestyle bikers first began building dirt jumps in an Aurora gulley. Set amid tall trees and accessed only by a bike path, the spot's obscurity helped it survive while other... More >>
• Best Fitness on Wheels
  US on Wheels
  Exercise is a vital component of any healthy lifestyle. But where do you turn after you've exhausted your tolerance for running, bicycling and Pi-Yo? US on Wheels. Show up at 10:30 any Wednesday morning, fork over $4, strap on some wheels and get moving! The ninety-minute Roller Fitness program... More >>
• Best Place to Ride High
  Golden Oldy Cyclery
  A Penny for your thoughts: "The world is a happier place when you ride a Penny Farthing bike." That's the motto at this Victorian-era cycling museum in Golden, which has one of the world's most comprehensive collections of "big wheel" equipment and memorabilia, including more than sixty classic... More >>
• Best Place to Get High
  SkyVenture Colorado
  Who says you need sky to skydive? For anyone who's ever had an Icarus-like urge to sail through the atmosphere -- but then had second thoughts because of that whole jumping-out-of-the-plane thing -- SkyVenture has the answer. After a brief training session and suit-up, you can fly through the... More >>
• Best Race to the Top of a Building
  Run the Register
  It might not be the Empire State Building, but the Wells Fargo Center -- also known as Denver's "cash register" -- still has more than 1,000 steps stretching to the top. That's the rigorous course of the Run the Register race every February; it's a good way to burn off calories after the... More >>
• Best Reason to Top Mount Elbert
  50-50-1
  While some zealots are determined to climb every fourteener in the state, more reasonable types are happy to simply scale our highest peak: Mount Elbert, which reaches a whopping 14,433 feet. If you're looking for a reason to ascend to greater heights, you won't find a better one than the annual... More >>
• Best Place to Go Under (1 Comment)
  Downtown Aquarium
  For a landlocked state, Colorado has a lot of residents who like to dive and snorkel -- and not many places for them to do it. But now you can get down at the Downtown Aquarium, where Swim With the Fish, Dive With the Fish and Dive With the Sharks allow you to do some underwater communing with... More >>
• Best New Beach
  Neusteter Plaza
  The park formerly known as the Xcel Substation on 15th Street is now generating a whole new kind of electricity. Powered by the Greenway Foundation, the reclamation of this one-acre parcel of land was the final phase of the Confluence Park plan and was completed last year. The improvements at... More >>
• Best River Cleaning
  South Platte River Sweep
  For years, the South Platte was the Rodney Dangerfield of rivers. It got no respect -- just a lot of trash. But all that changed with the River Sweep, an annual event combining the organizational skills of REI, Trout Unlimited and Denver Water with the litter-picking talents of hundreds of... More >>
• Best Answer to Match.com
  V Outdoors
  What you need is someone who shares your values, understands your dedication to trail maintenance, recycling, litter control and other tenets of pack it in/pack it out. Someone who is going to respect you in the morning -- or the next afternoon. V Outdoors is ready to be your yenta, fixing you... More >>
• Best Place to Pick Up Eco Chicks
  REI
  The REI flagship store on the Platte River is a mecca for Colorado singles, like Cafeteria or Cain in New York. There are always plenty of pretty hippie chicks and urban adventure gals around. But for even better odds, sign up for one of REI's many classes, whether climbing basics or... More >>
• Best Place to Pick Up
  Eco Boys
  Confluence Kayaks
  Confluence Kayaks is a wonderland of kayaking information: From DVDs to books to gear to floats, Confluence has it all -- as well as a doting staff of hunky eco freaks ready to personally instruct you on the finer points of kayaking. When you're ready to take things to the next level, sign up... More >>
• Best Unauthorized Dog Park (1 Comment)
  Hirshorn Park
  When a neighborhood is in transition, everything is in the process of becoming something else. In Wash Park and Cherry Creek North, the last bungalows are transitioning into three-unit, three-story townhomes. In LoDo, the last warehouses are transitioning into lofts. And in Highland, the... More >>
• Best Guide to Colorado (1 Comment)
  Colorado Mountain Club Press
  Wherever you're going, whatever you're doing in this state, the Colorado Mountain Club Press has a book for you. Looking for a quiet mountain trail without too much elevation but still away from civilization? Check. Seeking that perfect meadow to finish off your local flora checklist? You... More >>
• Best Urban Nature Walk (1 Comment)
  High Line Canal Trail
  Snaking off the South Platte River near Waterton Canyon to the southwest and winding all the way northeast to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal and Green Valley Ranch, the serpentine High Line Canal Trail bends through Arapahoe, Douglas and Denver counties. Approximately sixty miles long, the trail is... More >>
• Best Butt-Kicking
  Genesis Fitness Camps
  At Genesis Fitness Camps, the troops answer not to a bugle call, but to the siren song of Beyoncé's "Bootylicious." No matter how loud the instructors crank the sound system, though, there's no drowning out the moans of winded exercisers working their way through the seven levels of fitness... More >>
• Best Bowling Alley (1 Comment)
  Elitch Lanes
  Elitch Lanes is where you prove you've got balls. This is where you spend all...damn...day perfecting your spare, strike, hook and backswing -- whiskey shooters or rum and Coke firmly in your other hand. There's no room for sissy drinks and fancy shoes in these lanes that time forgot. The place... More >>
• Best Pool Hall (2 Comments)
  Tarantula Billiards and Bar
  Hidden above 14th Street in an old slaughterhouse, Tarantula Billiards is the perfect downtown pool hall: gritty and urban, with well-poured drinks, rows of tables and a commanding view of the poor workaday shlubs down below. The free pool during the day -- with purchase of lunch, even if it's... More >>
• Best Gamesmanship (3 Comments)
  Underground Games
  Let the games begin! Underground Games makes it easy, with stock that includes games both popular and obscure as well as replacement pieces for games you've had around so long that Park Place is looking, well, a little less than posh. There are also rooms available that you can rent by the hour,... More >>
• Best Child's Play (8 Comments)
  World's Largest Field Day (for Big Kids)
  In elementary school, everyone loved Field Day. It was a dream come true: an entire day devoted to playing outside, and then everyone went home with at least one ribbon. Then we got older, and gym class turned from blissful anarchy into one structured game after another. By high school, the only... More >>
• Best Venue for an
  All-Night Party
  Fat City
  Fat City is every child's birthday-party paradise, with the bowling, the laser tag, the mini-golf, the rollerskating, the arcade and the foam factory. But the three-and-a-half-acre entertainment center doesn't stop at children's birthday packages, corporate team-building exercises -- including... More >>
• Best Train Ride for Kids (1 Comment)
  Polar Express
  Trains and Christmas. They just go together, like hot chocolate and marshmallows, in the magical lore of childhood dreams and Chris Van Allsburg's beloved holiday-season picture book, The Polar Express, which was made into an animated flick co-produced and voiced by true believer Tom Hanks. And... More >>
• Best Train Ride for Adults
  Royal Gorge Route Railroad
  I drink I can, I drink I can. The Little Engine That Could doesn't have anything on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, which has slated a series of very adult train trips this summer with its Winemaker Dinners. The monthly meals by chef Jeff McGlothin pair a five-course menu with wines from... More >>
• Best Apres-Ski Pit Stop
  The Red Ram
  You've made it out of the Eisenhower Tunnel -- which means three more hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic into Denver. Time to head directly to Georgetown. Unlike I-70, on a Sunday night, the old mining town is eerily deserted -- except for the Red Ram. Inside, regulars are lined up at the long... More >>
• Best Sports Bar for the Non-Sports Fan
  College Inn
  The College Inn has great food and drink specials -- Monday is Tank-N-Tacos night, for example, with three tacos and a tank of any Bud or house marg for $4.50. It always has fine chicken wings. Ditto for boisterous crowds of off-duty nurses and working-the-crowd guys. And then it has all those... More >>