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Best Rapid

Deshorn Brown

Although Deshorn Brown has only been a Rapid for a couple of years, he hasn't been shy about taking charge. In 2014, as in his first season with the club, he absolutely dominated from an offensive standpoint, leading the team in most categories by a lot; for example, he took 121 shots, with the next closest player (Dillon Serna) coming in at 39. It would have been nice if a few more had gone in, especially since the Rapids finished eighth in the nine-team MLS Western Conference. But Brown is definitely doing all he can to make the number of victories rise.

Readers' choice: Dillon Serna

Best Mammoth

Adam Jones

Although he's not the team's number-one star — that's still John Grant Jr. — Adam Jones is giving the spot a run for its money. His point total rivals Grant's, and when he's on, he can provide instant offense, even under difficult conditions. During a game against New England, for example, he scored three goals in under six minutes using a borrowed stick — a necessity, because the team's bags had been waylaid. No, professional lacrosse isn't always glamorous. Still, Jones has what it takes for the long haul.

Readers' choice: John Gallant

Best Outlaw

Eric Law

Attackman Eric Law is a hometown boy — a native Coloradan and graduate of Arapahoe High School who played his college lacrosse at DU. But he isn't an Outlaw for sentimental reasons. He followed up a scorching rookie season with an equally impressive sophomore stint, during which he earned all-star honors for leading the team in goals, points, shots on goal and shooting percentage, not to mention recording four hat tricks through the first six games of the season. Unlike most other professional franchises in Denver, which experienced down years, the Outlaws finished 2014 as MLL champs, and Law was a big reason why.

Readers' choice: Eric Law

Best Sports Team — Professional

Denver Broncos

We come not to bury the Denver Broncos, but to praise them. True, the team followed up its humiliating Super Bowl defeat by getting bounced out of the playoffs the next year after one game. But since Peyton Manning came to town, Denver has been among the most exciting franchises in any league, generating terrific story lines week in and week out — and with Manning returning to the fold for what's likely to be his final season and prodigal son Gary Kubiak coming back with a mandate for returning to glory, the drama could ratchet even higher in 2015-2016.

Readers' choice: Denver Broncos

Best Coach — Professional

Patrick Roy

It's been a rough year for pro coaches of the big four teams in Denver: John Fox jumped from the Broncos before he could be pushed, Brian Shaw was unceremoniously dismissed by the Nuggets, and Walt Weiss managed to survive as Rockies skipper only because general manager Dan O'Dowd was the designated (and belated) sacrifice. That leaves Patrick Roy, whose team didn't manage to hit the heights of his first year in charge. Yet he still struck a fine balance between positivity and hard-assed realism, figuratively skating over some often-thin ice with the sort of confidence that makes us believe better things are ahead.

Readers' choice: Patrick Roy

Best Coach — College

Jim McElwain

For coaches at colleges outside the power conferences, validation for a job well done comes when bigger universities come calling, and that's what happened for Jim McElwain, who was hired by Florida after the end of the regular season. When he took the CSU gig following several strong years as offensive coordinator at Alabama, observers knew he might be looking at Fort Collins as a way station. But this sort of plan only works if a coach wins, and McElwain did, quickly turning around a moribund program and registering a 10-2 record en route to becoming Mountain West Conference coach of the year. He earned the promotion, and CSU is in a better place moving forward because he did.

Readers' choice: Jim McElwain

Best Sports Announcer

Alan Roach

KOA longtimer Alan Roach has manned the public-address system at a slew of Super Bowls, but not at the 2014 edition, because of the theory that hearing him would have given the Broncos an unfair advantage over the Seattle Seahawks. In general, this is an absurd notion, and not only because even the voice of God couldn't have helped Denver enough to win. Then again, Roach's bottomless tone is the next best thing to divinity, at least as far as most local fans are concerned. To people in Colorado, Roach simply sounds like sports, and for someone in his line of work, there's no greater compliment.

Readers' choice: Dave Logan

Best TV Sportscaster

Vic Lombardi

Vic Lombardi continues to stand head and shoulders above his sports-anchor peers, in part because he refuses to be confined to TV. In addition to his work at CBS4, he's become a regular on the 104.3/The Fan morning show alongside Mike Evans and Nate Lundy, giving him even more opportunities to exercise his keen wit and incisive analytical skills, and he's also a near-constant presence on Twitter. All of this activity demonstrates that Lombardi is as passionate about sports as ever. He just can't stop talking about it, and we still love listening.

Readers' choice: Vic Lombardi

Best Radio Sports Show

Sandy & Scott

It's a combination that shouldn't work. Sandy Clough is Denver's resident sports intellectual, breaking down teams, players and strategies with the scholarly acuity of a scientist, while Scott Hastings has a reputation as a fun-loving goofball who's incapable of pronouncing any "g" at the end of a word. But they bring out the best in each other: Hastings loosens up Clough when he's in danger of getting lost in pontification, while Clough inspires Hastings to reveal the genuine depth of his knowledge, particularly when it comes to basketball. They're radio's odd couple, and they make a highly enjoyable match.

Readers' choice: The Drive, with Big Al and D-Mac

Best Mascot

The Twins

Okay, okay: Betty Fitzgerald Hoover and Peggy Fitzgerald Coppom, known collectively as the Twins, aren't traditional mascots for CU-Boulder, which already has a fine one (hello, Ralphie). Instead, they're something better: a wonderful symbol of how love of sports can last a lifetime. The ninety-something pair first became CU football season-ticket holders in 1957, adding men's and women's basketball games to their schedule 22 years later. Since then, the sisters, who dress identically and seem to get more adorable with each passing decade, have been cherished by generations of athletes and fans — and we hope that continues for a long time to come.

Readers' choice: Rocky

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