High Points: A sporty month

“The only thing more boring than playing golf is watching golf” — I heard this same derisive answer from three different friends last weekend when I asked each if they were going to watch The Masters golf tournament on Sunday.

Normally, I would agree. But there is something special about the final day at Augusta National that makes it must-see TV. So for most of the afternoon, I sat on my couch and watched the best golfers in the world trade shots and the lead as they played high-stakes golf on an extraordinarily-picturesque golf course. Rory McIlroy came from ahead only to fall behind and eventually go ahead once again to win his second straight Masters and the $4.5 million that came with it. Nearly 14 million viewers tuned in, and there was nothing boring about it.

Outside of the NFL season — and nothing compares to the NFL — April is the best month of the year for spectator sports.

We are just halfway through the month, and we have already seen Rory’s historic victory, the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team win a national championship for the first time since 1989 and the UCLA Bruins women’s team do the same. And for those who love local champions, how about the Denver Pioneers rallying from a goal down to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers in the Frozen Four final to take their 11th NCAA Ice Hockey National Championship?

The last couple of months of the Pioneers’ season were insane. They have not lost a game since Jan. 23 after inserting freshman Johnny Hicks into the starting goalie spot. Hicks, who was the third stringer to start the season, was undefeated as Denver went 16-0-1 down the stretch to win the title. It was a magical run.

And now the best part of April heats up as both the NBA and the NHL playoffs get underway on Saturday. There will be multiple games daily on a plethora of networks and streamers for the rest of the month. If you are a fan, it’s time to check the batteries in the remote.

Those who root for the home teams could be in for an epic spring, as both the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets enter their respective postseasons on a roll. No city has ever won the Stanley Cup and the NBA championship in the same season, but this year, it is possible that Denver could become the first to do so. Oh, and both teams are owned by Stan Kroenke, who is about to have a pretty exciting postseason as well.

The Nuggets, who tip off the playoffs on Saturday at Ball Arena against the Minnesota Timberwolves, were plagued by injuries for much of their season, but they rebounded at the end of the year to win their final 12 games in impressive fashion. For their part, the Avalanche posted the best record in the NHL to win the Presidents’ Trophy in a season for the ages. The Avs will have home ice throughout the playoffs, which they begin this Sunday, likely against the Los Angeles Kings. They hope to welcome back their Head Coach Jared Bednar who took a puck to the face last Saturday night in a game against Las Vegas and sustained a significant injury. Get ready for a great ride.

And the sporty April doesn’t end there: Baseball fans are treated to the opening of the major league season as spring sprang, and the Colorado Rockies are playing like, well, the Colorado Rockies. Colorado has lost over 100 games in each of the last three years and has not made the playoffs since 2018. It takes a lot to root for the Rockies, but there are those who do.

Finally, I said there is nothing like the NFL, and the show that will likely get the highest television ratings for the entire month will be the NFL Draft, which debuts next Thursday, April 23, from Pittsburgh and continues through the weekend. The Broncos, by the way, do not have a pick in the first round.

It’s good to be a fan when Sporty April rolls around.