Timeline 25: Remembering the biggest Colorado sports stories of 1998

It was the year when the Broncos finally got over the hump, Terrell Davis joined an exclusive club and Denver made a run at perfection

BY JAMES MERILATT

May 14, 2020, 6:28 AM

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Watch: The good, the bad and the UGLY from Broncos Preseason Game No. 2 | 11 mins

On March 6, 1995, The Fan was born. In the 25 years since, a lot has transpired on the fields, courts and ice in Colorado, giving the hosts and listeners who’ve been part of the station during that time plenty to talk about and debate.

During the course of the next few weeks, we’ll take a look back at that history, remembering the good times and the bad, the winners and the losers, the successes and the failures. It’s a series we’re calling “Timeline 25” and it continues today with a look back at one of the greatest years in Colorado sports – 1998:

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This One’s for John!

Broncos Country was understandably less than confident when Denver faced Green Bay in Super Bowl XXXII. The franchise had lost in each of its four previous appearances in the big game, with each defeat coming in more embarrassing fashion. The AFC had lost 13 consecutive Super Bowls to the NFC. And the Packers were a 14-point favorite that day.

None of it added up to the Broncos finally getting over the hump. It didn’t look like John Elway would win his much-coveted Super Bowl ring.

The 37-year-old quarterback had been at the helm during three of Denver’s previous losses in the Super Bowl. And given that he was in his 15th NFL season, time was not his side; he was running out of chances to win a title.

This time around, however, things were different. Elway didn’t have to carry the team. Instead, he had a talented roster around him that could lead the way.

Behind a potent rushing attack and an opportunistic defense, the Broncos were able to pull off one of the biggest upsets in NFL postseason history. When the clock struck zero, Denver was ahead 31-24, setting off an unprecedented celebration in the Mile High City.

Broncos fans had waited 37 years to win a championship. They endured four humiliating defeats. They’d watched a future Hall of Fame quarterback come up short three times. So this win was sweet.

Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns, earning MVP honors. But Elway was the hero.

On the podium after the game, Pat Bowlen held up the Lombardi Trophy and uttered the four most-famous words in Colorado sports history. “This one’s for John!”

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Nearly Perfect

After the Broncos beat the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII, there were some who thought the victory was a fluke. They weren’t convinced that Denver was truly a championship-caliber team.

Those notions were quickly dispelled the following season, as the Broncos established that they were indeed the class of the NFL. Week after week, game after game, Denver dispatched of their opponents. More often than not, it was in blowout fashion.

The Broncos high-powered offense, which featured future Hall of Fame inductees John Elway, Terrell Davis and Shannon Sharpe, was a juggernaut. They hung 42 on the Cowboys, 41 on the Eagles and 38 on the Redskins, while cracking the 30-point mark in six other games.

All the while, the wins kept piling up. After a 35-31, come-from-behind win over the Chiefs on Dec. 6, the Broncos sat at 13-0. It was the best start to a season by any NFL team since the Dolphins perfect season in 1972. And it had a lot of people thinking Denver had a shot at 19-0.

But that dream came to an end the following Sunday at the Meadowlands. A late touchdown pass gave the Giants a 20-16 victory, ending the Broncos winning streak at 18 regular-season and postseason games.

Denver would finish the season 14-2 and enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

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An Exclusive Club

If there was any doubt that Terrell Davis was the best running back in the NFL after his MVP performance in Super Bowl XXXII, he removed in during the 1998 season. That year, Davis became just the fourth player in league history to eclipse the 2,000-yard barrier in rushing, joining O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson and Barry Sanders.

Throughout the year, Davis was simply dominant. He rushed for 100-plus yards in 11 games, highlighted by a 208-yard performance at Seattle in Week 6. At the season’s midway point, he had rushed for 1,150 yards, thanks to seven-consecutive 100-yard games.

As opposing defenses started to clamp down on the Broncos rushing attack, however, his pace slowed. In addition, the running back sat out nearly eight quarters because Denver had such big leads in games. Heading into the season finale against the Seahawks, Davis needed 170 yards to reach the 2,000-yard mark.

The Broncos were determined to get him past that milestone. Mike Shanahan gave the ball to Davis 29 times, as the running back powered Denver to a 28-21 victory. In the process, he racked up 178 yards, pushing him into an exclusive club.

By rushing for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns, Davis earned the league’s Most Valuable Player award. It was one of the greatest seasons ever posted by an NFL running back.

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A Star-Studded Affair

It was expected to be a high-scoring game, given the reputation that Coors Field had earned as a hitter-friendly ballpark during the three-and-a-half seasons since it opened, and it didn’t disappoint. A crowd of 51,267 was on hand to watch the American League knock off the National League by a 13-8 score.

No other sporting event in the history of Colorado has had more stars on the field, court or ice at once time than the 1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. That night, some of the biggest names in the history of the sport were on hand.

The AL roster featured the likes of Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez. The NL countered with Barry Bonds, Tony Gwynn, Chipper Jones, Mike Piazza, Greg Maddux and Trevor Hoffman. All told, 15 players from the game are now in the Hall of Fame. More should be.

The Rockies were well-represented. Larry Walker started for the National League, while Dante Bichette and Vinny Castilla were chosen as reserves.

Bonds disappointed the fans the night before by not competing in the Home Run Derby, which was ultimately won by Griffey Jr. But he made up for it in the game, hitting a towering home run. Roberto Alomar won MVP honors.

Twenty-two years later, Coors Field is now the third-oldest ballpark in the National League, behind Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium. It’s time for the All-Star Game to return to the Mile High City.

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The Low Point

They might not have posted the worst record in NBA history, as the 76ers were 9-73 in 1972-73, but the 1997-98 Nuggets that finished 11-71 have an argument for being the worst team the league has ever seen. They were truly brutal, from the start of the season until the end.

Under new head coach Bill Hanzlik, Denver started the season 0-12. A 23-game losing streak in December and January dropped their record to 2-38. A 16-game losing streak in February and March dropped the Nuggets to 5-58. During three different months – November, December and January – Denver won just one game.

The only upside to this type of futility is that it earned the Nuggets the best odds in the 1998 NBA Draft Lottery. That would give them a chance to add a star to a roster devoid of talent. It would give fans someone to root for other than the likes of Anthony Goldwire and Priest Lauderdale.

As has so often been the case, however, the ping-pong balls didn’t bounce Denver’s way. Ultimately, they wound up with the third pick in the 1998 NBA Draft.

With that selection, new general manager Dan Issel drafted Kansas center Raef LaFrentz. The pick was roundly booed by the crowd gathered at McNichols Arena on draft night. It turns out that the fans knew what they were talking about, as Issel passed on Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.

In every possible way, 1998 was a disaster for the Nuggets – both on and off the court.