I've been a Nuggets fan since I was a little boy going to McNichol's Arena for my first Nuggets game with my dad. We went on a total whim, as we lived in Wisconsin at the time, but were visiting family back here in Colorado (where I currently reside in Boulder). The Nuggies were playing the Lakers that night, and my dad payed out the ass to some scummy scalper who had a porn producer ponytail and smelled of cigarettes, whiskey, and Brut (this is the weird shit you remember as a 6 year old). Anyway, we got in, and we had just absolute nose bleed seats. I remember fondly of Dad describing how awe inspiring, graceful, and fluid a team could be, and how much fun it is to watch a player take over a game through the flow of the offense and the use of his teammates to take whatever the defense gave him. Didn't matter if he scored, assisted, or assisted the assist, that player would not force things, but allow them to happen. All the while, I realize he's also speaking in equally non glowing terms about how crappy and dysfunctional a team could be when they played selfish offense, lazy who gives a shit defense, and didn't respect the game. I then put it together, when he was praising and loving the game, the Lakers were doing those graceful and perfectly executed things, and when he was bemoaning the game was when the Nuggets just stank up the joint. I looked up at my Dad with my freshly purchased Nuggets cap and my program (featuring Joe Wolf on the cover that night, who was my Dad's hustle player that he really rooted for, and therefore I still root for, go 14ers!) I asked him in a confused, befuddled, frustrated, 6 year old boy angry tone of voice, "Dad, why aren't we Lakers fans if they are so much better? They have the legends, the rings, the prestige, and the glamor and glitz of LA, they are so much more fun to watch because they win all the time, why are we Nuggets fans? Why do we put up with this team when year after year, they never deliver, lose constantly, and when they do make the playoffs, they choke?"

And my Dad calmly stated,

"It will be the sweetest, most gratifying experience you will ever see or feel in your entire lifetime. To know that you were with Denver through all the bad times, only to witness that magical season that it all comes together, perfect flowing, unselfish, Mile High run and gun offense, stout, impeccable defense that no one wants to play, and fun guys to watch and get behind because they respect the game and are good people to boot, that Championship will be amazing.

And it will be that much sweeter when we do beat those bitches in purple..."

Love ya Dad! God bless this love for our Denver Nuggets!