Plus, it was the moment when the entire staff joined the Avalanche train
Sometimes, the line between stalker and reporter can be very fine — especially in Broncos Country.
This was evident more than on Friday morning when cameras were positioned outside Centennial Airport’s gates to capture the first glimpse of the plane carrying Nathaniel Hackett, new Broncos coach, and his family.
The Broncos have such a hunger for news, that even the smallest bit of Broncos news is not enough to make the new head coach feel like a Pope.
Broncos media — A-
Yet, it is not a new faith on the Front Range.
The clamor around Hackett’s arrival is nothing compared to the 24-hour coverage given to John Elway by CBS4.
Readers received updates back then about the candy Elways gave to trick-or treaters and whether or not the Broncos’ star quarterback ate all his vegetables at mealtime.
This brings us to the Broncos’ biggest winner in the most recent coaching search.
It’s not the man who signed a four year contract to be the leader of one of the NFL’s most prestigious franchises. The Mexican restaurant where Hackett had tamales when he and George Paton, Broncos general manger, sealed the deal for their football marriage. Los Dos Potrillos.
Unsurprisingly, multiple journalists have visited the Centennial institution to find out more about the First Supper between Hackett and Paton.
The Grading the Week staff has already scheduled a field trip of its own to sample their fine cuisine — although we fall firmly in the smothered-and-covered burrito camp. We hope this happens while Paton and Hackett pitch Aaron Rodgers for tortilla chips and margaritas.
We might then be able to break the news about whether or not Green Bay Packers quarterback is a double dipper.
Avalanche — A+
Now we can pinpoint the exact moment when Grading the Week staff joined the Avalanche train.
It happened with 37 seconds remaining in the third period of Wednesday’s overtime thriller against Boston Bruins. The Avs were desperately trying to tie the game at 3-2 with Darcy Kuemper as goalie.
This is when Nazem Kadri made an excellent pass to Gabe Landeskog, from the left circle towards the right. Landy quickly buried it in the net at the back from an absurd angle to tie things at 3-all.
The play was not the only thing that was brilliantly executed.
It was their determination and perseverance that made it possible for them to overcome a four-goal deficit this season to win the Ball Arena.
Nathan MacKinnon was already out of the game after Taylor Hall’s sloppy hit. Erik Johnson had also put the Avs in a hole by scoring two power play goals during the second period.
However, none of this mattered.
To send the game into overtime, the Avs scored the two goals they needed during the third period. Cale Makar won the game with his extra frame goal.
The message to the rest: We’ll not only beat you but we’ll push you around.
Perhaps the best thing about the game? It was televised by TNT. This meant that most of the Front Range could actually watch it. It is our hope that this will soon become a standard.
