Who are the greatest Denver athletes ever?

By Steve Foster   |   July 9, 2009   |   7:00 AM

Joe Sakic will retire today after 20 seasons in the NHL. After years of Denver’s great players coming and going — Peter Forsberg, Allen Iverson, Larry Walker — and mainstays whose greatness has come and gone — Todd Helton — it is sometimes difficult to appreciate the consistency and reliability of Sakic.

The Avalanche and NHL were a hit upon the sport’s return to Colorado in 1995, and only in the years after the 2004-05 lockout has hockey become truly the least of the Big Four in Denver. But through it all — at least until back trouble, then a snowblower, made what turned out to be his final season forgettable — Sakic has been worth watching.

So where does he fit among Denver athletes all time? This is the sort of conversation I used to have with my fellow sports editors at the Rocky Mountain News. Usually, it would start as a story idea, or maybe a chart, and then we would find ourselves 45 minutes deep into the debate. So, that is where I turned to answer the question. Mike Bialas and Bob Willis, both longtime assistant sports editors at the Rocky, volunteered their picks.

Bialas offered up his Top 10:

1. John Elway, Broncos
2. Joe Sakic, Avalanche
3. Todd Helton, Rockies
4. Patrick Roy, Avalanche
5. Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
6. Terrell Davis, Broncos
7. David Thompson, Nuggets
8. Rod Smith, Broncos
9. Shannon Sharpe, Broncos
10. Dan Issel, Nuggets

Just for the sake of comparison, my list includes only Denver pro athletes, because weighing the attributes of the best high-schoolers and collegians in town alongside the top professionals is like folding Rocky Mountain Oysters into a Denver Omelet.

So Joe Sakic ranks right behind You Know Who, and deserves it on the basis of longevity alone (the two Stanley Cup titles an added bonus). Not only did he spend his entire career with the same organization, but forever changed this city’s identity from more-loathed-than-lovable loser to king of the mountains — in his first season here. And he never suffered from altitude slickness after winning in the Mile High City.

The ultimate class act wasn’t flashy, but he wasn’t a flash in the pan, either. The Avalanche’s Captain Clutch was also Captain Consistency, a quiet leader whose strong and steady character (not to mention his loyal-to-the-cause nature) was refreshing to see during those “Me-First” decades. And for someone who grew up idolizing another similar one-team wonder, Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson, it was a joy watching Sakic make the good old days fashionable again, at least for a few shining moments.

Willis gives his Top 5:

1. John Elway
2. Patrick Roy
3. Joe Sakic
4. Terrell Davis
5. Carmelo Anthony (incomplete)

Clutch, class. For captain Joe Sakic, those two words define a career that made him a Colorado sports legend. On the ice, he was at his best when the stakes were the highest. Off the ice, he was a gentleman and one of the nicest pro athletes this town has seen. Patrick Roy was the ultimate difference-maker on the Avalanche Stanley Cup championship teams, but Sakic led the way.

And here’s my Top 5:

1. John Elway
2. Joe Sakic
3. Patrick Roy
4. Todd Helton
5. Terrell Davis

Beyond No. 1, it’s tough. Roy held the record, TD held out hearts in 1997 and ’98 and Helton held the Rockies together long enough to be worth watching again. But through it all Sakic has been Sakic has been Sakic. Like Elway and Helton, Sakic will long be the face of the franchise. (For what it’s worth, in my book Carmelo Anthony has to prove it for a little longer — you don’t make this list on talent alone. Tough call between him and Davis at No. 5.)

So what do you think? Let us know. We’ll be happy to debate this one for months if necessary.

Categories: Sports

Tagged: carmelo anthony, dan issel, david thompson, joe sakic, john elway, patrick roy, rod smith, shannon sharpe, terrell davis, todd helton