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October 15, 2023 By: Mark Knudson

Split screen: Denver could host TWO championship parades…and have TWO No. 1 draft picks in the same year

The chances of it happening are smaller than the odds of Donald Trump conceding he lost an election.

Still, if you’re looking for a longshot four-leg parlay to put some of your hard earned money on, try this one on for size:

In 2024, the city of Denver could conceivably host TWO championship parades in the early summer.

It’s also possible that Denver’s other two major sports teams could each have the first overall pick in next spring’s NFL draft AND next summer’s MLB draft.

What are the odds of all four of those things happening the same year in one city?

According to Jay Kornegay of SuperBook Sports in Las Vegas, the hypothetical odds of this happening would be roughly 250-1.

“Oh shoot,” Kornegay responded. “That’s a crazy number. My mind just exploded.”

So you’re sayin’ there’s a chance.

It’s never happened before, and it’s highly unlikely that it will ever happen.

Period.

Still…

We’re coming off the first 100-loss Colorado Rockies season ever, while staring at what looks very much like another double-digit loss season for the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, we’re just getting started with NHL and NBA seasons that each hold a ton of promise for the locals. Perhaps even a pair of championships.

Could this perfect storm actually take place?

Before you get too excited about placing any kind of wager (and finding some place to do so) here’s some fun facts you’d need to consider:

First, the Rockies have already secured – along with the Oakland A’s and Kansas City Royals – the highest odds, at 16.5%, of winning the MLB Draft lottery and getting that first pick. No guarantees of course, but no team has better odds than those bottom, err, “top” three.

Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos season is likely to go from bad to worse, increasing their chances of landing next year’s first overall draft pick. Complex and detailed computer simulations have them currently drafting second or third overall, but there’s a lot of season left, and at 1-5 through six games, coupled with the likelihood that several starters will be traded before the trade deadline, something like a 3-win season seems very possible. That might be bad enough to get that top pick.

On the plus side, the Colorado Avalanche are the betting favorites to win their second Stanley Cup in three seasons. Rested and thus far healthy, seeing the Avs win the Cup again would come as a shock to absolutely no one.

And their roommates, the defending champion Denver Nuggets, are listed as the favorites in the Western Conference and one of the top three overall betting favorites to win another NBA title. Once again, a Nuggets repeat would not be a surprise.

So…in theory at least, Denver is in position to watch two parades and get two first overall draft picks.

Fun to think about, right?

Remember, it’s never even come close to happening before.

Seven cities (or metro areas) have won multiple championship in the same season. Tampa (Lightning and Bucs) and Los Angeles (Dodgers and Lakers) both did in in 2020. But Tampa doesn’t have an NBA team and LA did well enough in the other sports to avoid top pick status. The only one to come kinda sorta close was New York/New Jersey after the 1986 season when the Mets and Giants both won titles, and the Devils ended up with the second pick in the NHL draft. San Antonio got the top pick in the NBA draft.

So this is the longest of longshots. But what if it actually happened? What would it mean for Denver?

There was a time when the Broncos ruled the town, but seven straight bad seasons has finally taken a toll on the fandom. Getting the first overall draft pick would certainly re-energize the fan base and create a new fervor in Broncos Country. The Rockies enjoy tremendous support from the fan base, but show no signs of significant on-field improvement any time soon. Still, a top pick would be a huge boost to rebuilding efforts. And if they ever did get back into playoff contention, Coors Field would be a crazy place again.

The Avs and Nuggets are each smack dab in the middle of their respective “primes” as title contenders. The bad news is that by the time the Broncos and Rockies join them, these current championship windows for the Avs and Nuggets are likely to have closed.

So don’t waste any time making any plans for any sort of four-team Denver championship parlay.