Just Where Do the Rocks Rank
By Scott Bondy

Just two seasons ago things were awfully different. Heck, you don’t even have to look that far back. Until the last 30-plus games of the year, the Rockies were counted out, fans counted them out and things were business as usual at Coors field.

Only diehards kept packing the stands all season long. That was until the Rockies capped arguably one of the best finishes to a season in history. Now everyone seems to be a diehard.
And recent polls show it.

SI.com recently polled people online and asked baseball fans to rate their hometown ballpark in 10 categories. Nearly 15 percent of the responses came from season-ticket holders and more than 50 percent said they attended at least five games per season. So the general consensus was that these fans knew what they were talking about.

Let’s think about this. We have a 15-year-old franchise that doesn’t average a very high attendance rate. Ten of those seasons were losing ones yet last season marked their highest win total in franchise history.

Based on the survey answers, SI was able to come up with a ranking system and the Rockies finished….drum roll please…No. 7!!!

It’s absolutely shocking, yet wonderful, that the Rocks placed so well up against some fierce competition and tradition. Colorado placed eight spots ahead of the Cubs, 13 spots ahead of the Yanks and 14 ahead of the defending world champion Boston Red Sox.

This makes a huge statement. Move over Avalanche, watch out Nuggets, the Rockies have arrived. As both teams disappointedly were tossed from the playoffs, Colorado still has something to cheer about. There’s still pride left in Denver, and it’s May!

But what categories could the Rocks possibly beat out those heavyweights in?

Here’s the list: Team, Affordability, Food, Team Quality, Tradition, Atmosphere, Fan IQ, Hospitality, Promotions, Traffic, and Neighborhood.

No game is complete without a nice ballpark dog and a cold one. So what did fans have to say? They were ranked No. 9 when it came to food price and quality. One Rockies fan went as far as to say that the Rockie Dog was “bigger and oh-so-much better” than the world famous Dodger Dog.

While you’re choking the Rockie Dog down, you better have some quality guys to cheer on. This category (team quality) probably surprised many around the league. The team ranked No.6. This is a very young and talented team and it’s quite the honor to be ranked so high because let’s face it, the team showed up to play long after the All-Star break.

Nonetheless, any World Series team deserves some recognition and they’ve certainly got it.

Next up: Fan Hospitality. Most ballpark goers have never heard the word hospitality in general so it’s no surprise Coloradoans finished No. 9. Some voters were polled as to what the worst incident they’ve witnessed against an opposing fan or themselves? Barry Bonds got a few votes as well as Yankee fans. Not surprising although that’s pretty bad to be classified in any category with Bonds. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Yankee fans voted against themselves in this category (they finished No. 28). They know they’re idiots. Some bragged in the survey about pouring beer on fellow fans!
But wait, could this survey actually mean nothing considering Rockies fans were voted No. 24 when it came to fan intelligence. It’s possible but you know what, these ranking appear to be pretty accurate and fair. I’d have to agree with every category on the list. And for those that want to see the rest of the rankings, they’re provided below.

Most importantly, we have a team to proud of, a stadium to be proud of and fans to be proud of. Things are coming together at Coors field and thanks to the Rocks, we have someone to cheer for after May.

Affordability: 6
History and Tradition: 22 (but that comes with time)
Ballpark Atmosphere: 12
Promotions: 21
Getting to the Game: 2
Neighborhood: 3