FanHouse

The Colorado Rockies have won 21 of their last 22 games. They've steamrolled the Phillies and Diamondbacks in consecutive sweeps to reach their first world series. Names like Manny Corpas and Ryan Spilborghs are now familiar to millions of American sports fans. Now comes the most shocking development of them all.

The Broncos asked the NFL to consider moving their October 29th home Monday Night Football game with the Green Bay Packers so that it wouldn't go head to head with a potential Game Five of the World Series being played at Coors Field on the same night.

"We approached the NFL about it because we're open to options," said Jim Saccomano, Broncos vice president of public relations. "We understand many of our fans are Rockies fans as well, and it may not be possible for everybody to watch both games. But it is going to be a great night for Denver sports fans."

The NFL denied their request, citing logistics and a league rule that allows switches only when there is a venue conflict, but the whole situation shows how far things have come in a very short time in Denver.

In what figures to be a huge game for the Broncos chances of making something out of this season many of their fans are going to be more concerned what's happening in a stadium a couple of miles across town. The Broncos have long been the biggest show in town but even if they weren't 2-3 and struggling this Rockie run would likely be stealing a lot of their thunder. As much as the Broncos might be applauding the Rockies, this request makes me think they don't want to lose a face-off in a city they've ruled for a long time.

This isn't without precedent. While the Mets were coming back to win Game Seven of the 1986 World Series, the Giants were playing the Redskins on Monday Night Football at the Meadowlands. Throughout the Giants game there would be incongruous cheers from the stands - an incomplete pass from Phil Simms greeted with thundering applause - as radios broadcast the baseball game to the crowd. Those Giants ended up winning the Super Bowl so maybe the Broncos should just grin and bear one night without all the eyes of Denver on them.