Musings from the Mile High City

It's about an hour before the Avs and the Kings are scheduled to drop the puck here at "The Can," as they affectionately refer to it here in Denver. I'm up in the press box high atop the seating bowl, positioned right on one of the goal lines.

It looks like I've missed an interesting day in sports - or at least the NFL - while I spent hours behind the slowest drivers known to man between Farmington and Denver. I see that the Lions have made the move to fire Matt Millen, only they've done it approximately three years too late. And, Plaxico Burress has been suspended.

I've been to the Pepsi Center several times - this will be my fourth Avalanche game here - but I can't help but to reflect on the history, both sports and otherwise, that has occurred in this building. Just a month ago, this place was the home of the Democratic National Convention, with Barack Obama accepting the party's nomination just on the other side of I-25 at Invesco Field. You'd never be able to tell now, as it looks completely different as a hockey rink. A quick look to the rafters shows the retired jerseys of former Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy and defenseman Ray Bourque, as well as banners for the Avs' eight division championships, two Western Conference championships and the Stanley Cups they won in 1996 and 2001.

Now, we'r'e about 20 minutes or so away from the Avalanche and Kings taking the ice for pregame warmups. I'll keep you updated on how it's going.