Miles High in Mile High City

Why Denver fans are cheering

Mile High Stadium has always been a topographically accurate name for Denver's biggest sports playground. But last week "Mile High" was an understatement for the mood of a city with a fast-improving pro hockey team, a division-leading team in the National Basketball Association, a football team on the top of the National Football League and its first major league baseball team apparently ready to move into town.

The announcement that the Oakland A's had been bought by Denver Oilman Marvin Davis probably brought as much joy to the baseball Establishment as it did to Denverites. For the move signaled the departure from baseball of Oakland Owner Charles O. Finley after nearly two decades as resident curmudgeon of the national pastime. The sale--temporarily blocked last week by a federal court restraining order obtained by the Oakland Coliseum--must be okayed by ten of the American League's 14 owners. But approval should be quickly forthcoming from men who have little love for Finley and his maverick behavior.

During his 18 years as A's owner, Finley hired and fired managers with stunning frequency and handled his players like so many helots. As baseball salaries on other teams soared, his tightfisted policies led to a wholesale desertion by the A's biggest stars. He was forever feuding with Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, whom he once called "the village idiot"; the most notable battle involved Finley's attempt to sell Vida Blue, Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers for $3.5 million in cash before they departed in the free-agent market. Kuhn voided the deal, claiming it was not "in the best interests of baseball." Despite all that, Finley was a topflight baseball man, whose shrewd trades and sharp eye for nascent superstars gave Oakland five straight divisional championships, three American League pennants and three World Series championships.

Still, even during their best years, the A's never drew well in Oakland. Last season, with most of the stars gone and the team demoralized, Oakland had a total attendance of only 495,578 (v. 2,955,087 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, top draw in the majors) and finished last in the A.L. West. That was too much for Finley to bear, and as he exited last week, he took a parting shot at Kuhn: "My having to get out of baseball dates from 18 months ago, when his highness, Bowie Kuhn, canceled my three-player deal. I needed the money very badly at that time to keep my ship afloat. He is probably celebrating."

If Oakland's fans were indifferent, Denver's are anything but, as a recent court case plainly demonstrates. The facts of the case were simple: Helen Harris had tickets to a Denver Bronco football game. She went to a suburban shopping mall to catch a bus to Mile High Stadium. The bus never came, and Mrs. Harris was forced to return to her home and watch the game on TV. Clearly a heinous crime, Denver Judge John Sanchez acknowledged. He awarded Mrs. Harris $44.70 in damages from the bus company.

To the 75,000 fans who regularly fill the stadium to capacity for Bronco games, that decision seemed only proper. The Broncos were the Mets of the Mountains through 18 long years -- including 13 straight losing seasons. Now they are the proud holders of the best record in pro football and are play-off bound for the first time. In honor of the Broncos' powerful 3-4 defense, the Orange Crush, Denver bakeries sell orange crushcakes, bumper stickers proclaim HAVE A MERRY CRUSHMAS, and to assure that the wish comes true, Denverites are spraying their Christmas trees orange.

The man behind Orangemania is new Head Coach Robert ("Red") Miller. An offensive genius who turned the New England Patriots into contenders, Miller took over a Denver team that had petitioned its owner to fire a coach they considered inept. Miller promptly traded for veteran Quarterback Craig Morton, who had endured twelve indifferent seasons at New York and Dallas only to be reborn, at 34, in Denver. Between Morton's steady, experienced hand and Miller's innovative tactics, the Broncos at last have an offensive unit to complement an always strong defense. The combination produced two six-game winning streaks, marred by a single loss in a rematch with the Oakland Raiders, 24-14. Veteran Safety Billy Thompson sums up for the players, the fans and a city suddenly gone sports crazy: "It's like a dream come true, and it's sweet."

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