For several years, the Colorado Rockies fans have had to endure watching a painful brand of baseball. So bad that the fans petitioned the current owner of the Rockies, Dick Monfort, to sell the team. Years ago, Dick Monfort made a statement and said, “If you don’t like the product we put on the field, then don’t come.” That didn’t sit very well with the fans, or former players who forced their way out of Colorado and requested to be traded, rightfully so.
Earlier today, it couldn’t be more evident that the fans are sticking to their word after seeing that there were only 15,189 fans in attendance. A new franchise low for a home game without pandemic restrictions. Fans seem to have begun boycotting at the right time, hitting the owners in their pockets in hopes of making the Monfort’s sell the franchise to owners who actually want to win and sell tickets. It’s obvious that fans are fed up being gouged with the ballpark’s food and beverage prices only to be guaranteed a loss every game. And with all the winning that is happening with the Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, and Denver Nuggets, the owner of the Colorado Rockies can no longer overlook the importance of producing and maintaining a winning culture.
Great news for the Colorado Rockies fans today hearing that “Walmart Money” has entered the chat, and the Denver Broncos owners Greg and Carrie Penner of the Walton-Penner Ownership Group have purchased a 40% ownership stake in the Colorado Rockies, becoming the largest minority owner of the franchise. 40% is better than zero, and beggars can’t be choosers. Purchasing 11% more would’ve given the Penner’s more control of how the team operates, but one step at a time is the vision and game plan that worked successfully with the Denver Broncos in certain aspects.
When the Penner’s first bought the Denver Broncos back in 2022 for a whopping $4.65 billion, the fans were skeptical and weren’t sure what to expect. But in a short period of time, the Broncos went from pretenders to contenders, which gives Colorado Rockies fans hope. The “Rock Bottom” Rockies can only go up from here and become relevant again, which they haven’t been in decades.
Colorado Rockies Owner, Dick Monfort’s statement regarding acquiring additional ownership;
“I’ve had the pleasure to build a strong relationship with Greg and Carrieover the past years. For many reasons, including their recent success with the Broncos, we know we are gaining much more than just financial support in the partnership with Penner Sports Group.”
Even though the Monfort’s will remain the majority and controlling owners of the day-to-day operations in the meantime, the franchise took a gigantic leap in the right direction of relevancy and regaining their fanbase. One can only hope that the ultimate goal for the Walton-Penner Ownership Group is to temporarily partner up with the Monfort’s and strategically purchase the franchise as a whole later down the road to help the Monfort’s avoid having to pay eminently high capital gains all in one transaction. The Road to winning is in sight, and the Rockies are off to a good start. With this recent news, the momentum shift is looking brighter for this franchise to enter the conversation as a contender in the National League West Division.
Dante Robinson | Senior MLB Analyst for The NSR Network
