Longing for a view of a Coors Field sunset on an early summer night

OK, so let’s get one thing out of the way right at the top here. This topic has been borrowed from a colleague out in St. Louis — Benjamin Hochman, sports columnist for the Post-Dispatch and formerly of Denver Post and “The Podcastanza” fame.

But, someone once said, “Good writers borrow from other writers. Great writers steal from them outright.” (Stolen from a fictional great writer, Sam Seaborn, who was created by real-life great writer Aaron Sorkin)

The topic: What I miss about sports.

For me, today, it’s taking in that first wide-angle view of Coors Field during a weekday evening game.

The cathedral at 20th and Blake has always felt special, even when the product on the field has at times been less than.

Something tugs at the heartstrings when you walk past that “The Player” statue outside the home plate gates, a tribute to Branch Rickey dedicated in 2005.

Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine passing through those green steel gates into the atrium. Smell the popcorn and stale beer. Feel the crunch of the peanut shells.

It’s probably the second or third inning. But that’s OK. Just in time for twilight.

Walk up to the top step behind the first level of seats and peek out at the field, then quickly up to the scoreboard to see how far behind the Rockies have managed to fall in the first few frames.

But, the lasting image is that orange and red and yellow and purple sky peeking out from over left field — you know, right above the Helton Burger Shack and the pickup truck that somehow got on the roof.

Not many places on this planet evoke emotion like Coors Field on a beautiful early summer night.

For me, at least.

What about you? What do you miss about sports today? Let us know.