Opening day proves to the Monforts that Rockies fans aren’t April fools

It’s Rockies opening day. And I don’t care.

Not one bit. Not one iota. Not in the least.

And I don’t think I’m alone. As recently as yesterday, fans could log onto the Rockies official web site and still buy tickets for today’s matinee against the Dodgers. Despite the fact that Coors Field can only be filled to roughly 42% capacity, there were still seats available within 24 hours of the season’s first pitch.

That would’ve been unheard of in recent years. Opening day tickets were in demand. They were as premium as anything on the sports calendar.

But not this year. Tickets that used to go for $200 and above on the secondary market are now available for less than $40.

People just aren’t interested. They don’t seem to care.

Why? Well, there are a number of reasons.

Certainly, plenty of folks are staying away because of the pandemic. Despite the fact that the Rockies are spreading fans out in the stands, ensuring some measure of social distancing at the ballpark, there’s still a little bit of unease among many when it comes to gathering in large groups. It’s totally understandable after a year of near isolation that the idea of hanging out with 21,000 strangers is unnerving.

There’s also the fact that opening day is mostly about baseball this year. Normally, Lodo is a party on this day. While 50,000 fans go through the gates at Coors Field, five times that many people revel in the bars and restaurants surrounding the stadium. That won’t be the case this year, as COVID-19 restrictions make that impossible. The lack of interest surrounding today is further proof that Rockies games are more about the atmosphere than the nine innings on the diamond.

And with only baseball to focus on, that makes things a tough sell. After all, no one is expecting Colorado to be very good this year. The oddmakers think they’ll flirt with 100 losses, something that has never happened in the less-than-stellar history of the franchise. Buying a ticket to watch bad baseball isn’t high on people’s priority list.

Plus, there’s a protest element involved. This past offseason, the Rockies sent star third baseman Nolan Arenado, as well as $50 million, to the Cardinals in exchange for some sunflower seeds, a few packs of bubble gum and a can of pine tar. Even when Colorado was losing games the past two seasons, at least fans got to watch a perennial All-Star and Gold Glove winner every night; he was worth the price of admission. Few on the current roster meet that criteria.

Add it all up and the end result is depressing. What used to feel like a holiday is now just another Thursday on the calendar.

It’s Christmas morning without Santa Claus paying a visit. It’s the Fourth of July without fireworks. It’s Easter without a bunny hiding eggs in the backyard.

No one would want to celebrate those days. And very few people want to celebrate Rockies opening day, either.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps, the Monforts will get the message. Maybe this will show the Rockies owners that the product matters.

They can’t rely on the atmosphere around the ballpark to attract fans. They can’t count on out-of-town visitors to buy tickets to watch their hometown team. They can’t bank on people using Coors Field as the city’s largest singles bar on a summer night.

For the first time in ages, it’s about baseball. It’s about putting a winning, entertaining team on the field. It’s about having a plan, communicating that to the fan base and following through until its conclusion.

Around 2:00 this afternoon, Dick Monfort will look around Coors Field and see some familiar sights. There will be bunting drapes from the stands. There will be a flyover in the skies above. And there will be the pomp and circumstance that surrounds opening day.

There will also be a lot of empty seats. Right now, that’s because of unprecedented circumstances. But if the Rockies owner doesn’t change his ways, it’ll become the norm.

Today shows that we can do without a trip to Coors Field. There are other ways to fill a beautiful spring day in Colorado.

Follow @jamesmerilatt