Growing up lucky

I was spoiled growing up in Colorado when I did. Between 1996 and 2001, Colorado teams won four championships and excelled in countless displays of sporting excellence. These were my formative years in the sporting world, and I knew only success. Failure was reserved for everyone else. I grew up in a bubble where nothing could go wrong. Perfection was expected, and it was delivered in a timely fashion.
The state was abuzz with excitement and fervor in 1996. At eight years old, this was my genesis in sports. The Quebec Nordiques had just moved to Colorado and were renamed the Avalanche. Denver seemed like the perfect hockey town with its already rabid fanbase, and it was. Fan support was swift and avid. It's easy to cling to a team with such speed and support when they win a Stanley Cup in their first year.
Back then hockey was second only to the Broncos, for everyone knows Colorado has, and will always be, Bronco country. The 1998 and 1999 seasons were nothing short of brilliant ecstasy. Back-to-back Super Bowl titles, a 2,000-yard rushing season, a shot at a perfect season and the conclusion of one of the greatest careers in the history of the quarterback position adds up to one of the most remarkable and exhilarating runs of all time.  These teams were my first true sports loves.
The bookend of the magical streak of Colorado supremacy was the second Stanley Cup title won by the Avalanche in 2001. After the mid-season acquisition of Ray Bourque there was nothing in the world at the time that could have convinced me the team was not set on a fast track to hockey immortality. "Mission 16W", as it was dubbed, was fulfilled with an improbable comeback series win over the vaunted New Jersey Devils in the finals.    
As you can see, it was pretty good to be a youngster growing up where I did in the late 1990s. The only other era in recent memory that can compare to this type of dominance across multiple sports was the city of Boston in the first half of this decade. With the Red Sox finally breaking their curse and the Patriots' stranglehold on the NFL, Boston was the place to be.
But I did not grow up in that time or place. From John Elway to Joe Sakic, Larry Walker to Terrell Davis, there was nothing greater than being a fan in Colorado. Looking back, I now realize that type of regional preeminence occurs rarely, if at all. For this reason I find it hard to empathize with the Detroits or Seattles of the sporting world. I was raised on heavenly perfection and excellence and will always expect such. I guess my only hope now is that my kids have the same experience I did.