Crimson & Gold Tavern was filled to the gills by the time the puck dropped on Saturday afternoon. The University of Denver faced Boston College in the NCAA's Frozen Four finals, and everyone inside cursed their northeast rivals in the most direct ways they could.
"[Expletive] BC! [Expletive] BC! [Expletive] BC!" they shouted into air already dense with breath and sweat. "I believe that we will win!"
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
They laughed and yelled and drank. They never missed anything in the game. The place erupted on saves, chanting goalie Matt Davis' name in sudden breaks from conversations they couldn't possibly hear. When DU landed its two precious goals, the cheers felt loud enough to burst eardrums.
Some had to watch from afar, like a junior who introduced herself as Sophia but declined to give her last name. A title would be nice, she said, but a win tonight would mean something outside of sport.
"A lot of DU students, they don't have something to bond over," she said. "When there's games, it's awesome. Everyone's doing the same thing. It doesn't matter if you're a geek or if you're popular, you all come together and you're just rowdy and it's awesome."
"I do hope we get into the bar," her friend, Capen, added. "And we'll see what riots go on tonight, so it'll be a fun time regardless."
It took 10 minutes for the moshing crowd to leave Crimson & Gold after DU's victory was secured. Bar staff checked revelers one-by-one as they left; alcohol wasn't allowed outside.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
In celebration, people ran to the intersection of University Boulevard and Evans Avenue, where they immediately started climbing light poles and setting off firecrackers. A firefighter high-fived partiers from his truck. The kids hanging from the light poles climbed back down after police told them to.
Then a segment of a couch appeared, crowd surfing on an ocean of people. It'd already been burned; burning couches is a thing around here. But before the revelers could execute their vision, Denver Police officers emerged and pulled it to their truck as people booed loudly.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
As the crowd spotted a tower of smoke down the block, the mass of people became a river, running towards it together.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
They'd burn a couch after all, though firefighters quickly put it out. Then they all rushed down to the next block, where another column of smoke appeared and then was doused.
Sam Lewis hobbled down the block, chasing the smoke and the chaos on crutches. He just had surgery for his ACL, but he transcended the injury.
"I'm a proud Pioneer baby! Hey, this is our tenth national championship. Come and take it! Come and take it!" he said, waving his crutches in the air. "Colorado is the hockey capitol of the word, baby!"
