Paul Klee: Thanks to politics to TV battles, being good is no longer good enough for Avalanche and Nuggets fans

Jun. 12—DENVER — There's often a point in time when being good isn't good enough for sports fans.

Welcome, Avalanche and Nuggets, to that point in time.

Friday, during the first NBA MVP ceremony hosted here, Avs and Nuggets prez Josh Kroenke was booed so loud I couldn't make out the tail end of his smart, heartfelt address to Ball Arena. Boos, on Nikola Jokic's big night, with the Joker accepting the coveted Maurice Podoloff trophy. Boos.

Kroenke was visibly shaken. Who wouldn't be? These are salad days for his Nuggets, winning days for his Avs, and a rare public appearance ends in jeers from the cheap seats to the lower bowl. It was a brief, but brutal, moment, right up until Joker took the mic and deflected praise.

"This trophy's not mine," he said, motioning to teammates, coaches and members of the front office. "It's all of these guys' over here."

But fans' memories aren't getting longer. Oh, no. These days they don't forget, and while the Avs and Nuggets advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the third straight season — another first — the fight between Altitude TV and Big Cable struck a nerve even winning can't fix. The Nuggets are buried under a 3-0 deficit to the Suns with Game 4 Sunday in LoDo.

Maybe the very public boos spur action between Altitude and the cable companies. Maybe by the time Jamal Murray rehabs from knee surgery and returns the Nuggets to Western Conference title contention, you will be able to watch the games on normal TV, like normal sports fans.

Maybe, maybe not.

What it definitely says, again, is that leagues and teams who take fans for granted are barreling toward a dark place. Even when you're winning, forgive and forget is currently off the table. Many fans who pay their hard-earned bucks for tickets and swag just endured a year from hell. Many have no interest in another lecture on morality from millionaire athletes, and even less of an interest in billionaire owners who can't find a way to make the games accessible on television.

There were plenty of good (and bad) seats available at tipoff of Game 3 against the Suns. It wasn't a scenario that would lead one to expect plenty of available good (and bad) seats: the first time in 460 days Colorado allowed full capacity, the Nuggets' first MVP ceremony, gorgeous Friday night in LoDo, and a playoff game. All that, and plenty of good (and bad) seats were still available. What gives?

The NBA made a conscious decision to inject partisan politics into its game and in the process told half of its customer base to kick rocks. You can debate whether the NBA's stance was productive or more moral grandstanding, but there's no debate on the business end of things. TV ratings have tanked. The face of the league, LeBron James, is a significant reason fans flip the channel. The league responded with postseason play-in games and could begin a midseason tournament as soon as next season. They're not doing those things for fun. They're doing those things because a whole bunch of people stopped watching NBA games.

Athletes should speak their mind if they want. But don't whine and complain when the league must add gimmicks and games because you did.

Kroenke Sports and Entertainment made a conscious decision to go to TV war with Comcast and DISH and in the process missed a golden opportunity to embolden old fans and welcome new ones. You can debate whether it was a good idea or a bad idea — actually, you really can't — but Friday inside an otherwise festive Ball Arena the boos came out. The anger came out. The truth came out.

Take sports fans for granted these days, they don't forget. They find something else to do.

These Avalanche and Nuggets seasons were a success that ultimately bumped their heads on the ceiling — the Avs in a 4-2 series loss to Vegas, a better team than the Avs, the Nuggets in a lopsided series so far against Phoenix, a better team than the Nuggets. They've combined for seven straight playoff losses. The Suns will deal the eighth Sunday night.

Next season, more should be expected of both the Avs and Nuggets, in part because being good is no longer good enough for sports fans.

The star power remains strong. I've never covered a more electric athlete than Avs blur Nathan MacKinnon, a human breakaway whose 1-on-3 attacks seem to pause time. The whole building holds its breath. Nobody's ever seen a player like Jokic. He's a 7-foot, 280-pound center whose MVP tribute video showed mostly assists. On his MVP night, Joker had 32 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists in his 81st (out of 81) game — then apologized for not doing more. The whole building adores him dearly.

"He won't tell you, (but) I'll tell you," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said recently. "He is mentally and physically exhausted right now."

Unfortunately, that goes for a lot of sports fans I know and hear from. They are mentally exhausted from supporting leagues, teams and athletes that preach from on high and take their fandom for granted. If that's not you, no worries. There are plenty of good (and bad) seats available.