Meet RMI: Steve Foster

By Steve Foster   |   July 1, 2009   |   9:00 PM

The first joke I told that ever got a laugh — besides a knock, knock joke involving oranges and bananas, from which any 4-year-old is guaranteed to get a laugh from at least his grandmother — was a Rich Karlis joke. Those who lived in Denver in the mid-80s and lived and died by Rich Karlis’ bare foot have probably heard this one:

Did you hear Rich Karlis tried to commit suicide? (Pause, for shock, curious looks.) Unfortunately, the bullet went wide right.

I told that joke as a fourth-grader in South Dakota. Since I first moved to Colorado in 1996, people have expressed wonder about how I became a Broncos fan. The truth is, in South Dakota you are either a Broncos fan, a Vikings fan or someone who doesn’t watch football. The state is divided neatly by the Missouri River. Those of us who grew up on the west side of the state — West River — are Broncos fans. Those who grew up in East River are Vikings fans. It’s all about television. Back then, KELO out of East River’s Sioux Falls was a CBS affiliate broadcasting NFC and Vikings games. KEVN in Rapid City, then an NBC affiliate, showed AFC and Broncos games.

And so allegiances were formed.

My father, sister and I were big Broncos fans. My mother mostly looked over us with pity, because so many of our hopes — which even she could see, over the top of the book she was reading while we watched the games — were tied to Rich Karlis. That was the hopeless part. But the hope came, of course, from John Elway. Especially, John Elway. We did not joke about John Elway in our house.

Curiously, both my sister and I strayed into enemy — or Vikings — territory for college, attending East River’s University of South Dakota. Upon graduation, we were both faced with the same choice, more or less: Minneapolis or Denver. Despite growing up in South Dakota, we were city people even then, and that we would move to a city with pro teams was a foregone conclusion. My sister — the oldest — chose Denver. A couple years later I followed. And, other than a three-year sabbatical in Chicago for me, we have lived here ever since.

Covering Denver sports was a dream until I covered Denver sports. Then it become work, and I found myself torn between wanting the teams I had followed since a child to win and have more work to do or fade away and give me a day off. My sabbatical sway from Denver was done, in part, to become a Denver sports fan again. I wanted to follow the teams I loved without worrying about whether their winning in overtime would mean I was working overtime. I was blissfully away during the World Series in 2007, where I was able to watch one of the great sport moments of my life as a fan, not as a journalist. Which, of course, made me want to be the journalist again.

So here I am again. I thought I was out. They pulled me back in. OK, it was my choice. I pulled myself back in.

The lure of the Broncos and the Rockies — say what you will about the lingering disappointment of all but 21 games in the last decade, but a Denver evening at Coors Field is one of the great experiences in this city — is too strong.

Categories: About Us, Steve Foster

Tagged: colorado rockies, denver, denver broncos, john elway, minneapolis, rich karlis, south dakota