When the Rockies meet the road: 5 things to know

Your Colorado Rockies have embarked on their first extended road trip of the season -- a six-game jaunt that will feature three dates apiece with the NL West-rival San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.
And given the franchise's ignominious history outside the Mile City City -- i.e. a .391 winning percentage (686-1,069) -- which includes the 3-0 start last week in Milwaukee, here are five facts to ponder:

• Of the current 30 major-league teams, only the Rockies have a winning percentage worse than .414 in road games since 1901. The Tampa Bay Rays, who were 572-808 (.414) through the weekend, are the next worst.
• In 22 seasons, the Rockies only have had one winning campaign -- a 41-40 mark in 2009 -- away from home. In all but four (1994, '95, '97 and  '07) of the franchise's other 21 seasons, they've finished 10 or more games below .500 on the road, including last season's franchise-worst 21-61 (.259) mark.
• In its three playoff seasons ('95, '07 and '09),  Colorado is a combined 113-121 (.483) away from Coors Field. In their other 19 full seasons, the Rockies are 570-948 (.375).
• The Rockies have a winning road record against two of the other 29 major-league franchises. Quick guess, anyone? Try the Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos (47-39) and Chicago White Sox (2-1). The Purple Crew has yet to beat either the Toronto Blue Jays (0-9) or Rays (0-3) on the road.
• In the home parks of fellow National League West foes, Colorado is an aggregate 269-417 (.392) with its best mark against the San Diego Padres (89-92, .466) and its worst record against the Giants (61-119, .339). The Rockies are 68-109 (.384) versus the Dodgers and 51-97 (.344) against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Another NBA Finals & no Nuggets . . . so what's new?

So it's the Spurs and Heat in the NBA Finals.
No surprise. We've been there, seen that matchup before.
It is the NBA after all where the chalk and the same teams dominate the action seemingly season after season.
To wit: Over the last 30 seasons, including the current one, only eight franchises have hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy with five teams (the Spurs, Heat, Lakers, Pistons and Bulls) winning a whopping 24 of the 30 (80 percent) championships.
Only 18 franchises have made NBA Finals appearances during those three decades, and as you well know your Denver Nuggets -- who joined the NBA in 1976 -- ain't one of them.
The Nuggets, in fact, are missing the party for the 38th consecutive season as one of the the seven current NBA franchises who have never made it to the Finals. The others are the Los Angeles Clippers (who joined the NBA as the Buffalo Braves in 1970), New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets/Charlotte Hornets ('88), Minnesota Timberwolves ('89), Memphis/Vancouver Grizzlies ('95), Toronto Raptors ('95) and Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats ('04).
Expanding the view to include all four major U.S. pro sports leagues, the Nuggets are one of 17 current franchises (out of 122 total or 13.9 percent) never to have made it to their current league's championship series or game.
The others, outside of the aforementioned NBA seven, are as follows:

• NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars (joined in 1995), Houston Texans ('02).
• MLB: Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos ('69), Seattle Mariners ('77)
• NHL: Phoenix Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets ('79), San Jose Sharks ('91), Nashville Predators ('98), Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers ('99), Columbus Blue Jackets ('00), Minnesota Wild ('00)

A quick survey of those left-out 17 reveals that only the Nationals/Expos (45 years) and Clippers/Braves (44 years) have endured longer droughts than the Nuggets.

Sigh.