After years of frustration, Colorado's sports fans finally got what they have been loyally waiting for: a national championship.
"It's awesome man!" shouted Mike May from his perch atop a white Limousine that cruised along trendy Larimer Street in downtown. "I've been waiting 25 years for this. It's a dream come true."A crowd estimated at about 80,000 turned out in downtown Denver for a gigantic celebration after the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup with a triple-overtime 1-0 victory over the Florida Panthers in Miami.
But the party took an ugly turn around 1:15 a.m. when police used tear gas, Mace and batons to disperse about 3,000 unruly revelers who set fire to newspapers, climbed lamp posts and overturned benches. Police Detective John Wyckoff said 15 arrests were made. Three people were hospitalized with minor injuries.
At 6:20 a.m., about 1,000 fans greeted the team when it arrived on a chartered jet at Denver International Airport. Team captain Joe Sakic emerged from the plane holding the 34-pound Stanley Cup aloft. Sakic, voted the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup finals, paraded up and down the stairs to the plane waving the cup before the cheering fans, most of whom stayed up all night to witness their team's arrival.
The crowd cheered for nearly 10 minutes waving signs that said "Thank you Quebec" and "The best."
The Avalanche moved last year to Denver from Quebec, where they were called the Nordiques.
One by one, the weary looking players and their guests walked down the stairs to applause. Among those on the plane was Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, who was wearing a dark blazer with an Avalanche jersey underneath.
"I've been here since 5 a.m. I just celebrated all night, last night, and I had to come here and show the guys how much we support them," said Tim Ellis, 28, of Aurora. "I'd wait all day for a chance to see this."
Colorado sports fans have waited a while for a national championship. The Avalanche's move last year from Quebec made Denver a four major league sports town with hockey, football, basketball and baseball.
"It's a great sports state, a great sports town," Gov. Roy Romer said. "I hope it triggers several other (championships)."
The celebrating got out of hand on Larimer Street, however. Hundreds of police in riot helmets broke up thousands of out-of-control fans who threw rocks and bottles through bar and store windows along the 16th Street pedestrian mall and near Larimer Street.
For the most part, though, revelers were well-behaved but boisterous. "We're here to celebrate the victory of the century. Stanley Cup, baby," yelled Steve Hicks, 22.
The celebration started at McNichols Sports Arena, where more than 12,000 fans watched the game via a big screen televised feed from Miami. It was mostly a family crowd there, which thinned out by the time Colorado claimed the cup after 11 p.m.
"I knew they were going to win, I just wish it didn't take so long," said Tim Dallarosa, 32.