Question for old time Nuggets fans - 1980 David Thompson

fishermb · Post #1 » by **fishermb** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 9:48 pm

Hey all, new to the board, thanks for having me!

I wanted to throw something out to the older Nuggets fans here. I've heard that with all the drug drama that was going on around 1980, David Thompson wrote an open apology letter to the Nuggets fans. I heard it was printed in the Denver Post, but couldn't find any record of it in there. Does anyone know anything more about this? Or better yet, even have a copy of this letter?

fishermb · Post #2 » by **fishermb** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:57 pm

Bueller? Bueller?

Thompson's autobiography actually says he wrote the letter to season ticket holders on his own personal stationary, so I don't think it was in the Post. Any ideas on someone actually having saved this letter?

skywalker33 · Post #3 » by **skywalker33** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 4:19 pm

It was a very common things back in the 80's to print a letter (could've been in the Rocky Mtn News) of thanks for the support. I don't recall any athlete apologizing though, sure his agent/lawyer wouldn't allow for anything that could be misconstrued as admission of any wrong-doing.

Post #4 » by **NuggetsWY** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 5:11 pm

If you understand what the NBA was like back then and what they were trying to overcome, you'd understand just how big a noise would have been made about a letter like that. I don't believe this ever happened.

One example; people were openly calling the NBA a "drug league" and the championship series was broadcast on a delayed basis at 11:30 pm except for the two cities involved and maybe a few major markets. Larry O'brien was the commissioner and he was trying to overcome the public's perception. Such a letter would have been MAJOR news. There wouldn't be any wondering about whether it existed or not.

fishermb · Post #5 » by **fishermb** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 5:16 pm

I appreciate both of your replies, but I'm just going by exactly what Thompson said:

"As the new hoops season approached, the Nuggets were experiencing deep financial pain. This would be the first year they would qualify for a share of the CBS television revenues, but in the meantime the well was running dry. The organization asked me to do two things: take a deferment on my salary to help out, and write a personal letter to be sent to all Nugget season ticket holders. The letter would express how personally sorry I was for the team's and my own performance the previous season and vow that we were totally committed to turning things around. I gladly did both, and even put the letter on my own personal stationary."

So yes I know it sounds like something that wouldn't happen, but I am just following the path of the man's own words.

skywalker33 · Post #6 » by **skywalker33** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 5:41 pm

Then it's probably out there, just gotta look. I may have been one sent directly to season ticket holders, I don't recall ever seeing one ( though no, I wasn't a season ticket holder at the time).

rallydurham · Post #7 » by **rallydurham** » Sun May 1, 2016 2:26 pm

Wolfpack!

He can still get rim which is just incredible