by J Ward
The name Mile High means so much to the people of Denver and the state of Colorado. Companies, magazines, and various groups are only a handful of entities that incorporate mile high or 5,280 feet into their name or products. Nowhere else does the Mile High name carry more weight then it does with the Broncos. All of us have heard the countless stories of how the Broncos use the mile high elevation of Denver as psychological warfare for visiting football squads. Not only do you have to deal with fifty three guys across the field but also the lack of breathable air. However, the onslaught of corporations taking over everything we hold dearly, stole away the “Mile High magic”. As Mile High stadium slowly started to become a prehistoric landmark on the NFL landscape, Pat Bowlen, Broncos owner, sold the city of Denver a bill of goods that a new stadium was needed if the broncos were going to compete every year for Lamboardi trophies. The kicker is that Mr. Bowlen didn’t tell us that tax payer dollars wouldn’t be enough that the Broncos would sell the rights of the name of the stadium to the highest bidder, Invesco. Like most Broncos fans, I was pissed off that such an iconic name could be sold. I guess, to keep the mobs of orange and blue Broncos fans from storming the stadium gates, Broncos settled on the name of Invesco Field of Mile High Stadium. Personally I vowed to delete the name Invesco and to never purchase a single product or service from Invesco, which wasn’t hard since I didn’t have a clue what Invesco did.
Now enters a new player to the field, Sports Authority, another corporate black hole that took control over Gart Sport stores a few years ago. The Broncos have signed a new deal to change the stadium’s name from Invesco Field of Mile High to Sports Authority Field of Mile High. First reaction, you can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig! Second, at least it has the word “sports” in the name.
Big picture thinking, does it really matter what name is on the outside of the stadium? No. If they are winning on a consistent bases and competing for Super Bowls as Pat Bowlen vowed. You can’t hold on to the past forever, but if you are going to keep cashing in on the naming rights of the stadium Mr. Bowlen, can you please fill the stadium with a team that has a better chance of winning the super bowl then of landing the first pick of the draft?
