The Denver Broncos have played our first game in what is being renamed Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and this is a good thing for everyone.
Sports Authority is a Colorado company which has its headquarters, 32 stores and 1,700 employees with in our state. The company donates one million dollars annually to local sports-oriented foundations, and part of the agreement will include Sports Authority giving money to enhance the Broncos’ stadium through both interior and exterior improvements.
And what Colorado organization is more fitting for Sports Authority sponsorship than the Denver Broncos?
The Broncos are the soul of the city, the face of the time zone, in the most popular game and pro sports league in American history.
This assures that a state of the art stadium will stay state of the art for many, many years, and my own gut feeling is that local fans like the idea of a local firm in partnership with a local team, for mutual local benefit.
Fans who have driven by the stadium can see the cranes taking the old name down, getting ready to put the Sports Authority Field at Mile High moniker up in time for the Monday Night Football home opener against the Oakland Raiders on September 12.
And speaking of opening games, and the Raiders, and stadium, the very first regular season home game in Broncos history was a 31-14 Denver win over Oakland on October 1, 1960. The Broncos kicked off their first season with three straight road games, but the Raiders were indeed the first home opponents.
In fact, the Broncos played all five preseason games on the road to begin their history—playing in Providence, Rochester, Houston, Little Rock, and Los Angeles before ever putting a cleat into the home sod.
And when the Broncos did come home, it was to Bears Stadium, built in 1947-48 as a home park for the minor league baseball Denver Bears.
It seated 18,000 in its initial configuration, but Bears owner Bob Howsam built the south stands, which brought the seating capacity to 25,000, for his and Denver’s anticipated entry into the Continental Baseball League, which was to be a third major league, following the abandonment of New York by both the Giants and Dodgers in 1958.
Following came expansion in baseball, no third major league, and a white elephant stadium expansion in Denver. Then along came Lamor Hunt and the American Football League, and the Broncos played in 35,000-seat Bears Stadium in 1960.
They played a few games at the University of Denver’s Hilltop Stadium in the early 1960’s, then the city took over Bears Stadium and changed the name to Mile High Stadium in 1968.
The old minor league park became a stadium, with annual capacity beginning at 18,000 in 1948 and growing to 35,000 in 1960, then to 50,000 when the Broncos entered the National Football League, then to the eventual capacity figure of 75,000 with which fans are most familiar.
The Broncos played the first game at Invesco Field at Mile High on a Monday night the eve of 9/11, and now the stadium and city will settle in for a very long run playing at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
As any bride can tell you, a decision is often made on a new last name, but the people and the relationships are all the same.
So too is it for sports teams and the houses in which they play.
The Broncos and the Metropolitan Football Stadium District have approved a tentative deal with Sports Authority, an exceptional local firm, for naming rights to the stadium. It is a great deal all the way around.
But whether the label is Bears Stadium, Hilltop Stadium, Mile High Stadium, or the brand new logos that soon will adorn Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the game’s the thing.
The partnership extends beyond Sports Authority, the Broncos and the stadium district.
It includes the fans, because the fans have a pulse and so does the team.
The Broncos have a new team, new management and coaching, and an aggressive attitude that was on full display Saturday night against Buffalo.
The identity that will be forged on the field is one that the Broncos, the multitude of fans that comprise Broncos Country, and Sports Authority can combine to make it a perfect symbiotic relationship for many years.
What a perfect time for the Magic to return to Mile High!
Thank you, Jim for giving us fans additional insight on the new stadium name.
Question: You mentioned that Sports Authority agreed to make both exterior and interior improvements to the stadium. Do you have any details as to what any of the improvements will be?
Long live Mile High!
Already posted on the last blog, but bears repeating, Al Davis is at it again:
The Oakland Raiders have used a third-round pick in the NFL’s supplemental draft to select former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Oakland forfeits its third-round selection in the 2012 draft.
And people wonder why the Raiders hardly ever have any draft picks, like their first one this year was in the third round I think, LOL.
This is interesting:
The Broncos had their first officially day off since training camp ended on Sunday.
For most players, that was time spent with their families and resting at home after a grueling 23-day long camp.
Rookie right tackle Orlando Franklin, though, had serious business to take care off. Franklin, who is a Canadian citizen, had to fly to Calgary on Sunday, fill out paperwork and re-enter the United States with a new work visa.
Franklin left Denver Sunday morning, was able to have a short visit with his brother in Calgary, and then hop on a return flight. He was back in Denver in time for dinner, and back on the practice field at Dove Valley Monday morning.
Needing a work visa to play for the Broncos, pretty odd stuff, country comes first, they’ll be on your tax return like flies on a cow pie, LOL.
Also posted on the last blog, but Fox has indeed decided that this QQ has gone on long enough:
Head coach John Fox made official Monday what anyone who watched the Broncos training camp and the team’s first two preseason games already knew: Kyle Orton is the team’s starting quarterback.
Fox said Orton will be under center in the team’s Monday Night Football opener against Oakland on September 12.
No more Fox likes Tebow very much and just maybe if Tebow does this and that in the next two games he may still become the starter, and I think other than die hard Tebow fans, we can all appreciate that, everyone needs a little relief, I need Tebow discussions relief, wish granted, at least for the near future, thank you for that.
Tight end Richard Quinn was designated waived/injured today. If he passes waivers, he will placed on IR tomorrow. He must have a more serious knee injury than first believed.
Fox declined to name a No. 2, so let the battle between Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow continue. Fox is not bound by any league rules regarding naming a backup quarterback. All three quarterbacks can now be active — and play — on game days.
Wow, exactly what John Clayton professed a week ago and absolutely got crucified for it here and me along with him for posting his thoughts. Weird… Anyway this week it’s Lindsay Jones opening up the door, so let off Clayton, haha.
It seems as if Quinn has always been one step behind the 8 ball, too bad for him. Talk about a wasted second round pick, somebody will probably pick him up while he is on the waiver on his way to the injured list, like the Pats just like they did our safety when he got hurt.
Josh Barrett.
TYrelle Pryor … sounds like Jamarcuss Russel all over again. I will say one thing, Al davis is definitely not racist when it comes to QBs lol. But they are usuallyu the fast ones with strong arms and he loves physical talent. (Im just saying this because people believe the league is slanted agaisnt Black QBs the way it is against White RBs … black QBs become WRs and White RBs become FBs)
Lol @ they will be on your tax return like flies on cow pie.
As far as Orton starting that was a gimme a long time ago, but glad he said it. I remmeber when JE tweeted that Tebow went after Orton last week this time quinn … all in competing. All I could think was HA … last I checked wasn’t the competition for the starting job? so much for that lol.
I think in all the Tebow talk people might think some of us hate or don’t like Orton. The guy is fine. He won’t take us anywhere but he is ok. Got nothing against him. When he wasn’t traded I already acccepted he will be the starter most likely. Trade was the Only hope of Tebow possibly starting … because all the people who say start Tebow now, myself included, know Tebow is not better than Orton now. But where this team is, and in the direction we are going, IMO Tebow woulda been the ideal choice especially with Orton and Quinns contracts coming to an end.
Anyway, this is all just preseason for those excited. We will see if Orton has really improved or if he is, who we though he was. Which I believe he is … but that doesn’t mean I want him to fail so I could say I told you so, if he does well ill be excited, but I doubt it. Would never root against my team. Only time I did, was last year cuz I wanted McD gone, more than anything lol. Later days, TRB –
Sad for quinn and really angry about Barrett. Quinn might possibly get picked up. Wouldnt be surprised if it was by McD and the Rams or the patriots or something. I really wanted him to work out too. Good things we got stacked at many positions because now we have lost a RB, a TE and a WR to “knee sprains”. TRB
Amen to that Bay, the Tebow talk can subside for a little while. Fox said himself after Saturday’s game that he probably won’t name a 2nd string. I’m fine with that. I’m fine with all of it. Now if come this time next season Tebow has been traded I will lock the doors, close the blinds and cry for a few days. But for now sweet respite…
Just saw it on Facebook about Coach Fox talking about Orton is the starter. I am a fan of Tebow but I don’t love him more than I do the Denver Broncos. If he isn’t ready he’s just not ready. We have to put the most prepared 66 on the field from Kick return, Kickoffs, Punt return, Punt coverage, Offense, and Defense.
No once can say that he’s getting a raw end of the deal when he’s the one not performing in practice. Brady Quinn was in Tebow’s shoes last year. So he decided to dive deeper into the playbook and work on everything he could. Yes he’s till making mistakes like all of the QB’s but he’s also making plays.
I say lets go Broncos no matter who our QB is!!
You can say whatever you want about his errors, and much has been said. The Broncos should not have paired the strong-willed McDaniels with a first-time general manager (Brian Xanders) who was a good scout but didn’t have the experience to stand up to a coach. A more experienced GM could take some bullets for him and tell him he was making some big mistakes, as when he hired his brother, Ben, out of high school football to coach the quarterbacks. It wasn’t that Ben was a bad coach, but the clear perception in the locker room was that nepotism was at play. There are things a young coach shouldn’t do, but no one in the organization told a first-time head coach who looked like he was 23 that he was making mistakes — and he made plenty — until it was too late.
Thanks for the great article. Well written and informative. It’s got me fired up for some football!
No one can stop TEBOW being chanted by the fans when if we aren’t winning.
What about Josh McDaniels Field at Mile High ??
All right isnt funny.
Go Broncos!!
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