With the exception of a couple games played at the University of Denver’s long demolished Hilltop Stadium, the Broncos have always called a little patch of land nestled in the armpit of Colfax and Federal, flanked by I-25 and the Platte, their home. Whether it was old Mile High or the new Mile High of many names, Broncos fans have never known their stadium to be anywhere else.
The new stadium machinery sprung to life this week when the Broncos released conceptual renderings of their proposed development around the stadium at Burnham Yards. The rendering offered the footprint of the stadium, but not much else in the way of details. As Broncos fans, there are cornerstones of our fandom built into the stadia we have enjoyed all our lives. Here are a few things that absolutely must be included in the design to make the new space feel the old spaces.
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Open Roof
I get that the ownership wants to have a space they can use for other mega-huge events like concerts, the final four, Monster Jam, most likely, and I fully support them in that endeavor. Here’s the deal, the Broncos play outside. They always have. Up until recently, they used to be really good at it and it was sort of their thing. If you look at Broncos history, some of the greatest moments have happened in the snow at Mile High. I’m not opposed to having a roof on it to shield other events from the elements, but when the Broncos are playing it should to be open. There is a compromise here that is begging to be made. You wouldn’t put a roof over Lambeau, you shouldn’t put it over Mile High.
Steel Floors
The designers of Mile High of many names got it right when they imported the steel construction from old Mile High allowing that foot-stomping ‘Mile High Thunder’ to become a hallmark of the stadium experience and a central part of Denver’s home field advantage. They say it was never as loud as old Mile High and many attributed the decibel drop to the lack of hydraulic fluid under a large section of the stands (the hydraulic fluid allowed a section of the stadium to move to accommodate baseball). Because the section wasn’t grounded in concrete and sat on a thin sheet of fluid, the noise apparently radiated off of it in a way that was said to be unmatched in the NFL at the time.
Let’s do that again.
Bucky
In 2023, ‘Bucky,’ the 27-foot horse on top of the scoreboard got a refurb that added 800 lbs of reinforcement to ensure that he would last well into the future. I find it hard to believe that ownership would scrap the iconic horse with the old stadium. Bucky will almost certainly be making the trip to the Broncos new home, but they’re going to have to be creative with how they use him, especially considering these silly rumors of an enclosed roof. Once they figure out a place of honor to install Bucky, I’d love the Broncos to commission a new rearing Bronco. This is an opportunity (and challenge?) to create the biggest rearing Bronco statue Colorado has ever seen. Look out Blucifer!
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I get the sense that whatever is built at Burnham yards is going to be the Broncos home for years to come… or at least longer than the 25-years we had to get to know Mile High of many names. It’s important that they get this right. As fans, it’s important to remind them that we want in the new stadium. I’m sure it’s easy for them to get distracted thinking about luxury suites, all the country concerts they can book year round with a stupid roof, and the bajillion details that come along with launching a whole new commercial district and event complex. It’s the details that will make the new place feel like home.
