Just recently, the Denver Broncos announced the new name for their football stadium.  From here on out, the stadium which was once deemed Sports Authority Field by many, and Mile High by most, will now be called Empower Field at Mile High, after a Financial Services company from Greenwood Village wrote a big check for the naming rights.

Naming Rights for a stadium in Colorado isn’t as easy as people think.  What comes to mind when you think of Colorado?  What players or ownership deserve recognition?  Who will pay big money?  And what do the fans really want?

I came up with twenty suggestions that the committee, ownership, and good people of Colorado may want to think about for next time.

• The Orange Bowlen – A perfect combination of the legendary Orange Bowl and the legendary Pat Bowlen.
• Rocky Mountain High Stadium – A blend of the John Denver classic with an ode to elevation, marijuana, and the Rockies.
• The Raiders Suck Stadium – I don’t know what it is? But the name just seems to roll off the tongue.
• Coors Field – Wait. That sounds kind of familiar.
• El Way Higher than Sea Level Stadium – It’s got Elway, elevation, and potentially a nod to Denver’s outstanding Latino community in a patronizing, borderline offensive way.
• Dude, I’m So High Stadium – Let’s be real. It’s 2019.  Do you know what kind of sponsorship money the Broncos could make if they just embraced the concept?
• Shanahan’s or Elway’s – I mean, you need to stand in line to get in, it’s a little overpriced, and depending on the performance, you either love it or hate it.
• Mary Jane Stadium – No, that wasn’t the name of the owner’s wife.
• 5700 Stadium – It’s where 5280 meets 420.
• Orange Crush Arena – I’m not sure what constitutes an arena, but it sounded good.
• Plenty of Weeds on This Field Stadium – Natural Grass Stadium, Love Grass Hate Turf Stadium…you get the point.
• This Bud’s for You Stadium – Not only will this name cause a bidding war between Budweiser and Coors, but every marijuana company in Colorado is still a sponsorship play.
• The Gold Mine – Although, eventually people that came to Colorado moved further West to find success in California. So that’s not good.  And Fool’s Gold Stadium?  Elway might be trying to sell Orange Nation on that concept, but that can only last so long.
• The LoDome – Throw a dome roof over the stadium built near Lodo, and not only do you have a clever name, but you also have a dome stadium that will finally allow us to host a Super Bowl.
• Peyton’s Place – Peyton’s Place was an old television series made famous in the 1960’s. Peyton Manning was an old quarterback that got us a Super Bowl back in 2015.
• Miller Stadium – We’ll tell Von it’s for him. But again, Budweiser, Coors, and others will start the bidding war after that name.
• Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time Tea Stadium – Okay. Sponsorship isn’t everything.
• Starbucks Stadium – But the big sign on Highway 25 is made using 7-Eleven quality neon. And at night, part of the k flickers on and off and it looks like it says Starbuds instead.  Again, double sponsorship.
• Victoria’s Secret Stadium – Tom Brady’s wife is now a company employee. We dress her up as Barrel Man when the Pats come to town.  It’ll be hysterical.
• The United Airlines Mile High Club – Or Southwest, Frontier, American…basically any airline would suffice.

Images via denver.cbs.local.com, arrowheadpride.com, en.wikipedia.org, denverpost.com, anchoragedailynews.com

Alan Tapley The Athletic Supporter

Alan Tapley is an educator, author, and blogger who has lived just outside of Boulder for the last twenty years.  His published work includes two novels, two children’s books, a series of cartoons in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and multiple sports related articles. His love for family and the state of Colorado is only matched by one thing, his passion for sports.  The first baseball game he ever attended was at Wrigley Field, before there were lights.  At the final Bronco game at the old Mile High, he allegedly cut out a piece of his seat in the South stands.  But regardless of being here for the Avalanche’s last Stanley Cup, the Rockies only World Series appearance, and all the Broncos’ Super Bowl Victories, his wife never fails to remind him that he wasn’t at the University of Colorado in 1990, like she was.  The year the Buffs football team won the National Championship