NFL Fan Value Experience. Where do we rank?

[Meck77]

I'd say all in all this is a fair assessment. In fact after reading it I'd say that SI was fairly accurate. What is your take of the fan value at Invesco? Other stadiums you have visited? Oh for the record beers aren't 5 bucks. I can't even remember when they were that price. Had to have been 5 years ago or more.

Do you feel the ranking is correct?

Discuss!


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...6/fvi.broncos/

TICKETS
Average Price Per Ticket $71.46
Price Range Of Tickets $39-$377.50
Ticket Availability Games sold out since 1970
For the most part, these are "crazy, smart fans" who know when to be loud and when to keep quiet." "It's impossible to hear anything when the opposition is on offense, and when the Broncos are on offense, the stadium goes nuts for just about any gain." More than a few, however, feel the crowd is "vastly inferior to the old Mile High." "Invesco simply doesn't generate the noise of old Mile High." "At lower levels it's too corporate; most people are happy just to be there instead of caring how the Broncos play." "And the noisiest fans are at too high an altitude to be heard." Others, though, feel the crowd reaction "depends on what team the Broncos are playing." "The stadium gets decidedly more intense for rivalry games [e.g. the Raiders, the Chiefs]." Some, though, have "been to games where it seems the fans are snobbish and won't get up and cheer their hearts out." The changing crowd atmosphere may best be described "as saying a BMW falls short of Mercedes - we were all little spoiled."
SCORE 6 out of 10

FOOD & SOUVENIRS
Hot Dog $4.25
Soda (20 oz.) $3.00
Beer (16 oz.) $5.00
Expected Meal Cost $10-$15
Program $5
Cap $12.00
There is "lots of local fare, from buffalo to barbecue to Mexican," in addition to "tons of other specialty foods," such as "crab cakes" and "sushi." "The green tamales are great," note more than a few; others write that "the Frito pies are a must." True to their reputation, though, the "Rocky Mountain oysters are a bit tough," a reality that "a good selection of microbrews" might soften. Should you find yourself on the club level, "the nacho bar is something you will dream about afterwards," and the margaritas are an "excellent" way to wash down the feast at the "buffet on the east side of the stadium." That is, unless you hang out at one of the club-level bars, where "plenty of TVs showing all of the games and a fireplace" make for an "ideal" setting.
SCORE 7 out of 10

ACCESSIBILITY
Parking $20
"It's not a dreadful commute, but parking is a problem." "There is precious little parking in and around the stadium," and "you are going to have to pay an arm or a leg" for what is there. "Getting home from a game is terrible because nobody leaves early and the freeway entrances are clogged, leaving you in a long, one-lane line from your parking spot to the freeway." But "if you know what you are doing, you can easily get to the stadium without ever driving within sight of it." "From downtown, it is a short 10-minute walk to the stadium." Broncos "shuttle buses pickup throughout the Denver area," and the light-rail system "leaves you a five-minute walk to the entrance, although it does get a bit crowded after the game."
SCORE 6 out of 10

TAILGATING
Since "you need a parking pass for the stadium lot," tailgaters spread to "outlying lots and neighborhoods around the stadium," turning game days into "a multiple block party." "Each lot has its own fans who have tailgated for years together and their own unique foods." "There are lots of barbecues," and "miles of hot dogs, burgers and charcoal." Though "no kegs are allowed," there is lots of "Fat Tire beer," a regional microbrew. "But people handle their alcohol with a mature attitude toward safety." The team itself also joins in at the Broncos Barn, a tent at the south entrance "with a bars, large-screen TVs and cheerleaders." "It allows those of us who take the bus to have a great experience before the game."
SCORE 7 out of 10

TEAM

Jay Cutler :: Peter Read Miller/SI
Record through Week 9 3-5
Players Worth Watching Jay Cutler (QB), Brandon Marshall (WR), Champ Bailey (CB)
SCORE 3 out of 10

STADIUM ATMOSPHERE
"It may not be the coolest or most historic stadium in football," but Invesco is "beautiful" and "a great place to watch a Broncos game." "It has an open feel" and "great views of downtown from the west stands." More important to the game at hand, the seats "seem to sit over the field," affording "good sightlines even in the top rows of the fifth deck." "Three well-placed jumbo video screens makes it easy to see replays" while a host of TVs on the "wide concourses" allow fans to grab a bite without missing much of the game. And "metal floorboards" make the stadium "nice and loud when you stomp on them." Under the surface glamour, though, seems to lie subtle downside: a "nose bleed section that is at a different altitude," seats that are "too close together" and "further away from the field than at Mile High," and men's room lines that are "always out the door during timeouts." Though Invesco has yet to not sell out a Broncos game, it's clear that "Mile High was to Denver stadiums what John Elway was to Denver quarterbacks." "Invesco falls short in terms of that game day electricity that made Mile High buzz. Invesco is really nice for those who have motives beyond watching football; Mile High was fantastic for football fans. The seating was steep, the place was incredibly loud and it shook in a way that made newcomers nervous. None of this is true at Invesco."
SCORE 8 out of 10

NEIGHBORHOOD
"This is an older neighborhood beginning the process of renewal." Bordered to the west by a "working-class neighborhood," an "interstate to the East" and "warehouses to the south," the area "isn't the greatest, but it is not dangerous." "But within a short walk is the wonderful bar/restaurant scene in LoDo," and "downtown Denver is about a 10-minute walk." Closer still are the "bars, eating establishments and sports memorabilia shops of Federal Boulevard."
SCORE 6 out of 10

BOTTOM LINE
As much as Broncos fans lavish Invesco Field with praise, it's impossible to escape the feeling that Denver fans have sold their souls a little. Yes, the stadium is comfortable, and it's loaded with food options and the video screens are crystal clear. But the best seats in the house are priced for business class, the football-mad atmosphere has softened and the bill for the stadium is being footed by the taxpayers. As one fan vented: "What a shock. Pat Bowlen gets the Denver public to pay for his stadium and then still charges an arm and a leg for tickets, parking and concessions." So long as the Broncos deliver in the standings, this should remain a marriage as pretty as the pictures suggest. If bad times come, though, those long-hidden love letters to a stadium past is sure to cause problems.
FINAL SCORE 43 out of 70

[ant1999e]

"So long as the Broncos deliver in the standings, this should remain a marriage as pretty as the pictures suggest. If bad times come, though, those long-hidden love letters to a stadium past is sure to cause problems."

[Smiling Assassin27]

i'm with you. it looks reasonably ranked. the 3 out of 10 for the team kinda stings, though...

[-Slap-]

"But people handle their alcohol with a mature attitude toward safety."

[Los Broncos]

The beers are eight bucks a pop in SD.

Thank god im only down there once a year.

[CBF1]

TEAM

Jay Cutler :: Peter Read Miller/SI
Record through Week 9 3-5
Players Worth Watching Jay Cutler (QB), Brandon Marshall (WR), Champ Bailey (CB)
SCORE 3 out of 10

OUCH..... But honest. Pretty fair evaluation overall. I agree with most of it. I am glad someone other than a Mane'r noticed the corporate atmosphere.

[Hogan11]

For the most part, these are "crazy, smart fans" who know when to be loud and when to keep quiet."

Not for nothing, but wasn't this a problem this year?

[socalorado]

Originally Posted by CBF1

TEAM

Jay Cutler :: Peter Read Miller/SI
Record through Week 9 3-5
Players Worth Watching Jay Cutler (QB), Brandon Marshall (WR), Champ Bailey (CB)
SCORE 3 out of 10

OUCH..... But honest. Pretty fair evaluation overall. I agree with most of it. I am glad someone other than a Mane'r noticed the corporate atmosphere.

This says it all as to the problem with this team!
NO talent at almost ALL positions except a select few.
Check the Colts score on talent. JEEZ even the chefs, titans and browns as well as most other teams have a higher score. WOW. Just wow.
Not that SI knows jack squat, but its telling of this teams issues.

[Dendave]

Originally Posted by Meck77

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...6/fvi.broncos/

We should add this link to the tailgate section so people can reference it when going to away games...parking, tailgating, directions, etc



Just a thought