Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

It was a perfect day to be at Mile High Stadium to watch the Broncos play. Yes, I know the field is named Invesco, but it will never, repeat never, be anything other than Mile High to any self respecting Bronco fan. In typical Colorado fashion, the day was sunny and warm, with only a few high wispy clouds. For December 7th even 65 degrees was better than I could hope for. In fact, the seats we sat in faced the west, and the sun was close to brutal! It felt nice to be able to take off the coat, then the sweatshirt and bask in the sun, even though I wished I had a hat, and at least SPF50 more sunscreen.

Mark and I were there with Cindi and Chris. The seats were really good, right above the first level, and in the handcap row, so there was plenty of legroom! And the four of us needed it -long legs and all. There were even fancy cupholders with a slot for your cellphone. Too cool! Of course, these seats were very expensive, but for a once a year treat it was worth the cost. The seats belong to Mark's boss, and he has a prosthetic leg. Wooden leg, as the guys at work like to joke. Mark even asked him if we needed to show the leg at the gate to get to the seats. Lucky for us, no - it would have been hard to lug it along with us on the light rail.

As soon as we reached the seats, I noticed that the field looked so real - having seen it only on tv for the past 5 years it was a trick of the eye I guess that it looked almost surreal. Too bad for all those suckers up in the nosebleed sections - they would never get to hear the players grunting as they did the pre-game warm ups. If you have never been to a game, then it would be hard to explain to you just how electric the feel is in the air during - but mostly before - a game. I am not really a football fan, but Mark got a chance at these tickets and I know how much better it is to be"there" at a game. So for 4 tickets ($380) we are tasting the $7 beer (a 6 pack is only $6.99) and the $5.50 nachos - the day is truly priceless. I admit I spent most of the time people watching, looking for myself on the big screen, and doing the celebration cheer (na,na,na,..... na,na,....na,na.....Hey!) There were many Kansas City fans, brave souls, and a lot of Bronco fans that dressed for the occasion. If you have ever tried to get your husband to put on a suit for a fancy party but he refused, yet he had absolutely no problem wearing beads, orange and blue striped hair and even makeup, you might be married to a Bronco fan! We watched the guy below us with the Tina Turner wig in orange and blue waving around a shirt to get the crowd going. We read the handmade signs -"Jingle Bells, K.C. smells" and wished we had brought our own - "Hello Ocala" or "I want to have Jake Cutler's baby " (these are only in jest, remember!). During the half time show, the three finalists to the contest, Best Fan, were led out onto the field. Each one has a story: one guy, Joey, has John Elway tattooed on his leg... kinda creepy. Like Chris said, what guy wants the picture of another guy in a tattoo? Elway's head is all the way up on his thigh! The Arkansas couple, Ken and Annette, who drive the 16 hours to every Denver home game deserve something. Why they are in Arkansas is a mystery, but their devotion was clear. They were on the waiting list for season tickets for over 12 years! I hope they saved enough to pay for the gas. And then there was Miles who had even convinced his wife to have an ORANGE wedding! He has been at every home and away game for 100 straight games. What people will do! If you want to vote (before Dec. 14th) here's the link: http://www.broncoscountry.com/bigfan/

Only once did the "wave" in a very feeble attempt make it to our section. And I sat hoping all day that the mascot, Miles the horse, would by chance trot by, his orange tail flicking. No luck there. But it was fun to watch the fans take his photo and vie for his attention - and he's only the mascot! I got a kick out of the secret service looking dude that was his escort/bodyguard. That guy was way too serious!

And around the fourth quarter the sun was low behind the stadium and it began to get chilly. Back on went the sweatshirt, but the excitement was building. The Broncos were holding on to the lead, and the crowd was more vocal, more focused, more urgent. Each first down caused a roar in the crowd, cheers called out to players by name - now this was serious business. I remebered my mom and the way she would yell at the tv, calling them "Doncos" - I could almost hear her voice in the crowd. An old rivalry, the Denver-Kansas City game has long been one of contention - one that was certain humiliation if lost. The noise level increased at each play, and it must have worked because the Broncos won. I couldn't tell you the score.... details, details. But the day -for me- was a winner.