The NFL likes to heavily promote the opening game of the regular season in every possible arena, including banners on the streets around the host city.
That’s Denver this year and there’s a little agitation in the city about the fact that some of the banners flying overhead feature Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco rather than a member of the home team. Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post spoke to several Denver residents about the banners and got responses like “stupid,” “disrespectful” and “royally ticked off” when he asked them what they thought about the banners. Vic Lombardi of CBS4 in Denver went a step further, posting videos of himself defacing one of the posters.
One of the banners is on the exterior of Sports Authority Field, which has led to a Change.org petition from Broncos fans to have it removed. And it also got a response from Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.
“It doesn’t seem like it makes sense that the Denver Broncos have to have an opposing player on their stadium,” Manning said, during an appearance on 850 KOA.
It makes plenty of sense to the NFL’s marketing arm, which builds the opening game into as big an event as possible with pregame festivities and concerts that normally are associated with playoff or championship games. They aren’t going to stop promoting the game, so Denver is probably going to have to learn to live with Flacco’s image a little bit longer.