Aurora – Congratulations, Colorado. You did it.
I had real doubt it was going to happen anytime soon – or at all – so an apology is in order.
I ripped you a few years back, when the idea was officially brought to the table, then defeated.
So much for initial reaction to rejection as it will be here in two days, upper classifications of championship schoolboy football at Invesco Field at Mile High, home of the Broncos.
I know what you’re thinking. Four words from a couple of years ago: Pepsi Center and basketball. Forget them. This won’t be anything like the hoops tournament being Pepsi free and squeezed out or not having enough following to support it.
It could prove better than the state wrestling tournament, which thrives at the Pepsi Center and has surpassed 40,000 in attendance over three days.
Why? It’s football and this is Colorado. The latest innovation also has financial backing (as we are in 2005). A couple of hundred thousand dollars and major involvement by the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and generous organizations and businesses later, Class 5A and Class 4A are poised to make memories and join the elite nationally that decide state titles at NFL stadiums.
Potentially, it’s cooler for area prep football than the advent of air helmets and Under Armour put together.
Think of it.
No more ridiculous notions of home-field advantage in championship games for upper classes. Not that it should have been considered true home-field advantage – nearly every program in the upper classes shares a district site. Now, the only way any team can get home-field anything for larger title games will be if a school raises enough money for the next stadium name change.
No more worrying about arriving early in order to obtain a prime seat on a cold bench. There will be plenty of individual seats, including those with backs, a very unusual occurrence in the prep ranks.
No more concerns about getting in and out of difficult places that don’t handle lots of traffic well (fill in your school here). There are several main arteries for easy arrival and departure.
No more frets about lack of press box space. For once, 5A and 4A, which finally will attract radio and television for consecutive title games, will have more media seats than those who actually cover the games. (Weather permitting, I’m walking the sidelines.)
No more petty squabbles about poor playing surfaces. It’s a professional site.
No more parking concerns. Even if each member of a participant’s family drove to the game, there still would be enough room for school alumni, neighborhood followers and, seemingly, all of the cars in John Elway’s dealerships.
No more dealing with stressed-out athletic directors who usually have to do everything themselves during championship week. Most of the heavy stuff has been passed on to another level.
No more fears about poor locker-room space, particularly for visitors. Compared to nearly every other prep situation, players in Saturday’s games at Invesco Field will feel like they have their own closet and dresser.
And I saved this for you, schoolboy football’s female fans, all of the grandmoms, moms, sisters, aunts, girlfriends, cheerleaders, teachers, etc. … No more porta-potties.
Does it get much better than that?
Ultimately, it was encouraging to see officials identify the following – it’s about the kids.
I’m sure Andy Muns, a running back at Douglas County, will enjoy piling up yardage on the same ground that the likes of Mike Anderson and LaDainian Tomlinson have in 2005.
Undoubtedly, Mullen cornerback Chris Carney will enjoy defending passes where Broncos star Champ Bailey terrorizes opposing receivers.
I’ll wager that ThunderRidge two-way lineman William Ard will jump at the chance to knock a ball carrier silly or block for one on the same turf where Trevor Pryce and Tom Nalen toil.
And I’m convinced Grand Junction linebacker Kris Means will enjoy banging heads and running down ball carriers where Al Wilson roams.
Which kid participating Saturday won’t enjoy seeing his school’s team and fans on the stadium’s big-screen scoreboard?
Remember when you were little and imagined yourself as an NFL star – say, Jim Brown, Roger Staubach, Dick Butkus, Reggie White or Elway – while in a pickup game?
Saturday’s participants will be closer to the real deal. Instead of competing in someone’s backyard, in the middle of a street or a nondescript high school “stadium,” they’ll be on a pro field and in full regalia.
Getting dirty will be a must for all players. Some won’t want to wash their uniforms.
I also suspect some of the coaches will get into the act.
While Mullen’s Dave Logan played in the NFL for nine years, what’s to stop him, Douglas County’s Jeff Ketron, Grand Junction’s Shawn Marsh and ThunderRidge’s Joe Johnson from making believe they’re Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry or Don Shula? If we see old-time glasses, a snappy dress hat that not everyone can get away with wearing, or a perennial tan that makes George Hamilton cry, we’ll know.
The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and runners-up Philadelphia Eagles have played at Invesco Field in 2005. So why not the Douglas County Huskies and Grand Junction Tigers?
If it’s cold Saturday, I say it’s officially OK if we use terms such as “frozen tundra” and “rumblin’, bumblin’, stumblin’.”
The goal is to get as many of the seven championship games to Invesco Field as possible, and perhaps the fans who can’t afford Broncos tickets or secure access to them. They’d all like a peek.
Congratulations again, Colorado.
I wasn’t sure you had it in you.
Staff writer Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-820-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com.
