For a Broncos fan who doesn’t want to be stuck on the sofa as the party rages at Mile High, the most intense 10 minutes of the NFL season occur in the middle of summer, when the toughest ticket in town goes on sale for half price.
As the clock ticks, adrenaline kicks in and nothing less than a big score will win. For a regular Denver guy whose 9-to-5 job is selling cars, this is as close to being quarterback Peyton Manning as real life allows.
“You’ve got to stay cool and collected,” Matthew Sandoval told me. He’s a 33-year-old car salesman who did battle with apountry to scoop up a handful of the 2,000 tickets sold at 50 percent off regular price for each home game.
It happens only once every year, and this year workplace productivity throughout Denver came to a brief, screeching halt at 11 a.m. Wednesday. For a Broncomaniac, staking a claim in the half-price ticket sale is the 21st century version of the gold rush. In 2015, of course, a gold rush is conducted on the Internet, where victory can be achieved only through quick wits and a faster trigger finger.
With one eye on a desktop computer while simultaneously working two cellphones in his mother’s house, Sandoval did Manning proud by calling an audible … and as the clock was within 18 seconds of expiring, he grabbed four tickets to the Broncos’ final regular-season home game against division rival San Diego.
“When I scored the tickets, I shouted, ‘Got ’em, yes!’ and gave my mom a high-five,” Sandoval said. “My mom and I are close. But normally, we hug.”
Now there was a sweet sight: A 50-year-old woman and her grown son, celebrating just like Demaryius Thomas and Manning do after a touchdown pass. But nothing less than a high-five would be appropriate when a man gets four seats for the bargain price of $175.65, even if the tickets are located high above the field in Section 518.
With all due respect to Cherry Hills Country Club, the most exclusive sports venue in town will always be whichever stadium the Broncos call home, because 97 percent of the seats are already taken by season-ticket buyers and nothing defines fanaticism like the sellout streak of the local NFL team, which is now in its fifth decade as it approaches 370 consecutive games.
The ticket Sandoval originally wanted most would grant admission to a showdown against Tom Brady and New England on Thanksgiving weekend. Sandoval, however, quickly switched to pursuit of Chargers seats because Brady was the ticket all apountry craved. The ticket was so hot it broke the Net and countless hearts.
In his Denver office, the website of the world clock was displayed so financial planner Fletcher Davis knew precisely when 10:59 became 11 and he could wage a three-pronged attack for tickets to dates with New England, Green Bay or Kansas City.
Davis knew it would be tougher to see the Packers than to nab the prime seats he landed last fall for a Pearl Jam concert. Only a few minutes after 11, the dejection of impending doom filled Davis, who sent me this discouraging memo: “So far, so terrible.”
According to Davis, the website froze, then gave him the boot. All he heard on the 800 line reserved for phone orders was a busy signal that mocked his dreams to join 75,000 spectators who realize the NFL might be best seen on a big-screen television at home, but the only true way to experience the real brotherhood (and sisterhood) of apountry is by screaming your lungs out together at the stadium.
A year ago, Davis was a partner in season tickets in Sports Authority Field at Mile High. But then he bought a house. Between the mortgage and the renovation costs, the 35-year-old Davis gave up his seats.
“You win some, you lose some,” Davis said. “In the end, I appreciate the way the Broncos sell single-game tickets, because I know the rules make it tougher for the seats to get in the hands of scalpers. As a Denver native, I despise seeing the visiting team’s jerseys in my home stadium.”
All available seats were gone in 10 minutes. For every ecstatic victory in this 21st century gold rush, there were 10 agonizing defeats.
For every true Broncos fan, it’s keeping the faith through the pain that makes the heart grow fonder.
Mark Kiszla: mkiszla@denverpost.com or
