Broncos tackle unruly fan behavior

David Montero, Rocky Mountain News

Published August 2, 2007 at midnight

Text size

More Denver Broncos

CENTENNIAL — The Broncos are cracking down on profanity, violence and disturbances by fans, and offending season ticketholders can lose their seats.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said, "The fan code of conduct is something we're instituting basically to give our fans a better experience at the games and make sure they enjoy the games and that we don't get into situations where fans are fighting and stuff like that."

The Broncos are launching the "Respect the game. Respect each other" campaign through a series of fliers that were mailed to season ticketholders. The flier asks fans to use appropriate language, settle disagreements civilly and stay sober and in control.

And, tearing a page from the Department of Homeland Security playbook, the team is creating a system where fans can text-message problems directly to security so officers can step in without the fan who messaged ever being identified and facing possible retaliation.

The campaign also will include a 30-second spot prior to the start of games, urging fans to show respect in the stands. And the team is hoping to start a new tradition — Share the Salute — as a way to connect fans that used to sit near each other at the old Mile High Stadium.

Mac Freeman, vice president of stadium operations, said when the team moved to the new field, fans who had bonded for years were suddenly thrust into seats with new neighbors. Coupled with a rise in season ticketholders selling or giving away their tickets, the sense of community was becoming even more fractured.

"You don't necessarily get people who feel a part of that community, so they don't necessarily act like they're a part of that community," Freeman said.

He said fans have complained in the past about profanity and fights in the stands among season ticketholders. There was a notorious incident in 1999 when two fans had their season tickets revoked for hurling snowballs during a televised Monday Night Football game between the Broncos and Oakland Raiders.

No season tickets were revoked last season for unruly behavior. But Clark Wray, ticket operations and database manager for the Broncos, said 25 season ticket holders lost their passes last year for selling their tickets well above face value.

Freeman said that even if you give up your season ticket to someone else, the season ticketholder remains responsible if that person acts in an unruly manner. Also, if you do lose your season tickets at any point during the season, the team will refund the balance to you.

The new rules don't mean Broncos fans are any more unruly than other teams' spectators.

Jim Price used to live in Detroit and saw a few Lions games in his time there.

While waiting to watch the Denver Broncos practice Wednesday afternoon, he said nothing he ever heard at Invesco Field comes close to what he heard from fans in Detroit.

"They were pretty liberal with the beer sales back in the '60s and '70s," he said with a chuckle. "You heard some profane stuff."

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News