On September 9, 1960, they won the first-ever AFL game with a 13-10 victory over the Boston Patriots. While Denver's on-the-field experience during the 10 years of the AFL was for the most part bleak, the Broncos did have some bright moments. Two years later, when Jack Faulkner took over as head coach and general manager, the socks were destroyed in a public burning ceremony. Making the uniforms particularly joke-worthy were the vertically-striped socks that completed the Broncos' dress. Severely limited financially, Howsam clothed his first team in used uniforms from the defunct Copper Bowl in Tucson, Ariz. The upstart AFL was the target of many jokes and jeers by the established National Football League in the early 1960s, but the Broncos were the most laughed-at of all.īob Howsam, a successful minor league baseball owner who built Bears Stadium in the 1940s, was awarded an AFL charter franchise on August 14, 1959. This, however, is the only similarity of Denver teams of yesteryear and today. The Broncos now play in the new INVESCO Field at Mile High which opened in 2001, but for 41 seasons played on the same plot of ground on which the original AFL team performed in 1960. Denver's annual sale of approximately 74,000 season tickets is backed by a waiting list in the tens of thousands. The Broncos' on-the-field success is more than matched by a spectacular attendance record of sellout crowds (except for strike-replacement games) every year since 1970. The Denver Broncos have been one of pro football's biggest winners since the merger of the American and National Football Leagues in 1970.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |