Broncos President Damani Leech keeps it all the way real about the pressure on his shoulders to deliver with the stadium
The AFC West has some of the best stadiums in the league, with some of the best history, too. Now, of course, we all know about Mile High Stadium, the Denver Broncos' home. But the other teams have some pretty great stadiums, too. Then you have the Las Vegas Raiders with Allegiant Stadium, and what […]
The AFC West has some of the best stadiums in the league, with some of the best history, too. Now, of course, we all know about Mile High Stadium, the Denver Broncos' home. But the other teams have some pretty great stadiums, too.
Then you have the Las Vegas Raiders with Allegiant Stadium, and what looks like a giant Death Star. And the Los Angeles Chargers share SoFi Stadium with the Los Angeles Rams, and it's considered one of the best up-to-date stadiums.
As for Mile High Stadium, it's one of the loudest in the league, probably behind the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium, as they hold the record for the loudest decibels by the fans. The Broncos fans, though, show up and support, no matter if the team is good or not. And the stadium has a distinct look, one that is nowhere near the look of any other stadium. It's right outside downtown with the skyline in the background, anytime there is one of those beautiful Colorado sunsets we are all used to seeing.
But, it's getting to be an old, outdated stadium. You can renovate, yes, or some of the wealthiest owners in football could build a new stadium. Everyone shares their own opinion on what should be done and what shouldn't be done, and not everyone agrees. But everyone does agree that the team has to stay in Denver, and it will.
As far as the stadium goes, there's a lot of talking going on about what should happen. There are so many different combinations and possibilities, like if they do rebuild, where would it be? Would it be in Aurora, which we have heard is one of the possible neighborhoods? Or, would it be as close to downtown as possible? How will parking be, and how will traffic be?
The conversation for both sides, new stadium or renovations, is being had. And, that means there is pressure on the highest of people in charge to deliver some type of news.
“I love this role, and I love this job. Part of what I love so much about it is making things better," Broncos President Damani Leech said Monday. "Not just for myself, but for our staff and also for our fans. A stadium is a signature opportunity and moment to do that and be a part of it. You talk to other colleagues who’ve been involved in stadium projects, and they talk about it. It’s transformational for their career. It’s a special moment. Given the life cycle of a stadium, you’re lucky if you get a chance to be a part of it just once in your career. So that alone is pretty exciting.
"I’d say you have a healthy amount of pressure. The lease ending is certainly a stake in the ground of time, but we are not holding ourselves to that to say, ‘We absolutely have to have something by that year.’ The components of what happens, though, I think, are real and important to think about. Stadiums generally take about 48 months to build from a construction standpoint. You think about what has to happen from a permitting standpoint and all of those things. We’re starting to build out those calendars to get a better understanding of once you do decide what you want to do how long it’s going to take.”
One of the things to think about is how much you can keep renovating year after year until there is nothing to renovate anymore and your stadium is just old and out of date, or even out of touch? The Kansas City Chiefs are in the same exact situation with their stadium. But, do fans really want a new stadium, one that could be a dome, which takes away the possibility of the weather being an advantage for the Broncos?
There is so much to consider, and it's obvious that the Broncos have a ton of pressure on their shoulders.
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