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Broncos home-field advantage a thing of the past
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Pat Bowlen wanted a new stadium, so the Denver metro area taxpayers bought him a $360 million palace. As a result, the Broncos venerable home -- Mile High Stadium -- went the way of the wrecking ball, replaced by Invesco Field at Mile High, a clean, antiseptic and emotionless facility.
Most saw the transition as simply the breaking of tradition, getting rid of a place that was the site of many memorable moments. A few deemed it a slap in the face for long-time fans, as lifetime season ticket holders were booted into the upper decks to make room for club seats and luxury boxes. And a quiet minority deemed it as the downfall of the Broncos much-ballyhooed home-field advantage.
It's now safe to say all three groups were correct. Yes, Invesco Field doesn't have the charm of old Mile High. And yes, the diehards have been ousted to make room for the wine-and-cheese crowd. But most surprisingly, Denver's invincibility at home has all but disappeared.
In the final 27 seasons the Broncos called Mile High Stadium home -- the post-1973 era in which they were more than hapless -- they only lost three straight in Denver on three occasions. The first came during the 1982 strike-shortened season, the second during a dismal 5-11 campaign in 1990 and the third during a 1994 season that resulted in Wade Phillips getting shown the door at year's end.
During the first nine seasons at Invesco Field, Denver has already had three seasons in which they dropped three straight on the home turf -- 2002, '06 and '08. As a result, the Broncos winning percentage at their new home isn't as good as it was at Mile High. Denver is 49-21 (.700) at Invesco, while they were 147-47 (.758) during the final quarter century at their previous home.
In the past three seasons, the results have been even worse. With two home games still to play in 2008, the Broncos are a very mediocre 12-10 at Invesco Field since 2006. That's the first time they've lost 10 or more games at home during a three-year stretch since 1972-74.
Can this unprecedented (at least in the past 35 years) downturn be totally blamed on the new stadium? That's hard to say. But the Broncos won at Mile High with good coaches and bad, with talented teams and undermanned squads. At Invesco, they can't win at their previous clip despite boasting teams that feature the likes of Champ Bailey, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and others.
This is the trend in the NFL, as home-field advantage has gone by the wayside. According to ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, it has something to do with the state-of-the-art stadiums being built across the country. While the logic may be used to explain gambling trends, it can be extended beyond the points spreads. We've certainly seen it in Denver.
Wasn't the new stadium built so the Broncos could "remain competitive"? Welcome home, Pat. Here's hoping you like your new digs. Nobody else in Denver seems to.
