Denver needs Tony Romo, whether the Broncos think they need him or not.
Peyton Manning during his time as the Broncos’ quarterback made the state of Colorado and the Broncos more than a relevant story; Peyton made them the story.
Peyton was plastered on the front of Mile High Stadium, 50 feet tall. Peyton was regularly on the cover of Sports Illustrated and our very own Mile High Sports Magazine. Peyton was on every television channel, by way of an ad, or promotion, or by being the headline story on ESPN or Fox Sports. The Broncos and the city of Denver, with Manning at the helm, were relevant conquerors of the sports world. People bought Peyton Manning gear, and bought the Broncos as contenders every year. You cannot deny, Peyton Manning in orange and blue just simply made life better in Denver. Peyton was polarizing. Peyton was popular. Peyton won.
Peyton is gone.
Peyton had an impact on the city of Denver, and Denver could certainly use that again. Take the economy for example. Peyton Manning, while in Denver, made it to two Super Bowls and won the AFC West all four years he called Mile High home. Peyton ensured the Broncos played home playoff games, which ensured more revenue not only for the team, but also business in Denver and Colorado at large.
Each and every time a Broncos home game is played, restaurants and bars are flooded with fans. Grocery and liquor stores help fans stock up for house and tailgate parties. Shirt shops and jersey stores sell more merch. Empty parking lots make $20 (or more) per spot. Local businesses profit and all want a part of the action. They buy advertising, they sell products and services, they employ the ever more populous people of Denver. The Denver Broncos are crucial for business in Denver.
Consider this; in just one day, Peyton Manning and the World Champion Denver Broncos pumped tens of millions of dollars into the economy, without even playing a home game that week. On Tuesday, Feb. 9 2016, one million people crowded into downtown Denver to watch a Super Bowl parade. That day, one million fans poured into downtown to view their team. Car loads of fans, from every corner of Colorado came to Denver. Interstate 70 on that brisk and sunny morning was packed with people from Grand Junction to Vail. I-25 had traffic backed up from Denver to Pueblo connecting with people coming from small towns across Highway 50: La Junta, Lamar, Salida, Leadville. Like stock brokers waiting for the opening bell, droves of people lined up waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite players. Assuming each person who attended spent a minimum of $35 each, that’s $35 million pumped into the economy. Shirts, magazines, food, banners, cups, sunglasses all purchased in an orange and blue championship craze. Peyton made a lot of those days possible and business in Denver was beyond great with number 18 at the helm.
That party is over. Peyton is gone.
The Broncos in 2016, with Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, were 9-7. No parade. Not even a home playoff game.
The economy of Denver is not the responsibility of the Denver Broncos, but life in Denver is simply better when the Broncos are relevant and no other Colorado sports franchise is where the Broncos are, in terms of a championship window. The Denver Nuggets look like they are going to miss the playoffs. Those fans are again going to miss the opportunity to see spring basketball at the tin can, which will be cold and empty as the Avalanche are hands down the worst team in the NHL. The Rockies have high hopes of making a run, but with the Dodgers and Giants in their division, they will have a tough time seeing any sort of playoff baseball at Coors Field. If you are in the sports playoff business, your only hope for revenue is the Denver Broncos.
So why Tony Romo?
Tony Romo is not Peyton Manning. He is, however, compelling and polarizing. He is a draw, and he is a storyline. Recently articles have been written on how Jerry Jones would rather lose Romo to the Broncos than to the in state headline rival Houston Texans.
The Cowboys are the kings of football in Texas, and in some ways, America’s Team still reigns over the NFL. If not on the field in regards to wins and losses, they certainly do in regards to eyes watching and ears listening. Jerry Jones knows the marketability of Tony Romo, and knows he is a draw. He doesn’t need that draw to stay in Texas. Front page news in Denver? That is fine, but leave Texas to the Cowboys.
Despite Romo being injured, he is still a huge draw and a big part of the NFL. This time last year, from March 1 – May 31 of 2016, Tony Romo was second among all NFL players in jersey sales (according to the NFLPA). Romo, like Peyton Manning, is a national name and sparks interests, for both women and men. If the Broncos sign Romo, Broncos Country grows that larger, and the Broncos are again the national headline. Signing Romo is good for business.
Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch might one day be superstars in the NFL and could certainly become a draw themselves. Number 13 Trevor Siemian jerseys might be a top seller in stores all around the country. One day Paxton posters might be on every wall of every young Broncos fan, but today is not that day. Today, right this moment, Tony Romo is an exclamation point and a headline; Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch are nothing more than question marks.
Tony Romo is a known commodity ready to be packaged, marketed and sold to Broncos Country. He is what every team in the NFL wants in a quarterback. An athletic attraction that has never once been mentioned in anything negative, illegal or controversial off the field. If the day comes where Tony Romo signs with the Denver Broncos, both sales and the chance of winning it all goes up. With Romo people everywhere would buy the Broncos as contenders, and their stock would rise.
