Watch the Fireworks!

Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder as a public dispute goes pubic.

Comments (0) By Patricia Calhoun Thursday, Jul 5 2001

...continued from page 1

Ironically, Invesco's actions landed the naming-rights deal back in the news just when the controversy had quieted down. Although there's still a lawsuit to stop the deal, the judge may not rule on either side's motion for summary judgment before the new stadium opens for an Eagles concert next month. In the meantime, the media has been very dutiful about calling the new stadium Invesco Field at Mile High. Often, reporters even drop the "Mile High" -- as Mile High fans had feared.

Invesco may have made a good investment when it bought those naming rights; the Metropolitan Football Stadium District followed the letter of the law in selling them, taking seriously the enabling legislation's charge that the district minimize taxpayer liability. And the taxpayers who'll pony up over $300 million for Pat Bowlen's new pigskin palace were saved $60 million.

More About

But Invesco fumbled, and fumbled badly, when it threatened a lawsuit. This was the public-relations bungle of the decade, and an excellent argument for elocutionary abstinence.

Now that the naming-rights lawsuit is languishing in court, beermeister John Hickenlooper, who fueled the campaign to save Mile High's name with plenty of suds, has energy to devote to other projects. Making sure the city gets to party hearty on New Year's Eve, for starters.

On Tuesday afternoon, a group of downtown businesspeople met at Hickenlooper's Wynkoop Brewing Company to discuss forming a nonprofit that would take over much of the planning and fundraising for a downtown party on December 31. The city's already promised "to come to the table with typical services," according to Andrew Hudson, spokesman for Mayor Wellington Webb. Some of the money would come through outright donations and sponsorships, the rest through a small surcharge on drinks and rooms at downtown bars and hotels that night. "I learned a long time ago that if you're going to ride the train, you're going to have to pay the conductor," says Hickenlooper.

Last year, Denver threw quite a party -- a half-million-dollar bash that drew a quarter of a million people downtown. At two bucks a head, even Invesco would agree it was an excellent investment in goodwill and great fireworks.

But putting on a party isn't easy, and the city would happily hand over responsibility -- even if the party rated a mention in the mayor's State of the City speech on June 18. "Our city is more than buildings," Webb said. "It is a New Year's Eve party attended by a quarter of a million guests. It is Cinco de Mayo, Jazz on the Rocks, Juneteenth, the Greek Festival and the Cherry Creek Arts Festival... It is outdoor cafes, bike stations and doggie clean-up bags."

It is overheated public disputes about diaphragms and stadiums old and new.

Hey, how about blowing up the old Mile High Stadium for some real fireworks on New Year's Eve?

The new stadium's already blown wide open.