And it turns out that South Park's famous, Cartman-centric Casa Bonita episode helped inspire the event, which will be open to the public and is likely to make cameo appearances on the NFL Network's draft coverage.
"When I asked our marketing folks, they said South Park tied into it," says Seth Medvin, the Broncos' strategic communications manager. "That obviously gave Casa Bonita some national recognition."
So, too, has the Broncos' boosting of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, our picks for the team's top two celebrity fans. When we interviewed the pair in 2012 prior to The Book of Mormon's Denver debut, Parker was rocking a Broncos T-shirt, and the squad has used South Park clips and graphics in the stadium at home games and on social media.
Trey Parker in Broncos regalia alongside cohort Matt Stone.
Photo by Kelsey Whipple
The folks at Casa Bonita were immediately enthusiastic about the concept, Medvin confirms, and they're going the extra mile to accommodate fans. Doors at the eatery will open at 11 a.m. on the 28th, and diners will have a chance to rub shoulders with Broncos Ring of Famer Karl Mecklenburg, former quarterback Jake Plummer and ex-special teams whiz David Bruton, plus Miles, Denver's mascot, and assorted cheerleaders.
And that's not all.
"The NFL Network will have a satellite truck and a crew of three to four people," Medvin reveals. "They'll be streaming every single pick on NFL.com, and select picks will be aired live on the NFL Network's broadcast — and I don't want to say for sure what elements we'll incorporate, but each one of our picks will have some incorporation of Casa Bonita, whether it's the gorilla, the cliff divers or the mariachi band."
Cartman's mind would be blown — and ours will be, too.
