Jim and Amber Hayes will remain Denver Broncos fans, despite the team’s best efforts to change that fact.
The Broncos revoked the Hayes’ season tickets over a new team policy, through which Denver tries to reward fans who patiently await the chance to attend home games at Sports Authority Field at Mile High and punish ticket holders who don’t.
The Hayes, lifetime Broncos fans and season ticket holders since 2011, fell into the latter category the last two seasons due to family issues — they had a newborn child in 2015 and were pregnant in 2016. They sold their tickets on NFLTicketExchange.com, a league-sanctioned resale website, but Denver still treated them the same way it would treat scalpers.
The couple told SB Nation on Monday how it tried to explain its situation to the Broncos in an effort to restore their tickets but haven’t succeeded thus far.
“I sent multiple emails, then when they sent that denial, I sent another email and I said, ‘Hey, I want to speak with one of the decision makers,’ and they’re like, ‘No, it’s not possible. The decision’s final,’” Jim Hayes said.
Denver uses NFLTicketExchange.com and other secondary-sales sites to track ticket usage, media relations director Erich Schubert confirmed to SB Nation. The team reserves the right to revoke season tickets for any reason and offer them to other potential customers, including those on its 75,000-strong waiting list.
Denver’s reaction prompted Hayes to publicize his ticket plight.
“I wouldn’t have written this (first on his LinkedIn page) and tried to promote it if … someone had actually called me who had made the decision and explained, ‘Hey, Jim, congratulations for having two kids. We understand this, but here’s why we’re making this decision,’” Hayes said. “But they weren’t even willing to do that. That would have avoided all of this problem with them.”
Nevertheless, the Hayes will remain passionate about the Broncos.
“There have been people who are bashing the Broncos, and I’ve been very clear, like, hey, we’re huge Broncos fans,” Jim Hayes said. “The players did not make this decision. My wife is native to Colorado. I’ve lived here since I was 8. We love the team, and we’re going to keep rooting for them.”
Thumbnail photo via Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports Images
