Kenny Chesney Concerts Leaving Field Damage Behind

(Courtesy of DenverBroncos.com)

The Denver Broncos have been hyping up their new mega scoreboard that was installed as part of the team's $30 million spent on upgrades to Sports Authority Field at Mile High this summer.

The team has every reason to brag—the new scoreboard is big, really big.  The scoreboard looks great, but how will the field look this fall?

Country singer Kenny Chesney will perform at the stadium on July 20 as part of his 'No Shoes Nation' Tour. Unfortunately, Chesney's concerts have a poor track record with past host stadiums.

Earlier this month, Heinz Field and the local area surrounding the stadium in Pittsburgh were trashed during a Chesney concert.

“It smells horrible, you can smell the beer and the urine,” Harletta Walker of Ross Township told KDKA (via PFT).  “They cleaned up the trash, but they should have run the street sweeper through here, it’s horrible.”

As Mike Florio notes, a Chesney concert did minor damage at Lambeau Field in 2011 and another concert was blamed for poor field conditions at FedEx Field late in the season.  The problem is caused because the fans attend the concerts at field level where a stage is set up, not in the stands as if attending a football game.

The Broncos will undoubtedly have the field covered and protected as best they can, but 52,000 fans will do a number on any field.  Denver did host a Chesney concert last summer, with no indications of notable field damage reported.

Two weeks after the Chesney concert, the Broncos will hold a team scrimmage at the stadium on Saturday, August 3.  The scrimmage will be free and open to the public.