Yes…..you read it correctly, Denver is rooting for the Carolina Panthers! Isn’t that nice of them? Denver, a town of roughly 30,000 people are pounding their drums for this Super Bowl 50. Denver sits 30 minutes outside of Charlotte, NC. The similarities with Denver doesn’t stop with the name, this Denver High School has a logo and mascot similar to the Broncos with theirs being the Mustangs. North Carolina’s Denver was renamed after Colorado’s capital in 1873 as Colorado was being considered for admission to the union.

With the Panthers facing the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl today the town is enjoying some extra attention as the self-described “Denver of the East.” “It’s pretty cool, especially being a small town and all of a sudden that little small town is getting reporters and (being) recognized for having the name Denver,” restaurant owner Michael Bryant said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “Because just about everywhere you go, you say you’re from Denver and you’ve got to explain where because people automatically assume you’re from Colorado.”

The Denver, NC  Fire Department bought into the buzz by making a wager with its Colorado counterpart on the game. The loser must fly the winning team’s flag behind one of its trucks for a week. Even being 2 time zones away,fire officials in Denver, Colorado had no hesitation in accepting the challenge!

Bring it on Panthers and KEEP POUNDING!