A Seattle-area teenager got sent home from work for wearing a Broncos jersey last Sunday, and then got fired when he didn’t come back.
Nathaniel Wentz — a 17-year-old high school quarterback — told 9News.com he and the other employees at Tacoma-area children’s play center Odyssey 1 were told to wear jerseys on Sunday to display team spirit. But when the owner saw Wentz’ No. 88 Demaryius Thomas gear, he got sent home, and promptly fired when he didn’t return.
The Seahawks weren’t even playing the Broncos — they beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship — and the offending gear was being worn before the Super Bowl matchup had even been set by Seattle and Denver’s respective conference title game victories.
But hey, at least he’ll have more time to watch Thomas and his Broncos in the big game.
It’s hard to tell what’s going to be marked up more at Super Bowl XLVIII: The tickets or the parties.
The Shape/Men’s Fitness party on Jan. 31 will feature luminaries such as Spike Lee, Mary J. Blige and John Legend. Oh, and a hefty price tag of $1,500 to get in.
Looking for a more reasonably priced party to attend? The Maxim Super Bowl party is a mere $1,150 per ticket. (A 30-person VIP table for the event runs a cool $99,900.)
Of course, the tickets to get into the actual game at MetLife Stadium will be even more expensive unless you already have one. Vivid Seats, a secondary-ticket marketplace, just released its ticket report, with the cheapest — and we use the word loosely — seat on the site checking in at $2,239. The average is $5,064.
Lower sideline tickets have an average price of $8,263, with lower end zone costing $3,903. Upper end zone seats are the cheapest sections at $2,771 on average, with lower end zone seats going for $3,903.
Phillip Phillips and The Band Perry will perform as part of the Super Bowl pregame show in East Rutherford. Both acts will perform at the NFL Tailgate Party, with part of each performance airing live on Fox Super Bowl Sunday.
The cast of the Tony and Grammy-winning musical “Jersey Boys” and the cast of “Rock of Ages” will also perform at the NFL Tailgate Party.
Tickets for the Toboggan Run Engineered by GMC, priced at $5, went on sale Wednesday. The 60-foot high and 180-foot long attraction is the epicenter of Super Bowl Boulevard, and will be open Jan. 29 through Feb. 1 from noon to 10 p.m.
BOLDFACE PREDICTION
David Wright, Mets third baseman: “I’m going to have to pull for my fellow Virginian and baseball player Russell Wilson. Plus [Mets bullpen catcher and close friend Dave Racaniello] is a big Broncos fan, and not sure if I could take a summer of that. 27-24 Seattle.”
GET TO KNOW: BRONCOS RB MONTEE BALL
Peyton Manning is the unquestioned star of Denver’s record-setting offense, but if the Broncos hope to move the ball against Seattle’s top-ranked defense in the Super Bowl, they’ll need something from running back Montee Ball.
Knowshon Moreno is likely to get the bulk of the workload, but the New Jersey native is injured, and Ball has averaged more yards per carry this season. The rookie had 120 carries for 559 yards in the regular season (a 4.7 yards average) and his 4.3 yards per rush in the playoffs topped all Broncos backs.
Ball had 10 carries for 52 yards in the win over San Diego, and a dozen more carries plus three catches against New England. With Seattle boasting the NFL’s best defense, Denver will need to be balanced, which will mean getting something from Ball.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“No, I don’t regret [the choke sign]. It’s Reggie Miller vs. the Knicks. These are rivalries, right?”
— Richard Sherman on his choke sign at 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick
SUPER FORECAST
Chance of snow: 30%
High: 36; Low: 24
Intervals of clouds and sunshine with a chance for a couple of snow showers. Winds: 6 mph
Source: Accuweather