DENVER (KDVR) — There was a time when the National Football League’s Broncos-Raiders matchup was among the most iconic rivalries.
The franchise’s move to one team and years of mediocrity for both franchises has some wondering if it has diluted the fierce hatred each fanbase has harbored for each other over the years.
But despite their win-loss records, the Broncos seem to have maintained their hatred for their American Football Conference rival.
Both Denver and Las Vegas are original members of the NFL.
At Rocky Top Tavern, near Regis University, fans’ most vivid game memories revolve around the Broncos playing Oakland, Los Angeles, or now the Las Vegas Raiders.
“My favorite memory is when my dad took me to a Raiders game, I think I was, I think it was 1985,” Broncos fan Corinne Vasquez said. “Snowy’s game, first game, ever!”
At Mile Hi Veterans, a veterans organization dedicated to caring for veterans, most Broncos fans listed their win over the Oakland Raiders in the 1977 AFC Championship Game to advance to the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl championship as their most memorable.
The Broncos, now 8-2 after beating Las Vegas, host the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 16.