Since sports fans love nothing more than to be classified into groups and judged based on their dedication to a particular team, I devised a system for identifying which people are the biggest fans of the Denver Broncos. Most of my columns about fandom have been so well received; I felt it was time to explain the Broncos Country Tier System™ I created earlier this year. In this piece, I hope to give us all clarity on who the real fans of the Denver Broncos are.

Now before you type a comment starting with “your a moran,” I want to make sure you understand I’m saying “tiers” not “tears.” Tiers are different levels, ranked according to importance. Tears are what you shed when you get mad on Facebook.

People have been asking me for months, “John, I love the Tier System™, but I’m unclear as to what my role is. Where do I fall?” Well, pull up a chair and get a nice cup of tea, because I’m about to explain it all. I had avoided writing on the topic because I knew it would ruffle some feathers, but since so many people didn’t have insight on where they ranked, I felt I should get it out there so concerned fans could find out where they stood.

In short, the Tier System™ can work for any team. The more popular the team, the better. Because when popularity is widespread, you need a distinction between the new fans, the lesser fans and the ones who have supported the team all along.

The Denver Broncos fall into this category. Long a playoff perennial, the Broncos have been the darlings of the sports world for decades and have consistently delivered great football for most of their tenure in the NFL.

But with winning the Super Bowl—and having the extremely popular Peyton Manning helming the team for the last few years—the Broncos have a fan base that definitely needs some sorting out. The fact is, with the Broncos success, there have come a lot of undesirable elements along with it. The Tier System™ will attempt to put some order into the chaos.

The basics of the Tier System™ are simple: Tier One Broncos fans are the cream of the crop. And as you go down in tier number, your fandom, while not in question, is certainly questionable. The tier you will be assigned is based on a specific set of criteria that I will break down for you here.

Tier One Broncos fans are obviously the most diehard. And like how simply being born in the US makes you an American citizen, if you live in Colorado and you root for the Denver Broncos, you are a Tier One. Wyoming and New Mexico Broncos fans, as well as those from eastern Nebraska also get Tier One status (pending approval).

But this is where it gets complicated. Can you live outside those regions and still be a Tier One? The quick answer is yes. If you bleed Orange & Blue and are known in the Broncos fan community as a dyed-in-the-wool Bronco fan, you can attain Tier One status. If you were born in Colorado and moved for some odd reason but still feverishly support the Denver Broncos, you could be a Tier One (pending approval).

But if you’re some poor schlub who lives in Akron and wears a Peyton Manning Broncos shirsey on Sundays, you’re probably a Tier Two. And if the only Colorado team you support is the Broncos, you’re definitely a Tier Two, and you may have slipped into Tier Three territory based on who else you root for. Are you an out of state, Broncos, Lakers, Yankees, LSU household? Take a seat with the other losers in Tier Four and try not to fall back into Tier Five.

I’ve seen in recent months the efforts of Broncos fans to remove certain people from being able to root for the team. While hilarious, it’s technically not a legal maneuver you can perform. But you can assign Tiers to these people’s fandom, and it should address any conflicts that should arise from their bad opinions.

“Did you see what so-and-so said about Von Miller’s contract?”

“Isn’t he a Tier Two from Evanston, Illinois? Well, his opinion doesn’t matter.”

If we’re all on board with the Tier System™, you should never have to get upset by useless opinions from lesser tier fans.

I’m currently working on a Tier One Gold and a Tier One Platinum level. Platinum will involve being born in the city of Denver and some combination of having season tickets to the Broncos and working at or spending a lot of time at a local craft brewery.

I’ve just created this Tier System™; I’m not here to enforce it. That’s up you, the angry mob on social media. And while I’m available to answer any questions you have about the Tier System™, please don’t bring your Tier Two and Three grievances to me. As a Tier One Gold Bronco fan, I am simply too busy caring about the team more than you to have time for your frivolous bellyaching.

Hopefully, that clears up the basics of my Bronco fan Tier System™. Forms will be mailed out next week for you to apply for your tier status. Good luck and go Broncos! Tier Ones and Twos only, please.

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