Broncos faithful nab last-minute playoff tickets at Mile High Stadium

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By the way Gabe Vigil was hopping around and yelping at the Sports Authority Field box office Monday morning, it looked like he had just won the lottery.

But the Brighton man said what he landed was much better: two tickets to the Broncos’ Sunday playoff game for the cool price of $460.

“No matter what, I’m always in that stadium,” he said, out of breath.

The Broncos released 400 last-minute tickets to the AFC divisional playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts, setting off a rush of fans who left work, broke the speed limit and ran from their cars in hopes of securing a “miracle” chance at watching the game in person. The tickets had been returned from the Colts.

“I’ve been a Broncos fan since birth,” Vigil said. “It’s something that I breathe.”

Longmont resident Shawn Maier, who nabbed seats, said he felt like Mario Andretti, the retired race-car driver, as he sped down Interstate 25 to the stadium in just a half-hour, successfully beating the morning rush.

“I was driving by, and I heard it on the radio,” said Bryan Dillon, smiling and waving his four tickets. “I almost got in an accident getting off at the Colfax (Avenue) exit. How cool is this?”

Maria Megloza, who earlier had failed to secure seats for her father’s birthday, was happy to hear of the last-minute release of tickets.

“He is a huge Broncos fan, and this is a great gift,” she said, walking away with two tickets.

While there wasn’t exactly a mob scene awaiting the coveted seats, the steady flow of excited, die-hard fans kept ticket clerks busy making sales. Fans lucky enough to land seats congratulated one another like the parents of newborns.

The ticket release comes on the heels of the city’s preparations for the game, which has spanned from City Hall to city streets, where Broncos flags are waving over the spirited, jersey-clad faithful.

“United in Orange” has become Denver’s new slogan.

“I haven’t been to a game in probably 10 years,” said Leonard Martinez, who left work in Evergreen to grab four tickets for $375 and was shaking with excitement. “It feels real good.”

Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733 or jpaul@denverpost.com