While the football world tunes in for the NFL's annual kickoff game to start Thursday night, the eyes of the masses may be distracted by a billboard with a message for the league.
According to Yahoo Sports, a pro-marijuana group purchased a billboard not too far from Sports Authority Field at Mile High, in protest of the NFL's marijuana rules to send the message that weed is a safer choice than alcohol, just ahead of the Broncos season-opening clash with the 2012-13 Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
The billboard, which is 48-feet wide and in Broncos colors, depicts a football leaning up against a mug of beer that reads, "Stop driving players to drink! A safer choice is now legal (here)"
Colorado passed Amendment 64 last year, allowing adults to legally use marijuana for personal use, and the pro-marijuana group is hoping to change commissioner Roger Goodell's policies on players using the drug.
A video of the billboard can be seen below:
The group has also taken up an online petition against Goodell's policies at MarijuanaPolicy.org/Football. The group is hoping that they can spark enough interest that the commissioner will re-think the league's policy on the drug as currently it's illegal in the NFL and repeat offenders can be suspended up to four games as a punishment.
"For years, the NFL has been punishing players for using marijuana despite the fact that it is far less harmful than alcohol, a substance widely embraced by the league," Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement per Yahoo Sports.
Whether or not the initiative garners any momentum remains to be seen, but the billboard is nearly impossible to miss, and the placement of it is ironic as two Broncos front-office executives were arrested for driving under the influence this offseason.
Marijuana won't be on quarterback Peyton Manning and the rest of the Broncos minds tonight, as the team looks to avenge a crushing 38-35 divisional playoff overtime loss at the hands of the Ravens last season after the team had a great year and posted a 13-3 record on its way to winning the AFC West.
Meanwhile, Joe Flacco looks to spark Baltimore and pick up right where the team left off after Baltimore won the AFC North with a 10-6 record en route to winning the Super Bowl.
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