While much of crowd's negative feedback was drowned out as Seacrest did his pitch amid a gaggle of cheerleaders and the strains of "The Final Countdown," Deadline reports the boos were loud and continuous:
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"I only know of one other countdown that might be as big as this show," said Seacrest, in an apparent nod to his "New Year's Rockin' Eve" hosting duties on ABC. "America is ready for 17 weeks of excitement, followed by the drama of the playoffs, all culminating in New York at the Super Bowl."
Social media wasn't much kinder than the Denver fans, with many wondering what the "American Idol" host had to do with football.
Seacrest, for his part, was enthusiastic about the gig, tweeting, "Working the NFL season opener! Finally those 2-a-days paid off. I hope my high school coach is watching. #Kickoff2013"