Invesco Funds Group has withdrawn a threat to sue the Denver Post over a column that quoted an unidentified Invesco executive as calling the city’s new football stadium, for which Invesco has bought the naming rights, “The Diaphragm”.

Invesco had threatened to sue the newspaper and its sports columnist Woody Paige over a story in last Sunday’s paper.

In that story, Paige related a conversation with an unidentified Invesco executive over the naming of the Denver Broncos new stadium, in which the executive reportedly told Paige that some people in the company call the stadium “The Diaphragm” because it resembles a giant birth-control device.

Earlier this week Mark Williamson, Invesco chairman and CEO, threatened to sue the paper, denying an executive made the comments. However, Williamson has now admitted that the conversation did take place. “This should end the speculation, inspired by Invesco’s public-relations statement on Sunday, about whether Mr. Paige really had such a conversation with an Invesco executive. Today’s statement is an acknowledgment by an Invesco executive, and by Invesco itself, that the conversation did take place,” said Glenn Guzzo, editor of the Denver Post.

In a written statement, Williamson said: “These comments from one individual do not reflect the views and sentiments of the company.”

Invesco will pay US$120 million over 20 years for the right to call the stadium Invesco Field at Mile High. The firm is a subsidiary of British fund giant Amvescap plc, which also controls AIM Fund Management in Canada.