NFL: Pat Bowlen Leaves Behind Legacy Of Kindness, Success
The Broncos owner, who died Thursday at age 75, is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame
Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, who died Thursday at age 75, was accustomed to willing his way across a finish line. He was a marathoner and triathlete, once beating 87 percent of the contestants at the Ironman Triathlon in 1984.
That year turned out to be significant for Bowlen, who had accumulated wealth in the oil-gas and real estate sectors. He acquired the team and built it into an NFL powerhouse. The Broncos remarkably reached seven Super Bowls -- under four coaches, which speaks to the franchise's consistency -- while winning three.
At the same time, he became one of the most impactful owners, serving on 15 committees. His handprints were on the formation of the NFL Network and the birth of Sunday Night Football. He was front and center on closing the lucrative TV deals with the mainstream networks and labor contracts with the players' union that kept the league operating.
Bowlen's ultimate legacy might be how he successfully straddled the line between shrewd businessman and caring boss.
The string of sellouts at home games is 403 and counting. It's no wonder that Forbes places the club's worth at $2.65 billion, the 11th-highest valuation in the league.
Yet he was known affectionately around Broncos headquarters as "Mr. B." At a news conference where the firing of coach Mike Shanahan was announced, Bowlen teared up.
Caught in the throes of Alzheimer's, Bowlen removed himself from the operation six years ago. He was not directly involved with Denver's most recent Super Bowl title in 2015 with Peyton Manning at quarterback, which put a damper for the Broncos family on the achievement.
Bowlen fell short of the next football-related finish line in his life. In less than two months, he would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Family, which includes seven children, and friends will have to experience the proceedings without him.