In Pat We Trust - Bowlen Era has earned our trust, patience
by John Bena on Aug 5, 2009 3:20 PM MDT
in Strictly My Opinion
54 comments
In talking with Broncos fans I have found that much of their displeasure with the event sof this off-season is directed at the Owner of the Broncos, Pat Bowlen. It is Bowlen, of course, that decided to replace Mike Shanahan, it was Bowlen that hired Josh McDaniels, an offensive coordinator, when it seemed that the defense needed fixing. It was Bowlen that replaced the Goodman's, a father and son team that had earlier been told their jobs were safe. It was of course Bowlen that decided enough was enough during the Jay Cutler fiasco and decided the time had come to trade him. That is a lot for any owner during an entire career, for Bowlen it spanned under 4 months.
Many people are angry with Bowlen. I've been told that he is becoming too involved with the football side of things. I've been told that he's becoming cheap and has no desire to spend money, in relative terms of course. Losing season's have a tendency to do that, and in our culture there always has to be someone to blame.
It got me thinking a bit, thinking of just the type of owner the Broncos have. I consider Mr. B one of the greatest owners in all of sports. Perhaps its because in Cleveland I have seen some of the best - Dan Gilbert of the Cavs - and worst - Art Modell. As I began to look at the Broncos history under Bowlen I began to realize one thing - The Broncos have been the best franchise in the AFC West during the past 25 years, largely because of the decisions Bowlen has made.
2009 marks the 25th season of Pat Bowlen's tenure as Broncos owner - half of the team's existence. Let's look at what this team has accomplished under his watch, with help from the team's Media Guide -
In 1984, the Broncos introduced the Inaugural Class of their Ring of Fame, inducting 4 Broncos greats - Goose Gonsoulin, Floyd Little, Rich Jackson and Lionel Taylor.
The Broncos have the best Home Record (149-51 .745) in the NFL during the past 25 years
Denver is 2nd in the NFL is wins(243), 2nd in Super Bowl appearances(5), 3rd in AFC Championship Game appearances(7) and 3rd in playoff appearances(13)
13 of the team's 14 best years in franchise history have come during the last 25 years.
Bowlen has continued a string of 40 consecutive years of home game sell-outs, the longest such streak in the AFC. The 316 consecutive regular season and playoffs games is second to only the Washington Redskins
The Broncos have led the NFL in attendance over the past 25 years drawing nearly 18 million fans.
Bowlen has been a key figure in securing the League's labor and TV contracts. In his role as Chair of the NFL Broadcast Committee, he wass responsible for the negotiations on the NFL's $18 billion TV contract, the most lucrative single-sport contract in history.
Of course, with Al Davis to the west and the Hunt Family to the east, Bowlen is surrounded by NFL Royalty in the division. Needless to say, the Broncos have held their ground -
SINCE 1984
Super Bowl Titles
Denver -- 2
Kansas City -- 0
Oakland -- 0
San Diego -- 0
Super Bowl Appearances
Denver -- 5
Oakland -- 1
San Diego -- 1
Kansas City -- 0
AFC Championship Appearances
Denver -- 7
Oakland -- 3
San Diego -- 2
Kansas City -- 1
AFC WEST Division Titles
Denver -- 8
San Diego -- 6
Oakland -- 5
Kansas City -- 4
Playoff Appearances
Denver -- 13
Kansas City -- 10
Oakland -- 8
San Diego -- 7
Winning Seasons
Denver -- 16
Kansas City -- 14
Oakland -- 9
San Diego -- 7
Does that mean the man hasn't made mistakes? Of course not, but the track record suggests, with both the Broncos and the NFL, that Bowlen has a plan and knows exactly what he is doing. I think the track record has earned him the right to make a decision and the time it takes to evaluate that decision before we judge him. It's hard, sometimes, I know, but Pat Bowlen deserves that, from all of us.
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The Grading of Pat Bowlen
I give him a “B”. He has done alright. His record proves that. However, there is always room for improvement. He and the Broncos can always do better.
by Tim111 on Aug 5, 2009 3:29 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Ditto. He gets a B. Lot’s of Super Bowls, two championships and a new beautiful stadium (that robbed us of our old home field advantage).
He’d get an A+ if you asked me in 2005, but the few years have not been kind to his team.
This offseason was a debacle and his “I’m getting old so maybe I can’t remember” comment was terrible. Not funny at all. If I was grading just the last few years, he’d get a C, maybe a D.
Love the Broncos, don't like their Coach.
by McGeorge on Aug 5, 2009 4:16 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
C for the last 3 years, B+ overall
But maybe a D? Tough crowd!
by NYCBronx on Aug 5, 2009 6:23 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Pat has been thriugh the good times and the bad,
and I believe he had to wring his hands many times over and over before he finally said to himself, enough is enough. Pat seems to be a strong willed, patient man and still has a great vision for this team.
by bfree2bronc on Aug 5, 2009 3:31 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
He is the creme de la creme of owners.
"You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough, in the second half you give what's left." – Yogi Berra
"No, I'm from Iowa, I only work in outer space."
by KaptainKirk on Aug 5, 2009 3:32 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Curious
I’d be interested to see the geographic breakdown of the people who’ve graded Pat. I never full realized how great an owner he was/is until I moved away from CO and saw the owners in action in MN (Vikes, Twins, Wolves, Wild, North Stars).
This is what we wanted...
Hey, look what we got!
by pubkeeper on Aug 5, 2009 3:48 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
I would vote him a "B"
I think he’s done an outstanding job of putting a good product on the field and he’s generally let football people do their job. I would have given him an “A” if he’d built the new stadium with his own money and made Sunday Ticket available as a cable add-on for those of us (and there are millions) that do not have a direct “line-of-sight” to the southern sky or some other DirectTV issue.
It's "just" football
by Donkhead on Aug 5, 2009 3:50 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Good Read,
Rec’d
"Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for to many men on the field?" - Jim Bouton
by diviesti on Aug 5, 2009 3:57 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
A
5 Superbowls and 2 Lombardi trophies. Always willing to take a chance to field a winning team.
Owning the Patriots since September 9, 1960
by Darin H on Aug 5, 2009 4:01 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Compare with Dan Snyder if you're unhappy...
Around here, Skins fans are in a rage – there’s a rumor that the tailgating area is being taken away from season ticket holders to increase concessions profits, they are charging fans to watch training camp, and Haynesworth is being called “He-ain’t-worth-it”, with a 100m pricetag. I’ll take Bowlen any day of the week.
by DCDonkey on Aug 5, 2009 4:03 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Making the Grade
Living in Missouri and being surrounded by owners both good [Cardinals and Royals] and bad [Royals, Cheifs and Rams], but having grown up in Colorado and watching the Broncos struggles from the late ‘60s to the mid ’80s, I would have to grade Mr. Bowlen among the very best owners not only in football but in all of sports. He has given this team enough money to get some real talent on the field, he has given this team enough direction to provide a consistent winning formula for more than two decades, and he has given this team enough freedom to allow the players to be treated like men rather than school-boys. You don’t have to look far to see ownership that makes a mockery out of both their teams and the games they represent. Broncos and their fans are lucky indeed to have Mr. B at the helm.
by 42n81 on Aug 5, 2009 4:04 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm in the same boat!
I spent 7 of my early formative years in Denver, where I became a die hard Broncomaniac, but I have lived in Missouri for the last 33 years!
I agree 100% with your grading of Mr. B!
However….you should give Lamar Hunt a pass. He is a legend in my opinion. It was mostly Carl Peterson’s fault that the Chiefs have been so mediocre. Let’s hope it stays that way!
A proud prognostication of 10-6 in 2009!!!
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
John Adams
by Broncotodd on Aug 6, 2009 8:32 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I heart Pat Bowlen.
I am of the fan mold who believes that the only person who embodies my team is the owner. The Broncos is Pat Bowlen…
Verbose in style, dispersion of thought, procrastination in life.
by Tim Lynch on Aug 5, 2009 4:13 PM MDT reply actions 2 recs
As shanahan said the day he was let go,
Bowlen, the best owner in sports: period!!!
A+
Real Power, comes with the realization that One cannot change the Moment;
only ones perception of it: Atitude! JQM
by UB3 on Aug 5, 2009 4:21 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Great owner hands down
But if it was available I’d given him an A- or B+. If he hadn’t given Shannahan the power he had over the last several years I think the Broncos would have not dropped off the playoff front so much. So I marked him down based on that. Outside the Shannahan thing he is the best owner on and off the field IMHO.
by bchiper on Aug 5, 2009 4:55 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
“The best owner in sports.” — Mike Shanahan on Pat Bowlen, immediately following his dismissal.
"Talk about the Broncos and I'm gonna 'put my dukes up'. I'm gonna hit you with these rings." -- Rod Smith giving the Kennison rebuttal to Jamie Dukes
by broncosmontana on Aug 5, 2009 5:03 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
The only thing that bothers me
I look at the poll and see that 2 people voted Pat get a D and 3 went as far as to give him an F. That sickens me, name an owner in all of sports that has more desire to win, and win now than Pat Bowlen? I know for a fact you can’t find one. I know that we will never agree on every decision he makes, but to have the odacity to give him an F makes me wonder about the very reason I joined MHR. My thinking was that everyone on this site was a supporter of the Denver Broncos and the very fabric of this Team is Pat Bowlen, he has tqaken us from joke to winner! Please people, think before you speak/vote. Bit sick to my tummy atm, maybe to much Kool-aid, maybe just a bit upset. Gonna stop ranting now. Go Broncos!!!!!!!!! 13-3 Baby!!!!!
by Broncanatic on Aug 5, 2009 5:14 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Not every person...
who visits the site is a regular follower of MHR, so I would not read too much into those numbers. It could easily be a Raiders fan, etc.
by phondonkey on Aug 5, 2009 5:21 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
More likely a "Broncos fan"
visiting from the Denver Post forums.
They have been after Bowlen all off season.
Petulant children whose entire worldview is colored by their most recent emotion. They sicken me.
by JeffG on Aug 5, 2009 9:49 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
A+
Two Superbowl titles for Elway after the Broncos came so close in the 70s and 80s makes him forever a A+ in my view. I agree with bchiper about too much control for Shanahan in retrospect, but I thought it was a good idea at the time.
by phondonkey on Aug 5, 2009 5:14 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
A prince of an owner
Along with the Rooney family and maybe Bob Kraft there isn’t another owner who can say he is truly committed to winning instead of just making money. He won me over when he passed the Super Bowl trophy to Elway and said “This one’s for John!” How many owners would have that kind of sentiment? I was very impressed when he fired Shanahan because I thought that took considerable courage and the ability to be very honest with himself, something few people have the guts to do. I am very pro Shanahan but believed he needed a total change from the status quo to be successful again. When an owner goes in the head coach’s office every day and says “What can I do to help us win?” I think it says we have an exceptional owner — one of the best in all of sports.
Imagination is more important than knowledge A. Einstein
by Ponderosa on Aug 5, 2009 5:30 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs
omg
like…136 didnt give Him an A…wow…like…whats with that?
MHR...and proud of it!
by MHRsGirl on Aug 5, 2009 5:56 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Of COURSE some haters would give him an F.
That figures.
Peyton Hillis is also referred to in early Greek mythology by his other names such as Zeus or Poseidon.
by Joe Medina on Aug 5, 2009 5:59 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Those are just jealous Raider fans
who still think their team and fandom is “bigger” than Al Davis. Al Davis is the Raiders and that is why their team is a joke.
Verbose in style, dispersion of thought, procrastination in life.
by Tim Lynch on Aug 5, 2009 8:47 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's not the Raiders...
he’s the “Raidas”. :)
Peyton Hillis is also referred to in early Greek mythology by his other names such as Zeus or Poseidon.
by Joe Medina on Aug 6, 2009 4:10 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
An A from me
I think the home field advantage will be exploited better in the future. I see the conditioning drills of this camp as staking claim to the fourth quarter. Now if we could only have Mile High Stadium back.
It all starts in the trenches - HT 11/11/08
Leave the hateful vitriol to the uninformed - HT 3/16/09
by firstfan on Aug 5, 2009 6:55 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
++++++++++++++++++++
We got it good, guys!!!
(I might take mild issue with the new stadium/new unis, but it isn’t worth the time to layout the argument…)
Precision in thought, concision in style, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Aug 5, 2009 9:01 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
I just posted the link to the transcript of the press conference when he fired Shanahan. What a liar Bowlen has turned out to be. Never has the fan base been as divided and its at Bowlens feet. Much of the vitriole for McDaniels is misplaced and should rest at Bowlens feet.
You just cant trust that guy.
by Alex L. on Aug 5, 2009 9:18 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Huh?
Calling Bowlen a liar is weak. What do you know? Really.
by NedBronco on Aug 5, 2009 9:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
A) I can read, and B) I know what a lie is.
Go check out the transcript I spoke of. Its as plain as day.
by Alex L. on Aug 5, 2009 10:28 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mate...see that fence....get over it.....oh, and leave!
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????
"Peyton Hillis didn’t rip the sleeves off his jersey, they flew off out of fear."
Calijoefornia.
by boydy2669 on Aug 6, 2009 12:58 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is the dude who's spent the last few days here
… suggesting we’re all morons for being optimistic.
I say it’s time we let him play with himself.
So to speak.
by JeffG on Aug 5, 2009 9:51 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Alex L.
All I can say about your attack on Mr. Bowlen is this:
Mike Shanahan said it best during the press conference in question.
Quote: " Pat Bowlen is the best owner in sports " End Quote
{ To those who know, no explanation is necessary, To those who
do not none is possible }
Real Power, comes with the realization that One cannot change the Moment;
only ones perception of it: Atitude! JQM
by UB3 on Aug 5, 2009 9:57 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
He said that before the offseason unfolded. Believe me, last year at this time, I was in the same boat as many of you. But that transcript simply doesnt reconcile with what has happened. Plus the Cutler Affair doesnt add up either. I simply can not lie to myself and look the other way when I look at what has happened.
by Alex L. on Aug 5, 2009 10:30 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
or maybe you just refuse to accept that GOOD THINGS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT CUTLER/SHANNY.
Maybe…I’m not betting on it though.
Peyton Hillis is also referred to in early Greek mythology by his other names such as Zeus or Poseidon.
by Joe Medina on Aug 6, 2009 4:11 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
"But that transcript simply doesnt reconcile with what has happened."
And that would be what? What has happened? And as for Cutler . . . did you not watch princess Cutler waffle on Outside the Lines when asked what happened? He came across as the one that is guilty. Bowlen handled the Cutler situation like ANY of our bosses . . . you don’t return his phone call, you are FIRED!!!
He gets an A in my book for following through.
"The men who have done big things are those who are not afraid to attempt big things, who were not afraid to risk failure in order to gain success."
- B.C Forbes
by HSFBCoach on Aug 6, 2009 7:03 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I dont get that Cutler waffled. I think you’re tailoring your impression of the piece around your already existing bias. A lot of people are doing this because they think not accepting the teams PR spin or its owner is not accepting the Denver Broncos. This is wrong.
And you comparing the worker/employee dynamic from your job is more than likely not applicable. In the NFL, the players are the end product perhaps more than they are the employee. Comparing being a football player with normal jobs isnt really appropriate.
by Alex L. on Aug 6, 2009 10:12 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cutler didn't waffle?
I have no bias one way or another about Cutler. What I do know is that any person watching the OTL show would see that Cutler couldn’t even look in the camera and spent a good portion of the interview stuttering. Now, maybe you see it differently, but being a high school teacher and dealing with pubescent teens on a daily basis, his actions clearly indicate to me that he was not being truthful.
And as for the worker employee relationship . . . you and I disagree once again. You are of the adage that the inmates should run the asylum. In business, that spells disaster. In football, that spells mediocrity (see Broncos of last 3 years).
"The men who have done big things are those who are not afraid to attempt big things, who were not afraid to risk failure in order to gain success."
- B.C Forbes
by HSFBCoach on Aug 6, 2009 3:15 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Its obvious that you do have a bias and you should ask your students what a false analogy is.
by Alex L. on Aug 6, 2009 5:32 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dude...go follow another team then...
Be pessimistic, but bring logical, well thought out arguments instead of the “substance” you are bringing now.
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????
"Peyton Hillis didn’t rip the sleeves off his jersey, they flew off out of fear."
Calijoefornia.
by boydy2669 on Aug 6, 2009 1:08 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Like I said. Its plain as day in the transcript that Ive provided. Feel free to read it yourself.
by Alex L. on Aug 6, 2009 5:34 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
No Man
During the whole Cutler divasode I was on his side until he went up against Bowlen. After 20+ years of solid steady ownership and being nationally regarded as a top flight owner it made no sense to think that he would have somehow changed overnight.
A question of reputation between Cutler and the new coach was plausible. A question of reputation between Cutler and Bowlen, not even close.
Tis better not to throw it to the deep receiver but the open receiver.
by Kfustud on Aug 6, 2009 7:16 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mr. Bowlen is a great owner
and despite the mediocre 24-24 record of the past 3 seasons, he still gets an “A” from me, because he had the …gulp…intestinal fortitude to shake the organization of its bad apples and right his ship.
The team may not be Superbowl bound this year, but it sure is heading in the right direction. And it’s all because of the owner’s ability to make some tough decision in this offseason.
Go Broncos!
by Horsepower on Aug 5, 2009 11:06 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Out of the 32 Teams...
…the ones that have BEEN around for the last 25 years…how many have come close or surpassed accomplishing what the Broncos have? You can count them on one hand and probably still type. I’d say that gives Bowlen an A. Like the article says, that doesn’t mean he’s been infallible. But I’ve always found it pointless to point out that someone is fallible. Everyone is. That’s a bit like pointing out that water is wet.
Jerry Jones is definitely fallible and the Cowboys have not been in the playoffs for a long time, but they’ve won a lot of games and to win three Super Bowls in 20 years is something most teams can only dream of. It’s all relative. I think if you look at the history of the NFL for the last quarter century, Broncos fans – fans of a team from a city very few people think about or take seriously – have a LOT to be proud of.
The Broncos have done Denver – a great city with great people – proud. And if you look at the Broncos now, Bowlen picked as good as time as any to make a change. I love Shanahan as much as the next guy (check out my handle!), but despite the hard work that lies ahead, the Broncos DO have a lot of critical pieces in place already. This isn’t the Detroit Lions, rebuilding from ground zero.
I still think this is going to be a tough year but I firmly believe good times are ahead and that the new regime is disciplined, organized and brings with it a fresh perspective that the Broncos have needed for a long time. I can’t wait to see how it works out.
by TheMastermind on Aug 6, 2009 12:01 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Great post, Guru
I’ve long held that Pat Bowlen is one of the best owners in all of sports. If the people who are upset with him were to spend a year or two toiling away under someone like Al Davis or Dan Snyder, they’d come screaming back to Bowlen with open arms. Even mediocre ownership, like Rich DeVos (Orlando Magic’s owner — IMHO, he’s a pain in the neck, but he’s finally spending some money to play for a championship) make Pat look great. His involvement with the league is great, and from what I hear he brings a lot to the Denver community. I hope that whoever ends up with the team when it is no longer Pat’s is half the owner he is.
by BroncosBassist on Aug 6, 2009 5:14 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
I was warned once on here: Do not feed the Trolls
Eventually they wander back to the Denver Post if they do not get responses and we can go back to talking football and enjoying ourselves.
They can go listen to Woody and Krieger scream that the sky is falling. Sucking lemons all day must fun.
"Time wounds all heels" Groucho Marx
by dmitchell624 on Aug 6, 2009 5:39 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
I put him rite there with the Rooneys
Mr.B always puts a good team on the field and he wants to win as much as WE do. Im from ohio like Guru, but closer to cincinnati. The nfl owners in ohio are a joke. They dont want to win, they just want to make money. Hell Mike Brown the owner of the bunglees paid himself a million dollars this past year for his GM duties. Mr Bowlen got tired of the same old thing evety year and made a change. You will never hear a bad word come out of mouth about him. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, honor roll
live and die blue and orange
by jerry251 on Aug 6, 2009 10:39 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Bowlen has earned our respect
and we need to give him some time. Changing everything on a team such as the whole coaching staff and a often called “Franchise QB” in Cutler is not going to have immediate success. However that would be nice if that did happen. For what Bowlen has done in the 25 years he has been an owner, we should at least be patient. He wants to win like all of us Bronco fans want and he just needs to time to get back to where we were.
GO BRONCOS IN 2009 AND BEYOND!!
2009 NBA Champions L.A Lakers
2009 NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant
by weazel on Aug 6, 2009 2:14 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Wow!
Those divisional stats for the last 25 years are impressive! The proof is in the pudding. Thanks for serving up the pudding Guru!
People can use statistics to prove anything, 87% of all people know that.
by c_style on Aug 6, 2009 4:47 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
If the NFL were school
Bowlen would be on the national honor roll, and he’d also be valedictorian.
Peyton Hillis is also referred to in early Greek mythology by his other names such as Zeus or Poseidon.
by Joe Medina on Aug 6, 2009 6:39 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Just Imagine
If you were unfortunate enough to be a Browns fan or Bengals.
What if your owner ran a coach out of town who he didn’t think was any good…and later that coach turned out to be Bill Walsh.
Tis better not to throw it to the deep receiver but the open receiver.
by Kfustud on Aug 6, 2009 8:04 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
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