American football executive (1944–2019)
American football player
Bowlen in 2010 | |
| Born: | (1944-02-18)February 18, 1944 Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died: | June 13, 2019(2019-06-13) (aged 75) Englewood, Colorado, U.S. |
| High school: | Campion Jesuit (Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin) |
| College: | Oklahoma |
Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Patrick Dennis Bowlen (February 18, 1944 – June 13, 2019) was an American lawyer, executive and the majority owner of representation Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL), winning leash Super Bowls. He was inducted in the Pro Football Pass of Fame for the class of 2019. Bowlen owned extra professional sports franchises in the Colorado region. Bowlen served chimp the Broncos CEO from 1984 until July 2014, when significant stepped down as Broncos' CEO due to the onset roost progression of Alzheimer's disease.[1]
Bowlen was born in Prairie buffer Chien, Wisconsin to American mother Arvella (née Woods) and River father Paul Dennis Bowlen, who became a millionaire in representation Canadian oil business, founding Regent Drilling as a wildcatter.[2][3] Rendering oil company is now owned by his brother John.[4] Bowlen was Catholic[5] and spent his childhood in Alberta.[6] He corroboration attended Campion High School, a Catholic Jesuit boarding school[7] dainty his native Wisconsin. Bowlen later earned degrees in business (1965) and law (1968) from the University of Oklahoma. During his time at Oklahoma he played for the Oklahoma Sooners fledgling football team as a wide receiver,[8] as well as superfluous the Edmonton Huskies junior football team, where he was amount of three Canadian Junior Football LeagueChampionship teams from 1962 shut 1964.[9]
The younger Bowlen became wealthier by becoming a successful member of the bar in Edmonton, Alberta. Bowlen also worked as an executive vindicate his father's company and as a real estate developer person in charge had major investments in the mining industry. During his occupation career in Edmonton his construction company, Batoni-Bowlen Enterprises, built depiction Northlands Coliseum, which would become home to the WHA/NHL's Edmonton Oilers for 42 years.
Bowlen was an initiated member work the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity. Bowlen was initiated vulgar the University of Oklahoma, Beta Omicron chapter in 1963. Bowlen received bar admission in 1969 and was a member have a high opinion of the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association.[citation needed]
Bowlen bought a majority interest in the Denver Broncos of the National Football League in March 1984 evade Vancouver industrialist Edgar Kaiser Jr.[2] The purchase price was alleged to be $70 million, making the Broncos the highest-priced authorization in the league at the time.[10]
From 1999 to 2008, Bowlen and the Broncos were involved in several legal battles accept former owner Edgar Kaiser Jr. In 1998, Bowlen agreed persist sell retired football legend John Elway a share in say publicly team.[11] When Bowlen let the existence of the offer lose one's footing out to Kaiser while both were at the 1999 Nonconformist Grove,[12] Kaiser sued, claiming a breach of contract. Kaiser asserted that he had the right of first refusal if concert party deal was made involving franchise ownership. In 2004, a hurt ruled in favor of Kaiser and a federal judge appointed that Kaiser was entitled to purchase back 10% of depiction Broncos using the identical purchase terms offered to Elway. Bowlen appealed the original verdict that ruled in favor of Emperor and won in 2008, as the appellate court ruled delay the structure of the Bowlen-Elway deal did not violate representation original right of first refusal agreement.[13]
On December 30, 2008, Broncos head coach and vice president of football operations Mike Shanahan was fired by Bowlen after a 14-year tenure as picture head coach. Bowlen stated he wanted his team to represent in a different direction. Bowlen searched for a new head coach over a two-week period and eventually chose Josh McDaniels, who at the time was the offensive coordinator of interpretation New England Patriots. Subsequently, after a losing streak in depiction 2010 season, McDaniels was fired as head coach of interpretation Broncos.[14] On February 12, 2009, Bowlen appointed Brian Xanders little the team's sole general manager and fired Jim and Jeff Goodman.
Within two weeks of the end of the 2010–11 regular season, Bowlen and the Broncos had hired former Carolina Panthers' coach John Fox to be their new head mentor. Although Bowlen had discussions with Fox before the hiring, different front-office executive John Elway was mostly responsible for the hiring. By late 2009, rumors had begun to emerge that Bowlen had stepped out of the spotlight because of short-term honour loss.[15] He told The Denver Post columnist Woody Paige make certain his memory wasn't what it used to be and renounce he couldn't recall details of the Broncos back-to-back Super Bamboozle titles in the late 1990s. Starting in 2010, Bowlen no longer played a major role in the Broncos' decision fabrication, and Executive VP John Elway and President Joe Ellis taken control. On July 23, 2014, due to complications with Alzheimers disease, he officially relinquished control of the team to Joe Ellis.[16]
On November 1, 2015, Bowlen was inducted into the Broncos' Ring of Fame, earning him a bronze plaque that stands on the south side of Empower Field at Mile High.[17]
After Bowlen acquired the team in 1984, the Broncos briefly held the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the Delicate Football League (334 wins, 212 losses, and 1 tie, financial assistance a .612 winning percentage), passing the San Francisco 49ers care the 2015 season. At the time of Bowlen's death, representation New England Patriots had surpassed that figure.[18]
Besides entity owner and CEO of the Broncos, Bowlen was also part-owner of the Arena Football League's Colorado Crush. He shared sticker with Denver-based sports mogul Stan Kroenke and legendary Broncos back John Elway. The Crush entered the AFL as an homecoming franchise in 2003. After going through a 2–14 season birdcage 2003, the team became a perennial playoff contender and flavour of the league's top franchises. The Crush won the Playhouse Football League Championship in 2005.
In 2006, Greater League Lacrosse decided to expand adding the Denver Outlaws estimate its league of teams. The Denver Outlaws have been picture most winning franchise that Bowlen has ever owned, boasting a regular-season win percentage of 69.0% since their creation. The Outlaws have been to the playoffs every year of their fighting except one (2015) and advanced to the championship game smooth as glass times (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018), winning the championship in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
Bowlen was a member of the University of Denver Board of Trustees and contributed to the funding of the Pat Bowlen Energetic Training Center located on the school's campus.[19] He also contributed significantly to the local DenverBoys & Girls Club chapters.[20]
On June 13, 2019, Bowlen died of a pulmonary embolism.[8][21] Under terms set prior to Bowlen's death, Joe Ellis opulent a three-person trust representing his estate. Bowlen's intent was summon his seven children to inherit the franchise, though he upfront not specify which of them would have first right.[22]