RIP, Pat Bowlen

Sad news today in the NFL, as longtime Broncos owner Pat Bowlen died. 

Bowlen is best remembered for having orchestrated the arrival of John Elway to Denver in 1983, a move that proved very beneficial to both sides, and which essentially redefined the franchise. Not long after that, Elway led the Broncos to three Super Bowls in four years, although they also earned the reputation as a team that could not win the big game.

That changed in the 1990's, as new coach Mike Shanahan built a winner. The Broncos enjoyed a 13-3 season in 1996, but fell short in the playoffs. After that, they proved tough enough to get to the Super Bowl following the 1997 season, and this time, they won it, beating the Green Bay Packers in a thriller. They would follow that up with another championship in 1998.

Elway joined upper management for the Broncos and, under him and with Bowlen still as owner, Denver reached elite status again, reaching two Super Bowls in three seasons. The Broncos set all sorts of records on offense in 2013, and then won the Super Bowl in 2015, mostly off the strength of their elite defense.

Up until recently, the Broncos were one of the most consistent teams for decades, rarely suffering bad, losing seasons. Bowlen was there for most of that. 

He will be missed.

RIP, Pat Bowlen.