“This One’s for Pat”
By Michael Salavati
Here is a condensed list of accomplishments demonstrating his greatness not only to the Denver #Broncos organization and fans, but also to the #NFL. Mr. Bowlen, the owner of our beloved #Broncos for 32 Years & counting is battling Alzheimer’s disease. After a triumphant #SB50 victory and sending off the great Peyton Manning into retirement as a Champion it is more than curious why the urgency in the timing of voting Jerry Jones, who has time to be honored, to the #HOF ahead of Mr. Bowlen? It would've been far more fitting and certainly a greater more compelling story to instead honor the man known to us as Mr. "B".
Here is a list of some of the accomplishments that make Mr. #Bowlen a truly special owner not just in the NFL but in all of sports:
1. In 32 years of owning the Denver #Broncos, he has overseen 7 Super Bowl appearances. No other single NFL owner has more #SuperBowl appearances. His 3 Super Bowl Championships make the #Broncos only one of nine elite teams in the NFL with at least 3 Super Bowl victories.
2. As mentioned above, Mr. Bowlen has an unprecedented 7 SB appearances by his teams. But what makes that even more extraordinary is the fact that he has 2 more SB appearances than losing seasons in that span! Only 5 losing seasons in 3 decades compared to 7 SBs is yet another #NFL standalone accomplishment. In contrast Jerry Jones has had 9 losing seasons in a 5 year shorter span of time owning the Cowboys.
3. His teams have qualified for the Playoffs 18 times.
4. Ever since he bought the Denver #Broncos in 1984, His winning percentage is an incredible .614
5. His 313 wins to 197 losses and 1 tie in that span is an NFL best. No other owner of a team in the 300 plus club has a better win percentage than Pat Bowlen.
6. Only two major American Professional sports teams have a better winning percentage in that span: the San Antonio Spurs at .632 and the Los Angeles Lakers at .621
7. The #Broncos during Pat Bowlen's ownership boast an NFL best home-field-advantage winning record of 187-69.
8. Perhaps even more impressive an accomplishment when one considers that the #Broncos team record prior to the arrival of Pat Bowlen was a losing record of 143-189-9. In contrast Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who got the nod before Pat Bowlen inherited a Cowboys team already known as "America's Team" boasting a winning record of 250-162-6 prior to his ownership. Infact the Cowboys' record during Jerry Jones' ownership has less wins and more losses than prior to him at 230-202-0. One can also argue that Jones' world famous ego broke apart a dynasty in the 90's which saw head coach Jimmy Johnson leave the team at the height of their success due to Jerry Jones' inability to set aside his inflated ego of himself as a talent evaluator in the NFL!
9. All of the above stats would be enough to see why he has been so special. However his true greatness and what makes him so unique is the combination of what he has meant to the #Broncos and his immense contributions and what he has meant to the #NFL and its current status as the undisputed king of all American sports.
10. Aided by his vision and fresh perspective, the NFL added FOX to its TV line-up and forever changed the TV revenue intake into the stratosphere. The NFL TV revenue in 1989 was $473 Million. In 2015, that number stood at an astounding $5 Billion per year!
11. He also had a huge hand in the boom of new NFL stadium venues including the #Broncos own new stadium, named Invesco Field at Mile High at the time, unveiled in 2001. This too represents a large increase to the overall revenue for the league.
12. He also is credited with a hands-on role in building a relationship of trust and respect between NFL owners and the Players union back at a time when that relationship was cold & broken.
13. Last but not least he also played a big role in the attempt of globalization of the NFL. Those of us who have been fans of the #Broncos for a long time all remember the multiple pre-season games played by the #Broncos abroad. None more memorable than the one in Tokyo which gave birth to the legend of RB Terrell Davis. Do you remember that hit he put on a special teams play that put him on the map?
These are some of the reasons why this man should be and belongs in the NFL #HOF. On November 1st 2015 during the half time of the #SNF matchup between the Denver #Broncos and the Green Bay #Packers, he was inducted into the #Broncos Ring of Fame in an emotional ceremony during which the 1997 Super Bowl winning team was also honored. Many of the players and coaches of that team, including Mike Shanahan, were present.
Let’s go #Broncos.
- Michael Salavati
#NFLHallofFame
#BroncosCountry
#DenverBroncosAficionado
#PatBowlen
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