Before Wellington Mara left the earth he helped enrich through his football magnanimity, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen made sure he said goodbye.
The timing was perfect for a final visit between NFL colleagues. With his Broncos at the Meadowlands to play Mara’s New York Giants on Sunday, Bowlen came in Friday and stopped by his friend’s hospital room. Mara, in grave condition from cancer, was not lucid, but Bowlen was there with him for 20 to 30 minutes.
On Tuesday, two days after his Giants rallied to defeat the Broncos 24-23, Mara died at 89.
“When I think of Wellington, I think that he was the conscience of the National Football League in many ways,” said Bowlen, who worked on various owner- led committees with Mara the past 23 years. “The thing I found most remarkable about Wellington was the New York Giants are obviously one of the premier franchises just because of where they’re located and their history. And he could have used that influence in ways to help the Giants, but I never saw him do that.”
Odd at it sounds, Mara had considerable impact on the Broncos’ success. Had he fought to divvy the expanding television and gate revenues on a market- percentage basis, the Giants probably would have been one of the NFL’s two or three richest franchises. Instead, he agreed to the league’s plan of evenly splitting most revenues.
His generosity came with a cost – Forbes recently listed the Giants, who are not playing in a recently built stadium, a mere 20th among the league’s 32 teams with an estimated $154 million in annual revenues. The Broncos were ranked sixth at an estimated $183 million.
A Denver franchise is more lucrative than New York’s? Baseball commissioner Bud Selig must shudder at the thought. Revenue sharing may be the single-biggest reason the NFL has surpassed baseball in national popularity. Small-market franchises such as Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Kansas City are perennial contenders in the NFL, but their baseball-market counterparts, including Milwaukee, combined have just one winning record in the past 11 years.
“The NFL would not be as we know it today without Wellington taking us down that road,” Bowlen said. “And we’re on a road where I believe all the other major sports leagues would like to be.”
As for the Broncos …
Bowlen said the sting from his 5-2 team blowing a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter Sunday is gone.
“I’m happy where we’re at,” Bowlen said. “I’m unhappy about the last game, but I take Monday to get over it, and now it’s Tuesday.”
Food drive this weekend
For the benefit of the hungry and homeless, bring nonperishable food items and dollar bills to the Broncos-Eagles game Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High. Wives of Broncos players and coaches will be collecting the goods and cash at the gates.
Looking for work
The Broncos on Tuesday worked out defensive backs Rufus Brown, Kentrell Curry, Kevin Curtis, Lance Frazier, Bryon Jones and Antwaun Rogers.
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
