Pat Bowlen would not admit his next vote as Broncos owner will be nothing more than a formality.
While his Broncos reconvene for two-a-day workouts Monday, Bowlen will be off to Chicago, where NFL owners are expected to announce Roger Goodell as successor to league commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Although Bowlen would not say who would be selected among the five finalists for the NFL’s top job, he did acknowledge the goal of the meetings was to name a new boss before the owners returned to their respective cities.
“That’s definitely what Paul wants to do,” Bowlen said after his team’s controlled scrimmage Saturday at Dove Valley. “He’s going to push as hard as he can. I know I would like to do that. But you need 22 votes. Whether we can do that by Tuesday or Wednesday with a new commissioner, I don’t know.”
Besides Goodell, the NFL’s chief operating officer, the finalists are league attorney Gregg Levy, Cleveland lawyer Frederick Nance, Fidelity Investments vice chairman Robert L. Reynolds and Mayo Shattuck III, the CEO of Constellation Energy.
Goodell, 47, is considered the choice because as one of Tagliabue’s top associates, he already is familiar with the responsibilities that come with the job.
Tagliabue, 65, announced in March he was resigning as commissioner after nearly 17 years. He will stay on through 2008 as a league consultant.
Remember the Broncos
Standing on the players’ sideline Saturday was Bill Yoast, the real-life assistant coach in the 2000 movie, “Remember the Titans.” Yoast, whose character in the movie was played by Will Patton, was passed over in 1971 for the T.C. Willliams (Alexandria, Va.) High School head coaching job in favor of Herman Boone, played by Denzel Washington.
Yoast, who retired as assistant coach in 1996, is in town to help raise football uniform money for the Green Mountain Football Pop Warner League.
“I’ve always been a big fan of Coach (Mike) Shanahan,” Yoast said. “I have not heard a word of profanity since I’ve been out here, and I can’t say that about other camps I’ve been to.”
That Yoast was out of earshot when Gerard Warren suffered a dislocated big left toe is beside the point. Not only did Yoast help T.C. Williams win the state championship in 1971, he later coached Keith Burns, who graduated from the school in 1988 and is now the Broncos’ special-teams captain and backup linebacker.
“It’s the best sports movie ever made,” Burns said of “Remember the Titans.” “I might be a little biased, but I’m also a movie buff, and I put it right up there with ‘Hoosiers.”‘
Thanks for the tip, Jake
Right before the Broncos’ offense was to take on the defense in the goal- line scrimmage, veteran quarterback Jake Plummer gathered his young backups for quick instruction.
“He called us over and said, ‘Don’t force something if it’s not there,”‘ rookie Jay Cutler said. “‘Just throw it away and we’ll kick the field goal.’ Just little things like that help out.”
A flying Kircus
Asked to name one receiver who has made the strongest move in competition for backup roles behind Rod Smith and Javon Walker, Shanahan picked David Kircus, a former Detroit backup.
“I thought he stood out,” Shanahan said. “He’s been in a few camps, has some experience and you can see that.”
Footnotes
Smith (hamstring) and rookie center Greg Eslinger (shoulder) are expected back at practice Monday. …
Tight end Nate Jackson, out since wrenching his ankle Monday, returned for the scrimmage Saturday. …
Safety Sam Brandon (hamstring) is expected to return soon after sitting out the past week. The return of defensive lineman Courtney Brown, out since Tuesday with an inflamed knee, remains uncertain.
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