Hercules Louis Dousman and Patrick Dennis Bowlen will be linked forever.
Dousman, a fur trader in the 1800s in Prairie du Chien, Wis., became the state’s first millionaire. Bowlen was born in Prairie du Chien and later roamed the Broncos sideline in a fur coat, and his football team will be valued this year by Forbes Magazine at a billion dollars.
When Broncos training camp begins later this month, Pat Bowlen will be entering his 25th season as the franchise’s owner.
The Broncos’ next victory will be Bowlen’s 251st (regular- and postseason) since assuming control on March 23, 1984. How appropriate would a victory be for Bowlen on Monday night, Sept. 8, at Oakland?
The Super Bowl will be played in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 1, 2009. The same month, Bowlen will turn 65. How appropriate would another Super Bowlen victory be for the AARPatrick Bowlen?
This one’s for Pat!
The other day, in a survey of NFL coaches taken by , Bowlen ranked second among “owners with the best reputation.”
He’s come quite a distance from Prairie du Chien and a fur piece from being the 40-year-old unknown Canadian who showed up one day in Denver.
A chance meeting with, and an off-handed comment to, Edgar Kaiser at church a quarter of a century ago led to a $78 million investment in the Broncos, a long-term commitment to professional football, Denver and Colorado and a full-time job for Bowlen.
The former Iron Man triathlon competitor has become the ongoing Iron Man of the Broncos.
Even though Bowlen has been criticized, chastised and castigated over coaching and player decisions (his loyalty to Mike Shanahan and his spending on free agents who lacked talent or character, or both), the push for construction of a new stadium (with the majority of the funding from public sources), frequent ticket-price increases, occasional poorly chosen remarks, the Broncos are in a far, far better place because of Bowlen, his ownership and his stewardship.
Who would you rather have — Arizona’s Bill Bidwill, for instance, or Detroit’s William Clay Ford, New Orleans’ Tom Benson, Tennessee’s Bud Adams, Washington’s Dan Snyder, Oakland’s Al Davis?
Among the 31 (of 32) coaches who participated in the questionnaire (and weren’t permitted to name their owner), five listed the Dan Rooney family in Pittsburgh as No. 1, and four had Jerry Jones third. Only 11 owners were mentioned. Despite the success of the New England Patriots, owner Bob Kraft was not in the top three. Bowlen received 4 1/2 votes.
The five coaches probably regarded Bowlen so highly because of the Broncos’ five Super Bowls (and two championships) during his reign, that loyalty to Shanahan even in weak times (and because he has fired only two coaches), the $18 billion TV package the league secured with Bowlen as the head of the NFL’s broadcasting committee, his willingness to spend money on players and his low-key ownership approach (generally staying in the background and rarely attending practice or forcing his will on the coach, although Bowlen does go into the office and conduct team business most days).
Truth is, Bowlen has been a great owner for the Broncos, and he has grown into the position over 24 years (and always promises he will never sell the franchise in his lifetime). Would you have preferred Kaiser, or the man who wanted so badly to own the team, the late Marvin Davis? Or the Monforts?
The Broncos, under Bowlen, have won 12 or more games — 17 once — in nine seasons and averaged 10.417 victories over 24 years. Although all of us are grumbling about the 16-16 mark of 2006-07, only one playoff victory (over the Patriots) since John Elway retired and the costly free-agent mistakes, the Broncos are 84-65 in the post-Elway period. There have been just four losing seasons (1990, 1994, 1999 and 2007) with Bowlen in charge.
Twenty-four teams would beg for the accomplishments of the Broncos in 24 seasons with Mr. B. Two Super Bowl championships, five AFC trophies, 13 playoff seasons, 26 postseason games, eight division titles, first in home attendance for the 24 seasons.
Bowlen was lucky Kaiser pulled off a trade for Elway, and the owner is fortunate that he inherited Dan Reeves as coach. Reeves took the Broncos to three Super Bowls — and hired future head coach Shanahan as a young assistant. Elway, Reeves and Shanahan were lucky and fortunate Bowlen was the owner.
Not everyone loves Patrick. The bar has been set a mile high, and nobody here, especially Bowlen, accepts a level, especially low, playing field. Maybe he’s gotten tired of wasting money on dregs Travis Henry and Javon Walker and has pulled back, and maybe he’s having economic issues. Maybe Bowlen has learned from nearly a decade of mediocrity (with the exception of the 2005 appearance in the AFC championship game), and maybe he’s getting ready for No. 25, No. 251, No. 3 and No. 65.
But his numbers up to now have been impressive. Bowlen will be considered one day for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The old fur trader would be proud of the old fur wearer.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
