That won’t change after his death on June 13.

Bowlen is gone but won’t be forgotten.

A sticker labeled, “Mr. B” is on the back of every Broncos helmet, right above the American flag.

There is expected to be a moment of silence for Bowlen before the Sept. 15 home opener against Chicago.

And during the Oct. 11 game against Tennessee, Bowlen’s family will be presented with his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring along with cornerback Champ Bailey, who also will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame.

The team’s future post-Bowlen remains uncertain. The Bowlen-appointed trustees of team president/CEO Joe Ellis, team counsel Rich Slivka and local attorney Mary Kelly continue to be tasked with running the team on a daily basis and identifying the next controlling owner among Bowlen’s seven children or to sell the team.

In 2017, two of Bowlen’s daughters, Beth Bowlen Wallace and Brittany Bowlen, went public with their interest to succeed their father. Ellis anticipates Brittany Bowlen re-joining the Broncos in an executive capacity “late this year or right after the season ends.”

The future took a backseat in the days and weeks following Bowlen’s death.

It was the tribute inside Broncos Stadium at Mile High on June 18 that symbolized the region’s attachment to Bowlen. Throughout the day a line of fans snaked through the bowels of the stadium before taking an escalator up one floor to view an eye-popping display of Bowlen’s memorabilia and express their condolences to the family.

“I’ll remember the tribute,” Ellis said. “I was proud of the organization in how they presented Pat to everyone. That was really well done. I was overwhelmed by the fans who came through and I was able to greet almost all of them and (recognize) their appreciation and respect for everything Pat did for the city and for the Broncos.”

Bowlen bought the team in 1984 and the Broncos won three Super Bowl championships and averaged 10 wins per year during his 35-year tenure. Among the 123 North American professional franchises, the Broncos had the fourth-best winning percentage (.596), behind only the San Antonio Spurs, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Lakers during those years.

The service, which lasted less than 90 minutes and was closed to the media, featured comments by all seven of Bowlen’s children. John Finney, Bowlen’s friend of nearly 50 years, delivered the eulogy. Bowlen’s widow, Annabel, was in attendance.

“It was an extraordinary honor,” Finney said in a phone interview with The Denver Post on Monday night. “Pat had other close friends, too, so I was a little surprised I was invited to give the eulogy, but the kids had their various reasons.”

Finney, who flew to Denver from his home in Honolulu, said his speech was centered around football.

“I wanted to talk about Pat the man,” he said. “I didn’t want to talk about Broncos football, because I’m not as knowledgeable about who played and who coached. I got the canoe surfing days in and I got through it without breaking down.”

After the ceremony, Johnny Bowlen, one of Pat’s two sons, led the family out of the church while carrying a urn with his father’s ashes. A post-funeral reception was held at Cherry Hills Country Club. The family wore maile leis, which are worn at weddings and funerals in Hawaii.

The Broncos’ delegation was led by coach , president/CEO Joe Ellis, general manager/former quarterback , team counsel Rich Slivka, director of sports medicine Steve “Greek” Antonopulos and kicker . Earlier this month, Antonopulos was selected by the Bowlen children to present their father during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony Aug. 3 in Canton, Ohio.

Also in attendance …

NFL owners: John Mara (New York Giants), Jerry Jones (Dallas), Arthur Blank (Atlanta), Jim Irsay (Indianapolis), Art Rooney II (Pittsburgh), Stan Kroenke (Los Angeles Rams as well as the Avalanche and Nuggets) and Clark Hunt (Kansas City). Jones and Bowlen were long-time allies at the league level, chiefly in negotiating the NFL’s broadcasting rights.

Former Broncos players: Safety Steve Atwater, quarterback , kicker David Treadwell, linebacker Bill Romanowski,  cornerback Champ Bailey (who will be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame with Bowlen), Hall of Fame running backs and Floyd Little, safety , receiver , safety Mike Harden, Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe and safety John Lynch. After the funeral, Manning spent several minutes visiting with Irsay; Manning played the first 13 years of his NFL career for Indianapolis.

Former Broncos coaches: Mike Shanahan, John Fox, and as well as Nan Miller, the widow of the late Broncos coach Red Miller. Shanahan led the Broncos to Bowlen’s first two Super Bowl titles and Kubiak was the Broncos’ first-year coach during the 2015 Super Bowl season.

Dignitaries: Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. Hancock also attended the public tribute to Bowlen last week at Broncos Stadium at Mile High.

David Baker, president/CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was also in attendance.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was not present.

Finney said he closed his eulogy by saying: “I know Pat is in that big skybox in the sky watching his family, watching the team, sitting in the front row, chewing gum a mile a minute and waiting for football season to start. “

During a Saturday morning ceremony in Honolulu, Bowlen’s ashes will be spread in the Pacific Ocean close to his beloved Outrigger Canoe Club.

Esquibel goes by the nickname “Bronco Reaper” after surviving multiple brushes with death from medical emergencies. The Denver native rarely misses a home game and attends each in full costume. Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, 75, died last Thursday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s and Esquibel made sure to honor his memory by attending the public Bowlen tribute.

Esquibel was the first fan inside Broncos Stadium when doors opened at 10 a.m.

“It means everything to me,” he said. “ … I chose the reaper as to not be scared of death. I needed to show up today to show my respect for (Bowlen), who I call our father. And to also show that it����ap OK to not be afraid of death.”

The free event drew more than 5,000 attendees and gave fans a rare opportunity to view Bowlen’s extensive collection of football and personal memorabilia. Members of the Bowlen family were in attendance and greeted fans. Former players such as John Elway, Peyton Manning, Rod Smith and Randy Gradishar also visited with the Bowlens.

Fans were led through a tour of the Club Level’s West Lounge where large display cases featured an array of Bowlen keepsakes: dozens of game balls, Super Bowl trophies, championship rings, Bowlen’s famous fur coat, photos with past presidents, signed jerseys of Hall of Famers who played for Bowlen and much more.

Elvin Devorss is a season-ticket holder and Denver native who marveled at Bowlen’s office desk display. On the near left corner was an orange-and-blue Broncos’ hard hat that matched the one atop his own head on Tuesday. Devorss wears it at every home game with his fan nickname “BRONCNATOR” emblazoned across the front.

“I’ve been in building construction my whole life and as soon as they came out with these (hard hats) it became part of my outfit,” Devorss said. “The fact that one sat on (Bowlen’s) desk … amazing.”

Josh Dunbar, another Coloradoan and lifelong fan, added: “I loved the golf clubs. (Bowlen) had Denver Broncos embroidered on the 3-wood.”

Many in attendance had cherished personal memories of Bowlen.

“I met him when I was a kid back in like 1986,” said Carlos Vargas. “(Bowlen) walked by me and I was trying to say hello. I was kind of screaming and he came back and said hi. That was something that stuck with me. That����ap what made me a Broncos’ fan for life.”

One wall of the display offered fans the opportunity to write the Bowlen family hand-written notes on cards pinned to a corkboard. Most were short and sweet: Thank you, Mr. Bowlen, for building such a great organization that really pulled this community together. … You’re the best and will truly be missed more than you know. … Congrats on such a wonderful, blessed life Mr. B!

Kelli Wilzoch and Shelley Jacobs each penned personal messages. They’ve sat together for two decades at Broncos games and described the mood among fans in attendance as quiet while each took time to soak in Bowlen’s legacy. Their favorite items among the collection were photos of Bowlen through the years, and more specifically, images that captured the family man behind the legendary owner.

“I can remember watching the Broncos when they first started in the 1960s,” Jacobs said. “We thanked Pat for the great memories.”

The Broncos’ expectations for the tribute were exceeded as the line outside Broncos Stadium continued to grow as the 3 p.m. stop time rolled past. It lasted seven total hours. The outpouring of support was no surprise to Esquibel, the “Bronco Reaper,” whose game rituals put perspective on his own near-death experiences after suffering West Nile Virus and multiple heart attacks.

“My love of the Broncos has always been strong,” Esquibel said. “I’ve become good friends and almost family with a lot of the other superfans.”

He won’t soon forget Bowlen helped establish that culture in ����apountry.

Before the event was opened to the public, Broncos staff members took a tour of the exhibits and were greeted by four the Bowlen’s seven children: Beth Bowlen Wallace, Brittany Bowlen, Johnny Bowlen and Annabel Bowlen.

Among the items on display include dozens of game balls, the Broncos’ three Super Bowl trophies, Pat Bowlen’s office desk, his famous fur coats, jerseys, championship rings and more. Among the early visitors included Peyton Manning and John Elway.

Mobile users, .

For sure, the stories will be flowing about Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, who died Thursday following a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Ahead of Tuesday’s public tribute event at Broncos Stadium at Mile High (10 a.m.-3 p.m.), here are seven stories, one for each of the Broncos’ Super Bowl appearances during Bowlen’s tenure:

Always working

When his ex-wife, Sally Parker, moved to Hawaii in the early 1970s with their two daughters (Amie and Beth), Bowlen would split his time between Edmonton and Honolulu. After buying the Broncos, he still prioritized spending the offseason months on Oahu.

But he was always working.

“By the time he bought the Broncos (in 1984), I was a teenager so I was more aware of what he was doing (work-wise),” Beth Bowlen Wallace said recently. “He would get up in the morning, sit outside in the sun and he would be on the phone until at least lunchtime. Consistently on the phone from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. working and once lunch came, he was going to the Outrigger (Canoe Club) or canoe surfing.”

Ears wide open

The Broncos went 13-3 in Bowlen’s first season and lost to Pittsburgh in the playoffs.

RELATED: VIDEO: Remembering Broncos owner Pat Bowlen

“We had a bunch of sensational wins and he was off and running as an owner,” Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said.

And off and listening. Never having worked in professional sports, Bowlen stepped into the NFL with his eyes and ears wide open.

“He took his time to look at everything and evaluate things — that����ap how I viewed it,” Ellis said. “I remember John Beake, who was the general manager at the time, saying, ‘He’s not taking any chances. He wants to sit back and see how this works and learn a lot about the business.’

“I remember Pat telling me that (commissioner) Pete Rozelle told him, ‘The best thing you can do for the first 3-5 years is keep your mouth shut, listen to what everybody has to say and then you’ll know what����ap going on.’ Pat was a really good listener.”

First Super Bowl win

Bowlen was 0-3 in the Super Bowl (losses by 19, 32 and 45 points) when the Broncos prepared to face Green Bay in January 1998. The Packers were an 11-point favorite.

Still …

“He was pumped up; he was confident,” said son-in-law Howie Klemmer, who is married to Amie.

Howie and Amie drove cross-country from Atlanta to San Diego with their daughter Lillie (currently a volleyball player at CU), who was three-and-a-months old. She was Bowlen’s first grandchild.

“He was excited — first grandchild, Super Bowl, great city, everybody together at the hotel,” Howie said.

The Broncos pulled the upset, winning 31-24.

“That was pretty awesome because those guys (players) were kind of like his sons,” Amie said. “He was really happy for John (Elway).”

Running mishap

Last summer, Broncos director of sports medicine Steve “Greek” Antonopulos was asked for his No. 1 Pat Bowlen Dinner Table Story, the one that would get everybody rolling.

Antonopulos would know — he pre-dated Bowlen with the Broncos and has been with the organization since 1976.

“I could tell some stories,” Antonopulos said after a long laugh. “He just a special guy. The No. 1 thing I’ll never forget: He came in one day to the training room and he had a cut on his head and I couldn’t figure out what the heck happened. He had been running. He stepped off a curb and hit his head on a stop sign.”

League-level impact

Bowlen served a combined 91 years on 15 different NFL committees and his biggest impact was made in expanding the league’s broadcast television revenues. And the networks loved him.

“When Pat Bowlen walked into the networks, they rolled out the red carpet,” said former Broncos public relations chief Jim Saccomano.

Consider the NFL’s deal with Fox in December 1993. It offered the league a four-year, $1.58 billion contract ($395 million per season); CBS’ proposal to keep the rights was $291 million per year. Only five years later, the NFL’s broadcast deals were per-season fees of $550 million (Fox), $550 million (ABC), $500 million (CBS) and $600 million (ESPN).

“As chairman of the Broadcast Committee, Pat helped expand the audience for America’s Game and prepared our league for a changing media landscape,” Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said.

Semi-anonymous sponsorship

Bowlen’s charitable efforts are well-documented. But that also spread to helping local sports so long as the Broncos — and not him — received credit.

One example was when Saccomano (who drove Bowlen to his introductory press conference in 1984) approached him about sponsoring a high school football television show.

“There were so many times with charity that he pledged me to secrecy,” Saccomano said. “(The station) said, ‘We’re wondering if the Broncos would do part of the sponsorship.’

“I go to Pat and he says, ‘How much is the whole thing (to sponsor)?’ I told him and he said, ‘Tell them I’ll sponsor the whole deal, all of it, for the year, but there is no commercial saying, ‘Pat Bowlen did that. It����ap the Broncos.’ The subsequent years, I would say, ‘The high school show…’ and he would say, ‘Let����ap do it again.’ The conversation would last four seconds.”

Memories for Miller, Manning

When the Broncos drafted outside linebacker Von Miller in 2011, Bowlen was into his Alzheimer’s fight but was at the facility when Miller visited. Miller posted a picture of their handshake on his Instagram account Friday night.

“I’ve got some great memories with Mr. Bowlen,” Miller said earlier this year. “When I got there, the sickness was kicking in, but he called me to the side and said, ‘You’re going to be a good player for us.’ I thought that was just incredible.”

A year later, the Broncos signed quarterback Peyton Manning.

In a statement released Saturday, Manning said: “Coming to play here for Denver, even though his health was declining, I did enjoy a couple of conversations with Mr. Bowlen. … As soon as I signed with the Broncos, I was basically living at the facility — studying film, rehabbing and working out. I was usually one of the last to leave the facility during that time. I (would) say, ‘I thought I was the last to leave,’ but Mr. Bowlen was still there. He’d usually be in the training room on the elliptical, and I would go in there and have conversations with him.”

An influential and dynamic partnership at the league level and leaders of teams that won a combined five Super Bowls from 1992-99, Bowlen and Jones were separated in age by less than two years and entered the league five years apart.

Upon Bowlen’s passing late Thursday, it made sense to reach out to the Cowboys for Jones’ reaction of the man who will join him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame later this summer.

And Jones’ email delivered.

He called it a “sad day for football and the NFL.”

RELATED: VIDEO: Remembering Broncos owner Pat Bowlen

He said Bowlen’s leadership “will serve as a template of excellence in sports ownership that will be emulated and admired for years to come.”

And he credited Bowlen for convincing him to support “dark-horse candidate” Paul Tagliabue for commissioner in 1989.

“From the day I became involved in professional football, Pat����ap influence inspired me,” Jones said. “He loved the league and he loved the game and he cared deeply about the future of the NFL. I immediately felt a kindred spirit — a brotherhood. I had great respect for his passion and enjoyed working side by side with him.”

Jones said his most memorable experience working with Bowlen centered on the television rights negotiations in 1993.

“Pat was always thinking about the long-term success and stability of the NFL as a whole and we often shared contrarian views that didn’t always align with the conventional thinking of our peers,” Jones said. “My favorite Pat Bowlen memory is of the two of us kicking each other under the table with excitement, like a couple of school kids, as we were finalizing the television agreement that brought Rupert Murdoch and FOX into the NFL.”

Many of the league’s owners were content with the status quo — the NFC games on CBS instead of the upstart FOX network. But Bowlen and Jones persisted and lined the league’s coffers with millions.

“It has always stuck in my mind as a testament to his vision for doing what was right for the immediate and long-term future of our league,” Jones said. “It wasn’t a popular decision at the time, but it was the right one.”

Around the Broncos

Fangio’s plan. Some took note and objected to coach scheduling five afternoon practices during training camp that are open to fans. They cited the Colorado weather during that time of day.

Fangio has one job during camp: Get his team ready to beat Oakland in Week 1.

Practicing in the afternoon will allow the Broncos’ players to have their conditioning tested, but the key part is four of those workouts come after off days. This way, Fangio will get the players off their feet for an extra half-day. For example, the starters aren’t expected to play in the Hall of Fame Game, so they will go from noon on July 30 to 2 p.m. Aug. 3 without wearing helmets or pads.

Khan salutes Bowlen. Besides Jones’ comments on Friday, we felt Jacksonville owner Shad Khan hit an appropriate note when discussing Bowlen’s impact.

“Pat Bowlen essentially authored the blueprint for owning and operating a sports franchise,” said Khan, who bought the Jaguars in 2012. “The Broncos’ sustained success was a direct result of Pat����ap goodness and commitment to the people who represented the team on and off the field, and that formula rightfully made him a hero to his players and the entire Denver community.”

Around the NFL

Williams’ volume. Back when I covered Gregg Williams during his four years (2004-07) as the ’ defensive coordinator, two things stood out — how much football I learned from him and the volume of his playbook. He would mention that he had 18-20 defensive packages. That number has swelled. In his first news conference since being hired to run the ’ defense, Williams said he has 42 packages. The Jets defense will be fun to watch.

Ngakoue’s mistake. We’ll never understand players holding out of mandatory mini-camp. The player can be fined $88,650 for skipping all three days. Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, entering the final year of his rookie contract, was a no-show last week. He wants a new contract. Fine. His production (29 1/2 sacks) certainly merits a long-term extension. But Ngakoue should have been present, even if it was as an observer, as an act of good faith. The Jaguars want to keep Ngakoue, but they also have to keep salary cap space for the upcoming mega extension for cornerback Jalen Ramsey (likely next offseason).

Cousins’ focus. Minnesota quarterback will enter the season with a 37-34-1 starting record, a fact he is aware of. “The next level really is all about winning,” he said. “I’m pretty much a .500 quarterback in my career so far and I don’t think that����ap where you want to be and that����ap not why you are brought in or people are excited about you. If I don’t play well, if I don’t have gaudy statistics, but we win multiple playoff games, the narrative will be (that) I went to the next level.”

The Broncos’ Ring of Famers had long planned to address this group in conjunction with the Global Children Financial Literacy Foundation. But the event gained significance when everyone woke to the news that Broncos owner Pat Bowlen had died late Thursday following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s. Just take a look at the large photo above the gymnasium’s entryway; it����ap Bowlen smiling and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

Smith and Davis took turns on the microphone to promote “Wesley Learns About Insurance,” a children’s book authored by Prince Dykes and featuring Davis among its characters, although much of the conversation shifted to Bowlen and how his vision still impacts Denver-area youth today.

“I was here groundbreaking when we had the shovel and I grew up as a Boys and Girls Club kid,” Smith said. “(Bowlen) came in with a huge checkbook. I think it was over a million bucks. He was really invested in these kids and invested in this neighborhood. For me, you don’t forget stuff like that.”

Bowlen donated over $35 million to various causes during his time as chairman of the board of Denver ����apharities with the Boys and Girls Club, located in the Montbello neighborhood.  Bowlen’s kindness was measured by more than dollars, especially as Broncos players faced their own personal trials.

“When I had my surgery in 1999 when I tore my ACL, the first phone call I received out of surgery was Pat Bowlen,” Davis said. “Plenty of times we would just sit there and talk about life. And the first time I met him I remember it vividly because he walks up and he introduces himself as the owner. I’m thinking, ‘He didn’t have to do that.’ And he knew everything about my family. Even if he had to research it to find out those things about me, it was important because he made you feel a certain way. That����ap a skill and a gift that he had.”

Smith appreciated how Bowlen deflected credit throughout his life for charitable efforts. He made sure Friday’s audience wouldn’t forget what Bowlen’s philanthropy created.

“There are a lot of great people around here and Pat Bowlen always wanted to let those people shine,” Smith said. “I want those kids to remember that this guy was a part of their life. We might not get to ever see him again in the physical (form), but his work is always here.”

Speaking with respect and genuine affection, Monfort paid Bowlen the ultimate compliment, calling the Broncos’ icon an unparalleled figure in Colorado sports.

“He’s No. 1 without a doubt,” said Monfort, a Colorado native. “I grew up watching the Broncos in the ’60s and they were so horrid for so many years. But he built that franchise into what it is now.

“Of course, it wasn’t only Pat, there were a lot of others involved through the years. But for him to build the franchise into what it is now is just remarkable. It is the premier sports organization in town. You take some places, like New England, and you wonder, ‘Is it the Patriots or is it the Red Sox?’ There is some debate back in Boston, but here, there is absolutely no debate.”

RELATED: Why Pat Bowlen was “a legend that can’t be replaced” in the hearts of Broncos fans

Monfort added that Bowlen set a bar that has been impossible to reach.

“From an owner of a sports team, he did something that was quite amazing,” Monfort said. “To be quite honest, we’re all trying to be viewed in the Rocky Mountain region the same as what that the Broncos are viewed.”

Nearly every season, Bowlen would invite Monfort to watch a Broncos game with him in a suite at Mile High Stadium. Though Bowlen was warm and cordial, it was not a time to chit-chat.

“He didn’t hoop or holler, but he would watch the game intently,” Monfort said. “He was all business.”

Monfort and Bowlen exchanged notes on an annual basis, and Monfort fondly remembers the letter Bowlen sent to him, as well at Keli McGregor, the Rockies’ late team president, when Colorado went to its only World Series in 2007.

When the Rockies went through hard times and losing seasons, Bowlen reached out then as well.

“He sent me another note, and this was probably when (the media) was beating me up pretty good,” Monfort recalled. “He said, ‘I went through some hard times, too. This will pass, so just keep doing what you’re doing. Believe in what you are doing and everything will work out. I took that advice to heart.”

During Bowlen’s tenure as owner, the Broncos posted as many Super Bowl appearances (seven) as losing seasons, and won three Super Bowls.

“That’s a record I sure can’t boast about,” Monfort said, laughing. “I will have to live a long time to match Pat’s record of success.”

“I know what he went through because I’ve seen it,” Isabel Chavez explained with moist, mourning eyes. “So as I was walking in, it was like a flood of memories of all my other patients. And then my heart just kind of broke for the family. Because it����ap hard.”

When Chavez first saw the news of Broncos owner ’s death at 5 a.m. Friday, all of her worlds collided, in the worst of ways. Her husband, James, is better known locally as Denver super-fan Orange Vader, cheering on the Broncos in a makeshift, pumpkin-colored Darth Vader costume, orange lightsaber holstered along his right hip. Her day job for the past 13 years has been as a private nurse for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, which Bowlen had been battling for the past five years.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Chavez sighed. “All you can do is hold them and just let them know that you love them.”

Bowlen, who passed away late Thursday at the age of 75, wasn’t just loved, he was adored — by friends, family, employees and complete strangers alike.

RELATED: Kiszla: Nobody ran harder in pursuit of Broncos’ excellence than franchise owner Pat Bowlen

Many of the latter gathered to pay their respects outside Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Friday, leaving flowers, memorabilia, cans of orange Crush soda — a tribute to the Broncos’ bone-rattling ‘70s defensive units — and personal notes at the base of the statue of Bowlen that was erected in the Ring of Fame plaza in 2014.

Rick Martinez brought a picture of himself with a swath of Broncos memorabilia and tucked it underneath the statue’s right leg. From a short distance, he watched passers-by visit the plaza with a customized Broncos jersey under one arm and a blown-up photo of himself locked shoulder-to-shoulder with Bowlen, taken at the stadium in Sept. 2005, tucked under the other.

“He didn’t have a whole lot of security with him,” Martinez recalled. “He was just walking by me and I asked him: ‘Mr. Bowlen, do you mind if I take a quick picture with you?’ And he said, ‘No, not at all.’ He was very gracious to do that, very easy to approach. Even when I talked to him for just a brief moment, (he) was just a super-nice, friendly guy.”

He was the gold standard for sports ownership in Colorado, a triathlete and an oil man, a lawyer with an ear for the layman, a wealthy man with a touch for the common folk.

“I happened to be wearing this tie one day,” a note left underneath the statue read, “when I ran into Mr. B in a convenience store. We had a nice conversation and he graciously signed the tie, stating, ‘I love Looney Tunes!’ A great man. Colorado and all of ����apountry are lucky to have known him.”

Lucky? Connie Donoho had another word for it: Blessed.

“(He’s) a legend that can’t be replaced,” she said, nodding at the statue of the man wearing bronze shades and icy blue lei. “(He) never will be replaced. He’s brought Champ Bailey, Shannon Sharpe, … his legacy is what����ap keeping the �ٴDz���ٳ���.”

Like a lot of fans, she’d like the see that legacy extended to the name on the Broncos’ home stadium, which has been without a corporate sponsor in the title since last June.

“Since Sports Authority (liquidated), I said it should be named, ‘Pat Bowlen (Field) at Mile High,’” Donoho explained. “It����ap the most fitting name … he’s the owner. He owns it. Why not? What else could you name it after? There’s no other name, right? Not yet.”

Not in this town.

Not like Mr. B.

“The pain is over, for him and for everybody else going through it,” Chavez said, choking back tears again. “They’re in a much better place. And the pain is over.”