Should Bowlen bow out?

A visibly shaken Pat Bowlen fired Mike Shanahan two months ago to the surprise of many. There was no light in the eyes of the once-proud owner of the Denver Broncos, who has been so proud to be the owner for the past two-and-a-half decades. 

The firing of Shanahan has turned into a debacle. The baby brain trust is shooting from the hip, and the 32-year old head coach has wrestled away as much power in the ivory tower as Shanny had. One of the reasons Bowlen dropped the “Mastermind” was that he wanted back control of his team, but that is all gone now as well. 

Xanders in over his head?

The new general manager, Brian Xanders, is in so far over his head he’d have trouble climbing out of his scuffed-up loafers. 

That rush of being the Broncos owner is over, Pat. You’re now a pariah. 

Bowlen is a man in hiding. The NFL is coming up on a non-salary cap season in 2010, and Bowlen is cash poor as NFL owners go, and he will be crushed in any bidding war. 

Look at the feeble dozen that have been signed in free agency so far. The only stud (Brian Dawkins) is three years older than McDaniels. Role players, the lot of them.  

The Broncos season ticket waiting list is a myth. I’m not sure there was a sellout all last season. The same empty seats are visible at every game, and the playoff order forms went un-purchased by the thousands. That’s what precipitated the firing of his long lost friend and golfing buddy. 

Little incentive to buy tickets

Has anything the brat pack done stirred you to want to buy tickets? If the economy gets any worse, people will be selling their tickets on eBay and Stubhub at an even higher rate than they are now. There are thousands of tickets available for all of you who don’t want to get in the imaginary line. 

Bowlen paid $78 million, according to Forbes, for the Broncos 25 years ago and could sell the team for 10 times that — even in this deflated economy. Even if it’s half that, and the Broncos can’t compete, the price tag will continue to drop until the Blue Mars light goes on. Bowlen used to be close friends with Shanahan and Dan Reeves, his former head coaches. What’s he going to do with his Joshness, take him to a PG-13 movie?

What looked like an exciting time in Broncos history is now a complete crapshoot. The Broncos will have to over-pay for any real players while every GM in the NFL is trying to pick the pockets of the Broncos’ “Kids R Us.”

Ghost town

The halls out at the Dove Valley are mainly empty from cutbacks and firings. Bowlen is paying scores of people not to be there, starting with Shanahan, the Goodmans, and many former coaches. The Broncos are bleeding money, and cash flow is at a 10-year low. 

The Dallas Cowboys are in a free fall, and the Oakland Raiders are just a shadow of their once pompous glory. Denver is now heading south at breakneck speed and Bowlen needs to get out before they’re emulating Detroit. When was the last time you thought of the Broncos as part of the community, rather than a bunch of carpetbaggers? 

Bowlen doesn’t have to look far for a perspective buyer. John Elway has been an owner in waiting for several years now. Who could put the money together faster and with solid financial backers better than Elway? 

Elway could put excitement back into the Denver Broncos and the entire region. Those empty seats would disappear, and corporate America would once again embrace the golden boy. Players would want to come here first, rather than as a last resort, and the Broncos wouldn’t have to over-pay in the process. 

Bowlen has been a good owner, but the fun and enthusiasm he had in building this franchise with friends and colleagues is over. He sits alone in the second floor of the nearly empty Broncos headquarters. 

It’s time, Bowlen. The Broncos belong to the fans — you’ve just been a worthy caretaker. The Bowlen era should be remembered fondly and with great pride. 

Don’t wait to be Al Davis.

This is all just supposition on my part, but you read it here first.

Listen to Gil Whiteley everyday at noon on “The Sports Nooner” on AM 1510 KCKK. Or call 303-297-1510.

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