Broncos CEO Joe Ellis Issues Statement After Bowlen Family Trial is Dismissed
Despite the breaking news that the pending Pat Bowlen family courtroom battle fizzled out on Wednesday, the road toward a new era of ownership of the Denver Broncos remains far from clear.
In the interim, we don't yet know what the Pat Bowlen Trust plans to do with the ownership of the Broncos but a potential outside sale looms large with billionaires like Jeff Bezos circling in even greater numbers in anticipation that the team will be sold.
Team CEO and president Joe Ellis has stated previously that he will not renew his contract in 2022, so executive uncertainty would coincide with a new owner potentially taking over. Ellis proceeded with caution when he made a statement on behalf of the Trust, hot on the heels of court proceedings falling apart.
However, Broncos fans could be excused for feeling underwhelmed after largely being kept in the dark these past many months. Ellis provided comment to 9NEWS' Mike Klis after Beth Bowlen Wallace and Amie Klemmer's (Pat Bowlen's two oldest daughters) lawsuit vs. the Trust was dismissed.
“Regarding the future of the Denver Broncos organization, our No. 1 priority remains a timely, responsible and orderly determination of Broncos ownership. There are no changes with the operation of the team, which is completely focused on a successful 2021 season.”
The swaths of Broncos Country that remain hopeful that the Bowlen family will continue the family ownership of the team, which dates back to 1984, will now be pinning their hopes on the late Pat Bowlen’s 30-year-old daughter Brittany moving further up the organization's power ladder quickly.
Ellis' statement could be deemed as a failure to offer Brittany a ringing endorsement of her potential ownership credentials. At this stage, perhaps the Broncos' brass needs to let the dust settle before hitching its wagons to any potential savior.
The disruptive public catfighting between the Bowlen children appears to have been silenced, albeit perhaps temporarily. Family conflict could very easily be back on the front pages if the Broncos' $3 billion-plus current valuation soars as financial experts have been forecasting, especially with the NFL finally embracing the megabucks on offer from online gambling companies.
In an offseason so far dominated by never-ending Aaron Rodgers rumors, the Broncos' ongoing ownership situation, family disputes, and probable NFL heavyweight involvement might serve as an unlikely, but welcome, distraction for some weary fans.
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