The Denver Broncos have undergone a bit of turmoil in the front office. Pat Bowlen, former owner of the Broncos, unfortunately passed away in 2019 at age 75, leaving the franchise to his seven children. His daughter Brittany Bowlen was identified by Pat's trust as the rightful inheritor of the team. However, trials and lawsuits have mucked up the entire process.
Amie Klemmer and Beth Bowlen Wallace, daughters from an earlier marriage, filed a lawsuit against the Trust, believing their father to be mentally incapable. A trial date had been set on July 12th to settle the dispute, but it was thrown out. Now, as reported by Kevin Vaughan and Mike Klis of 9news, the lawsuit has been dismissed altogether.
As written in a dismissal notice by Arapahoe County judge John E. Scipione:
[Joe Ellis] . . . have the full and complete authority [to administer the trust] . . .
Joe Ellis, team CEO, spoke on behalf of the Pat Bowlen Trust, stating:
Regarding the future of the Denver Broncos’ organization, our No. 1 priority remains a timely, responsible and orderly determination of ownership. There are no changes with the operation of the team, which is completely focused on a successful 2021 season.
It should be noted that the dismissal does not mean a settlement has been reached. With the trust in control, Brittany Bowlen could take ownership of the Broncos. On the flipside, Denver may be heading towards a sale of the team. The team is valued at about $3.2 billion, so any purchase would come from someone with deep pockets. Whatever the result is, it's clear that this issue will be settled outside of the courtroom.
For now, though, the Broncos seemed focused on having a good season on the field.
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