Bill Bowlen filed suit with Denver Courts

[Sam_Z]

Is your question leading to the conclusion that because the team isn't performing at a high level in terms of wins, that the trust should be dissolved and control given to Bill and/or Beth Bowlen?

If so, then my answer would be yes, I'm fine with the direction of the team because I don't believe ownership is the issue right now the way those on 104.3 The Fan think it is. If it were, the NFL would most certainly intervene and force the trusts' hands in selecting a new owner, which regardless of this legal maneuvering won't be Beth Bowlen unless something completely unbelievable happens. If Pat wanted Beth or Bill to be the owner, he wouldn't have set up the trust in the first place.

Fair enough but IMO, the absence of a functioning owner could be responsible for this teams rapid decline. I for one am not happy with the direction of this team heading into its first back to back losing season since 1972.

The argument Bill and Beth are attempting to make the is that Pat wasnt in the right frame of mind when he signed the team over to the trust being that certain medical records state that Pat was diagnosed more than 10 years prior. However I’m not sure how much these medical files can be made public.

I’d like to know where John stands in all of this. Last I heard was that he and Ellis were not even on speaking terms. Yes I know many of you hate that I make that statement but the fact is that It was put out there and then disappeared. Many say it disappeared because it was a farce but others say it disappeared out of fear of losing access to team headquarters. Who knows for sure but this thing could get ugly or it become a failed attempt for Beth gaining control in order to make a sale and reap the benefits!

[GoDonkeys!]

This is what the team put out to employees.

STATEMENT FROM DAN REILLY, LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE PAT BOWLEN TRUST

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Please see below for a statement from Dan Reilly, legal counsel for the Pat Bowlen Trust:
“We have not seen this lawsuit and first learned of it through a media report tonight.
“Although we are currently reviewing this matter, we are aware that the counsel submitting this complaint on behalf of Bill Bowlen is the same one that has been representing Beth Bowlen Wallace.
“The trustees will continue to execute Pat Bowlen's long-standing succession plan for the Denver Broncos in compliance with all NFL ownership policies.”

[gtown53]

Eh...

It seems Pat himself wanted Britney and the trust was set up to see that through.

Bill really doesn't have much of a legal stand here. This may go through the courts but ultimately the trust will remain.

So you've read the Trust Agreement? And maybe you have a copy you could Post on this Board?

If Pat Bowlen wanted Brittany to take over the Team, he would have stated that in the Trust documents. Beth Bowlen was given a "path to succession" to take over the team BY THE TRUSTEES when she was employed by the Broncos in Marketing. According to the news articles that I've read, Beth was told by the Trustees that she needed a Law Degree to be considered. She quit her job in Broncos Marketing, entered the prestigious Denver University Law School, got her law degree, passed the Bar, and then was told that she shouldn't have quit her job with the Broncos, and that the Goal Posts have now been moved. The good ole "Catch 22".

I'm GUESSING that the current Mrs. Bowlen, who wants her own daughter, and not the daughter of Pat Bowlen's previous wife to take over, is driving this bus, along with Trustees who want to keep their lucrative positions for another 10 or 15 years. I think it's pathetic if that's whats happening. Of course, none of us know for sure. But this is why I've been arguing for years that John Elway needs to put together a group of Investors, go to the NFL, and ask permission to take the Franchise "Public" through an IPO. It means that you have a lucrative payout to the current Owners, and you have the kind of accountability to a Board of Directors that Bill Bowlen is talking about, AND you keep the Broncos in Denver. Forbes lists the Broncos Franchise value at $2.6 BILLION DOLLARS. That narrows the field to rich people outside of Colorado. Or maybe the fans would like it if the Monforts bought the team.

[mojo0730]

So you've read the Trust Agreement? And maybe you have a copy you could Post on this Board?

If Pat Bowlen wanted Brittany to take over the Team, he would have stated that in the Trust documents. Beth Bowlen was given a "path to succession" to take over the team BY THE TRUSTEES when she was employed by the Broncos in Marketing. According to the news articles that I've read, Beth was told by the Trustees that she needed a Law Degree to be considered. She quit her job in Broncos Marketing, entered the prestigious Denver University Law School, got her law degree, passed the Bar, and then was told that she shouldn't have quit her job with the Broncos, and that the Goal Posts have now been moved. The good ole "Catch 22".

I'm GUESSING that the current Mrs. Bowlen, who wants her own daughter, and not the daughter of Pat Bowlen's previous wife to take over, is driving this bus, along with Trustees who want to keep their lucrative positions for another 10 or 15 years. I think it's pathetic if that's whats happening. Of course, none of us know for sure. But this is why I've been arguing for years that John Elway needs to put together a group of Investors, go to the NFL, and ask permission to take the Franchise "Public" through an IPO. It means that you have a lucrative payout to the current Owners, and you have the kind of accountability to a Board of Directors that Bill Bowlen is talking about, AND you keep the Broncos in Denver. Forbes lists the Broncos Franchise value at $2.6 BILLION DOLLARS. That narrows the field to rich people outside of Colorado. Or maybe the fans would like it if the Monforts bought the team.

Mrs. Bowlen was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease too, so I doubt she's leading the charge on anything.

[mojo0730]

Also, the Broncos nor any other NFL team will ever go public outside Green Bay, and that is a very specific situation the NFL has made clear will not occur with any other NFL team.

[mojo0730]

Fair enough but IMO, the absence of a functioning owner could be responsible for this teams rapid decline. I for one am not happy with the direction of this team heading into its first back to back losing season since 1972.

The argument Bill and Beth are attempting to make the is that Pat wasnt in the right frame of mind when he signed the team over to the trust being that certain medical records state that Pat was diagnosed more than 10 years prior. However I’m not sure how much these medical files can be made public.

I’d like to know where John stands in all of this. Last I heard was that he and Ellis were not even on speaking terms. Yes I know many of you hate that I make that statement but the fact is that It was put out there and then disappeared. Many say it disappeared because it was a farce but others say it disappeared out of fear of losing access to team headquarters. Who knows for sure but this thing could get ugly or it become a failed attempt for Beth gaining control in order to make a sale and reap the benefits!

The problem with this team is that we don't have a viable option at quarterback, and haven't since Manning retired. If this team had a top-10 quarterback we wouldn't be facing our second straight losing season. It has nothing to do with ownership or the GM or the coach.

[L.M.]

Nikki is stating that Brittany wants control now however it’s a radio broadcast so no link! But they’re working to gain control. This incident with Chad Kelly was the straw that broke the camels back I guess.

No, cutting a 7th round back-up QB who didn't have one meaningful snap, had issues, and got in trouble has zip to do with this. It's a direct response to Brittany's declaration made on Saturday that she's working to become team owner.

[L.M.]

So you've read the Trust Agreement? And maybe you have a copy you could Post on this Board?

If Pat Bowlen wanted Brittany to take over the Team, he would have stated that in the Trust documents. Beth Bowlen was given a "path to succession" to take over the team BY THE TRUSTEES when she was employed by the Broncos in Marketing. According to the news articles that I've read, Beth was told by the Trustees that she needed a Law Degree to be considered. She quit her job in Broncos Marketing, entered the prestigious Denver University Law School, got her law degree, passed the Bar, and then was told that she shouldn't have quit her job with the Broncos, and that the Goal Posts have now been moved. The good ole "Catch 22".

I'm GUESSING that the current Mrs. Bowlen, who wants her own daughter, and not the daughter of Pat Bowlen's previous wife to take over, is driving this bus, along with Trustees who want to keep their lucrative positions for another 10 or 15 years. I think it's pathetic if that's whats happening. Of course, none of us know for sure. But this is why I've been arguing for years that John Elway needs to put together a group of Investors, go to the NFL, and ask permission to take the Franchise "Public" through an IPO. It means that you have a lucrative payout to the current Owners, and you have the kind of accountability to a Board of Directors that Bill Bowlen is talking about, AND you keep the Broncos in Denver. Forbes lists the Broncos Franchise value at $2.6 BILLION DOLLARS. That narrows the field to rich people outside of Colorado. Or maybe the fans would like it if the Monforts bought the team.

She was fired.

[gtown53]

Also, the Broncos nor any other NFL team will ever go public outside Green Bay, and that is a very specific situation the NFL has made clear will not occur with any other NFL team.

Do you have a Link for that? And a Link for the Bowlen Trust?

[gtown53]

She was fired.

Or, according to Bill Bowlen's complaint, "wrongfully terminated"? Is that right?

[L.M.]

Or, according to Bill Bowlen's complaint, "wrongfully terminated"? Is that right?

Yes, but there's no "or" to it; "fired" and "terminated" are synonymous terms. They believe that happened "wrongfully" of course but there's surely another side to that story which will probably be forthcoming.

[Butler By'Note]

Does Bill Bowlen have standing for this lawsuit? Meaning is he part owner of the team? If he is then maybe it develops into something, if he's not then this should be dismissed quickly. But since he is saying, essentially, that the Trust was set up illegally and that Pat Bowlen didn't know what he was signing, it becomes whether Pat's lawyers and the NFL lawyers knew about it. And since it's likely a very detailed legal document, and the NFL's lawyers would have gone through, approved everything and signed off on it, it's likely that the league will go after this heavily and shut it down quickly.

And the final point that Bill Bowlen and Beth Bowlen are probably completely missing, ultimately the league decides who the owners are. They can remove a franchise owner and force a sale at any point in time. Suing the trust and going down this road pretty much ensures that Beth Bowlen will never be the owner of the Denver Broncos. The league can step in at anytime and force the trust to sell to someone else.

If they truly wanted Beth Bowlen to become the owner, they just made a move to ensure that it will never happen.

[Butler By'Note]

So you've read the Trust Agreement? And maybe you have a copy you could Post on this Board?

If Pat Bowlen wanted Brittany to take over the Team, he would have stated that in the Trust documents. Beth Bowlen was given a "path to succession" to take over the team BY THE TRUSTEES when she was employed by the Broncos in Marketing. According to the news articles that I've read, Beth was told by the Trustees that she needed a Law Degree to be considered. She quit her job in Broncos Marketing, entered the prestigious Denver University Law School, got her law degree, passed the Bar, and then was told that she shouldn't have quit her job with the Broncos, and that the Goal Posts have now been moved. The good ole "Catch 22".

I'm GUESSING that the current Mrs. Bowlen, who wants her own daughter, and not the daughter of Pat Bowlen's previous wife to take over, is driving this bus, along with Trustees who want to keep their lucrative positions for another 10 or 15 years. I think it's pathetic if that's whats happening. Of course, none of us know for sure. But this is why I've been arguing for years that John Elway needs to put together a group of Investors, go to the NFL, and ask permission to take the Franchise "Public" through an IPO. It means that you have a lucrative payout to the current Owners, and you have the kind of accountability to a Board of Directors that Bill Bowlen is talking about, AND you keep the Broncos in Denver. Forbes lists the Broncos Franchise value at $2.6 BILLION DOLLARS. That narrows the field to rich people outside of Colorado. Or maybe the fans would like it if the Monforts bought the team.

According to the Denver Post on May 31, 2018, the league has given the Trustees 5 years to have a new owner in place, whether it's one of the Bowlen children or they sell the franchise. The lawsuits and family drama will probably cut that shorter and most likely have the NFL telling the Trust that it's time to find an outside buyer.

Also, are we sure that any of the Trustees are actually being paid?

And the NFL has strict rules against public franchises. Green Bay was grandfathered in, but the ownership rules state that a team must be run in a private for profit way. And making public would also go against NFL rules of wanting to vet every prospective buyer. Because a team made up of public stock could see the majority of stock purchased by someone the league would refuse ownership rights to.

[L.M.]

Does Bill Bowlen have standing for this lawsuit? Meaning is he part owner of the team?

Nope.

[L.M.]

Bowlen family rift is official: Bill Bowlen files court motion to remove trustees from control
Author: Mike Klis
Published: 7:42 PM MDT October 25, 2018
Updated: 11:29 PM MDT October 25, 2018

ENGLEWOOD – There is officially a Bowlen family rift.

Bill Bowlen, younger brother of Broncos owner Pat Bowlen who has surrendered control of the team to his trust, filed a lawsuit in a Colorado District Court on Thursday against trustees Joe Ellis, Rich Slivka and attorney Mary Kelly, asking they be removed from their responsibilities because of “their failure to uphold Pat Bowlen’s wishes and act in the best interest of Pat Bowlen, his family and the Broncos.”

Here’s where the turmoil within the family dynamic comes in: Five months ago, Bill Bowlen, who is 69 and lives in Edmonton, Alberta, came out in favor of his niece Beth Bowlen Wallace taking control of the Broncos after Beth Bowlen Wallace sent out a press release announcing she is ready to take charge of the Broncos.

Beth Bowlen Wallace is one of two daughters from Pat Bowlen’s first marriage to Sally Parker. The trustees, however, have been noticeably grooming Brittany Bowlen for the controlling owner position. Brittany Bowlen is one of five children from Pat Bowlen’s second marriage to Annabel.

When Beth Bowlen Wallace announced her intent to run the Broncos, the trustees fired back a response that said she “is not capable or qualified at this time” to lead the team.

It could be a coincidence, but Bill Bowlen’s lawsuit against the trustees was filed five days after Brittany Bowlen declared at a Global Down Syndrome Foundation charity event Saturday that she does “have ambition to one day become the controlling owner of the Broncos.’’

“Although we are currently reviewing this matter, we are aware that the counsel submitting the complaint on behalf of Bill Bowlen is the same one that has been representing Beth Bowlen Wallace,’’

Dan Reilly, legal counsel for the Pat Bowlen Trust responded in a statement. “The trustees will continue to execute Pat Bowlen’s long-standing succession plan for the Denver Broncos in compliance with all NFL ownership policies.’’

The Broncos and Annabel Bowlen, Pat's wife, announced in July, 2014 that Pat Bowlen, who is now 74, had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The Broncos were placed in control of the Pat Bowlen Trust, which has Ellis, Slivka and Kelly as trustees.

9News has received a copy of the 67-point complaint Bill Bowlen filed against Ellis, Slivka and Kelly:

*After buying the Broncos from Edgar Kaiser Jr. in March 1984, Patrick Bowlen and his siblings Bill, John and Mary each wound up with approximately 25 percent percent ownership of the team by 1986. Pat Bowlen eventually bought out all of Bill and Mary's ownership interest. Bill sold his stake in 2002 and has not been involved in the team since.

*The complaint says that as of now Pat Bowlen owns 76 percent of the team and John has the other 24 percent. The document does not mention the fact that Pat Bowlen -- or the Pat Bowlen Trust -- controls 100 percent of the voting interest.

*Pat Bowlen created his first irrevocable trust in 1996, according to the complaint. It was amended several times, most notably in 2002.

*The complaint says Pat Bowlen stated that upon his death, distribution rights would be provided to each of his children when they turn 40 years old. Pat Bowlen believed 40 was the age his children would become financial responsible, according to the complaint. It adds this was also the age Pat Bowlen bought the Broncos.

*The complaint reaffirms Pat Bowlen wanted one of his seven children to one day become the Broncos' controlling owner when he was no longer able to serve.

*Rather harshly, the complaint said Pat Bowlen repeatedly expressed to Bill Bowlen that his wife Annabel should not have a role in management or operations of the team.

*The complaint states Pat Bowlen had no desire to sell the team and that doing so should be done "absolutely as a last resort." Bowlen's wish was to become like the Rooney family with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

*The complaint accuses Slivka, Ellis and Kelly of assuming a "dizzying number of different (and conflicting) roles" and implies they are paid for each role.

*A big part of the complaint deals with when Pat Bowlen was incapacitated with Alzheimer's. Bill Bowlen alleges Pat Bowlen was diagnosed with Alzheimer's by doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona in 2006 and he publicly admitted in a Woody Paige column published in May 2009 he had "short-term loss.''

*Two months before Bowlen's public admission, the 2002 Pat Bowlen Trust was amended and that Ellis, Slivka and Kelly "were somehow appointed trustees between 2009 and 2014.

*The complaint accuses the trustees of being prejudicial against Amie and Beth, Pat's two oldest daughters from his first marriage.

*On February 12, 2015, the trustees provided a three-page memorandum to the Bowlen Children listing the criteria and qualifications by which the trustees indicated they would determine which of the Bowlen

Children would be selected as the next controlling owner.

*In the spring of 2015, Beth Bowlen Wallace was fired from her position with the Broncos. The complaint says she was wrongly terminated.

*Point No. 60 may be the reason for the lawsuit. It states Bill Bowlen "and other senior members of the Bowlen family believe that Beth is qualified and capable of assuming operational control of the Team.

*The suit asks the court to remove the trustees from power of the Pat Bowlen Trust. And pay for Bill Bowlen's attorny fees and court costs.

Since the charity event Saturday that Brittany Bowlen co-chaired, the Broncos received negative publicity from a private players Halloween Party in which backup quarterback Chad Kelly was arrested on a first-degree criminal trespass charge, and some players wore controversial costumes. The team released Kelly the next day.

“I am a huge fan of the Broncos, and have been for decades,’’ Bill Bowlen said. “Unfortunately, over the past 15 years, I’ve noticed that the operation of the Broncos has deteriorated, while my brother’s health has worsened.’’

The Broncos did win five AFC West titles in a five-year period from 2011-15 and appeared in two Super Bowls in that period. After Pat Bowlen, who is now 74, officially stepped down from day-to-day duties prior to 2014, the Broncos won the Super Bowl with his Trust running the team’s operations in 2015.

However, the team has slid since the 2015 season, posting records of 9-7 in 2016, 5-11 last year and is currently 3-4 with a game Sunday at Kansas City.

“I have real concerns with these trustees, their conduct and how they got to the positions they are in,’’ Bill Bowlen said. “They have little or no accountability to anybody but themselves. They have not complied with the rules of the NFL and I am uncomfortable with the way they have handled my brother’s affairs. I know what his wishes were, and these individuals are definitely not following them.’’

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said during his Super Bowl LII press conference on January 31 that the Broncos and the trustees "are in compliance with our rules. They have been very thoughtful.''

Bill Bowlen has not held an ownership stake in the Broncos since selling his small share back to his brother in 2002. The Pat Bowlen Trust controls 76 percent ownership of the team – and 100 percent of controlling interest – while his brother John owns a 24 percent non-voting stake, according to the petition filed in court.

https://www.9news.com/article/sports...l/73-608183859