On October 25, 2018, Bill Bowlen, the brother of the Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen filed a court motion to remove trustees Joe Ellis, Rich Slivka, and Mary Kelly who have served as agents of Pat Bowlen and his power of attorney due to Pat Bowlen's ongoing battle with Alzheimer's.
Due to such appointment, Ellis, Slivka, and Kelly have operational control over the Broncos organization, with Ellis serving in the most prominent role as the team's CEO and president. Bill Bowlen has accused the trustees of delaying the transition of management and control to Pat Bowlen's own children in breach of their fiduciary duties. Bill Bowlen also accuses the trustees of not complying with NFL rules and expresses concerns over the trustees' handling of his brothers affairs, lack of accountability and failure to follow his brother's wishes. The trustees responded to the allegations by stating that they will continue to execute Pat Bowlen's succession plan for the team in compliance with NFL policies. In May, Pat Bowlen's daughter, Beth Bowlen, announced her desire to take over as controlling owner. However, the trustees claimed that she wasn't capable or qualified at the time, indicating that another daughter, Brittany, was the favorite for the position. All of this has the making of a deeply contested legal and family dispute. Tune in to the Withers Sports Blog for regular updates.
This article was written with contributions from Tim Piscatelli.
