The fight continues, but the parties who started it are down for the count.
PFT has confirmed, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, that the lawsuit seeking the removal of the Broncos’ trustees has been dismissed. The presiding judge found that Bill Bowlen, the brother of deceased Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, has no legal standing to make the challenge.
However, as a source with knowledge of the dynamics explained the matter to PFT, the issue has not been fully resolved. After Bill Bowlen filed the lawsuit, the Broncos initiated an arbitration proceeding, arguing that the litigation falls within the purview of the NFL’s procedures for handling disputes of this nature.
Bill Bowlen and the children of Pat Bowlen who support his effort have been trying to remove the trustees have resisted the concept of arbitration; now, it’s their last remaining hope.
There’s not much hope through the arbitration process, or they wouldn’t have resisted it so aggressively. Some close to the situation believe that Bill Bowlen was acting on behalf of Beth Bowlen Wallace and Amie Klemmer, two of Pat Bowlen’s daughters who apparently want to disrupt momentum pointing toward their sister, Brittany Bowlen, eventually being named the controlling owner of the team by the trustees.
Before Pat Bowlen relinquished control of the franchise during his battle against Alzheimer’s disease, he decided that three trustees would determine which of his seven children met the requirements for running the team, with no specific timetable for any of them meeting the qualifications. It’s believed that Brittany Bowlen, who is expected to resume working for the Broncos later this year, will eventually check all the right boxes and become the trustees’ choice to assume leadership of the Broncos.