Pat Bowlen’s passing came as a surprise. Around the league, sympathies and support poured in, many taking care to mention Mr. B’s accomplishments, record as an owner, and everyone affirmed Pat’s worthiness as a 2019 hall of fame enshrinee. Considering the level of respect literally everyone in the league had for Mr. B, it begs the question: Why did Pat’s induction have to be posthumous?
In 2014, Bowlen stepped away from his duties as Denver Broncos owner to focus on his health. For the last five years, the league has known that Bowlen’s clock was running out and yet the mechanism they created to celebrate the greatest of the great in the game, couldn’t get it’s collective act together to do the right thing.