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Denver Broncos ownership dream with LeBron James, Peyton Manning

By Sayre Bedinger

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attends a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attends a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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It’s not a realistic dream but the Denver Broncos’ ownership situation is unresolved and a situation involving LeBron James and Peyton Manning is fun…

There is no clear resolution to the Denver Broncos’ current ownership succession plan with Pat Bowlen’s desire for one of his children to eventually run the team.

The Broncos’ day-to-day operations are in the hands of President and CEO Joe Ellis, who has been in that role since Bowlen stepped away from his duties in 2014.

In an SI.com article that lays out the situation quite well, it’s apparent that the Broncos have no long-term plan in place and one has to wonder at what point alternate options will be considered if Bowlen’s children do not exhibit the required characteristics and qualities to be allowed to run the team.

One scenario that pretty much every Broncos fan could get on board with would be a scenario involving John Elway as at least a part owner of the team. If Elway were to become part owner, it seems he’s grooming Gary Kubiak for a more prominent front office role.

This could be years down the line, but it doesn’t hurt to dream a bit…

Elway doesn’t likely have the amount of money required to purchase the team outright, and there’s no telling the kind of legal gymnastics that would be required for him to become even a majority owner of the team with all of Bowlen’s descendants as well as Ellis and the trustees still in the mix.

But is there a better-qualified person to eventually own the Denver Broncos than John Elway?

As far as what Pat Bowlen would want, I can’t imagine the answer to that question is yes.

Thinking of that scenario got some other gears turning, especially after it was revealed that NBA superstar LeBron James eventually wants to own an NBA and NFL team by his business partner, Maverick Carter.

Again, take this all with a grain of salt. No one is saying these things will happen, but it’s fun to dream.

With LeBron interested in following the footsteps of former athletes turned franchise owners like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson among others (Johnson having stake in both the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers), it would be incredible to see the Broncos follow a similar model with some of the most business savvy athletes in the world.

Elway was an early model of this after his playing days were over, getting into the car business as well as working with Arena football before joining the Broncos in an executive role.

Another athlete rumored to be interested in potentially owning part of an NFL team is Peyton Manning, with many rumors centered around the Cleveland Browns or Tennessee Titans. There were even rumors when Manning was being courted by NFL teams as a free agent that part of the pitch to get him to sign would be an eventual stake in the team as an owner.

Imagine the Denver Broncos eventually being owned and operated by John Elway, Peyton Manning, and LeBron James.

If nothing else, it sounds really cool.

Those are three guys that understand local, national, and international branding. Attaching those three names to one organization would likely elevate the Broncos’ worldwide popularity a considerable amount.

Brandon Keckler and I dreamed up this scenario in our latest podcast…

Again, this is not some report indicating these people are interested in owning the Broncos. This is simply an exercise in creative thinking, no matter how unlikely the scenario.

If LeBron James is to eventually invest some of his massive wealth into an NFL team, the Broncos are as likely as any team with their current ownership situation.

The same is true for Peyton Manning or John Elway for that matter.

This type of star power within an ownership group would also make the Broncos the most attractive option for a stadium endorsement. By the time any of this would go down, the Broncos would likely be in the market for a new stadium sponsor.

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This would also make the Broncos the most enticing option for future free agents. What professional football player wouldn’t want to play for a team owned by Elway, Manning, and LeBron?

Imagine those guys being your bosses, and recruiting you to come to play in their city at Nike Field at Mile High.

The possibilities here are fun to dream up.

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