Hall of Fame voters open up on Pat Bowlen’s candidacy

ATLANTA — Over the course of the last two weeks, as BSN Denver has traveled from Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl, to Atlanta, Georgia for the Super Bowl, we have been in the company of many voters for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With than in mind, we used the opportunity to speak with a group of them about Pat Bowlen’s Hall of Fame chances.

Here’s what we learned:

Vic Carucci, Buffalo News

“Well, I think he has an excellent chance. Pat has been one of the foremost contributors to the league, and that is the category that recognizes what owners do. The mark that he left on the league has been indelible. The success of the Denver franchise, through the course of his ownership, has been fantastic… Beyond that, the other thing that I think you take into consideration is what Pat did with regards to league matters. Everyone that I’ve spoken to through the years at the ownership level told me that Pat was a voice that had to be listened to in league meetings, his opinions counted and he saw a bigger picture beyond his club. I think when we’re going through this process of determining who belongs in ‘The Hall’ as a contributor, that is one of the biggest boxes to check, did he or she see a broader picture?”

Charean Williams, Pro Football Talk

“Oh, I think he’ll get in. I mean, I think he should have been in before now. You know, I’m on the contributors committee and I think it’s long overdue for him to go in and I think he’ll go in. I don’t think there will be much discussion on his candidacy. I think it’s clear, with what he did with the Brocnos and what he did in regards to league matters—particularly with the TV contracts—that you can’t write the history of the game without mentioning Pat Bowlen. I do think he’ll go in and I do think he’ll go in pretty easily.”

Bob Glauber, Newsday

“I think Pat Bowlen has an excellent chance of getting in. In fact, I’d be shocked if he does not get in because this is an up or down vote. Back in the day, before there was a contributor category, contributors would go against players and coaches. So, now that it’s separate and it’s a yes-or-no vote, I can’t imagine that Pat Bowlen would not get enough yesses to get in the Hall of Fame.”

Matt Maiocco, NBC Sports Bay Area

“I think that once it gets to that point where he’s nominated by the contributor committee, I just don’t see any way that he won’t get 80 percent of the votes… Obviously, people in Denver believe that Pat Bowlen should have been nominated and inducted long ago, so just that fact that he’s been pushed back for whatever reasons and now he’s going to make it to the eve of Super Bowl Sunday and be talked about in the room, I just don’t see how there is any way that there is not good news for fans of the Denver Broncos when the class of 2019 is announced.

Terez Paylor, The Athletic

“Obviously, he’s a contributor finalist, and it takes a lot for a guy who is a contributor finalist not to get pushed through. He deserves to get in. I can’t speak for other people in the room, but in general, when they reach the contributor round, it’s all good. He’s made a big contribution to the game of football and he’s got a great case.”

Alex Marvez, SiriusXM NFL Radio

“He was smart enough to hire a coach and get out of the way, and that was probably the greatest thing Pat Bowlen did in Denver. He made a great hire with Mike Shanahan and gave him the resources to be able to win and that was tremendous… The narrative is there that Pat Bowlen is someone who was influencial in shaping the league the way it is today, from television deals, to being a loyal owner, to being a confidant to commissioners and being active in league matters… All the success that he had and his contributions to the league should be able to get Pat into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

In conclusion, get the champagne ready.