@MarkKnudson41
It all depends on your vantage point I suppose…and how you view nepotism.
As the Denver Broncos begin looking in earnest for a new owner, there are those who remain hopeful that the team will remain in the hands of the Bowlen family, somehow, someway. Can’t we just have Brittany Bowlen take over and keep the Bowlen magic going? (Many of these folks have been asleep for the past six years, apparently.)
Many of those same fans are upset that Sterling Monfort, the youngest son of Rockies principal owner/operator Dick Monfort, has been promoted to head of Professional Scouting for the organization he (along with his older brother Walker) will undoubtedly own and operate someday.
It’s a little bit confusing.
On one hand, you’re hoping that an unqualified, wet-behind-the-ears 32-year-old with no actual management or ownership experience will be handed the keys to an NFL franchise that dictates the mood of an entire city pretty much all year ‘round, starting this summer. And on the other hand, you’re unhappy that a 30-year old who started his baseball management career as an unpaid assistant for a rookie ball team and who has worked hard for the team as a scout for eight years is moving up the ladder. Could this be too big a leap for Sterling? Perhaps. But it’s not as if he’s working without a safety net.
And he’s not being put in charge of the entire organization.
Dick Monfort and his brother Charlie are very likely to own and operate the Colorado Rockies for the next two decades or more, at least. That means that if the two Monfort sons continue to work for the team (Walker is the V.P. of Corporate Partnerships) they’ll each have at least three DECADES of front office experience before they are tasked with running the entire operation. They’ll have plenty of opportunity to learn what works and what doesn’t.
While the Broncos ownership situation is “a box of chocolates,” (never know what you’re gonna get) at the moment, at least we know that this move is a positive for the long term future of the Rockies. The more knowledge gained by the future owners, the better.
What am I missing here?
Let’s put this all on the table: Brittany Bowlen, now 32-years-old, was handed a job by Joe Ellis and the Denver Broncos Trust three years ago after working for a Marketing firm. Her only NFL experience was as a junior intern in the league offices, and now three years total “working” for the team (two in her current role.) She was given the made up title of “V.P. of Strategic Initiatives” two years ago. While there are some who still cling to the misguided belief that she remains an actual candidate to become the next owner/operator of the team, the terms laid out by Pat Bowlen in the final version of his trust state clearly that “five years of senior management experience” would be a requirement for any of his children to take over the team. That leaves Brittany at the end of the bench. That and the fact that she is eminently UNqualified for the job, period.
So you really want Brittany Bowlen, who has no business anywhere near the controls of an NFL franchise, being given the keys starting this calendar year? And you’re mad that Sterling Monfort has earned a promotion that will still leave him well down the chain of command for several more years while he gains more and more experience?
Keep in mind that while Sterling went straight from college into working in the Rockies minor league system, Walker started out on the grounds crew. Talk about starting on the ground floor. Their father didn’t just simply hand them the keys to a luxury box at Coors Field. He put them to work…the way his father did with him in the meat packing business. Say what you will about the Monforts’ performance as MLB owners…but you can’t question the work ethic.
Nepotism is nothing new in sports. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Oakland/Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders, the Pittsburgh Steelers and several more have had ownership passed down from one generation to the next. Some have worked out nicely (Steelers) and some haven’t (Raiders.) It’s the privilege of owning a team to pass it down to your kids if you want to.
But someone please point out to me ANY of the offspring-turned-owners who worked on their team’s grounds crew.
So now, unlike Brittany, Sterling isn’t about to become a billionaire, he’s about to embark on a season full of watching minor league prospects, studying reports from scouts, watching more prospects, reading report after report from scouts, learning more about the value of analytics, and watching more prospects.
He’s is in the process of earning his stripes.
Brittany Bowlen will soon be in the process of lining up investment opportunities and tax shelters.
Be sure to catch Mark Knudson and Manny Randhawa on the Park Adjusted Rockies Podcast each week, available on all major Podcast platforms.