by Dennis J. GeorgatosFiled under: Broncos, AFC West
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After a failed season marred by scandal and tragedy, Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen is vowing to rebuild the team's image and restore its tradition of success.In a letter to season ticket holders obtained by the Associated Press, Bowlen wrote that last season's 4-12 campaign was the most difficult he had experienced in his 27 years of ownership.
The suicide last September of wide receiver Kenny McKinley took a devastating emotional toll on the team.
On the field, the Broncos (4-12) struggled through a year that ended with the most losses in team history. Josh McDaniels was fired as coach in early December, just a couple weeks after the league fined him and the team for violating league integrity policies by failing to promptly report the improper taping of an opponent's practice the day before a game.
In addition, several players were arrested in connection with off-field incidents, including linebacker D.J. Williams, who was stripped of his team captaincy after his second arrest for investigation of drunken driving.
The fan base also became alienated after McDaniels clashed with some of the team's most popular players and shipped them away in a series of personnel moves that ultimately backfired.
"You deserve more from this franchise than what we saw in 2010, and you have my word that I will restore the culture of winning, trust and integrity within the Broncos," Bowlen wrote in a letter included in season ticket packages that began arriving in the mail Tuesday. "There is a Bronco Way that exists, and it entails success on the field, honoring tradition and maintaining the highest level of character."
Bowlen's first postseason move was to hire John Elway, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Broncos to back to back Super Bowl titles in the late 1990s, as the team's executive vice president of football operations. Elway, the most popular figure in the team's history, led the search that ended in the hiring earlier this month of John Fox as the team's new head coach.
"We are committed to embracing those qualities and others that have made the Denver Broncos one of the most successful in all of professional sports," Bowlen wrote. "I pledge to you that we will exceed your expectations going forward and put the right people in place to lead this team, beginning with the addition of John Elway."
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