Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen dies at age 75

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Pat Bowlen, the Denver Broncos owner who transformed the team from also-rans into NFL champions and helped the league usher in billion-dollar TV deals, has died. He was 75.

In a statement on the team’s website, Bowlen’s family says he died late Thursday night at home surrounded by loved ones. The statement did not specify a cause of death. Bowlen had battled Alzheimer’s for several years.

Bowlen, elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, was the first owner in NFL history to have his team win 300 games — including playoffs — in three decades. He had as many Super Bowl appearances (seven) as losing seasons, and the Broncos had a 354-240-1 record since he bought the team in 1984.