Denver Broncos general manager George Paton is no George Patton – the legendary World War II general who said losing was for losers.

“Americans love to fight,” Patton said to American troops in 1944 before the Allied invasion of France. “When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big-league ballplayers and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time.”

There is good reason the Broncos sold in June for $4.65 billion – a record price for the purchase of any North American athletic franchise. The team has a long and consistent history of winning.

Since its inaugural year in 1960, the Broncos have won 42 playoff games and three Super Bowls. That’s why multiple prospective buyers drove up the price.

Consistent winning explains why the Rocky Mountain region loves the Broncos through good and bad. Yes, the team has put us through heartache – lo, a 2-11-1 season in 1963 – but always comes back as a marquee contender. With a record of winning, the Broncos have sold out nearly 500 consecutive games – a record among all NFL cities.

Paton has let us down since he began managing the team in 2021. He hired coach Nathaniel Hackett with expectations of a 2022 resurgence. The Broncos began this season with enviable assets. Gen. Patton told his troops they had the finest resources and “the best men in the world,” giving them no excuse for losing.

The Broncos’ new ownership, led by Walmart Chairman Greg Penner, agreed to a $296 million contract with Russell Wilson – widely considered among the best dual-threat, running-passing quarterbacks of all time.

The Broncos fired Hackett this week after he coached Wilson and the rest of the team into gridiron buffoonery. They took losing to a new level, underscoring a dreadful season with a spectacular 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day. What a gift. Under the leadership of Paton and Hackett, Wilson’s legacy lingers sadly in a lurch.

Broncos fans, do not despair. Penner, like Gen. Patton, cannot relate to losing. The grandson-in-law of Walmart founder Sam Walton, Penner has navigated the retail giant through a pandemic and online shopping revolution by “going big, taking risks, never giving up and succeeding.” The company posted record revenues in 2022 and continues as the country’s leading brick-and-mortar retailer.

As supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II, five-star Gen. Dwight Eisenhower – later our 34th president – knew he could not prevail without Gen. Patton. Conversely, Penner cannot succeed without preempting Paton’s general management.

After Hackett’s firing, Penner announced he was taking charge. He, the owner – not Paton, the employee – will lead the search for a new coach. That coach will answer to Penner, not Paton – a man legendary Gazette sports columnist Woody Paige says “cannot be trusted” with personnel decisions.

Professional football is business. Penner ranks among our country’s finest business leaders. We trust him to consult with experts – including Paige and former quarterback Peyton Manning, perhaps – who know the playing field better than most. We trust Penner to find a way to win.

“Our fans have been patient,” Penner said Tuesday. “I think we’ve got the best fans in the world, but we need to put a better product on the field.”

Those are the words of true leadership, so mark our words here. Penner is a winner who will get the Broncos back on track. Indeed, the past seven years have been tough. Patient fans should hold onto season tickets because our Broncos will be great again soon.

Denver Gazette Editorial Board