Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen has taken a step out of the spotlight in recent years, but on the day that football is back he released a statement on the new collective bargaining agreement (full release at DenverBroncos.com). Here is part of the release:

We care greatly about the special relationship we have with our fans, and it was our responsibility to resolve this matter and return football to the field. The loyalty of our fans, in particular our season ticket holders, has been truly remarkable over the last few months.

But more important is what he says at the end of the release and what we all hope for:

"We are all excited in advance of the 2011 season and are looking forward to a successful year of Broncos football."

This season is certainly shaping up to be a memorable one given the short timetable teams will need to fix their rosters and then compete.