Homer Simpson Has A Pretty Nice ROI From The Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. It was Denver's third Super Bowl win, all coming since 1998. Who's the biggest beneficiary of this run of success? Well, perhaps none other than Homer Simpson.

The leader of the Simpson household always wanted to own the Dallas Cowboys. And who wouldn't? Back in the 1990s, the Cowboys were still "America's Team" as they ripped off three Super Bowl victories in a four-year span. Unfortunately for Homer, he had to settle for a something a little bit less.

In a 1996 episode of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (NASDAQ: FOXA)'s long-running "The Simpsons" series, Homer's old boss Hank Scoprio left the entire Denver Broncos football team on his front lawn.

"I think owning the Denver Broncos is pretty good," his wife Marge exclaimed. Homer bemoaned, "You just don't understand football, Marge."

By 1996, the Broncos had participated in four Super Bowl games, but came up short in each one. Owner Pat Bowlen purchased the franchise in 1984, just about the same time John Elway would begin his career as one of the great quarterbacks of all time. It took him a while, but Elway finally hit pay dirt by winning the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons (1997, 1998).

After a few middling seasons, the Broncos were back in the Super Bowl picture in 2013, but were embarrassed by the Seattle Seahawks. This year, Peyton Manning finally won his long-sought after second Lombardi Trophy.

That's a pretty nice run for Homer Simpson, despite his initial skepticism.

According to Forbes' most recent franchise valuations, the Broncos are 11th in the NFL, worth a tidy $1.9 billion. With another year atop the NFL since 1996, that value is sure to rise.