NFL Discussion Thread - Hall of Fame Game: August 3rd

[shannonscrooks]

 

[finallyfamous]

AFC North EASILY top 3

 

[651akathepaul]

The first Sunday of the football season is seriously like my Christmas morning now. Up super earlys scowering over the matchups and fantasy lineups in anticipation.

Then nap by the late games.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Happy early 75th birthday Coach LeBeau!!! Hope we get a win on TV Sunday on your birthday...

 

[RyGuy45]

I know a lot of older Clevelanders hate Modell. They really should be pissed at the civic leaders at the time. He did the classy thing in leaving behind the team name, colors, legacy, everything with the hopes they could get another team. Old school Baltimorians wish the Irsays did the same thing. They still hurt seeing that Colt uni on TV...

While no single party bears 100% of the blame for any relocation, telling people they should all be pissed at the civic leaders and not Modell is a tad off-base. Modell put himself in that bind and, as is typical in most walks of life, wanted others to bail him out. When he did not get his way right away, he moved.

Most kids here are not interested in reading the particulars or are too young too care but let's refresh:

1. Modell buys the Browns in 1961 for $4 million. He put up $250,000 of his own money and borrowed the remaining.
2. In 1973 Modell decides he wants full control of Cleveland Stadium, which the city of Cleveland had been operating at high costs to them. The city eventually agrees to allow Modell full operating control, and all profits, and Modell agrees to a 25-year lease where he would pay the city a fee while being allowed full control to collect all profits from the stadium as well as rent the stadium to the Indians during baseball season. Modell was also allowed to negotiate his own sponsors and advertising. In exchange for this deal he was to pay the city $150-$200 K per year in "rent." Modell thought this was such a sweetheart of a deal that he formed his own stadium company to operate it, separate from his Browns ownership partners which allowed Modell full profits to himself. He also told the Indians he was keeping their suite revenue from their 81 baseball games.
3. Modell was instantly hit with unplanned costs pertaining to the stadium and started what turned out to be a long trend of borrowing and more borrowing. And more charging of the Indians.
4. In 1982, with operating costs rising and an original get-rich quick plan crumbling more by the year, Modell again went to the Indians to try and increase their rent to him. Already fed up with Modell and unable to make any money to compete, the Indians eventually convinced the city to let them have their own stadium and the Indians left. Modell brushed this off as no big deal as he always took the Indians and their poor attendance as a nuisance to his pocketbook. He turned out to be wrong.
5. Modell eventually took the next step of trying to convince his Browns partners to buy his sinking stadium company. The deal fell through when one partner discovered Modell had secretly purchased a piece of land in another city hoping to eventually build a new stadium there. Modell bought the land for $600,000 out of his own pocket and eventually claimed the land was now worth $3.8 million. He wanted the partners to pay for it in their stadium company deal. An appraiser later valued this property at a little over $300,000 and the deal was off. Modell was stuck with his stadium company, his low-end land, and his other debts and costs. He borrowed more.
6. With mounting debt and the unexpected amount of revenue he lost with the Indians leaving, Modell's final card was going to the county in the mid 90's and requesting $175 million public dollars for stadium improvements. This was met with delays, which would have happened anywhere when it comes to public funding. Modell anxiously waited.
7. During this time Modell receives an under the table offer from Baltimore for free use of a new stadium (and eventually 100% ownership of the team instead of his current 51%) if he would relocate there. With the county planning a vote for his $175 million in Cleveland Stadium renovations, Modell announces they can all stop because he is moving to Baltimore despite still being in his original 25-year stadium lease terms he signed in 1973.
8. County and city officials in Cleveland scramble and have emergency meetings where they quickly agree on Modell's original requests for stadium renovations. Modell now declines. The city and fans explode.
9. Because moving an NFL team is not exactly something any owner can just up and do anymore, settlement talks are hammered out between the team, Cleveland, Baltimore, and the NFL. Eventually Modell agrees (or some would say forced) to keep the Browns history in Cleveland as part of the settlement to allow him to move. The city of Cleveland is also promised by the NFL that they will get a new expansion team and a guarantee they would be placed in a division with their Browns rivals.
10. Modell's model of relocation eventually became the model for all NFL owners and the stranglehold they hold on their cities where the threat of relocation is now the biggest, and first, thing uttered when time for new stadium renovations or a new stadium altogether.


Art Modell's legacy is sealed. One can look at it any which way he pleases. However, "classy" would not be the word I would use towards the man. He's an owner. Class is not an option.

 

[young thundercat]

damn homie you starving like that for attention?


your name and number

 

[gmsboy1]

Anyone see this about Chad Jones? I remember hearing about the him from LSU playing
baseball and football and doing well in both, but hadn't heard about him since. Didn't even
know about the crash. I don't pray but he gets my well wishes.

 

[216301baller]

RIP Art Modell thank you for everything you have done for the Browns and Ravens..you will forever be a Browns owner..

 

[finallyfamous]

Moment of silence? Yeah have fun with that in the pound

 

[ag 47]

Carnell Lake (one of the all time great DBs)

Lake so underrated in DB history. But Carnell will have his hands full considering Rod Woodson (Raiders DB coach at the time) mentored DVD all last year with little improvement in his game.

 

[va757va]

damn homie you starving like that for attention?
your name and number

he bought it for his momma man...

 

[216301baller]

@Fame come on bra...you gotta let go of the grudge sometime man dude put in work for the Browns organization

 

[solarius49]

Carnell Lake (one of the all time great DBs)

Lake so underrated in DB history. But Carnell will have his hands full considering Rod Woodson (Raiders DB coach at the time) mentored DVD all last year with little improvement in his game.

another great Steeler

 

[finallyfamous]

I was 4 when he moved the team and 8 when the Browns came back.

Didn't really affect me. The older fans will never forget

 

[CJ616]

AFC North EASILY top 3

1. NFC East
2. AFC North
T3. NFC South
T3. NFC North

 

[Kimchi Papi]

That was nice pulling off all the info from Wikipedia RyGuy, but there are huge holes in that info. While it's true Modell made tons of bad business decisions, he worked tirelessly to get a new stadium only to see the Indians get one. I'm not going to debate whether or not governments should fund stadiums, because I don't think they should, but I'd have to imagine that had to hurt Modell. Let's not pretend that he had to leave to name behind, no one forced him to do anything. He agreed to do it which in it of itself was classy. He was hemorrhaging money & did what he though was best at the time, although he ended up losing even more money post move which led to Biscotti coming into the picture initially as a minority owner, then primary owner...Bottom line is Cleveland got to keep the team name & history which is a lot more than I can say for Baltimore & it's beloved Colts.

Edit- I forgot to add the Cavs also got a new arena at the time (Gund Arena which is quicken loans). Keep in mind, Modell had been working with the city to get a new Stadium before the Indians & Cavs so when they got they're new places I can imagine Modell was pissed...

 

[elpablo21]

damn homie you starving like that for attention?
your name and number

he bought it for his momma man...

 

 

[ag 47]

another great Steeler

and Raider plehboi

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Just saw that Arian Foster is a game time decision (sounds like Kubiak is playing around to me). What's wrong with him?

 

[mmg]

Just saw that Arian Foster is a game time decision (sounds like Kubiak is playing around to me). What's wrong with him?

No clue maybe cause he doesn't wanna waste him on the phins or he's trollin

 

[Peep Game]

^That's pretty much what it is . I wouldn't be surprised if he started Ben Tate, made sure Andre had 2 catches for 2 tds and let the defense take care of the rest

It's John McClain, that's why

 

[do work son]

according to john mcclain-

John McClain ‏@McClain_on_NFL
Foster said he plans to start, pain is in "knee area" and not his knee. He said it's from working out extremely hard.

i'm not sure how your knee area hurts, without your knee hurting

 

[mmg]

It says Foster / Reed didn't practice today, Reed bothers me more than Foster to be honest, Tate gonna ball

 

[ag 47]

Packer fans, ya'll got some 'splaining to do...

The Lambeau Leap has its hazards, as Jennings explained to Erik Kuselias of NBC Sports Radio on Thursday night.

“I try to go away from the men because the men get a little grabby,” Jennings said. “The women get grabby too but them men it’s like come on, really, seriously? I’m another guy.”

 

[Peep Game]

"I'm another guy"