Art Modell

[miktoxic]

I don't know. I saw it in movies and TV where guys like Morgan Freeman and Dennis Haysbert and Danny Glover and maybe others had portrayed the President long before Obama was elected. So when it actually happened it didn't seem like that big of a deal.

 

now that is funny. touche' sir.

[miktoxic]

Am I to presume then that all the atheists wanted Modell to die rich and make the Hall of Fame?

 

how do you know i'm aetheist asshole? just because i don't believe in following some mass religion where people are told what to do and how to act, doesn't mean i'm aetheist. it means i have a free will. i'm not going to go into a drawn out story of what i've seen in and out of church go on with you brainwashed cattle. it would take to long and you're not worth it. i believe in being good to every living being on this planet (unless you're someone trying to destroy this country) and not to be a scumbag. how's that?

 

i just thought wishing a man to be sufferingly broke at the time of his passing to be very christian of you. and to give another kick into his side, wish an honor that might well be bestowed upon him in the near future (HOF) to never happen, goes to show your true colors, johnny satan.

[The Gipper]

how do you know i'm aetheist asshole? just because i don't believe in following some mass religion where people are told what to do and how to act, doesn't mean i'm aetheist. it means i have a free will. i'm not going to go into a drawn out story of what i've seen in and out of church go on with you brainwashed cattle. it would take to long and you're not worth it. i believe in being good to every living being on this planet (unless you're someone trying to destroy this country) and not to be a scumbag. how's that?

 

i just thought wishing a man to be sufferingly broke at the time of his passing to be very christian of you. and to give another kick into his side, wish an honor that might well be bestowed upon him in the near future (HOF) to never happen, goes to show your true colors, johnny satan.

 

Why would he be any more HOF worthy now when he wasn't before. Like I said, his actual physical demise is irrelevent.

[hoorta]

Really? You got to be kidding! viewing a casket at M&T stadium in Baltimore Sunday sound like fun?

 

One RPG from the stands would be loads of fun. We still love ya Art.

[The Gipper]

This was posted on a Ravens board when Robert Irsay died. Why should they expect any different treatment?

 

[miktoxic]

This was posted on a Ravens board when Robert Irsay died. Why should they expect any different treatment?

 

 

wow. better teach the person who posted that pic how to use photoshop. too fucking fake.

 

from someone that knows.

[The Gipper]

wow. better teach the person who posted that pic how to use photoshop. too fucking fake.

 

from someone that knows.

 

I don't know, it may not have been that bad. Here is the original...and you can listen to the whole album if you'd like.

 

It is probably one of the 10 greatest albums ever produced.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVM5OVxLfq0&feature=related

[WRREBEL]

Wait is art still dead?

[DieHardBrownsFan]

wow. better teach the person who posted that pic how to use photoshop. too fucking fake.

 

from someone that knows.

 

You have to remember, that was a LONG TIME AGO.

[FearTheRoo]

I know that most of the NFL will be observing a moment of silence, and the Browns almost had to do something. As Browns fans it would surely reflect bad on the city if the moment turned negative. Obviously I wasn't happy to see the team move, but it was a long time ago and it's time to move on. We have a team now (sort of) and I think being silent would show a lot more class on our part, than acting like idiots. Yeah, you probably don't care what I have to say but Art has passed and football is only a game. It means a lot to this city, but being obnoxious isn't going to change the past. A Lombardi trophy won't magically show up on our sidelines. Lastly, think of the impression it will leave on Jimmy Haslam. Do you think he'd enjoy seeing fans cheer the passing of a former owner? I guarantee he would lose a great deal of respect for the fans.

[miktoxic]

I don't know, it may not have been that bad. Here is the original...and you can listen to the whole album if you'd like.

 

It is probably one of the 10 greatest albums ever produced.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVM5OVxLfq0&feature=related

 

 

love the album. man was i dumb not to catch that. maybe it's because i haven't had a turntable for over ten years and all my vinyl has been replaced with cds and mp3s. nothing like the sound of vinyl though. the pic made it hard to see the people clearly. doesn't entwistle look like he's zippin his fly?

[ballpeen]

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-10-04/news/1998277064_1_modell-moved-to-baltimore-lerner

 

Interesting article saying Modell and Lerner conspired to move the Browns to Baltimore as early as 1985.

 

Then have Lerner take over a new franchise in Cleveland, as they would eventually do.

 

 

I almost feel ashamed that I don't have this burning passionate hatred for Art Modell.

 

The Browns left a long time ago and we've got them back now, I'm over it.

 

I think Modell is a historic NFL figure and should be in the HOF.

 

 

 

I agree. He deserves the HOF.....he was a mover and shaker in owner circles. Much of todays NFL success is owed to Art and his talents and vision. TV contracts, league mergers, MNF....come on, that's big stuff.

 

 

 

If you don't agree, take off the HOMER hat for a few minutes.

 

Now he is dead. It's time to let it go and welcome him home.

[rich4eagle]

I agree. He deserves the HOF.....he was a mover and shaker in owner circles. Much of todays NFL success is owed to Art and his talents and vision. TV contracts, league mergers, MNF....come on, that's big stuff.

 

 

 

If you don't agree, take off the HOMER hat for a few minutes.

 

Now he is dead. It's time to let it go and welcome him home.

'

 

 

Basically agree with but a lot of baggage is discarded. He had sellouts for 35 years and leased the stadium for a dollar a year and could not fix the urinals! How could you go broke with a sweetheart deal like that? He painted the ,mud green and opposing teams called the field artificial dirt, how could he not afford to have a first class field. Most Browns games in the heyday were played in MUD.

 

So yes Ballpeen, I agree he deserves to be in the HOF for his innovations and workings to combine the two leagues and his TV and revenue sharing wizardry. As far as being an astute manager his reasons for leaving Cleveland he deserves a F. So he gets in the HOF for innovation with an asterisk that says he "failed to make money for the greatest franchise in football with a dollar a year stadium lease"

[BrownIndian]

I dont think he deserves the HOF.

 

He does deserve a moment of silence - If not for respect for a deceased person, then atleast for the fact that it helps with energy conservation.

[ballpeen]

'

 

 

Basically agree with but a lot of baggage is discarded. He had sellouts for 35 years and leased the stadium for a dollar a year and could not fix the urinals! How could you go broke with a sweetheart deal like that? He painted the ,mud green and opposing teams called the field artificial dirt, how could he not afford to have a first class field. Most Browns games in the heyday were played in MUD.

 

So yes Ballpeen, I agree he deserves to be in the HOF for his innovations and workings to combine the two leagues and his TV and revenue sharing wizardry. As far as being an astute manager his reasons for leaving Cleveland he deserves a F. So he gets in the HOF for innovation with an asterisk that says he "failed to make money for the greatest franchise in football with a dollar a year stadium lease"

 

 

I don't think it was as easy as that. We had a baseball infield out to about the 30 yard line. We couldn't sod it in soon enough to take hold because the baseball team was still using the facility, so there really wasn't anything that could be done about the mud other than hope it didn't rain.

 

I agree, I don't think he was the greatest business man in the world, but IMO the move was caused by the cities failure to address the needs of the Browns.

 

At any rate, it all worked out. Cleveland got a team and stadium, Baltimore got a team, everybody made money.

 

I was listening to Triv on the drive up yesterday...it made sense and I believe him when he said he has solid inside info....it was planned...Cleveland needed a stadium but the current location was the only place to put it and there were no real options for the Browns to play if a new stadium was erected. The Rubber Bowl as an example wouldn't work.

 

Baltimore got a team, we got a stadium and a team....we kept our name. Names go with teams, they don't stay with cities.

 

Nope, I don't blame Art for moving. Muni stadium was a money hole. It couldn't be fixed, it needed to be blown up.

[Harry Buffalo]

You don't suddenly deserve HoF just because you died. Him moving them team in my mind contradicts all the good things he did for the NFL. His death doesn't change that in my mind. And while I think a moment of silence is fine, I know that there IS going to be barking in the stadium on Sunday. Not that there should be but that there will be.

[CrocodileDilemma]

this was posted on www.reddit.com/r/nfl and I thought you'd like to read it:

 

I can't believe the NFL, I can't help but think that Cleveland is just seen as a whipping post to the NFL leadership. They oversaw the Browns move and allowed it to happen. A move that was motivated by the owner being stupid with his business practices and was doing what he could to avoid bankruptcy. Because of his mistakes he decided to punish an entire fanbase and then ended up STILL having to sell the team a couple years later. Even with the amazing deal he got for moving the team he couldn't afford to keep it.

 

Many of you may say that he moved because Cleveland refused to give him a new stadium. Despite the "facts" the media is manufacturing after his death this is untrue. He was offered a spot in the Gateway project that gave the Indians a new field and the Cavs a new arena. He refused because he'd be expected to actually pay money for a lease instead of getting it basically free and bleeding the city and the Indians for more money. Source.

 

Many are also seeing reports from the media that Modell basically "let" us keep our history and team name out of the goodness of his heart. This is also untrue, the city had to fight him to keep them. He also broke a lease agreement and the city had to sue him to get him to honor his agreement there. Source.

 

The NFL then allowed friend and business partner of Modell, Al Lerner, to become the owner of the new team. This is a guy that actually assisted in the move of the original Browns so he could later become the owner of the new team.

 

Now that Modell has died I'd very much prefer if we could just move on. The only problem is that the media has changed the story on what has happened with the move. I don't know if this is under pressure from the NFL but what other reason would they have for trying to change history? Also, the NFL has stepped in and isn't allowing fans to just move on. Initially sources were saying that the Browns had no plans to honor Modell. Now, after an NFL message "asking" the teams to honor him in some, appropriate way the Browns are saying they'll be doing something in his honor. That sounds very much like the NFL is pressuring the Browns FO to do this. There's no proof of this and never will be but it's extremely suspicious. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a tribute because I hate him, I'm not going to include my opinion of the man in this post. I'm saying the NFL knows what kind of reaction the Cleveland fanbase will give and is still pressuring the Browns to do something. They know it will make us look like shit and they don't care. It won't be all Browns fans booing and making noise but in a silent stadium a couple thousand people yelling will be easily heard. They seem to like having a whipping boy around, it's good for media attention.

 

Sorry this rant got so long but it's getting ridiculous and I'm hoping people will try to see things from our point of view.

[miktoxic]

this was posted on www.reddit.com/r/nfl and I thought you'd like to read it:

 

I can't believe the NFL, I can't help but think that Cleveland is just seen as a whipping post to the NFL leadership. They oversaw the Browns move and allowed it to happen. A move that was motivated by the owner being stupid with his business practices and was doing what he could to avoid bankruptcy. Because of his mistakes he decided to punish an entire fanbase and then ended up STILL having to sell the team a couple years later. Even with the amazing deal he got for moving the team he couldn't afford to keep it.

 

Many of you may say that he moved because Cleveland refused to give him a new stadium. Despite the "facts" the media is manufacturing after his death this is untrue. He was offered a spot in the Gateway project that gave the Indians a new field and the Cavs a new arena. He refused because he'd be expected to actually pay money for a lease instead of getting it basically free and bleeding the city and the Indians for more money. Source.

 

Many are also seeing reports from the media that Modell basically "let" us keep our history and team name out of the goodness of his heart. This is also untrue, the city had to fight him to keep them. He also broke a lease agreement and the city had to sue him to get him to honor his agreement there. Source.

 

The NFL then allowed friend and business partner of Modell, Al Lerner, to become the owner of the new team. This is a guy that actually assisted in the move of the original Browns so he could later become the owner of the new team.

 

Now that Modell has died I'd very much prefer if we could just move on. The only problem is that the media has changed the story on what has happened with the move. I don't know if this is under pressure from the NFL but what other reason would they have for trying to change history? Also, the NFL has stepped in and isn't allowing fans to just move on. Initially sources were saying that the Browns had no plans to honor Modell. Now, after an NFL message "asking" the teams to honor him in some, appropriate way the Browns are saying they'll be doing something in his honor. That sounds very much like the NFL is pressuring the Browns FO to do this. There's no proof of this and never will be but it's extremely suspicious. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a tribute because I hate him, I'm not going to include my opinion of the man in this post. I'm saying the NFL knows what kind of reaction the Cleveland fanbase will give and is still pressuring the Browns to do something. They know it will make us look like shit and they don't care. It won't be all Browns fans booing and making noise but in a silent stadium a couple thousand people yelling will be easily heard. They seem to like having a whipping boy around, it's good for media attention.

 

Sorry this rant got so long but it's getting ridiculous and I'm hoping people will try to see things from our point of view.

 

one of the worst reads ever.

 

i know this hits clevelanders a lot harder than those fans living outside the region so i've made an effort as to stand back a little as far as my comments go just because i wasn't there. that being said yes he was on one hand the biggest scumbage in cleveland history. but on the other hand he was one of the best owners the franchise has ever seen. didn't we see a championship under his reign? didn't we have the sipe and cardiac kids? the kosar era? if not for a couple of bungled plays we could have easily been in 3 super bowls. then there is what he did for football outside of cleveland.

 

watching it from afar, seeing everything unfold via news articles and national sports tv, i truly put more blame on the city of cleveland and their city council and especially the mayor, who when he spoke was basically drawing a line in the sand. "wouldn't give in". "not be hussled" and then after weeks and months of hearing this and not getting what he needed modell was on tv saying "i'm not going to sit here and beg and plead like a little child for what i think this team deserves" kinda told me the team was gone.

 

yes he does deserve the HOF. he did then and does now. if anyone should've been burned in effigy it should've benn mayor blackie white.

 

btw. it's not just the browns doing a moment of silence for modell it's every team in the league. i'm sure goodell was a teeneager in the nfl offices running errands for the big boys while rozell and tagliabu were still at the helm so he must have seen modell many times in those offices. i'm sure he has first hand knowledge of what modell did for this league. that's why the moment of silence is being done league wide.

[hoorta]

 

 

At any rate, it all worked out. Cleveland got a team and stadium, Baltimore got a team, everybody made money.

 

I was listening to Triv on the drive up yesterday...it made sense and I believe him when he said he has solid inside info....it was planned...Cleveland needed a stadium but the current location was the only place to put it and there were no real options for the Browns to play if a new stadium was erected. The Rubber Bowl as an example wouldn't work.

 

Baltimore got a team, we got a stadium and a team....we kept our name. Names go with teams, they don't stay with cities.

 

Nope, I don't blame Art for moving. Muni stadium was a money hole. It couldn't be fixed, it needed to be blown up.

 

Sorry, I disagree. We could have played at Ohio State, two hours down the road. C-bus would have been ecstatic to have the Browns for a couple years. And there is precedent. The Saints played @ LSU when the Superdome was out of commission due to Katrina.

[hoorta]

C'mon. Larry, there is a difference between not having a choice, financially, and not having a choice, emotionally.

 

With all Art experienced in his day with the Browns, how does a man just walk away from his life's passion?

 

It's like football players. Do you think guys like Emmit, Montana, Hodge, Steve YOung, et al didn't know down deep that it was over? Of course they did but they weren't just going to walk away without maybe having some hope, some chance.

 

Art was human, and he loved the Brons.

 

I think it is time for Cleveland fans to realize Art was just a man, forgive him and move on.

 

Oh, he's forgiven on my part- but not forgotten. I'm sure this fan hasn't forgotten- and I haven't forgotten that last game against the Bengals either. Tom Archdeacon Article Well said, Tom.

[calfoxwc]

fart schmodell was scum. I don't care about him - when we got our team back, I forgot about him about a year later.

 

But, every time somebody tries to paint lipstick on ....schmodell, I hate him all over again. @@

 

If it's a league wide moment of silence, I understand the Browns going along. And, if any Browns fans boo

 

at the mention of his dirtied forever name, that would go down as a worse scandal vs Browns fans (via the media, especially),

 

than bottlegate.

 

Let it suffice to say, that it was always about schmodell, and him alone - in his own warped mind. He could NOT STAND the attention on Paul Brown, so he dumped him.

 

Blanton Collier was also a great coach, and I figure if he hadn't retired, schmodell would have fired him, too, just as he

 

fired Sam Rutigilano in later years.

 

It always had to be all about fart schmodell. Moment of silence, whatever. I'm sure they had one for Al Davis, who cares.

 

If I were there, I'd make sure I left during it, and quietly went to get a coke, and go to the bathroom.

 

fart doesn't deserve the HOF, and I hope and pray he never gets in. The evil that men do live after them.

 

Forget it, forget him. Observe the moment of silence respectfully out of principle. Then quietly hope He has a nice time in hell.

 

What a last schmodell blight on the NFL right before the Browns play their first game.

 

blech.

[VaporTrail]

one of the worst reads ever.

 

i know this hits clevelanders a lot harder than those fans living outside the region so i've made an effort as to stand back a little as far as my comments go just because i wasn't there. that being said yes he was on one hand the biggest scumbage in cleveland history. but on the other hand he was one of the best owners the franchise has ever seen. didn't we see a championship under his reign? didn't we have the sipe and cardiac kids? the kosar era? if not for a couple of bungled plays we could have easily been in 3 super bowls. then there is what he did for football outside of cleveland.

 

Like I said before, you may have seen a championship under his reign, but I never had, and I never saw Sipe play either. And yes, there is blame to be put on the politicians, but Modell could have put pressure on them by letting the fans know what was going on. If we had known, there would have been an outrage toward them. He chose not to do so, and he moved the team to Baltimore. Does he deserve the Hall of Fame? Maybe. I wouldn't put him in based on what he did to our city.

[miktoxic]

fart doesn't deserve the HOF, and I hope and pray he never gets in. The evil that men do live after them.

 

Then quietly hope He has a nice time in hell.

 

 

wow. i guess living on a farm has sheltered you from seeing REAL evil. bin laden was evil. dahmer, bundy and fish etc., were evil. to call modell evil is way overboard. greedy maybe. evil no. if you were to base your equation as to what is evil then i guess mitt romney must be evil too, huh?

 

the guy made a bad business decision based on greed. doesn't equate to evil.

 

 

 

 

Like I said before, you may have seen a championship under his reign, but I never had, and I never saw Sipe play either.

 

i didn't see championships either. but it is apart of brown's history. you must be pretty young if you didn't see sipe. well we were the favorites to beat oakland in an AFC playoff game because of the weather here in cleveland (playing in the old muni and because of a few gaffs we ended up losing by 2 points) and thought if we did we had a good chance to go all the way.

 

you did see kosar right? 1986 and 87 one game away from the super bowl.

 

 

 

 

I wouldn't put him in based on what he did to our city.

well i'm glad you don't have a vote.

[VaporTrail]

wow. i guess living on a farm has sheltered you from seeing REAL evil. bin laden was evil. dahmer, bundy and fish etc., were evil. to call modell evil is way overboard. greedy maybe. evil no. if you were to base your equation as to what is evil then i guess mitt romney must be evil too, huh?

 

the guy made a bad business decision based on greed. doesn't equate to evil.

 

Evil is completely relative, and to be completely honest, what Modell did was more personal than anything Bin Laden did.

 

i didn't see championships either. but it is apart of brown's history. you must be pretty young if you didn't see sipe. well we were the favorites to beat oakland in an AFC playoff game because of the weather here in cleveland (playing in the old muni and because of a few gaffs we ended up losing by 2 points) and thought if we did we had a good chance to go all the way.

 

you did see kosar right? 1986 and 87 one game away from the super bowl.

 

 

No. I didn't.

[calfoxwc]

the guy made a bad business decision based on greed. doesn't equate to evil. Mik

****************************************

We're talkin football here. And what that dirtbag did to every single Browns fan, was evil as far as football goes.

[baybrownsfan]

Any Browns fan who thinks this dirt bag should be in the Hall of Fame is a fucking tool.

[VaporTrail]

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/09/cleveland_browns_cancel_their.html

 

CLEVELAND -- The Browns will not be publicly recognizing Art Modell's passing during their pre-game activities at Cleveland Browns Stadium tomorrow afterall.

 

Browns President Mike Holmgren reached out to Modell's son David and said 'we want to do the right thing by the Modell family,'' according to Ravens spokesman Kevin Byrne.

 

"David told Mike that he really appreciated the call and the offer, but that he knew it would not be totally accepted by the Cleveland fans,'' Byrne said.

 

"David suggested that the Browns not do a tribute.''

 

The Browns received a backlash from angry fans when they announced Friday that they would have an "appropriate recognition'' at the Stadium Sunday before their opener against the Eagles.

 

Modell, owner of the Browns from 1961 to 1995, died Thursday morning of natural causes at the age of 87. He had been suffering from congestive heart failure and other serious ailments

 

After much careful thought and many conversations, including those with the NFL office, the Browns had planned just a brief read over their public address system. No moment of silence or photos on the scoreboard were to be included.

 

Current Ravens and former Browns spokesman Kevin Byrne, a native Clevelander who worked for Modell for 31 years, told the Plain Dealer Thursday that he didn't think the Browns should honor Modell because of the fans' intense anger over Modell moving the team to Baltimore in 1996.

 

The NFL sent a memo to all clubs on Friday asking that they commemorate Modell's death in some way. Many are planning a moment of silence or a scoreboard tribute.

 

This is the best decision that could have been made.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

I agree. We don't need to look like fools on Television.

[miktoxic]

wow, some of you guys take this shit way too far. hey, to each their own.

 

just sayin when there is so much more to life than hating some dead guy, you seem silly.

 

betcha on your death bed this is the last thing you'll be thinking about.

[VaporTrail]

^^^That's such a gross oversimplification. He isn't just some dead guy. Benedict Arnold wasn't just some dead guy. He was a fucking traitor, and his name is still used to describe people like him 200 years later. Modell committed the worst sin that could be committed in the NFL, and this is how he's going to be remembered for it.