buckeyemike Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 A LOT of people here are still mad about Art Modell. I'm not one of them. I've said here before that I've long since forgiven Art Modell for moving the Browns. The Browns came back with a brand new stadium (which would be akin to a Brooklyn Dodgers expansion team in a brand-new Ebbets Field in 1961). Brand new team with the same colors and helmets. Owners in the Lerner Family with deep, deep pockets. Randy Lerner has a chance to be a terrific owner. However, it seems to me that the wine-and-cheese-corporate-snot crowd that the NFL craves today has taken things over. Granted, the old stadium was a dump where many fights and the overuse of alcohol/marijuana occurred, but still, it's almost too clean now, too antiseptic. Also, it's interesting what Bill Belichick says in the article. Even he, The Great Genius Coach of The Great Bruschi, has admitted making mistakes. And Modell, who is in poor health, tries to justify the move once again. Art, you simply delayed the inevitable in moving your franchise. You could have been the hero in selling to an Al Lerner or Peter Lewis (chairman of Cleveland-based Progressive Insurance). Instead, you cut your losses and got bailed out, winning a Super Bowl in another city. To the City of Cleveland: It's of no use to us to be bitter at Art Modell anymore. It's been 10 years. We have a new stadium, a new team, and a coach and organization that may finally build a contender. Someday, the Browns will win a Super Bowl (I think within the next 5 to 10 years, a Lombardi Trophy will be at Browns Stadium)...will we finally forgive Modell then? This town holds an awful lot of grudges...I doubt it. MIke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasper13 Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 The last half of the Jim Rome Show today was people from Cleveland calling in and talking about it. They are still pretty PO'd. Some doctor from Cleveland sent in an email and said he would be on line the day Art Modell dies to "unleash a stream of urine" on whatever memorial they have for him and that he wouldn't be alone in that line. Another guy called in to say that when Art Modell dies and goes to hell, all he will have is that damn ring he won in Baltimore and there will be a Browns fan there to take it from him and place it somewhere "special" They were talking about how strange the last month and the last game was- vendors refused to deliver to the stadium, the coaches needed police escorts from the press box to the locker room. At the last game, all the advertising was removed from the stadium, people brought in power tools to take the seats out, they played the entire game heading towards the end zone away from the "Dog Pound" because it was too dangerous. People were calling in saying they remember everything about the day the announcement was made and how horrible they felt and that it was like a family member had died but worse. Another woman called in and said that Browns fans worked hard all week and saved up and scraped their money together to buy a ticket to a game and Art Modell stole that from them. Another guy said it's not the same now beacuse of what happened 10 years ago and that even though they got another team and the name & colors back it doesn't feel right. Yet another guy called in and said that he had season tickets since 1960 and the game on the Sunday after JFK was shot in 1963 was the quietest and saddest game he could remember until the Browns last game in 1995. I just hope we do not ever have to tell stories like that about the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckeyemike Posted November 16, 2005 Author Share Posted November 16, 2005 The last half of the Jim Rome Show today was people from Cleveland calling in and talking about it. They are still pretty PO'd. Some doctor from Cleveland sent in an email and said he would be on line the day Art Modell dies to "unleash a stream of urine" on whatever memorial they have for him and that he wouldn't be alone in that line. Another guy called in to say that when Art Modell dies and goes to hell, all he will have is that damn ring he won in Baltimore and there will be a Browns fan there to take it from him and place it somewhere "special" They were talking about how strange the last month and the last game was- vendors refused to deliver to the stadium, the coaches needed police escorts from the press box to the locker room. At the last game, all the advertising was removed from the stadium, people brought in power tools to take the seats out, they played the entire game heading towards the end zone away from the "Dog Pound" because it was too dangerous. People were calling in saying they remember everything about the day the announcement was made and how horrible they felt and that it was like a family member had died but worse. Another woman called in and said that Browns fans worked hard all week and saved up and scraped their money together to buy a ticket to a game and Art Modell stole that from them. Another guy said it's not the same now beacuse of what happened 10 years ago and that even though they got another team and the name & colors back it doesn't feel right. Yet another guy called in and said that he had season tickets since 1960 and the game on the Sunday after JFK was shot in 1963 was the quietest and saddest game he could remember until the Browns last game in 1995. I just hope we do not ever have to tell stories like that about the Bills. 504574[/snapback] I hope you don't either. I'll jog through hell before I go through that again. But, I do not believe you will. There has to be interest in keeping a historic team like the Bills in Buffalo. With Rochester and southern Ontario nearby, the team has to make its fair share of money. Sellouts are the norm, and the fan base is rabid, as I have seen in the three years I've posted here. Mike P.S. I did listen to Rome today...I was almost embarrassed at some of the vitriol shown by my fellow Clevelanders. No wonder the teams we root for haven't won anything in 41 years. We'd rather wallow in our self-pity and negativism, and continue to take shots at an dying old man 400 miles away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trolls_r_us Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 I actually like Belichick now Modell will forever be the image of greed and all that is wrong with sports there is nothing he can ever say or do that will make it understandable it's like leaving your sick wife for a younger, sexier chick. Sure, it's your right, this is America. But don't even THINK of trying to make YOURSELF the victim.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 i hate the browns. they're not the bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILLS02138 Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Buckeye, you're awfully forgiving - admirable trait. Just reading that article makes my heart sink, brings back that Cleveland memory and the reality that it could happen to any franchise in any city. I honestly don't believe Buffalo will ever lose its franchise. If they did, Bills fans (and NFL fans) would erupt; much like Brown fans. And personally, I don't blame them. The Bills are family. They are a family holiday 16 weeks (sometimes more) a year. We travel to other stadiums just to see our Bills. If we are away, we sometimes seek out a likeminded Bills' Bar just to have fun and meet new folks. (BTW, the HARP in Boston is awesome and is my current home away from home). Anyhow, my heart still goes out to Cleveland. I will forever carry some resentment for Art Modell. I honestly don’t believe he deserves a nomination to the Hall of Fame*. And if he does get admitted, it better be YEARS after Ralph Wilson is enshrined. Good Luck Buffalo. * Given its location 30 miles outside Cleveland, I could only imagine the security around Modell's "shrine." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNRed Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 The Browns came back with a brand new stadium (which would be akin to a Brooklyn Dodgers expansion team in a brand-new Ebbets Field in 1961). 504564[/snapback] If only....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 There has to be interest in keeping a historic team like the Bills in Buffalo. With Rochester and southern Ontario nearby, the team has to make its fair share of money. Sellouts are the norm, and the fan base is rabid, as I have seen in the three years I've posted here. 504578[/snapback] "There has to be interest in keeping a historic team like the Browns in Cleveland. With Akron/Canton and Columbus nearby, the team has to make its fair share of money. Sellouts are the norm, and the fan base is rabid, as I have seen..." I just tweaked your quote a little and made it sound 1995ish...little scary, huh? Buffalo is NOT safe by any means...with last week's announcement regarding LA, the Bills may not be the choice to move to Hollywood, but I fear, needlessly I hope, every year that the Bills will bolt for greener pastures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Art Modell is a piece of shiat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 "There has to be interest in keeping a historic team like the Browns in Cleveland. With Akron/Canton and Columbus nearby, the team has to make its fair share of money. Sellouts are the norm, and the fan base is rabid, as I have seen..." I just tweaked your quote a little and made it sound 1995ish...little scary, huh? Buffalo is NOT safe by any means...with last week's announcement regarding LA, the Bills may not be the choice to move to Hollywood, but I fear, needlessly I hope, every year that the Bills will bolt for greener pastures. 504786[/snapback] On a side note, does any one know of other potential cities (other than LA) where the Bills might be forced to relocate....What I am asking is, is there any non-NFL city which can collect a bunch of dollars and throw it at the NFL to force the NFL to move one of its teams (Like a Tenneesee or Baltimore). I don't think the NFL is going to go the expansion way, especially considering how Houston and Cleveland have played... If there is no such city that is willing to build a stadium (at taxpayers cost) and grab a NFL team, then the Eerie County officials sort of have a upper hand in dealing with the NFL. Again, RWS has been a fair owner in that he has allowed a 25 year old stadium to be renovated for a pittance 100M dollars (compared to the 500M+ that were used for building modern arenas in other cities) to keep his team in buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Modell made a business decision on a community's "intellectual" property. He's paid dearly for it in alot of ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Again, RWS has been a fair owner in that he has allowed a 25 year old stadium to be renovated for a pittance 100M dollars (compared to the 500M+ that were used for building modern arenas in other cities) to keep his team in buffalo. 504924[/snapback] So...he's a "good-hearted" extortionist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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