NFL Legendary Owner Art Modell Dead At 87

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Thoughts and prayers go out to the Modell family

Art was definately a high figure in the beginning of the NFL and was still a honored man in this business up until his death just a few hours ago.

Art Modell Dead: Former Ravens Owner Dies At 87

R.I.P. Mr. Modell

 

[PatsFan2]

I think some people in Cleveland thinks other wise.

For his families sake....I hope they don't plan on burying him in Cleveland.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

RIP Art Modell.

I have friends that are Browns fans and I'm shocked at some of the stuff I'm seeing on my newsfeed today. Talk about true hatred

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

RIP Art Modell.

I have friends that are Browns fans and I'm shocked at some of the stuff I'm seeing on my newsfeed today. Talk about true hatred

Yet in your 1st sentence you rip him

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Yet in your 1st sentence you rip him

My expectations are already lowered when it comes to myself

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

I think some people in Cleveland thinks other wise.

As a former Browns fan, yeah, I'd say Good Riddance and ***** You is more appropriate for Modell.

On the other hand, had the Browns not moved I wouldn't have needed a new team and wouldn't have been a Patriots fan (although my wife already was).

Modell was a piece of ***** and I hope he rests in eternal agony.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

He was a very interesting person. He has a lot of fans in Baltimore. Many of those same people hold Robert Irsay in disdain for what he did to Baltimore, when Modell did the same thing to Cleveland. I can understand how Cleveland feels about Modell, I still feel that way for Irsay. But, I became a Pat's fan when the Colts pulled out of Baltimore.

RIP Mr. Modell.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

De mortuis nil nisi bonum.

RIP

 

[eagle eye]

I felt so sorry for Browns fans when he robbed them of their team. I have nothing good to say about a man who could do that to a city.

It just reminds me of how lucky us New England fans are that Bob Kraft did what he did. Imagine now looking back at all the history that might never have happened.

 

[TrueBeliever]

I too used to think Modell was a scumbag. After the 2000 AFC Championship game I left the room rather than watch him be given the Lamar Hunt Trophy. I even rooted for the Giants in that Super Bowl.

Then I read the book Fumble!: The Browns, Modell, & The Move, written by a former employee of Modell. Truth is, if you believe the author as I do, the move wasn't motivated by greed so much as incompetence. He kept pouring money into a crumbling stadium, and never really caught up with the rest of the league when player salaries went up after the strikes in the '80s. And then he really screwed up by betting the house on a big free agent deal with Andre Rison, of all people.

And when Cleveland up and built a new stadium for the Indians, that took away a major source of income for the Browns. Modell borrowed and borrowed until he owed money to just about every big bank in that city. Finally in 1995 he got to a point where he was on the verge of bankruptcy, and if he sold the team the best he could hope for was to break even.

Then Maryland comes along and says that not only will they give him a brand spankin' new stadium and practice facility, but will pay off all his outstanding debts. What would you do???

I still don't like the Ravens, but that's because of Ray Lewis. Modell, I really can't blame him. And I'm the last person you'll ever hear argue in favor of corporate welfare for NFL owners.

But look at it this way, friends... if Modell hadn't moved his club to Baltimore, maybe he doesn't fire his head coach... and then that coach never comes to Foxboro... and drafts Tom Brady...

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Then Maryland comes along and says that not only will they give him a brand spankin' new stadium and practice facility, but will pay off all his outstanding debts. What would you do???

He should have sold the team. He could have, instead he was so determined to keep it in the family and leave it to his cocaine snorting loser of a son that he moved the team instead. And then he ended up having to sell anyway.

Unless the city doesn't support the team there is no excuse for ripping the hearts out of millions of people just for your own ego. And support wasn't an issue for the Browns.

Modell was a selfish piece of crap who spend his last 15+ years as a pariah who couldn't return to the city in which he lived most of his life. He could have done the right thing, sold it to a rich businessman (Modell's only business was the Browns, he had little cash flow) and been a hero for selling the team to someone who would keep it in Cleveland. Instead he died a selfish, largely hated man who couldn't keep the team in his family anyway.

The world is a better place today.

 

[thenepatsrule]

RIP Art Modell

 

[patman12]

Meh.......

 

[TrueBeliever]

He should have sold the team. He could have, instead he was so determined to keep it in the family and leave it to his cocaine snorting loser of a son that he moved the team instead. And then he ended up having to sell anyway.

Unless the city doesn't support the team there is no excuse for ripping the hearts out of millions of people just for your own ego. And support wasn't an issue for the Browns.

Modell was a selfish piece of crap who spend his last 15+ years as a pariah who couldn't return to the city in which he lived most of his life. He could have done the right thing, sold it to a rich businessman (Modell's only business was the Browns, he had little cash flow) and been a hero for selling the team to someone who would keep it in Cleveland. Instead he died a selfish, largely hated man who couldn't keep the team in his family anyway.

The world is a better place today.

Fair enough. I won't argue with you. I was never a Browns fan so I can't say I know what it was like.

 

[PATS16N0]

Fair enough. I won't argue with you. I was never a Browns fan so I can't say I know what it was like.

It was like if Kraft moved the Patriots next year to Hawaii and renamed them the Honolulu Tidalwaves.

Yeah...

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

It was like if Kraft moved the Patriots next year to Hawaii and renamed them the Honolulu Tidalwaves.

Yeah...

Exactly, envision Kraft being a loser of a businessman and his son being addicted to cocaine. In the new era of free agency he's going out of business because he can't compete financially. He does get screwed by his city somewhat as they build a new baseball stadium and some of his old business money goes to baseball and there's only so much business money in Cleveland. One more thing on this, there was an upcoming vote for a sin tax to fund stadium improvements which was expected to pass - but the move was announced a few days before the vote was taken so Modell didn't wait to give them a chance. So he has the choice - take the sweetheart deal in Baltimore, keep the team in the family and break the hearts of an entire city. Or save a classic football franchise for a city and save it. How would anyone here feel if he chose the former over the latter ?

There is the mitigating factor now that Cleveland got it's team back but when Modell chose to move that was not the expected result, that was just the result of Cleveland refusing to lose their team. Good for them. Modell had every right to do what he did but that didn't make him any less a piece of crap for doing so.

For me personally it worked out great. Growing up in Cleveland I was a die hard Browns fan until that fateful day. But along the way I had married a Patriots fan. I remember the 1994 playoff game when Belichick's Browns beat Parcells' Patriots. I feel bad now but that was a good day for me. Anyway, with my team gone I leaned to the Patriots a little due to my wife's fine choice. Then it all came together with Belichick coming to New England from Cleveland, I already was a BelichickFan so it was a great fit. And as I have an addictive personality I was already a hard core Patriots fan a year later when Bill wore the yucky Jets' green. What a great day in 2000 when Bill came back. Life as a fan came full circle for me with Belichick back as my team's head coach - just a different team.

But the bottom line is there were millions of people like me who had their hearts torn out back in 1995 and most didn't end up with the Patriots as a natural jumping off point. I was thrilled when Modell had to sell the team after moving it to try to keep it. But sad that he was able to win a Super Bowl. I can only assume he died an empty man. No city, no team and a loser of a son.

Bye Art. I won't miss you.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I remember the 1994 playoff game when Belichick's Browns beat Parcells' Patriots. I feel bad now but that was a good day for me.

That was my first time rooting for the Patriots in a playoff game, will always remember that. I've got to ask you, as a Browns fan what did you think of BB's job in Cleveland? Alot of detractors point to his tenure in Cleveland as a failure but he did at least win a playoff game. And when Vinny Testeverde is your QB you've got your work cut out for you IMO.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

That was my first time rooting for the Patriots in a playoff game, will always remember that. I've got to ask you, as a Browns fan what did you think of BB's job in Cleveland? Alot of detractors point to his tenure in Cleveland as a failure but he did at least win a playoff game. And when Vinny Testeverde is your QB you've got your work cut out for you IMO.

As I said, I was a BelichickFan when he was in Cleveland so I liked him. He took a 3-13 team and turned them into a team that made the playoffs and beat Parcells in the playoffs. I don't count the last year as that was a debacle once the move was announced.

The staff he had there is well known and remarkable with the likes of Ozzie Newsome, Nick Saban, Kirk Ferentz among others.

At the end of the day, though, he was largely done in by the QB. He was proven right to get rid of Kosar but, unlike here, he didn't have Brady to step in. Testeverde was OK but Bernie was so loved in Cleveland that Bill was working from a very poisoned well.

The simplest way to put it is this :

In the last year before Belichick took over the Browns were 3-13 and allowed a league high 462 points.

In the *last year that Belichick was there the Browns were 11-5 and allowed a league low 204 points.

*last, again, doesn't count the poisoned year when the move was announced,.

Think about is, 3-13 to 11-5 and they allowed 44% as many points, the points allowed were more than cut in half. Most points allowed to least points allowed.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

The simplest way to put it is this :

In the last year before Belichick took over the Browns were 3-13 and allowed a league high 462 points.

In the *last year that Belichick was there the Browns were 11-5 and allowed a league low 204 points.

*last, again, doesn't count the poisoned year when the move was announced,.

Think about is, 3-13 to 11-5 and they allowed 44% as many points, the points allowed were more than cut in half. Most points allowed to least points allowed.

That's what I personally thought, it's hard to see any HC doing much of a better job with that team considering the circumstances when he took over and then the lame duck season. It's good to hear the views of someone who isn't just a BB hater or a Patriots homer but someone who actually was a diehard Cleveland fan at the time.

 

[zeroakuma]

He should have sold the team. He could have, instead he was so determined to keep it in the family and leave it to his cocaine snorting loser of a son that he moved the team instead. And then he ended up having to sell anyway.

Unless the city doesn't support the team there is no excuse for ripping the hearts out of millions of people just for your own ego. And support wasn't an issue for the Browns.

Modell was a selfish piece of crap who spend his last 15+ years as a pariah who couldn't return to the city in which he lived most of his life. He could have done the right thing, sold it to a rich businessman (Modell's only business was the Browns, he had little cash flow) and been a hero for selling the team to someone who would keep it in Cleveland. Instead he died a selfish, largely hated man who couldn't keep the team in his family anyway.

The world is a better place today.

The Browns left a long time ago and then came back to Cleveland. Get over it.

Los Angeles lost the Raiders, Rams, and the Chargers. Do I hate the individuals involved with the decision? No. When it comes down to everything, it's just business.

Leave your hatred for the common criminal - 'hating' Modell for taking the Browns away is a waste of time.

Let the guy rest in peace. I think Modell is a historic NFL figure and should be in the HOF. Are you part of the populace who wants to ignore Art's passing? Are you part of the group which wants to allow many of the Brown's immature fans to embarass themselves and the city on national TV?

But then again, it's Cleveland. Damn. I love the Decision that much more.