understand the rage and anger that Browns fans have for Modell. I don’t think anything could really satisfy the Browns fan base for what they went through. I also think the comparisons between the two cities isn’t fair. Both cities got screwed and the argument over the semantics of what city had to deal with ignores the fact that both cities felt they got screwed. A team should never move, especially with the history that the Browns have. I don’t even blame the city of Cleveland for not wanting to bail out the franchise with a new stadium. Let’s be frank here, Modell wasn’t exactly the best owner when it came to running just his team. He was constantly in debt and he screwed himself by making promises to the fan base he could not or would not keep. I think as Ravens fans, we are just as tainted in the opposite direction when it comes to wanting him in the Hall of Fame. He returned football to us despite the NFL continuing to give us the finger. I would love for someone to explain to me how the NFL thought Carolina or Jacksonville made more sense for a franchise than Baltimore. I chalk the entire mess to the same inability of the NFL to hold franchise owners accountable that results in the same messes year in and year out with the Lions, Raiders, and Bengals. I really think that If one is to make a judgment on Modell, one has to completely be separated from both cities and fan bases and look how vital a role Modell played in the early days of the NFL, from his work getting Monday Night Football started, the NFL/AFL merger, TV revenue sharing…I think he deserves to get in…but I can’t expect Browns fans to like or support it. The NFL would not be in the position it is today, with the level of parity that keeps interest strong year in and year out without him. I think also, too many people think he made the move to Baltimore lightly. Remember, he was one of two owners, the other being Al Davis, that voted to prevent Irsay from moving the Colts. It was, despite being good for the fans and city of Baltimore, a rather sad day for the NFL that such a historic team like the Browns moved. I tell you one thing, the best day in Raven’s history was when Modell started selling the team to Biscotti. So I guess to conclude this rambling…I would vote to put him in the Hall of Fame. Hell, if Al Davis is in…I think Modell makes the standard by default.

I grew up in Canton. My house was about a mile from the HOF, and like most of the people in the area, I enjoyed Hall of Fame Weekend when the new members are enshrined. So, I’ve seen a lot of great football people go into the HOF.

Art Modell is NOT one of those people. After buying the team in 1961, he fired Paul Brown largely because Brown overshadowed Modell. A team that had won 7 AAFC and NFL Championships in the 17 years before he bought the team won only one more (in 1964 with players from the pre-Model team), and spent the next 30 years in Cleveland appearing in only one other championship game in 1965.

In 1973, he took the opportunity to lease Municipal Stadium from the City of Cleveland. He paid rent of $1 per year plus operating costs. He thought it was such a good deal, he formed a separate company, Stadium Corp. without many of his partners in the Browns franchise. Through Stadium Corp, he earned money leasing Municipal Stadium to the Browns, the Indians, and concert promoters. He used Stadium Corp to the detriment of his partners in the Browns to absorb a loss on a bad real estate deal he made and breached his fiduciary duty to his partners in the team. (Gries Sports Enterprises v. Cleveland Browns Football Co., 26 Ohio St. 3d 15 (1986))

As the stadium got older, his lease turned out not to be as good a deal as he thought. Maintenance and repair costs grew, the Indians got a new ballpark, and he moved the team to Baltimore with all of the financial considerations Ravens fans are surely familiar with. He remains one of the most vilified people in the City of Cleveland where he owned a team for 35 years.

On the other hand, he has little connection to the Baltimore franchise. He sold all but 1% of the team after 7 years in Baltimore. (Even his retention of that minimal ownership interest seems to have been done solely to avoid paying a finders fee to his former lawyer on that sale.)

Modell’s 35 years in Cleveland do not merit enshrinement in the HOF. I’ll leave determination of the value of what he did in Baltimore to Ravens fans, but, as a football fan, I would have to say that 7 years of ownership is not enough to qualify him for enshrinement.

That would not even be around had he not accomplished them. Here is a few of his achievements for you inconsiderate, grudge holding, uneducated, low-life pricks who think Art Modell is the son of Satan or something.

Over a 30 year period, Art Modell set the standards for sports on national TV. Thanksgiving games and Monday night football may not be in existence today without the scratching and clawing that Art Modell did in the past. The first ever Monday Night Football game was between the Browns and Jets, hosted by Cleveland, which the Browns ended up winning. Not only did he put the NFL on national TV, he laid down the base for all sports to be televised.

He negotiated the first ever players’ collective bargaining agreement in 1968 that had a committee of some of NFL’s legends such as Vince Lombardi and Jim Finks, both Hall of Famers. With the large sums of money involved in pro sports and the poor relations that the players chose to have with their organizations, this agreement settled down disputes and prevented a strike from occurring at this time.

He served on the committee for the NFL-AFL merger, which led to moving the Browns to the AFC. Modell became the first chairman of NFL films, working closely with Pete Rozelle. As fans, what we love today in the coverage and documentation that we receive for NFL Films, it might not be around if not for Art.

People hold their grudge because of the fact that Modell fired Paul Brown for ignoring team suggestions. After doing so in 1963, Art named assistant coach Blanton Collier head coach of the team. Following this hiring, the Browns WON the 1964 championship with players that Paul Brown had drafted and put together. Even the prolific “best running back of all time” Jim Brown, stated that the team would not have won the 1964 championship if Paul Brown were the coach. The people of Cleveland are upset because one of the big reasons behind the firing was that Paul Brown refused to play a man dieing of Leukemia, Ernie Davis. This eventually led to Jim Brown leaving the team and from there, everything went to shambles.

Sure, the standard of under achievement that was place on the Browns by the people of Cleveland was because of Art Modell. They all thought that this man would never produce a championship football team let alone a winning team following their some 6 or 7 championships won prior to 1963. Three times in the 60’s the Browns reached the NFL championship game, not including their 1964 victory. Three of the late 80’s Browns teams made it to the AFC championship game where they lost all three to Jon Elway and the Broncos, cannot be too mad at that one. Something like 10 or 11 other years, the Browns made the playoffs and a few other seasons, the Browns entered the final week in the seasons with a chance to go to the playoffs. He produced winners, and when you have the likes of Montana, Elway, Bradshaw, Staubach and any of those guys, it is hard to win as many championships as the people of Cleveland wanted, which was every single one.

In my opinion, the NFL might not be in its current standing if not for effort Art Modell put into bettering this league not just for the players and coaches, but for the people who embraced their beloved team. Sure, he said that he would never move the team from Cleveland, but when you do not give a city and its team some of the necessities needed to continue with your franchise such as a revamped stadium and much needed team funding, you have to make moves and break apart from disparity.

As a Baltimore native and the love I have for this wonderful, overlooked and wrongly perceived city, I am thankful for the Ravens and Art Modell. We share your pain Cleveland, as our team was not just moved with the warning that you all received, but stolen from us in the middle of the night. Even though I was not around to experience the great Baltimore Colts, many of the Fans here in Baltimore who did have in a way let go of the fact that the Colts were stolen from us in 1983. We have moved on from that and have a new relationship with our Purple and Black, as they have given us some of the best 13 years we have been able to experience as not just Ravens fans, but fans of this sport.

For the impact that Art Modell had on footbal in the past and the fighting he did to make it the great sport we all love today, he deserves a spot in Canton. Get over it Cleveland, you have a new team with what I think is a lot to look forward to. (But everyone in that city is pessimistic and thinks they will never leave the bottom of the toilet) No one knows that you would have been able to do if the move to Baltimore hadn’t been done. Hell, you may not even have a football team there anymore and 2 cities (Cleveland and Baltimore) may be without football today.

Put this man where he deserves, in the NFL Hall of Fame.

I, unlike a lot of Ravens fans, am not really a huge fan of Art Modell. I am certainly glad that he moved the team to Baltimore, and am grateful for his hiring of Ozzie Newsome as our general manager, however, it wasn’t an act of kindness that caused him to move the team. He moved the team because we offered him more money to do so than he would have gotten by staying. It was a mercenary move, nothing more, and I’m not in the habit of being grateful for mercenaries.

I can certainly sympathize with what happened to the Cleveland Browns, as I would have been very upset about the situation had I been a Cleveland native. That being said, I don’t feel bad about what happened, because it wasn’t the fault of Baltimore. As Oriole fan said, Baltimore should have gotten an NFL franchise long before that. It was a travesty that they didn’t. Losing out in the expansion process to Charlotte and Jacksonville was simply the final straw. Note that in the last record of Forbes magazine, the Ravens were listed as being a more valuable franchise than either the Jaguars or the Panthers, and also more valuable than the Cleveland Browns. After Peyton Manning retires, and the new stadium effect dies off, the Ravens will be a more valuable franchise than Indianapolis as well. It was the political machinations of Jack Kent Cooke and Paul Tagliabue that led to Baltimore being held off of an NFL franchise for so long. Finally, the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland said enough was enough and basically offered 50 million dollars to anyone who decided to move their team. Art Modell had the good standing with the other ownership to get the owners to OK the move, and he wanted the money. Browns fans who vilify Modell and not Cooke and Tagliabue are hopelessly shortsighted. Somebody was going to take that deal. That Modell took it was simply incidental. It was a disaster waiting to happen and Tagliabue as NFL commissioner engineered it himself. I hope that Tony Grossi and the other Modell opposition will also stand against Tagliabue in his campaign for the Hall of Fame. I simply can’t feel guilty for my community doing the only thing possible to get an NFL franchise that the city of Baltimore certainly deserved.

As for Modell in the hall, I think there are two reasons that Baltimore fans are so strongly supportive of it (in addition to gratefulness for the move). The first is that there is a strong desire to see a Baltimore Raven in the HOF, someone that we can call our own. The HOF, displaying stunning lack of integrity and intelligence, actually lists Johnny Unitas and company as members of the Indianapolis Colts. It’s a travesty. Unlike the Browns, we are expected to rebuild our football history from scratch, and due to the excellent work of our front office, we’ve been doing that. We already have a Superbowl and several HOF caliber players. However it’s been a long time waiting for a HOF Raven. I am certainly hopeful that Rod Woodson and Shannon Sharpe enter the HOF, however they will always be remembered as a Steeler and a Bronco respectively, although Woodson has a lot of affection for the Ravens, especially because he won his Superbowl Ring with us. In addition to this reason, Art Modell is simply loved by everyone who knows him. I have no idea why, as I haven’t met the man. Brian Billick, Ozzie Newsome, Kevin Byrne, Phil Savage, John Harbaugh, Steve Bisciotti, most members of the Baltimore press, have all displayed an extreme amount of affection for the man. He’s apparently extremely likeable. It’s incredible to me that Al Lerner, the man who ended up owning the new Cleveland Browns franchise, actually helped Modell move the team from Cleveland to Baltimore. This affection carries itself to Ravens fans, and we’ve grown to have that same affection.

Also, for the record, while Modell may have made some mistakes as an owner, he was by no means comparable to Mike Brown, Al Davis, or Bob Irsay. Some owners due to their own stubborness and idiocy absolutely wreck a football franchise. These owners shouldn’t be allowed to own a football team. It hurts the league. The Raiders and Bengals have had horrible histories with no real hope of improvement because their owners deprive them of the tools necessary to compete, much like Irsay did. Modell has always worked very hard to field a competitive team, and although he has not always been successful, he’s still had a lot of success. He fired Paul Brown, but Blanton Collier was a pretty good coach. Letting Marty Schottenheimer walk was much more inexcusable in retrospect. Although everyone and their sister has made the mistake of letting Marty walk.

A lot of people have noted that Modell was in fact instrumental in a lot of the events that helped make the NFL what it is. Perhaps he deserves HOF recognition for that, although I’m lukewarm on the subject.

Can we stop trying to equate Irsay’s move of the Colts from Baltimore with Modell’s move of the Browns from Cleveland?

Absolutely, let’s not equate them. Art Modell’s decision to move the team was a far better deal for the people of Cleveland then Irsay’s was to Baltimore. There’s no need to trash Modell by comparing him to Irsay.

Incidentally, Irsay was already going to freaking move the team before the eminent domain bill passed. That’s why they were passing it in the first place. He had been shopping the team for several years before hand. The sudden nature of it was a response to the bill, but the bill was a last ditch effort to stop him from doing what he had already planned to do.

On the other hand, Modell accepted the $50 million bounty the City of Baltimore put on an NFL franchise. Following the announcement of the move, the residents of Cleveland still voted to approve a tax increase to pay for the stadium renovations Modell said he needed to keep the team there.

I recognize this, Modell came to Baltimore for the money. In fact, I said “He moved the team because we offered him more money to do so than he would have gotten by staying. It was a mercenary move, nothing more, and I’m not in the habit of being grateful for mercenaries.” That should be pretty clear we have agreement on the point. You may dislike Modell for that, but frankly, everyone has their price, and Baltimore finally outplayed the NFL. Like I said before, Tagliabue is vastly more at fault than the NFL.

Finally, please don’t lament that there are no Ravens in the HOF. You got an NFL caliber team sans its pedigree and history that went on to win a Superbowl shortly after it arrived. Cleveland got to keep that history in exchange for the shambles of the sort of expansion team Baltimore lost to Jacksonville and Carolina. Cry me a river!

I’ve never, ever, understood this point. #1. Jacksonville and Carolina actually had quite a bit of success fairly quickly in the league (although the NFL unfairly made the rules stricter as a response). The reason the Ravens have been so successful is because of an excellent Front Office, which was put together by Art Modell. Ozzie Newsome’s loyalty to Modell is unquestioned. He’s referred to as Art’s third son. You can’t have Ozzie Newsome without Art Modell and the Browns certainly didn’t want Art Modell. As for this NFL caliber team business. The 1996 team in Baltimore wasn’t exactly the most successful team ever. How many players from the 1995 Cleveland team played on the Superbowl winning Ravens??? Matt Stover and Rob Burnett, excellent players to be sure, also Larry Webster, a backup defensive tackle. Three Players. Three. I don’t even want to bother counting how many members of the 2003 Baltimore Ravens are currently playing for the team. It’s a number that would include SIX of our defensive starters however (not including Chris McCallister).

Look, Cleveland was without football for three years. Baltimore went without for thirteen. The Browns are just finishing up their first ten years as an expansion franchise. Maybe they don’t get to the Superbowl like the Ravens did. That’s not my fault. I don’t get to decide Superbowls. If the Browns ever make the Superbowl, I’d probably even root for them so that Cleveland could have a Superbowl of their own. However, neither I, nor Art Modell, nor the city of Baltimore or the state of Maryland either coach or manage the Cleveland Browns. Have you ever actually looked at who the Browns could have taken in that expansion draft or in the 1999-2001 NFL drafts. Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, and Gerard Warren have a lot more to do with the failures of the Cleveland Browns franchise than any freaking expansion rules.

I’m not trying to rip on Cleveland. I’ve been to Cleveland once in my life, stayed one night, and had great Indian food. That’s all I’ve experienced from the city. But I know and love Baltimore, and frankly, we have had to build our history from scratch, and there’s nothing we can do about it, so sue us if we’re happy about seeing Ravens make the HOF.

Cleveland doesn’t want, and does not take credit for the Ravens Superbowl.

One of the worst things about Modell taking the team from Cleveland is that Ozzie went with him. He was a great player, and I loved to watch him. His work as a GM has been fantastic. I understand his loyalty to Modell. Staying with the team was the best chance he had at a FO position, and he’s made the most of it. I’m happy for him on that level.

My point, that was probably not well made, was that your complaint about no Ravens in the HOF is not much of a concern. Players will get into the HOF – Ray Lewis is probably one of them. If the Cleveland history did go with the team, would Baltimorians fondly remember Lou “The Toe” Groza, or Dante Lavelli? You don’t have Hall of Famers, yet. So what?

This has been fun guys, but I’m going to be away from a computer for the next several days.

So, talk amongst yourselves, and let the Modell love fest begin!

…they said that you never start an intelligent conversations over at DBN, Rexx. However, this is one of the most intelligent and informative conversations that I have ever read on SBN. Unfortunately, I was banned over there, but even if I wasn’t, I couldn’t share any thoughts on the matter since they closed the post. Is it just me or do they have an utter lack of tolerance for opposing viewpoints at DBN. Look out for the Gestapo! Anyway, I hate to make all of my posts about DBN. That whole run-in over there had me burned-out on SBN.

As far as Modell is concerned, I do not really remember it. I’m in my early twenties, so it was a little before my time. Obviously, I’m happy to have the Ravens in Baltimore, but I can understand the frustration that Cleveland still holds. I think that Modell tried everything that he could to make it work in Cleveland, but in the end, he had to do what he did. It wasn’t pretty, but we need to move on.

Shouldn’t you be getting ready for Major League 3? Haha

When the Colts moved I was a 13 and just trying to figure out how to laid. I did not know the importance of Colts football for a few years I had other things on my mind (Girls)
I think Art should be in the HOF for what he has done for football you all make great points and I enjoyed reading the arguments (I had alot of catching up to do my computer has been down).
But this was his business and he did what he thought was best for it.

their all dicks at that level..or they wouldn’t be at that level. some owners are luckier than others as far a stadium leases but others have to stick it to the man…angelos is still sticking it to us. who owned the NY Dodgers? is he in the HOF. how many championships did Dem Bums win before/after the move?..

i dont’ care if Model gets in really. As far as the Fords are considered-they are crazy, boarder on incest and are insulated with kings money. Henry II fired Ledo Iaccoca because of his far out paranoia in ‘73 and Ledo, in turn, took a chunk out of Ford by turning around Chrysler. It ain’t pretty at that level…i can only guess. None of them deserve HOF anything. Money can’t buy a player into the Hall why should an owner..he’s not on the field (err Jerry Jones and copy cat Dan Snyder excluded).

I’m not nearly as nice as Rexx from Reisterstown. I don’t give a damn about the Clowns or their fans. You have been whining ever since you got your team back. The NFL gave you extra draft picks. We got a losing team, with a losing culture, from a losing city and turned it around in 4 years. You have been back for a decade and still suck. Art Modell belongs in the HOF because of the YEARS of work he did behind the scenes for the NFL. He, like Lamar Hunt, Wellington Mara, The Rooneys etc were instrumental in making the NFL what it is today. Al Davis moved his team, he is in the HOF. The original scumbag Preston Marshall moved his team to DC and he is in the HOF, but because Tony Grossme crys like a little girl at the HOF selections, Art can’t make it in. Your lousy city built a HOF for Rock and Roll, built the Jake for the Indians, and a new center for the Cavs that no one really cares about, but Art gets told we’ll just renovate War Memorial Stadium. Ain’t the way it works in todays world. Within 3 weeks of his move, you were promised another team. You kept your colors, you kept your history, you kept your tradition. Meanwhile back in Bmore, we read about how Peyton Manning is breaking Johnny U’s records. And the percocet addicted owner, son of the red faced Rob the drunk, was generous enough to offer to sell the history of the Colts back to Baltimore for a cool 20 million dollars. Well, guess what… Screw him, screw the Dolts and while we are at it the same for the Clowns. Stop picking up our sloppy seconds and telling us how Phil Savage was the brains behind Ozzie. He schooled you fools on Haloti Ngata who is a stud and you’re still waiting for Kameron Wimberly to turn into a football player. Your big problem is a case of wannabe purple but you’re not. You’re baby-poop brown and you’re still staring at our backside because our team is better, our front office is better, our owner is better and frankly our fans are better than yours. While these very kind gentlemen on this post may want to hear your side of the story, I feel differently. Go back to the mistake on the lake. Be happy you have a team and root for them to improve. Otherwise, take a hike.

Man, you just put me back on the right track..i was almost appreciating what the Harry Doyle was saying.

Sorry Rexx..I started the Ledo Iacocca/Ford deal…But owners are owners and they are far different people with motives that transend their business.

Boy, that was really cathartic. Now lets get back to football. GO RAVENS, BEAT THE DEADSKINS, the danny, jack kent cooke, and the original dirtball George Preston Marshall!!!!!!!

Sorry I got to this party late but you are right. Most Browns fans will never get over what Modell did to us and will never support his election to the HOF. I think Harry laid out our thoughts about Art pretty well. I only want to add two things to all the discussion above.

1. Art was a hypocrite. When Al Davis moved the Raiders from Oakland to L.A. the first time, he had to ask for permission from the other owners. The owners voted against it. Davis then sued the NFL and Modell testified in court on behalf of the NFL. His testimony included the harm that would be done to the NFL, its cities and its fans if franchises were allowed to move to other locations without league approval or without just cause. We all know how this is true and Art should have been commended for doing the right thing for us. But, Davis won his argument in court and moved the Raiders to L.A. directly competing with the Rams. This set the groundwork for the Colts and all other teams to bolt which has given affected fans all over and caused plenty of heartache. Point is….what kind of man deserves to enter the HOF that speaks out of both sides of his mouth? So at one point Art decried what would happen to us fans if teams could just pick up and go. Then when it best suited him, he did the same damn thing himself. To me, he just doesn’t qualify on "character" alone. On one hand, he’s for the NFL its traditions, the status quo and the fans. Then, f__k that! He’s all for himself when it suits his own self interests. Damn the fans. Well, I don’t anybody in the HOF with a damn the fans attitude. If you all think it more important that he got you a NFL franchise back (and BTW, without later pressure from Tags you would have been the Baltimore Browns) fine. But he was sticking it to the fans and fans should know better than to let him get away with it. IMO, support for Modell is the same as support for Irsay.

2.Modell fired Paul Brown because Jim Brown and many other players thought Brown was a first class prick. They convinced Modell to can Paul Brown because he was a taskmaster who made their lives miserable. Read "Off My Chest" by Jim Brown.

Nice discussion RatBirds! I did not know that I had to join your blog to post a comment. Now I need a bath.

just looking at both perspectives, and the anger from both sides, show that neither the Browns fan base or the Ravens fan base are impartial enough. The anger shown against either fan bases, along with the petty name calling on both sides does no good. This is like two siblings blaming each other over their parents divorce. I’m not going to stop hating Irsay any time soon, nor would I ever expect a Brown fan to, but I see no point in talking shit to a Indy fan when chances are they have little or no knowledge of how they got their team. Its not their fault that the closet team for them is my old team. Browns fans can hate us all they want…but Modell was going to move the team no matter what…and that isn’t our fault.