Art Modell dies at 87

[charlie and algernon]

BALTIMORE -- One of the most influential owners in the history of the NFL, Art Modell helped mold the foundation of the league.

The innovative Modell, whose reputation was forever tainted when he moved his franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore, died early Thursday. He was 87.

The team said Modell died of natural causes at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he had been admitted Wednesday.

During his four decades as an NFL owner, Modell helped negotiate the league's lucrative contracts with television networks, served as president of the NFL from 1967 to 1969, and chaired the negotiations for the first the collective bargaining agreement with the players in 1968.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8343621/former-ravens-owner-art-modell-dies-87

[Auggie]

1. "Influential" doesn't make him a good franchise owner

So he made a lot of owners very wealthy. Fucking hooray.

He also allowed his ego to fire the great Paul Brown. Decades later he ripped the heart out of a great football city.

Since 1999 I've thought of Art Modell after every Brown's loss. Tarnished legacy is right.

[Liberal_Dog]

2. I Read The Article

And it is ironic that the move to Baltimore really did not help Modell financially at all.

He wound up selling the team less than a decade later.

Even though the Browns have the same unis and all that, it has just never been the same.

[TZ]

6. I'll say ONE good thing first

He donated a lot of money to the Cleveland Clinic. There is a wing named after him.
However, besides the fact that he broke my dad's heart besides the fact that MY STATE SPENT MY TAX DOLLARS ON HIS FUCKING TEAM and stadium (Glendening GAVE him FORTY MILLION in revenue, just as a bribe er incentive to move) yeah he was an okay owner. Ugh. And people wonder why I LOATHE the Ravens. I feel like I got screwed twice by Modell.

[zbdent]

7. There are always good reasons why wealthy people donate to charity ...

and quite often, it's in a similar vein as Romney's "charitable donations".

I heard the spin that Modell was "always donating" ...

[many a good man]

8. Right there with ya

I'm Cleveland bred with that genetic birth defect known as Browns fandom. Livin' in MD now and I saw my taxes go to Uncle fArtie the greatest traitor known to man. Worse yet were the budget cuts to my beloved MD parks to pay him off.

Regardless, tho I'm surrounded by Ratbird fans I don't hate the Ravens. They just give me a sick feeling in my stomach. As a staunch traditionalist I save up all of my football hatred for the Stoolers, as any decent Browns fan should.

Now the NFL is ordering all teams to pay appropriate tribute to Modell during their games on Sunday. Well, I'm ahead of them: I paid appropriate tribute to him this morning after my second cup of coffee.

Here's a preview of the Dawg Pound tribute next Sunday:

[Auggie]

10. Tribute? In Cleveland? Are they out of their minds?

[HughBeaumont]

3. Being from Cleveland, I ain't shedding tear ONE.

Modell can kiss ass in hell with Sun Myung Moon. Modell's defection (and subsequent happy dance with his 2000 Champeenship) is just one more torturous stab-in-the-gut episode in a repeatedly heartbroken sports city that, in all likelihood, will have a majority population that's never going to know what it's like to celebrate a sports championship. I can say this with all confidence. There is simply no culture of winning or even caring about winning in at least 2 out of it's three franchises, and unless the other one gets a LeBron/Durant-caliber player or two, it's not happening for them either.

[Auggie]

4. That could change with Haslam ...

provided he stays away from player personnel decisions.

[Dr. Strange]

5. I bet Drew Carey is sad.

Art Modell suffered a heart attack a few years back while he was still in Cleveland. I hope he has another one. I don't want him to die, I just want him to keep having heart attacks because I know they hurt.

From Dirty Jokes and Beer

[many a good man]

9. Art Modell, Stealer of Hearts, Is Dead

From Esquire blog........................................!


Art Modell, the scumbag who stole the Cleveland Browns, began eternity in Hell on Thursday. He died in Baltimore at the age of 87, to the dismay of a legion of Browns fans hoping he'd suffer another decade of lonely, agonized decrepitude.

Reports that a cloud of locusts rose from the lawn of Johns Hopkins Hospital upon his demise and vanished have not yet been confirmed.

Modell bought the Browns in 1961. During his first few years as the team's owner, he fired Paul Brown, arguably the most influential and innovative pro football coach in NFL history, and essentially forced Jim Brown, the league's most dominant offensive force, into retirement at the age of 29. These weren't merely horrid football moves; they revealed a petty, blustering fool whose need to feel more powerful and important than his underlings mattered most to him.

According to his New York Times obituary, "For nearly 35 years, Cleveland idolized him"; this is patent nonsense. By 1995, when Modell struck a secret deal to move the team to Baltimore, two generations of Browns fans knew him for what he was: a failure, a fraud, a Brooklyn-born shill long on promises and civic awards but perennially short on delivery. The Cleveland Browns, born in 1946, were the town's most precious treasure not due to Art Modell, but despite him.

more at: http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/art-modell-dead-12471332?src=rss

[madinmaryland]

11. Shit. Here in Baltimore, it's a cumm fest on the evening news anytime they talk about Modell.

They're all to busy whacking off about him to actually report on any real news.

[many a good man]

12. UPDATE: Browns will not recognize Modell's passing

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


I'm glad to see common sense prevail.