Art Modell Excluded From HOF Again

[ravensdfan]

If you'd like to present an alternate account that you think is appropriately demonizing, feel free to do so.

 

 

 

 

It's interesting that he stayed a Colts fan. I heard a lot of people in Maryland shifted loyalty to the Redskins and Steelers. I think Baltimore and Maryland as a whole really screwed the pooch with the way they handled the Colts, but at the least, the backlash against the government resulted in a lot more protections being put in place for sports teams that the Ravens now benefit from.

 

I'd like a source for this information you're putting out there because it is blatantly incorrect.

 

Just to hit on the two most important errors:

 

1. Modell most certainly DID inform Cleveland that he would move the team. Attendance was down, the stadium was falling apart, they wanted him to split box revenue with the Indians and he was slowly going broke. Then after refusing him, the city of Cleveland built a new stadium for the Indians.

 

"Browns owner Art Modell told city and state officials at least a month ago that the proposal to renovate the Stadium was not good enough, but no one told the public.

Modell, in an Oct. 5 letter obtained by The Plain Dealer, urged Mayor Michael R. White and Gov. George V. Voinovich to inform the public that extending the sin tax on alcohol and tobacco products did not guarantee that he would keep the Browns in Cleveland."

 

The bold shows that he had already informed them he was looking into moving the team.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/09/when_art_modell_moved_his_clev.html scroll to the bottom after the "tirade" where the truth gets told.

 

2. It was actually Irsay who gave no indication he would be moving the Colts. In fact, he had a drunken tirade at an airport where he swore he had "no intentions of moving the team and was not in negotiations with any city" fright after leaving the plane from Indy (we were to find out later) and snuck the team out in the middle of the night during a snow storm.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnepDGSs2Cs

 

 

 

Lesson? Beware Wiki where anyone can write anything - including bitter Cleveland fans.

 

A few more points - the lawsuit that Cleveland filed was never heard in court. That is NOT why they kept their legacy etc. The NFL intervened on their behalf and it was a deal that they would ok the move if he left the legacy. Whether he would have or not we'll never know. He wasn't given the opportunity but was blackmailed by the NFL. Where were they when the Colts were moved?

 

All the other dilther you've stated about guaranteed new stadiums etc is just outright false. That was never promised to Irsay & the city didn't string him along for years. Quite the other way around - Irsay from the time he bought the team, tried to blackmail the city.

 

Here is the timeline:

 

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2009-03-26/sports/bal-baltimore-colts-move-timeline_1_l-a-colts-jimmy-irsay-irsay-move

 

You'll see that in March of '84 - the city approved the renovations - they then even upped the deal and met Irsay's original demands - he snuck the team out anyway.

 

You'll also notice that Saint Irsay (in your opinion) sent a new list of demands to the city - one day prior to moving the team - the Mayor & Governor both tried to reach him to say the city would accept the new demands. He moved the team that night.

 

Please refrain from stating falsehoods about a still open wound when you do not have actual facts.

[52N19]

there's no reason for any owner to be in the HOF other then modell. in addition to all the work he did on Monday football and negotiating TV packagaes for the NFL he was also one of the first owners to break the color barrier by signing an playing black athletes. modell was also a true entrprenuer. he didn't buy the browns as a play toy why he made is money in other busienss. Owning an NFL football team was his business. i don;t know of any other owner whose sole busines is the team except for bozo's like irsay who inherited the team from his POS old man.

[edthehead]

which is why I always say he belongs in the HOF,and the people with the power are abusing their responsibility and it is wrong !! the commissioner knows it along with the owners and fans,and I know the vote is suppose to be special, but somebody needs intervention to make it right,,,, I'm just sayinnnn

[mdrsharon]

The owners who made their money on their own , and not by inheritance, are usually really tough businessmen who will do whatever it takes to maintain their businesses.

 It is really sad that the fan base has absolutely no say in what goes on regarding moving teams, the rich guys are going to do what it takes to make more, disregarding the passion of the people who buy tickets.

 

I still think Modell is given a bad name by a few sportswriters from Cleveland. Why can' all the other voters get him in?

He helped formulate the NFL!!!

 

Yes, he certainly deserves it, I can't even imagine either Irsay being considered. His son is a pompous,arrogant man, just like his father,except he was handed the silver platter.

 

Especially

compared to Biscotti, who really seems to know how to act.

[runamuk]

The really big difference is the teams. The Browns remained in Cleveland. They have their history, their colors, their victories intact. The football HOF does not consider any of that to have anything to do with Baltimore. Not so for the Colts. All of their history, their victories, even their players have been usurped by Indy. The HOF has Johnny U as an Indianapolis Colt. There is some footnote about Baltimore but it is like Baltimore never had a team until the Ravens. Its a bitter pill to swallow for Baltimore football fans.

 

 

Besides all that the Hall of Fame should memorialize all of the history of the game. Villains are famous throughout history. So Art may have been arguably villainous for part of his career. He is also a major player in the history of football. Isn't that what fame is about?

Intelligent and well spoken . they took our history with them we didn't rob Cleveland of its history colors etc.

[The Mom Gene]

How the Browns maintained their history is not relevant, at least not to me. I am certain that if Baltimore could get its history back by publicly embarrassing themselves they would happily do so to get back what is and should be theirs.I was not a Baltimorian during the Colt era so have no real direct knowledge of the situation, but I am reasonably certain that those old Colts fans would do anything to get back what is theirs.

 

The Browns were able to maintain their history, because AFTER the Colts bolted, and the Oilers took theirs with them also to Nashville, the NFL basically said that no team would be able to do that again...  Both Cleveland and Houston were given teams immediately in the next expansion...  Baltimore had been gigged several times, including when the Jags and Panthers were established....

 

Modell deserves to be in the HOF...  Taking the Browns to Baltirmore was only a very small piece of what Art did for Football.  That man did more for the NFL than most any of the guys already in the Hall.

 

I agree with you and Runamuk......