DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Jimmy Haslam

Yeah, it's great to see how many people dropped O.J. as a spokesperson and distanced themselves from O.J. Nobody would have rewarded him after that. Nobody was willing to do business with O.J. either. Nobody other than close personal friends wanted anything to do with him when the accusations came out either.

I guess the ramifications O.J. paid for his not being guilty didn't mean anything either.

Make sense and I like and dislike R Kelly for the same reasons.

I have no problem with DeShaun wanting to play football whatsoever. As a player of the Browns or not makes no difference. He’s looking after himself and that is his fully rights.

What I have problem with is those who try to deflect his actions, who try to victimize these 22 women, those who try to rewrite history in order to justify that the Browns has to be the only organization who gave this man $230m guaranteed money.

So when I’m reading those pathetic statements from the owners, our GM and HC that’s when I’m want to throw up. All supporters are’t blind and born with an IQ close to the freezing point.

Apart from that everything is fine.

Haslams admit they didn’t know what they were doing when they bought the Browns

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 3, 2022, 6:27 AM EDT
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Before Jimmy and Dee Haslam bought the Browns, they were minority owners of the Steelers. At the time, that was sold as a positive: Their previous involvement with a winning franchise should give them a good idea of how to rebuild the Browns. But it hasn’t worked out that way.

Now the Haslams are admitting that their experience with the Steelers didn’t teach them much of anything, and that they didn’t know what they were doing when they bought the Browns a decade ago.


“No, no. You don’t know anything,” Dee Haslam said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Jimmy Haslam offered a similar acknowledgement.

“We did a lousy job at first,” Jimmy Haslam said. “I mean, let’s just face it. It’s probably fair to say we didn’t know what we were doing. In some ways, I go, ’10 years, we haven’t won very many games.’ So I look at it that way.”

In Deshaun Watson, the Browns now have by far their best quarterback since the Haslams bought the team. But the off-field allegations that Watson sexually abused female massage therapists cast a pall over the Browns’ decision to trade for him, and has led to more questions about whether they really understand what it takes to earn the trust of Browns fans.

Even after a decade, the Haslams still have work to do to prove they know what they’re doing.

Tell us something we already didn't know or they haven't already said.

Haslams say Steelers experience didn't prep them to own Browns: 'You don't know anything'


Nate Ulrich
Akron Beacon Journal
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PALM BEACH, Fla. — When Jimmy and Dee Haslam bought the Browns in 2012, their previous roles as minority owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers instilled confidence in much of Cleveland's fan base.

Oops! Those black-and-gold ties turned out to be fool's gold.

While the Haslams reflected Tuesday on their upcoming 10-year anniversary as Browns owners, they explained purchasing a stake in the AFC North rival Steelers in 2008 didn't prepare them whatsoever to run an NFL franchise.

“No, no. You don't know anything,” Dee Haslam said during the NFL owners meetings at The Breakers Palm Beach resort.

The Haslams actually described themselves as being lulled into a false sense of security because of their Steelers experience, which included Pittsburgh winning the Super Bowl to end the 2008 season.

“You go, 'That's a model franchise. Just do it like them,'” Jimmy Haslam said. “But you're not the ones making the decisions, and the people were already in place. [General Manager] Kevin Colbert was already there. [Coach] Mike Tomlin was already there. [The late Dan] Rooney was still there. So you had he and Art [Rooney II leading the organization].


“It was smooth running. [Quarterback Ben] Roethlisberger was a young man. We joined in '07. [Roethlisberger] was just coming into his own. With [Hall of Fame safety Troy] Polamalu, I mean, you go, 'This doesn't seem very hard.'

“We get Super Bowl rings before we even pay for our share. Listen, in business, the hiring cycle is different. There are usually people to train you. The NFL is great, but you've all heard us say this: There's no primer.”
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Jimmy Haslam laments lack of wins Cleveland Browns have compiled under his ownership with wife, Dee

The Haslams struck a deal to buy the Browns for about $1 billion in August 2012, and NFL owners unanimously approved their purchase a few months later in October.

The Browns have gone 52-108-1 in their 10 seasons during the Haslam era. They have earned one winning record and one playoff berth during the span (when they went 11-5 in 2020 and defeated the Steelers in the wild-card round). They finished in the fourth and final spot in the division from 2012-17 and placed third from 2018-21.

“We did a lousy job at first,” Jimmy Haslam said. “I mean, let's just face it. It's probably fair to say we didn't know what we were doing. In some ways, I go, '10 years, we haven't won very many games.' So I look at it that way.”

Of course, the team's historically poor stretch of 1-31 in the 2016-17 seasons is part of the Haslams' legacy.

“It's been really hard,” Dee Haslam said. “I mean, it's been a hard 10 years.”

“Has it been hard, way harder than we thought, a lot of bumps in the road?” Jimmy Haslam added. “Yeah, but, I mean, it's a privilege to be part of the NFL and own a team, particularly in a community like Cleveland. So we feel blessed and fortunate and excited about going forward.”

The following is an additional part of the above story and under the same link...


Controversial Deshaun Watson trade 'the most consequential' decision of the Haslam era in Cleveland
So what's next for the Browns under the Haslams?

They believe the team, coming off an 8-9 season, is positioned to contend after the organization's controversial March 18 trade with the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson is an elite talent, but his off-field baggage and the Browns' massive investment in him comes with risks.

Despite two dozen women accusing Watson of sexual misconduct or sexual assault during massage appointments, the Browns traded six draft picks, including three in the first round, to the Texans and gave the three-time Pro Bowl selection a five-year contract worth a record-setting $230 million fully guaranteed.

Watson has denied all wrongdoing, and two Texas grand juries declined on March 11 and March 24 to indict him on 10 criminal complaints. He faces 22 active civil lawsuits. Even without being charged, Watson could still be suspended under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

“Of the decisions we've made with the Browns, this was the most consequential one,” Jimmy Haslam said, “and we spent more time working on it than anything else.”

More from the NFL owners meetings:Cleveland Browns brush off criticism over record-setting Deshaun Watson contract

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Jimmy and Dee Haslam have made many changes since buying Cleveland Browns nearly 10 years ago

The Haslams acknowledge they have cycled through coaches and front-office executives at a stunning rate. They have fired two head coaches — Rob Chudzinski (2013) and Freddie Kitchens (2019) — after just one season on the job.

Kevin Stefanski is the sixth full-time head coach and General Manager Andrew Berry is the sixth head of football operations to work for the Haslams in Cleveland.

Stefanski and Berry will become the first head coach-GM tandem to enter a third season intact under the Haslams.

“That says a lot, doesn't it?” Jimmy Haslam said. “It's everything.”

The Haslams signed Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta to a five-year contract extension in 2020, the same year Stefanski and Berry were hired and received deals of the same length.

“We just didn't do a good job [hiring] here initially,” Jimmy Haslam said, “but I think we think with Kevin and Andrew and with Paul, we've got a really good group in place.

“They work great together. It makes it way easier on us.”

Added Dee Haslam: "I think that's been fun. We're having fun."
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Jimmy Haslam has high expectations for next season, but knows success in 'stacked' AFC isn't guaranteed

Yet so much hinges on the sport's most important position. Before the Watson deal, the last major splash the Browns made at quarterback was drafting Baker Mayfield first overall in 2018.

“We’re a better football team now than we were then,” Jimmy Haslam said. “Let me say we’re a better organization, OK? Andrew and Kevin help that tremendously — and our staff — so I feel better organizationally about where we are, and I feel better about the team.

“I feel better about the quarterback, but we’ve still got to produce. The AFC is stacked, and you all know how tough our division is.

“This is a challenging schedule, but I think directionally we’re heading in the right place, and we would say we feel better than we did in ’18.”

Cleveland Browns will likely look much different:With Deshaun Watson aboard, Kevin Stefanski doesn't rule out wholesale changes to offense

I think owners are like QB's. They aren't viewed as being very good unless their team wins a championship, unfair as that might be.

I'd say the Haslams are at least good. Many owners don't do much to build a championship.

That is what you hear.

I have to say they did learn from the Rooney's. Pittsburgh's record their first 10 years of ownership 32-75-6, they had one winning season in the first 10 years and that was in year 10. They never made the playoffs, and went through 7 coaches in 10 years. It also took the Rooney's 39 years before they won their first Division Title. So yep it looks like they learned a lot from the Rooneys.

An important early step to improving is figuring out what you don't know that you don't know.

...

The Rooney's sucked the first 39 years they owned their team, and The Haslem's have sucked for the first ten years, so get back with me in 29 years and we can compare the teams records and accomplishments up to that point.

Excellent point. Then they put together a few great drafts, slid Bradshaw in for Hanratty and took off from there.

"then Jimbo went to running the Browns like he ran Pilot Flying J...!"

He became a billionaire running Pilot, I wouldn't call that a failure.

I thought the idea was to learn "what not to do" from the Rooney's as much as it was to learn "what to do" from the Rooney's. Are you trying to say what the Haslam's learned from the Rooney's was "how to lose"?

I had no idea that was the objective.

We do agree about the first ten years.

The Haslems were Rookie owners and like any profession there is a lot to learn when you don't have any experience. I think they are on the right track (finally) but only time will tell.

I'm saying there is a learning curve. For 39 years everybody talked about how bad the Steelers sucked and that the Rooney's were pee poor owners, then all of a sudden after their putrid play for 39 years they Hired the right people and started winning the Rooneys went form crappy owners one of the top owners in football.

So on the "what not to do" front, they didn't learn anything from the Rooney's and we should think it's realistic to expect the same results? And what successful NFL team were the Rooney's a minority owner before the Steelers?

The Rooneys weren't owners of another NFL team prior to taking over the Steelers.... We may have another 29 years to do to get to where the Steelers have been.

Everyone has to remember this one little fact,,, if a team in the 40s or 50s put a bunch of players together, they stayed together.. Teams has all the control. If a player left the team it was because he was traded or quit football or was cut and moved on.

If you found good players, they stayed put.

They were paid nearly nothing. Had to work at regular jobs in the off season.

SO if you put a team together, you could hold it like that for years.

Really lol .... maybe if the Rooneys had been minority owners first it wouldn't have taken them 39 freakin years of sucking arse before they got better.

Don't waste your time my friend.

Yeah, making excuses for the consistent failings of others is a waste of time.

It seems that the effort to show that Jimma is keeping his fingers out of the operational aspect of the franchise is taking a bit of a hit with the comment below from a Larry Brown article today...

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The lack of foresight on the Watson deal was spurred on by what many view as the impulsivity of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.

“Anyone who has worked under him for any period of time will tell you the Flying J (Haslam) is one of the most impulsive guys you’ll ever meet,” a source told Sando.

I dont know which franchise has had worse ownership since 99 , the Lions or Browns

Al Lerner had the money, but hired 2 buffoons to run the front office
Randy Lerner had no.interest in being a owner and hired total idiots to be GMs. He had
No.desire bring a winner to Cleveland
Jimmy Haslam is out of his element being a owner. He thinks having lots of money
Equates to winning football.
His move to bring Watson just reflects how desperate this franchise is and its
Failed to secure a franchise QB

First, what is a owners " element"?

Second, how do you know it was Haslams idea to go after Watson? No doubt he had to agree to such a move. I just wouldn't classify it as "his move".

"
The lack of foresight on the Watson deal was spurred on by what many view as the impulsivity of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam."

what many "view" as impulsivity. In other words, they have no proof, they just think it.

All speculation and fodder for weak minded people to jump on.

"His move to bring Watson just reflects how desperate this franchise is and its
Failed to secure a franchise QB"

Seems to me that signing Watson is securing a franchise QB

And the person who makes the decision on future coaching hires. That's why he refused to play in Houston. So it looks as if Haslam had no problem signing a QB that he feels is also qualified to make the call on future coaching hires as well. When you make a 230 million dollar contract fully guaranteed you just put all the power in the hands of that player. Not just playing QB. You didn't just sign that player, you married him.

As I understand it Watson was told he would have a say then they did not listen to him. Couple that with his concerns about racism in the organization and you have him being unhappy. It does sound different than your spin on it that he threw a temper tantrum and refused to be a grown up.

If that is the standard, being told by the FO that he would have say, then one would also have to consider that not only was Baker told he would be the starter in 2022 but so was the entire fan base.

In both cases the QB's involved were lied to by their FO. I'm not trying to favor one situation over the other. I'm showing just how similar both situations actually are and how both QB's acted in a very similar fashion.

I wouldn't say that Watson threw a tantrum. But when comparing the two situations I wouldn't say that Baker did either.

That comment has no bearing on what he did with Watson. We all have seen his impulsive behavior, but making a claim that it was the reason Watson was signed is just speculation. I'm sure he agreed to it, but there is no proof that he made the original decision. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. But, if I was the owner of this team and one of the best QBs came available, I definitely would suggest getting him. I would have to believe if you were in the same position you would also.

I would be fine if the decision was in part Haslams idea. At least we have a owner trying to do something to win. He did the same thing at Tennessee when the Volunteers needed something, his family along with a couple of others put up millions in seed money to kick off major projects around the university, not all football related.

I'd rather have an owner who cares and tries to improve things, even if they botch things, over an owner who doesn't give a crap and counts heads walking through the turnstiles.