DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Haslam Brook Park Stadium Proposal

The money Haslam has to put in escrow is a trivial amount that is to protect the State's investment. I believe it is $50M with an option for a second $50M.


Having said that, the budget bill that passed, caps the amount Sports and Culture entities can "borrow" from the Unclaimed Funds account at $1.7B (now down to $1.1B after Haslam receives $600M). Also, the money has to have been sitting in the Unclaimed Fund account for 10 years or longer. The current account total is around $4.3B. I'd imagine that teams and cultural centers will push legislators to make available more than the current $1.7B capped amount in the future.

You are absolutely correct that it is highly unlikely the Unclaimed Fund account collapses. However, whether or not the loaned amount actually ever gets paid back in full is another story.

Thanks for providing what seems like more accurate numbers, but we are on the same page.

As for being paid back, the state seems to think the ROI will be there over time but no doubt there is always some risk in any investment.

Only time will tell that. I guess in 20 years some will know. I won't. I don't anticipate living another 20 years. At this point I am hoping for another 5 to see the stadium open. Maybe even see a few games there.

It is what it is. I have always been a realist.

The unsuspecting visiting opponent fans will rue the day they stepped foot into the new stadium as I lie in wait to concourse shame their crummy concourses! 😀

People who watch those NFLPA feedback polls should be super happy about item#3.

LOL...I was thinking the same thing.

I'm not sure what having the largest locker room in the NFL will do for the fan experience but OK!

Browns players have been complaining about a couple parts of the stadium setup for a while.

Well get building. I wanna see at least one game there before I'm gone.

Again, not sure what that does for the fan experience..

Just to clear it up for you, it does nothing. The article was just pointing out some of the improvements over the existing stadium. It just included one of the benefits the players will experience.

As Oobs pointed out, some people seem to put too much focus on the survey the NFLPA sends out to all the players. The Browns always score low on stadium accommodations, both for them and family. Some posters use that to say the Haslams don't care and go on the cheap when it comes to the treatment of players and family. This addresses that in spades.

I am not sure how and where the family section will be addressed but I am pretty confident it will be pretty nice. I am confident it will have a private gathering place where before games they can talk and eat some chicken fingers, big deli trays or something along those lines. Private restroom, etc.

Shoot, just sitting inside a climate-controlled space has to be a big improvement. I don't know when you last went to a game but it is mostly too hot, cold, windy or raining/snowing. You might only get 1-2 games where conditions are ideal.

So it should all be about the fans and nothing about the players? The Tweet said nothing about the list all being about the fans.

I know some view everything as an all or nothing proposition. That isn't how reality works. Not winning a SB doesn't mean your team sucks.

That isn't true. Not even close. The venue is no longer just a football stadium. In time, football games are only going to be a portion of the events held there.

Plus, that is a rich comment coming from you. You are the one always posting up NFLPA results saying how Browns ownership is horrible and uncaring about the players needs.

I suspect we could win 5 championships over a decade's time and you would be moaning about the 5 seasons we didn't.

Time to just clam up.

He has a point however. If they fail to win a Championship, it won't make the fans any happier than they last stadium....

The other events that are possible with this facility are nothing short of amazing for NE Ohio.. NO question about that. But if you are talking NFL Football, it's not going to make the experience any better if we don't win it all.

Who pays the bills? Look, I'm happy of the players get better digs... I'm good with that.

As for as the tweet saying nothing about it all being for the fans, I'll ask again, who pays the bills.

When Haslam builds his new stadium...will that make him that make him one of the most successful NFL owners in the league..?

It seems that Jimmy and his group believe building a new stadium will make the Browns fans forget the fact that the Browns are the worst franchise in the NFL based on winning percentage.

Building a "winning football team" should be Haslam's #1 goal.

So are you telling me the fans wouldn't be happier seeing 7 wins at home each year rather than 2 or 3? That math doesn't add up. Are you saying the Browns going deep into the playoffs wouldn't make them happier than a 3 win season like they just had? Oh contraire mon frere.

And 31 teams each year don't win the SB. There is a difference between the team making great strides and improvement verses winning a Championship. I would agree that if the team doesn't make major improvements, where you watch the game doesn't really make any difference. The Browns had a grand total of 1 home win in 2024. If you're actually trying to claim that the fan base wouldn't be much happier with 7 home wins, a 12 game winning season and a deep run in the playoffs I want some of what you're smoking.

Like I said, you're an all or nothing guy. Yes the object is to win. Actually it's to win the SB every year. But stop pretending fans of every team that doesn't win the SB don't love their team and think they support a good team. Or in your case do you only believe that about the Browns?

The more wins the merrier... What's your point?

Showing just how ridiculous this is was my point.

Thanks. Well put.

They also held that distinction from 2000 to 2012... not sure why you chose to stop at 2012... /sarcasm

Going a little further... the 2 winning seasons they had from 2000 to 2012 were 9 and 10 win seasons.

The 2 winning seasons they've had since 2012 were both 11 win seasons.


Is that improvement? I, personally, wouldn't make that argument... but at least it would be grounded in some facts/reality.

Win or lose I would rather watch it in 68 degree dry conditions instead of rain/snow and 10 below zero wind chills.

I agree. Watching football in those horrible weather conditions was almost like a badge of honor with previous generations. I don't believe it's like that now with today's fans. They would rather be comfortable than not. JMO

To bring the convo full-circle... maybe watching a better team would make the elements a little more tolerable.

Many in the crowd are women, children and elderly people. (Sorry for using the E word Penn) I know, I know. I now fit that description as well.

But Oob, liking out outcome of the game better doesn't do anything to change the circumstances you have to endure to watch it.

I mean I get it. When I was a younger man there was a degree of machismo associated with being a "die hard/hard core" fan by watching the games in the elements. But while I relished in the attitude at the time, over time I watched the kids and others that were far more impacted by that weather than I was. At some point it occurred to me that the NFL is a sport all should be able to attend without being miserable and not everything was about me.

You don't think the fanbase, in general, would be more excited to bundle up to watch an 11-5-tier team vs a 5-11 team?

Sure... there's gonna be a slice of the fanbase that would look at certain weather forecasts and say, "no thanks". My argument is that there's a portion of the fanbase that's on the fence about watching a live game in the elements.

Billions of years ago, when I was a ref on the old board, I got free tickets to a game. It was a Monday Night game, IIRC, I do recall that it was against the Rams ....... anyway, the seats were in the upper deck. It was cold walking to the stadium. It was positively sub zero by gametime.

Give me a dome!

There isn't any logical reason why fans wouldn't want a dome in areas like Cleveland, as well as many others.

Some say football is meant to be played in the elements. I don't think that is true. Football started as a college game. They started playing the game long before we had the ability to cover playing spaces.

You also have to consider that football seasons were over by Thanksgiving and traditional Bowl Game sites were played in places like Pasadena, New Orleans, Miami and Dallas on New Years Day. If playing in the elements was desired why not select Fargo, North Dakota over New Orleans?

Even the NFL which lengthened the season some played the Championship game in early Dec.

I get that. But how does the location you play in determine your winning record? It actually has no bearing on that whatsoever. I don't disagree that there's a "portion" of the fan base that feels that way. The problem is that's a narrow view if it.

The problem is that doesn't serve your entire fan base well. Those that are demanding an outdoor stadium or on the fence about an indoor stadium are not considering a large portion of the fan base who are much more fragile to the elements. For a lot of people sitting in those harsh weather elements is not only uncomfortable but can also be quite dangerous. I'm just not in the "All you sissy's can stay home!" crowd.

In actuality it will in no way hurt the outdoor football crowd to sit at an indoor stadium to watch games. Whether they want to admit it or not it will be a more comfortable experience for them as well. While if they got their way it would make it far more miserable for everyone.

A lot of people want a lot of things. But often times we find that in the grand scheme of things what they want just doesn't make sense.

*Thank you Lord we have a team to fight about. *

Have 'they' announced what type of field turf will be used?