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Quoting Tulsa from the other thread Quote:
Lerner chose the role of the invisible owner, even to the point of sending Holmgren to the owners meetings for him. It's clearly not his desire to own an NFL team. While I admire him for honoring his fathers wishes in keeping the team for 10 years, it certainly doesn't appear that Lerner has been doing much more than counting the days until that 10 years expires.
Enter a guy who owns a portion of the Steelers. On the surface, not the best sounding of choices but does that really matter? At least this guy wants to own a team and being a minority owner to date has had an opportunity to see how they run and what is necessary to run one, and wants to run one. That's already a step in the right direction.
I'm not worried about the guy moving the team to LA. Why would he? Has he ever shown to be an LA guy? His roots are all in Tennessee, not exactly LA of the east. You have a guy who owns truck stops, clearly blue collar establishments who's shown interest in being an owner of an NFL franchise noted as a blue collar team. Seems like a pretty good fit to me.
With my glass half full in hand I'm choosing to see this as an opportunity for the Browns to get out of their expansion franchise funk and start to matter again with an owner that wants to be in the position.
That's pretty much how I feel. The guy wasn't a life long Steeler fan, he became one when he had an opportunity to invest in the team. Well Duh. Let's ask Dan Gilbert if he is a 1000% Cavs fan even though he grew up a Piston Fan.
I don't see why one would want to move the Browns to LA. Browns sell out whether we go 10-6 or 2-14. Why move to a city that has lost many franchises because the market is full of casual fans. No they will move the Rams or Raiders back to LA IMO.
I'm very optimistic. Even if it means Holmgren being let go, I think Heckert is safe. Shurmer is on the hot seat but I'm not sure that is a bad thing. If Heckert is allowed to hire his own coach outside Holmgren's presence then I'm sure he will hire a coach to fit the system he has been building. We have some building blocks and are a young team. No need to blow it up and start over from scratch. Did Jim Harbaugh blow up San. Fran????
I think we will be just fine and in fact I think we are going to be better off.
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Browns deal on “fast track” Posted by Mike Florio on July 28, 2012, 9:37 AM EDT Although prospective Browns owner Jimmy Haslam hasn’t said anything in the 24 hours or so since word emerged of his effort to swap out a minority share in the Steelers for controlling interest in the Browns, he could be taking center stage in Cleveland, soon. A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that the sale from Randy Lerner to Jimmy Haslam is on the “fast track,” and that the deal is expected to be approved when the owners next meet in August. It’s not a surprise; the recent sale of the Jaguars from Wayne Weaver to Shahid Khan received similar grease-through-goose treatment, with the sale official not long after word emerged that a transaction was happening. The Browns sale was brokered, we’re told, at the league-office level. The fact that Haslam already owns a double-digit piece of the Steelers made the process a lot more smooth than if he had no prior NFL ties. Indeed, if the owners already have approved Haslam to own a significant piece of the Steelers, why wouldn’t they approve him to own all or most of the Browns? Officially, it’s unknown whether Lerner will return a minority share in the team, and whether other minority interests will be sold. Under league rules, one person can control a team by owning as little as 30 percent of all equity. But with Forbes.com recently pegging the value of the Browns at $977 million and with Haslam, according to Forbes.com, plunking down $920 million for the team, it appears that he plans to buy it all. He could thereafter sell off slices to serious investors and the likes of Drew Carey, Trace Atkins (I had to mention him because he’s in the picture with Haslam) and Michael Stanley, as other owners have done. (And, yes, I now know who Michael Stanley is.) There’s speculation in league circles that, apart from Lerner’s apparent lack of interest in being an NFL owner, he decided to liquidate the Browns because he needed the cash to finance the operations of his English soccer club, Aston Villa. That’s an example of what they call “rich people problems,” problems that anyone who isn’t rich would love to have. Within the next month or so, Lerner’s biggest problem will be figuring out where to park $920 million. That’s a shame. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/28/browns-deal-on-fast-track/
you had a good run Hank.
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All Lerner paid $530 million for the Browns and his son sold it for $920 million. That's a tidy $390 million return on investment. I wonder if Randy would be interested in buying a certain local baseball team? I also wonder if he could spot me a lousy mil - come on man, you'd never miss it.
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I agree. Knoxville isn't exactly a glitz town. These guys are are from east Tennessee. A pretty down to earth culture.
Make no mistake, they belong to all the "right" clubs and organizations, and don't exactly consider Cracker Barrel top of the line dining on Sunday after church, but as you said, they have made their fortune catering to the needs of truckers. Before Pilot's started dotting the highways, truck stops were for the most part pretty seedy. They changed that by providing clean grounds, decent restaurant, clean showers, and a well stocked store with the items truckers needed while out on the road. Soon, even families started stopping in as the word spread. Once they got it rolling, then you started seeing the Love's and all the others.
I don't know if he will be good or not, but I am not worried he has his eyes on moving the team.
I could see orange working back in to the picture. That family sees orange, no doubt about it. I would expect to see orange jerseys or pants back on the plate next year.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong ![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/small-gator-chomp.gif)
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Quote:
Within the next month or so, Lerner’s biggest problem will be figuring out where to park $920 million.
Again, one of those rich persons problems we would all love to have, but none the less, think about it, that would be no easy task. You don't just walk in to the bank and tell them you want to start a savings account.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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don't exactly consider Cracker Barrel top of the line dining on Sunday after church
His loss.
"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college"
GO ROCKETS
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Quote:
Quote:
Within the next month or so, Lerner’s biggest problem will be figuring out where to park $920 million.
Again, one of those rich persons problems we would all love to have, but none the less, think about it, that would be no easy task. You don't just walk in to the bank and tell them you want to start a savings account.
Yeah hate to be the teller having to count it out to him. Lets see that's 100 200 300.. 
If you need 3 years to be a winner you got here 2 years to early. Get it done Browns.
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Quote:
the deal is expected to be approved when the owners next meet in August.
The sooner the better.
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I agree. The sooner the better. Get Holmgren, Heckert and this coaching staff out of here and start the rebuilding process right now. Blow it up. Get rid of all these young players and do it the right way. BUY a team in FA. End this build through the draft crap. In Cleveland, NO front office and coaching staff will get more than three years. Can't draft a SB team in that short a time. Trade every pick and buy every FA you can for older vets. I'm hoping the new guys bring back Kokinis. We gave up on him way too fast.
I hope Holmgren ends up on the sidelines next year and takes his new team to the SB. Now THAT would be funny.
#BlackLivesMatter #StopAsianHate
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Forget the purple font or something???
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Quote:
I agree. The sooner the better. Get Holmgren, Heckert and this coaching staff out of here and start the rebuilding process right now. Blow it up. Get rid of all these young players and do it the right way. BUY a team in FA. End this build through the draft crap. In Cleveland, NO front office and coaching staff will get more than three years. Can't draft a SB team in that short a time. Trade every pick and buy every FA you can for older vets. I'm hoping the new guys bring back Kokinis. We gave up on him way too fast.
I hope Holmgren ends up on the sidelines next year and takes his new team to the SB. Now THAT would be funny.
Well I never meant to imply that the sooner the better we blow up this team.
what I meant was:
The sooner the better we make this ownership change, that will bring along with the answers to the many questions that can't be answered until such time.
PS ... I think Cleveland is going to love "Jimmy" Haslam as our owner.
(disclaimer ... so long as he doesn't blow this team up and builds on what we have started)
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I thought you were going to stop posting here. Seriously, this is ridiculous.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
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J/C
I'm a little late to the party on this topic.
#1 - If the current owner's heart not in it, then it can only help us to get someone in here that does.
#2 - From what I've read, the new potential owner isn't interested in moving and there will be language in the sale about not moving. Fine by me.
#3 - I would guess any new owner will wait to see what he has before firing anyone. But hey, even if Lerner wasn't selling, we'd have to start thinking about what the pres, gm and coach are doing if we get worse this year. Employees are supposed to prove their worth all the time, that won't change.
#4 - He's a Steeler fan? Ya, because he bought into them. I would too if I was offered an ownership stake. Owners, coaches, GMs & players all grow up supporting a different team then they end up working for. No big deal.
So to me, "meh". Wake me up when there are real warning signs.
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Forbes Randy Lerner is in the process of selling the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League to James Haslam for $920 million, according to someone familiar with the deal but who has not been authorized to speak about it publicly. Lerner had been looking for between $1 billion and $1.1 billion for the team his father purchased for $530 million in 1998. Haslam is currently a minority owner of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and is president and CEO of Knoxville, Tenn.-based Pilot Flying J, an $18 billion in sales chain of truck stops. Last August we valued the Browns at $977 million, 2oth out of the league’s 32 teams. The Browns posted an operating loss (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $2.9 million during the 2010 season. The only other NFL teams to have an operating loss that year were the Detroit Lions. The Browns have lost 67% of their games during their 13 seasons. The only team to do worse over that span? The Lions. It has been rumored ever since Al Lerner died in 2002 that his son, Randy, who bought the English soccer team Aston Villa in 2006, might sell the Browns. He is believed to be more interested in soccer than football and has pumped over $150 million into the struggling soccer team. Two years ago the team’s fans petitioned Lerner to sell the Browns. The Browns are a great value play by Haslam. Although the team only filled its stadium to 90% of capacity last season the Browns have historically had among the most loyal supporters in the NFL. The team that was founded in 1950 and played in Cleveland until Art Modell moved it to Baltimore in 1995 for a better stadium used to sell out cavernous Municipal Stadium each Sunday. And despite their small media market the Browns boast one of the highest radio rights fees in football (a big advantage since national television fees are divided equally among the 32 teams). The Browns also have a lease that gives them control of Cleveland Browns Stadium and the lions share of revenues from premium seating and advertising. The paperwork for the sale has not been delivered to the NFL offices yet and Lerner has been talking to other potential buyers. But Haslam is by far the furthest along in the process, according to my source. And since he is already familiar to the owners as a minority investor in the Steelers, it is not expected the league will have any objections.
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Quote:
I agree. The sooner the better. Get Holmgren, Heckert and this coaching staff out of here and start the rebuilding process right now. Blow it up. Get rid of all these young players and do it the right way. BUY a team in FA. End this build through the draft crap. In Cleveland, NO front office and coaching staff will get more than three years. Can't draft a SB team in that short a time. Trade every pick and buy every FA you can for older vets. I'm hoping the new guys bring back Kokinis. We gave up on him way too fast.
I hope Holmgren ends up on the sidelines next year and takes his new team to the SB. Now THAT would be funny.
Kids......just say no to drugs.
![[Linked Image from pic18.picturetrail.com]](http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL905/3216203/6567769/349897772.jpg) "The Browns' defense is kicking mucho dupa."
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J/C First of all, I am sitting here laughing at all the sky is falling crap in this thread. For years all I have read here is how Lerner was the worst owner and until he was gone the team will struggle. Well, now you got what you wanted, and the crying is even louder. This guy could be the thing that saves this franchise from the punchline it has become. Lerner didn't know what to do and it showed. Bringing in Holmgren and basically letting him do his job was Lerner's last best chance. IMO, since Holmgren has been in the building, Lerner has been able to hand off all his responsibilities. Even, as many of the above stories confirm, many in the NFL saw Lerner as someone who wasn't comfortable or had the abilitiy to run the franchise. To me it seemed he was just fulfilling his fathers wishes. Now he has an out. Haslam has a love for football, as Peen has pointed out about his commitment with Tennesee. Having been a part owner of a well runned franchise, I'm sure he has seen the proper model to use to return this franchise to it's proper place in the league's history. I see this as something long coming. If this Banner guy comes in with the ties he has with Heckert and company, I truly believe things will stay on path not be blown up. Holmgren IMO is expendable. I think he is just here because Randy didn't want the responsibility, and found someone willing to put in the work. Bottom line for me is we are getting an owner that appears to want to own the team. I'm sure while being part of Pittsburgh he was aware of the history and rivalry that existed between the clubs. That for me is huge. I have to believe that he sees the potential of reviving that rivalry, and what it would mean to the fans in both cities as well as to the NFL. I wouldn't doubt that that was part of the thing that made him interested in the Browns. Plus he is buying a losing franchise that still continually has a faithfull fanbase . Imagine what happens if "his" team returns to the top, and what it would be like to the future of Browns fandom. I see this as a fantastic thing for the Browns. As for effecting the team, I don't see it as a problem. I actually hope it goes down quickly, and Haslam is the owner before the season starts. I want the players and coaches to feel comfortable with him. This way as far as this season goes, the wheels are already in motion, and changes will not happen now. Plus the new ownership will have a full season, with no excuses, to tell if the plan implemented at the present is working or needs to be tweaked. Doing it after the season, to me leads to too much speculation ( see above whining). I think we as fans just received a present long overdue. An owner all in at owning a NFL team, and coming from owning part of a very successfully run franchise. If he is smart, his goal would be to become the Steelers nemesis. Seeing that he was part of that franchise, you would think that he would understand what would happen to the value of "his" team if that happens. The future could be very bright for our favorite team 
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Randy Lerner is even hated by the Aston Villa soccar fans. He's ran that franchise in the ground. Once a viable team,they are now bottom dwellars.
and in England I can assure the fans are less forgiving than than are over here.
Lerner always got a pass from a sect of Browns fans.
Lerner only cared about doubling the value of the Browns.
If they won,they won..if they lost they lost.
No biggie for Randy.
$$$$ is king
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. The team that was founded in 1950 and played in Cleveland until Art Modell moved it to Baltimore in 1995
Just nit picking, but we were formed in 1946, not 1950.
As for the sale as a whole, I am kinda surprised, but not that surprised. I am not very thrilled about being sold to a owner of the Steelers. Though maybe we can bring some of that Lombardi Trophy beauty to Cleveland.
KeysDawg
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I actually hope it goes down quickly, and Haslam is the owner before the season starts.
Browns deal on "fast track"
Posted by Mike Florio on July 28, 2012, 9:37 AM EDT
Although prospective Browns owner Jimmy Haslam hasn’t said anything in the 24 hours or so since word emerged of his effort to swap out a minority share in the Steelers for controlling interest in the Browns, he could be taking center stage in Cleveland, soon.
A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that the sale from Randy Lerner to Jimmy Haslam is on the “fast track,” and that the deal could be approved in August.
(By “approved,” that likely means by a committee of owners, and not the full body. A league source tells PFT that the next full meeting of owners is set for October.)
It’s not a surprise; the recent sale of the Jaguars from Wayne Weaver to Shahid Khan received similar grease-through-goose treatment, with the sale official not long after word emerged that a transaction was happening.
The Browns sale was brokered, we’re told, at the league-office level. The fact that Haslam already owns a double-digit piece of the Steelers made the process a lot more smooth than if he had no prior NFL ties. Indeed, if the owners already have approved Haslam to own a significant piece of the Steelers, why wouldn’t they approve him to own all or most of the Browns?
Officially, it’s unknown whether Lerner will return a minority share in the team, and whether other minority interests will be sold. Under league rules, one person can control a team by owning as little as 30 percent of all equity.
But with Forbes.com recently pegging the value of the Browns at $977 million and with Haslam, according to Forbes.com, plunking down $920 million for the team, it appears that he plans to buy it all.
He could thereafter sell off slices to serious investors and the likes of Drew Carey, Trace Adkins (I had to mention him because he’s in the picture with Haslam) and Michael Stanley, as other owners have done. (And, yes, I now know who Michael Stanley is.)
There’s speculation in league circles that, apart from Lerner’s apparent lack of interest in being an NFL owner, he decided to liquidate the Browns because he needed the cash to finance the operations of his English soccer club, Aston Villa.
That’s an example of what they call “rich people problems,” problems that anyone who isn’t rich would love to have.
Within the next month or so, Lerner’s biggest problem will be figuring out where to park $920 million.
That’s a shame.
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Most of this article we already know..But I have to laugh at the part where he says he was a Cowboys and Colts fan...Makes me think he's a band wagon fan..You know the Steelers thing.. I wonder if he thinks the Steelers are going to stink ..So he wants to buy into a team that's heading for a couple of SB rings... Cleveland Browns could be sold to Pittsburgh Steelers fan What will Jim Brown think? The prospective new owner of the Cleveland Browns is a self-described "1,000 percent" Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Truck-stop magnate Jimmy Haslam, who has begun talks with Browns owner Randy Lerner about taking a controlling interest in the team, is president and CEO of Knoxville, Tenn.-based Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America. He is also the older brother of Tennessee's Gov. Bill Haslam. Haslam has been a minority investor in the Pittsburgh Steelers and in a 2010 profile told the team's Web site that he had been a Dallas Cowboys and then an Indianapolis Colts fan. But with the Pittsburgh investment, Haslam said he had become "1,000 percent a Steelers fan." The Steelers, of course, are the Browns' chief AFC North rival. The Haslam brothers are supporters of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where their father Jim Haslam played tackle on the 1951 national championship football team under Gen. Robert R. Neyland, who is credited with building the school into a football powerhouse. The elder Haslam founded the Pilot Corp. in 1958 with a single gas station in Gate City, Va. He credits sons Bill and Jimmy with expanding the chain from mostly gas stations and convenience stores to a "travel center" concept of truck stops featuring branded fast food service. Jim Haslam was a longtime member of the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees and in 2006 donated $32.5 million to the school, the largest gift ever at the time. Lauren Christ, spokeswoman for Pilot Flying J, confirmed Jimmy Haslam's interest in the Browns. She said Haslam would have no further comment on the Browns statement and referred all questions to the team. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league is aware of the discussions. Despite Haslam's affection for the Steelers, the primary focus of his talks with Lerner have been keeping the team in Cleveland, club president Mike Holmgren said on Friday. "The Cleveland Browns are not going anywhere," Holmgren said. The Browns have been owned by the Lerner family since 1999, when the franchise was reborn after the original club moved to Baltimore. Randy Lerner, 50, who also owns the Aston Villa soccer club in England, inherited the Browns in 2002 following the death of his father, Al. Some fans have been unhappy with Randy Lerner, criticizing him as the disengaged owner of a club that has made the playoffs just once since it was recreated. link
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Randy Lerner is even hated by the Aston Villa soccar fans. He's ran that franchise in the ground. Once a viable team,they are now bottom dwellars.
and in England I can assure the fans are less forgiving than than are over here.
Lerner always got a pass from a sect of Browns fans.
Lerner only cared about doubling the value of the Browns.
If they won,they won..if they lost they lost.
No biggie for Randy.
$$$$ is king
My brother-in-law is British, and Aston Villa is his club. He lives for them like we do for the Browns.
And he HATES Randy Lerner.
"The Browns' defense is kicking mucho dupa."
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What will Jim Brown think?
I don't care. He would be one of the last people I'd ask their opinion of this potential sale.
“...Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!”
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Who cares, so what, we'll have a new owner! Big deal. Randy could've cared less about football, it will be nice to have an owner who actually LIKES football.
I seriously doubt the new owner will "CLEAN HOUSE" prior to the season starting.
So all you people who are worried, concerned, etc., pull your panties out of your ass and get ready for some football.
This is nothing more than a technicality that may be beneficial to us in the long run!
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the deal is expected to be approved when the owners next meet in August.
The sooner the better.
yes...We all know that if this were to linger ,it would be a distraction for the team and the fans..even though thats inevitable anyway..I want the team to be able to focus on their task..and not be bombarded with questions.
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not exactly bandwagon.
grew up in TN w/o a pro-team nearby, chose the Cowboys.
went to UTenn, so did Peyton, started cheering for Peyton's Colts
opportunity to buy minority stake in Steelers, took it.
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At his age, the Falcons weren't formed when he started watch pro football. Add in the fact the Cowboys were on all the time and that is understandable. I've always liked Oakland since back in the day the Raiders were always on at 4PM.
As for his ownership in the Steelers, he had the money and had the chance to be a part owner. If things had been different and he was 1000% a Rams fan because he had the chance to buy in to that team, would people feel the same.
It was simply a business move. I think a smart one. I think all along he wanted to buy a team, and the best way for that to happen is for the members of the club to already know you. He got his foot in the door. Made a few friends and waited for the sale of a team he wanted to own.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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Browns paperwork could shed light on league’s view of concussion suits Posted by Mike Florio on July 28, 2012, 10:34 PM EDT Every sale of a major business results in the death of a small forest of trees, with extensive paperwork addressing every possible term and wrinkle and contingency. With the Browns being the first team sold since the dramatic proliferation of concussion lawsuits filed by former players, the paperwork generated between current owner Randy Lerner (pictured) and future owner Jimmy Haslam could provide strong clues as to the league’s actual assessment of the potential for significant financial exposure. The documents will account for all pending liabilities of the Browns, including the concussion lawsuits. And the purchase price most likely will be adjusted (i.e., dropped) to reflect an agreed-to estimate of the expected size of the check that each team eventually may have to cut to settle the concussion cases. Given that Haslam already owns a piece of the Steelers and that the Lerner-Haslam deal has been brokered at the league-office level, it’s fairly safe to say that the Browns paperwork will reflect fairly accurately what the league believes the outcome will be. web page Maybe those concussions lawsuits have some merit and Lerner is attempting to get out before the other shoe drops.
I'm sure the lawyers handling the sale are smart enough to address the potential liability issues so neither party is getting screwed over due to the possible future liability issue. Maybe the sale price reflects that potential liability on Lerner's part.
The real news here may be that those so called "frivolous lawsuits" may not be so frivolous after all.
Last edited by mac; 07/29/12 07:25 AM.
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Thank you for that explanation...and a very good one.. makes sense...
Wasn't in anyway trying to be negative on him.. i just found his statement funny.
I guess he has a knack at choosing winners... or luck. Either of the two.. I hope he brings it here...
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Just don't get bent out of shape if he isn't a full time resident of Cleveland. I think he is still going to live in Knoxville a good deal of the time. But, you never know.
All I am saying is the guy doesn't need to pack up everything and move to Cleveland full time. Condo's and private jets are a wonderful thing if you can afford them.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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I have a good feeling about Mr. Jimmy Haslam ... Football is in his blood and even if he doesn't reside here in Cleveland full time (not something a fan should concern themselves with imo), I'm sure that he will be involved in local charities and what not.
Having said that I have never been a big fan of Banner.
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I have been back and forth on my opinion of Lerner over the years. I think his heart is in the right place, he has the dough, he wants to succeed and all that, but there is just something missing with his passion. The soccer queer thing is definitely an issue and annoying as hell, especially given that it is a team across the Pond.
However, we could do much worse. Lerner's failings were the people he has hired or promoted, not anything else. He got snake oiled by Butch Davis and stayed too loyal too long, entrusting Davis with too much power. He attempted repeatedly to follow Bob Kraft's model and even was tutored by him - which is commendable. Savage was a glorified scout who he again entrusted too much power in, and I think he assumed that since Phillip was a self described "good Christian" and Baltimore guy, he would easily lead us to the promised land here.
He made a good move in snagging Mangini the second he became available, but proved his inexperience by basically letting EM hand pick his own GM. That is backasswards, but he did it to secure Mangini. With the Hitler type power that EM had, he had to take on way too much for a guy who was here to simply gut this thing and coach. Your new coach shouldn't be making all the calls related to the franchise, including the draft with little to no time to prep. Then Randy panicked and went and got Holmgren to come in, a guy who had a near opposite philosophy from EM on all things schematic and overall football related.
The ironic thing is, Walrus finally got Randy to buy in on the patience thing and to do this the right way, through the draft. The second the team looks like it may be ready to start turning the corner, Randy wants to finally sell rather than see a plan actually succeed.
It tells me that he has been wanting to sell this thing for awhile, but couldn't because his dad put the ten year moratorium on selling. I do agree a little with Gillooly on what he has always said about Randy, but then again we could have done much worse with an owner. Randy didn't create all the bad luck that has followed this team around like the plague, either.
Something else about Randy, and that is he never dicked around with the tradition of the team or did that gay naming of the Stadium thing that so many of these types do. Don't expect all that to stay 100% the same with new ownership, although I am sure Randy probably has laid down certain stipulations contingent on the team not changing things too drastically.
Let's just hope this new guy is sensible and doesn't try to make a huge stamp on things. One would like to think that the reason he really wants to buy the team (besides they are available and have great tradition and fans) is that they are in good order with leadership right now.
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Cleveland Browns sale could be approved by start of regular season, former Eagles President Joe Banner key part of group, sources sayPublished: Saturday, July 28, 2012, 10:31 PM Updated: Sunday, July 29, 2012, 7:38 AM Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer Follow Share Email Print lerner-shurmur-2012-camp-vert-ap.jpgDavid Richard, Associated PressBrowns owner Randy Lerner could be out as Browns owner as soon as late August or September.BEREA, Ohio -- Randy Lerner's sale of the Browns to Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam III could be approved before the start of the regular season in September, and former Eagles President Joe Banner is an integral part of the Haslam group, league sources told The Plain Dealer Saturday. Banner's involvement could mean the Browns are in for another front-office shakeup. Banner, whose longtime tenure as Eagles president ended in June, would most likely come in as part owner and team president. If that's the case, it would spell the end of Mike Holmgren's reign in the third year of a five-year contract that pays him an estimated $8 million a year. Would Banner, 59, leave the current regime intact for the 2012 season? It depends on how soon the transfer of ownership takes place, and according to the source, that could be as early as August. The deal -- in which Lerner will sell the team for $920 million according to Forbes -- is close enough that the owners could approve of it during a special meeting next month. The full ownership isn't scheduled to meet until October, Holmgren said, and he's heard nothing yet of an earlier session being called. For comparison's sake, it took only about two weeks last season for owners to unanimously approve the sale of the Jacksonville Jaguars from Wayne Weaver to Shahid Khan. Weaver signed the deal on Nov. 29 and announced it later that afternoon. On Dec. 6, the NFL's Finance Committee met to recommend the deal, and on Dec. 14th, the owners approved it. Khan took control of the team on Jan. 4. If things move that fast in this transaction -- and all indications are they will -- Haslam can reasonably expect to take over a month after the deal is signed. One reason it can close so quickly is that the NFL helped broker the deal and paired Haslam with Banner, who's been a member of the Eagles' front office since 1994 and is still a strategic advisor to owner Jeff Lurie, his childhood friend. Banner, who was team president from 2001 until last month, brings the requisite experience to run a team, and is credited with helping the Eagles to 11 playoff appearances during his tenure. Another reason it can be expedited is that Haslam has already passed the NFL's rigorous investigation into his background and finances required when he purchased an estimated 10 to 16 percent stake in the Steelers in 2008 -- "enough to have a seat on the board," a source said. When Banner stepped aside June 7 -- after what some in the Philly media described as a power struggle with head coach Andy Reid -- he said in a press conference that he wanted to be "involved with the world of buying and selling a sports team with the possibility of becoming part of a group that buys a team." That day, Howard Eskin of NBC 10 in Philadelphia reported that the Browns were one of several teams on the block and that Banner was involved in talks. The Browns, through a team spokesman, stated "the team is not for sale." What remains to be seen is where Banner stands with other members of the Browns staff that he worked closely with for years in Philadelphia, such as General Manager Tom Heckert, coach Pat Shurmur and offensive coordinator Brad Childress -- all of whom are close to Reid. Banner would most likely let the 2012 season play out and then revisit it afterwards.If Holmgren is ousted, he might still make the $8 million a year he's owed through 2014. Holmgren consulted frequently with former Dolphins President Bill Parcells when making his decision to come to Cleveland, and likely secured a similar guarantee of his contract in the even of an ownership change. Asked about Banner coming in and what that means for him, he said, "We'll see." He said he knows he hasn't produced yet, "but I believe we're close. My last press conference I said I'd be disappointed if we didn't take a pretty good jump this year and I still feel that way. I believe we're a better football team. I see it coming." Lerner walked out onto the practice field Saturday morning with Holmgren to watch the first day of training camp, and it felt like a farewell. He walked over and shook hands with Shurmur and Heckert, and then watched most of practice with other members of the front office and staff. Holmgren said afterward that Lerner and his son, Max, have moved back to New York after living in Cleveland last year so Max could attend St. Ignatius. He admitted that the process has been difficult on Lerner. "Those are personal things, but he's an emotional guy," Holmgren said. "He loves this place. I think you can all say he didn't like the limelight, he didn't like to be out and front or talk to you guys, but he cares deeply. Anything like this is going to be a very tough, emotional decision." As for the sale price, Forbes reported Saturday that Lerner was seeking $1 billion to $1.1 billion before settling on $920 million. A month ago, Forbes valued the Browns at $977 million, which ranked 20th among NFL franchises. Lerner's later father, Al, purchased the team in 1998 for $530 million. On Twitter: @marykaycabot web page
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Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about the Browns' sale, the clouds around a rookie WR, the Tribe's wobbly rotation and Cavaliers needs Published: Saturday, July 28, 2012, 11:45 PM Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer Follow Share Email Print holmgren-lerner-shurmur-2012-jk.jpgView full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerWith the sale of the Browns reportedly near completion, the departure of Randy Lerner (center) likely signals the same for team president Mike Holmgren (left), if not coach Pat Shurmur, says Terry Pluto. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- So many topics, let's just get started talkin' ... About the Browns sale... Assuming the Haslam family buys the Browns, one of the first things they need to do is decide who to keep. Most of the time, a sale of a franchise leads to general managers and coaches being replaced. Former Eagles president Joe Banner is reportedly part of the group working to buy the Browns. Let assume that he is, or that the Haslams have another football executive in place. Odds are that Mike Holmgren will go not long after the sale is final. The team president was hired by Lerner in 2010, and Holmgren seemed to view the main part of his job was to hire key people such as General Manager Tom Heckert and Vice President of Business Bryan Wiedmeier. Holmgren obviously had a major say in naming Pat Shurmur as coach and perhaps helping to recruit some of the assistant coaches. But the day-to-day operations in football and business seem to be handled by Wiedmeier and Heckert. And they should stay. A new ownership group could bring new energy. An experienced football man such as Banner replacing Holmgren makes sense in terms of being the overall CEO. After running the Philadelphia Eagles for 18 years, Banner knows Heckert, Shurmur and others who trace their football roots back to that franchise. The last thing the Browns need is a new GM with a new approach to the draft -- or a coaching staff that doesn't want a 4-3 defense or a West Coast Offense after the Browns have been drafting those type of players for three years.Since Al Lerner bought the expansion franchise in 1999, no team president, general manager or head coach has lasted more than four years. No matter who owns the team, that has to stop. About Josh Gordon ... Three failed drug tests. When it comes to new Browns receiver Josh Gordon, that's a reason for concern. His failed drug test last year at Utah -- after the two at Baylor -- is disturbing because Utah was supposed to be a second chance at college football. He also denied it when the first reports came out. Gordon now must ask himself: Is football more important than smoking marijuana? He can't do both. Regardless of your opinion of marijuana, it's illegal, and he will be tested again and again. After being a second-round pick in the supplemental draft, Gordon signed a 4-year deal with $3.8 million guaranteed. He received a $2.3 million signing bonus. He must realize he's being given a fresh start with a team that is invested in him as a person and a player. When Shurmur talked about how most of us did some dumb things in our college years, he's right. But at some point, that must stop. His decisions off the field will make the franchise look very smart or very foolish. Then there's Gordon the football player. He started only one year of college football (2010), catching 42 passes at Baylor. He's obviously physically gifted, with outstanding size (6-foot-3, 225 pounds). His hands seem to be reliable. But his experience is limited. It's not fair to expect him to immediately start, given that he was on the scout team at Utah last season and didn't play in games. The Browns appear to have a plan in place -- on and off the field. Part of it is to work him in slowly with the offense, and that makes sense. But you also can be sure that if Gordon is a fast learner and surprises the coaches by producing sooner than later, he will play. About Colt McCoy ... 1. Shurmur indicated what I've been writing about for a few months: The Browns can keep Colt McCoy as a backup to Brendan Weeden. "I guess the conversation becomes how he's going to handle it if he's not the starter," he told the PD Insider. "Colt's a professional and he's actually done everything that I've asked him to do. He's handled his work well, and in my opinion, he's handled his comments with the media well." 2. What Shurmur didn't say was this: If Weeden plays as the Browns expect, it will be obvious to everyone in an orange helmet that the rookie from Oklahoma State is the best quarterback in Berea. There will not be a controversy, as McCoy's record as a starter is 6-15. You can make the case that McCoy would have won more games with more talent around him, but this is not benching Bernie Kosar after he made the Browns a Super Bowl contender. 3. Shurmur also said he can see a situation where veteran Seneca Wallace and McCoy both are on the team. That's possible, but not probable. You can expect the Browns to trade one (I'm guessing Wallace) at some point in camp. Why keep Wallace on the payroll at $3 million, when McCoy is paid $550,000. web pageI think that I feel the same as highlighted in Bold
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Quote:
Banner, who was team president from 2001 until last month, brings the requisite experience to run a team, and is credited with helping the Eagles to 11 playoff appearances during his tenure.
It's kind of tough not to get a little bit excited when reading that.
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not exactly bandwagon.
grew up in TN w/o a pro-team nearby, chose the Cowboys.
went to UTenn, so did Peyton, started cheering for Peyton's Colts
opportunity to buy minority stake in Steelers, took it.
Knoxville isn't so far from Atlanta (3.5 hours) or Cincy (4 hours).
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Quote:
Quote:
Banner, who was team president from 2001 until last month, brings the requisite experience to run a team, and is credited with helping the Eagles to 11 playoff appearances during his tenure.
It's kind of tough not to get a little bit excited when reading that.
True ... I just have concerns with him as a my way or the highway type of guy and wanting to have 'Full" control.
I don't see Tom Heckert wanting to relinquish his Roster control authority ... I think that's where things could get ugly/sticky.
We have a FO and Coaching staff whom are all ready from the same "how to book" and the last thing this team needs is a fly in the ointment, so that's why I agreed with Pluto on the issue of change.
At least they all come from similar backgrounds. Will see what transpires.
Big Mike is in a awkward position as far as his future as team president and possibly also Vice President of Business Bryan Wiedmeier..
Last edited by FL_Dawg; 07/29/12 11:59 AM.
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Just don't get bent out of shape if he isn't a full time resident of Cleveland. I think he is still going to live in Knoxville a good deal of the time. But, you never know.
All I am saying is the guy doesn't need to pack up everything and move to Cleveland full time. Condo's and private jets are a wonderful thing if you can afford them.
Maybe he just likes to drive. It's not like he couldn't get fueled up anywhere he wanted to along the way. And the great thing is, almost none of the employees at the Pilot or Flying J locations would know his face if he walked in.
But, if you're ever out there traveling, you might stop in at a Pilot or Flying J and see if there are any 'Browns' merchandise on the shelves. Even if it's one or two pieces. 
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if you're ever out there traveling, you might stop in at a Pilot or Flying J and see if there are any 'Browns' merchandise on the shelves. Even if it's one or two pieces.
Had the same thought myself  and Banner has a background in apparel.
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Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns in process of being Sold
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