Art Modell, the man who broke Cleveland's heart by moving their beloved Browns to Baltimore, turns 85 today, wondering if the Hall of Fame ever will come calling.
View full sizeBrowns owner Art Modell, left, posing with quarterback Frank Ryan in 1967, turns 85 today. Art Modell. Now, wait. Before you go all "Network" on us and throw the computer out the window, take a deep breath and find your center. Got it? OK, good.
The man who broke a city's heart turns 85 today. He's had two strokes, two heart attacks and is confined to a wheelchair. To some Browns fans, the man who absconded with their team deserves such a fate. But to Kevin Cowherd, writing for the Baltimore Sun, the vitriol and hatred that have kept him out of the Hall of Fame is an unjust punishment for a man who did so much for the National Football League:
Sometimes, you forget what a giant Modell was in the league's early years.
Look at all he did. He headed the owners' labor committee that negotiated the league's first collective bargaining agreement with the players.
He played an instrumental role in the merger of the NFL and AFL by agreeing to move the Browns to the AFC. He helped broker the contract for ABC's "Monday Night Football." And he spearheaded the first TV deals between the league and the networks that made the NFL's popularity skyrocket.
"There wasn't anything innovative or new to the game that he wasn't a part of," said Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens' general manager and executive vice president.
Said Modell: "Television was my game. And that was the game that made the league famous. ... One thing 'Monday Night Football' did: More women were attracted to the game. I'm very proud of that."
Art Modell is now the owner emeritus of the Ravens, in the city where he's loved as much as he's hated here. It likely will be easier for Clevelanders to open their hearts and forgive him if and when the Browns are able to return to respectability, That could happen in this Mike Holmgren era. But until then, he's not likely to catch a lot of sympathy in Northeast Ohio.
When that does finally happen, we'll be able to say we're glad that you didn't jump, Art.