It was 10 years ago today...

[buckeyemike]

The Main Reason Why I'm Here Today.

 

Unlike many in Cleveland, and you've heard me say it, I've long since forgiven Art Modell for moving the team. He's in poor health, and may not be long for this world.

 

However, I've tried to get back into the Browns, and it is simply not the same. So, three years ago, I declared my allegiance for the Buffalo Bills (whom I have followed from afar since the late 70's) and began posting on this site.

 

Was it a dark day? Sure. But the most important thing I realized is that the sun rose on November 7, 1995. Life went on. It got better for me personally and professionally. Football is football. It's nice to have, and you get caught up in the emotion and sense of "team", but it is not necessary to survive.

 

Today, I am proud to say that I am a Buffalo Bills fan and a member of this community.

 

GO BILLS! CRUSH THE CHIEFS!!

 

Mike

[bflo83]

Mike, you're a better man than I. Art Modell is scum. The fact that he was fortunate enough to hoist the Lombardi trophy is a travesty and further proof that life is just not fair. I hope his lobbying for the Hall of Fame fails.

 

If the Bills were ever to leave Buffalo I would be done with the nfl forever. The Bills relationship to Buffalo (as the Browns relationship was to Cleveland) is one of the main reasons I continue to support this team thru thick and thin. For a sucessful team to be ripped out of a region only for reasons of greed is simply unconscionable.

[Tcali]

The Main Reason Why I'm Here Today.

 

Unlike many in Cleveland, and you've heard me say it, I've long since forgiven Art Modell for moving the team.  He's in poor health, and may not be long for this world. 

 

However, I've tried to get back into the Browns, and it is simply not the same.  So, three years ago, I declared my allegiance for the Buffalo Bills (whom I have followed from afar since the late 70's) and began posting on this site.

 

Was it a dark day?  Sure.  But the most important thing I realized is that the sun rose on November 7, 1995.  Life went on.  It got better for me personally and professionally.  Football is football.  It's nice to have, and you get caught up in the emotion and sense of "team", but it is not necessary to survive.

 

Today, I am proud to say that I am a Buffalo Bills fan and a member of this community. 

 

GO BILLS!  CRUSH THE CHIEFS!!

 

Mike

496547[/snapback]

Ohhh. I thought that was when Sgt pepper taught the band to play...--maybe that was longer ago.

[bflo83]

Ohhh. I thought that was when Sgt pepper taught the band to play...--maybe that was longer ago.

496577[/snapback]

Wasn't that 20 years ageo today??

[BuffalOhio]

Mike,

 

If it took the Browns moving to Baltimore to rid Cleveland of Modell, then it was actually good for Cleveland that it happened. Now they've got a new team, with a better owner. It'll take some time, but I'm sure their new coach will have them competitive again.

 

Model is a piece of garbage. I couldn't believe it when he was holding the Lombari Trophy and said, "I'd like to thank all the fans in Cleveland for their support over the years".

 

What an ass!

[SDS]

All this one-sided Modell bashing is revisionism.

 

If Modell didn't leave Cleveland - the Browns would still be paying in an 80 year old stadium crumbling under their feet.

 

The city (not the fans) was an equal partner in that dance. The city played on Modell's loyalty as they lavished the lesser sports with new stadiums, while the main event got nothing...

 

So, while the Indians, the Cavaliers, and the Rock-n-Roll hall of fame struck it rich - the Browns got a kick in the ass. The city played a game of chicken and lost, but make no mistake - they were just as much a player as Modell.

[HopsGuy]

All this one-sided Modell bashing is revisionism.

 

If Modell didn't leave Cleveland - the Browns would still be paying in an 80 year old stadium crumbling under their feet.

 

The city (not the fans) was an equal partner in that dance. The city played on Modell's loyalty as they lavished the lesser sports with new stadiums, while the main event got nothing...

 

So, while the Indians, the Cavaliers, and the Rock-n-Roll hall of fame struck it rich - the Browns got a kick in the ass. The city played a game of chicken and lost, but make no mistake - they were just as much a player as Modell.

496708[/snapback]

 

Well said. Did you happen to see the ESPN Classic piece about this (IRIC, "5 Reasons not to Blame Art Modell..."? Al Lerner, the first owner of the "new" Browns actually brokered the deal for Modell to move the team to Baltimore.

[buckeyemike]

All this one-sided Modell bashing is revisionism.

 

If Modell didn't leave Cleveland - the Browns would still be paying in an 80 year old stadium crumbling under their feet.

 

The city (not the fans) was an equal partner in that dance. The city played on Modell's loyalty as they lavished the lesser sports with new stadiums, while the main event got nothing...

 

So, while the Indians, the Cavaliers, and the Rock-n-Roll hall of fame struck it rich - the Browns got a kick in the ass. The city played a game of chicken and lost, but make no mistake - they were just as much a player as Modell.

496708[/snapback]

 

In retrospect, you are correct. Mike White, the mayor of Cleveland at the time, never believed Modell would up and leave like he did. But, he's just as much to blame IMO as Modell.

 

But White played it perfectly, blaming Modell for the whole thing and not waiting his turn for a new or refurbished stadium. He was the one who influenced the media backlash...Modell couldn't, because he was in Baltimore and not coming back.

 

Lerner I really don't blame, because I think HE had ulterior motives...Lerner knew he would be the front-runner for ownership of a new Browns team...and that's exactly what happened.

 

I think that Al Lerner tried to buy the Browns from Modell, was refused, and basically nudged Modell out the door to have the rabid Cleveland market all to himself, complete with a new stadium.

 

Either way, Cleveland got their team back (bad as it may be), a new stadium, and Modell gone. Randy Lerner will own a Lombardi Trophy eventually -- it may take 5 or 10 years, but I believe it will happen.

 

Mike

[Arkady Renko]

While in my opinion it sucks whenever a team abandons a city that supports it, I find some of complaints to be a little exaggerated.

 

1. Cleveland was promised a team and a definite time table for when they would get the team very soon after the Browns moved to Baltimore.

 

2. Cleveland got to keep the name and the team records from the old franchise.

 

3. There is a lot of grief given to Baltimore for taking the team away, but when the Colts moved away from Baltimore in 1984 the NFL made no such promise to Baltimore that they would soon return, nor did they strip Indianapolis of the Colts name or the Colts records. The NFL had an opportunity to bring the NFL back to Baltimore in 1995 but decided that a joke of a city like Jacksonville should get a team instead. There were no plans for further expansion any time soon so Baltimore's only chance of gaining a team was doing to another city what was done to them. In the end, it seems to me that Cleveland ended up better off than Baltimore for each city's loss of team (success on the field not-withstanding).

[XNorthBuffaloLad]

However, I've tried to get back into the Browns, and it is simply not the same.

496547[/snapback]

 

Mike ... Please explain to us WHY it isn't the same ?

 

IMO, it's much better ... now ya got that nice new stadium at the same location, same great fans, same name/colors/history ..

 

Out of any North American franchise that's ever relocated, you lot got the best deal ...

 

Enquiring minds wanna know ???

 

 

[Typical TBD Guy]

Mike ... Please explain to us WHY it isn't the same ?

 

IMO, it's much better ... now ya got that nice new stadium at the same location, same great fans, same name/colors/history  ..

 

Out of any North American franchise that's ever relocated, you lot got the best deal ...

 

Enquiring minds wanna know ???

497158[/snapback]

 

Because no matter what anyone says, the new Cleveland Browns aren't the old Cleveland Browns. The Baltimore Ravens are the old Cleveland Browns. The 1995 Browns roster and 1996 Ravens roster were nearly identical .

 

Buckeyemike, that's awesome that you're a fellow Bills fan now. But you're either a Lake Erie loyalist or a glutton for let-downs! Because Ralph Wilson may not last another decade, and neither may the Bills in Buffalo .

[buckeyemike]

Because no matter what anyone says, the new Cleveland Browns aren't the old Cleveland Browns. The Baltimore Ravens are the old Cleveland Browns. The 1995 Browns roster and 1996 Ravens roster were nearly identical  .

 

Buckeyemike, that's awesome that you're a fellow Bills fan now. But you're either a Lake Erie loyalist or a glutton for let-downs! Because Ralph Wilson may not last another decade, and neither may the Bills in Buffalo  .

497204[/snapback]

 

The Cleveland Browns of 1999 were playing in an antiseptic new stadium, complete with PSL's and club seats out the wazoo. They stuck all the true fans who couldn't afford the higher prices in the nether regions of the upper deck or out in the Dawg Pound, where Big Dawg started another career as a TV star/media whore.

 

The NFL, I found, is all about the Benjamins. I think the Bills are now making tons of money...the team is marketed well, and that's a big reason why I think they stay right where they are. PSL's are on the way out (the Raiders are getting rid of them entirely) and I think that the big corporate money for the NFL may be starting to wane.

 

I honestly don't believe they do as well in San Antonio, L.A. or anywhere else, because a) they won't sell out as often as at the Ralph, and b) the team makes money. Boatloads of money. Right there in Western New York.

 

Mike