Posted February 2, 201312 yr I don't follow sports much, but this isn't sports (hence I didn't put in the SportsTalk section), rather about history and principles. There's a good article--the most cogent argument I've read--explaining why Art Modell should not be inducted in the football hall of fame, just down the Willow Freeway from Downton CLE. Cleveland Knows Art Modell is Hall of Fame Fraud ....A little history is in order here: When Modell purchased the Cleveland Browns in 1961, they were the New York Yankees of pro football...But Modell, an advertising hustler from New York City, knew nothing about football and even less about how to run a business. A year after he took over, the new boss summarily fired Brown—the man who essentially invented modern pro football and to this day remains the game’s greatest innovator. Adding deviousness to stupidity, he waited until the city was in the midst of a newspaper strike to do the firing. Adding classlessness to the mix, he had Brown’s office belongings gathered up in boxes and left on his doorstep. Many fans vowed never to forgive Modell for his handling of the iconic coach … and they never have. ....Modell’s apologists, clamoring for a reason to induct him, cite the role that he supposedly played in structuring the historic NFL television deal in 1964. (They tend to overlook the fact that when Commissioner Pete Rozelle sealed the deal, Modell was in the Bahamas.) Modell was later assigned to negotiate a contract with CBS, and signed with them for $14 million per year—not chump change in that era. But shortly thereafter, the AFL (remember them?) negotiated a deal with NBC for a whopping $36 million per year..... http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/02/cleveland-knows-art-modell-is-hall-of-fame-fraud.html
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