Art Modell isn’t making the Hall of Fame until he is no longer on this earth. I know it sounds a little brash, but it’s the truth. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to be a member because anyone who follows pro football knows what Modell has accomplished in his 45 years in the NFL. I’m just saying there are still enough voters out there who haven’t gotten over his decision to move the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore in 1996. As citizens of Baltimore, we should understand where the people of Cleveland are coming from because we all know the feeling of having our beloved football team taken from us. Oh, and the fact that the Hall of Fame resides in Ohio doesn’t help matters either.
This is Modell’s seventh time making the cut as a semifinalist, but has yet to make it any further than that. Modell certainly has the credentials to make it to Canton, having been full owner of both the Browns and Ravens for 43 years as well as being involved in various other endeavors within the NFL. As we all know, Modell sold the Ravens to Steve Bisciotti in 1996, but still serves as minority owner of the organization. But most of Modell’s impact has already been made. So, now he just gets to sit back and wait…and wait, and wait.
I still think the one factor keeping Modell out of the Hall is that certain voters are still bitter about what he did to the fans and city of Cleveland. These voters just don’t want to give Modell the satisfaction of being able to be present to celebrate his own induction. I know it sounds really terrible to say, but I think it’s the truth. Even Modell himself admits that he will most likely remain the most hated man in the Cleveland history. Yes, even more than LeBron James when he left the Cavaliers for Miami this past spring. As he told the Baltimore Sun a few months ago, “I’m not waiting for LeBron to take me off the hook. I’m not on any hook. I did what I thought was right for the players, coaches and employees in my organization. I have no regrets.” Well, not being able to celebrate his induction into the Hall of Fame could be one thing he does regret.
Submitted by Steve Giles
Never, Art, never. We'll see you in hell but never in Canton.
He didn't "leave" the name and colors. He was sued for them, god he is not a martyr.
Absolutely correct JP. The Browns fans will never admit this, but you are correct.
Just like Baltimore tells Cleveland to get over it. How about Art Modell getting over the fact that he's not getting in the HOF. If Cleveand has to get over Art Modell screwing them, then Art needs to get over getting screwed out of the HOF. Now there it is. Every got screwed and every one has something to get over. Sounds good to me!
Get over it Art.
Richard… You ever notice that when people don't know what they are talking about always bring up Ray Lewis as being a murderer? You need to put the straw down and stop inhaling the "Bolivean Marching Powder" because again you talk like an assclown.
And you know what? I'm not ashamed of how we got the Browns. Yes, I feel badly for their fans and I guess if Baltimore's team wasn't "Stolen" from them then I would feel ashamed.
Now, I would go deeper into this conversation with you but the Library will be closing soon, thus you will have to leave and stop using their computer until tomorrow. But by then you will probably have finished the "Boones Farm Strawberry Wine" and "Zombie Weed" thus rendering you even more brain dead then today. So go spend the last of your panhandling change on some mugs or t-shirts and leave the talking to the grown-ups.
Come on RRichard, rayray didn't kill anyone. He just witnessed the killings, then with held information to protect his friends. Yea you would think Baltimore would just chill out and enjoy their stolen team. Now they're trying to change history and villifying Cleveland. The most amazing thing is their attempts to shove Art Modell down Clevelands throat. They beg for sympathy for him, saying crap like "he's old and in poor health. You guys should help get him in the HOF before he dies" (like we give a damn). I don't wish anything bad on the old fool, but I don't feel sorry for him. You know I could let all this go if Baltimore would just shut their mouths. Every time I read their revisionest history, or their hypicritical soap box speeches, it just makes me dig my heals in even deeper against the guy. If keeping him out of the HOF is our only way of sticking it to him….then so be it. Art, you took our team, lied to our city then lied on our city, and your adopted city told us to get over it. Well, we're taking the HOF fame from you so you should just get over it.
No HOF… I actually agree with you as you being a Cleveland fan. Seriously. The way we, Baltimorians feel about Irsay is how you guys feel about Modell. If I was a Cleveland fan I would feel the same way and not want him in the HOF. Just like I wouldn't want Irsay in there if it came up.
DO I as a Raven fan want Modell in the HOF? Yeah…
WOULD I as a Browns fan want Modell in the HOF? Hell no…
But "No HoF", stop with the Lewis murder thing… It actually is so old that Ravens fans are now immune from it… Once we start reading something about it we just stop reading and skip to the next part. Its old, its what non-Raven fans like to bring up when they don't have anything intelligent to say. If thats the best anyone can throw at us as Ravens fans then they are wasting their breath/musings. Seriously, I agreed with you on Modell, you have to see what I'm saying about Lewis and this murder thing. We don't care about it.
f-modell
Wow,jay,thanks for that insightful and well thought out post. I can see you really went into your imagination and creativity chest to come up with that thought provoking dialogue. You really did your research!
ravens2488 I didn’t say ray murdered anyone. I said he witnessed it and with held information to protect his freinds. I think the guy is a complete a$$ but not a murderer.
HoF or no, you cannot deny what the man did for the sport. Forty-five years worth of contributions, no matter what the sentiment is for Cleveland cannot change the course of NFL history. Personally if making the HoF is a measure of the man, than I guess I gauged his contributions too mildly. Let's face it, like most other recognitions these days, it's more about who you know vice what you did.
I'll give the man credit for the TV deal but that's it. MNF was all Roone Aledge http://espn.go.com/classic/obit/arledgeobit.html All Modell did was agree to host the game. You Baltimore fans need to take of you Modell is GOD glasses and read something other Baltimore media. You version of what happened in Cleveland with Art Modell is just laughable and it's so unnecessary for you to support that crap. Cleveland was the model franchise in the NFL before Modell got his hands on it. 7 championships in 17 years. Modell came from NY and ruined the best thing Cleveland had. He took them irrelevance on the field and ran them into the grown financially of the field. He turns down the new stadium offer and money to restore the old stadium .Then after screwing it all up he blames everything on the city and rips the team away. This outsider ruined everything!!! He was well on his to repeating this in Baltimore as well. This fool was broke again by 1999. The league had to step in and make him sell the team. Something that should have happened in Cleveland. While you're licking his books make sure you consider all this also. Lord know Baltimore never wants any of his foolishness to figure into his HOF consideration.