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  • Sale of the Century (Cleveland Edition)

          
    		   
    		   
    by
    Chris Raiden
    Published on 07-29-2012 03:31 PM
    2 Comments Comments
    Reports indicate that a deal should be struck and finalized soon to transfer majority ownership and 70% of the Cleveland Browns to Jimmy Haslam III.

    Long story short: good.

    Randy Lerner is a nice guy (I'm assuming) from all I've seen of him, but unlike his father, he was never cut out to be an NFL owner. Thus, the hire of Mike Holmgren to basically play the part of owner on everything except the level of signing the checks.

    For all the Lerner family means to Cleveland and their part in bringing back the Browns in 1999, it's time to move forward with a new majority owner with an eye toward bringing the franchise back to respectability. If the rumors of former Eagles team president Joe Banner's involvement are true, all the better. With GM Tom Heckert and head coach Pat Shurmur being Philly alums, it should be easier to maintain some semblance of continuity during the transition.

    The Browns are an organization that was badly in need of structural change for a number of years, and, truth be told, they never really had a functional one from 1999 to now. The 2002 playoff team and the 2007 10 win squad were products of a little bit of good luck, not a cultural change in the organization dedicated to results. Mike Holmgren is to be commended for doing something about this over the past two years and setting the organization up for success in the future, but his work here was largely finished when the sale was first mentioned as a possibility.

    Now, the organization needs stability and time to grow together with the new owner and his management team. No GM or head coach in the post-expansion era has last more than four years, and with the collection of talent assembled, at least Heckert needs to be allowed to continue to grow the roster as he has for the past three offseasons. From a personnel standpoint, the course can and should be stayed with the new regime.

    On the field, I have less good things to say about Coach Shurmur, but that could very well change this year. The best case scenario for him this season is to prove through some upsets that he can get this team to victories in the medium to long term. He needs a good showing to justify keeping his job this year.

    Overall, while the situation in the owner's box may be changing, the development on the field should not be affected, and I believe at least one, if not both, of the key men in this organization should survive into 2013 and beyond.
    Comments 2 Comments
    1. Peter Smith's Avatar
      Peter Smith - 07-29-2012, 03:56 PM
      One would think that Joe Banner would be happy to see Tom Heckert in the front office, considering they had a previous relationship in Philadelphia. Provided Banner is happy with the influx of talent, that seems like a natural transition.

      As for Pat Shurmur, the big question is how much that selection was Mike Holmgren and how much Tom Heckert liked that move. Year one had more than a few growing pains for Shurmur. Depending on what kind of offensive phislohopy Banner and Haslam would like to see here, Shurmur might have the most pressure on him to succeed. I maintain that if the front office decides they like the philosophy but not the coach, Shurmur could be replaced pretty easily. Shurmur has so many new faces on offense and an opportunity to prove he is capable, it will make for an introducing audition in front of his new boss.

      If the deal reported by Forbes for approximately $920 million, that seems about right for the 70%. I think the sale of the Dodgers for $1 billion was a huge boost to the value of the Browns, because NFL franchises are effectively licenses to print money.

      As for Randy Lerner, I agree with you, but I would add that there might not be a better candidate for a minority owner for all the reasons he was not an ideal majority owner.

      The reports say this deal probably will not be finalized until October, which is hardly surprising, but somewhat frustrating for Northeast Ohio, because everyone is drooling for tidbits and details on the new owner and what they want to do with the team.
    1. Chris Raiden's Avatar
      Chris Raiden - 07-29-2012, 03:59 PM
      I think you're right on the minority owner portion. He's got cash to burn (his soccer team notwithstanding), and he's a huge fan.
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