There are six with Browns connections were named as Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2024 semifinalists from their seniors, coaches, and media classification. This means no first-ballot candidates will be selected from this pool. We are now just three weeks away from offensive tackle Joe Thomas being inducted into the Hall of Fame, and soon others with ties to the Cleveland Browns could join him.
Of the list of semifinalists released, there were six players, coaches, and an owner who the city of Cleveland has disdain for to make the cut. Here is the complete list of individuals with ties to the Browns who are Class of 2024 semifinalists.
From George Preston Marshall to Harry Wismer to Bill Bidwill to Dan Snyder, here are the worst owners in the history of professional football.
Now that soon-to-be-former Washington Commanders owner has agreed in principle to sell the team to a group led by Josh Harris and includes basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the NFL will have to look around for a new worst owner. Snyder, who experienced more team names (three) than playoff wins (two) in a tenure that started in 1999, was absolutely horrible, and you’ll see all the reasons why in a minute.
Not that Snyder is the only horrible owner in the history of professional football. It stands to reason that for every great owner over time, there have been those individuals who were in no way qualified to be in control of any franchise. Whether it was due to financial issues, the ego to believe that personnel decisions should be theirs and theirs alone, or just general incompetence and personality issues, there are those people who have controlled pro football teams when they had no qualifications to do so.
Here, for your consideration, are the worst owners in the history of professional football.
Once again, no Hall for the former Browns and Ravens owner:
The cursed memory of Art Modell will forever be burned in the memory of Cleveland Browns fans. Whether they experienced it directly or have just heard the stories from older generations, Modell’s betrayal of the city is held in contempt by those that love the team.
For Modell, the decision to move the team was purely financial but his new team, the Baltimore Ravens, also brought him a Super Bowl championship in 2000.
Financial issues continued to plague Modell leading the NFL to intervene. By 2004, Steve Biscotti owned the team and Modell was without a franchise.
Following Modell’s passing in 2012, the former owner who played a huge role in television rights deals has been up for the Pro Football Hall of Fame a number of times including again this year.
As has been the case in the past, his betrayal of Cleveland and financial struggles with both franchises have kept him from getting inducted:
Art Modell eliminated from consideration for @ProFootballHOF for 2023. Gone in the first vote. After 3 rounds of voting Don Coryell selected as a finalist in the coach/contributor category.
The idea of Modell getting inducted into the Hall of Fame less than an hour away from the city he turned his back would be ironic but seems less and less likely as every year passes.
Modell is once again up for the Hall of Fame. Any chance he gets immortalized less than an hour away from the city where he ripped the fans’ hearts out?
It is rare that any post elicits the same, general reaction from the readers. Unity is a rarity, especially for Cleveland Browns fans but when former owner and traitor Art Modell is brought up the sentiment runs from anger to loathing and more.
Modell owned the Browns from 1961 to 1995 before stealing the team from the fans that supported it wholeheartedly. All of the sudden, Cleveland was not going to have an NFL franchise and the city of Baltimore was celebrating their new team.
The city and the fans fought back and retained the team’s name and history while Modell went on to start the Baltimore Ravens franchise.
Despite that treacherous behavior, Modell is once again one of the semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His biggest contribution to the NFL was his role in getting big television deals for the league. Modell’s experience in that industry helped him when he became an owner and spearheaded the big network deals.
Modell passed away in 2012.
In Cleveland and most of the country, Modell will be remembered as the man who stabbed a passionate fanbase in the back. In the NFL offices, especially those related to finances, and in Baltimore, Modell will be forever loved.
Only time will tell if he’ll be forever remembered with a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame less than an hour from the city he betrayed.
ESPN is starting to produce a 30-30 Film on the 2000 Ravens.
The Baltimore Ravens already have a storied history despite their franchise’s first year coming in 1996. They’ve been consistently competitive, and have secured two Super Bowl championships in a relatively short amount of time.
It was announced that ESPN Films has started a 30-30 film on the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Having a 30-30 made about that team is a massive accomplishment for the organization. It’s going to be to see how the show is produced and what kind of behind-the-scenes footage can be shown.
ESPN Films announces a @30for30 documentary on the 2000 @Ravens
The 2000 Ravens were a very close-knit group, so it should be great hearing from multiple people involved with the Super Bowl-winning team. They also had a swagger to them that made them fun to watch, even though the offense wasn’t very high powered. ESPN films has produced many great 30-for-30 masterpieces before, and it will be exciting to see what they put together to document what the 2000 Baltimore team was able to do on their magical championship run.
The former Ravens DT had some wild times with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Ravens victory in Super Bowl XXXV
Looking back to the early weeks of 2001, there was clearly all manner of celebrations that occurred following the Baltimore Ravens victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, bringing the city of Baltimore it’s first football championship since 1971. The wildest, and perhaps oddest, celebrations likely came in private with defensive tackle Tony Siragusa.
Following the AFC Championship victory over the Oakland Raiders, Siragusa “told” David Modell — son of the Ravens owner Art Modell and a front office executive — that once Baltimore won the Super Bowl, Siragusa wanted one week with the trophy.
“After we won the Super Bowl, I went right over on the sideline and told [David Modell] I want that thing for a week and he gave it to me! He had a limo bring it up to me in Jersey. There was some crazy stuff, man.”
Siragusa was well known for his personality and jokes, as he frequently displayed on the “Hard Knocks” program the following offseason. So it comes as no surprise that Siragusa took full advantage of having the trophy for a week and got up to some pretty interesting antics.
“I made a lot of money, guys wanting to sleep with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. I took it to a bar, we turned it upside down and we were taking shots out of it. It was quite a thing.”
The NFL has changed a bit in the last two decades, but I still can’t help but wonder if there is a member of the current roster who would follow in Siragusa’s footsteps and have the Vince Lombardi Trophy accompany them on a night out following a Ravens victory. Let’s hope we get a chance to find out.
We take a closer look at each of the Baltimore Ravens’ opponents on the 2020 NFL schedule, starting with Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns
Training camp and the regular season quickly approach as we enter the summer months. With the schedule released and the NFL moving back into their training facilities, the regular season occurring in its entirety is looking more plausible. With an eye towards the 2020 NFL season, we’ll take a look at each of the Baltimore Ravens’ opponents, in order. From the records against each other to the big performances, we’ll take a deep dive to prepare you for the regular season.
The Ravens will open the 2020 NFL season against their AFC North rival Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium, before meeting back up in Week 14 as well. Being a divisional game, it’s a chance for both teams to start the 2020 season off on the right foot.
Let’s start with the reason for all the heat between Cleveland and Baltimore.
The rivalry
Credit: Brian Bahr/ALLSPORT
The Browns/Ravens rivalry is one of the more unique stories in the entire NFL, as one team was essentially the rib of the other. In 1995, Browns owner Art Modell moved his team out of the city that it had called home since it’s inception in 1946. Modell’s desire for a brand new stadium was a goal not shared by the authorities in Cleveland. The team was made to leave behind their name and history in Cleveland and became the Baltimore Ravens. Essentially this made the Ravens an expansion team, although one with an existing roster and two first-round picks in the 1996 NFL Draft.
After three seasons without a team, during which a brand new stadium was built, the Browns were reactivated in Cleveland for 1999 and joined the Ravens in the then-AFC Central division.
Modell remained an unpopular figure in Cleveland for the rest of his life (he sadly died in 2012). Never the most popular owner with the Browns fans, “The Move” only intensified the ill feelings towards him that had started in 1963 when he fired founding coach Paul Brown. But as much as he was vilified by the fans in Cleveland, Modell was a popular figure with the people of Baltimore after bringing the NFL back to the city following the Colts elopement in 1983.
Let’s move on to how the rivalry has fared over the two decades it’s existed, on the next page.
With a special committee and expanded class, former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell likely missed his best chance at the Hall of Fame.
For the NFL’s 100th season, they created a very special and expanded Hall of Fame class. Up for enshrinement once again as a historical contributor, former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell was not among the three chosen. Once again, Modell has been unfairly left out of Canton.
However, this denial carries quite a bit of weight and finality to it. With an expanded class and special blue-ribbon voting panel, this was Modell’s best and likely last real chance of making the cut.
Instead of the same voters that had previously held Modell out, the new blue-ribbon panel was made up of coaches, former players, historians and analysts. There was hope the bitterness many former voters had against Modell would be let go and see the former Browns and Ravens owner get a fair shake. But with Modell once again being held out and former league commissioner Paul Tagliabue getting in, it was a slap in the face for Baltimore.
Tagliabue’s greatest achievement comes for expanding the league from 28 franchises to 32. However, it was Modell’s move from Cleveland that really brought the league the Ravens. Tagliabue had publicly been against the idea of Baltimore getting a franchise back after the Colts moved to Indianapolis, famously telling the city to build a museum instead of a new stadium.
Even without the genuine hatred many in Baltimore have towards Tagliabue, there were plenty of reasons to give pause to cementing his legacy in Canton. Let’s not forget Tagliabue’s dismissal concussions in 1994 as a “journalist issue.” Or his role as commissioner during the league’s opioid epidemic that saw the NFL sued for decades of abuse.
Meanwhile, Modell was chief architect of the league’s television expansion. As the chairman of the NFL Television Committee, Modell was a part of establishing “Monday Night Football” and negotiating the early television contracts NFL owners currently rely so heavily upon. There’s also Modell’s role in merging the AFC and NFL as well as negotiating the first collective bargaining agreement. We shouldn’t forget Modell made Ozzie Newsome the first black general manager the sport had ever seen.
While Modell was far from perfect as an owner, his fingerprints are all over the NFL as we know it now. It’s not a stretch to say the league wouldn’t be nearly as prominent if it weren’t for the negotiations and meetings Modell was a huge part of. Yet, it appears as though his move from Cleveland to Baltimore is the only legacy that matters to some while failing to recognize a far more shameful one in Tagliabue.
A look at the stats and tendencies of the Cleveland Browns ahead of their Week 16 clash with the Ravens
Proud owners of a ten-game winning streak, the Baltimore Ravens will look to make it eleven in a row when they play the last team to beat them this season in Week 16. The Cleveland Browns were 40-25 victors at M&T Bank Stadium back in Week 4 thanks to 165 rushing yards and three touchdowns from running back Nick Chubb.
Famously, the Baltimore Ravens were born after Art Modell took his Browns team out of Cleveland following the 1995 season. A “new” Browns team was born prior to the 1999 campaign and placed in the same division as the “old” Browns. Since then, the two teams have met 41 times, with the Ravens enjoying a 30-11 advantage. When playing in Cleveland, the Ravens have a 14-6 record although they lost 12-9 in overtime in 2018.
Let’s take a closer look at the 2019 Browns to see what we can expect to see from them on offense and defense.
Browns offense
Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Coming into the 2019 season, many had high hopes for the Browns on offense. Second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield, Chubb and veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry were joined by Odell Beckham, and many were ready to kiss the Browns all the way to the Super Bowl. Things haven’t exactly gone to plan.
Employing a pass:run ratio of 59%:41%, the Browns are 21st in points and 17th in total offense this season. They’ve been better rushing than passing, with the tenth most rushing yards and only the 19th most yards through the air. Mayfield has only thrown 17 touchdowns whilst tossing an identical number of interceptions.
34.2% of Cleveland’s offensive drives have ended with a score this season, the 14th worst rate in the NFL. 14.3% of them have ended with the Browns coughing the ball up to their opponents. That’s “good” for the ninth most. Despite major question marks across their offensive line, the Browns have seen their quarterback sacked on only 6.6% of their total dropbacks. This is the 17th highest rate of all teams.
The Browns have the seventh-best explosive play rate in the NFL, thanks in large part to big plays made on the ground. 14% of their runs have been for 20 yards or more, the 4th best rate in the NFL. Their explosive pass rate is the 13th best, standing at 10%.
The Browns operate out of the shotgun on 66% of their offensive plays and favor 11 personnel on offense (three wide receivers, one running back and one tight end), although the rate at which they line up in 11 is only the 21st highest in the NFL (59%).
The Browns pass on 70% of their plays when deployed in 11 but average a far from stellar 6.7 yards per pass attempt whilst throwing 15 interceptions against 11 touchdowns. They’ve gobbled up 5.1 yards per attempt on the ground though, which makes you wonder why they don’t run out of 11 more often. They instead choose to mainly run when in 12, with two tight ends joining two wide receivers and a back on the field. But much like when in 11, they should be doing the opposite of what they are doing. The Browns average 8.7 yards per pass attempt and 4.5 yards per rush in this formation.
Since Kareem Hunt joined the team following a suspension to start the season, the Browns have made a concerted effort to get both him and Chubb on the field at the same time. This is evidenced by their use of 21 personnel since Week 10. The Browns have turned to this formation on 13% of their offensive snaps, and have averaged 7.3 yards per pass attempt and 7.0 yards on the ground.
Former Ravens owner Art Modell will have his third chance to enter the NFL Hall of Fame thanks to a special Centennial Slate Finalists vote
Because of his contributions to the sport and the league, former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell is among 38 finalists eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame. Listed as a contributor in the Centennial Slate finalists, Modell has another chance to get into the Hall of Fame for a prolific and important career in the NFL — his third time as a finalist.
First and foremost, the Ravens wouldn’t exist if not for Modell, who moved the team from Cleveland in 1996. But Modell’s contributions to the game go well beyond the cities of Cleveland and Baltimore.
Modell, who passed away in 2012, was involved in the negotiations with the league’s television contracts. He helped bring about the start of Monday Night Football and NFL Films. Simply put, the league reached a far wider audience largely thanks to the work Modell put in behind the scenes.
However, with the controversy surrounding relocating the team from Cleveland to Baltimore, Modell has faced fierce opposition from being enshrined regardless of his accomplishments.
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
But with this being the NFL’s 100th anniversary season, there’s an increase in the number of people that will be enshrined. So there’s hope that Modell can finally push beyond the hate from some and rightfully get his place in Canton.
