1970 NFL Season

[wdm1219inpenna]

I'm watching the Jets vs. Browns on youtube right now. This was the first ever Monday Night Football game. I wonder however why the league did not showcase the Chiefs vs. Vikings instead, as that would have been a rematch of the Super Bowl from January.

I'm guessing the Jets because of Namath, and their notoriety, and the Browns because they were an "old school" NFL team, but were actually absorbed by the NFL back in 1950 from the AAFC. The Browns were in the playoffs I believe every year from 1966-69, and this might be another reason why they were showcased. Weird to think that Paul Brown was head coach of the Bengals in 1970. Seems Cleveland did him wrong. They truly are a snakebitten franchise.

[Mac the Knife]

They didn't showcase the Chiefs and Vikings because they had no idea that MNF would be a showcase game for the league.

Going into 1970 they signed a one-year deal with ABC for MNF games, having no idea at all that the concept would be a success. Consequently, they didn't put a lot of emphasis on matchups that first year. Once they realized the behemoth they had going for them though, they slowly started manipulating the schedule to accommodate high-profile matchups.

[infrared41]

I'd always heard that a lot of the owners weren't crazy about the idea of MNF. Art Modell was willing to give it a shot and that's why the first game was in Cleveland. I've got nothing to back that up. It's just what I'd heard.

[Mac the Knife]

I'd always heard that a lot of the owners weren't crazy about the idea of MNF. Art Modell was willing to give it a shot and that's why the first game was in Cleveland. I've got nothing to back that up. It's just what I'd heard.

True. They weren't sure what MNF was going to do to team's live gate (which was at the time still the largest single source of revenue for teams), and Modell, to his credit, took the first plunge in an effort to show faith in the concept.

[infrared41]

I'd always heard that a lot of the owners weren't crazy about the idea of MNF. Art Modell was willing to give it a shot and that's why the first game was in Cleveland. I've got nothing to back that up. It's just what I'd heard.

True. They weren't sure what MNF was going to do to team's live gate (which was at the time still the largest single source of revenue for teams), and Modell, to his credit, took the first plunge in an effort to show faith in the concept.

Indeed. To his credit Art Modell was always at the forefront of the new media ideas.

Speaking of Art Modell; I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority on this but... After seeing all the facts I really can't put the entirety of the blame on him for what happened with the Browns. When Cleveland started the Gateway Project (the project that resulted in Gund Arena and Jacobs Field) the first call they should have made was a call to Art Modell. At the time the Indians were drawing 5,000 a game and the Cavs were an afterthought. The Browns were the game in town. Instead of doing what was necessary to keep their biggest draw (the Browns), the city of Cleveland built a new arena for the Cavs, and new park for the Indians, and a science center. Cleveland took Art Modell for granted and it cost them. What really kills me about it is the fact that once it was too late, the city found all the necessary funding for a new football stadium.

As I said, I don't blame Modell entirely but I do blame him some. Instead of pulling off the secret deal with Baltimore, he could have put the proverbial gun to Cleveland's head and threatened a move if he didn't get a new stadium. He didn't and I think it's because he took the whole Gateway affair a little too personally. In terms of contributory negligence I'd say it's 55% Cleveland and 45% Art Modell. The whole thing was botched by both sides from the beginning.

Sorry to go so far off topic...

[Mac the Knife]

I'd always heard that a lot of the owners weren't crazy about the idea of MNF. Art Modell was willing to give it a shot and that's why the first game was in Cleveland. I've got nothing to back that up. It's just what I'd heard.

True. They weren't sure what MNF was going to do to team's live gate (which was at the time still the largest single source of revenue for teams), and Modell, to his credit, took the first plunge in an effort to show faith in the concept.

Indeed. To his credit Art Modell was always at the forefront of the new media ideas.

Speaking of Art Modell; I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority on this but... After seeing all the facts I really can't put the entirety of the blame on him for what happened with the Browns. When Cleveland started the Gateway Project (the project that resulted in Gund Arena and Jacobs Field) the first call they should have made was a call to Art Modell. At the time the Indians were drawing 5,000 a game and the Cavs were an afterthought. The Browns were the game in town. Instead of doing what was necessary to keep their biggest draw (the Browns), the city of Cleveland built a new arena for the Cavs, and new park for the Indians, and a science center. Cleveland took Art Modell for granted and it cost them. What really kills me about it is the fact that once it was too late, the city found all the necessary funding for a new football stadium.

As I said, I don't blame Modell entirely but I do blame him some. Instead of pulling off the secret deal with Baltimore, he could have put the proverbial gun to Cleveland's head and threatened a move if he didn't get a new stadium. He didn't and I think it's because he took the whole Gateway affair a little too personally. In terms of contributory negligence I'd say it's 55% Cleveland and 45% Art Modell. The whole thing was botched by both sides from the beginning.

Sorry to go so far off topic...

Fart Modell was a staggeringly incompetent businessman, period. In a world where just about any other NFL owner would've been raking in millions of dollars every year, plowing it back into their facilities or making preparations to replace their facility, Modell instead was going to banks, hat in hand, borrowing his damned fool head off to cover his own incompetence.

Cleveland would've given Fart Modell every single thing he wanted and more, had he only asked for it at the right time - just about anytime during the 1980's would've sufficed. But he didn't see the next-generation stadium wave coming, and rather than use the tools he had at his own disposal (few of his apologists seem to realize/remember that he received ALL revenue from ALL stadium events - both Browns and Indians - at Cleveland Municipal), he begged, borrowed, stole, and eventually went to the city hat-in-hand saying, "I can't make it. Help me." Total incompetence.

And anyone who doubts Modell's incompetence need only to look at what happened after the move to Baltimore - a move which resulted in him being completely dug out of the financial hole he was in. Less than a decade later, he had to sell the team... because he was losing money hand over fist - again - despite selling out the stadium. Sounds kinda familiar, don't it?

[infrared41]

I'd always heard that a lot of the owners weren't crazy about the idea of MNF. Art Modell was willing to give it a shot and that's why the first game was in Cleveland. I've got nothing to back that up. It's just what I'd heard.

True. They weren't sure what MNF was going to do to team's live gate (which was at the time still the largest single source of revenue for teams), and Modell, to his credit, took the first plunge in an effort to show faith in the concept.

Indeed. To his credit Art Modell was always at the forefront of the new media ideas.

Speaking of Art Modell; I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority on this but... After seeing all the facts I really can't put the entirety of the blame on him for what happened with the Browns. When Cleveland started the Gateway Project (the project that resulted in Gund Arena and Jacobs Field) the first call they should have made was a call to Art Modell. At the time the Indians were drawing 5,000 a game and the Cavs were an afterthought. The Browns were the game in town. Instead of doing what was necessary to keep their biggest draw (the Browns), the city of Cleveland built a new arena for the Cavs, and new park for the Indians, and a science center. Cleveland took Art Modell for granted and it cost them. What really kills me about it is the fact that once it was too late, the city found all the necessary funding for a new football stadium.

As I said, I don't blame Modell entirely but I do blame him some. Instead of pulling off the secret deal with Baltimore, he could have put the proverbial gun to Cleveland's head and threatened a move if he didn't get a new stadium. He didn't and I think it's because he took the whole Gateway affair a little too personally. In terms of contributory negligence I'd say it's 55% Cleveland and 45% Art Modell. The whole thing was botched by both sides from the beginning.

Sorry to go so far off topic...

Fart Modell was a staggeringly incompetent businessman, period. In a world where just about any other NFL owner would've been raking in millions of dollars every year, plowing it back into their facilities or making preparations to replace their facility, Modell instead was going to banks, hat in hand, borrowing his damned fool head off to cover his own incompetence.

Cleveland would've given Fart Modell every single thing he wanted and more, had he only asked for it at the right time - just about anytime during the 1980's would've sufficed. But he didn't see the next-generation stadium wave coming, and rather than use the tools he had at his own disposal (few of his apologists seem to realize/remember that he received ALL revenue from ALL stadium events - both Browns and Indians - at Cleveland Municipal), he begged, borrowed, stole, and eventually went to the city hat-in-hand saying, "I can't make it. Help me." Total incompetence.

And anyone who doubts Modell's incompetence need only to look at what happened after the move to Baltimore - a move which resulted in him being completely dug out of the financial hole he was in. Less than a decade later, he had to sell the team... because he was losing money hand over fist - again - despite selling out the stadium. Sounds kinda familiar, don't it?

All true but...Cleveland screwed up that deal pretty well on their own. Which is why I don't blame Modell as much as most of my fellow Browns fans. It was the perfect storm of incompetence.