Art Modell, former Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns owner, dies at 87

[Sport]

The moment of silence is an interesting choice, but they have to do something, right? It would look bad if they ignored his death, but if they have this moment of silence and all you hear is 50,000 people booing that's going to look even worse.

Cleveland has an opportunity to show the nation that they're not a bunch of boorish, classless idiots. This is their chance to move past this image:

Let's see how they handled.

(I predict it won't go well and it'll be another embarrassing moment for the city)

[The_Admiral]

The moment of silence is an interesting choice, but they have to do something, right? It would look bad if they ignored his death, but if they have this moment of silence and all you hear is 50,000 people booing that's going to look even worse.

Again, Blackhawks fans booed through not only Bill Wirtz's moment of silence, but the speech leading up to it as well. No one really seemed to mind. I don't even think his son seemed to mind.

[ninersdd]

The moment of silence is an interesting choice, but they have to do something, right? It would look bad if they ignored his death, but if they have this moment of silence and all you hear is 50,000 people booing that's going to look even worse.

Cleveland has an opportunity to show the nation that they're not a bunch of boorish, classless idiots. This is their

chance to move past this image:

Let's see how they handled.

(I predict it won't go well and it'll be another embarrassing moment for the city)

Is that guy related to Peter Griffin and Elton John?

[pmoehrin]

The moment of silence is an interesting choice, but they have to do something, right? It would look bad if they ignored his death, but if they have this moment of silence and all you hear is 50,000 people booing that's going to look even worse.

Again, Blackhawks fans booed through not only Bill Wirtz's moment of silence, but the speech leading up to it as well. No one really seemed to mind. I don't even think his son seemed to mind.

I think even his son knew he was just some bitter old man 50 years behind the times who just happened to own a hockey team.

I felt like the fans at that game gave him as much respect as he deserved.

[The_Admiral]

There was a longform magazine piece on Rocky Wirtz a few years ago where he talked about taking on the team and growing up with the Blackhawks and all that. I'll find it in a sec, but there's some part where he's like "we had my birthday party at the Stadium one year, but I was late coming home and so my dad didn't take me to my own birthday party." Welp.

EDIT: ah, here we go

http://www.chicagoma...kaway/index.php

Underlying the question is a mystery that continues to baffle family observers far more accustomed to the combative, some say belligerent, style of Bill and Arthur Wirtz: How does someone who grew up in a family demanding unquestioning loyalty, and whose role models defined themselves by a stubborn refusal to change, grow up to be the peacemaker in a city willing to boo his father's eulogy?

. . .

"when I was ten, I was misbehaving on my birthday," Rocky recalls. "We were going to go to the Chicago Stadium for the party and he said, 'If you do that again, I'm leaving you behind for your own birthday party.' Naturally I tested him. Sure enough, the family station wagon went right down to Chicago Stadium with all my friends, and I got left home. I deserved it, but it was indicative that whenever he made up his mind you weren't going to change it."

He must have an excellent therapist.

[bigbean24]

Thanks for the Ravens Art Modell...

[infrared41]

A HAPPY DAY IN CLEVELAND!!!!!! ROT IN HELL ART MODELL!!!!

I'd rather spend an eternity in hell than live in Cleveland. Just sayin.

Your irrational hate of all things Cleveland is well noted, Curt.

Seriously, what kind of person says they'd rather burn in hell for eternity than live somewhere?

[bosrs1]

The moment of silence is an interesting choice, but they have to do something, right? It would look bad if they ignored his death, but if they have this moment of silence and all you hear is 50,000 people booing that's going to look even worse.

Cleveland has an opportunity to show the nation that they're not a bunch of boorish, classless idiots. This is their chance to move past this image:

Let's see how they handled.

(I predict it won't go well and it'll be another embarrassing moment for the city)

No, ignoring his death would be an "appropriate gesture" as the NFL was looking for. Following the ole, if you don't have anything nice to say, credo it would be the most appropriate response in Cleveland. The moment of silence is just going to turn into a carcophony of boos from those at hate his guts, and cheers from those happy he's dead. It won't be pretty.

[vmd9]

The Browns have cancelled the "recognition" at the request of Modell's son. Even though most fans said they did not mind, it's probably better to be safe than sorry.

[Cujo]

The Browns have cancelled the "recognition" at the request of Modell's son. Even though most fans said they did not mind, it's probably better to be safe than sorry.

You can still bet Cleveland fans will break out signs and chants dedicated to Art's legacy.

[The_Admiral]

Funnysad how the board has to 180 on someone as widely reviled as freaking Art Modell just to make sure they're on the other side of Cleveland fans.

[vmd9]

Funnysad how the board has to 180 on someone as widely reviled as freaking Art Modell just to make sure they're on the other side of Cleveland fans.

Well some people around here just used his passing as an excuse to talk about how terrible Cleveland and it's fans are. Apparently it's the first fanbase ever to dislike someone.

[bosrs1]

The Browns have cancelled the "recognition" at the request of Modell's son. Even though most fans said they did not mind, it's probably better to be safe than sorry.

You can still bet Cleveland fans will break out signs and chants dedicated to Art's legacy.

True, but at least now there won't be a long obvious place for Clevelanders to express their unending displeasure with the man and at the same time look bad. Modell's son at least seems to have his head on straight with regard to his father's tattered legacy in the Forest City even if the league doesn't. Smart move by the Browns and in the end ignoring his death will be the classier move.

[IceCap]

Funnysad how the board has to 180 on someone as widely reviled as freaking Art Modell just to make sure they're on the other side of Cleveland fans.

Meh.

I don't think I've ever said what Modell did was a pleasant, or even good, thing. He moved a team that had a loyal fanbase. It was the worst kind of relocation, no doubt about it. Thing is....well it's still just sports. Bill Writz seemed like a douche, but he wasn't a douche because he ran a hockey team on a shoestring budget. Sucked for 'Hawks fan, yes, but if he's in hell it's not because of that.

Same thing with Modell. He moved a sports team from one city to another. I'm not saying it's wrong for Cleveland's fans to be angry with him, just that at the end of the day he wasn't a terrible person in the grand scheme of things. As far as I know. Maybe he was in other facets of his life, but simply relocating a sports team isn't enough to qualify someone as deserving of a "rot in hell" sentiment. From what I gather he donated large amounts of money to charities throughout Cleveland. So whatever.

And sorry bosrs1, I don't buy the "he ripped the heart out of Cleveland" story. As far as cities who have lost teams go Cleveland got a sweet deal. A guaranteed new stadium and expansion team with all of the history and lineage of the original (which at the time was rather unprecedented). While I certainly understand being upset in how the original team left I don't think you can say the city has "yet to recover." They recovered quite well actually. Better then any other city that's ever lost a Big Four team. At most you can say the move cost them a Super Bowl, and even that's suspect. It's never clear cut to assume that a team that won a title after they moved would have been just as successful in their previous location. So again, whatever. I get being upset, but I don't think we should feel sorry for Cleveland over the Browns thing. They came out of it pretty well, all things considered.

[Lights Out]

Funnysad how the board has to 180 on someone as widely reviled as freaking Art Modell just to make sure they're on the other side of Cleveland fans.

I think it's less that, and more that nobody outside of Cleveland can really muster up much righteous indignation against Modell, because it wasn't their team getting screwed. Same principle that allows most non-Seattle residents to watch the Oklahoma Stolen Thunder without getting nausated.

[NJTank]

The moment of silence is an interesting choice, but they have to do something, right? It would look bad if they ignored his death, but if they have this moment of silence and all you hear is 50,000 people booing that's going to look even worse.

Cleveland has an opportunity to show the nation that they're not a bunch of boorish, classless idiots. This is their chance to move past this image:

Let's see how they handled.

(I predict it won't go well and it'll be another embarrassing moment for the city)

No, ignoring his death would be an "appropriate gesture" as the NFL was looking for. Following the ole, if you don't have anything nice to say, credo it would be the most appropriate response in Cleveland. The moment of silence is just going to turn into a carcophony of boos from those at hate his guts, and cheers from those happy he's dead. It won't be pretty.

That looks like Elton John

[Cujo]

That looks like Elton John

Can't be. If it were really Elton, he'd be throwing a Zima.

[bosrs1]

Funnysad how the board has to 180 on someone as widely reviled as freaking Art Modell just to make sure they're on the other side of Cleveland fans.

Meh.

I don't think I've ever said what Modell did was a pleasant, or even good, thing. He moved a team that had a loyal fanbase. It was the worst kind of relocation, no doubt about it. Thing is....well it's still just sports. Bill Writz seemed like a douche, but he wasn't a douche because he ran a hockey team on a shoestring budget. Sucked for 'Hawks fan, yes, but if he's in hell it's not because of that.

Same thing with Modell. He moved a sports team from one city to another. I'm not saying it's wrong for Cleveland's fans to be angry with him, just that at the end of the day he wasn't a terrible person in the grand scheme of things. As far as I know. Maybe he was in other facets of his life, but simply relocating a sports team isn't enough to qualify someone as deserving of a "rot in hell" sentiment. From what I gather he donated large amounts of money to charities throughout Cleveland. So whatever.

And sorry bosrs1, I don't buy the "he ripped the heart out of Cleveland" story. As far as cities who have lost teams go Cleveland got a sweet deal. A guaranteed new stadium and expansion team with all of the history and lineage of the original (which at the time was rather unprecedented). While I certainly understand being upset in how the original team left I don't think you can say the city has "yet to recover." They recovered quite well actually. Better then any other city that's ever lost a Big Four team. At most you can say the move cost them a Super Bowl, and even that's suspect. It's never clear cut to assume that a team that won a title after they moved would have been just as successful in their previous location. So again, whatever. I get being upset, but I don't think we should feel sorry for Cleveland over the Browns thing. They came out of it pretty well, all things considered.

Never said he "ripped the heart out of Cleveland". Just said that I understand the reaction and wouldn't expect anything different from any similarly slighted fan base. They shouldn't be forced to honor a man they rightly hate, and they weren't.

[infrared41]

The Browns have cancelled the "recognition" at the request of Modell's son. Even though most fans said they did not mind, it's probably better to be safe than sorry.

You can still bet Cleveland fans will break out signs and chants dedicated to Art's legacy.

And you can bet that Cujo will do more contortions than a gymnast to find a way bash Cleveland fans. What's the matter, Curt, still upset over the '86 playoffs?

[Cujo]

And you can bet that Cujo will do more contortions than a gymnast to find a way bash Cleveland fans. What's the matter, Curt, still upset over the '86 playoffs?

Ya know, I was pretty upset with them following that game -- but all was forgiven after they beat the rival Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.