NFL 2012 Week 1: The Day The Refereeing Died

[CountDeMoney]

Yeah, ol' Emmett is a bit of a goof.  Flipped out over Obama's statement of affirmation on gay marriage as well.

But that's OK;  there are a hell of a lot more Brendon Ayanbadejo fans than there are Emmett Burns fans. 

Personally, I'm looking forward to the ballot initiative;  probably the most important vote other than for POTUS that I can think of in recent Maryland history.

[katmai]

No middle ground when discussing former Browns and Ravens owner Art Modell
7 hours ago

In his own weird way, the late Art Modell was the NFL version of Michael Jackson. He was a brilliant, innovative, forward-thinking businessman armed with great wit and charm who helped propel the NFL into being America's game and by far the most successful sports business in the country.

He's also the man who ripped the heart out of Cleveland, a city that defines this country's passion for the game. He didn't just spit on the adoring fans of the Browns, he did it with a smug smile. He violated a seemingly sacred trust by moving the Browns to Baltimore in 1996.

And that is why, as Modell passed away Thursday morning at age 87, it is so hard to categorize him. Is he a hero of the game who deserves a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Or is he a pariah whose presence should never be glorified again, let alone be enshrined in a place less than an hour from Cleveland?

The people on both sides of this argument are fierce. Baltimore Ravens ace PR man Kevin Byrne, who himself left his hometown of Cleveland with the Browns, has defended Modell for years. On the other side, people such as standout Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot go clench-jawed at the first syllable of Modell's last name.

And Grossi and Cabot pride themselves on trying to be above the emotional fray.

Truth is, there is little place for Modell in that interval between right and wrong. He is either good or evil, and the battle lines are as fierce as Korea to this day. Intelligent measure of Modell's accomplishments is nearly impossible.

People who fight for Modell to make the Hall of Fame continually like to say that you can't write the history of the league without him. True, but Clevelanders would argue that you can't write the history of the world without mentioning Rasputin.

The fact is Modell was a marketing genius, the man who pioneered the idea of Monday Night Football and pushed for prime-time games on Thanksgiving. He even volunteered the Browns for those games when other owners thought the ideas were silly.

"I don't think you get the NFL to where it is today without Art's ideas and his willingness to push them," Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said two years ago. "Art understood the value of our product and what it meant to our culture."

Or as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued in a statement Thursday morning: "Art Modell's leadership was an important part of the NFL's success during the league's explosive growth during the 1960s and beyond. As the longtime chairman of the league's Broadcast Committee, Art was a visionary who understood the critical role that mass viewing of NFL games on broadcast television could play in growing the league."

Other people in the NFL, such as the great Ozzie Newsome and current Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti talk about Modell in glowing terms. Modell was a charming man, constantly armed with a joke or a story. In many ways, he was everybody's favorite uncle.

From that perspective, Modell deserves great honor. While he wasn't necessarily a great football man (he would often base his questions to the coaching staff on whatever issues were raised in the morning paper), he understood the bigger picture.

At the same time, Modell lacked a certain business acumen that eventually led to the undoing of the team in Cleveland. That started in 1961, when Modell purchased the Browns for $4 million. He put up only $250,000 of his own money and borrowed the rest.

The problem is that Modell kept borrowing and borrowing. He was the consummate owner on credit, borrowing against the value of the team so much that he was in a terrible leverage position by the mid-1990s.

On top of that, he did a terrible job of working the back-room politics of the city. As the landlord of old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Modell overcharged the Cleveland Indians to the point that they eventually moved to nearby Jacobs Field. When he did that, local politicians became angry when he asked for his own stadium (and control of it).

With credit bills due and no great way to increase his cash flow, Modell took the money and new stadium from Baltimore. He made the decision in the middle of the 1995 season, stunning the Browns faithful. This was the ugliest team move a city has ever seen because the loyal fans of Cleveland couldn't understand it.

Fact is, the fans did nothing wrong. The Browns sold out year after year despite a team that hadn't won a championship (or even played for one) since 1964. The home of such football luminaries as Jim Brown, Paul Brown and Otto Graham was treated with all the dignity of a youth hostel.

Modell's move to Baltimore included back-door negotiations, political maneuvering and even the deal being signed on a plane. In the immediate aftermath, Modell had his life threatened to the point that he had to leave Cleveland. As years have gone by, the violent streak waned, but the anger remained.

The NFL was so embarrassed by Modell's move that Cleveland was promised an expansion team, re-entering the league in 1999, and even agreed that the city would keep the Browns name and records.

In the center of all of it was Modell, a Brooklyn native who once talked about how the move of his beloved Dodgers in 1958 had been so crushing. Modell was the same guy who criticized Robert Irsay for moving the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis in 1983 and had testified for the league against Al Davis when Davis moved the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles.

All that virtuous talk was empty blather. As a result, many people look at Modell as an empty shell.

Sadly, neither those who love Modell nor those who hate him are necessarily wrong.

[Ed Anger]

I saw Ray Ray's statement on Modell. Rather nice and classy. Unlike the public ejaculation in Cleveland.

[CountDeMoney]

I'm not even going to comment on that article, which is filled with inaccuracies.

Except this part:

And Grossi and Cabot pride themselves on trying to be above the emotional fray.

As selectors for the NFL Hall Of Fame, they finally got what they wanted.  Above the emotional fray, my black ass.

[derspiess]

On one hand, Modell indirectly helped create the Bengals.  On the other hand, he was unkind to Paul Brown

[CountDeMoney]

On one hand, Modell indirectly helped create the Bengals.  On the other hand, he was unkind to Paul Brown

Paul Brown was a megalomaniac, and forgot who the boss was.

[derspiess]

On one hand, Modell indirectly helped create the Bengals.  On the other hand, he was unkind to Paul Brown

Paul Brown was a megalomaniac, and forgot who the boss was.

Paul Brown arguably the most innovative figure of the golden age of football, and did more to advance the game than Modell could have dreamed of.

[CountDeMoney]

Paul Brown arguably the most innovative figure of the golden age of football, and did more to advance the game than Modell could have dreamed of.

And he forgot who the boss was.

[derspiess]

Paul Brown arguably the most innovative figure of the golden age of football, and did more to advance the game than Modell could have dreamed of.

And he forgot who the boss was.

Yeah, a non-football guy with bad judgment.

[CountDeMoney]

Paul Brown arguably the most innovative figure of the golden age of football, and did more to advance the game than Modell could have dreamed of.

And he forgot who the boss was.

Yeah, a non-football guy with bad judgment.

Save it, minion.  We know who signs your paychecks.

[dps]

In other words, Paul Brown was the Douglas MacArthur of the NFL.

[Valmy]

In other words, Paul Brown was the Douglas MacArthur of the NFL.

Except Douglas MacArthur was also a crap general while Paul Brown was an awesome coach.

[Sophie Scholl]

Saints players win their appeal!

[sbr]

Vikings punter Chris Kluwe's response to Emmett Burns

http://deadspin.com/5941348/they-wont-magically-turn-you-into-a-lustful-cockmonster-chris-kluwe-explains-gay-marriage-to-the-politician-who-is-offended-by-an-nfl-player-supporting-it

Dear Emmett C. Burns Jr.,

I find it inconceivable that you are an elected official of Maryland's state government. Your vitriolic hatred and bigotry make me ashamed and disgusted to think that you are in any way responsible for shaping policy at any level. The views you espouse neglect to consider several fundamental key points, which I will outline in great detail (you may want to hire an intern to help you with the longer words):

1. As I suspect you have not read the Constitution, I would like to remind you that the very first, the VERY FIRST Amendment in this founding document deals with the freedom of speech, particularly the abridgment of said freedom. By using your position as an elected official (when referring to your constituents so as to implicitly threaten the Ravens organization) to state that the Ravens should "inhibit such expressions from your employees," more specifically Brendon Ayanbadejo, not only are you clearly violating the First Amendment, you also come across as a narcissistic fromunda stain. What on earth would possess you to be so mind-boggingly stupid? It baffles me that a man such as yourself, a man who relies on that same First Amendment to pursue your own religious studies without fear of persecution from the state, could somehow justify stifling another person's right to speech. To call that hypocritical would be to do a disservice to the word. Mindfucking obscenely hypocritical starts to approach it a little bit.

2. "Many of your fans are opposed to such a view and feel it has no place in a sport that is strictly for pride, entertainment, and excitement." Holy fucking shitballs. Did you seriously just say that, as someone who's "deeply involved in government task forces on the legacy of slavery in Maryland"? Have you not heard of Kenny Washington? Jackie Robinson? As recently as 1962 the NFL still had segregation, which was only done away with by brave athletes and coaches daring to speak their mind and do the right thing, and you're going to say that political views have "no place in a sport"? I can't even begin to fathom the cognitive dissonance that must be coursing through your rapidly addled mind right now; the mental gymnastics your brain has to tortuously contort itself through to make such a preposterous statement are surely worthy of an Olympic gold medal (the Russian judge gives you a 10 for "beautiful oppressionism").

3. This is more a personal quibble of mine, but why do you hate freedom? Why do you hate the fact that other people want a chance to live their lives and be happy, even though they may believe in something different than you, or act different than you? How does gay marriage, in any way shape or form, affect your life? If gay marriage becomes legal, are you worried that all of a sudden you'll start thinking about penis? "Oh shit. Gay marriage just passed. Gotta get me some of that hot dong action!" Will all of your friends suddenly turn gay and refuse to come to your Sunday Ticket grill-outs? (Unlikely, since gay people enjoy watching football too.)

I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life. They won't come into your house and steal your children. They won't magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster. They won't even overthrow the government in an orgy of hedonistic debauchery because all of a sudden they have the same legal rights as the other 90 percent of our population—rights like Social Security benefits, child care tax credits, Family and Medical Leave to take care of loved ones, and COBRA healthcare for spouses and children. You know what having these rights will make gays? Full-fledged American citizens just like everyone else, with the freedom to pursue happiness and all that entails. Do the civil-rights struggles of the past 200 years mean absolutely nothing to you?

In closing, I would like to say that I hope this letter, in some small way, causes you to reflect upon the magnitude of the colossal foot in mouth clusterfuck you so brazenly unleashed on a man whose only crime was speaking out for something he believed in. Best of luck in the next election; I'm fairly certain you might need it.

Sincerely,
Chris Kluwe

P.S. I've also been vocal as hell about the issue of gay marriage so you can take your "I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing" and shove it in your close-minded, totally lacking in empathy piehole and choke on it. Asshole.

[CountDeMoney]

Saw him earlier on Ed's show

Chris Kluwe ‏@ChrisWarcraft

Also I'll be on MSNBC tonight around 8est on the Ed Schultz Show. My guess is we talk about secrets to successful tabletop miniature gaming.

He's so fucking awesome.