CANTON, Ohio — Browns fans, rejoice! Former owner Art Modell will have to wait another year to be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after he was passed for selection into the Class of 2020 Centennial Slate.
Modell, who made the infamous decision to relocate the Browns to Baltimore in 1996, is one of the most hated figures in Cleveland history.
Moving the Browns out of Cleveland was just the cherry on top of the sundae for fan disdain for Modell, which grew throughout the decades. Modell first drew the ire of Browns fans when he fired the team’s namesake and first coach Paul Brown in 1963.
Three years later, Modell attempted to strongarm legendary running back Jim Brown, threatening to suspend him without pay if he missed offseason workouts and continued filming the movie “The Dirty Dozen.” That ultimatum caused Brown to retire from football years before he had intended, removing a star player from the Browns.
Just before the team moved, Modell also fired then Browns head coach Bill Belichick despite ensuring him he would be the coach in Baltimore. Belichick went on to be the coach the New England Patriots where he has won six Super Bowls and is considered by many to be the greatest coach since -- wait for it -- Paul Brown.
Seemingly the only case to be made to why Modell was selected to the Hall of Fame was his contributions to bringing about “Monday Night Football” as the league’s broadcast chairman form 1962 to 1993. After firing three great head coaches before their time, having polarizing relationships with legendary players and fracturing their relationship with not only with him but the game itself, somehow he found a way to outdo all that by moving the team.
Here are the players, coaches and contributors who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame over Modell:
- Bill Cowher
- Jimmy Johnson
- Steve Sabol
- Paul Tagliabue
- George Young
- Harold Carmichael
- Jim Covert
- Bobby Dillon
- Cliff Harris
- Winston Hill
- Alex Karras
- Donnie Shell
- Duke Slater
- Mac Speedie
- Ed Sprinkle
