Browns: Jimmy Haslam approval signals huge shift in direction of franchise
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| Could better days be ahead for the Browns, now that Jimmy Haslam has been approved by other NFL owners as the new owner of the Cleveland franchise? (US Presswire) |
The new guy could not be any different than the old guy.
Jimmy Haslam has been approved by his now fellow NFL owners as the new owner of the Cleveland Browns. He brings a 180-degree shift in approach to ownership.
Previous owner Randy Lerner was hands-off and distant. It seemed most often that he was stuck at his position only as a favor to father Al, who died three years after bringing the expansion franchise to Cleveland in 1999. The younger Lerner hired the top front office personnel and coaches, most often with terrible results, then stepped aside. He never developed a relationship with the fans. His aloofness was often interpreted -- rightly or wrongly -- as disinterest in the direction of the team.
Haslam is the polar opposite. He had made more appearances in Berea in the few months prior to taking over than Lerner did in a decade as owner. Lerner was a public relations nightmare. Haslam is a public relations dream come true. His smile is genuine. He shakes hands with whomever offers one in return. Most important, he has expressed a tremendous desire to turn the Browns into a winner and has indicated a hands-on approach to achieving that goal.
It remains to be seen what specific steps Haslam will take to transform the team from perennial doormat to championship contender. He has stated wisely that he will wait until the end of this season to make major personnel decisions, though it is a foregone conclusion that he will install former Eagles president Joe Banner in some essential capacity. Whether that means the end of the Mike Holmgren era in Cleveland can only be speculated, though that possibility seems quite likely.
The mere presence of Haslam as owner brings reasons for optimism. It is apparent that he has a passion for his role as caretaker of the franchise. That is the first step to bringing a winner to Cleveland, one that Lerner never convinced anyone he had taken.
Stay dialed in on the Cleveland Browns on Twitter at @CBSBrowns throughout the season with on-site updates from CBSSports.com RapidReports correspondent Marty Gitlin.
Jimmy Haslam has been approved by his now fellow NFL owners as the new owner of the Cleveland Browns. He brings a 180-degree shift in approach to ownership.
Previous owner Randy Lerner was hands-off and distant. It seemed most often that he was stuck at his position only as a favor to father Al, who died three years after bringing the expansion franchise to Cleveland in 1999. The younger Lerner hired the top front office personnel and coaches, most often with terrible results, then stepped aside. He never developed a relationship with the fans. His aloofness was often interpreted -- rightly or wrongly -- as disinterest in the direction of the team.
Haslam is the polar opposite. He had made more appearances in Berea in the few months prior to taking over than Lerner did in a decade as owner. Lerner was a public relations nightmare. Haslam is a public relations dream come true. His smile is genuine. He shakes hands with whomever offers one in return. Most important, he has expressed a tremendous desire to turn the Browns into a winner and has indicated a hands-on approach to achieving that goal.
It remains to be seen what specific steps Haslam will take to transform the team from perennial doormat to championship contender. He has stated wisely that he will wait until the end of this season to make major personnel decisions, though it is a foregone conclusion that he will install former Eagles president Joe Banner in some essential capacity. Whether that means the end of the Mike Holmgren era in Cleveland can only be speculated, though that possibility seems quite likely.
The mere presence of Haslam as owner brings reasons for optimism. It is apparent that he has a passion for his role as caretaker of the franchise. That is the first step to bringing a winner to Cleveland, one that Lerner never convinced anyone he had taken.
Stay dialed in on the Cleveland Browns on Twitter at @CBSBrowns throughout the season with on-site updates from CBSSports.com RapidReports correspondent Marty Gitlin.
