Meet the New Boss... NOT the Same as the Old Boss
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Morning Kickoff: Dee Haslam asserts herself in the New Browns Order
7:39 AM ET Tony Grossi ESPN Cleveland
Boca Raton, FL To say the Browns are evolving as an organization is trite because they always seem to be picking up the pieces from the latest regime blow-up.
But this time it feels different.
And it has less to do with the unconventional, new management team of Sashi Brown, Paul DePodesta and Hue Jackson than you think. It has to do more with a person involved in placing those men in their new roles.
It may not have to do with a man, at all. But, rather, a woman Dee Haslam, wife of Jimmy.
A year ago at the annual NFL meetings, Dee Haslam proclaimed herself an owner of the Browns, too, and added, Its a little sensitive from a female whos run a business all her life to be referred to as the spouse.
Thereafter, Dee Haslams bio in the official team media guide listed her as owner and president of Cleveland Browns Foundation, the teams charity-giving arm. And in the past year, Dee Haslam has taken a much greater role in just about everything that goes on in the Browns headquarters, according to sources except football, although she did sit on the coach and personnel executive search committee.
Im going to contribute where its best for me to contribute, Dee Haslam said during a lunch break Tuesday at NFL meetings. I mean, where my skill set lines up with the organization. We have a really great team and I just like it. I like football and the NFL, love Cleveland, and theres something really good about being involved in the organization. Sports is fun.
Not a novice: Since 1999, Dee Haslam has been executive producer and CEO of RIVR Media, a cable television production company based in Knoxville, TN. She entered the business as a teenager working for her father, Ross Bagwell, whose own production company led to the creation of HGTV.
Dee Haslam explained that her involvement in daily operations of the Browns stemmed from the evolution of her company able to prosper without her.
When we bought the team [in August of 2012], I was running a company full time, she said. And when we bought the team it takes a little while to get my leadership in place at RIVR Media to have any time left over. Weve moved to Cleveland, fell in love with Cleveland and just really were interested in the community and started working in the organization.
With RIVR Media doing really amazingly well, Dee Haslam turned her energy towards the Browns, which was a dysfunctional mess.
Dee Haslams increased involvement in Browns operations coincided with the demise, behind-the-scenes, of ambitious former President Alec Scheiner. The Browns announced on March 4 that Scheiner was stepping away, but the business right-hand man of Jimmy Haslam actually had been out of the building and out of the picture since before the Super Bowl, a source said.
On Tuesday, Jimmy Haslam said, Alecs a really talented guy and did a great job for us, helped us immensely on the business side Dee and I learned a lot from Alec, and he made some good input on football. Alec has the ability and wants to have more capacity in an organization, and that simply wasnt an opportunity that he thought he would have here.
Jimmy Haslam said that some of Scheiners duties would be filled internally and that a president would not be named in the short term, but well see over the long term.
It was not lost on some insiders that Dee Haslam had a closed-door meeting with Scheiner in the owners suite in Arrowhead Stadium on the morning of the 15th game in Kansas City with a team security member posted outside the door. Scheiner was scarcely seen thereafter.
When GM Ray Farmer and coach Mike Pettine were fired a week later, Dee Haslam assumed a seat on the search committee to replace them and Scheiner was conspicuously absent.
I loved the coaching search, Dee Haslam said. It was interesting. It was fun. I think I added value. Theres things I think I can add in a lot of different areas, probably not in the football area, however.
She said that during the coaching search she sat back and assessed the interviews with candidates and came away impressed with Jacksons amazing leadership ability and his complete passion for football.
Going forward: When Jimmy Haslam and the rest of the search committee concluded a second interview with Jackson, Dee Haslam represented the Browns at the crucial league meeting to vote approval of the St. Louis Rams lucrative relocation to Los Angeles.
Ive been going to the meetings, so it was not anything different for me, she said. Ive been in the room with other owners. Actually it was one of the best meetings thereve been.
She was joined at that league meeting by Kim Pegula, co-owner of the Buffalo Bills; Martha Ford, owner of the Detroit Lions; Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Kasey Foyt and Kalen Irsay, the daughters of owner Jim Irsay taking on more prominent roles with the Indianapolis Colts; and Katie Blackburn, executive vice president and daughter of Cincinnati Bengals president Mike Brown.
There's more women involved than you realize and are seated at the table, at the owners' table, Dee Haslam said. It's wonderful to see women take an active role in the NFL.
Dee Haslams introduction to league affairs really began when she was appointed to the NFL conduct committee in December of 2014.
But her deeper involvement in the Browns bears watching. She said her background in media and marketing and her familys passion for education and charity endeavors in the community are natural areas of involvement.
I wouldnt be surprised, however, to see Dee Haslam assume an even greater presence inside the building and work to safeguard the organization from the dysfunction that has infected it for far too many years.
Just know that the new sheriff inside the Browns may not be a coach or general manager. It may be Dee Haslam.
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I often wonder if Alec "Shoe" Scheiner left Cleveland because of Dee's increasing involvement with the team.
At any rate, no great loss.
Two things that will define you: Your determination when you have nothing. Your attitude when you have everything. - Mike McCartney -
I often wonder if Alec "Shoe" Scheiner left Cleveland because of Dee's increasing involvement with the team.
At any rate, no great loss.
I often wonder if Alec "Shoe" Scheiner left Cleveland because of Dee's increasing involvement with the team.
At any rate, no great loss.
I think they wanted to auf Schreiner anyway. Its just that Dee has really more or less stepped into her co-ownership role and as unofficial team President, dealing with business issues.
And I personally don't have a problem with that as long as it brings success.
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Her job is to keep Jimmy in line. It was stated before that she makes sure that people are doing their jobs and keeps things running smooth. If she can keep her old man out of playing GM and lets the football side of things go without meddling, it has a chance.
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pishaw.
she's out buying hats for the kentucky derby so her and her other old hen friends can chuk chuk chuckle and look wrinkly cute for the cameras while she's sippin on her mint julep.
nothing more miserable than an old dried up hag that ain't gettin it no more. keep her away from the locker room AND the FO!
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pishaw.
she's out buying hats for the kentucky derby so her and her other old hen friends can chuk chuk chuckle and look wrinkly cute for the cameras while she's sippin on her mint julep.
nothing more miserable than an old dried up hag that ain't gettin it no more. keep her away from the locker room AND the FO!
pishaw.
she's out buying hats for the kentucky derby so her and her other old hen friends can chuk chuk chuckle and look wrinkly cute for the cameras while she's sippin on her mint julep.
nothing more miserable than an old dried up hag that ain't gettin it no more. keep her away from the locker room AND the FO!
Sexist a bit are we?
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I often wonder if Alec "Shoe" Scheiner left Cleveland because of Dee's increasing involvement with the team.
At any rate, no great loss.
I think they wanted to auf Schreiner anyway. Its just that Dee has really more or less stepped into her co-ownership role and as unofficial team President, dealing with business issues.
And I personally don't have a problem with that as long as it brings success.
I'm pretty sure that she is listed as owner, or co owner and president..officially. I also think that she can run a business much better than James. For anyone that bitched about Jimmy's ownership, he is pretty much a figure head now and she will steer the ship. It gives me hope because I was starting to think fondly of Randy's ownership tenure.I think they wanted to auf Schreiner anyway. Its just that Dee has really more or less stepped into her co-ownership role and as unofficial team President, dealing with business issues.
And I personally don't have a problem with that as long as it brings success.
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i wonder what ghoolie thinks?
hopefully she makes jimmy get us a franchise QB and gives us sexy cheerleaders....
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i wonder what ghoolie thinks?
hopefully she makes jimmy get us a franchise QB and gives us sexy cheerleaders....
She seems more the type that likes to have sex in the back seat, while Jimmy drives.i wonder what ghoolie thinks?
hopefully she makes jimmy get us a franchise QB and gives us sexy cheerleaders....
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