Skip to content

Dan Rooney

The Browns Board
40 16 2.1k
  • @the-gipper said:

    I would not be that harsh about it. From an historical perspective it is somewhat interesting to me.

    The Steelers team and fans can go suck a dick, but this bit about the business of the league's ownerships is somewhat intriguing.

    What do you need to know? It is a family run business.

    A family that introduced hardcore steriod use to the NFL.

    A family that allowed players to abuse their bodies so much that many of them broke down and died young.

    A family that let HOF Center Mike Webster live in his car and under a bridge after he sacrificed his life for the team.

    A family that backed up a player through two rape inquiries only because he was the starting QB, then covered up the rapes by slapping him on the wrist and advising him to get married.

    A family that used it's inside connections with the commissioner's office as a bully pulpit to give its team every advantage.

    Fuck these cocksuckers.

    NFL Schedule comes out today ... or would you rather muse about these cocksucker's family tree on the Browns Board today?

    Zombo

    Zombo said:

    What do you need to know? It is a family run business.

    A family that introduced hardcore steriod use to the NFL.

    A family that allowed players to abuse their bodies so much that many of them broke down and died young.

    A family that let HOF Center Mike Webster live in his car and under a bridge after he sacrificed his life for the team.

    A family that backed up a player through two rape inquiries only because he was the starting QB, then covered up the rapes by slapping him on the wrist and advising him to get married.

    A family that used it's inside connections with the commissioner's office as a bully pulpit to give its team every advantage.

    Fuck these cocksuckers.

    NFL Schedule comes out today ... or would you rather muse about these cocksucker's family tree on the Browns Board today?

    Zombo

    What I am wondering....hoping, is that the "new" ownership of that team will become as inept as the ownership that Browns fan have "enjoyed" over the years.

  • It's the same ownership...

    Dan was playing ambassador for BO while art II was running the show. Nothing has changed other than art losing another voice that was his pop

  • @ghoolie said:

    I am John. For decent people. Bashing a group of people for supporting their favorite team? The only person who thinks having a war because someone is a Steeler fan, is a mental moron. C'mon dude, don't be stupid. Steeler fans are no different from anyone else.

    OK, basically true....but that does not mean that they should not get the shit hammered out of them for supporting that team.

    And certainly, I for one, do not object to the Western PA native supporting their local team. ( I would expect them to...even while hammering on them).

    No, my contempt is reserved for the Fucking FRAKS who glom on to that team while having NO connection to that local area.

    Respect for them is one thing. FRAKing yourself onto them is another.

    No self respecting true Steeler fan should want allthe FRAKs.

    I expect that when the Browns get good, there will be a share of FRAKs here.

    (note the difference: A "Fairweather fan" is still a fan of a team, but their fandom is dormant during down times. A fucking FRAK is a person that whores himself out to a winning team....because they have no personal self respect)

  • @ghoolie said:

    I am John. For decent people. Bashing a group of people for supporting their favorite team? The only person who thinks having a war because someone is a Steeler fan, is a mental moron. C'mon dude, don't be stupid. Steeler fans are no different from anyone else.

    You're such a limp dick hypocrite.
  • Fuck Dan Rooney.. that's all..

  • @ghoolie said:

    But yet, nobody has a problem with the Browns having backer clubs all over the US? Built, by the way, but old farts like us who remember when the Browns were a powerhouse.

    And you think that is a bad thing? Still a strong base even after all the losing. That is not being a FRAK. Quite the opposite.

    "No connection to that area"? So what area connection does one have to ZZ Top, or Sinatra, or Arnold? Cleveland Browns fans are the only fans I have ever seen literally come unglued over this "you aren't a real fan" bullshit. Fuck man, people like what they like.

    People, apparently perhaps like you....whore themselves out to what they like based on the latest fad...or based on what team is winning at the time. It is called being feckless.

    Look, there is nobody here who has tortured and ridiculed Steeler fans more than me. In fact, the total Steeler bashing by the entire board can't hold a candle to the shit I have pulled over the years. But fuck man, lighten up. The Fucking Steelers have been the best franchise in the NFL since 1976, bar none. I get it, it pisses you off that Steeler fans take over the Browns stadium. Sorry bro, they have to be pretty loyal to do that.

    NO, not really. Yes....there certainly are a good percentage of those Steeler fans that are loyal....but I suggest a good percentage of those fans are FRAKs. They are only loyal as long as that team wins. If they lose, they glom on to another team....or if they are fairweather, they just don't show up.

    Again, give Steeler fans 10 years of what Browns fans have endured, and you would not hear one peep out of them....and they wouldn't be showing up "taking over the stadium"...or any such thing. It would seem like the all entered the witness protection program

    Seriously. Browns fans are really, truly fucked up. That a moderator could get so pissed off at me for some Steeler comments, (And yes, I purposely pulled his chain) that he violated the board's own code of conduct, and called the kid I coach, a derogatory name, is proof positive of what I am saying.

    Browns fans are fucking spoiled, snowflake assholes who believe they are entitled to be revered and respected. The franchise is a joke, and there is nobody here who can say differently. It is a joke. You wanna bash Steeler fans for being homos, toothless, followers of homo Kordell? By all means, have at it. But to attack the entire fanbase? Fuck that dude. Seriously, Browns fans need to grow the fuck up.

    Yea, sure. Browns fans are so spoiled by all the winning we have had to endure. And has the management of this franchise been a joke? Certainly.

    And do we attack the fanbase? Sure, that is what rival fanbases do. You yourself claim to be the biggest attack dog. But the real attack is for the FRAK portion of the fanbase.

    And yeah, should we wind up with Garrett and Black Tarkenton? I will absolutely root for the Steelers to fuck the Browns to hell on opening day. I want a winner in Cleveland. Enough of this entitlement bullshit. The clear example............. Crowell. Shut the fuck up about his ego, all these players want more than they're worth. This franchise needs to get over itself and put the team over pride and ego.

    You are just not making one bit of sense or logic here, at all. Browns fans "entitled"? "The franchise need to get over itself. I mean, totally illogic, nonsensical meandering.

    Trubisky, and the WR from Clemson. WIlliams, is it? Like him. Big, tough guy. He will draw double teams and let that sissy Coleman get some action.

  • @ghoolie said:

    I am John. For decent people. Bashing a group of people for supporting their favorite team? The only person who thinks having a war because someone is a Steeler fan, is a mental moron. C'mon dude, don't be stupid. Steeler fans are no different from anyone else.

    You're a big fat faggot.

    You support the Raiders, you support the Steelers, you lick Modell nutsack, you have passion, no backbone, no guts.

    Sad fucking existence living on a Browns Board just to trash Browns fans because you are so fucking miserable.

    Eat a big bag of dead Rooney dicks.

    Zombo

  • @ghoolie said:

    I am John. For decent people. Bashing a group of people for supporting their favorite team? The only person who thinks having a war because someone is a Steeler fan, is a mental moron. C'mon dude, don't be stupid. Steeler fans are no different from anyone else.

    You're a big fat faggot.

    You support the Raiders, you support the Steelers, you lick Modell nutsack, you have passion, no backbone, no guts.

    Sad fucking existence living on a Browns Board just to trash Browns fans because you are so fucking miserable.

    Eat a big bag of dead Rooney dicks.

    Zombo

    Zombo said:

    You're a big fat faggot.

    You support the Raiders, you support the Steelers, you lick Modell nutsack, you have passion, no backbone, no guts.

    Sad fucking existence living on a Browns Board just to trash Browns fans because you are so fucking miserable.

    Eat a big bag of dead Rooney dicks.

    Zombo

    Question....if a guy is a Raiders fan....why not inhabit the Boards of Raiders rival teams: Broncos/Chiefs/Chargers.

    Or, if a Steeler fan.....troll the Squibs current big rivals... Ravens, Bengals.

    Why bother with us poor, pitiful....but entitled Browns fans?

    Answer?: Because we are still the best.

  • @ghoolie said:

    Hypocrite? How?

    @ghoolie said:

    Browns fans are fucking spoiled, snowflake assholes who believe they are entitled to be revered and respected.

    @ghoolie said:

    This is typical of Browns fans, dude.

    @ghoolie said:

    Bashing a group of people for supporting their favorite team?

    If ya get a chance ...Look up

    Definition of hypocrite
    1. 1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion

    2. 2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

    hypocriteadjective
  • Think Z and B499 answered your question trollie. Not wasting time on the rest of your drivel

  • @the-gipper said:

    OK, then. He would be the grandson of old Art Rooney then, right?

    Are there still minority owners associated with the team? Haslam was once a minority owner, did the Rooneys buy his share back from him, or did those go to a third person?

    A lot of people don't recall it now, but the fact is that Art Modell, during his tenure as owner of the Browns was actually only a 51 or 52% owner. A guy named Robert Griese actually owned 43%..and Al Lerner owned 5 or 6%. What is the Rooney's ownership percent? I know some of the brothers had to divest their interests because of ownership of horsetracks/racinos in Florida. That, I believe was when Haslam came in.

    Browns ownership, 1961

    National Insurance Co. 30%

    Bob Gries 20% <--- and future partner of Modell

    Homer Marshman 14%

    Jones Ryan 12%

    Ellis Ryan 12%

    Paul Brown 12%

    Enter Modell, Fred "Curly" Morrison, a former Browns running back who worked as an advertising executive for CBS television, learned in 1960 that Dave Jones was looking to sell the Browns and told the story to Art Modell, a 35-year-old advertising and television executive from Brooklyn.

    Modell was intrigued, partly because of the potentially lucrative television rights that one of the NFL's most successful franchises could bring as football began to challenge baseball as America's biggest sport. Having borrowed as much money as he could, Modell completed the purchase in March 1961 for $3.925 million. Bob Gries, who had a share in the Browns from the beginning, agreed to buy in again at the new valuation and take a stake of almost 40%, defraying Modell's costs substantially, he only put in $250,000 of his own money having borrowed the rest.

    Not exactly the Rooney story at all.

    @mjp28 said:

    Browns ownership, 1961

    National Insurance Co. 30%

    Bob Gries 20% <--- and future partner of Modell

    Homer Marshman 14%

    Jones Ryan 12%

    Ellis Ryan 12%

    Paul Brown 12%

    Enter Modell, Fred "Curly" Morrison, a former Browns running back who worked as an advertising executive for CBS television, learned in 1960 that Dave Jones was looking to sell the Browns and told the story to Art Modell, a 35-year-old advertising and television executive from Brooklyn.

    Modell was intrigued, partly because of the potentially lucrative television rights that one of the NFL's most successful franchises could bring as football began to challenge baseball as America's biggest sport. Having borrowed as much money as he could, Modell completed the purchase in March 1961 for $3.925 million. Bob Gries, who had a share in the Browns from the beginning, agreed to buy in again at the new valuation and take a stake of almost 40%, defraying Modell's costs substantially, he only put in $250,000 of his own money having borrowed the rest.

    Not exactly the Rooney story at all.

    Had to look that up mjp- $250k in 2017 dollars is about $2 million. Artie did quite well on his investment.

    @ghoolie said:

    He won the SB. Cleveland treated him like scum. Cleveland wanted rid of him since the day he righteously fired Paul Browns. Cleveland got what it wanted. It took getting the fuck out of Cleveland for Modell to win a superbowl, so, yeah, he gets the last laugh.

    Bull s**t. Art's dead Tom, he's not laughing much. Get rid of Modell? Yeah, there were a few disgruntled fans, I well remember the "Jump Art, and land on Bill" banners. That was the minority opinion though. Modell got treated like royalty in Cleveland. Stadium lease for a buck a year, got to keep all the concession money (even from his captive tenants, the Indians). Had the first "luxury" boxes too. When the Tribe moved out, Artie was in deep financial doo-doo. Ya see- and it's been well documented- Modell just couldn't leave well enough alone. He kept on borrowing against his Browns equity that was growing by orders of magnitude, until his cash flow couldn't keep up with his loan payments. Even the Baltimore\Maryland $70 million bribe wasn't enough to keep him afloat. Enter Steve Biscotti to save Art's sorry ass, and save him the indignity of getting foreclosed on by Fleet Bank. Look it up if you don't believe me. Nope, Art was all about what's best for Art, screw the fans who wildly supported the team. His pious bleating "I had no choice" rings totally hollow. There was an issue on the Cleveland ballot for money to renovate CBS- all Art publicly asked for, or did you forget that? He could have sold the team to Al Lerner then and there, but nope, he wanted to pass the team down to his cigar chompin' kid (who died of cancer recently, RIP). So he got neither. Outside of Baltimore, he's looked on as a pariah, and he ended up with no team too. Nothing short of Divine Justice from my POV.

    I'll end my rant with one of my favorite quotes from Frank DeFord after Art was forced to sell out. "Sorry Art, you're just not rich enough to own a football team anymore."

  • @ghoolie said:

    Again.

    you guys are the hypocrites. Entitled. Always someone else's fault. Always the ref's fault,,. Always luck, always "this guy wants too much".

    Where to even start with your testicle sniffers?

    Regarding Modell. HE WONT THE SB. Biscotti didn't buy controlling interest until a few years later. Art Modell was a great man, He did the right thing by firing Paul Brown. If it wasn't for Modell, Paul would never have been able to buy the Bengals. Great owner, Art was. He knew more about football than most head coaches. Certianly, more than anyone in Cleveland.

    http://www.baltimoreravens.com/team/history/art-modell-memory.html

    Art did not control things. Like I said, he was just El Cid. A dead man propped up on a horse. And David was just a fly hanging around the horse's ass.

    Only persons deserving any credit were Biscotti....and Ozzie Newsome.

    If you want to give Art any credit, give him credit for hiring Ozzie. But even with that, no decent team without Biscotti's money.

  • ?...You were even given the definition, yet still don't know it means.

    I'm mildly amused at the mental gymnastics necessary to type all the bullshit. ?

    Please don't stop now...Just got my popcorn ready

  • Hey, Z! FRESH MEAT!

    Now where's my damn popcorn...

  • @thegreatjoesixpack said:

    Typical lies made up because you can't rip the team's success, so you create myths to drag them down.

    FACT: The San Diego Chargers initiated TEAM WIDE steroid use in the early 1960s. Not the Steelers.

    FACT: I've posted documentation before of the Cleveland Brownies own 'roid use in the '60s. Don't make me do it again.

    FACT: You have no idea how the Steelers tried to help Webster. Or at what point you can't help someone anymore.

    FACT: Roethlisberger was never even charged with jaywalking, let alone "rape." The first case was with some nut who wrote emails to her friend bragging about how she was going to get pregnant with Little Ben. The second case was investigated by a DA who declared the forensic evidence didn't back up the accuser's claim (an accuser who changed her story three times).

    The problem with you yahoos is you have no concept of gratitude. Some idiot here actually wrote "Fuck Dan Rooney." Really? Fuck the guy who bothered to give a shit about your sorry asses when the rest of the league couldn't care less if you had football or not? Fuck the guy who then worked to get the team back (and spare me the Ralph Wilson line, yeah he voted against the move but it was Rooney who took the inititiative to get the team back in Cleveland)? You should be bowing down to the name of Rooney and kissing the ass of every Steeler fan on earth. If you had any common sense.

    I don't expect you to love the Steelers. But if you don't respect Rooney for what he did for Cleveland, then you're an idiot.

    Yes!.. and fuck you too!

  • Getting the feeling this meat is not so fresh...

  • @thegreatjoesixpack said:

    I see the moron himself has arrived.

    Just remember, the only reason you're even watching your sorry team draft today is Dan Rooney.

    Umm no.. it was the great fans of Cleveland that pestered the fuck out of Paul Tagliabue.. Yes.. Rooney said a few favorable things... But he was not the sole reason they came back , Goober....

  • @thegreatjoesixpack said:

    Ha ha! You actually think Tagliabue in New York gave a crap about what some "pestering" yahoos out in the sticks did? No, Tagliabue gave a crap about keeping football in Cleveland because Rooney TOLD him to.

    You my friend are in severe need of a lesson in gratitude. So, all Rooney did was "say a few favorable things?" Uh, read on:

    Did you get that? It was Rooney who is responsible for the Cleveland Browns not being called the Baltimore Browns. Because it was Rooney who required that unless Modell left the name and colors in Cleveland, he's wasn't getting his deal in Baltimore. Bet you didn't know that, did you? DAN ROONEY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEVELAND BROWNS STILL BEING CALLED THE CLEVELAND BROWNS. Got that?

    And where do you think Haslam came from? Hey ingrate, he was a minority owner of the Steelers first. Rooney got him to step up and buy the Browns when it had to be done. And there's more:

    Just words, huh? Yeah, that's why it was Rooney who got Lerner and Policy in. Not Ralph Wilson. Not anybody else.

    Football returned to Cleveland because of Dan Rooney, whose words, yes, DO mean a lot. If you think a bunch of yahoos pestering Tagliabue is what got your team back, you're even dumber than I thought. Get a clue, Gomer. You owe Rooney EVERYTHING.

    he did not faggot,,, take your drivel elsewhere... I owe him nothing but a pile of shit..

  • Did you get that? It was Rooney who is responsible for the Cleveland Browns not being called the Baltimore Browns. Because it was Rooney who required that unless Modell left the name and colors in Cleveland, he's wasn't getting his deal in Baltimore. Bet you didn't know that, did you? DAN ROONEY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEVELAND BROWNS STILL BEING CALLED THE CLEVELAND BROWNS. Got that?

    Well, lets get our facts correct. While yes, Dan Rooney was supportive of the Browns staying in Cleveland....he had nothing to do with the settlement...other than perhaps give moral support....which is appreciated.

    But the person's responsible for the Browns staying in Cleveland is the City of Cleveland itself....who was the Plaintiff in the action for Specific Performance.

    The lease required that the Browns continue to play in Municipal Stadium for the next 3 years.

    It was a condition of the settlement that allowed Modell to leave that the Browns...and all that goes with them... stay here.

    The real architect of that deal was a Cleveland City attorney by the name of Frederick Nance. Again, yes, Rooney had their back in the deal, but he was by no means primarily responsible for it.

    And where do you think Haslam came from? Hey ingrate, he was a minority owner of the Steelers first. Rooney got him to step up and buy the Browns when it had to be done. And there's more:



    Just words, huh? Yeah, that's why it was Rooney who got Lerner and Policy in. Not Ralph Wilson. Not anybody else.

    Well, again, I don't think Rooney was "responsible" for either of these action. Supportive, encouraging, yes, not responsible.

    Jimmy had a taste for majority ownership after his stint as minority owner of the Steelers. He approached the league to express his interest in purchasing a team. Did Rooney encourage him to do so? Perhaps, I would not doubt that. But, if the Browns were not the one for sale, he would have been more than happy to buy any other team. It just so happened that the 10 year committment that Randy Lerner made to keep the team after his Dad died had expired and it was just coincidental that it was the Browns that came up for sale. (I have no doubt that if both the Browns and the team in Tennessee has been the ones for sale he would have far more have lusted after them...but they weren't up for sale).

    And on Lerner and Policy.....I don't think Rooney had anything to do at all with them being in the mix. Al Lerner had been a minority owner of the Browns for years and years. While he kind of "helped" his "friend" Art Modell broker the deal with Baltimore, he still demanded that in the end that Art buy out his interest when Art wanted to move to Baltimore.

    And....when the Browns franchise came back up for sale, there was a bidding process. Al was not going to let anyone outbid him for the Browns...but there WERE other groups that had placed bids.

    There were at least two other serious groups that made bids: a group involving the Dolans (Indians owners) and Don Shula. And a group led by a guy named Howard Milstein....plus I believe another group involving Dick Jacob's son. (Jacobs Field).

    And as for Policy...it was Eddie DeBartolo that got him into the NFL business, but when Eddie got in trouble, Policy wanted to stay in the game and thus hooked up with Lerner.

    All these guys did all this on their own. Again, moral support/encouragement by Rooney? Probably. Actual control and decision making? No.