Jimmy Haslam: The Worst Owner In The NFL
Aug 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam prior to the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Jimmy Haslam was supposed to be different. The anti-Randy Lerner. The Tennessee service-station billionaire was going to be more hands on, more passionate, more out in front of the camera–and that was supposed to turn the Cleveland Browns into winners.
Instead he’s been the worst owner in Cleveland, and the NFL. He might even be the worst owner in all of sports. Since he took over the Browns prior to the 2012 season, the franchise’s fortunes have plummeted in the wrong direction.
• Haslam’s company was investigated by the FBI for white collar crimes and many of his top employees took plea deals. The Pilot Flying J CEO wasn’t indicted being indicted and this technically didn’t directly affect the business of the Browns, but it did take Haslam–a new owner learning the ropes–away from his team.
• Haslam blocked the trade of Josh Gordon to the 49ers for a second-round pick during the 2013 season. Joe Banner may look like someone you will never trust, but he knows when to rid a team of a player before it’s too late. In hindsight, the majority of Browns fans did not want to trade Gordon, as he was putting the finishing touches on the most prolific career a Browns receiver has ever known in just 14 games played.
• And then there was Rob Chudzinksi being fired after one game. Chud, a native of Sandusky and a lifelong Browns fan towed the company line the entire year, but was the scapegoat for a 4-12 year. The power struggle that ensued as the Browns tired to hire a new coach resulted in the Browns’ next embarrassment…
• Haslam not only fired general manager Mike Lombardi, but he also axed Banner when he discovered their presence on the Browns was toxic to the team’s coaching search. Lombardi attempted a power play by attempting to trigger a trade for Jim Harbaugh.
Banner was paired with Haslam because he was supposed to a be a guy who could help steer the Browns in the right direction. He was an easy target of frustration during his time here, mostly because of his squirrelly personality, but he left the Browns in better shape in terms of assets, than when he found them.
The Browns promoted Ray Farmer to general manager, and hired another rookie head coach. The stigma was that Cleveland Browns continued to hold true: You’ll make a lot of money not to work was holding true under Haslam, just as it had under Lerner. The franchise’s reputation as a place seen as a training ground for NFL coaches/executives also remained the same.
• The new management team of Ray Farmer, president Alec Sheiner and coach Mike Pettine are all supposed to answer to Haslam. As the draft nears, a report leaks that a $100,000 report commissioned by Banner states Teddy Bridgewater is the quarterback destined for the most NFL success.
Where Farmer actually had Johnny Manziel ranked on the draft board is still a great mystery. But on draft night, it appears the Browns lost institutional control, with then quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains exchaing texts with Manziel, who then infamously texted that he wanted to “wreck this league.”
Who actually pulled the trigger on Manziel? Farmer says the right things when asked about the subject, but it’s become increasingly clear that Haslam’s influence is all over the pick.
• When the games actually started in 2014, the Browns weren’t the worst. At 7-4, their future looked promising–but then FirstEnergy Stadium might as well have started sinking into Lake Erie.
With the playoffs on the line, Brian Hoyer is replaced at quarterback by an unprepared Manziel. Six quarters later, the exerpiment is a bust, with the former Heisman winner injuring his hamstring and looking like a joke.
Connor Shaw starts the season finale and shows more promise than the team’s first-round pick.
Could Pettine have really turned to a rookie who was so unprepared in such a crucial scenario? Did Farmer make the demand, or was he getting pressure from Haslam?
Haslam’s ownership leaves a lot of mystery and questions in its decisions. Wanting Haslam to be a some version of Jerry Jones is one thing, but it’s another for the owner to step up to the podium and take some accountability.
• Gordon gets suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy…again. This time for alcohol. Since he’s in the the league’s drug treatment program, he’s not supposed to drink. Except he said he didn’t know that, and took a postseason flight to Vegas with his teammates and now fired wide receivers coach Mike McDaniel.
• Manziel enters rehab, apparently on his own accord. It’s good news for the Browns, but Cleveland is losing players who were supposed to be starts in Gordon and Manziel. This is an organizational problem, and that stat means it’s all traced back to Haslam, because he’s the guy ultimately calling the shots and setting a culture.
• Just when it appears fans can start using the offseason to cure their Browns induced depression, another report leaked that former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan used a 32-point presentation highlighting why Haslam should let him out of his contract.
Haslam unbelievably grants Shanahan’s wish, and he takes a better job as the OC of the Falcons. Banner, working as a consultant with Atlanta, helps pair up Atlanta and Shanahan.
• The Haslam era hits an all-time low when reports surface that Farmer is the one texting plays down to the sidelines to the game. The NFL is prepared to issue a statement and consequences in the coming weeks. The Browns could lose a draft pick.
• Want some more? On top of it all, he raised ticket prices 30 percent.
If it’s always darkest before the dawn, something good has to be coming the Browns way, because it can’t get much bleaker than this.
Haslam’s had a rocky start to being a majority owner in the NFL. Of course, there’s always time to turn things around, but as the Browns continue to be a national joke, Haslam makes a strong case for the worst owner in sports because he’s the one behind the wheel.