Modell among 25 semifinalists for Hall of Fame
Art Modell, the former majority owner of the Ravens, is among the 25 semifinalists for the Hall of Fame's Class of 2010. The list will be cut to 15 finalists on Jan. 7.
Modell's candidacy has been a hot button issue with voters because of his unpopular relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore in February 1996.
Modell was a finalist for the Hall of Fame in 2001. This marks the seventh time that he has been a semifinalist (2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010).
Modell was the Ravens' majority owner from 1996 to 2004, when he sold the team to Steve Bisciotti. He is now the Ravens' minority owner.
Former Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe, who was a finalist for the Class of 2009, was also among the semifinalists.
The other 23 semifinalists are: wide receiver Cliff Branch; wide receiver-returner Tim Brown, receiver Cris Carter; coach Don Coryell; running back Roger Craig; running back Terrell Davis; center Dermontti Dawson; defensive end Richard Dent; defensive end-linebacker Chris Doleman; linebacker-defensive end Kevin Greene; guard Russ Grimm; punter Ray Guy; defensive end-linebacker Charles Haley; cornerback Lester Hayes; linebacker Rickey Jackson; defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy; defensive tackle John Randle; receiver Andre Reed; receiver Jerry Rice; running back Emmitt Smith; former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue; special teams ace Steve Tasker; and cornerback Aeneas Williams.
Comments
Hi Jamison,
OK, Modell screwed Cleveland and Tagliabue made a career out of screwing Baltimore. Modell at least made the NFL honest by giving Baltimore back a team. Cleveland got a team back from Tagliabue. Tagliabue didn't feel the same compassion for Baltimore.
Net/net is that if either gets in, both should get in. No writer from Baltimore should ever vote for Tagliabue,
Tagliabue should just take his millions and build himself a museam and forget about expanding into the Hall of Fame.
Posted by: Gil | November 28, 2009 3:13 PM
How on earth is Lester Hayes not in? Wasn't he arguably THE best, not just one of the few greats, of his era?
Posted by: Andrew | November 28, 2009 7:05 PM
I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Tagliabue and congratulate him on his foresight in denying Baltimore a team. His preferred choice, Jacksonville, is now blacking out games and putting tarps over whole sections of their stadium, while Baltimore continues to sell out tickets every year and operate one of the healthiest franchises in the league. Anyone remember his pretentious comments about Baltimore? "Some towns are football towns and some towns are museum towns. I guess Baltimore is a museum town." What an a**.
He also presided over the NFL's exit from the second-largest market in the country, and the abject failure of NFL Europa. And it was on his watch that the NFL earned the moniker "No Fun League", adopting draconian penalties against celebration.
After congratulating Tagliabue on his many failures I would punch him in the face, and say "that was from Baltimore, a--hole."
As for Modell, I think it's ridiculous that he continues to be blacklisted. Yes, he moved the Browns, but unlike Irsay and others he had the respect for Cleveland to leave the team name, colors and history where it belonged. Baltimore still hasn't received that basic dignity. On the other hand, Modell's long and distinguished service to the league is well-documented. He directly led to Monday Night Football, for goodness' sake! That alone should be worth HOF admission. He also was central to the leagues' first television contracts- i.e., what has become the lifeblood of the league today- and headed many other important promotional innovations.
That the NFL would keep Modell out of the HOF is a disgrace.
Posted by: Andrew | November 28, 2009 9:41 PM
Mr Modell totally deserves to be in the HALL.....can't blame him for Cleveland's stupidity......SUPER BOWL!!!.....BABY!!!!
Posted by: Itssteeven | November 29, 2009 1:11 AM
I'm so tired of the Leaveland fans booing out Mr. Hero Art Modell.
Baltimore and Modell left the crappy nickname behind just as Baltimore wanted. We got to start our own franchise NEW, as if we were an Expansion team. Leaveland fans don't have a clue how lucky they are that we [Modell and Baltimore] chose to take the High-Road in doing such. We could've played it like the Rams or Oilers turned Titans and kept most of the players. No, all we kept was Stover, Testaverde and Byner for a short time w/ the exception of Matt Stover.
New Coach, new colors, new nickname, but really the old Baltimore Colt feeling.
We didn't want the Jim Brown history, although it would've been nice. No, we wanted to keep the Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, Big Daddy Lipscomb, Gino Marchetti, Jimmy Orr, Alan Ameche, etc., History!
We're now the RAVENS, and we're Still BALTIMORE!
Art Modell allowed this, while TagliaScrew tried to block it!
Posted by: Andy | November 29, 2009 1:26 AM
I think Andrew said it all. I totally agree with him
Posted by: JRC | November 29, 2009 9:54 AM