I think he’s playing for his next paycheck. If he can prove he can still lead a team to a playoff win. Someone is going to pay him to be a bridge QB at the age of 39.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam under federal investigation over potentially illegal payments to Pilot executives: Report CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is being investigated by federal prosecutors over whether he gave illegal payments to Pilot executives to boost the value of the company before its sale to Berkshire Hathaway, according to Bloomberg. The investigation stems from a civil suit over the sale of part of Pilot to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Bloomberg reports prosecutors are investigating whether payments were made, and if they caused the value of Haslam’s shares of Pilot to increase before being sold to Buffett. Haslam sued Buffett in October over claims that Berkshire tried to devalue the remaining stake in Pilot that hadn’t yet been sold to Buffett, according to Reuters. The investigation came to light in a recent court hearing involving the lawsuit, according to Bloomberg. Bloomberg reports that Pilot Corp. lawyer Brad Wilson said company officials learned of the investigation as part of information that was exchanged before the civil trial over accounting methods used in the sale to Berkshire Hathaway. Haslam is the owner of Pilot Corp.; and Buffett owns Pilot Travel, which is a truck-stop chain. The Haslams purchased the Browns from the Lerner family in October of 2012. Here is more background on the civil case from The Associated Press: Pilot Corp. claims that Berkshire Hathaway, which holds 80% of Pilot Travel Centers, has used accounting changes to try to artificially depress the price Berkshire would have to pay for the Haslam family’s remaining 20% stake in the truck-stop chain. Berkshire responded to the lawsuit by claiming that Haslam tried to bribe more than two dozen Pilot employees to get them to inflate the company’s profits this year. Berkshire alleges that Haslam wanted to artificially inflate profits so Berkshire would have to pay more for the remaining stake in Pilot held by the Haslam family, which also includes former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. Following a hearing Wednesday, Vice Chancellor Morgan Zurn ruled that Berkshire could not use the bribery allegations as part of an “unclean hands” defense at an expedited trial next month. She also said any related depositions would not be allowed, noting that the bribery allegations do not have an “immediate and proper nexus” to Pilot’s underlying claims. While granting Pilot’s motions to restrict Berkshire’s defenses, Zurn also indicated that she may deny Berkshire’s request to amend its answers and defenses. Among the new information Berkshire wants to use are allegations that Pilot’s controller, David Clothier, used his spouse’s cell phone to secretly communicate with Haslam, was offered an illicit payment by Haslam, and tried to retroactively alter financial statements to change or delete references to the accounting changes. “We have no reason to believe that that (federal) investigation is going to impede the progress of this case,” Wilson said. Wilson noted, however, that Pilot was asked to postpone some depositions in the case in order to allow people to hire lawyers. Pilot alleges that, after taking control of the company, Berkshire adopted “pushdown accounting,” which forced Pilot to take on higher depreciation and amortization costs and resulted in lower net income. Pilot claims that a 2017 LLC agreement prevents Berkshire from making such an accounting change without Pilot’s consent. In an effort to resolve the dispute Jimmy Haslam and his father, Pilot founder Jim Haslam, presented a resolution to the board in August but were outvoted by the five Berkshire members of the board. Berkshire bought 38.6% of Pilot in 2017 for $2.76 billion before more than doubling that to 80% this year for an additional $8.2 billion. Under an investor rights agreement with Berkshire, the Haslams have an annual option, starting Jan. 1, 2024, to sell their remaining 20% interest in Pilot to Berkshire. The agreement gives the Haslams 60 days from the start of each year to make that decision, meaning they must decide by Feb. 29 whether to exercise the option. Pilot argues that with the first opportunity to exercise the sell option just weeks away, Berkshire has used accounting changes to try to lower the price it would have to pay for the Haslams’ remaining stake. Besides the truck stops, Berkshire owns dozens of other businesses including Geico insurance, BNSF railroad and several major utilities along with an assortment of smaller manufacturing and retail businesses. It also holds a sizeable stock portfolio with big stakes in Apple, Coca-Cola, American Express and Bank of America among other holdings.
Didn't the Haslams put the Browns' ownership in Dee's name a couple years back when Jimmy was involved in a previous scam with Pilot / Flying J?
Phewwwww!!!!!! Another down to the wire win. I think Karma may finally be smiling on the Browns. Any other year and that Hail Mary ball lands in the Bears WR’s lap and doesn’t bounce away. We’ve been blessed with a missed FG by the 49ers and now this game. Does this make 5 or 6 games they’ve won at the last moment?
What got my juices flowing is we ended up with a win with a 39ish old QB playing behind an O-line that had three 3rd teamers, one 2nd teamer and only one 1st teamer on the field.
I’m with you on that Lyman. Not sure how they keep winning as the injuries keep piling up….but they keep winning and the ball is bouncing their way.
Thats absolutely ridiculous. I guess because Myles complained, the Refs will just outright turn around and screw you with the non-calls... now they are vindictive and conspiring against him. That vid ought to be viewed by the owners and then force Goodell to look at it. Nothing probably changes until the owners get unified and demand it.
Goodell won't do anything until he sticks a wet finger in the air to see what direction the public wind is blowing. He doesn't do a fucking thing unless the public outcry begins to affect revenue.
I have heard former referees talking about the subject and their answer has always been, if we didn't let some of this go, we would have a penalty on every play... So fucking what!!! If the teams are getting called for holding on every play, they are going to stop holding and the Myles Garrett's of the world will be able to help their team to the full potential. At least every team and every player would be held to the same standard (no pun intended). Either that, or change the rules. Change it to a personal foul for hands to the face or whatever, but take holding off the table... Oh by the way, if you do that, you have to take defensive pass holding away too, let's not be biased. If it's a rule, call the fucking thing.
When you have a great edge rusher you have to get used to watching him get held on 80% of the pass plays and the refs ignoring it. It’s allowed probably because they think it protects the quarterbacks. TJ Watt is held on every pass rush and the refs never call holding. I guess they think if you can lead the league in sacks while being held constantly that you don’t need the calls. I could see these guys pushing 50 sacks a season if they really cracked down on holding.
