Actually, the improvements made to the current stadium were almost solely paid by the Haslem group. They asked for money, but since the improvements weren't deemed necessary, no new money was awarded. This is where I am actually going to call you wrong, instead of just disagreeing. The type of jobs that this project will bring will bring MANY jobs that would improve the every day lives of the citizens in the area. The minimum wage jobs are the only ones left in the area, which is why the population is dwindling. This project could stave off the shrinking numbers and would more likely cause a resurgence in the population due to the influx of middle class jobs coming in. The project would influence the surrounding area and bring even more business opportunities outside of the project itself. There is zero incentive for businesses to move to the area right now, if you've been there you would see the decaying landscape of what the past used to be. The new project and infrastructure would be a catalyst for improvement.
You are right, this is another topic all of its own. Don't get me started on this one... although, the casinos coming in is supposed to be giving an influx of support to schools and other social needs. I don't know if it's enough, but if you are going to take the money from the Browns for schools, then you need to take it from all business entities. Again, no government is forced to give anything to help build these structures, they do it because they benefit from it. It isn't because they are Browns fans, it's because the community does get a positive influence from it. I keep forgetting to mention this but... These buildings are not owned by the Haslems or the Browns, they are owned by the city they are built in and are paid a lease to use them. So, if you want to make this argument, then you might want to change the argument a tad. The Haslems are investing in the property that is owned by the City, not the other way around. Now, if the Haslems buy the property (which they are going to do) and fund the entire amount of money that goes into the structures, etc., then the city won't own a damn thing and they will get to keep 100% of the proceeds. Here lies the problem. Infrastructure is needed to make this a reality. If they just build the buildings and bring the businesses in under the current infrastructure, no one will be able to reach it on Sundays because the logjam of traffic would take hours. The majority of the government investment would be in the infrastructure to allow a project like this to happen.
Nothing to do with your argument Duff... Here's a rundown of where the NFL stadiums of some teams actually play: Since Beach mentioned it, we will start with Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field is in Ashwaubenon, WI MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, NJ, two New York Teams Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA 49ers Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD Commanders Highmark Stadium, Orchard Hills, NY Bills AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX Cowboys It isn't uncommon for a team's stadium to be in a suburb.
I know that Browns fans are pretty relentless, but I don't recall them booing or cheering a hurt player in the past. This is NOT about Watson being a shitty player and they are happy they don't have to watch his shittyness on the field any longer this season. This is a player that no one wanted to begin with because he is a shittier person than a player. I'm getting just as sick hearing the players and talking heads and any celebrity that cares, blast the fans and calling Watson a good person on and off the field. Garrett saying he's been a model citizen in college and the pros "for the most part" made me throw up a little in my mouth. I would be right there demolishing the fan base if they had cheered/booed an opposing player, even from the Steelers, who was injured in a game. I don't wish injuries on anyone, but this guy is someone that should not even have been allowed back into the league and I give zero cares to his feelings or what he thinks of the City or their fans. I wish he would quit, since he quit on his career the day he signed the Browns offer. It's karma to both Watson and the team that he can't stay healthy enough to finish even a half a season. He deserves it and the franchise deserve it for signing him in the first place. The only ones that don't deserve it are the fans who didn't ask for it, but rather didn't want it from the jump. Now, they are getting the ire from a few cheers and boos... I say let em be in this case, they have every right to express themselves on this exclusive case. This should probably go in the opinions thread, because that's all this is, my opinion. But I didn't want to expose it to casual NFL fans, this is a Browns issue.
38 QBs in the Halloween graveyard Graveyard of Browns quarterbacks needs to add another tombstone Link: Graveyard of Browns quarterbacks needs to add another tombstone
Yeah, forgot about that one, which was heinous. That guy literally laid his life on the line each week with the porous offensive line we had. Off the field he was a boy scout.
Best thing for everyone, including Deshaun Watson, is for Browns to end toxic quarterback relationship — Jimmy Watkins Jimmy Watkins of the Plain Dealer sums it up perfectly in the article linked below CLEVELAND, Ohio — The franchise quarterback wept into his hands, writhing in pain, wondering what his future held, and his fans didn’t know how to feel. Some cheered after Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson ruptured his Achilles during Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the Bengals (let’s not re-litigate how many). Some booed him (during player introductions and after the injury). Some relationships end on good terms, but this won’t be one of them. Sunday’s scene — complete with postgame fan scoldings from Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett and quarterback Jameis Winston — confirmed a sentiment that has been building in Berea for weeks, if not months, if not years. This awkward, arranged marriage between Watson and the Browns has failed. All that remains are broken hearts, a broken home/franchise, and a broken quarterback. It benefits all involved to end this as soon as possible. More to the point: When this season ends, the Browns should cut Watson, or trade him, or send him home. Cleveland should do everything it can to put this bad memory behind the city. At this point, I’m not sure anybody — not Watson, the Browns or their fans — would disagree with that decision. More Cleveland Browns coverage Cleveland, the Browns no longer deserve your loyalty: Zach Mentz Browns vs. Ravens preview: Storylines, scouting report and our picks for Sunday (Podcast) Why Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey isn’t thinking about Buffalo as he takes over play-calling Start with the man himself, who (cover your eyes) is still owed $92 million in salary and will count for much more on Cleveland’s cap sheet in the future, regardless of where he lands next. Given that Watson did not agree to land in Cleveland until being offered the largest guaranteed contract in league history, I don’t believe Cleveland was ever his top destination after requesting a trade from the Texans. Given what’s transpired since — 24 lawsuits settled, nine wins, 10 losses, the three worst seasons of his career and two season-ending injuries — I doubt he harbors much (if any) sentimentality toward the city now. The Browns? Self-explanatory. Cleveland paid Watson to elevate their franchise. Instead, the Browns are sunk until at least next season, and probably the next two or three thanks to a disastrous salary cap situation paired with a win-now roster that’s losing big and conspicuously missing the three first-round picks Cleveland traded for Watson. The Browns are once again wandering through the quarterback wilderness, and it would serve nobody — certainly not a prospective 2025 rookie — to let Watson linger in a quarterback room once built to serve him that now serves to build past him. As for the fans, simple: They’ve suffered enough. For most of the last 25 years, Browns fans have persevered through embarrassing football results, storylines, transactions etc. You name it, Cleveland has witnessed it, sometimes through two circles cut into a paper bag. But the Watson era, complete with the shame that accompanies 27 sexual misconduct lawsuits, the occasional tease of the quarterback’s talents, the mountains moved to acquire then accentuate him and, ultimately, the rock-bottom failure through which Cleveland has suffered this season, hurts deeper than many (if not any) of the franchise’s previous dark days. The 1-31 stretch killed Cleveland, but it also birthed two of the city’s favorite players: Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield. Former first-round pick Johnny Manziel flamed out in quick, ugly fashion, but at least he did so on a rookie contract. Every sad Browns saga hurts in the moment, but this one will bruise both sides for a long time. The Browns will wear Watson’s contract like a scar for years unless they can find a trade partner, which would cost Cleveland another host of draft picks. Watson’s reputation, football or otherwise, may never heal from the hits it suffered over the last three years. And the booing Browns fans earned themselves a long side eye from future free agents, not matter how many (or few) of them actually approved of Watson’s injury on Sunday. Some did, some didn’t. And some broken relationships are worth fixing. But the Watson-Browns marriage isn’t one of them. Best thing for everyone, including Deshaun Watson, is for Browns to end toxic quarterback relationship — Jimmy Watkins
Jim Donovan, beloved Cleveland broadcaster and Voice of the Browns, dies Updated: Oct. 26, 2024, 2:00 p.m.|Published: Oct. 26, 2024, 2:00 p.m. 11–13 minutes CLEVELAND, Ohio – Well-known longtime Cleveland Browns play-by-play radio announcer Jim Donovan, who remained wonderfully emotional about the games he was calling while never losing his professionalism, died Saturday after a battle with cancer. He was 68. Donovan was a passionate figure in the press box and an endearing voice to fans, with whom he shared the highlights and all-too-often dominating lean moments over the years. He was a constant guide to the legions of Browns faithful – educating, entertaining them, and at times metaphorically holding their hands through a lot of losses and too few postseason appearances. A litany of coaches came and went, but Donovan remained a fixture behind the microphone, calling games with former analyst and ex-Browns lineman Doug Dieken. The two fell into a conversational rhythm. “Jimmy lived to do the games. That was Jimmy’s life,” Dieken said. “He was a perfectionist. He would listen to the games afterwards, critiquing himself. I never could do that. I didn’t want to hear myself. During the games, he would be standing up, jumping up and down like he had a snake in his pants. I’d be watching him and laughing ... I’d forget I was on the air with him. ... Then he’d say, ‘Doug, what about that play?’ Donovan had been rejoicing and commiserating with fans since the team returned from a hiatus in 1999. He was the sole play-by-play radio voice until he stepped down before this season. He retired from WKYC in June after almost 40 years as sports and news anchor. Two months later, he announced his cancer had returned. Then, in August, he made the heart-wrenching decision to step away from the Browns gig. In a note to fans this year, Donovan talked about vowing to continue the fight against cancer and wrote, “Not a day has gone by when I haven’t paused and been so proud to be ‘The Voice of the Browns’.” He ended his note saying, “Here We Go Brownies ... Here We Go! It’s been an honor.” “There will never be another Jim Donovan,” said Nick Camino, who this year was named Donovan’s successor as sports director at WKYC. “His passion for the Cleveland Browns and all of our sports teams was unmatched. Getting an opportunity to work with Jimmy the last five and a half years is something I will never forget and will always cherish. “Cleveland has been blessed to have some great broadcasters, and Jim belongs at the very top.” In radio and television, the difference between great and unlistenable announcing can be traced to the amount of preparation before the microphone is turned on. And Donovan came prepared. He started his preparation on Wednesday, often putting in hours after getting home from the 11 p.m. newscast. On Mondays, he would listen to the game’s broadcast three times, each looking for different issues, ways to improve. “I always do the game like I’m doing it for two people driving in the car down the highway,” he said in a 2006 Plain Dealer story. “You want to bring the game to them and that’s how you do it.” He also was solid in a variety of roles. He spent 10 hours on the air anchoring the Cavs victory parade coverage in 2016. Once, after an anchor became ill, Donovan wound up doing election coverage - seamlessly. Donovan was born in Boston and raised in a working-class Irish Catholic family in Milton, Massachusetts. As a youngster, he dreamed of calling Boston Bruins games. Before the days of streaming, when radio signals could pull in games on clear nights from all over the country, Donovan could listen to the men doing the job he aspired to do. Late-night out-of-town games filtered in to his transistor radio; he even recalled hearing Joe Tait call Cavs games. He earned a degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University. His start in the business came at a station in St. Cloud, Minnesota, 1,500 miles from his home. Donovan then swung back east, going to Burlington, Vermont, where he called St. Michael’s College basketball and Class AA baseball games for the precursor of the Akron RubberDucks. His next stop would be Cleveland, then seen as a launching-point market for folks in the industry. NBC’s WKYC had the rights to a couple of Browns games, and Donovan found himself as the No. 3 man supporting Gib Shanley and Reggie Rucker. That was 1985, and Donovan’s career was about to take off. He was versatile, never pigeon-holed in his work. He called both kinds of football – the American version with NBC’s coverage and World Cup soccer. In 1986, The Plain Dealer’s James Ewinger reported Donovan was named 6 p.m. sports anchor at WKYC. Donovan, he wrote, “has given the station its most thorough and unembroidered sports coverage since he was hired a year ago.” In 1999, Donovan was named voice of the Browns. In those 25 years, the Browns had 21 losing seasons. He racked up accolades, too, winning Emmys, Cleveland Press Club All-Ohio Best Sportscaster and Cleveland Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement honors. He’s in multiple Halls of Fame for his broadcasting. His football broadcasting drew positive reviews from media critics and fans. In 2005, a Plain Dealer reader poll asked which local sports anchor had the most credibility. Donovan came out on top. His was as iconic a voice in the Cleveland sports world as anyone. As steady and prepared as Tom Hamilton calling Guardians games and a known figure as Tait on the Cavaliers sidelines, Donovan was a pro in the booth. He eschewed gimmicks and salacious behavior, instead relying on homework before he stepped into the booth. His excitement grew every time Nick Chubb pounded through the line for a first down, or when one of the myriad of quarterbacks rolled out and completed a first-down pass. He knew football and he knew broadcasting but – as cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto wrote in September - “He does bleed orange and brown.” Donovan’s most famous call, arguably, came on Dec. 29, 2002, as the Browns hosted the Atlanta Falcons in the final week of the regular season. To reach the playoffs, the Browns needed to win. Late in the game with a one-point lead, William Green took a handoff from Kelly Holcomb and juked his way through a hole, speeding down field, yard line after yard line. As he ran, Donovan’s voice rose excitedly. “He’s through, first down! Forty, Forty-five, Fifty, Forty-Five, Forty … Run William Run!” The Browns won, 24-16. Unfortunately, his parallel life to much of his time calling Browns games involved cancer. After feeling tired in 2000 and being tested, Donovan learned he had CLL - chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He was familiar with it; his father and uncle were diagnosed with it. After having cancer for two years he began enduring weeklong chemotherapy sessions for six months. It quashed the cancer – for a while. In 2005, it came back. He initially fought back when told he needed a bone-marrow transplant, but the tipping point came in 2009 before a Browns-Chiefs game in Kansas City. Despite a temperature nudging near 103 degrees, despite feeling horrible, despite Andre Knott ready to step in if need be, Donovan pushed on. He did the game. When he got home, he knew it was time for a transplant. A donor was found, and he had the transplant on June 7, 2011. Then if Donovan weren’t dealing with enough medically, a cancerous mole was found on his ear. For someone with an already weakened immune system, that’s dangerous. In a Faith & You column in September, Pluto succinctly summed his personal feelings about Donovan. “The man,” he wrote, “is a combination of courage and dignity.” Fans heard a fun announcer. Anyone truly close to Donovan saw him as tough. “Jimmy is one of the best, one of the toughest people I’ve ever been around,” Dieken said. That mirrors what Hamilton, Donovan’s counterpart on the air for the Cleveland Guardians, said Saturday: “I don’t know how anyone could have been more courageous and tenacious.” “Obviously, we knew the fight Jim was in for,” Hamilton said. “The thing about Jim that jumps out at you is what a fighter he was and he never really let you know how tough the battle was. It wasn’t about him; he didn’t want to make it about him. He fought that battle pretty privately. I have so much admiration for him not only as a broadcaster and what a pro he was and what a great play-by-play guy he was for the Browns but the kind of person he was.” Donovan leaves behind his wife Cheryl and daughter Meghan. “I know how dedicated he was to Cheryl and Meghan; they were everything to him. As important as the Browns were, they never got close to what Cheryl and Meghan were to him,” Hamilton said.
The Cleveland Browns players had a Halloween party where they all had to dress up as movie monsters. I hear that Deshaun Watson went as the Predator. Thank you. I’ll be here all week. Be sure to tip your servers.
Emotional win over the Ravens Cleveland Browns on Instagram: "“You can’t even write stories this good, folks.” It was an emotional finish in the radio booth for @nathandzegura and @andrewsiciliano " First game I went to this year. With Watson gone it renewed my drive to watch the Browns live, just like last year. Thank God I did. What a great day, a great win and a great dedication for Jim Donovan. It couldn’t have a been a more perfect day.
