I culd care less how much respect u show me or anyone else...I will probably never cross paths w u during our lifetime so its not a big deal when it involves discussions over a computer....u can slice it anyway u want....the bottom line is the org is a mess starting w the legal trouble of their owner.
I can finally agree with you on something...this organization is in a mess...almost as messy as your posts. The difference is, I am a fan who hopes for the best that the owner didn't know what was going on in this ordeal and you are a non-fan hater who looks for any morsel of negative to blotch in a post...YOU DON'T EVEN CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS TEAM....yet you troll the boards anyway to get a rise out of the fans, not to be a voice of reason..it got old a very long time ago.
But, Irish . . . these athletes were not always in the highest tax bracket. Quite the opposite for virtually all of them. As someone else mentioned, they bust their ass to "escape" their past life only to get sucked right back into it after they find out that they are considered almost God-like by the fans that have shown a tendency to look the other way. I don't care what the family environment was for these guys growing up. No one will convince me that they don't know the difference between right and wrong. When I was arrested for a DUI, I knew that I had made a piss poor decision and simply accepted my fate, paid the piper and moved on. These guys somehow expect the results of a bad decision to be swept under the rug simply because they're an exceptional athlete.
The Browns aren?t the only sports team owned by Jimmy Haslam. Haslam and other members of his family are part of the ownership group that controls the Tennessee Smokies, a Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, but they are looking to get out of the minor league baseball business. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that Haslam and company are planning to sell the team to another local businessman, a move that probably wouldn?t have drawn much attention if not for the ongoing drama at Pilot Flying J. That?s the chain of truck stops that the Haslam family founded and still owns and which is facing a federal fraud investigation that has already led to five guilty pleas from employees of the company. Haslam insists that the move to sell the baseball team has nothing to do with that investigation and that Browns fans have ?absolutely zero to worry about? as a result of any transaction with the Smokies. ?It does have something to do with Cleveland in that we?re obviously going to be spending more time there,? Haslam said. ?But I think the reality is the entire partnership group had owned the team for 12 years and felt like it was time for new ownership.? That may be the case, but the backdrop of the investigation into Haslam?s main business means that there?s going to be extra attention paid to dealings in his other concerns until he?s free and clear of potential prosecution.
If the owner had no clue what was going on, shame on him. It starts and stops w him as the head chief....he had a clue and is just trying to cover his a$$.
Cause as I stated hes the head chief and if he didnt know, it still falls on him cause hes the owner.
Stopper, There is a significant difference between being the "head chief" who SHOULD have known -and- stating that he "had a clue and is trying to cover his a$$".
Lym, this was going on for some time....I find it hard to believe he had no clue...it wasnt just 1 guy that decided on any giving day Im going to try and pull a fast one...there were multiple workers doing a crime.
i don't know if Haslam is guilty or not . ii will give him the benefit of the doubt here . until proven guilty .i am hoping for the best but at the same time expecting the worst . its just how things have gone for us long suffering Browns fans since 95 when the rat bastard moved us . i still would like to know why the Feds waited until AFTER he sold his Steeler shares before dropping the hammer on him ? the other owners are embarrassed by all this and the league is pissed that one of there good old boys brought this unwanted attention . i thought they did thorough background checks on owners . must not have done their homework on Haslam . i know it was sealed but they have connections they would have heard whispers of a potential problem . something else stinks here .
And, to my knowledge, none of those who have so far confessed reported directly to Haslam. I don't know if he knew about it or not. And my point is . . . neither do you. From where I'm sitting, it now makes perfect sense as to why he stepped down as CEO and later abruptly re-assumed that position. Maybe he got wind of something shady going on and returned to put an end to it. If he is guilty of anything, it's not having a robust enough system in place that would have flagged these missing rebates. Every company performs forecast of expected revenue. This forecast would have included any rebates due to their Customers. When the revenue exceeded the forecast, inquiries should have been made. I believe that this comparison of forecast revenue to actual revenue is the corrective action system he spoke of.
There is also an enormous difference in being the "head cheese" of a company with 1-5 branches and one like Haslem runs with over 700 locations. We don't yet know the extent of this. Was it one or two regions? A National accounts action? It seemed more of a regional issue since most of the companies were small to mid range fleets. I work in this industry and those accounts are handles from a regional level. The National accounts, which would be more closely followed by Haslem's office directly would have over 1,000 trucks in house...These accounts were not affected at all. So I would not be surprised in any way of he had no knowledge of the situation. There would be multiple underlings handling these accounts and would take years for the corporate checks and balances to ever learn of mishandling.
On having business trip to the Orient, Joe decided to spend his last night having wild sex with a Chinese prostitute in Hong Kong. Upon returning home three weeks later, he noticed a very weird, green, festering sore growing on his penis. He went to his doctor, Doctor Jones, who, after hearing of his Orient trip and extracurricular activities, told him he had Hong Kong Dong and the only cure was c...omplete amputation. Joe was horrified, and decided to get a second opinion. Joe contacted Doctor Smith and showed him the green growth. Doctor Smith said, ?I am sorry but Doctor Jones is correct. We must amputate right away.? Joe could not accept this. His friend suggested that he visit an oriental doctor. They must deal with this all the time. He went to Doctor Chu Wong. Doctor Wong agreed with the diagnosis of Hong Kong Dong, but said, ?These Western doctors ? so quick to Chop, Chop, Chop. Amputation not necessary? Joe was relieved. Doctor Wong said, ?You wait three weeks and it fall off on its own.?
When you're 20 you play football when you're 30 you play tennis when you're 40 you play golf don't you notice as you get older your balls get smaller
| The AFC North is in a state of flux with top dogs like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens supposedly falling off while the Cincinnati Bengals continue to potentially climb the ladder. Not much credit is given to the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland is quietly building something special. Competitive right away? Perhaps. But the foundation for a competitive franchise year in and out is slowly being formed. There are still question marks, sure, but with how tough the Browns have been in divisional matchups over the years with nothing going for them, the state of affairs in Cleveland right now should be cause for concern for the rest of the AFC North. You already know about the offense. Running back Trent Richardson, if he can stay healthy, may be as close as we are going to get to another Adrian Peterson. He alone can carry an offense. There's a promising weapon at receiver in Josh Gordon if he can stay out of trouble off the field (he'll miss the first two games of the year thanks to suspension). Defensively is where Cleveland is going to have a chance to make some noise in the AFC North, particularly against the Bengals. Cleveland brought in an expert when it comes to defense this offseason, and we mean that in every sense of the word. Ray Horton, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, is arguably the best defensive coordinator in all of football and a man in line for a head coaching job sooner rather than later. Horton is transitioning the team to a 3-4 and he has plenty of toys to work with. The team brought in outside linebacker Paul Kruger to upgrade the pass rush and he'll play opposite a rookie linebacker in Barkevious Mingo who, while not the most popular selection, could have a massive impact moving forward. The trenches are where Horton's scheme can really shine. Desmond Bryant, Ahtyba Rubin and Phil Taylor make for a nasty trio that should open up plenty of room for linebackers like D'Qwell Jackson to go to work. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention corner Joe Haden and safety T.J. Ward, two of the better players at their respective positions in the NFL. While the offense may not be that scary, Richardson gave the Bengals quite a few problems last season. That will likely be the case once again in 2013 because he appears to be one of those backs that is simply going to get his no matter what you do. Defensively is where the Browns can hurt the Bengals. Haden has done well against Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green in the past (when the Browns line up on time). That alone could allow Horton to rush more than the Bengals can block and at least force quarterback Andy Dalton to look at other options. The Cincinnati offensive line is back in full capacity but will have to deal with a new-look Cleveland unit for the first time. The real issue won't necessarily be the offensive line's play, but Dalton's ability to comprehend what is coming at him and make the proper decision in a quick fashion. Cleveland only won five games last year with a disastrous overall roster and questionable decisions from an iffy coaching staff. One of those five victories came against the Bengals. Now the Browns are better, at least on paper, especially thanks to an elite defensive mind running things. While the Bengals are aiming for the top by looking at the Ravens and Steelers, it's the Browns that could put a serious snag in Cincinnati's playoff hopes. The Battle for Ohio just became a lot more interesting. Chris Roling is a graduate of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism
this. and it does not help that we have become a society that values entertainers (athletes, actors, musicians) above all others.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nearly every week there is a something in the news that makes me wonder how Jimmy Haslam will be able to be the long-term owner of the Browns. The latest is a report in the Wall Street Journal that Haslam's Pilot Flying J has about $4 billion in debt and its credit rating has been "downgraded." Obviously, Haslam has a lot of assets, including about 600 truck stops and the Browns. But you like the owner of your team to have a steady cash flow and not a mountain of legal concerns. Most Browns fans know about the FBI's investigation into Pilot Flying J for possible fraud. Haslam has denied any knowledge of the questionable business dealings. But there are major problems with how Haslam's company did business. At a May 16 truckers convention, Haslam said he's been contacting hundreds of trucking companies because, "I want to look everyone in the eye and say we'll do everything we can to make things right." That means something was very wrong, even if Haslam didn't approve it. So far, a dozen trucking companies have sued Pilot Flying J. And five former employees have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the FBI investigation. And last week, the Haslam family sold their shares in the Class AAA Tennessee Smokies. At the news conference to announce the transaction, new Smokies owner Randy Boyd said Haslam called him in January about possibly buying the Southern League franchise. Boyd agreed to the idea, and it took several months to finalize the sale. That was four months before the FBI raided Pilot Flying J. At the same news conference, Haslam insisted Browns fans have "absolutely zero to worry about." Perhaps. But right after the FBI raid, Haslam held a press conference and said: "(The investigation) appears to be centered on a very insignificant number of customers and the application of rebates . . . rebates owed to customers were not paid . . . we of course disagree with that." He's since had to reconsider that statement, as he's been offering settlements to trucking companies. But of even more concern about Haslam's future with the Browns was contained in a story in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal: "The company's debt nearly doubled to $4 billion in a two-year period through last year, as its owners paid themselves two payments totaling $1.7 billion from it, according to Moody's. "Last year, Pilot issued $1.1 billion of the debt -- largely to fund the second one, a dividend for $700 million, according to S&P. That was partly so Jimmy could buy the Cleveland Browns." So Pilot Flying J was $4 billion in debt before the FBI raid? The Wall Street Journal also reported: "S&P downgraded Pilot's debt, calling its financial risk 'significant.' " Moody's Investors Service specializes in providing credit ratings, research and risk analysis. Standard and Poor's Corp. (S&P) is a financial services company that provides research on stocks and bonds. Yes, nearly every NFL owner turns a profit every year, and that may be true of the Browns. But all that debt? It is indeed "significant," as reported by Standard and Poor's. The sale of the Smokies brought in some cash, although no purchase price was made public. The Haslam group bought the Smokies for a reported $7.5 million in 2002. Most Southern League franchises are now priced in the $12 million range. Haslam purchased the Browns for about $1 billion from Randy Lerner. The sale was announced Aug. 2, finalized on Oct. 16. Lerner received $700 million up front, the remaining $300 million to be paid on Oct. 16, 2016. In the same story, the Wall Street Journal reported, "If necessary, Mr. Haslam says, Pilot could pay down the debt quickly." Maybe so. But $4 billion is big money, even in the world of Jimmy Haslam.
The NFL has just finished a particularly ugly week in which Aaron Hernandez?s murder charge was the top story, joined in the headlines by Ausar Walcott?s attempted murder charge and Joe Lefeged?s illegal weapons charge. And the NFL realizes that?s a problem. League spokesman Greg Aiello told USA Today that the NFL?s attitude toward arrests is, ?One is too many.? Our police blotter lists 27 NFL player arrests this offseason, so that would make 27 too many so far in 2013, a year that is now half over. (Other media outlets have published higher arrest numbers than 27; we only include a player?s arrest in our police blotter if he was an active player at the time of the arrest, which means we don?t include players like Titus Young who were arrested after they were released by their NFL teams.) Aiello noted that the NFL is trying to do what it can to make sure its players are law-abiding citizens. ?We have policies and programs that hold all NFL employees accountable and provide them with programs of education and support,? he said. The players who have been arrested this offseason are a very small minority: With 32 teams and up to 90 men per roster during the offseason, the players arrested represent about 1 percent of all players in the league. It?s unfortunate for the 2,700 or so NFL players who haven?t been arrested that the 27 who have been get such an outsized share of the attention.
