Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - NFL owners have approved the sale of the
Cleveland Browns to a group led by Jimmy Haslam and changes are already taking
place in the club's front office.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer has reported that team president Mike Holmgren will
leave the club at the conclusion of the season and former Eagles president Joe
Banner will fill the position.
Haslam's group purchased 70 percent of the franchise from Randy Lerner in
early August for a price reportedly in excess of $1 billion. Lerner, whose
father Al was awarded the franchise in 1999 when the Browns returned to the
NFL as an expansion club, will still own a 30 percent stake.
NFL owners, meeting in Chicago, unanimously approved the transaction on
Tuesday.
Haslam, previously a minority shareholder in the Pittsburgh Steelers, had been
the CEO of Pilot Flying J Corporation, the nation's largest retail operator of
travel centers and truck stops. He relinquished the daily operations role and
is now the chairman of the company.
The Lerners helped bring football back to northeast Ohio after the original
Browns were moved by Art Modell to Baltimore following the 1995 campaign. The
club's name and history, however, remained with the city and were restored
when the Browns again began play in 1999.
Haslam takes control of a team that is coming off its first win of the season,
a 34-24 victory over Cincinnati. The Browns have had just two winning seasons
since rejoining the league in '99, reaching the playoffs once -- in 2002.
Holmgren accepted the job as club president in late December 2009. The Browns
have just 10 wins since the start of the 2010 season, posting a record of 5-11
in 2010 and 4-12 last year.
The status of both general manager Tom Heckert and head coach Pat Shurmur are
also in question.
Banner stepped down as Eagles president this past June. He had handled the
team's day-to-day operations since 1995.
The Sports Network