Columnists and others continue to react to the announcement
of the Browns' move to Baltimore. A sampling:
BOSTON: Steve Buckley writes, "This is a national story,
because what happened in Cleveland is coming soon to a theater
near you" (BOSTON HERALD, 11/9). Michael Gee writes fans (as
citizens, taxpayers and voters) "have a choice": They can let
owners "steal from them, or they can take action." Gee targets
the tax deduction that allows write-offs for luxury boxes (BOSTON
HERALD, 11/8). Charles Stein writes, "In the business world,
companies can mistreat their employees and their hometown, but
woe to the company that mistreats it customers" (BOSTON GLOBE,
11/9).
CHICAGO: Dan Bickley writes, "Since the dawn of sports,
owners have relocated their teams for a variety of reasons. But
never have roots seemed so shallow" (SUN-TIMES, 11/8).
DALLAS/FT. WORTH: Gil LeBreton writes, "Those who blame
only Modell may need to stop and smell the Nikes" (FT. WORTH
STAR-TELEGRAM, 11/8). Randy Galloway writes, "The sound you now
hear nationwide is Modell's bell -- a blaring fire alarm that
goes off in the ear of any sports fan in any city who has made
the long-term emotional and financial commitment to the hometown
team" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/9).
DETROIT: Charlie Vincent writes, with exceptions, pro
sports "more and more seem to want to suck every cent from a
place" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/8). Jon Pepper writes, "There may
be no limit to the subsidies that politicians are willing to pay
for the communal trophy of a sports franchise. There is,
however, a limit to the subsidies provided by corporate America
through the purchase of season tickets, private boxes and luxury
suites" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/8).
LOS ANGELES: Mike Downey writes, "The NFL is only a
business. A heartless, soulless business. ... This is franchise
roulette. The commissioner shouldn't be Paul Tagliabue. He
should be Pat Sajak." Urging L.A. to act, he adds, "Forget the
right thing. The NFL doesn't give a damn about the right thing.
It's dog eat dog. It's every city for itself" (L.A. TIMES,
11/8).
MILWAUKEE: Michael Bauman calls it "one more rest stop on
the freeway of greed" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/8). Dale
Hofmann, on the Packers' non-profit, public ownership: "You know
it's a good deal for the public when the league makes it illegal"
(MILW. JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/9).
NEW YORK: Phil Mushnick, noting increasingly poor fan
behavior: "We're convinced that the primary reason ballparks,
outside of luxury boxes, now serve as safe haven for knuckleheads
is that there aren't many people left who'd buy their way in,
except knuckleheads" (N.Y. POST, 11/9).
PHILADELPHIA: Bill Lyon writes, "You don't matter any more.
... The harsh reality is there's nothing in sports today that
isn't for sale, nothing that can't be bought, nothing an owner
won't do for money. On the street, this form of commerce is
diplomatically referred to as the oldest profession"
(PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/9).
ST. LOUIS: Bernie Miklasz (a Baltimore native) writes, "I
know that people who live in new, $280 million domed stadiums
shouldn't throw stones. ... [But] the Baltimore Browns are all
wrong" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 11/8).
SALT LAKE CITY: Doug Robinson writes, "Pity sports fans.
They still don't get it, and they never will. ... Somehow fans
think a team is different than, say, a department store or a
restaurant" (DESERET NEWS, 11/9).
SAN FRANCISCO: Glenn Dickey writes, "There's a fan revolt
brewing in professional sports against overpaid athletes and
greedy owners, but neither group seems aware of it" (SAN
FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, 11/9).
SEATTLE: Art Thiel writes, "The NFL makes enough money to
purchase the Third World. No amount of cooked financial books
can convince the sports world that Modell in Cleveland and
Behring in Seattle are sufficiently impoverished to require the
public dole" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 11/8).
TORONTO: Ken Fidlin writes, "Players have been selling
themselves to the highest bidder for years. Whether you agree
with the move or not, [franchise free agency] is the next logical
step" (TORONTO SUN, 11/8).
WASHINGTON: Michael Wilbon writes, "To pay the millions-of-
dollars up-front signing bonuses you have to pay today to be
competitive, owners have to have cash money" (WASHINGTON POST,
11/8).
