Thomas Murdough, President & CEO of The Step2 Co. and a
candidate for the Browns franchise, announced that he filed
his formal application with the NFL by the May 15 deadline
(THE DAILY). In Akron, David Adams wrote that Murdough has
retained Cleveland-based groups to help his bid, including
the investment firm of Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Co., the law
firm of Arter & Hadden, the accounting firm of Arthur
Andersen and the PR agency Robert Falls & Co. (AKRON BEACON
JOURNAL, 5/17). Adams added that the league could announce
the Browns' franchise fee at this week's owners meetings,
and it could range from $300-500M (BEACON JOURNAL, 5/17).
RUN OF THE MIL RUMORS? In Cleveland, Grossi & Lubinger
reported that a new group led by Isles co-Owner Howard
Milstein is interested in the Browns. Included in
Milstein's group are former Browns Calvin Hill and Paul
Warfield and NY attorney Robert Lewis (Cleveland PLAIN-
DEALER, 5/16). In Akron, Terry Pluto reported that Indians
Owner Richard Jacobs "has yet to make a formal application,
but the NFL wants him to do so. Jacobs will be a player in
this before it's all over" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 5/18).
