David Seldin, President of Browns bidder Howard
Milstein's New York Sports Ventures (NYSV), "is moonlighting
as an NFL consultant" on the Cleveland stadium project, yet
the league "does not consider it a conflict of interest,"
according to Tony Grossi of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. In
his consulting role, Seldin "is privy to some of the
financial information that the other Browns ownership
candidates will only receive after paying the league's
$150,000 application fee" giving the "unavoidable
appearance" that Milstein's bid "is benefiting from this
awkward situation." But NFL VP/Communications Greg Aiello
said the situation is "not a conflict" because Seldin "has
no access to information that would put the Milstein group
at any advantage" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 7/12).
AN EMOTIONAL ISSUE: BUSINESS WEEK's Peter Galuszka
examines the battle for Browns ownership, writing that
"[b]ig out-of-town money has entered the picture," leaving
some "local loyalists -- who would like to own the team
themselves ... stewing." Milstein's group is the one that
"rankles some Clevelanders most," as rivals say he "is
trying to stack the deck by collecting support -- but
relatively little money -- from Cleveland's corporate
celebrities." Rival bidder Thomas Murdough, on Milstein:
"[W]hat does he know about the Browns? I have lived here
for 30 years. I've been a fan" (BUSINESS WEEK, 7/20 issue).
OTHER NOTES: Browns bidder Bart Wolstein's bid was
examined by Terry Pluto in the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, and
Pluto called him the "darkest of dark horses," but added
that he "has a couple of things in his favor," including
"[l]ots of money," and the involvement of Mike McCormack,
who "put together" the Carolina Panthers and would serve as
the Browns GM in Wolstein's group (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL,
7/12). ...An OH appellate court has "given the green light"
for season-ticket holders of the old Browns to pursue a
lawsuit against Ravens Owner Art Modell, reinstating a class
action lawsuit that was dismissed last year. The ticket
owners want damages because they say the team "had decided
to move when it collected season-ticket money" in '95.
Ravens Exec VP Jim Bailey said that the team "will appeal
the ruling to the Ohio Supreme Court" (Baltimore SUN, 7/11).
