After being fired in February, former Browns CEO Joe Banner last week "packed up his belongings ... and departed Cleveland for good, feeling like he left the team in great hands and great shape," according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. However, Banner also regrets that he "won't get to enjoy the success when it comes." Banner, since being fired, has "turned down more than 50 interview requests, speaking only to the Philadelphia Inquirer in March." Still "reeling from the blow, he also turned down several job opportunities in the NFL and isn't sure he'll ever venture back in." Banner: "I'm not going to do anything for now, and whether or not I'm going to come back and do something in football is up in the air." Cabot reported Banner was originally set to "remain with the Browns until May, but left the Berea facility in early March and closed the book on his truncated career with the team." For the most part, he has "kept to himself since then, spending time with his wife Helaine and their three children, who were equally rocked by his ouster." Banner last week returned to Philadelphia, where he "will contemplate his next move." Banner said of the Browns, "The most significant thing is that the building is now filled with outstanding people. That will translate into a very good experience on and off the field for these fans. These are some of the best and bright people in the world of sports. You can make the case that some of them are the very best in the league at what they do." He added, "When fans walk into the Stadium and see just the first phase of this renovation, I think they're going to have a big 'wow' experience. We talked about building a first-class, championship-caliber organization and we had management and ownership backing that up with their own efforts and investments" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/8).
