In Cleveland, Mark Kay Cabot writes one takeaway from an ESPN.com deep dive on the Browns regime is that Owner Jimmy Haslam "seems to have learned from his mistakes." Haslam, "battle-weary from four failed regimes, turned the coaching search over to Browns' GM John Dorsey, and let him work through a late push" for the coaching job by Freddie Kitchens. Simultaneously, Haslam "gave Dorsey jurisdiction over Kitchens, who reports directly to him -- a seismic shift in the team's power structure." Haslam "finally has a qualified GM in place, and he apparently has no qualms about giving him full authority" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 1/25). In Akron, Nate Ulrich notes the ESPN piece "underscores the importance" of Haslam "breaking his bad habit of interfering with his top chief’s ability to run the organization’s football operations unencumbered" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 1/25).
BUCS EYE RETURN TO WINNING WAYS: In Tampa, Rick Stroud noted the Buccaneers are "reducing the cost" of season tickets next year after their worst attendance since '10 and a "drop in fans at Raymond James Stadium for the third straight year." The Bucs sent out renewals to season-ticket members yesterday that "showed a decrease" of anywhere from 8-32% on seats in the 300 level. Eleven percent of members with lower level seats will "receive decreases with the rest remaining flat." Nearly all club members "will see a price decrease" from 6-17%. The Bucs have an "attractive home schedule" in '19 and are "banking on the hiring of head coach Bruce Arians to give them a boost" (TAMPABAY.com, 1/24). The Bucs will have only seven games in Tampa next year, as their eighth will be played in London against the Panthers (THE DAILY).
GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR? In Atlanta, Mike Check notes Braves owner Liberty Media's revenues and profits "exploded in the first year two years of SunTrust Park." But the Braves' current estimated payroll of $110M still ranks 17th in MLB. Check: "I get why Liberty Media would stick to the spending status quo with the belief that it will continue to rake in the money. But that’s the business perspective." There "could come a time when the team’s fans take a jaded view of the tight corporate fist around the player payroll." Fans also "know that the owner isn’t investing its taxpayer-subsidized profits in player payroll" thanks to publicly-available financial figures (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 1/25).
