RIP Art Modell

Those baseball teams you mentioned also were the second team in a two-team city, or, for the Giants, the third team. Fans cared, but loyalties were divided, and there was still a team to root for.

Although for the Dodgers, there was a certain provincialism because Brooklyn had been its own city until a couple of generations before the team moved. Fans weren't about to switch their loyalties to the Yankees.

 

Nah, just speaking for my Cleveland friends. I do hope Paterno is in hell though. Hiding a kiddie rapist for years gets a you a special place. Modell only killed a city's spirit. And I happen to like Cleveland as a city. Lots of fun stuff to do there.

 

At my little hometown paper, the policy is no gifts. Especially from people we cover.

 

Bing-fucking-go!

I'm that statistical outlier - - grew up in Maryland, but was raised as a rabid Browns fans. I had a front-row seat to the Colts departure. I understood the emotions felt by Colts fans - and sympathized with them.

Did Bob Irsay do Baltimore wrong? Unquestionably. But no objective observer could dispute: 1) attendance for the Colts was NOT strong, and 2) Irsay did everything short of buying local TV commercials to say "I'm damn serious about moving this team if you people don't show up in better numbers and/or do something to Memorial Stadium to boost my revenue!"

I'm not defending Irsay. But let's not let revisionist-history paint a picture of Baltimore in 70s & 80s that supported its team through good times and bad. And the argument that Baltimore fans stayed away because Irsay was intentionally trying to run them off with bad teams is bunk. Even winning Colt teams failed to draw. Case in point: the Colts hosted the Raiders in the Divisional playoffs on Christmas Eve, 1977. The Raiders won a classic - 37-31 in double OT. But most folks in Baltimore never saw it.

Because it was blacked out.

That's right - - the passionate, loyal Colts fans didn't sell-out a home playoff game. And this was just six years before the team moved.

 

As it should be everywhere. It's not about what each individual gift means, because the vast majority of them mean little more than just a nice gesture from someone who can afford it, but it's how it looks, or can look, to the outsider. No good can come from it.

 

For the last time, WE DID NOT KNOW MR. MODELL PICKED UP THE TAB UNTIL WE ASKED FOR THE CHECK AND WERE TOLD BY THE WAITER TO ORDER MORE DRINKS COURTESY OF MR. MODELL.
At that point, there really wasn't much we could do. The meal had been paid for. I guess we could've regurgitated but would've left a mess.

 

I'm not asking you to explain your actions 'for the last time', drip. I was referring to Az's comment as to why I think that can be unethical. I am well aware of your situation.

 

Art Modell's most egregious offense has not yet been mentioned here. His family also owns Modells Sporting Goods.
When you wonder who is responsible for outfitting most of the Northeast with the hideous overpriced team fan wear look no farther than Modells Sporting Goods.

 

No prob.

 

There's plenty you could have done.

You could have explained to the GM that ethically, you're unable to accept a gift from Mr. Modell. You could have asked him to reverse the charges on Mr. Modell's card, and to please charge your group as planned.

Failing that, you could have mailed Mr. Modell a check for your portion of the meal (even though he probably would not have deposited it).

At the very least, you could have avoided the tackiness of ordering additional drinks & wine (which, basically means they hadn't run the credit card, btw, so you did have time to straighten it out).

And, I'm sure Modell was cordial to you every time he saw you after that. He knew your price. He probably chuckled to himself every time.

 

You could left the waiter a handsome tip, said Thank You, and went on your way. The waiter was not pointing a 9mm and telling you "Mr. Modell says you're not going anywhere yet."

 

I was going to say, why not just very politely decline the free meal?