By now, Cleveland Browns fans have had about enough of owner Jimmy Haslam. The man has all of the meddling traits of the Cowboys' Jerry Jones without even bringing absurdly hilarious one-liners that at least make you chuckle through the pain. In all seriousness, football fans generally want an owner who stays out of the way.
The only real qualification necessary to own an NFL team is having boatloads of cash. Most owners have zero football experience at any level, the impulse control of a toddler, and the inflated ego only billions of dollars can afford. What could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot, and then you have the futility of the Browns, Jets, Cardinals, and so on.
As 49ers owner Jed York once said after yet another house-cleaning in San Francisco: "You don't dismiss owners." To the chagrin of all fans, he's right. As much as Browns fans would like to see the team sold to an owner who will hire the right folks, sign checks, and get the heck out of the way, they're stuck with Haslam.
A new development from an unexpected place, however, may be the next best thing.
Jimmy Haslam’s growing focus on the Bucks could mean less interference in Cleveland
According to veteran NBA reporter Gery Woelfel, Haslam, who already owns a chunk of the Bucks, which grants him equal power to fellow owners Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan, is angling to get controlling interest in the franchise. Sorry, Bucks fans. The idea that a billionaire is adding to his cache of expensive toys is hardly newsworthy.
Hidden beneath the surface, however, is the fact that anything that pulls Haslam away from the Browns might actually be what's best for the team. With the owner's assumed role in acquiring such rousing success stories like Johnny Manziel, Deshaun Watson, and Shedeur Sanders, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that his football capabilities are, let's say, lacking.
While Andrew Berry has done little to inspire confidence, it could be that his inability to make decisions without the ever-weighty input from his boss tipping the scales has made him look worse than he truly is. The man learned from one of the best in the business, the Eagles' Howie Roseman, after all.
When looking at the NFL's most successful teams, it's not a coincidence that many of their owners stay in their lane. Even for teams that were historically awful, like the Lions and Jaguars, they still managed to find competent football people to run the show and turn the ship around.
That's what an NFL owner should be. If they truly cared about the team's best interests, they'd understand they are out of their depth when it comes to scouting, drafting, and signing players. If Jimmy Haslam can't learn this the hard way, perhaps his diverted attention will do the trick — to the doom of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. out in Milwaukee.
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