Never forget how Art Modell chased Paul Brown away from the Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns and legendary coach Paul Brown are linked forever, as the team is named after arguably the most impactful football mind of the 20th century. His accolades are well known in Cleveland sports history, as he made 10 consecutive championship game appearances (winning seven) while overseeing legends like Jim Brown, Marion Motley, and Otto Graham.

Brown could have remained in Cleveland for the remainder of his career, but the last few years as Browns coach were fraught with internal and public strife. Unsurprisingly for Browns fans, Art Modell was at the center of it all, as he was trying to make a name for himself after buying the team.

The end of Brown in Cleveland, which led to the creation of the rival Cincinnati Bengals, is one of the more upsetting stories in a long history of Cleveland sports. Modell's ego was the main cause, which should surprise no one.

Art Modell forced Paul Brown to leave the Cleveland Browns

The late 50s weren't the best time for Paul Brown. While he did manage to bring Jim Brown to town and give Cleveland perhaps the best player in NFL history, they did not win the NFL's Eastern Conference three times in five years. Despite quarterback Milt Plum putting up solid production, Brown often singled him out as one of the main reasons for the downturn.

Brown had also been seeing his relationships with players deteriorate for quite some time. A strict taskmaster and demanding coach who ran his team like an Army battalion, Brown's sharp criticism of his players and refusal to bend his knee in contract negotiations left a bad taste in many players' mouths.

With the team starting to lose more despite the presence of Brown in the backfield and fines piling up for minor infractions, some players were irritated to the point many of them secretly wanted to be traded. Enter Modell.

Brown had been a part-owner and GM for 15 years when Modell bought the team in 1961. Modell immediately bought out Brown's ownership stake and decided to become very involved in the day-to-day football operations. Brown, who ran the team almost entirely for years, did not take kindly to this.

With Modell being much younger than Brown, many players started to tell him about their frustrations with their aging coach. Even old No. 32, whom Modell called a "senior partner" to him, was not above complaining to his boss. And that's not even where things got really messy.

Brown, who became famous for his level of detail and preparation, ran the offense with an iron fist. Changing the play at the line of scrimmage was not permitted, and Brown would rotate his guards in and out of play to send instructions between him and his quarterback.

Modell could reportedly be heard chastising Brown's play-calling during games. When the aforementioned Plum, who was a Pro Bowl player in both 1960 and 1961, was critical of. Brown's playcalling, he was traded to the Lions.

The incident widely regarded as the tipping point was the trade of running back Bobby Mitchell, who was used as a speedier component to Jim Brown's power. Mitchell was traded to the then-Washington Redskins for No. 1 overall pick and fellow Syracuse great Ernie Davis.

Modell made the move without informing Brown beforehand. Mitchell would go on to move to wide receiver in Washington and put together a Hall of Fame career. Davis, unfortunately, was diagnosed with leukemia before ever playing with the Browns.

Brown refused to let Davis play, while Modell wanted to let Davis get into a game before the disease overtook him. This incident would ultimately be the straw that broke the camel's back in this acrimonious relationship. Brown was fired in January 1963, and Davis passed away in May.

Oddly enough, Brown remained the team's vice president and collected a salary as part of an eight-year contract he signed when Modell bought the team. However, he did not like the role, calling himself the "vice president of I-don't-know-what." Brown was miserable the next five years, rarely, if ever, speaking to Modell.

Reaction to the firing was mixed. While many were upset with Modell for running the team's founder and namesake out of town, players like nine-time All-Pro and Hall of Famer Mike McCormack thought the team couldn't win under Brown.

The team hired former Browns offensive assistant Blanton Collier to replace Brown. While Brown gave his blessing for the move, he was irritated with Collier until his dying days for taking the job. Collier's personality was a big factor in this decision, as he was regarded as infinitely more friendly and easygoing than the terse, volatile Brown.

Collier would go 76-34-2 as coach of the Browns, never suffering a losing season and winning the 1964 NFL Championship at the peak of Johnny Unitas and Vince Lombardi's separate reigns. While Collier could coach, it's fair to wonder how much success was due to the infrastructure Brown set up beforehand.

After a failed attempt to purchase the Eagles, Brown became a part-owner of the AFL expansion Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals would use the same orange color scheme, "CB" initials, and regimented style as his old Browns team. Heck, they were even in the same state.

In a 1970 meeting against Cleveland, Brown refused to shake Collier's hand after the game, which Cincinnati lost 30-27. Brown would later call Cincinnati's 14-10 win against Cleveland later that year his "greatest victory."

Brown, who would also serve as general manager and head coach for the Bengals' first eight seasons, went 48-36 and made the playoffs three times. However, he never won a playoff game, and eventually ceded head coaching duties to offensive line coach Bill Johnson in the 1976 season.

Brown left the team that bears his name on bad terms, with many former players and ownership frustrated with him. It's a shame that Brown flamed out like this, and it makes it even worse that Modell was the gasoline that helped the proverbial fire go out of control and burn the franchise to ash.