As the city of Cleveland braces for the departure of its beloved Browns to an ambitious new domed stadium in Brook Park, officials are gearing up to employ the Art Modell Law as their primary legal tool to halt or at least delay the move possibly. The law, named after the infamous Browns move in 1995, requires team owners to either reach an agreement with the city or provide six months' notice and a chance for local investors or the town to buy the team before leaving taxpayer-supported facilities. According to Signal Cleveland, Law Director Mark Griffin stated, "Our city ordinances require the city to enforce the Modell Law." "We are following the law and putting together our litigation response."
Yet, the efficacy of the Law Modell remains in contention. At a recent City Council meeting, Councilman Brian Kazy voiced his frustration, "If the Haslam Sport Group wants to provide a fan experience, put a damn winning team on the field." With Cleveland's Local Government expressing apparent discontent, as revealed in a report by Cleveland19, there is an emerging consensus to leverage the Modell Law to force assertively, if necessarily, the Browns to make their team available for local owners committed to keeping it in Cleveland.
However, not everyone is convinced that the law packs the punch needed to keep the team in place. Some even suggest it to be "toothless" in effectively mandating the retention of sports franchises. Alan Weinstein, a professor emeritus at Cleveland State University, emphasized the limited impact of a six-month delay given the years it may take for a team to relocate. "You really can't force them to do anything." All the law does is you have to wait six months for somebody to offer you some other opportunity, which they remain free to say, ‘Thanks but no thanks,’ he told Signal Cleveland.
In the backdrop of this legal skirmish, the Haslam Sports Group maintains the proposed move reflects a transformative investment into Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio that transcends mere football events. They insist their commitment to Cleveland will not waver. The Browns said, "Our dome stadium and ancillary development focus in Brook Park is the optimal solution for our fans and the region," which WKYC reported.
