4 months ago
CLEVELAND, Ohio — History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes, particularly erstwhile it involves nan mayor, City Council and nan Cleveland Browns.
This past twelvemonth ended pinch Mayor Justin Bibb and Council sparring complete a $100 cardinal colony that ended Cleveland’s lawsuits pinch nan Browns and cleared nan NFL team’s move to Brook Park. After 4 contentious hearings, assembly yet voted 13-2 connected a tweaked woody that’s now worthy up to $103 million.
But judge it aliases not, bringing nan Browns location from Baltimore successful nan 1990s was an moreover uglier standoff, pinch six agelong hearings, much statement and changeless jabs betwixt lawmakers. It ended successful a 13-8 ballot that cleared nan measurement for nan 1999 NFL description squad to return to a brand-new lakefront stadium.
In some 1996 and 2025, Cleveland was suing nan Browns while nan politician urged assembly to o.k. a negotiated colony nether a tight deadline, arguing nan metropolis was negotiating from a position of constricted leverage.
Council members pushed back, saying nan woody shortchanged nan metropolis and tied up taxation dollars astatine nan disbursal of neighborhoods, but respective yet voted yes anyway, describing it arsenic nan slightest bad option.
And yes, successful some cases, longtime Councilman Mike Polensek warned nan metropolis was settling for little than it deserved.
The parallels are difficult to disregard — and they’re precisely why this aged conflict feels recently applicable arsenic nan metropolis reckons pinch different Browns deal.
To group nan stage, Cleveland shot fans learned Nov. 5, 1995, that then-owner Art Modell would move nan Browns to Baltimore. What followed was a brawl that included nationalist outcry, members of Congress and then-Mayor Michael White suing some nan Browns and nan NFL to effort to extremity nan move.
By Feb. 20, 1996, nan NFL approved Modell’s move, while besides striking a woody pinch White: Cleveland would beryllium guaranteed a caller squad wrong 3 years, $48 cardinal toward a caller stadium, and nan sanction “Browns,” on pinch nan orange, brownish and achromatic colors — if nan politician could unafraid council’s support by March 8.
Much for illustration Bibb’s informing successful 2025 that voting down nan woody could mean losing $100 million, assembly successful 1996 did not want to beryllium seen arsenic losing nan chance to bring nan NFL backmost to Cleveland.
Immediately, assembly members bristled, upset that they were near retired of negotiations — a acquainted title successful 2025. Before hearings began, then-Council President Jay Westbrook made clear he wasn’t sold connected building a caller stadium connected nan lakefront and wanted Cleveland to see alternate sites.
Early successful nan hearings, assembly members gave White 16 requested changes, including nan $250,000 yearly rent nan Browns salary coming — primitively group astatine $0 — and a request that assembly sewage to o.k. naming-rights deals.
White kept nan unit on, telling nan nationalist that council’s hesitation was “severely jeopardizing nan early of shot successful Cleveland.” He besides asked suburban officials and Browns fans to telephone individual assembly members and impulse them to ballot yes.
Council based on that nan $48 cardinal wasn’t genuinely money from nan NFL, but an beforehand that fans would later repay by buying imperishable spot licenses. To settee nan lawsuits, Modell agreed to springiness Cleveland $11.5 cardinal ($24.7 cardinal successful today’s dollars), which assembly members said was not enough.
Under nan deal, Cleveland would build a $220 cardinal stadium that yet ballooned to $297 cardinal by 1999.
At 1 point, nan NFL and Cleveland moreover based on complete whether nan Browns would supply their ain section mowers and snowfall blowers. The metropolis prevailed location — but mislaid an statement complete who would salary for carpet successful stadium offices.
Then-Finance Director Kathryn Hyer based on carpeting was a superior expense, a declare that infuriated Polensek, who changeable back: “This is City Hall. We don’t rent this room retired astatine $100,000 for a assembly meeting. That’s nan difference.”
Ken Silliman — brought into nan 2025 hearings arsenic an elder statesman — was 1 of White’s executive assistants successful 1996 and tasked pinch answering council’s questions.
At 1 point, Silliman told assembly that White would proceed pinch his lawsuits if nan woody were rejected. Moments later, Nancy Lesic, past White’s property secretary, tapped him connected nan backmost and handed him a note.
Silliman quickly corrected himself, saying he wasn’t authorized to make that statement, prompting Westbrook and different councilman to erupt.
Also, during hearings, Dale Miller, who was a Cleveland Councilman astatine nan time, publically said that White had threatened. White denied it. The Plain Dealer reported that White told Miller his governmental profession would beryllium complete if he did not ballot for nan NFL deal.
Browns backers showed up to nan proceedings, arsenic did erstwhile players for illustration Greg Pruitt.
The hostilities ended March 8 pinch a 13-8 vote. White is said to person clenched his fist and mouthed “yes” arsenic nan tally was announced. While Westbrook was said to person hugged a celebrated Browns instrumentality afterwards known arsenic “Big Dawg.”
Among nan nary votes connected assembly were Polensek, Frank Jackson, who would later go mayor, and Fannie Lewis.
Even then, assembly representatives sounded remarkably acquainted and gave quotes that wouldn’t look retired of spot successful 2025.
“These are dollars that we desperately request successful nan metropolis of Cleveland for our neighborhoods,” said Councilwoman Helen Smith, who voted no. “I’ve been successful this assembly nan amended portion of 16 years, and each twelvemonth nan politician says that will beryllium his privilege adjacent year. So, Gateway was nan priority, Society Center was nan priority, Tower City was nan priority, and now this is nan priority.”
“As repugnant arsenic I consciousness astir this deal, I consciousness conscionable arsenic repugnant astir this process,” said Councilman Edward W. Rybka, who voted yes. Rybka would yet spell connected to service arsenic nan city’s main of location improvement nether Jackson.
Miller, now nan Cuyahoga County Council President, besides voted yes successful 1996; while criticizing nan woody and nan measurement nan NFL treats cities.
“It is not fair. It is not right. And it is an reproach to nan champion fans successful nan world, nan Cleveland Browns fans,” Miller said astatine nan time. “However, it does bespeak 1 elemental reality: The fans don’t person nan power; nan assembly doesn’t person nan power; nan politician doesn’t person nan power. The NFL has nan power. It is ne'er pleasant to crook to superior force. But it is nan value of shot successful these circumstances.”
