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Home > Blogs > Dawging the Browns > Archives > 2012 > January > 11 > Entry
Lerner wearing out his welcome across the pond?
Several years ago I remember getting a call from a British radio station as Browns owner Randy Lerner was contemplating buying Aston Villa, a soccer team over there.
They wanted to know from someone who had covered the American football team Lerner owns what kind of person they were getting mixed up with.
They were skeptical because they noticed the Browns often were at the bottom of their division.
I told them I thought the Browns were headed in the right direction, finally, and that Lerner had grown into his role as owner after inheriting the team from his father, Al Lerner, the man who inexplicably was awarded the new Cleveland expansion franchise despite helping the previous owner, his buddy Art Modell, move the original Browns to Baltimore.
Well, Lerner did buy that soccer team and now the Villa fan base is getting restless, perhaps discovering what Browns fans have known for a while now — that any sports team he touches turns to something less than gold.
The promised turnaround has not taken place and speculation across the pond is that Lerner intends to sell Villa, citing his divorce and four children as reasons he can’t devote enough time to the venture.
At the time Lerner’s interest in the soccer team came to light, I wrote that he should get the Browns going in the right direction before taking on Villa, and I actually thought he had done this by hiring Phil Savage to map out the personnel moves.
And I still think Savage could have gotten the job done eventually.
But that 2007 season was just a mirage and soon more changes were being made. You could argue Mike Holmgren has given the team some direction, but it’s been two years now and they’re coming off a four-win season, so Browns fans are right to wonder what’s going on, as are Villa fans.
So I guess I should apologize to that radio station for misleading listeners into thinking Lerner was on his way to becoming the kind of owner who could see to the building of a winner — in any sport.
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By Dr Zap
January 12, 2012 11:13 AM | Link to this
Randy Lerner is an abject failure as Browns owner. Robert Kraft is a model owner for others to emulate. RL needs to sell the team and move on to other things.
By Max
January 22, 2012 5:41 PM | Link to this
Thank you Cleveland Browns for hobbling Big Ben and wiping out Pittsburgh’s chances in the playoffs. Just another 1 and done wildcard team. Nice to get Harrison out of the playoffs also; he still managed to drop down and wipe out Decker’s ACL when he didn’t have to. What an A-hole!