By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer
BEREA, Ohio — Several observers at the Browns' training camp Friday morning were pondering what billionaire Jimmy Haslam might wear to his first practice as owner before he came out. A dark-black suit such as the three members of his public relations team? 
Suddenly, a man walked out of the building in a Browns T-shirt and shorts.
"I'd wear what that guy's wearing," said one observer.
"That guy" turned out to be Haslam, who fit right in on the sidelines in his Browns garb and looked as if he'd been watching his team practice all his life. Many of the 3,175 fans in attendance were thrilled to see the new owner looking like a regular guy -- just out watching some football.
Haslam, who was introduced by Mike Holmgren at a 1 p.m. news conference, strode onto the field with Holmgren, Haslam's wife, Dee, and his dad Jim Haslam II, one of the most powerful men in Tennessee. Dee was clad in a Browns polo shirt, while Jim II was decked out in Browns athletic wear.
The new first family of Browns football looked the part -- and certainly sounded like it during Haslam's 25-minute news conference.
"People say, 'Why the Cleveland Browns?' Because the excitement and the importance of football, the [importance] of the Browns to this community is immense and we're all about that," he said. "I can assure you we have one mission and one mission only and that's to bring winning back to Cleveland." 
Haslam, 58, spent much of the 2 1/2-hour practice standing with Holmgren, who's brought this team to the verge of winning, but might not get a chance to see it through. Haslam, a part owner of the Steelers for four years, and Holmgren talked throughout the session, with Haslam asking dozens of questions and Holmgren happy to oblige.
Haslam made no promises about Holmgren's future, but spoke of him reverently throughout his presser.
"You've got a guy that won a Super Bowl over there that's going to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, that's a legend," said Haslam. "I'll be honest, there's a fan part of me too."
Haslam, a 6-3, physically fit man who never played college ball but looks like a former linebacker, chatted on the sidelines during breaks with several players, including quarterbacks Brandon Weeden and Colt McCoy, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson and running back Trent Richardson.
As he spoke to Richardson, his old SEC rival from Alabama, a huge smile stretched across Richardson's face.
"I told him Trent, I'm glad you're on my team now," said Haslam, a huge benefactor of Tennessee and its football program.
McCoy, who's vying for the backup job and might still get traded, was struck by Haslam's family approach.
"He seems like a great man," said McCoy. "It [says] a lot to me bringing your dad and your wife out here. They seem like tremendous people. I'm friends with the Mannings and they say nothing but great things about him."
Weeden had an exceptional practice in front of his new boss, zinging touchdown pass after touchdown pass in 7-on-7 red zone drills.
"First impressions are pretty important," Weeden said with a smile. "You can tell they're a tight unit and that's what you want. You can tell they're a close family and so are we as a team so it kind of goes hand and hand."
During practice, Haslam did more than shake hands and wave at fans.
"It was fun, but at the same time you're thinking 'How good is the right tackle? Is Weeden going to be able to be a big-time player? Can Trent Richardson stay healthy?'" he confided. "Your real good players, how long are they signed? You look at it in a practical manner."
After practice, Haslam had lunch with coach Pat Shurmur.
"I saw the passion in their faces," said Shurmur of the Haslams. "I felt passion in their handshakes. They had an opportunity to watch practice which was great. I felt good about the work that we got done today. I told the players, don't let anything stop the train, the train is moving."
After the sweltering practice, Haslam and his dad hit the showers, and Jimmy II, who's been honing his son's entrepreneurial skills since he was 13, asked his boy, "What do you think?"
"And I said, 'I think we have a lot to learn,'" the owner replied. "Having been here now -- and I'm deadly serious -- I feel a huge amount of responsibility to make sure we win."
By 1 p.m., Haslam had changed into a smart business suit with an orange Browns tie and a helmet pin on his lapel. He pointed to a Browns watch on his left wrist that he promised to put on.
He stood throughout the 25 minutes. The standing made him look bigger and more authoritative. He spoke with passion and enthusiasm.
He reiterated that the Browns would never leave, and thanked Randy Lerner for being a gentleman and friend throughout the process. He declined again to say for sure whether former Eagles President Joe Banner is coming on board, and deferred any personnel decisions until the sale is approved.
After the news conference, Dee went to look for houses while Haslam conducted interviews with most of the local media outlets. The Haslams plan to split their time between here and their main residence in Knoxville, Tenn.
He said he'll attend Family Fun Night next Wednesday because "I think it's important" and said he'll sit in the stands for the first exhibition game instead of the owners box. He asked questions of employees about the quality of the Browns' facility and the stadium.
He also said he'll probably break with custom and sell naming rights to the stadium, but doesn't plan to tamper with a lot of the other traditions, at least not immediately.
"To me, culture is not about the uniforms or the naming rights," he said. "Culture's about how you come to work every day and conduct yourselves. Will we change the uniforms? I don't know. In our business world, we changed the logo and our design or our stores multiple times over the years, but the basic culture and core beliefs -- what we call our Pilot Flying J values -- stay the same."
T-shirt or business suit, helmet logo or no, the new Browns owner won't rest until his team can stand as tall and proud as his old one.
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/08/new_cleveland_browns_owner_jim.html
No comments:
Post a Comment