The Cleveland Browns' new ownership may not have officially taken the reigns of the maligned franchise, but Jimmy Haslam III's team has some radical ideas loaded in the chamber. There's one in particular that might get Browns fans a little frazzled.
After buying the franchise for close to $1 billion from the since-departed Randy Lerner in August, Haslam has promised change within the organization. The desire for change brought on an unexpected thought on Tuesday, as Haslam even threw out the idea of putting a retractable roof on Cleveland Browns Stadium, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Haslam presented the idea to members of Cleveland's city council earlier this week, explaining that he wants to explore the possibility of adding a roof to the stadium.
"One of the first acts that we'll do and I've said this several times, assuming we're approved [as owner], is to bring in, I think there's three nationally known stadium architects — and you'd be crazy not to talk to all three of them — and get their ideas about the stadium," Haslam reportedly said. "We are completely open-minded, and we want to provide really two things: one, a great experience for our fans at a Browns game; the other thing, secondly — and I assume this is what everybody in this room is interested in — we want to use that facility as much as we possibly can, want to use it more than we can now."
The idea is understandable in terms of trying to host as many events as possible. But seriously, a roof? Well, that's something that Browns fans can't be too excited about. Sure, it's cold in Cleveland, and sometimes temperatures can drop so low your toes start to turn into icicles, but a roof? That just makes Cleveland fans sound like a bunch of prima donna wimps, nibbling on triscuits and sipping on their lattes — quite the departure from reality.
Haslam is a bold man trying turn around a franchise in dire need of some new direction, but I'm not so sure that a roof is going to cover the Browns' problems — both literally and figuratively.
Why don't you try turning around your disgrace of a football team first? Then we'll worry about your stadium woes.
Thumbnail photo via Flickr/dennis
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