Former Browns and Ravens Owner Art Modell Passes Away at 87

Sad news in the NFL world as former Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell passed away early Thursday morning at the age of 87. Modell spent over four decades as an NFL owner and it’s safe to say the league wouldn’t be where it is today without the work he did throughout his career.

Not only did Modell contribute to the negotiations of the league’s first Collective Bargaining Agreement in 1968, but he played a big role in helping the NFL reach lucrative contracts with television networks–which is obviously a goldmine for NFL teams today considering how much revenue they earn from broadcasting rights each season. Modell was also a key factor in getting Monday Night Football broadcasted on television–which most football fans can’t live without during the regular season.

Some fans in Cleveland may still be bitter about his decision to move the  Browns to Baltimore in 1996 considering the Ravens went on to win the Super Bowl in 2001, but there’s no denying the type impact Modell made as an owner in four decades as an owner to make the league what it is today. No matter what team you root for, just about anyone that follows the NFL had some sort of appreciation to the type of work Modell did and he certainly will be missed by football fans.

Hopefully, Modell earns that spot in the Hall of Fame that he deserves sooner rather than later.

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