Great Moments In Ohio Sports History, #1 - The Browns move to Baltimore

Thirty years ago today - November 5, 1995 - Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, together with Executive VP Al Lerner and Maryland Governor Parris Glendenning, announced that the Cleveland Browns would be moving. The Baltimore Browns (later renamed "Ravens") would begin play in 1996 at Memorial Stadium until a new football-only stadium would be completed adjacent to Camden Yards.

After threatening litigation, the city of Cleveland would later be given an expansion franchise in 1999. That new team, ironically enough, would be headed-up by Al Lerner, the same man who engineered the Browns' departure to Maryland and upon whose private jet the final contracts with the Maryland Stadium Authority would be signed while sitting on the tarmac at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Without Lerner spearheading the effort, the Browns would never have been able to move to Maryland.

Paradoxically, Browns fans immortalized Lerner - who has since passed away - by wearing jerseys that bear his "A.L." initials on the sleeve. The patch was removed following the 2012 season by new owner Jimmy Haslam, the 4th owners since the franchise's founding in 1999.

"This is truly a proud moment in the long and rich history of this proud city of Baltimore and this state of Maryland as we welcome the Baltimore Browns!"

- Maryland Governor Parris Glendenning

When Mr. Modell announced that he was moving his team, I was still living in Ohio at the time and I frigging LOVED that he found a way to shut-up all those obnoxious Browns fans!

A year later, I too moved to Maryland. I wrote him a letter, explaining that it was only a vocal minority of idiots who were opposed to the move - business was business... that the death threats levied against him and his family were abhorrent and were worthy only of contempt by Ohio natives such as myself, and I thanked him for moving to Baltimore so I could continue to watch my Bengals play once a year in person.

He wrote a delayed letter in reply, and included a nice autographed photo.

On 11/5/2025 at 11:28 PM, AmishBengalFan said:

When Mr. Modell announced that he was moving his team, I was still living in Ohio at the time and I frigging LOVED that he found a way to shut-up all those obnoxious Browns fans!

That was a hard day in our household. Really hard. 😢