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Cleveland Mayor Slams Browns Ownership Over 'Scheme' to Move Team Out of City

Ryan Phillips

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on the field before the game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on the field before the game against the Baltimore Ravens. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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Cleveland's mayor is not staying quiet in his battle with the Cleveland Browns' ownership group

Mayor Justin Bibb published a new letter calling the Haslam family's plan for a new domed stadium in Brook Park a "scheme." The city is embroiled in a lawsuit with the Browns to keep the team downtown. The Haslams filed paperwork in the suit on Tuesday, claiming the mayor's lakefront plan was not adequate for the franchise's needs.

The court filing said the following:

But in the past four years, the City has made little effort to partner with the Browns to realize these ambitious development plans. Despite years of discussions, the City still does not have an actionable plan for connecting the lakefront to downtown on any timeline, let alone one that can be executed by 2029.

Bibb fired back in his letter, saying the city offered $500 million to attempt to keep the Browns. The Haslams then walked away from the negotiating table.

The letter said the following:

The Haslams yesterday made misleading statements about the diligent work the city has done over the past three years to revitalize the lakefront, protect taxpayer dollars, and keep football on the lakefront.

Bibb continued:

The Haslam scheme pays for itself on the backs of fans. Their scheme relies on average ticket prices nearing $700, parking rates north of $100, increasing taxes for hotels, parking, and rental cars, and the assumption thousands of people will pay high rent to live in luxury apartments in the shadow of the airport.

It sounds like the battle for the Browns is far from over and could continue to get uglier.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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