Former Ravens Owner Moves Closer To Hall of Fame

The man who made the Baltimore Ravens a reality could finally make it to Canton.

Jan 28, 2001; Tampa, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell celebrates with the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the New York Giants during Super Bowl XXXV. The Ravens defeated the Giants 34-7 at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

From 1983 to 1996, the city of Baltimore had no NFL team to call its own, until Art Modell and the Baltimore Ravens came along.

Modell, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 87, moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore in the mid 90s and finally ended the city's professional football drought. While very, very controversial back in Ohio, Modell became a hero in Maryland quickly as the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000, just their fifth season in the league.

Yet despite his accomplishments, Modell has repeatedly fallen short of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a finalist in 2001 and a semifinalist several times after that, but was denied each time.

Now the late Ravens owner has another chance at football's highest honor. On Wednesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame named Modell among the 25 semifinalists in the Contributor category for the Class of 2025. The Hall of Fame will announce its nine finalists for this category in roughly two weeks.

Modell's contributions go beyond his 50 years of ownership with the Browns and Ravens. He was also the chairman of the NFL's Television Committee from 1962 to 1993 and helped negotiate some of the most-pivotal TV deals in league history. Additionally, he also helped found NFL Films, which is still a key piece of the league's media output over 60 years later.

Still, Modell's controversial handling of the relocation is infamous to this day. The move came at a time when the city of Cleveland wanted to make renovations to Municipal Stadium, and the fact that he went back on his word to never move the Browns still doesn't sit well with many. Some even believe that his handling of the situation is what has kept him out of the Hall of Fame.

It is worth noting, however, that there are three owners in the Hall of Fame who relocated franchises. Al Davis moved the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982 and back to Oakland in 1995, Lamar Hunt moved the Chiefs from Dallas to Kansas City in 1963 and Dan Reeves moved the Rams from Cleveland to Los Angeles in 1946.

Even for his controversial relocation, Modell remains a massively-influential figure in NFL history, and many believe he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame.

"Art Modell was one of the greatest owners in the history of the NFL," New York Giants President and CEO John Mara said previously, per the Ravens' website. "He contributed in so many ways to the success of this league, and he deserves a place in Canton."

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