Though it was a fair question, I was a bit blindsided by it. Tis was not the season to be bitter about Art Modell; after all, we thought that one got buried in New Orleans when this year's Hall of Fame class was announced without the inclusion of the late former owner of the Baltimore Ravens on it. Now, I've made it no secret that I object to the very mention of Modell's candidacy for Canton, but the way I answer the question varies, depending on whether I'm occupying a barstool at the local pub or representing my city and this site on the radio.
On the heels of Jonathan Ogden's Hall of Fame speech, most notably the part where he thanked the owner of the team that gave him NFL life, there were scattered boos from those in attendance at the birthplace of American Football, about an hour south on I-77 from First Energy Stadium. I wasn't asked about the boos; they were what they were, a reaction from a still-stung fan base that despises even the faintest whisper of the name of the man who took the heart and soul of our city to Baltimore for a little bit of blood money. Had that been the question, I would have stated, without reservation, that I disagreed with the boos. It was Jonathan Ogden's day, and those who booed were absolutely not booing the man that was still up to no good in Inglewood when the Browns played their last game at Municipal Stadium, so I found the jeers to be inappropriate. If years from now, any part of Joe Thomas's speech isn't well received, I would not want the man to be booed.