Art Modell Ownership Period

Lore & Background

Modell fired Paul Brown before the 1963 season, but the team continued to win behind running back Jim Brown. The Browns won the championship in 1964 and reached the title game the following season, losing to the Green Bay Packers. The team subsequently reached the playoffs three times in the late 1980s, but fell short of playing in the Super Bowl. In 1995, Modell announced he was relocating the Browns to Baltimore, sowing outrage among Cleveland's fan base. Negotiations and legal battles led to an agreement where Modell was allowed to move the team, but Cleveland kept the Browns' name, colors, and history.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Municipal Stadium was thick with anticipation on a crisp November afternoon in 1964. Art Modell stood near the press box, his eyes scanning the gridiron where the Browns' defense was suffocating the opposition. In this moment, the promise he made to Cleveland felt tangible; the orange and brown helmets gleamed under the floodlights, symbolizing a resurgence that seemed destined to last forever. He watched as the quarterback launched a perfect spiral, unaware that time would eventually test his loyalty in ways he couldn't yet imagine.

Reader's Guide

Art Modell owned the Browns from 1961 until the team's relocation after the 1995 season. During his tenure, the Browns won one NFL championship (1964) and reached the NFL Championship Game in 1965. The team made the playoffs three times in the late 1980s but never reached the Super Bowl. Modell's announcement of the move to Baltimore in 1995 led to a three-year suspension of operations, after which the Browns returned in 1999 under new ownership.

Did You Know?

• Art Modell purchased the Browns in 1961 for a then-unheard-of sum.
• Modell fired Paul Brown before the 1963 season.
• Under Modell, the Browns won the NFL championship in 1964.
• Modell announced the relocation of the Browns to Baltimore in 1995.