Could the Haslam Sports Group rescue a certain MLB franchise in need of a cash infusion?

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.

Five takeaways from all over the world of sports …

1.My friend Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald beat me to the punch on the subject of the Haslam family as potential buyers of the Cleveland Baseball Club (nee Indians).

Conceding, first of all, that it’s easy for me to spend somebody else’s money, here are some reasons a Haslam pursuit of CBC would make sense:

• Since the sale of a 38.6 percent stake in family flagship Pilot Travel Centers to Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway in 2017 for a reported $2.76 billion, the Haslams have focused more attention on building a sports portfolio under their Haslam Sports Group umbrella. According to reports, Berkshire’s ownership of Pilot skyrockets to 80 percent in 2023, presumably for more billions. The Haslam family will retain a 20 percent stake.
• The Haslams purchased the Columbus Crew in 2018 and in June will christen a new 20,000-seat soccer stadium in downtown Columbus that will serve as the anchor of an ambitious commercial development project called Confluence Village.
• In September, Haslam Sports Group reportedly explored making a bid for the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves. At the time, Haslam Sports Group denied pursuing the T’Wolves but conceded it “is regularly evaluating potential investment opportunities in sports and entertainment.”
• The experience in economies of scale while operating two major sports holdings – the Browns and Crew – would seem to make it easier to add a third entity. Also, purchasing the baseball team in the same city in which it operates the Browns would comply with the NFL’s cross-ownership rules. (This probably is why the Haslams’ pursuit of an NBA team in Minnesota didn’t have legs.)
• With the Browns’ football operations alignment running so smoothly, Paul DePodesta, the Haslams’ chief strategy officer, could seamlessly transition into a similar role with the Baseball Club. After all, DePodesta got his start with the Indians in 1996 as an analytics assistant to former GM John Hart before joining the Oakland Athletics as assistant to GM Billy Beane, where he became the numbers guru that spawned the book and movie Moneyball. DePodesta’s MLB career moved him to GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers, special assistant for baseball operations with the San Diego Padres, and vice president of player development with the New York Mets.
• Add it all up and the infrastructure would seem to be in place for some interest in adding an MLB entity that happens to be a community asset into the Haslam Sports Group.

2.The linking of Aaron Rodgers and the Browns is low-hanging fruit for hot-take national commentators. (See: Browns should trade for DeShaun Watson.)

Yes, Rodgers would improve the odds of the Browns competing in Super Bowls. But he would do the same for teams such as the Eagles, Raiders, Broncos and Washington Football Team. The difference? Those teams don’t have an ascending quarterback still under his rookie contract and are in quarterback no-man’s land.

Rodgers might be able do for those franchises what Peyton Manning did for the Broncos in 2012-15 and what Tom Brady did for the Buccaneers in 2020. Again, neither of those franchises had a young quarterback in place at the time.

Another main difference is that neither Denver nor Tampa Bay had to trade for their quarterback savior. Each came via free agency, the NFL equivalent of falling from the heavenly skies.

Any team that gives up three No. 1 draft picks, and more, for Rodgers is mortgaging its ability to surround the quarterback with the necessary pieces to compete at the highest level. This is also why it’s harder sometimes to win a Super Bowl with a franchise quarterback pulling down a salary cap number of $30 million+ and why teams are leaning to dumping their high-priced veteran quarterback to find a rookie around which to build in the five years of his rookie deal.

The Browns would be silly to alter that plan while they’re on the verge of cashing in.

3.As a life-long fan of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, I’m sad about the doping controversy tainting legendary trainer Bob Baffert and Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. Five of Baffert’s acclaimed horses have failed drug tests in the last year. That fact and Baffert’s baffling comments since the controversy erupted lead me to believe this story will not have a happy ending.

4.The more I think about it, the Browns’ selection of hybrid linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah seems, at least partially, motivated by the 2020 Achilles injury to safety Grant Delpit.

Follow along:

The point of signing safety John Johnson was to form a safety threesome with Delpit and Ronnie Harrison that coordinator Joe Woods could deploy on the field together for, say, 40 percent of the time in a 4-2-5 alignment to keep up with the proliferation of multi-receiver offenses. Delpit’s ruptured Achilles in August, however, was a major injury and there is no guarantee Delpit will be absolutely ready to go from Day 1 in camp and, thus, Game 1 of the season. Plus, he’s still essentially a rookie and has never competed in Woods’ defensive scheme. So there is a lot of uncertainty there for Woods to put all his eggs in that basket.

Enter Owusu-Koramoah, whose skill-set at Notre Dame – and physical dimensions – fits the same role Woods envisioned for Delpit in a 4-2-5 special alignment. Owusu-Koramoah is 6-1 and 215 pounds. Delpit is 6-2 and 213. One is listed as a linebacker, the other as a safety. But they would appear to be competing for the same role in Woods’ new-look defense.

5.The complete 2021 NFL schedule will be unveiled on NFL Network beginning 8 p.m. on Wednesday. There’s no doubt the Browns will receive multiple prime-time appearances, possibly as many as five. I would nominate the following games as strong possibilities: home v. Baltimore, home v. Arizona, at Pittsburgh, at Kansas City, and at Green Bay.