NFL owners officially approve Jimmy Haslam's purchase of the Browns

Jimmy Haslam becomes official owner of Cleveland Browns

The sale of the Cleveland Browns to Jimmy Haslam for $1.05 billion was officially completed on Thursday.

Can Jimmy Haslam save the Cleveland Browns?

The Cleveland Browns have a new owner, and the fans are excited. What will Jimmy Haslam do differently than the last owner to turn things around for his team?

The Jimmy Haslam era is here and changes are coming

Jimmy Haslam, the new owner of the Cleveland Browns, is making just one personnel change, for now, but it's a big one for the future of his team.

Tom Heckert's status up in the air after Browns season

Tom Heckert is uncertain of his job status with the Cleveland Browns following the change in ownership and Mike Holmgren's likely departure.

Mike Holmgren will retire; Browns owner bringing in Joe Banner

New Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam will name former Philadelphia Eagles executive Joe Banner as Cleveland's CEO/president, according to reports.

Browns sale to Jimmy Haslam approved by NFL owners

Jimmy Haslam will be the new owner of the Cleveland Browns.

Jimmy Haslam Mum On Mike Holmgren's Future With The Browns

The Cleveland Browns introduced their new owner Jimmy Haslam to the world at a Friday afternoon press conference. An enthusiastic Haslam said that he was looking forward to getting to know fans and putting a winning team on the field. As for how he plans to get the Browns moving in the right direction, Haslam made no indication of whether or not those plans involved parting ways with team president Mike Holmgren and cleaning out the front office, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Haslam praised Holmgren and his career, calling him a "future Hall of Famer." As far as any changes in leadership, Haslam played his cards close to his vest, saying only:

"I sense there is a strong feeling here that Mike and the team have things headed in the right direction,'' he said. "I think we have to listen, learn and observe.''

Mary Kay Cabot of the Clevland Plain Deal reported on Thursday afternoon that Joe Banner, the former president of the Philadelphia Eagles, would be part of Haslam's management group, a move that many believe spells the end for Holmgren.

New owners, especially when taking over a moribund franchise like the Browns, typically bring in their own people to lead the organization. The scope and pace of changes under Haslam could be shaped by how much progress the team shows during the 2012 season. Massive organizational changes are rarely announced in an introductory press conference.

For more on the Browns, check out Dawgs By Nature.

Jimmy Haslam Is Probably Dumping Mike Holmgren As Browns President

Not that it's a surprise, but this probably means the end of Mike Holmgren's tenure in Cleveland.

BREAKING: Former #Eagles president Joe Banner will be joining Jimmy Haslam in Cleveland once the sale is approved, league sources told PD.

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 3, 2012

Holmgren is team president. Banner was team president in Philadelphia at one point. Unless there's some kind of team president death match, one would assume Banner is heading to Cleveland with new owner Jimmy Haslam to take over Holmgren's role.

Of course, it's all but assured that Holmgren is on his way out. A new team owner usually means a new regime, which doesn't spell good things for the current team president. And as soon as the Browns' sale was first reported, news of Holmgren's demise began to spread.

With a billion dollar (or more) investment in the team, one assumes Haslam will do things his way, right away.

Browns To Introduce New Owner Jimmy Haslam On Friday

The Cleveland Browns will introduce their new owner Jimmy Haslam III at a Friday press conference at the team facility in Berea, Ohio, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Haslam will also be on the field watching his new team practice.

One question likely to come up at Haslam's press conference concerns the future of team president Mike Holmgren. Holmgren acknowledged the possibility that he would not return, and expressed hope that he would remain. His status likely hinges in part on what role former Philadelphia Eagles president Joe Banner has with the team under Haslam.

Banner is reportedly going to be involved in Haslam's management group, and there would not be enough room for both men atop the organizational chart. Holmgren said Thursday that he was not aware if Banner was taking on a leadership role with the team.

The status of head coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert under the new owner will likely hinge on the outcome of the 2012 season. Both men will need to convince their new boss that the team is moving in the right direction after years without much progress. The Browns have just two winning seasons since being reactivated in 1999.

The sale of the team will be approved by NFL owners at their October meeting. A special meeting to approve the deal sooner is possible. The NFL requires approval from two-thirds of league owners to make it official.

Haslam will pay more than $1 billion for the team, though an exact amount has not been reported. To start, he will own a 70 percent share of the team, with Randy Lerner retaining a 30 percent stake. On the fourth anniversary of the sale's closing, Haslam will take on complete ownership.

Cleveland Browns Officially Sold For More Than $1 Billion

The sale of the Cleveland Browns is finally complete in what may be record time. Adam Schefter reported Thursday that the deal is done. Jimmy Haslam, president and CEO of the Pilot Corporation, purchased the franchise from Randy Lerner for more than $1 billion.

Sale of Browns is now official and complete. Randy Lerner sold them to Jimmy Haslam for in excess of $1 billion.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 2, 2012

It was first reported just last week that Haslam was negotiating an "investment" in the franchise with Lerner. Haslam had already been vetted by the NFL as a minority owner in the Pittsburgh Steelers, so talks moved quickly. Another report Saturday indicated that a deal for $920 million could be completed by September, but then the price tag and the timetable were pushed up.

It is still unclear what, if anything, will change in Cleveland now that there is a new majority owner in town. Browns president Mike Holmgren was uncertain about his future at his Friday press conference in light of the pending sale .

For more on the Browns, visit Dawgs By Nature and SB Nation Cleveland.

Browns Could Be Sold By September, For Reported $920 Million Price Tag

The sale of the Cleveland Browns continues to move quickly and could be approved by the start of the regular season, according to a report from Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Part of the reason the process is moving so quickly is potential new owner Jimmy Haslam III has already gone through the NFL's vetting system approving him as a possible owner. Haslam went through the process in 2009 when he purchased a minority stake in the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Haslam, who will reportedly purchase the team for $920 million, could be the new majority owner in time for the Browns' opening game against the Eagles. Before that happens, a committee of NFL owners would have to meet to approve the sale. According to Cabot's report, that meeting could occur sometime in August or early September.

For more on the Browns, visit Dawgs By Nature and SB Nation Cleveland.

Browns Could Move On Without Mike Holmgren Under New Owners

The Cleveland Browns could be getting a new owner soon. Randy Lerner, the current owner, is in the process of selling off controlling interest in the team to Jimmy Haslam. If the deal goes through, the Browns could also be losing team president Mike Holmgren, reports Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.

At a Friday press conference prior to the team's training camp practice, Holmgren confirmed the news about the sale and cast a shadow of doubt on his future with the team.

"That'll be answered probably down the road. You control the things you can control. I think we've done a lot of great things here in getting to this point, and we'll see."

Holmgren was hired by Lerner three years ago, given near complete control over the organization. During his tenure the Browns have an overall record of 14-34, having never won more than five games in a season.

Players were informed of the change ahead of Friday's practice.

For more on the Browns, visit Dawgs By Nature and SB Nation Cleveland.

Browns Sale To Jimmy Haslam Would Be A 'Controlling Interest'

The Cleveland Browns are close to being sold to Jimmy Haslam, the president and CEO of the Pilot Corporation. Browns owner Randy Lerner acknowledged in a Friday morning statement that he was in negotiations to sell part of the team and we now find out that the portion he would sell would be a controlling interest of the team.

Browns executive Mike Holmgren told reporters on Friday that if the sale goes through, current owner Randy Lerner "will give up controlling interest in the team."

The deal has been characterized as "close" by the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. That Lerner already released a statement acknowledging the negotiations suggests this is likely to happen.

One key part of the sale is that Lerner has reportedly received assurances that the team won't be moved out of Cleveland.

For more on the Browns, visit Dawgs By Nature and SB Nation Cleveland.

Cleveland Browns Sale Close, According To Report

A sale of the Cleveland Browns is close, says Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Negotiations between current owner Randy Lerner and Jimmy Haslam are moving along, and the team received a guarantee that it would not be moved.

From a league source cited in the Plain Dealer report:

"An unconditional guarantee was given that the Browns would not move before talks could even start."

On Friday morning, Lerner released a statement revealing that he was in talks to bring Haslam on an "investor" in the team. The extent of that investment was not made clear by Lerner.

Top officials from the team have denied in recent months that the Browns were for sale. The latest denials came when former Eagles team president Joe Banner said publicly that the team was for sale. The Plain Dealer report cites a Philadelphia television station that says Banner is one of the people involved in group trying to buy the Browns.

Details surrounding the ownership situation with the Browns are still sketchy, and more are likely to emerge as the news cycle progresses.

For more on the Browns, visit Dawgs By Nature and SB Nation Cleveland.

Potential Browns Investor Jimmy Haslam Is Also A Steelers Fan, Minority Owner

Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner is exploring the possibility of bringing in an investor. In a statement released Friday morning, Lerner revealed that he has been in negotiations with petroleum magnate Jimmy Haslam about a stake in the Browns. Just one problem, Haslam is a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a very public fan of that team.

From Ian Rapoport of NFL.com:

#Awkward RT @jamisonhensley Potential #Browns investor Haslam minority owner of #Steelers."1,000 percent a Steelers fan!" he said in profile

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 27, 2012

A Friday piece from Forbes has more on Haslam's background.

Awkward indeed, especially since the Browns and Steelers play each other twice a year in the AFC North.

Lerner kept details of the talks with Haslam confidential. As a result, it is not clear whether he is buying a stake in the Browns franchise or the whole enchilada.

For more on the Browns, visit Dawgs By Nature and SB Nation Cleveland.

Browns Owner Talking To Jimmy Haslam About 'Investment' In Team

Browns owner Randy Lerner released a statement announcing that he was in negotiations with Jimmy Haslam to purchase an "investment" in the team.