Cory Wright’s Post

The Decision to Move the Browns: A Short-Sighted Mistake That Fans Will Never Forget The Cleveland Browns are synonymous with the heart and soul of downtown Cleveland. This is a team whose legacy is woven into the very fabric of our city’s identity. Yet, the Haslam group's recent decision to move the Browns out of downtown Cleveland is a disappointing and misguided one, leaving fans bewildered, frustrated, and, frankly, betrayed. There’s no denying that the current stadium has its flaws—every structure ages, and improvements are always necessary. But to abandon downtown Cleveland, a location that has been a beacon of hope and pride for generations of fans, is an affront to the rich history that the team and city share. This move feels more like a corporate play than a decision grounded in what truly matters: the fans, the community, and the cultural relevance of keeping the Browns where they belong. While the Haslams might be thinking about logistical improvements, ease of access, or the creation of a shiny new venue elsewhere, what they fail to grasp is that the Browns are more than just a team—they’re a symbol of resilience, loyalty, and, above all, Cleveland’s unbreakable spirit. The Browns' move away from downtown doesn’t just shift the location of a stadium; it threatens to strip downtown Cleveland of a critical economic and cultural anchor. Think of the ripple effects—restaurants, local businesses, and the entire ecosystem built around game days. The camaraderie that fans experience walking the streets of downtown on a Sunday afternoon is irreplaceable. It’s not just about a football game; it’s about community. In the broader sports world, we’ve seen what happens when owners prioritize short-term financial gains over long-term loyalty to a city. Fans don’t forget, and they don’t forgive easily. The scars of losing the team to Baltimore in 1996 still run deep, and this decision feels like a painful echo of that past heartbreak. If there’s one thing Browns fans have proven over the years, it’s that their loyalty is unwavering. But this decision by the Haslam group feels like a breach of trust. Browns fans are resilient, but their love for the team is tied to the history, the tradition, and the physical space that downtown Cleveland represents. A decision like this threatens to sever that bond in ways that may never fully heal. Cleveland deserves better. Its fans deserve better. Moving the Browns out of downtown is not just a logistical mistake—it’s a cultural misstep, and it’s one that Clevelanders will remember for a long, long time. The Browns belong in Cleveland, and Cleveland belongs to the Browns. Let’s hope that before it’s too late, the Haslam group realizes the depth of their mistake. #ClevelandForever #BrownsLoyalty #HaslamMistake #DowntownCleveland Cleveland Browns Justin M. Bibb Chris Ronayne National Football League (NFL) #nfl #clevelandbrowns #cleveland #ohio Mike DeWine

The deal is done. Yesterday, Ted Leonsis & Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced they were staying in DC after the deal to move to Virginia fell through. The agreement keeps the Washington Wizards & Washington Capitals downtown for another 25 years through 2050. Why is this great for the city? A few reasons: • Helps economic stability • Creates jobs • Improves community engagement • Promotes tourism • Gives the city an identity & boosts morale DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city will keep its commitment to invest $500M for a "total transformation" of the arena and downtown. The District will also provide an additional $15M for the company to expand its footprint downtown. In the 14 years since Leonsis has owned the arena, he has invested over $200 million in renovations and upgrades – including: • $120+M in capital expenditures on several arena items • $18M for District E Powered by Ticketmaster and other renovations • $60M investment in new broadcast and production studio • $15M in enhanced staff space for several hundred employees I wrote a piece on why PE was interested in sports a couple of months ago. Part of that was the real estate play. This is major news for DC and Monumental Sports, but I'm fascinated by how this will play out across other teams and sports as well. PE capital will continue to be invested across sports and deals such as this are a major reason why. It's not just about the media deals, diversified revenue, and status. It's about the tax incentives, long-term agreements, and additional upside. #sportsbusiness #linkedinsports #privateequity https://lnkd.in/e9mGzKpW

A big gain for #Detroit as the National Football League (NFL) draft event comes to the city. Anderson Economic Group, LLC consultants estimate the net economic benefit to the area to be over $160 million, based on 255,000 unique visitors. That's on par with the effect of the last #Superbowl held in the City in 2006. AEG has done rigorous economic and fiscal impact analyses for events, major investments, industrial strikes, blackouts, earthquakes, riots, and other causes for over two decades. We use a rigorous methodology, taking into account substitution and costs and avoiding excessive multipliers. That's one reason we can do this comparison over time. We went back to our analysis of the 2006 Detroit Superbowl, and adjusted for prices, different number of events, size of the gate, ticket prices, and the much improved visitor amenities for people traveling to Detroit. A Superbowl has big ticket prices and a stadium full of people, with most of the money flowing outside the host city. A draft event has 2 or 3 stadiums full of people, low (or zero) ticket prices, and lots of money staying in the host city. Thus, when you look at it in 2024 dollars, this year's #NFLDraft event might be a bigger boost for the local economy than the 2006 Superbowl. Release on Anderson Economic Group website: https://lnkd.in/g8VP5hzj The Detroit News story by Kalea Hall: https://lnkd.in/gK85FdmV #economy #sports #sportseconomics #fiscal #michigan #detroitlions

Just a few weeks after the Chicago Bears unveiled their plans for a new lakefront stadium with significant public funding, pushback and opposition continue to grow. Are the economic growth and civic pride benefits of a new sports stadium really enough to compensate for the required public financial commitment? Our elected officials must act like the grown-ups in the room, slow things down and assess whether this project really deserves priority over other pressing demands, writes Paula Worthington, an economist at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Here’s a short list of worthy projects informed by skimming recent headlines. No doubt other useful ideas could be added: - Providing additional support to Chicago-area transit agencies as COVID-era support runs out is essential. Newly-proposed state legislation seeks major governance reforms and up to $1.5 billion in additional operating revenues annually. - Reversing COVID-era “learning losses” for Illinois students will be expensive but will generate even greater returns. - Replacing lead service lines statewide will cost between $5.8 and $10.1 billion per a recent task force report. Learn more about the impacts of publicly funded sports facilities at the link below. https://lnkd.in/efB6zkWZ

https://lnkd.in/gSfNbK9s I wasn't able to upload the article, but there are some things to say about this..Chase Field at Arizona opened up in 1998..A unique feature in the ballpark is a party pool out in the right field seating..Some home run balls have gone into the pool..Anyway, Coors Field at Colorado and Progressive Field at Cleveland were built in the 1990s and have or are undergoing renovations..The upper deck right outfield seating at both of those ballparks have downsized the seating and have created bar areas or areas where advertising signage can be put up..The field dimensions at Chase Field allow it host football games and has hosted a college football bowl game since 2001..Arizona has a MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA team..Arizona has hosted Super Bowls, World Series, WNBA Finals, NBA Finals, bowl games, college football championship games, and NBA All Star games..Arizona hosted the Super Bowl in February 2015..Chase Field was used for some of the Super Bowl festivities and in particular "Super Bowl Opening Night." Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, AZ isn't the perfect MLB facility but has a retractable roof..Chase Field can host events year round..#eventmanagement #facilitymanagement #sportbusiness #marketing #hospitality 🏟 🎙 🏜 🏗 🚧

🚨 Big News for DC & the Future of RFK Stadium 🚨 Washington, DC just got a major boost as the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed the “D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act” yesterday with a strong 17-2 vote. This critical piece of legislation moves DC one step closer to regaining control of the RFK Stadium site, opening the door to transformative redevelopment opportunities! The bill, which is expected to head to the Senate floor for a vote before the end of 2024, would transfer control of the federal land to the District of Columbia, enabling commercial, residential, and yes, sports development projects. Among the most exciting possibilities? A new home for the Washington Commanders, marking a potential return to the city limits where the team played from 1961 to 1996. Commanders owner Josh Harris has been vocal about his desire to bring the team back to DC, and Mayor Muriel Bowser has championed the push to redevelop RFK with hopes of securing the team’s return. With FedEx Field in Landover widely regarded as one of the most outdated stadiums in the NFL, this is an exciting opportunity to reimagine RFK as a modern, mixed-use hub that could anchor DC’s economic and cultural growth for years to come. The redevelopment of RFK aligns with Washington’s broader strategy to revitalize underutilized assets, expand its tax base, and attract residents, businesses, and visitors. This is more than just a win for sports fans—it’s a pivotal moment for DC’s culture & economy! This move would let DC join Chicago as the only cities in the country where their NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS team play in the city which they represent. It would provide DC with a world class stadium to attract major concerts and global competitions. https://lnkd.in/e5-AMS9V

With news that the Chicago Bears are planning to stay in Chicago, and proposing to invest $2 billion in a new, lakefront stadium based on a public-private partnership with the city, along with talk of a financing partnership between the Bears & Chicago White Sox, learn more about what a public-private partnership could look like and how it might avoid pitfalls of public financing, in this article from 2021 by Christopher Berry & Justin Marlowe, when the Bears were threatening to leave the city. What do you think? How should cities partner with sports teams on stadiums? How can these projects be used to benefit the public? Are there any cities that have done this well? #chicagobears #urbanplanning #chicagowhitesox #stadiums #stadiumdesign #publicprivatepartnerships https://lnkd.in/gSxxXT2g

Holy economic impact, Batman! I'm sure you've all probably seen the numbers of the economic impact of the 2024 National Football League (NFL) on the City of Detroit but, in case you missed it, here are some of the highlights! $213.6million in total economic impact for the city with $161.3million coming from visitors from outside of Southeast Michigan and $106.4million that will be retained in the region. $1.5million in grants from the Detroit Sports Commission to local non-profits during the draft. $12.1million spent on local minority-owned businesses. Black-owned businesses were awarded 34 contracts for the draft, approximately 40% of all local contracts that worked directly with the NFL. According to reports, more than 30% of attendees traveled more than 100 miles to attend the draft with fans attending from all 50 states, 20 countries, and several fans who made it all the way from Australia. It truly was an outstanding event and an incredible moment for the city of Detroit. If you want to dive deeper, give this article from Crain's Detroit Business a read as it has some great data an infographics. Thank you to Visit Detroit, the Detroit Sports Commission, and the Downtown Detroit Partnership for all that you did for our city in making this event happen and the best in draft history. #nfldraft #draft #economicimpact #nfl #detroit #2024nfldraft #blackownedbusiness #blackownedbusinesses #economicjustice #socialjustice #localbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinesses #detroitlions 775k fans attending which blew out the pre

New or renovated Browns stadium won’t yield economic benefits for Cleveland, experts say Not sure I agree here and why : Sports venues on paper do not provide an economic impact but the professional sports teams that play inside them provide plenty of value to businesses , fans and the community as a whole. Businesses own suites in these facilties and entertain customers and vendors that end up reinvesting in other local businesses and non profits in the region. No economic impact study can measure the return here. Q -Why do cities put exorbitant bids in to host events like the Super Bowl ? A- Because they see the big picture and impact that can be made by hosting decision makers in thier cities that have the capability of reinvesting. Recent college graduates will often look at different cities for thier first post graduate job. Having professional sports teams and state of the art facilities serves as a plus for any company recruiting for this workforce. The exposure a city gets from broadcasts is a different type of value not referenced here. If a company like Huntington Bank puts its name on a Cleveland Browns stadium they are making an estimated investment of $10 M a year ..... Why ? Because they see the value of the exposure and know how to activate this investment for a positive ROI. Just my two cents but economic impact studies don't look wide enough at the big picture. https://lnkd.in/gN4bkw2S

🏈🎤 **Massive Economic Boost from UTK Football & Morgan Wallen Concert** Knoxville continues to thrive as a destination for large-scale events, with the **University of Tennessee, Knoxville football** games and the recent **Morgan Wallen concert** delivering significant economic benefits to the region. 📊 **By the Numbers**: - UT football home games generate over **$5 million per game** in local spending on hotels, dining, and retail. - The recent Morgan Wallen concert at Neyland Stadium drew over **60,000 attendees**, infusing more than **$7 million** into Knoxville’s economy. - Combined, these events bring **thousands of visitors** into the city, driving demand for commercial space, hospitality, and new retail developments. These large-scale events are a testament to Knoxville’s growth as a hub for sports, entertainment, and tourism, creating substantial opportunities for commercial real estate investors. #Entertainment #EconomicImpact #UTfootball #MorganWallen #CommercialRealEstate #NAIKoellaMoore #KnoxvilleGrowth