Throughout the Pilot Flying J investigation, media outfits have displayed a lot of angst about the situation. Here's a quote that appeared in the press yesterday.
NFL sources say they are concerned about the long-term viability of the Browns under Haslam's control and believe it may be only a matter of time before Haslam is forced to sell the Browns.The reason: lawsuits. Several have already been filed. If Haslam can win them, then his future as Browns owner is more on solid footing. But if there are massive financial settlements or legal losses, it would prove problematic for Haslam.
Analysis after the jump...
Notice that there's a big "if" there, an "if" that has to run through the best legal team that Haslam's billions can buy.
Bottom line: Only time will tell if any of this will come to pass, as the investigation continues, and Haslam has his multiple days in court.
Not to pick on anyone specifically, but one can't out-angst CBS and reporter Mike Freeman. Recently, we've seen headlines suggesting that Haslam might temporarily step down as owner of the Browns, or leader of his company and that the NFL was "terrified" about the allegations
Freeman was back at it yesterday, saying that "several team officials" argue that it "may be extremely difficult" for Haslam to keep the Browns, along with the above quote.
Fine. IF Haslam starts losing lawsuits and tons of money, bad things can happen. It's a possibility, but far from a certainty.
There's a process that needs to play out before anybody loses anything; a drawn-out process that will probably take a long time.
It probably wouldn't hurt to keep that in mind when scanning the headlines.
