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CLEVELAND -- Al Lerner, who used his wealth from banking, real estate and credit-card giant MBNA Corp. to buy the Cleveland Browns, died Wednesday night. He was 69.
Lerner's death was confirmed by a team spokesman, who asked that his name not be used.
Lerner underwent surgery in May 2001, reportedly to remove a brain tumor. In June, he said he had been in and out of the hospital during the past year.
A regular visitor to the Browns' suburban training facility to see the team he brought back to Cleveland in 1998, Lerner was rarely around the past few months.
The Shaker Heights resident, a former furniture salesman, ranked 36th on Forbes magazine's 2002 list of the richest Americans with a net worth of $4.3 billion.
Although chairman and chief executive officer of MBNA, the world's largest independent credit-card issuer, Lerner usually shunned the limelight.
That changed when he was awarded the Browns expansion franchise in 1998 for $530 million, at the time the highest price paid for a sports team.
The purchase came three years after his longtime friend, Art Modell, moved the franchise to Baltimore.
"Al Lerner magnificently fulfilled the American Dream, with extraordinary achievement in business and philanthropy,'' NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said. "Tough and considerate at the same time, his judgment and advice was always special. His NFL legacy is as much about his being an influential league leader as it is being the generous Browns owner. Al's death leaves a terrible void for all of us in the NFL. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Norma and to his family.''
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This is a sad day in Cleveland sports.
Al Lerner was the best thing to happen to Cleveland sports in a long time. May he rest in peace.
I think (like Bernie's Insiders said) we should name the stadium after him. After what he did for us we all owe him that.
Lerner didn't want the stadium to have a corporate name, that conviction should be rewarded, with the stadium in his name.
Why not have it named Lerner Field? Lerner Field at Cleveland Browns Stadium....
sounds good to me!
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Lerner's death was confirmed by a team spokesman, who asked that his name not be used.
Lerner underwent surgery in May 2001, reportedly to remove a brain tumor. In June, he said he had been in and out of the hospital during the past year.
A regular visitor to the Browns' suburban training facility to see the team he brought back to Cleveland in 1998, Lerner was rarely around the past few months.
The Shaker Heights resident, a former furniture salesman, ranked 36th on Forbes magazine's 2002 list of the richest Americans with a net worth of $4.3 billion.
Although chairman and chief executive officer of MBNA, the world's largest independent credit-card issuer, Lerner usually shunned the limelight.
That changed when he was awarded the Browns expansion franchise in 1998 for $530 million, at the time the highest price paid for a sports team.
The purchase came three years after his longtime friend, Art Modell, moved the franchise to Baltimore.
"Al Lerner magnificently fulfilled the American Dream, with extraordinary achievement in business and philanthropy,'' NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said. "Tough and considerate at the same time, his judgment and advice was always special. His NFL legacy is as much about his being an influential league leader as it is being the generous Browns owner. Al's death leaves a terrible void for all of us in the NFL. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Norma and to his family.''
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a sad day in Cleveland sports.
Al Lerner was the best thing to happen to Cleveland sports in a long time. May he rest in peace.
I think (like Bernie's Insiders said) we should name the stadium after him. After what he did for us we all owe him that.
Lerner didn't want the stadium to have a corporate name, that conviction should be rewarded, with the stadium in his name.
Why not have it named Lerner Field? Lerner Field at Cleveland Browns Stadium....
sounds good to me!
