Written by: Kim Wendel, WKYC
BEREA -- New Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III says his mission is to bring winning back to Cleveland. He also added that there is "zero chance" he'll move the team.
He addressed the Cleveland media at 1 p.m. Friday from the Dino Lucarelli Media Center at the team's Berea training facility.
He first made a statement and then took questions regarding his purchase of a controlling interest in the Cleveland Browns from Randy Lerner until the press conference ended at 1:30 p.m.
"We will be out there and available," was how Haslam said his accessibility to the fans will be. He said he "can't tell you how excited we are to be here."
He discussed how the NFL called him in May to say that there was likely going to be an NFL team available and in late June we learned that it was the Cleveland Browns and "we were very excited."
First and foremost, he said, "we want to bring a winning team back to Cleveland."
Haslam, dressed in a pale blue shirt, a navy blue suit, an orange-patterned tie and a Cleveland Browns pin on his right lapel.
Haslam said that "I've been in the building for five hours" and that, the reality today is that "NFL football is a competitive business" and it "is a marketing world we live in" and he said that he will make sure that the Browns are competitive in all areas.
"There is no reason why this can't be a winning franchise," Haslam said.
Haslam declined to comment on any personnel changes, saying that it would be "inappropriate and presumptuous because we are not in charge of the time yet."
But he had a lot to say. He said he "thinks football is the best team sport in the world."
"I knew the Browns had struggled over the years...I don't pretend to be an expert on the Cleveland Browns but I hope to learn quickly...I think it's a young, exciting team that's on the upswing..I am a firm believer in athletics..."
"At the end of the day, the most important thing is a winning football team..."
"I sense there is a strong feeling that Mike (Holmgren) has the team headed in the right direction..."
Haslam said that the NFL's Roger Goodell told him he "...had never seen a purchase of a team go so quickly and it was done in 30 days."
WKYC-TV