In the year 2023, Cleveland Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam spent a billion dollars, not on a new stadium for his team, but to buy a stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.
Last week, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced he was going to spend a billion dollars, not on a new stadium, but in downtown and neighborhood development.
So today, Jimmy Haslam reiterated that he wants a new stadium, but the press release was only a few sentences long. What was in the press release then? Glossy pictures of the new stadium.
How's it getting paid for? Doesn't say.
Who's paying for it? Doesn't say.
When's it getting built? Doesn't say.
Where's it getting built? Brook Park, Ohio, by the Airport.
Do you know how arrogant that press release is?
Let's step away from the Cleveland Browns for a moment. I'm still mad from when I wrote Justin Bibb and Jimmy Haslam's Billion Dollar Game of Chicken (Part I).
Do you know the most important topic in America, right now? It's obviously Free Speech.
Do you get your daily fill of Free Speech on any given day? I bet you don't.
It's my vision to continue the blog, but also add a Beacon of Speech Multi-Media Experience in the center of North Ridgeville, Ohio.
I already know where I'm going to put the building, at the newly renovated intersection of 83 and Center Ridge on the Northwest corner. Have I talked to city officials yet? Oh, I'm not worried about that, I'm Fred Hunt, CEO of Beacon of Speech, I'm sure they'd just be grateful to have my presence in the city. Traffic concerns? That's the Mayor's problem.
I envision our YouTube Production, now on hiatus, to be re-booted as an over-the-air television and radio simulcast. In order to do that the right way, we need a 50,000 watt blowtorch and new studios.
Look at that antenna. I just generated that with AI. Doesn't that simply look amazing. Just imagine how far it can transmit.
Look at that studio. I just created that with AI, too. Imagine how technologically advanced that looks. See all those monitors? Whoa. Free Speech never looked, or sounded, so crisp and clean.
Now here's the hard part. Unfortunately, I don't have the funds to make my $250 million vision come true of my own volition. But we all agree on how important Free Speech is, so I'm working on presenting a proposal to Lorain County officials to get the Beacon of Speech building fund on the ballot. My math figures a .5% sales tax over the next 30 years will get it done. Well, that and any capital improvements I might need in the future. I prefer that they just GIVE me the money, but I understand the process.
You think a quarter of a billion dollars is a bit steep for my vision. I don't think you understand how important Free Speech is. If it doesn't get built, could you lose your Free Speech? Possibly.
Why don't I go to the Mayor? I didn't vote for him, I don't think he'd play ball with me. I'm not in his inner circle, but I'm pretty set on the location.
I would have paid an architectural design company for a better rendition of what we want to do, but we spent that money somewhere else. Don't worry though, the entire concept is safe inside my head. We'll fill in any details once we get the money.
You don't think you should have to pay to make my company a success?
You don't get how things work in America.
One minute after I hit the publish button, an artist's rendition of the old stadium:
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