Embarrassed by a federal investigation of fraud inside his truck-stop company, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has apologized to Cleveland fans and promised to bring the city a winning team. Haslam, who bought the Browns last year from Randy Lerner, was the featured speaker last night at the Northeastern Ohio Chapter of the National Football Foundation's 25th annual scholar-athlete banquet.
It was one of Haslam's first public appearances in Ohio since the FBI raided the headquarters of Pilot Flying J, his family's business, last month as part of an investigation into an alleged fraud scheme. Haslam spoke to a packed banquet room and then held a brief news conference afterward when he offered his regrets about his recent legal troubles.