The Cleveland Browns were sold to an ownership group in 1961 headed by a man named Art Modell who grew up in the burrows of New York City.
The head coach of the Browns was future Hall of Famer Paul Brown. Under his leadership, Cleveland captured seven championships – four in the NFL-rival league the All-America Football Conference, and then three in the NFL.
Each of the three groups had minority owners plus a figurehead who was the principal owner. Mickey McBride, Jones, and Modell were all principal owners in their respective groups.