From the affidavit - Pilot Flying J internal conversations

The below conversation was secretly recorded by the FBI during their investigation of Pilot Flying J.  The conversation can be found on the the FBI affidavit about the Pilot Flying J matter.

Note how leadership in Pilot Flying J take advantage of their customers, note the lack of respect towards customers and note the use of off color language. 

Browns lousy ticket holder support

As a Browns season ticket holder I've found that if I have a question for the Cleveland Browns support staff that involves generating revenue for the team, question are answered immediately. If however I have a complaint, it's as if I don't exist.  

I'm in my second season as a ticket holder so except for about 4 months, Jimmy Haslam has owned the team during the time I've held season tickets. I have to ask the question now that I see how Pilot Flying J is run, if the Browns focus on cash and their lack of focus on customer services is a result of poor leadership or worse, organizational philosophy.

Browns season ticket holders invited to cruise ship event

Comparing Haslam's statements on Tuesday vs Thursday

I believe Jimmy Haslam was completely shocked when he got his hands on the FBI affidavit and discovered that the Feds possess numerous recorded conversations AND cooperating witnesses INSIDE Pilot Flying J.   He had to have choked when he realized that !!!

His tone changed today in his statement to the press from Tuesday's minimizing and dismissive statements to today's more somber comments.  Here's what Haslam said today Thursday April 18:


“I read the affidavits and I understand more clearly the questions the federal investigators are exploring. I maintain that the foundation of this company is built on its integrity and that any willful wrongdoing by any employee of this company at any time is intolerable.
“We will continue to cooperate with the federal investigation and continue our own investigation in these allegations. I value the relationships we have with our customers, our vendors and our team members across this country and regret that they have to go through this with us, but I trust and believe their faith in this company and its principles has never been misplaced.”

Here is what Haslam said Tuesday April 16:

"The FBI secured our headquarters today and informed us they are investigating Pilot Flying J," Haslam said in an email statement to the Knoxville News Sentinel. "We will cooperate appropriately with any and all external investigations and conduct our own. I believe and trust there has been no wrongdoing. The integrity of our company always has been job No. 1."

Looks a bit less sure of himself today, no doubt.

Only in Cleveland, Ohio.... the saga of Jimmy Haslam

The Feds have TONS of evidence, recorded phone calls, insider cooperation, etc....   Pilot Flying J is in big trouble.  I think it's going to be hard to pin much on Haslam based on what I read in the FBI affidavit, and I read  the entire doc.  Haslam kept himself out of the overt fraud talks but the company is going to have their sales force ripped to shreds and customer trust is going to be damaged to the point that the company could be threatened.  And that's not even beginning to talk about the people who may go to jail and the fines that Pilot Flying J will face. 

I know that as a Browns season ticket holder, I wonder how much unethical activity is already starting in the Browns org.  I can't remember who said it but as the saying goes, a corpse rots from the head first.

Stunning affidavit on Pilot Flying J

It's all here folks, the entire affidavit can be found in this article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.  Stunning evidence that the FBI has collected on Pilot Flying J.  The Feds have recorded phone calls and overwhelming evidence that Pilot Flying J was systematically defrauding customers.

A nice little sliver below:

Only in Cleveland could it happen that our team gets bought by a gazzillionaire who's wealth appears to be built based in large part on a scheme that Don Vito Corleone would be impressed by.

Browns update

Haslam Flying J HQ in lockdown mode

The FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents on Monday locked down the headquarters of Pilot Flying J, the truck stop business owned by the Haslam family.   In the Corporate world, it's rare that a major Corporation has it's HQ locked down.  It's a drastic step.

The press is not reporting why, but normally if the FBI and IRS together, there's going to be some sort of criminal tax evasion involved. 

Gruden on Matt Barkley

Goodbye and good luck, Colt

From Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Examiner regarding the 49ers acquisition of Browns quarterback Coly McCoy (I cannot say I disagree here):

One key fact: McCoy will no longer have to wear the orange of his college and first professional team. That could improve his play dramatically.

Are the Browns really after Geno Smith?

The NFL Draft has become a poker game.   Here are a list of reasons the Browns might be bluffing their true draft intentions and in fact are really looking to draft Geno Smith with their first round pick.

- After a few months of lukewarm comments about Brandon Weeden, suddenly Browns coaches are making positive comments to the press but they still refuse to commit to him.   Why the change in tone?  Is it a smoke screen?   Weeden was the worst QB in the NFL last year in the red zone and not much better in any of his other metrics.  Now all of the sudden the Browns see some good things about Weeden?  On defense the Browns have shown their hand, they want to run a modern, attacking high octane D that puts pressure on offenses.  Do we really believe that all of the sudden, the Browns new leadership is willing to bet the team's future on a plodding QB with poor field vision?

- Mike Lombardi has had a muzzle put on him.   Joe Banner says this is because he wants Lombardi 100% focused on the draft.  My opinion is that Banner doesn't believe Lombardi can keep his mouth shut.  Lombardi has been a member of the press for many years now and there is a risk that Lombardi, with a free hand to talk to the press, will reveal something about the Browns views on Smith that will tip off other teams to the Browns intentions.

- The Browns will have a private workout with Geno Smith.  When asked why the Browns are investing in a private workout with Smith, Banner dismisses the notion that the Browns are in fact truly interested in Smith, going to great pains to underline that QB is NOT the focus of the Browns in this draft and that they are only evaluating Smith to make sure they complete their due diligence.  Smells like a bluff to me.

- The Browns have been very active signing free agents, and have filled some of the holes on defense that had been previously thought might be filled in the draft.   The Browns are now positioned to draft an offensive player in this draft. 

Joe Banner likes to run a tight organization and it seems odd to me that suddenly the entire organization is underlining that QB is not our draft focus, are sending positive signals on Weeden, at the same time the team is working out Geno Smith.    And why the muzzle on Mike Lombardi?

What just might be happening is that the Browns are trying their best not to alert the rest of the league that Geno Smith is the guy they want for Chud's modern high powered O.   So you read it here first, Geno Smith will go somewhere in the first 6 picks of this draft, and the only way the Browns won't get him is if another team grabs him earlier. 

BL Predicts: The Super Bowl

The BL took a 6-2 playoff prediction record into the conference championships and blew it by predicting both losers to win.  Hence our record to date for the playoffs rests at 6-4.

Today's championship game promises to both close and fun.   Neither Harbaugh brother is going to have his team anything less than 100% ready to play.

The Ravens have an emotional edge with Ray Lewis playing his last game and furthermore their QB Joe Flacco has been in the zone the entire playoffs raising his performance significantly.

The 49ers have a read option QB in what may be the beginning of a new era of NFL football in which this style offense conquers the game.   On the downside the Niners have a kicking game in disarray which could kill them in a close game.

While some see the read option is a gimmick, I see it as an evolution of the game.  Much like Bill Walsh's west coast offense, Joe Gibb's single back or Bill Cowher's zone blitzes.  Teams that innovate first have historically won Super Bowls.   Colin Kaepernick is wonderful to watch.   Cool as ice, he throws the prettiest spiral I've seen in a long time and he seems to up his game when under pressure.

I'm going with innovation as the difference maker today and furthermore I'm betting that Jim Harbaugh will find a way to outfox his younger brother.    

49ers            34
Ravens         24

BL Predicts: Conference championships

Last week the BL slipped to a 2-2 record after our perfect first week.   I'll say this, if Denver simply knew how to play prevent defense we'd have been 3-1 but I am not complaining.   It was wonderful to watch a John Elway team lose one that they should have won.

This week I believe there is one easy game to predict and one that's quite difficult.

Baltimore          21
New England    31
The Patriots have too much firepower for the Ravens.

Atlanta              30
SF                     28
As a fan, I would love for SF and their young QB Colin Kaepernick to win this game.   But one lesson I've learned predicting games is to remove emotion.   The reason I'd like SF to win is that I believe a running QB is an evolution to the NFL game, not a gimmick.    The passing game has become so important that most defenses are 100% focused on defending the pass downfield.   3-6 men will pin back their ears and rush while the remaining defenders are 100% focused on pass defense.   The read option offense, driven by a QB who can run and pass, is the perfect tactical counter to sophisticated pass defenses and I believe that read option teams are going to win Super Bowls in the next 5 years.   Were SF to win the Super Bowl this year, it would prove the point a bit early, however let's say that this Super Bowl is the last hurrah for traditional QBs.

Atlanta has home field advantage and a more experienced QB.   Furthermore they've had time to put in some special wrinkles for San Fran's young QB.   I underline young because this is a championship game and let's remember that Kaepernick has less than one full season of starting experience.   Mistakes often decide playoff games.   Odds are the Kaepernick is going to make a key error at some point and if he does, Atlanta will win a close one.