The Cleveland Browns have been in business since 1946. For the first 49 years, the organization had 10 head coaches. The franchise was put on hiatus for several years and then resumed in 1999. For the next 26 seasons, the Browns hired and fired 12 head coaches.
Cleveland, OH
Ohio City Inc., Placing Bet on Local Retail, Buys City Goods
Mark Oprea
Liz Painter and Sam Friedman, co-founders of City Goods in Ohio City’s Hingetown. The duo sold their retail cluster complex to Ohio City Inc., in a bid to keep it going as a boon to the community.
The seven U-shaped, silver hangers at 1442 West 28th Street aren’t going anywhere, but they are changing hands.
This week, Ohio City Inc. finalized a deal to purchase City Goods, the cluster of 30 small businesses selling everything from organic skincare products to hanging plants and vinyl records.
The move, eighteen months after co-founders Sam Friedman and Liz Painter opened shop, follows the duo’s decision to convert City Goods into a nonprofit, believing the model would keep the operation more financially healthy.
A sale to OCI, Friedman said on Tuesday, furthers City Good’s permanency in a growing neighborhood endlessly begging for stores selling home goods without Big Box affiliation.
“We need money. That’s the simple fact of the matter,” Friedman said.
It’s why, he and Painter began conversations with Chris Schmitt, OCI’s executive director, the day after Christmas, as a path to nonprofit status began to look ideal: to ensure that City Good could, unlike most retail clusters, keep its ease-of-entry philosophy intact.
“What [the sale] does is keep City Goods going strong in the future in ways I couldn’t guarantee,” Friedman, also the owner of Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve, said. “It moves it into the public square in the way that we were attempting to do anyway.”
In 2022, after reading a Scene article highlighting entrepreneur Graham Veysey’s build of seven silver “pod” structures near Church + State, Friedman’s interest piqued. After a decade in retail, he felt the need to start a small business cluster with a model that favored new talent. Everything besides one’s rent—marketing, taxes, signage, maintenance, workers comp—is handled by City Goods management.
The only problem, for Painter and Friedman, is that model didn’t prove to be wholly sustainable: City Goods as an entity did not turn a profit. As a financial backstop, Friedman opened Hangar, an upscale cocktail and amaro bar that would ideally earn enough to allow other tenants affordable operational costs. Or, as Friedman, who also bartended once a week at Hangar, put it: “We’re having espresso martinis with you to support makers.”
Schmitt was, of course, one of those patrons.
Mark Oprea
OCI interim director Chris Schmitt, at Lekko Coffee on Detroit Avenue, on Tuesday.
After taking over for former OCI director Tom McNair in October, Schmitt quickly realized that Ohio City’s ground-floor retail, its contemporary breakfast mainstays and variety stores, was paramount to keeping the neighborhood on a healthy trajectory.
McNair had helped decrease retail vacancies from 40 percent in 2014 to a laudable five percent in 2019, and observed as three years of the pandemic threatened the health of occupied storefronts. Absorbing City Goods into one of OCI’s “seven subsidiaries,” Schmitt told Scene, was key in keeping the bespoke goods—home goods, especially—Ohio City could maintain.
“This is a long term investment,” Schmitt told Scene, from a table at Lekko Coffee on Detroit Avenue. (Schmitt and Friedman declined to talk purchase price.) “A long-range investment by us, to create the brands of tomorrow. They’re going to fill the vacant storefronts.”
“Brands,” Painter said, sitting next to Schmitt, “that have that goal to shift and move to their own space eventually.”
As for the brands, for ilthy or Brittany’s Record Shop, Friedman said that “almost all” of City Goods’ vendors are renewing their leases this year, while others look to bigger spaces or will disband altogether.
Ohio City Inc.’s accumulation of those seven arched domes comes at a time when the City of Cleveland investigates whether or not to close a sliver of West 29th Street, a block away, to car traffic. Though OCI is so far neutral on the issue (Schmitt wants to “wait until a study comes out”), Friedman believes that City Goods’ location on the eastern fringe of Hingetown will keep it as a destination for years to come.
“Walkability is why City Goods is where it is,” he said. “Because small business retail, the one thing it requires—Requires with a capital R—is walking traffic.”
Friedman and Painter will stay involved with City Goods in some form: Friedman as an advisor to OCI, Painter as brand manager and an OCI marketing director. As for regulars scoring a Friedman-made cocktail on Friday night’s at Hangar, the co-founder is most likely out as its Sam Malone.
“Hey, every night I banged the glass, I yelled about the shops, I talked to every single person who comes in about why we’re here,” Friedman said. “But breaking news: Sam doesn’t like breaking his back.”
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STEFANSKI HAS TEAMS LINED UP
The most recent was Kevin Stefanski, who was a Black Monday victim. What happened?
How did Cleveland owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam come to this conclusion? After all, he was named NFL Coach of the Year not once, but won this prestigious award twice in 2020 and also in 2023. He orchestrated the first playoff appearance by the Browns in 17 years, then won their first playoff game against the hated division foe, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With all of these accolades, why would the front office decide to give him walking papers after being with the team for six years? This organization is famous for hiring coaches and then letting them go after one or two years at the helm. And yet, here is a guy who gave the team much-needed stability.
The demise of Stefanski began last year.
In 2023, the Browns went 11-6-0 and captured the highest Wild Card seed, then got slammed by the Houston Texans in the first round of the postseason. Just three weeks prior, Cleveland dominated the Texans, taking home an easy 36-22 win in a contest that wasn’t that close. So, the playoff loss was not expected.
Having won 11 games and gone to the playoffs, Browns fans and the media were expecting this to continue and string along several years’ worth of postseason berths, you know, like the Marty Schottenheimer years.
Instead, the Browns went 3-14-0. In the season opener, they got taken to the woodshed by the Dallas Cowboys 33-17, who then finished their season 7-10-0 so it wasn’t like the beating came from a great team. At first, Cleveland lost four games by a touchdown or less. But as the season rolled along, they were getting beaten pretty regularly by scores like 34-13, 20-3, 35-14, 35-10, and 24-6.
The two bright spots were the 29-24 come-from-behind win over the Baltimore Ravens, plus the 24-19 win over the Steelers, both games at home. Each of these two teams was not only in the division but also ended up going to the playoffs.
Following a 14-loss season, that alone might cause an owner to send his head man packing. But the Haslams were patient. They said in the 2025 training camp, the roster looked like a winner. The Haslams had a press conference on July 31 after a practice. They haven’t gathered for the press since the April NFL draft, so there was a lot to cover.
Here are a few excerpts from that presser in regards to Stefanski:
Q: In terms of wins, what would be a successful season?
Jimmy: You really think we’re going to answer that? We’ve got to do better than three, okay? To put a number on it, I don’t think we will ever do that. Everybody – coaches, players, personnel, ownership, all know that 3-14 won’t cut it. We’ve got to do better. I think we’ll know what better looks like.
Q: People always talk about patience as an organizational value. What does that look like? What does patience look like?
Jimmy: Well, I think it’s, it’s what we’ve just talked about. We realized that we went 3-14. There was great uncertainty at quarterback. You probably weren’t going to go 14-3. So, let’s try to build the team the right way. And I’m repeating myself, and it’s premature, but I like the guys we picked. And time will tell how good they are. But Mason (Graham), Carson (Schwesinger), (Harold) Fannin Jr., Shedeur (Sanders), Dillon (Gabriel), etc. look like, Dylan Sampson, look like not only really good players, but really good people. And I’ll say this for the two quarterbacks coming in, and I know everybody has a vision of Shedeur (Sanders), but he’s come in, in the building, worked hard, kept his head down, and done what he’s supposed to do, as has Dillon (Gabriel), which was no surprise for either of them.
Q: How do you convince fans that to get your message across to them, this is a building process because you know how loyal they are and how frustrated they are?
Jimmy: Well, listen, we’re frustrated too. And we share the fans’ pain, okay? And we – Dee, says this all the time. We’re stewards of this franchise, and we need to do a better job. And we want to win for a lot of different reasons. The main reason we want to win is for our fans. They really do. We have great fans.
Q: With that type of philosophy, sort of a little bit of a patient attitude for this season. What does that mean for Kevin Stefanski? Because people are already asking if he’s on the hot seat.
Jimmy: Yeah, listen, you all, we talk to you all fairly frequently, and we’re very supportive of Kevin (Stefanski) and Andrew (Berry). Now, do they need to do better? Yeah, but so do Dee (Haslam) and I. You know what I mean? And these are high-pressure jobs they have, but we really like them in their roles as coach and GM, and we really like them as people. And I say this all the time. They’re 38 and 42 years old.
Q: How much has that patience approached, how much have you guys kind of talked about your history owning the team? Just how much have you kind of learned that?
Jimmy: I think we did a poor job early on, and hopefully we’re doing a better job now. And listen, we talk about it organizationally. This isn’t just ownership, but we talk about it — all Andrew’s (Berry) staff, all Kevin’s (Stefanski) staff, everybody is aware of the plan, and that’s how good teams work together.
Basically, the Haslams knew that the team would have to take its time in order to become an annual member of the postseason tournament. Dee or Jimmy never called it a “rebuild,” and from the roster standpoint, it did not appear that the roster needed to be purged. A few pieces here and there, and on paper, it looked like the team could compete. The recent NFL draft brought in some promising players in need positions.
And the Browns did – on defense.
Special teams fell apart, and the offense never got into any type of rhythm, which was Stefanski’s wheelhouse. To be fair, the Week 1 offensive line was supposed to be the catalyst to propel the offense. It was the same lineup that just two seasons ago was ranked #3 in the league, except for LT Jed Wills, who was substituted by Dawand Jones, who was viewed as an upgrade.
However, just like every other year, one guy would go down, followed by another. In Week 18, it was seven-time LG Joel Bitonio, two backups, and two practice squad guys starting along the offensive line for the Browns. In the finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, C Luke Wypler was injured, and Zak Zinter filled in. That meant the backup to the backup was inserted. Cleveland used seven different line combinations during this season.
Everyone knows this group must have stability and continuity to be successful. Real chemistry. Even the trades for OTs Cam Robinson and KT Leveston were total busts, as both players were viewed as liabilities instead of redeemers.
The quarterback situation is a running joke on late-night TV and Browns podcasts. In the past three seasons, the Browns have started 14 different QBs:
- 2023: Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker, Jeff Driskel
- 2024: Watson, Jameis Winston, DTR, Bailey Zappe
- 2025: Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders
The Browns set three NFL records with the QB situation. First, they tied the 1987 New England Patriots by starting the most QBs in a single season with five. The second, they set a record for the most starting quarterbacks in two years, with nine. In 2025, Cleveland used a staggering 22 different starting quarterbacks, setting a new NFL record.
The offense was basically the cause of another double-digit loss season. And because this unit was supposed to be why they hired Stefanski in the first place, after losing 26 games in two seasons and the regression, the Haslams basically had no choice but to make a change.
Stefanski showed up as the offense’s play-caller, which he then gave up. The quarterback situation was always in flux, the offense finished this year ranked #30 in the league with the third fewest offensive touchdowns (30), and #31 in scoring offense (16.4).
The year before, the Browns’ offense ranked #28 overall, dead last in offensive touchdowns scored (29), and dead last in scoring offense (15.2). The Haslams believed this year’s team was capable of winning more games.
What led the Browns to move on from Stefanski?
EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — Classes across East Cleveland City Schools were briefly interrupted on Wednesday for a celebration.
After nearly seven years of oversight from the state’s Academic Distress Commission, the district has officially been released and is once again fully in control of its operations.
“This isn’t a Cinderella story. This is a story of a community that decided that excellence is now the standard,” said East Cleveland City Schools Superintendent and CEO Dr. Henry Pettiegrew.
He said turnarounds don’t come easily.
“We scratch. We claw. We grind (and) we hustle to get what we need,” Pettiegrew said. “And this community deserves this recognition today. Our teachers have gotten stronger. Students are performing better. It’s really amazing where we are today.”
The state placed him in the district in 2019 with a clear mission— to improve a failing district and boost academics so all students can succeed.
In September, around the time state report cards were released, he told me the district was using data to drive decisions, providing better support to teachers and communicating more with families.
“We’re knocking on doors. We’re having those real conversations, and if parents or students need particular things, supports or items, we’re right there to help,” Pettiegrew explained then.
He said teachers, students, and families rose to the occasion, applying focus and dedication.
Students earned a four-star rating in the progress category and an overall three-star rating on the most recent state report card. For the first time in more than a decade, the district is meeting state standards.
The district also met 16 of the 20 academic benchmarks set by the state, leading to its release from oversight. On Wednesday, a video played across the district in every classroom for what it called “We Are EC Day: Three Stars and Rising.”
In the video, Pettiegrew thanked everyone for the progress made. Congratulations also poured in from community members, business leaders, and celebrities, including Cleveland Browns player Shelby Harris.
Each student received a special school hoodie representing the mantra “Three Stars and Rising.” Staff members got a similar jersey.
“Throughout history, we commemorate when wonderful things happen and East Cleveland is no different,” Pettiegrew said.
He added that the district can’t and won’t let up on its path to continued success.
Pettiegrew said the district will be focusing hard on improving literacy outcomes and graduation rates, among other priorities. He said the goal is to match, if not exceed, the results from the last state report card on the next one.
Here’s a link to the full video the district released.
Damon Maloney is a Cuyahoga County and We Follow Through anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @DMaloneyTV, on Facebook DamonMaloneyTV or email him at Damon.Maloney@wews.com.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — OHSAA girls basketball scores from Tuesday in Ohio, as provided by The Associated Press.
Ada 37, Lima Cent. Cath. 19
Amanda-Clearcreek 61, Bloom-Carroll 51
Archbold 51, Holgate 10
Ashland Mapleton 58, Ashland Crestview 40
Baltimore Liberty Union 58, Lancaster Fairfield Union 50
Bay (OH) 56, Westlake 29
Bluffton 49, Lima Shawnee 48
Bryan 72, Van Wert 34
Bucyrus Wynford 58, Sycamore Mohawk 55
Carey 48, New Washington Buckeye Cent. 33
Castalia Margaretta 48, Norwalk 28
Circleville Logan Elm 62, Cols. Hamilton Twp. 29
Cle. E. Tech def. Cle. Max Hayes, forfeit
Cle. Hay 89, Cle. Collinwood 4
Cle. John Marshall 68, Cle. Glenville 4
Clyde 46, Port Clinton 42
Cols. Eastmoor 54, West 39
Cols. Franklin Hts. 63, Bishop Ready 41
Cols. Grandview Hts. 59, Worthington Christian 39
Cols. Linden-McKinley 53, East 14
Cols. Walnut Ridge 53, Columbus South 28
Continental 47, Defiance Ayersville 45
Delphos Jefferson 41, Wapakoneta 40
Dublin Coffman 47, Marysville 38
Elida 52, Ft. Jennings 16
Gahanna Cols. Academy 66, Whitehall-Yearling 20
Grove City 43, Hilliard Bradley 17
Hamler Patrick Henry 54, Leipsic 23
Haviland Wayne Trace 35, Delta 26
Hilliard Davidson 42, Dublin Scioto 30
Independence 43, N. Ridgeville Lake Ridge 19
Ironton Rock Hill 30, Grace Christian, W.Va. 28
Jackson Center 55, Lima Perry 6
Johnstown 34, Pataskala Watkins Memorial 17
Kalida 50, Van Wert Lincolnview 34
London Madison-Plains 89, Tree of Life 10
McComb 56, McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley 37
Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 47, Dola Hardin Northern 39
Mt. Vernon 64, Newark Cath. 37
N. Robinson Col. Crawford 41, Attica Seneca E. 37
Newark 60, Dublin Jerome 52
Norwood 47, Cin. Seven Hills 42
Oak Harbor 48, Pemberville Eastwood 22
Ottoville 47, Lima Bath 31
Paulding 48, Convoy Crestview 33
Portsmouth 46, Ashland Blazer, Ky. 32
Seton 46, Cin. Oak Hills 44
Sherwood Fairview 53, Metamora Evergreen 37
South Point 53, Portsmouth Notre Dame 49
Spencerville 32, St Marys 31
Streetsboro 56, Lodi Cloverleaf 48
Tiffin Calvert 57, Vanlue 28
Tol. Ottawa Hills 61, Lakeside Danbury 24
Upper Sandusky 52, Bucyrus 10
Utica 43, Pataskala Licking Hts. 39
Van Buren 36, Harrod Allen E. 27
Wauseon 43, Defiance 39
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