When the Indians went through the abyss that was the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, a friend of mine used to say the same principles that applied to the success of organizations like the Orioles and Dodgers (at that time), applied in reverse to the Tribe. Baltimore and Los Angeles made a lot of smart moves in those days, and my buddy would say it’s not luck. By that theory, the Indians would luck themselves into contention at least once. No, he would claim, you have to be dumb to stay that bad for that long. This is where the Cleveland Browns come in.
Look, I’m no fan of Charlie Frye, but the trade of the former Akron signal caller is classic mismanagement. After GM Phil Savage drafted Brady Quinn, he knew eventually Quinn would become the starter. He also knew that offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski preferred Derek Anderson over Frye because of Anderson’s arm and quick decisions with the football. So, the team went through the charade of a quarterback competition in the pre-season games, which Frye apparently won because he started against the Steelers. If Chudzinski didn’t think Frye could win in the NFL, he should have been dealt on draft day.
A successful organization must have everyone on the same page. That is not to say there should not be some disagreement within the front office and the coaching staff, but all parties should know what the goal is and how they are going to get there. It’s obvious that this is not the case with the Browns. Is Phil Savage dictating to Romeo Crennel who should start at quarterback? Is Crennel on the same page as Savage in terms of who should play at any position? It certainly doesn’t appear so. If this is the case, this is where Randy Lerner has to step in and make it clear who he agrees with. This is called leadership. Remember, Crennel was hired before Savage. If Lerner thinks Savage is the man to lead the Browns to the playoffs, then he should make that clear to everyone in the organization.
The handling of the most important position on the team is a joke. Since Crennel is a defensive coordinator by trade, he probably follows others that come from that side of the ball, thinking that quarterback is just another position. It’s not true. For most teams, the QB is the leader of the team. There has to be a decision at that spot. That decision should have been made after the second exhibition game. At that time, Ken Dorsey and Brady Quinn had played the best. However, since Dorsey wasn’t "really" considered, he was declared out of the race. I would have started him against Denver, played Quinn in the second half and gone from there.
However, to name Frye the starter and then bench him is less than a half of the opening game is beyond ridiculous. The same weaknesses Charlie Frye showed last season, appeared last Sunday. If the coaching staff didn’t think Frye could play well, there shouldn’t have been an open competition. They should have manned up and named Anderson the starter going into training camp. Making the decision to pull Frye that early makes it appear that chaos reigns, and can anybody dispute that?
There is a reason the Cleveland Browns are one of the worst teams in football, and it starts at the top. I’m sure Randy Lerner wants to win. But, wanting to win and knowing how to win are two different things. Meanwhile, the fans keep showing up. And the Tribe will probably play in front of empty seats this weekend despite closing in on a playoff spot. For all the criticism Larry Dolan gets, he has a plan. The Browns are running a race for people with no sense of direction.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 