Tag: cleveland media

The War Between The Browns & The People Who Cover Them.

It has been evident all year long that there is a disconnect between the front office of the Cleveland Browns and the people who cover the team.

There is no question that the Browns’ front office is trying something that really hasn’t been done since the Dallas Cowboys after Tom Landry was fired, and Jerry Jones bought the team and hired Jimmy Johnson as head coach.

After last season, they decided to release older players who were making big money, and accumulate draft picks.

To do that, they needed to trade down in the 2016 draft, and in doing so, passed up on several players who made an immediate impact this season, namely Ohio State products Ezekiel Elliott and Joey Bosa.

They had 14 picks in 2016 and will have 13 more next spring, as they try to lay a foundation for the future, one that hasn’t been laid before.

Of course, this is difficult to sell to a media that has covered a team that has made one playoff appearance since 1994.  They are exposed to this everyday and to be sure it gets old, covering loss after loss, with seemingly a new head coach and new promises every other year.

At yesterday’s press conference with Sashi Brown, Paul DePodesta, and Hue Jackson, you could hear the conflict with the questions that were asked.

And there was one article today addressing the “arrogance” of Brown and DePodesta after a season in which there was one win.

Look, we aren’t a genius, but here is what we feel the Browns plan is:

They wanted to rid the roster of high-priced veterans with no upside to their careers, and replace them with young players who will get better with experience.  We are talking about guys like Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner.

To do that, they wanted to accumulate extra draft choices in the 2016 draft to fill the holes on the roster and lay a foundation for the future.  To do that, they made a decision to get out of the top ten picks, and therefore passing on some elite talents.

Whether they did that remains to be seen, because unlike some folks, we aren’t going to make rash judgments on first year players.

However, we do see promise in Corey Coleman, Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib, Derrick Kindred, Seth DeValve, and Shon Coleman.

With those young players in place, now the front office will try to use the four picks they have in the first 50 selections to pick some impact talent to go along with the ’16 draft class.

That’s why we are under the belief that they will not trade down from the first overall pick.  They may trade down from #12 if they think they can get the player they want by moving down slightly.

They also understand they need a quarterback, but they aren’t going to draft let’s say the 50th best player at #1 or #12.  They are going to be true to their draft board.

Which, of course, is something they should be doing.

The media is in love with quarterbacks.  Most of them pooh-poohed Carson Wentz before last year’s draft, but after Wentz played well in his first three games (including one vs. Cleveland), they hammered the front office for trading down.

This isn’t to say what the front office is doing will work, but it should be given a chance before it is condemned.  They’ve tried mixing veterans with young guys, bringing in some vets for leadership, etc.

Guess what?  It hasn’t worked.

Why not tear it down and start completely over?  And don’t blame these guys for mistakes made by past regimes.

It’s not difficult to understand.  Would it be too much to ask for the media to open their minds?

JD

 

Is Cleveland Media Too Soft?

There is no question that the relationship between professional sports teams and the media has changed.

Older writers talk about how former Browns’ coach Blanton Collier would sit down with them and explain the Xs and Os to the scribes who covered the team.

Can’t imagine Pat Shurmur doing that this week.

With the proliferation of cable television and 24 hours per day radio sports talk, management of sports teams have become very sensitive toward the folks who cover the game.

This is particularly true in football because there is a week between games to second, third, and fourth guess the coaching staff.

However, those coaches are also making a lot of money to put up with this “aggravation”.

Some cities are known for tough reporters who ask difficult questions.  Most of those towns are located on the east coast.

Cleveland media people seem to have a good relationship with the Indians, Browns, and Cavaliers.  The question is, should they?

If reporters are indeed finding out information for readers/viewers, in other words, the fans, are they doing their job?

Several circumstances recently beg for a tough question to be asked, especially when the front offices are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the people who buy tickets.

With the Indians, it doesn’t seem that anyone ever asks why the team has had nine losing seasons in 11 years.

For example in yesterday’s Plain Dealer, Paul Hoynes answered a reader’s question on why the Indians did not call up OF Tim Fedroff by saying the Tribe wanted to give some at bats to Thomas Neal, who was also just called up from the minors.

Neal has 10 at bats right now, fewer than several veterans who will not be with the Indians after this season ends.

So, either the front office is full of crap, or someone else isn’t following through on the plan.

Many times the Indians management justify their moves with ridiculous arguments, but no one seems to question them, or at least it isn’t reported.

It is understandable that the beat writer doesn’t ask those questions, but that doesn’t get them off the hook.  Are the guys coaching and managing in Cleveland so far above reproach that they can’t be quizzed?

The Browns and Indians each have a distinct style in dealing with the media.

The football team acts like it’s a chore to have to explain themselves, and Shurmur acts like a guy about to get an enema at a press conference.

Why?  If you are secure in your convictions, then why not take the time to educate everyone on what is going on with the Browns.

The Indians are very open and friendly, but take the politician approach, answering questions with corporate phrasing and canning responses, never really answering what was asked.

The point is this:  Reporters are allowed to ask tough questions, that’s their job.  Players and management should answer tough questions, it’s their responsibility.

What has happened in recent years is that the participants have decided they don’t want to be bothered to answer to the public and so they growl at the media for asking.

It’s one thing if the question is personal or inflammatory.  Those questions have no place in press conferences.  However, inquiries about the game or strategy need to be answered.

Now, Cleveland just needs someone to ask them.  When they aren’t answered, the respondent just looks foolish for avoiding the issue.

MW