Why Can’t Browns Win?

This week, The Sporting News took a poll of NFL players which revealed that the Cleveland Browns are looked upon as the worst organization in pro football.

Having only two winning seasons since 1999 and going through coaches and general managers like some people go through underwear will get you that ranking.

It also doesn’t help that the franchise seems to be spinning its wheels currently either.

What frustrates Browns fans is the lack of progress in the win/loss record.

Most people would agree that from a talent standpoint, the Browns are better than they were a couple of years ago. But why hasn’t it translated into more wins?

The Indianapolis Colts finished 2-14 a year ago and allowed several veterans to leave via free agency. They did have the first pick in the draft and selected their franchise quarterback, Andrew Luck.

Right now, the Colts are 5-3. The Browns are 2-7.

The Rams had the second pick in last year’s draft with a 2-14 record. They are now 3-5.

Minnesota was 3-13 in 2011. They currently sit at 5-4.

Tampa Bay had the same record as the Browns at 4-12. They are 4-4 halfway through this season.

The question is then why can’t the Browns show the same improvement record wise?

The organization will tell you about how they have so many players with less than one year or one year experience, and that the schedule they play is difficult, with six divisional games against the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals.

It is true that Cleveland is the third youngest team in the NFL. However, the Rams are the youngest. The Vikings are 4th and the Buccaneers are 6th.

So, it appears the age of the team doesn’t deter victories.

The Browns also can’t use the rookie quarterback excuse either, because of the Colts’ progress with Luck.

As for the scheduling issue, Indy has a win over the Green Bay Packers (6-2) and the Vikings. The Rams have beaten Seattle and handed the then unbeaten Cardinals their first loss.

Minnesota has a win over San Francisco (6-2) and also defeated a 2011 playoff team in Detroit. Tampa’s only quality win was against the Vikings, but they have won three of their last four.

So why don’t the Browns win more football games? It could be because those other teams show more aggressiveness, and that stems from the head coach.

Pat Shurmur may be a fine teacher and a great assistant coach, but he doesn’t appear to have what is takes to be a head coach in the NFL.

Here are a couple of things to ponder…

He spooked his own quarterback against the Ravens, talking about how he was afraid of Ed Reed. That made Weeden a dink and dunk passer for basically the whole game.

He had been very accurate on deep passes as of late, and his coach took that away from him.

Why not say that Reed is a future Hall of Famer, but you have to use good judgment in going after him?

And another thing, the Browns drafted Weeden because he had more arm strength than Colt McCoy. Why is the rookie’s average yards per attempt just slightly higher than McCoy’s was last year (6.2 vs. 5.9)?

You have to think the offensive scheme is the problem. Shurmur is making Weeden turn into McCoy.

You can understand the frustration of the fans with their football team. Teams make big turnarounds every season. This year, it’s the Colts, last year it was the 49ers.

Why can’t it be the Browns?

There is talent on this football team, so they can’t use that excuse anymore.

If Pat Shurmur can’t win games, then it’s time to bring in someone who can.

Browns’ Fans: Change Bad

Yesterday, new Browns owner to be, Jimmy Haslam met with Cleveland City Council to discuss several matters.

If he could fix their problems, he might just be a solution to be President of the United States. Getting them to act requires more than a cattle prod.

However, the thing that has all Browns fans in an uproar now is Haslam’s comment around possibly putting a roof on Cleveland Browns Stadium.

All he said was that he was going to bring in some architectural firms to study the feasibility of covering the sacred field that the Browns play on.

What’s the big deal?

First of all, it would make the stadium more of a multi-purpose facility, one that can be used for more than 10 or 12 football games per year, and perhaps a concert or two.

That would be good for Cleveland (with apologies to Sam Rutigliano).

Imagine the possibility of having an NCAA Regional Basketball Tournament or even a Final Four in Cleveland. How about a Super Bowl?

Right now, those events are impossible for Cleveland to host.

There are other things that have to occur before our city can accommodate mega-events such as these, such as lack of hotel rooms. But the lacking of housing is moot without the building in place.

The other argument that holds merit is how would the roof be paid for. Obviously, since we live in one of the higher taxed areas in the country, it would be difficult for folks to take on another burden. That’s a debate for another time.

The issue here is the football fans squawking about playing in a domed stadium, and thereby taking the elements out of the game.

WHO CARES!

If it’s a retractable roof, then the Browns games can continue to be played outdoors, if that is somehow important.

Of course, you would have to replace the grass with field turf as well. The argument here is that the current field is a disgrace anyway. For having just a handful of games on it, it looks terrible.

Watching the Browns-Eagles game, the home opener, the grass already looked chewed up, and it’s only September.

Think about what it will look like after a few games played with moisture and other weather elements.

So, going to artificial turf, regardless of where the stadium has a roof or not would be an upgrade. There doesn’t seem to be enough of a soil base to grow grass effectively.

The point is this: In a vacuum, putting a roof on Cleveland Browns Stadium is a good idea, and Haslam and the city government should do their due diligence to see if it is feasible.

There’s nothing wrong with that, and nothing to get all upset about.

In fact, Browns fans should get used to the idea that change is coming. The new owner has promised that. Whether it is new design for the uniforms, a different design for the field, or a new website, change is coming.

Based on the recent past, why not?

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.

On Modell’s Passing

Growing up in the 60’s, the Cleveland Browns were the arguably the hallmark franchise of the National Football League.

My father would point out with pride that the Browns were the winningest team in NFL history in the late 1960’s. Cleveland played in the championship games in 1964, 1965, 1968, and 1969. Wins in the last two games would have put the Browns in the Super Bowl.

At that point, the city of Cleveland loved Art Modell. He owned the Browns! The Indians weren’t too far removed from their winning days of the 50’s, but they weren’t contenders either.

The Cavaliers did not exist.

The Art Modell that owned the Browns during from 1970 until he ripped the hearts out of the city was a little different.

This is how we remembered Art Modell as he died early Thursday morning.

His obsession with winning a Super Bowl caused him to meddle with personnel moves, and he fell in love with anyone who gave him a glimpse of hope, and turned on them quickly when that hope started to vanquish.

Sam Rutigliano was an unknown at the time, and in his third year as coach, 1980, led the Browns to the playoffs, the ill-fated “Red Right 88” game. He immediately received a new contract.

In 1984, without Brian Sipe, who left for the USFL, the Browns got off to a 1-7 start and Rutigliano was fired.

Modell brought in Ernie Accorsi as GM, and he was very aggressive. Raiding the crumbling USFL for talent such as Kevin Mack and Frank Minniefield, working some magic to get the rights to Bernie Kosar, and building the foundation for a team that went to three AFC title games in four years.

However, Modell liked his coach, Marty Schottenheimer, and when the coach wanted more power, including the draft, the owner gave it to him and forced Accorsi out.

Schottenheimer was gone after the second title game loss, but not before he got rid of LB Chip Banks, and drafted the “mad dog in a meat market” in Mike Junkin.

Sometimes Modell tried to fancy himself as a “football man” and make personnel decisions that he wasn’t qualified for. He needed a QB to replace Bill Nelsen in the late 60’s and fell in love with Mike Phipps, trading Hall of Famer Paul Warfield to get him.

He did the same thing for Bill Belichick in the 90’s when he wanted a wide receiver and spent big money, cash he didn’t have, to get Andre Rison, who turned into a bust.

Owning an NFL franchise is basically a license to print money, but it wasn’t that way for Modell, who had major financial problems.

That’s what led him to move the team to Baltimore. He was broke, but couldn’t see himself clear of selling the franchise, which was always supported by the fans, to someone who would keep it in Cleveland.

The other NFL owners came out in support of Modell’s place in the Hall of Fame because his work on the television committee and his move to Baltimore (and the many new stadium deals it spawned) put a lot of money in their pockets.

That doesn’t mean he should be enshrined in Canton. As owner of the Browns, he came up short. The team had many more droughts from 1970-1994 than it had successes.

His heart was in the right place in those days, but he couldn’t let the right people run the team. Heck, he even fired Belichick after they got to Baltimore.

No one can blame the people of this city for their opinion of Art Modell. He hurt Cleveland badly, and he could have done it differently and had an entirely different legacy.

Haslam Says the Right Things

If you live in northeastern Ohio, you have to be impressed with the press conference introducing the Browns’ new owner, Jimmy Haslam on Friday.

Haslam showed enthusiasm and a love of the game, promised the Browns were not moving anywhere (a nod to the paranoid fans), and that he wanted to restore Cleveland’s football team back to our of the elite franchises in the NFL.

He even said a few things that had to make the ticket buyers smile.

First, he never mentioned the name “Steelers”. He referred to the team he had owned a minority interest in as “the team in the east” or “that other team”. A cool thing, reminiscent of Ohio State fans never saying the actual name of their rival.

He also talked about how he was glad rookie running back Trent Richardson was on his side now, as Haslam is a Tennessee grad and supporter.

He said in his statement what a class act Randy Lerner was, saying that we know how Randy is, but there’s a major difference already. Haslam said more in ten minutes than Lerner said in ten years as owner.

Lerner would talk to print reporters, but not the electronic media, so the fans, the people who buy tickets to the games, never got to hear any passion about the Cleveland Browns. Reporters said he has it, but the public didn’t know that first hand.

They know it after a few minutes of hearing Haslam speak.

It only took those few moments to make the Indians’ ownership the least dynamic of the three professional sports owners in town.

There are a few disturbing things heard on sports talk radio, however, from the people of this area.

It is true that Jimmy Haslam is not from Cleveland, he’s not a lifelong Browns fan. However, Dan Gilbert was a Pistons’ fan growing up in the Detroit, and no one can doubt the passion he has for this area, and also in making the Cavaliers a winner.

Besides, Larry Dolan said he loved the Indians as a kid, and look at how that is turning out.

Another thing that bothers us is the portrayal of Haslam as a “hillbilly” simply because he is from Tennessee. People from this area don’t like when folks from New York or Los Angeles make fun of Cleveland, yet they can poke fun at a man because he’s from the south?

You’re better than that, Cleveland. This man is a billionaire! He knows how to run a successful business, and one that is based on customer service. He has learned what people like, and to be sure, he will apply some of those things in marketing his football team.

He’s also honest in saying he has things to learn, and he is going to talk to Robert Kraft to get a tutorial on the NFL. Based on the Patriots’ success over the last decade, there isn’t anyone better to learn from. And Haslam was also involved in the Steelers, another well run franchise.

It’s kind of full circle in regards to the Steelers. When Pittsburgh wanted a fresh start for a horrible franchise (that’s right Steeler Nation, your team was once a complete joke), they hired a former Brown and a native Clevelander in Chuck Noll.

Now with the Browns looking for a similar reversal, they turn to a Steelers’ minority owner.

Jimmy Haslam won the press conference, now he has to have his new football team win games.

Wonder How Long Haslam Has Been Involved?

It was a shock to all sports fans in Cleveland today to find out the Browns are in the process of being sold to minority Steelers’ owner James Haslam III, the CEO of Pilot Corporation.

So, one of the three professional sports teams will have new ownership. Unfortunately, it’s not the team most fans wish, as many would prefer the Indians be sold.

It likely will mean the departure of Mike Holmgren as team president because he was brought in to run the team on a daily basis, mostly because Randy Lerner didn’t want to do the job.

The rumors are that former Eagles president Joe Banner will become involved with the Browns as part of the Haslam ownership. That would seem to make Holmgren superfluous.

GM Tom Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur have worked for Banner before, so they should remain safe, at least for now.

One thing to ponder is how long have these negotiations been going on because there is no way this deal happened in the last couple of days. In fact, a little over a month ago, Philadelphia radio personality Howard Eskin reported the Browns were for sale, which of course Berea denied immediately.

If Haslam and Lerner were talking since the end of the season, for example, it’s likely that the new owner signed off on the drafting of Trent Richardson, the trade up in the draft move to get QB Brandon Weeden, and using a supplemental second round pick to get WR Josh Gordon.

It also may answer the question as to why the Browns were not very active in free agency. The Steelers are rarely involved in the process either, and perhaps the new owner feels if it’s good enough for Pittsburgh, it will work here as well.

It may be that the good feelings that have revolved around Cleveland’s football team this off-season started when Lerner made a decision to get out of the NFL business. We know he didn’t like it because he sent Holmgren to most of the league’s ownership meetings.

If Haslam has been the driving force behind the scenes of the team he is hoping to purchase, then he should be off to a good start with the fans. Playing time will tell, but it appears for the first time in a long time, the Browns have some playmakers on offense and the makings of a solid offensive line as well.

If Haslam was not involved in these moves, let’s hope he lets things play out this year, before making any decisions on front office personnel. If the team shows some improvement this year, it would not be good to start all over once again.

Browns’ fans are all too familiar with the constant rebuilding process that has cursed the franchise since 1999. Now that it seems like things are looking rosier, it would be a shame to halt the momentum.

For fans hoping for a more active owner, they have their wish. For those who said Lerner didn’t care about the Browns, they no longer have that to complain about.

Now if only someone would pop out of the woodwork to buy the Indians.