Browns – Page 3 – CLEVELAND WINS !

Cleveland – A Place Where Pride Should Prevail

Cleveland has every right to be a proud city

There was some more bad news that struck the city of Cleveland today and it had nothing to do with its sports teams. That, in itself, is an interesting contrast. United Airlines is pulling their “hub” from Cleveland and our flights from that airline will slowly decline. This should not come as a complete shock to anyone as the airline industry, in their “consolidation phase”, is seeking to screw the consumer at every conceivable turn for the sake of their shareholders. That sounds awful but it is truly the American Way. Any company’s Board of Trustees and CEO are bound to do what they can to enhance shareholder value. That is their duty. Not to make consumers happy or enhance their value unless it concurrently enhances shareholder value. You don’t need to be an economist to recognize that that convergence rarely happens.

Consumer flight costs are going up and our convenience is going way down. Now the industry can come up with some odd constructed statistics where they claim that is not happening, but you only need to be a consumer of air travel to recognize the obvious. Since August 10, 2012, United Airlines stock price has risen from 17.78 to 45.84 as of Friday. That is a rise of almost 158% since the late summer of 2012. Even with the huge rise in the stock market for 2013, it is clear that United has outperformed even one of our most bullish market years. So the CEO and Board of Trustees are doing their job. How can we really complain about that? One reason might be that we are much more likely to be consumers of United Airlines in Cleveland and not shareholders.

It is not surprising that this announcement comes right on the heals of a lavish article in the United Airlines magazine about Cleveland. I suppose Clevelanders should think a well constructed article eases the pain of the loss of hub status. The way our sports teams are being portrayed lately, United probably does think that is a fair trade. If you really think about it, maybe some of the research that went into the article was used to determine that it was time to pull the plug on hub status for Cleveland. A bizarre twist Cleveland area residents should well appreciate.

So, despite the bad news about the United hub and the living hell that is our sports teams, we need to look forward at the positives of the Cleveland area and there are many. These have been well innumerate in other places but I will attempt this brief list as a reminder in these rather difficult times. In case there is any doubt, this is not an attempt to be cute or deferential about Cleveland or to provide comic relief. I honestly believe these things are real and palpable. I believe these things mean something. I believe they translate into improved quality of life and a better place for our families. Other cities might be able to claim more lavish examples and greater quantity but rarely greater quality.

1) Let’s start with the weather. Cleveland is the butt of many jokes and barbs about this by people in Los Angeles and Miami:

Yes, Cleveland gets winter and snow and cold temperatures. But Clevelanders also know how to deal with it and rarely are stopped by it. The streets generally remain open, commerce can continue, and residents know how to stay comfortable at uncomfortable times. Plus, Clevelanders know how to DRIVE in that weather. A fact that is sometimes overshadowed by an idiot on the road but confirmed by far fewer multicar disasters like happened in sunny Atlanta recently.

When was the last hurricane, mud slide, wild fire, Tsunami, tropical storm, earthquake or other similar massively destructive weather disaster in Cleveland? We do have flooding from time to time and certainly have tornados but our level of destruction from those disasters is generally well confined with a few people being devastated but not large populations. The number of deaths is more limited as is the destruction of property. Now I lived through a tornado with 5 homes destroyed in my neighborhood so I am not minimizing the destruction just putting it in perspective.

Our summers may from time to time seem pretty hot and uncomfortable but not nearly at the level of those in most climates where they chirp about our winters.

Clevelanders see the seasons change and the leaves turn and nature renew itself year after year. Some of our smug detractors rarely see such things and marvel when they do.

2) Cleveland area residents live near one of the greatest fresh water bodies of water in the world! There are beaches to go to in the summer that are a few miles away instead of days away. The boating community is alive and well in Cleveland and hundreds of boats travel in and fish our waters throughout the warmer seasons. We have homes overlooking the water and lavish views. No, it is not Hawaii, but I would bet that other areas would love to have Cleveland’s access to water.

3) Another more unusual angle of Cleveland’s access to Lake Erie is the fact that fresh water is probably one of the rarest assets in the world and certainly in our country. It is absolutely essential for life but few large bodies of fresh water exist. Plus, right now, we have abundant rainfall to supplement our supplies. If I were to pick an area likely to survive tough atmospheric times, it would be our area. I know this sounds crazy to discuss, but it is a valid point that cannot be disputed if you dare to think about it.

4) If you are sick, are there many places you would rather be than living in the Cleveland region? Cleveland has multiple major health systems in our area all of which have received huge accolades. Although one system garners most of the press, the medical community knows that there are huge World Class medical assets in Cleveland that reach far beyond the borders on any one system. Research and advances in medicine abound from Cleveland. Some may argue that they are equivalent, but no area can clearly declare medical superiority over Cleveland.

5) Despite huge changes in Cleveland’s automobile transportation connections and suffering through a major necessary change in its highways, Cleveland commerce has maintained and thrived. Yes, there have been major headaches but rarely causing time consuming tie-ups like in Chicago or New York or Washington or Los Angeles. Cleveland residents should be proud of the fact that commerce is rarely withered by our highways and 2 hour commutes. I have been in many cities and it is one of the easiest to both navigate and arrive on time.

6) Ignoring sports for the moment, Cleveland can brag about huge assets in the entertainment industry with our emerging movie making presence, the Theater district, the Cleveland Orchestra, Blossom Music Center, as well as being the home of Rock and Roll. Our cultural assets are all reasonably impressive with quality museums and access to the arts.

7) Being a Midwest community Cleveland can honestly say that it has great places to live and great places to raise a family. Despite our struggles with the Cleveland School District, suburban schools are of very high quality and we have every reason to believe the inner city districts will continue to improve. We have multiple colleges and universities within miles of Cleveland and in Cleveland. Our medical school at Case Western Reserve is one of the best in the country.

8) All around Cleveland are huge agricultural regions with fresh food available throughout the growing season. Tropical foods and seafood need shipped in but much of what we eat can be grown or produced locally. Drive outside Cleveland or a suburb and see how long it takes you to reach miles and miles of farms. It is not long.

9) Avoiding professional sports for the moment, there is no doubt that athletes and athletic events thrive in Cleveland. We have some of the best high school sports events in the country and our college events, although on a more minor scale, are top notch as well. Just ask any Mount Union supporter, whose university is only a little more than an hour away. A normal commute time in Chicago.

10) Finally in my top 10 is Cleveland professional sports!!! And, although I blog about this topic most often, I admit that the luster of Cleveland professional sports in this article is best positioned to simply say that we have three professional sports franchises. This is the one area where other cities can certainly say that they have greater quality as well as in some cases quantity of professional sports. The sad thing is that this is one of the most visible pieces and projects a shadow over Cleveland that is neither deserved nor accurate.

There was a reason why Cleveland was one of the greatest cities in early industrial America. The resources and advantages I have outlined here are many of those reasons. Rapid transportation and a digital society have seemed to wipe out the advantages so desperately sought by our ancestors. But, when you actually look at this logically and not in the squalid light that outsider’s project, you see a fine place to live, a fine place to love, and a fine place to support. No corporate decision or sport’s franchise ineptitude can change that fact. Stay classy Cleveland (as a great newscaster might say) and never forget that we have much more to be proud of than to decry.

#Browns seem to be Traveling on a Narrow Track

The Cleveland Browns are clearly focused on their head coaching search and it seems to me that they are on a very narrow track. This is a narrow track with respect to whom they will hire as Head Coach and whom they will draft first this year. Also, being a very narrow track, it is much easier to derail. That is the part that concerns me the most.

If it is true that it is only a matter of time before the Cleveland brain trust hires Josh McDaniels and then pairs him with Johnny Manziel, we are going to be starting the 2014 season rocking on that narrow track. Both McDaniels and Manziel are known for their flairs for the dramatic. They seem to have egos that at least match their talent levels. Manziel seems to think he can beat his fellow offensive players into submission with fire and brimstone speeches on the sidelines. It seems to work fairly well on a college stage. Not so sure how it will translate to professional players. McDaniels, not to be outdone, has created some fireworks of his own based on his volatile time in Denver.

On the positive side, both seem to be very talented and accomplished in their methods. They seem to produce results. It is very true that the Browns do not need to have choir boys leading them to victory and that volatile egos with a burning desire to win can work. But if those same egos clash, well that would lead to an explosion off the tracks.

So, for the Browns fans that are so psyched about this magical combo please be aware that this will be an interesting and possibly rocky ride until things smooth out. There is legitimate hope that McDaniels has learned some lessons from his checkered Denver experience. And it is also true that he will not be a General Manager so some of the pressure will be taken off. This could translate into a much improved final product. It is also possible that cooler heads will prevail with Manziel and he will come in with fire but not the kind that burns his teammates or himself.

Now the problems with Manziel’s size, reckless style play, throwing off the back foot and other issues may not be as easy to tame or control. So it remains to be seen what the results will be. My hope is that Hoyer can win the job and Manziel (or anyone else we pick for that matter) can sit back and watch awhile until they are thrown out there. If people think Manziel (or any of the quarterback prospects this year) is a finished product that is simply not the case.

Of course I would be extremely pleased if there is a real Head Coach search and that Malzahn from Auburn is a legitimate target. He is innovative and supports an up-tempo offense similar to Chip Kelly. But, because he is less hyped, I think he might even be a better choice than Kelly was last year.

I also hope that the Browns brain trust has not settled on a quarterback to target as of yet and a true analysis is ongoing. There are many ways to go with this and I really don’t think any of the quarterbacks this year come close to Andrew Luck or even RGIII for that matter. So to trade up and lose valuable additional assets to “get their guy” might not be the best strategy this year. However, I think it is exactly the strategy they will employ. I am fearful that the Rams will insist, at the least, on both first round picks and that would be a shame given all of the needs we have. Remember, there are only three picks before 4. There I said it. Thank you Captain Obvious.

#Browns Disaster Story Part 3 – after Luca Brasi strikes

Little did I know when I wrote my last post about the Browns unmitigated disaster that Luca was waiting around the corner from the Browns locker room after the Steelers game. He struck quickly and with little warning and Chud was no more. It does fit the arrogance and ruthlessness of our senior management, but it was still a bit surprising. Now I did predict long ago that Chud would have a short leash with the management and the fans. I guess the fans were a bit more tolerant than the management but I said that if Banner decides to nail the coffin “Browns fans won’t have enough energy to pry open the lid”. That was certainly a true statement.

Now, in my past approach, I would have argued the merits or lack of merit in firing a first time head coach after one year. But, as I implied in my recent post and at the time of my Chud article in the spring, the focus now will be on results. Chud did not produce results and, even though I disagree with the move, I am willing to accept this unceremonious execution with one provision ….. THAT THE BROWNS START WINNING NEXT YEAR!! There are no more three to five year plans. There are no two year plans. There is only a ONE YEAR plan. That plan is to reach the playoffs in the 2014 season! Fans need to finally hold the Browns accountable just as the current management has held Coach Chud accountable. We need to stand firm and not accept failure again. Now that is a hard thing to say as I have season tickets with a close and dear friend and I won’t let him down, but we need to stand up for success and not accept continued failure. If we accept continued losing and just moan and groan about it, we deserve what we get.

So that brings me to another reality check point. If I feel this way, there are likely many other Browns fans that feel similarly. If that is true, then the Browns have finally reached the OK Corral. After all of this tolerance and acceptance of 3-5 year plan after 3-5 year plan, I think the fans have finally reached a breaking point. We will have that “shoot out” with the team if they don’t produce. Generally fans lose these battles miserably but Browns fans are a curious bunch. Never know what might happen if we get pushed too far. Maybe we will actually be able to walk away with our wallets and our dignity.

I actually think the Browns ownership and management sense this growing dissatisfaction and this partially led them to the conclusion they must fire Chud and move on now. Sooner than later. Faster than slower. More ruthless than accepting. Now what they may not have anticipated is that the fans were galvanized by the move to ax Chud after one year. It made me realize, and I suspect others, that the Browns must win now. The ownership would not have made this move if they didn’t feel the pressure to produce fast. And Banner actually said some things similar today at the presser. Haslam did as well. I think they firmly feel that they cannot afford another three year plan. The word “patience” was not used much or at all at the presser. The media was aggressive and asked tough questions that were not as easy to answer as many in the past. Haslam was visibly upset at some of the implications about his leadership and credibility. I am firmly convinced after today’s press conference that they know the score. And the score is they had better hire a good coach that will produce NOW and win.

So as opposed to being more distressed by this disaster that is the Cleveland Browns organization, I am actually much more accepting of their methods. What has led me to this acceptance is that I am now taking control of what I can actually control. And that is my support or lack of support for the Browns. All of the pressure has fallen on them. None of the pressure is on the fans. They must produce a solid coach and coaching staff, a great draft that includes a quarterback to groom, use a ton of cap space to improve the quality of the players on the field, and then go out and win next year. Even just making the playoffs next year will likely be enough to move the fans strongly in their direction. Even a one game and out would return credibility to the organization and allow them to proceed to a championship caliber team in the following years. Anything less and I am not sure what will happen. Only witnessing the improvement will allow me to even think of the consequences.

If they decide to go with McDaniels and Manziel, a combination I previously have feared, I am Ok with it. Because my judgement will be from the production on the field. I will not prejudge the outcome but watch the results. That doesn’t mean I won’t blog about it or have an opinion. It simply means that I expect the Browns to win. Anything else is unacceptable.

Browns and Cavs are Parallel Disaster Stories – Part one, The Browns

Before the football season began there was a reasonable sense of optimism about the direction of the Browns and the upcoming season. No one really predicted a playoff run but a boost to 7-9 or 8-8 was very possible. The coaching staff although new was exciting and a true Browns fan was running the show (Coach Chud) with very experienced O and D coordinators to support him. The players on defense had been upgraded significantly and the hope was an aggressive attacking defense that made opposing teams uncomfortable. The Steelers were on the decline and had little chance of sniffing playoffs based on their roster and anemic start to the season. All was good in Browns land. Browns fans had reasonable expectations and an improved competitive team. Everyone hated the quarterback, but that was not new for Browns fans. We haven’t liked a quarterback that starts since our return to the league. Now we do love backups but that is a fleeting fancy.

And now we reach the final game of the season and a reality check. The Steelers are again in the playoff race and a victory over the Browns is important for them. The Browns are again “racing” for a high draft pick that is unlikely to right the franchise (as evidenced by the many high picks that have gone before). The Browns have a pathetic record, still no quarterback, can’t close out games as evidenced by many fourth quarter meltdowns, an expensive defense that is highly overrated in our minds and can’t stop a team at the end of a game and can’t get off the field on third down, and a front office that can’t even let the General Manager speak for fear of what he will say. Does that sound like a recipe for success to you? Please challenge me if I am misstating the facts here? I don’t think I am even exaggerating a bit.

And then comes the Browns vaunted fan base. We complain about our starters (primarily at quarterback but everywhere else at times). Boo when the team is down and our players are down. Fatalistically expect to lose and then boo more when the team meets our expectations. We have become the same losers our teams have become. That isn’t a value judgment because I join in with the chorus myself on many occasions. It is simply a statement of fact and reflects the performance on the field of being unable to close out games and be a winner. Be honest with yourself. Isn’t it true that every time a game gets close in the fourth quarter you visualize another loss instead of a stunning win? Well do you think the team is any different? Free agent and rookie players come here and marvel at the improbable ways the team finds to lose games. They almost are in stunned silence. Listen to Kruger interviews since the losing. The poor guy doesn’t know what hit him.

Despite all of this gloom and doom next year hope will spring eternal again. The fans will have a new quarterback to boo and maybe this time they will learn their lesson. I can always pray that the fans will realize that a rookie quarterback will not carry the Browns to the Promised Land (and neither will Hoyer). This team needs to keep its draft picks in their pocket and improve the team at every turn. I have no problem picking a quarterback with their first pick; just do not trade up to get him. Ask Washington how that is turning out? There are no Andrew Lucks in this draft and probably no RG3s either. Let’s get the best available and move from there.

The Browns must sign Mack and Ward to avoid creating two gaping new holes they must fill. They have enough holes already. With a good draft and a mental makeover of the team and the fans, the Browns have something to work with. We might have the most dynamic receiver in the league thanks to Tom Heckert. Just remember that this front office basically ripped Heckert for that move. If he stays clean, he can get even better. That is a great star to build with on offense.

Yes, I have said that the Browns are a disaster. And who can really challenge me on that? They have an unproven front office that needs a bunch of home runs in the draft and strategic signings to move the team forward. I am hopeful that they will listen to reason and use their cap money and draft picks aggressively this year to vault the team forward. The assets are there but it takes precise execution to move out of the abyss.

In addition, it will take some luck and success on the field to break through the culture of losing both for the fans and the team. Even with that early, I have seen Cleveland teams crash and burn when the expectations begin to rise. It makes no sense, but it happens. One team will need to rise above. One team will have to go from disaster to success. Will it be the Browns? Will the Browns fans drop their losing mentality and support the team with thunderous cheers instead of dysfunctional boos? Can we avoid being fickle and support the quarterback through the tough times as well as the good times? There are only so many superstar quarterbacks out there you know. We may not get one. But, look at it this way; anything will look like an upgrade over Weeden.

Am I optimistic? Well, I am a Cleveland fan so that counts on the negative side. I will say this, if the front office executes this off-season, I will remain positive unless the record proves me wrong at the end of next year. I want a winner and acting like a loser does not lead to winning. So I vow to change my approach and hope it helps. Fairy tale … maybe. But, after looking at this Browns season, I have little choice other than giving up. I choose not to give up.

Hey Joe Banner !!! We do not have single digit IQs ??

AN OPEN LETTER TO JOE BANNER

Hi Joe!

I appreciate your reading this in it’s entirety. Nice of you to agree to do that. Now I am very aware of your immense IQ and the fact your ego demands that I acknowledge you know more football in the tip of your little finger than I know in my whole body. I know that I am simply a “fan” and can’t possibly fathom the depth of thought used by yourself and Lombardi to make decisions. But, as a season ticket holder, I do have a vested interest in your decisions and what effect they have on my family, friends and wallet. I know this is hard to accept for someone as superior as yourself but fans are necessary to the success of the NFL. If you don’t have fans, you don’t have a team or a league. So maybe you can agree that we are not completely meaningless slugs, just nearly meaningless.

As a fan and season ticket holder, I would like to hear the complete truth instead of just the truth you want to spew to the media and fans. So, for the sake of clarity, let me read this thing back to you. Correct me where I am wrong. First, you sold Jimmy Haslim on yourself by professing how you would build this awesome team better than anyone else could. Even though you were let go in Philadelphia because you had no reasonable experience in player acquisition and team building. After that you brought in one of the most infamous front office personalities from Cleveland’s past and asked us all to just “get along” and let the past be in the past. You knew how brilliant he was even though we were skeptical.

Once you had your team assembled you analyzed the players and developed your plan. You decided the Browns had no quarterback. You decided the Browns had a running back that was good but we had severely overpaid (in draft picks) and he didn’t exactly fit your image of a dynamic back. You knew the offense needed playmakers but you decided not to add any because you didn’t have a quarterback. Plus, if you didn’t really add much to the offense (except Bess), you knew the offense would struggle and that would support your anti-Weeden agenda. You kept your best back off the field on third down so the defense will be sure we weren’t going to run. That will allow some ears pinned back rushes to “test” Weeden under pressure. If he happens to get hurt, oh well that’s just part of the game. If he does poorly, you knew that anyway. Oh yes, and you decided Cousins was a fine guard to develop so the fact that he was a complete sieve to the quarterback was of no concern. He would “get better”. Weeden needed to be tested under pressure anyway. (Oh, sorry, I already said that.) If Weeden happened to get hurt, oh well that’s just part of the game. (Oops, sorry, I said that already also.)

Once you effectively demonstrated to us morons that Weeden was not good and Richardson wasn’t all that much better, you decided to quickly change gears after the team started 0-2. Weeden had just been hurt and couldn’t play. The opportunity was there to speed up the implementation of your master plan (of course we had NO IDEA what you were doing). In order to do that you needed to add more draft picks. What better way to do that than to trade the third pick in the draft from the previous year and try to get a low first round pick. You knew Tom Heckert overvalued Richardson anyway so what was the difference. Plus you could start Brian Hoyer, who your crack staff had determined was better than Weeden anyway despite being cut from three teams last year. That would begin an audition for the back-up quarterback spot for next year. If he did amazingly well, you could even start him for a few games next year while you groom your phenom for the NFL. Campbell was just a back-up at best anyway so you don’t need to see him. Plus, Campbell might win more games and that would drop your draft position. Oh yes, and let’s go ahead and finally bench Greg Little who couldn’t catch a cold. Why upset your new quarterback in his first game?

I could go on but you get the general picture. I actually have a pretty good idea of what you are thinking but you think we all know nothing. You actually think we are buying your coach saying that playing Hoyer was completely his decision and it was because it gives us “the best chance to win”? You actually don’t think we can translate your statement that the Richardson trade “gives us the best chance of sustainable success” really means “we had better get as many damn draft picks as we can so we can get that damn quarterback”. Do you think for a second we can’t tell that Oniel Cousins is a complete stiff and you would never let him play a down at right guard if you had your quarterback in place?

Your ultimate results could be good or disastrous. Your master plan could work to perfection or fall flat on it’s face. The future results will be the judge of your brilliance. I am not saying I know what master plan will work or not work. I am not even saying that you are trying to tank the season. But I also know that I do not have a single digit IQ. I doubt many of the fans reading this or the media have single digit IQs. So could you PLEASE not develop a plan that includes a plethora of catch phrases and bull crap designed to misdirect us and cover the truth. There was a much better way to do this without insulting the intelligence of every fan, every media person, and every competing GM. We all know you are building a war chest of draft picks in order to draft a franchise quarterback. We all know you would be just fine with the season diving to oblivion and our record competing for the bottom of the league. We all know you have no confidence in Brandon Weeden. We all know that Richardson was not “your man” either and he was best used as a chip to get your quarterback. We all know you have no belief that Oniel Cousins will ever be anything but an emergency backup and would never be allowed to step on the field if you had “your playmakers” out there. We all know that Brian Hoyer is not starting this week because he “gives us the best chance to win” but because he needs a try-out to become the backup quarterback. We all know that Chud only made that decision in consultation with Lombardi and yourself. We all know that the Browns are a distinctly less talented team without Richardson and even Weeden. We all know that our fun this season might be completely gone and we will need to sit through a dismal season. We all know the fun of seeing a star running back emerge is gone and we might have given away another talented playmaker with very little to show for it. We all know you can “go all in” for your quarterback, make a mistake, and give us another 5-7 years of pain.

So, after only game 2 of the season, you have purposely put my fun for a season of decent football in serious jeopardy. You may have set the stage for another season of pain. That risk should not be taken so lightly and my intelligence so blatantly insulted. Now I realize that this could work out and the team might not even be dramatically worse or any worse than it would have been without such drastic action. I know Hoyer might even look decent in this offense. But that is not what I am challenging you about with this letter. I am simply saying there was another more reasonable way to do this. You could have told us all that your evaluation of Weeden showed a quarterback who was not as decisive, accurate or analytic as you had hoped. That you were hoping you could coach him up and that he would come through. At the same time you could have acknowledged that Brian Hoyer might get a chance during the season to take control of the offense but you were hoping Weeden would make that decision for you. You could have said that, if you are not sure as the season progresses you have found your quarterback, you were going to make finding a quarterback a top priority. This might require stockpiling draft picks or using other methods to accomplish that goal. You might have had the decency to tell us that your analysis of Trent showed some indecisiveness also about hitting the hole hard and fast. That he ran better in space than up the middle. It would have been fine to say you hoped with your coaching staff you could have improved Trent in all of these areas and he would become the back you expect. You might have been clear that winning more this year would be preferred but that the most important thing was to find a quarterback either on this roster or in the draft and that was a top priority for this season. If things needed to be done to assure that, then you might need to take decisive action to improve your chances to accomplish the primary goal. Finally, you could have just gone out and replaced Oniel Cousins instead of feeding us the line he would “get better”. If that meant Weeden didn’t get hurt or you might have to wait an extra week or two to get Hoyer in there, so be it.

We are not Neanderthals and we all could have dealt with the truth. We may not have liked all we heard but at least we could see the plan being presented to us in a thoughtful and intelligent manner. This charade and soap box drama could have played out so much smoother. Than the decisions to start Hoyer, maybe not let Weeden off the bench when he is healthy, trade Richardson, add draft picks, and other things would have made sense and appear less desperate.

You chose to treat us like we couldn’t see that this was an orchestrated attempt to “prove” to us that you were right and Heckert was wrong. That you were never going to accept the “hand me downs” from Heckert that you didn’t want or like. And that you were willing to, if necessary, sacrifice the season to accomplish your goal.

Thanks for listening but I know nothing I or anyone else says would change your approach. You and Lombardi are the ones with genius IQs and egos the size of Russia. How could we ever teach you anything anyway.

Sincerely,

An insulted fan