OT: Cleveland reporter asks Browns owner "Is team run by the Three Stooges?"

Submitted by mGrowOld on

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Unlike Detroit, Cleveland is NOT happy about our HC getting fired.  General consensus around here is that Chud did a pretty good job given the circumstances: GM trading 2013 picks in draft for 2014 picks, trading his #1 RB to the Colts (say what you will about the trade itself or Richardson - he WAS his #1 back), a team 24MM under cap and having to play arguably the worst QB in the NFL, Brandon Weedon.  As a matter of fact - during the short tenure of Brian Hoyer (a decent but certainly not great QB) the team looked pretty damn good and won all three of its games.  So Browns fans are generally confused, pissed and frustrated at the front office decision to make Chud a "one and done".

So yesterday the Brown's front office held a news conference to discuss Chudzinski's firings and one of local reporters asked a question that I'm sure our "brain trust" was not expecting.

http://www.19actionnews.com/category/240218/video-landing-page?autoStar…

 

The FannMan

December 31st, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^

I haven't watched the video yet, but I can only assume that the answer was:  "Nope, that's Detroit."

/Agree with the firing of Schwartz, my commet is directed to the last 50 years in general.

Benoit Balls

December 31st, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^

My Father grew up in Ferndale in the 40's, 50's and 60's. Shortly after we moved from Ferndale to Cleveland,  my Father's disdain for the "cheap ass" Ford family that "knew they were going to make money every year no matter how shitty the team was" reached its peak.  I remember he and my Uncle talking about how they ruined Billy Sims' career, and my Father vowed to not let me become a fan of the Lions' perpetual misery.

At the same time, my maternal Grandfather lived near us in Cleveland, and he had been a season ticket holder since the Browns AAFC days in the late 40's.  So, I ended up becoming a Browns fan.  

Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of humor.

mGrowOld

December 31st, 2013 at 12:58 PM ^

Wow are our stories similar.  Grew up in Pontiac in the shadow of the Silverdome, moved to Cleveland with work in 87 and have followed the Browns since.  Became a season ticket holder when I remarried in 09 and our wedding gift was my late Father-in-Law's PSL for three seats dead on the 50 yard line, row 1, upper deck (literally right on the rail).  He's held his since 54 and has his name on the Charter member wall in the stadium.  Pretty cool stuff.

I was conflicted this year when the Lions played the Browns.  Either way I won/lost.

Benoit Balls

December 31st, 2013 at 12:38 PM ^

I put my order in yesterday. Don't worry MGrowOld, the media will return to their regular roles as a glorified PR department for the team shortly.  I was encouraged that there was at least an attempt to hold their feet to the fire yesterday, but I doubt it will last.

robpollard

December 31st, 2013 at 12:38 PM ^

...when the reporter introduces his question with, "I'm not a sports guy, I'm a news guy. So I'm here as the voice of the fans" and then goes on to discuss how the Action News teams' Facebook page "blew up" after the firing was announced, and starts reading posts (from someone I'm sure named something like BrownsDawg69) about how the team is an "embarrassment."

I don't feel bad for the Browns execs, though. They're not Lions bad, but they're close. Firing a coach after less than one full year shows something, somewhere, got really screwed up.

LSAClassOf2000

December 31st, 2013 at 12:44 PM ^

CBS had a link to the full presser, which actually has several moments where Haslam has a look as if he can't believe this is really happening - and honestly so, like he expected a different presser altogether. At one point, someone from another outlet called him out on his supposed fondness for continuity and during the entire question, he hung his head down and shook it slowly, not looking directly at the reporter. 

The Three Stooges question is pretty epic though - Haslam and Banner really do deserve every bit of the grilling that they are getting in the press, in my opinion. 

991GT3

December 31st, 2013 at 12:51 PM ^

is an indictment of the GM and owner hiring process. They are acknowledging they made a mistake. Not good for a new owner of a team. Basically indicates he does not know what he is doing.

ShadowStorm33

December 31st, 2013 at 1:36 PM ^

Coaches, GM's, etc., aren't above criticism, and I hate how so many pressers seem to be all softballs/fluff and utterly devoid of anything remotely resembling a difficult question. I would love, even just once, for a reporter to ask something like that at a Michigan presser. Like, for example, "borges, wtf were you thinking sticking with the same 2pt conversion play you showed before the timeout against osu..."

1 percent

December 31st, 2013 at 1:27 PM ^

Fellow Browns fan here. I did not like te hire when it happened but I didn't think Chud got a fair shake. I don't like the firing.



It may not have been a bad move and if you see something you don't like it is best to cut ties then and walk away.

Hoke is the ne…

December 31st, 2013 at 2:28 PM ^

with your assessment that it was scapegoating.  That works.  What I disagreed with was the description of cowardly...he asked the question eyeball to eyeball to the Browns brass so what was cowardly about it?  Unprofessional...perhaps...depending on how one defines "unprofessional" given the behavior of media in general nowadays.  

 

FWIW, assuming he was telling the truth that the question came from FB or other social media avenue, on the surface it seemed to be a clever way to ask a question that required a difficult answer.  Kudos to Jimmy H. for not answering it like a clown (i.e. Jim Schwartz).

Blue from Ohio

December 31st, 2013 at 2:31 PM ^

I think Chud got a very raw deal here.  I'm not a Browns fan, I'm a Bears fan which comes with it's own false hope most years, but he inherited the usual tire fire that is the Browns.  Most games the Browns were in this year and almost upset the Pats at home.  The last game was ugly against the Steelers, but the Steelers seemed to be hitting their stride at this point in the season and they were playing them at home.  If they think anyone is going to come in and turn around a team completely in one year that's been as bad as the Browns the past few years, then they are the 3 Stooges.