denardogasm

February 11th, 2014 at 10:33 AM ^

Has anyone seem the previews for the movie draft day with Kevin Costner? Seems to be a moneyball knockoff about the Browns, except everyone knows the Browns will suck in the end. Where's the suspense?

mGrowOld

February 11th, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^

I honestly don't know.  What I understand is that he was very highly thought of by NFL executives and several articles here locally wondered why the Browns would retain Lombardi and let him walk.  When he didnt take the Miami job I thought at the time somebody had told him to wait for a bit for a reason.

I sure hope Pettine was signed off by Farmer.  I don't even want to think about another coaching search here for a long, long time.

Benoit Balls

February 11th, 2014 at 2:13 PM ^

a knee jerk job by Haslam. It has been in the works for a little while.  Pettine is Haslam's choice, and Farmer was consulted via telephone (he was in Mobile). While Farmer hadn't been told he was in line for a promotion (allegedly), Haslam had already been discussing Banner's exit from the team with Banner a couple of weeks ago (again, rumor).  The rumors of Lombardi being forced out have persited on Twitter for a couple of weeks at least.  Apparently, he all but promised he could deliver McDaniels before Chud was let go, and, well, that didn't happen. Once that blew up in Lombardi's face, Haslam strted to get the idea that no one around the league has much respect for Lombardi, and that set things in motion.

 

pdgoblue25

February 11th, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^

I was simply trying to point out that things just happen to this team, but I hate using the term "cursed"

There was also Don Rogers, he was the defensive rookie of the year after the Browns drafted him, Safety out of UCLA, he died of cardiac arrest after his rookie year.

Benoit Balls

February 11th, 2014 at 2:20 PM ^

Modell'd

seriously, Modell became majority owner in 1961. He fired Paul Brown in 1963. The Browns won the 64 NFL title with a team (led by Jim Brown) built largely by Paul Brown. Then he "fired" Jim freaking Brown.  The next 30 years, zip. zilch. Nada.  The, he took the team to Baltimore. Then the NFL granted the new Browns to Al Lerner, the guy who was unsuccessful in obtaining an NFL franchise for Baltimore when the league expanded with CAR/JAX, who also intorduced Modell to his Baltimore partners to work out a stadium deal on Lerners plane.  

Seriously, you can tie everything bad that has ever happened to the Browns back to Art Modell. Burn in hell, Art Modell

mGrowOld

February 11th, 2014 at 2:58 PM ^

Amen to that my friend.  And thanks to Tony Grossi for being a one-man "never forget" army every time that douche bag's name got brought up by the HOV committee.  He single-handidly kept that a-hole out of the hall.

Baltimore apologists be damned.

sbeck04

February 11th, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^

Wasn't this only his first or second year?  Trading Trent Richardson seemed like a pretty savvy move to me, not to mention moving on from Brandon Weeden.  I'm a Lions fan though, so what do I know?

Michigania

February 11th, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^

Maybe Im in the minority here.... however had Hoyer not gotten hurt, the Browns looked quite good....  this to me, is shocking.....   Lombardi called Hoyer and was right....   makes you wonder had Hoyer stayed healthy, that the entire perception right now would be different.

Michigania

February 11th, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^

Maybe Im in the minority here.... however had Hoyer not gotten hurt, the Browns looked quite good....  this to me, is shocking.....   Lombardi called Hoyer and was right....   makes you wonder had Hoyer stayed healthy, that the entire perception right now would be different.

these wolverines

February 11th, 2014 at 11:08 AM ^

I here you if Hoyer would have not gotten hurt we wouldve won more games and they keep there jobs. The team quit the last 4 games, thats why everyone is gone. I may sound like a homer but the Browns are very close. We are a few pieces away and this is the biggest draft and offseason for us in quite some time.

Wolverine 73

February 11th, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^

Banner and Lombardi were pretty universally reviled in Cleveland, Lombardi from past days and Banner for his snide, arrogant attitude.  Apparently, Haslam noticed and decided he needed to take action.  I am pleasantly surprised.

denardogasm

February 11th, 2014 at 11:27 AM ^

Maybe because they're from Cleveland or Detroit? I hate people who are fans of teams despite living in another team's city their whole life. The only excuse is if your family is from another city and cheers for the team. I didn't "choose" to be a Lions fan. I was born a lions fan and its a cross I must bear.

The FannMan

February 11th, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^

My dad was a Brown's fan and I grew up in metro-Detroit.  The Lions are my team and the Browns are my other team of interest.  Fandom of both teams was instilled in me as a kid.  I have found it impossible to change.  

Truthfully, I watch football on Saturdays and don't watch than much NFL.  The Lions and Browns have basically cost me the NFL.

Benoit Balls

February 11th, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

Dad from Ferndale, Mom from Collinwood. Born in Royal Oak and moved to the East Side of Cleveland when I was about a year old. At least I was saved from the Lions by my Dad, whoi disavowed them after they ruined Billy Sims.  Too bad my maternal Grandfather had Browns season tix from 1948-1983.  

pdgoblue25

February 11th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^

The rumors according to Tony Grossi (local and solid sports reporter) are:

 That the Banner/Lombardi relationship was dysfuntional.  Nobody could reallly get on board with Banner basically saying,"in the end, none of your opinions matter, I make the final decision."

Grossi also caught wind at the Super Bowl that Lombardi was going around inner circles blaming everything on Banner to take the heat off of himself.

The Chud firing/coaching search was as big of a dumpster fire as it appeared.  I think Banner/Lombardi made promises that if Chud was fired they would produce so and so, and it didn't happen.  This pissed off Haslam.

Their first draft was a disaster, this upcoming draft is the biggest opportunity the Browns have had since they've come back,  it's starting to seem like Haslam didn't want Banner/Lombardi fucking it up.

-It took a lot for me to do this, listening to fellow Browns fans call into local sports talk is usually the equivalent of having a screwdriver jammed into my ear.  It tends to reduce down to the Browns should be the Cleveland Buckeyes, and there is nobody that I DESPISE more than Aaron Goldhammer.

Benoit Balls

February 11th, 2014 at 4:04 PM ^

Goldhammer is the worst.  I can handle Rizz being a Buckeye honk. It's unsurprising and makes sense. I would always turn it off if it was a Buckeye segment. But, AG is the wort thing to ever happen to sports radio in Cleveland since I started listening in the late 80's.  I stopped listening to Rizzo because of Goldhammer.  I have also crossed paths with him in the past in Lakewood bars, and he's just as obnoxious in person.  My Buddy was working the door one night and wouldn't let him in, saying is ID was fake.  Goldhammer was apopleptic and it was hysterical.

BallZDeeP210

February 11th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^

While this is true, there has to be something above simply having hope. I know many use the term "realist" as opposed to being negative but as a fan don't you feel you should have real expectations? Are the Pistons going to win the NBA championship this year, or any time soon for that matter? No. But we can still have hope that they will be good, instead of spouting delusions of grandeur every preseason.



The majority of my friends and family are Cleveland fans so I have to deal with it constantly. Let's not forget that most of them are also delusional Buckeye fans but at least that team is good.



*Sorry to any Browns/Michigan fans for that last jab but it's not completely false. And for formatting as this is from iPhone