Items by

A Sirius NFL Radio Analogy Of Browns Coach Eric Mangini’s “Process”

Published: November 5, 2009

comment No Comments

Cleveland Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini loves to talk to the media about his “process” regarding the rebuilding of the organization.

One thing that Mangini always leaves out are the intimate details of his “process,” which leaves all Browns fans questioning what the “process” really is.

On Thursday morning’s broadcast of “The Opening Drive” on SiriusXM NFL Radio, a discussion occurred about the Browns, including an excellent analogy of Mangini’s “process.”

They compared the Browns to an old house and Mangini to a contractor who has been hired to completely overhaul and redesign the house.

First the contractor will meet with the home owner (which in this case would be owner Randy Lerner) and discuss the plans of the redesign (the actual rebuild of the team).

Specific examples were given like what walls may come down (players to get rid off), the changing of the color scheme (the culture of the team), if any internal plumbing needs to be completely replaced (any bad seed players that really need to go), and the overall look of the outside of the home (the team identity).

The shows hosts then brought up the question of whether or not Mangini should be fired right now. They both agreed that firing Mangini now would be like firing the contractor when he is in the middle of the redesign, which would mean a replacement contractor would have to take what was left of the carnage from the previous contractor and start anew.

This is why Lerner will not fire Mangini at midseason, he does not want to bring someone in to clean up the pieces after his home was completely dismantled.

Unfortunately, with every reconstruction project, once it gets to the halfway point there are signs that everything is starting to come together and the house is starting to take it’s new shape.

That is not what is seen with the Browns right now.

There is no improvement and the team seems to get worse as the season progresses.

Lerner has said that the reason he hired Mangini so quickly was due to his attention to details, his disciplinarian approach, and his full plan (aka the “process”) to rebuild the team from the foundation up.

Sadly, Lerner obviously didn’t get the memo from Mangini that says the “process” will take a full season of disgusting and down-right horrible football.

Now that it’s the bye week and the start of the second half of the season, Mangini needs to pull out at least three to four wins to save his job and prove that the “process” is starting to show positive signs and growth.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Browns Are Still Talking to Former GM Ernie Accorsi Depsite His Denials

Published: November 4, 2009

comment No Comments

Former Cleveland Browns and New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi has denied all rumors that he has been contacted by Browns owner Randy Lerner to become the new general manager of the Browns.

Accorsi has said his is very comfortable in his retired life and there is no way that he would want to become the GM of the Browns.

He also stated that he works with the league office and has been a consultant for several teams since his retirement and is not interested in any full-time job right now.

But is this really true?

Even though Accorsi has denied any contact with Lerner and the Browns, there are other sources that say Lerner is actively talking to Accorsi and possibly right now as you are reading this.

The most current rumor says that despite what Accorsi says, he is still talking to Lerner about other possible GM candidates for the Browns.

These talks are very similar to the conversations both had earlier in the year when Accorsi was discussing his suggestions of GM candidates before George Kokinis was hired.

Accorsi recommended the Giants Director of Pro Personnel David Gettleman.

Lerner ignored Accorsi’s recommendation by hiring Kokinis anyway.

Now, it’s deja vu for Lerner because 11 months later, the same conversations are occurring and hopefully Lerner is a better listener this time.

Or maybe Lerner is talking to Accorsi so much with the hope that Accorsi will just decide to come out of retirement and take the GM position himself.

The most important thing to take from this is that even though Accorsi denies any contact with Lerner and the Browns right now, both parties are still secretly talking which is nothing but a positive sign for Browns fans everywhere!

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Cleveland Browns Owner Randy Lerner Fires GM George Kokinis

Published: November 2, 2009

comment No Comments

The Randy Lerner hands-on approach to running the Cleveland Browns began this afternoon with the firing of General Manager George Kokinis.

Kokinis came on board with the team after head coach Eric Mangini was already hired, which was a very weird approach by Lerner because usually a general manager is hired first, and then the head coach.

Still Lerner, who is usually a hands-off type of guy when it comes to running his business, has begun to change his style by making the first big move of the 2009 NFL season, and firing his GM.

Kokinis was fired at lunchtime, and it was reported that he was escorted out by security and never returned.

He was supposed to be Mangini’s superior, but it turned out that he was more of Mangini’s right hand man and Lerner was fed up with the lack of hierarchy in his team.

Lerner, a very private owner who does not like the spotlight one bit, has been out and about in the the press, public, and the headlines ever since a couple Browns fans made an announcement that they wanted to protest the team’s front office.

Since then, Lerner has made statements to the media, and was even in attendance at the Browns-Bears game in Chicago.

According to various sources, Lerner was in the tunnel off the field and he was seen screaming, yelling and acting very animated.

Very un-Lerner-like.

Ever since he took over the Browns after his father’s, Al, passing, Randy has been almost non-existent when it comes to anything Browns and football. At least American football, because traditional football is his real passion.

Now the times have changed, and boy have they ever in only a weeks time too.

Lerner may not become a Al Davis or Jerry Jones-like owner who has to be completely involved in every aspect of the decision making, but once Lerner locates his new “credible, face of the franchise,” then he will most likely disappear into the shadows.

Who will now fill the void as the GM of the team?

Bernie Kosar perhaps?

He was just brought in a couple of weeks ago as a consultant and to help develop the quarterbacks on the roster, and Kosar does have experience in football management since he was part owner of the Cleveland Arena Football League franchise that was horrible for years, but Kosar helped turn them into a contender in only one season.

Other rumors state that Lerner has once again contacted Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer, and among a few others for a possible President of Football Operations position.

The Browns are on a bye week, and Lerner has said that Eric Mangini’s job is safe, but for how much longer?

Will a new GM or president fire Mangini instead?

Does Lerner really want to fire another guy only to have to pay him for the next few years like he is already doing with former GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel?

No one knows the answer right now, but one thing is certain, as Mangini has said before, “No one is safe on the roster right now.” The same can now be said for Lerner in that no one in the franchise is safe now.

Lerner is fed up, and it’s nice to see him getting hands-on to try and fix this problem, which by the way, he created too.

Lerner is a very successful businessman and franchise owner in Europe, now he needs to get it right in America too.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Browns Owner Randy Lerner Is Looking To Hire an Executive Position

Published: October 30, 2009

comment No Comments

Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner is a very secretive and “hands-off” type of owner and businessman.

For years now Lerner had brought in many different names to try and fix the Browns organization including: Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel, Phil Savage, and now Eric Mangini.

After the first seven weeks of the 2009 season the Browns appear awful and look like they have gone back in time to 1999. Lerner is finally beginning to speak out more about his franchise, and his voice is owed to a single Browns fan named Mike Randall.

Randall, also known as Dawg Pound Mike, has made it publicly known that he wants as many fans to stay away from their seats during opening kickoff on November 16, when the Browns phost the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.

Lerner has already responded to Randall’s protest by saying, ”On the grounds of frustration and irritation with performance, then that’s the medicine I [we] are going to take, and I accept that. The goal this year was to rebuild the culture at the Browns. We felt at the end of last year that we lacked any overall philosophy, approach or direction regarding recruiting, drafting, coaching, preparation or training. As a result, each season was feeling like starting over and 4-12 following 10-6 felt painfully not all that surprising.”

”It’s been way too long since the Browns have had anything to feel good about or invest in, and it’s clear that the doubt and negativity are taking on a life of their own.”

”What I can say is that we, and I, have remained open to new and fresh ideas and thinking and people with passion for the Browns and football experience getting involved and with hope and luck and support, making a difference. We won’t become entrenched or stubborn and despite my allergy to be more conspicuous, I do remain eager to seek help and guidance from any and all corners.”

You can take from this what you want. It does seem however that Lerner genuinely cares about the Browns and he wants to make it right. Though if he’s going to have success turning this organization into the kind of quality franchise Cleveland fans so desperately need, he’s going to need some help.

The first step in the right direction for Lerner was bringing back Bernie Kosar as a consultant.

The details of Kosar’s job description have not been released yet, but it is assumed that he is on staff to help the Browns at quarterback, a position where they have yet to fnd any semblence of continuity

Lerner has now taken the next step to help his team, and after a question was sent to him from OBR.com asking Lerner if he ever considered hiring a President of Football Operations or an Executive of Football Operations to oversee both Mangini and General Manager George Kokinis, Lerner responded: “There is no question that the Browns need a credible, vocal leader that is accountable for all levels of performance. Regardless of the title, that person, whether they’re in the building currently or not, is a priority.”

A very encouraging response from Lerner, who is obviously currently looking for a person to fill this new position.

A new hire may not actually happen until the offseason, but head coach Eric Mangini has not officially responded to this new information that he may have a new boss.

Hopefully, Lerner is doing his research to hire the right person as his new President/Executive of Football Operations and who knows, he may even be looking at a Marty Schottenheimer, Bill Cowher, Mike Shannah-type to fill this new role.

Browns fans just hope that Lerner chooses wisely.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Breaking News: Cleveland Browns Fans Are Planning a Protest on MNF

Published: October 29, 2009

comment No Comments

In lieu of the embarrassing loss to the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday, Browns Backer, Mike (Dawg Pound Mike) Randall, is attempting to organize a protest to be put on display for the entire nation to see.

The Browns Backers are some of the most die-hard Cleveland Browns fans in the country and several members are trying to gather up as many fans as possible to protest against the Browns upper management during their Monday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens on November 16 at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Randall, a lifelong season ticket holder, is asking everyone who has tickets to the game to wait outside of the stadium on the concourse until after the kickoff, or just do not go to your seat at the opening kickoff, so as the game starts the nation will see how upset Browns fans are with the current state of the franchise.

Randall, 39, has said that he is tired of seeing a losing team and would like Browns management talk to the fans more in regards to the plan that is in place to improve the franchise back to it’s winning ways.

The plan is to show as many empty seats at kickoff as possible in the hopes that owner Randy Lerner will take notice and become more proactive in getting this team turned toward the right direction to become competitive.

Whether this plan works out or not is up to you, especially if you have tickets for the game versus the Ravens.

A protest like this has never been attempted in Cleveland before because the fanbase has unconditionally and followed and supported the Browns no matter what the circumstances are, but as the 2009 season has progressed, the fans are about to take a stand and try to get their voice heard.

Randall also stated that, “We did this as a positive…we want to send a statement that the status quo cannot go on.”

Will the protest work out and will Cleveland Browns Stadium be empty when Monday Night Football kicks off?

Tune in November 16 on ESPN to find out.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Recommendation For Browns Fans: Watch The Bengals

Published: October 27, 2009

comment No Comments

To begin, I may get a lot of hatred by fellow Browns fans for writing this article, but if the Browns cannot win the division (and it looks that way), then the Steelers or Ravens should not either.

Browns fans, what would be worse?

The Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, or the other Ohio team the Cincinnati Bengals winning the AFC North division?

Cleveland Browns fans had better have said the Bengals, because the hatred of them is not a large as Browns fans’ hatred for the Steelers and Ravens.

The Browns hopes of competing in the AFC North now look to be way down the road in perhaps 2011 or 2012.

With all the holes that the Browns have to fill in various positions on their roster, including the ever important quarterback position, there is virtually no chance that they can compete for the division crown in 2010, but stranger things have happened in the NFL.

Until a possible miracle season can happen in 2010, Browns fans are still faced with the tedious task of watching their team every Sunday, and put on one of the most inept performances week in and week out since they were an expansion franchise back in 1999.

The solution for Browns fans in 2009 just might be the other Ohio team down in Cincinnati.

Okay, some of you may be saying, “How can you even write that Browns fans should watch and cheer for the Bengals?”

With the exception of one game later in the season, which is when the Browns play the Bengals on November 29, Browns fans should be rooting for and cheering on the Bengals to get them through the rest of the 2009 debacle of a season.

Saying this may seem like sacrilege, but if the Browns cannot win the division, do you really want any other team other than the Bengals to win the crown?

The Bengals are a team that has been in disarray since their playoff appearance in 2005, and after rebuilding a team over the past three seasons, the Bengals are now a legitimate contender after beating teams like the Steelers, Ravens, Bears, and Packers.

Browns fans should appreciate the Bengals because the Browns are now where the Bengals were and hopefully in two years, the Browns can find the same success that Bengals have right now and be a contender.

There is no shame in cheering for the Bengals right now, as long as you are not cheering for them when they play the Browns, but as far as the AFC North goes, help support Ohio and take a stand against our hatred division rivalries outside of the state.

And in all honesty, the Bengals are a fun team to watch so far this year.

(This article was written based on a Facebook comment that Elizabeth Sweeney-Jalovec wrote over the weekend. Thanks for the idea Liz!)