Our Job as Fans

I support the Browns, and care deeply for them, however I’m sorry but I do not see how the fans are a glaring problem for this team. Browns fans have shown undying support for this team since it’s return in ‘99, a return that has been marked by far more dismal moments than exhilarating ones.
Where has this loyalty and support gotten us to this point? Well, you saw where it’s gotten us on the field tonight, and pretty much every game this season.

Similarly, you will excuse me if i don’t feel much sympathy for the likes of the majority of the players/front office/coaching staff. Since you mentioned this was a job, well, of course feeling unappreciated isn’t pleasant, however at some point performance has to be taken into account when assessing someone’s ability to do their job. Even if I’m working hard at it…If I perform poorly, if not downright incompetently, well, should I expect my job performance to be appreciated in the long run? No. In the long run, if it continues, I lose my job. It’s that simple. If I am performing a job that pays me millions of dollars and is the type of job most only a select few could only hope to have…well, accountability is that much more imperative. Having such a high profile job also means you take more risks since the rewards are so great, the risk of public failure, the risk of losing your job that much quicker. Brady Quinn might be feeling unappreciated right now…but he has had nothing but continued support, and it was seen tonight at the beginning of the game. Fans desperately WANT to support him, just like they did with Couch, Frye, Anderson, and even Holcomb.
Why should a company’s shareholders, so to speak (i.e. the fans), continue to support someone and pay them for a job not done? These are grown men. Professionals. They should, and do, know the demands and risks associated.

Also, keep in mind these are not elected officials. Thus we as fans don’t really have much say directly in anybody or anything in regards to this team that we care so much about. How can we make our voices heard? We’ve offered fanatical loyalty…and that didn’t work. And It’s not just about on the field issues. It’s what we see behind the scenes…intrigue, discontent, power struggles, indecisiveness, insincerity, high turnover, excuses, rationalizations, frustration. Are we to support this type of management indiscriminately?

They know more about the abilities of this team than we do, and going by past statements seem to have a grasp on how they wish to shape the future.

Well, yes, you would think so, hell… we would like to think so. Sadly, I would assert this has not been proven in any capacity. The bottom line is that we have, time and time again, experienced years of hearing platitudes and rationalizations about heading in the right direction, having a ‘plan,’ or ‘vision,’ only to see coaches, players, and management removed precisely because they didn’t feel that the team was moving in the very direction they were claiming to have been moving towards just weeks and months before. It’s like the boy who cried ‘wolf.’ Sooner or later, after hearing one thing and seeing another, the fans are going to stop believing the lip service by people who purportedly know so much more about football than us. Again they might, but then, why are we where are we right now? If they know so much, why is the end result so completely and utterly broken?

Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.

Well, yes. Progress does involve risk. However, once again, is this progress? The Browns might say so…but the track record doesn’t really speak well for their abilities to gauge progress correctly. Fans are tired of hearing the same thing over and over, and quite frankly, not many believe them anymore, I know I don’t. The production of this team has reached not just bad, but historically awful levels. What we’ve seen, to use that baseball analogy, is a team go from second, back to first, back to home plate, get 2 strikes, and claim THAT’S progress.

One more thing, maybe off topic but i think it bears some relation…would it ‘kill’ Mangini to have just a little more honesty in his press conferences. I mean, he doesn’t have to pull a Jim Mora or fall on the sword and beg forgiveness from the fans, but just saying something like ’ You know, I’m just absolutely disgusted with how our offense played tonight, the fans deserve better from the team, the coaching staff…everyone. It is, quite honestly, unacceptable."

Just that.

Instead we get: ‘Well, we’ll evaluate things, see what we can do better. I saw some things I liked, but we made a few mistakes here and there."

Just a little honesty will go a long, long way with Browns fans. Trust me.

I love the Browns. I have been a fan since 1965. I actually am offended to be called out. I have supported this team through all of good and now to this point. I have witnessed a lot of Browns football.
 I cannot sit here and take the nonsense that is the Cleveland Browns. Mangini was a horrible hire. The GM that he hired did not make half a season, he has hired an offensive CO that is by far the worst OC in NFL history. This team has gone not only backwards, they could not beat the 1999 roster of the Browns.
 Mangini makes the comment in the post game " We are making progress" Please do not insult us. We know what the hell is going on. This team has become the laughing stock of the league.
 I will not boo the Browns. I constantly support the players. However thiscoaching staff, minus Ryan, must go.

Sometimes fellow fans do things that make me cringe, like the time Couch got injured and everyone cheered, I know it was a long time ago and Couch wasn’t playing to well, but it still sticks out in my mind. I think when it all comes down to it we’re all tired of being screwed over by the NFL and agents who won’t have their players come to Cleveland. And while I agree with an above comment about how all we’ve done is taken steps back and how we were better in 99, booing your own team, when they aren’t losing, and the defense was putting up a hell of a fight, is despicable.

I was at the game. I’ve been to quite a few and sat in the same seats. I did not think that fan reaction last night was particularly unsupportive of the team. People were looking for reasons to cheer and I heard a lot of cheering whenever there was ANY sort of life shown for by the team (and I tell you, honestly—it was pretty difficult to find a lot to cheer about). The defense was getting a lot of support and that was greatly deserved.
Your idea of what a fan’s job is or is not is interesting but I think your analysis of what went on last night is inaccurate. I did hear a few fans get really drunkenly foul and start cursing just about everyone on the team but that was literally 2 in the entire section. But I heard many more cheers than boos and that is definitely not what I would have expected given the product on the field.

Good Post Moneyball.

I really, really can’t stand our season ticket holders.

Well, I certainly wouldn’t boo at halftime, There were a smattering of them…not like it was raining bottles or anything. Although everyone watching pretty much all knew the offense would lose the game for us, since the D couldn’t possibly hold for the entire game, nor should they be expected to..
 However, keep in mind, these fans start out hopeful, supportive, and cheering (which they really haven’t had any reason to…based on prior experience)…and the ‘walkout’ was a failure. This speaks volumes as to the level of undeserved support the fans have continually given this organization. I have great respect for them.

Then after 1, then 2, then 3 3 and out’s (and in reality atrocious, cue Benny Hill music 3 and outs) it’s replaced by silence…then, after 4 and then 5, and then a turnover, and then 6, and then another turnover…well, what that says is that this team has had 2 weeks to prepare and yet still looks and plays like it’s the preseason. Whether or not you claim it’s due to talent, poor coaching, or both (which is the most likely answer) How do you expect fans to react? You want them to dance in the aisles? WooHoo?!?
They’re angry, and embarrassed, and disappointed, and spent alot of hard earned money to watch an, at least, acceptable/competent performance.

Bad players, bad coaching, and bad offense.

It was ironic they run a final play at the end that was not needed and sent Cribbs to the hospital yet took a knee at half time.

Bad coaching

I tried to follow tweets during the game but got tired of the haters – if you dislike the team then do something else. Yes I didn’t like how they played Monday night but I didn’t complain about it to everyone.

I’ve been a fan since the Kardiac Kids so I will wait and see what happens when the season does end and I will still be a fan no matter what happens.

The Boo at half time is from ignorant fans who think we need to throw ints before the half. But what i noticed about the boos were the timing. they happened b/c of the play calling. Short passes on every play, by the time they started airing it out it was less tan 1 minute left in the game. How does that keep the defense honest. no wonder the Ravens defense stopped them almost every 3 plays.

Bad fans?

10 games year for 9.5 seasons.

95 sellouts.

.327 winning percentage before Monday night.

Sounds like we are too good of fans.

Has been brutual. Absolutely brutual. People are spending their time, passion and heard-earned on a team that isn’t competitive right now. I say not competitive because while I’m really proud of some of the defensive efforts this season, the fact remains that when this team goes a touchdown behind, it’s over.

And that’s a very depressing thought, but unfortunately this offense is so bad that it’s the reality this season.

I can take a smattering of boos. It’s hardly Philly out there and most of the boos I heard were the natural reaction to very poor playing calling from a very bad offensive coordinator who is out of his depth. Sometimes it’s your duty as a fan to stand up and let the franchise know what they are doing wrong. Such as dialling up plays that never got the offense beyond the Baltimore 45.

Wow, what artistry in taking yourself out of the equation. Did you have to go to college for that?