Dawgs By Nature: FanPosts

DBN: Help Wanted

2009-11-04T17:21:35Z

Do you love writing about the Cleveland Browns? Would you like to have your content on the front page of Dawgs By Nature, as opposed to having it shoved off to the side as a FanPost or the 600th comment buried in a thread? Now is your chance.

Purpose

Dawgs By Nature is looking to add to our team of writers -- after all, I'm sure rufio is getting a little tired of being the site's only "minion." ;) This is not a sign of me leaving or anything like that, but rather allowing this site to reach its fullest potential. Sometimes I'm busy or unforeseen issues come up, as was seen a few weeks ago, and there isn't enough front-page content to keep things going. Most SB Nation sites have multiple writers too, so in that regard, I've been "late to the punch" in terms of soliciting help.

Qualifications

Here is what we'll be looking for in applicants:

First off, you have to be interested because you want to do it as a hobby. This is not a paying position, although seeing the feedback you receive from your posts can sometimes be a worthwhile compensation in itself.
You have to post regularly, and right now I'm going to set that standard at at least 2-3 times per week. That might some easy to do, but it requires a lot of dedication nonetheless. Having a sense of creativity always helps in coming up with new topics or regular (weekly) features.
You must have good grammar and a good understanding of the English language. You don't need to be a masterful writer, but if there are punctuation and spelling errors every few sentences, it reflects more so on the credibility of the website than it does as a comment.

Contributing Ideas

Part of the writing process can also include ideas simple such as the following:

Weekly summary of power rankings. On Tuesday's or Wednesday's, recap where all of the major media sites have the Browns listed in their power rankings.
Morning link collections. Aggregate all of the morning's news from the newspapers and have them posted in the morning.
Quotes from players or experts. Find a unique player quote from the Browns or a media member talking about the Browns and post it as a FanShot to the front page.

These are all ideas I've wanted to implement, but haven't had the time to do. Also, with more writers on board, the odds of a "BREAKING STORY" going straight to the front page at a sooner time are more likely.

Get Involved

If you're interested in applying, send me an email at pokorny@pfcritics.com. If you're a regular member, it'll be easier for me to decide if your writing style fits in with what we're looking for. In your email, share some of the features you might like to run on a weekly basis.

If you are NOT interested in applying but WOULD like to see more weekly features, list what features you'd like to see. Thanks, and GO BROWNS!!!

-Chris Pokorny

Second Thing to Be Settled After GM Fiasco

2009-11-04T03:19:33Z

Put some damn stripes on those brown pants.

Let me tell you a little bit about my uniform ideals. Our home jerseys are great. They honestly can't get better. Congratulations Browns, it's the only consistency we really ever had in the last 10 years.

Now as for the away, I was an all white man. I saw the orange pants of the 90s. Atrocious. Yes, they were our identity but they were pretty bad. When we went all white I thought it was a great transition and also the only transition that seemed to work. Then I saw the brown pants in the preseason last year and I prayed they were never made mandatory.

Then this year happened. We made brown pants mandatory for away. I was disappointed and they really didn't seem to work. But they grew on me amazingly. Then I started liking them and disagreed with Kwoog; they needed stripes and they'd be perfect, as shown in this artist's rendition: (Thank you Paint.)

I hope you all agree. Here is living proof that stripes would complete this now great away jersey. Please Lerner, get mad about plain pants also.

Poll

Should the Browns put stripes on the brown pants?

Ryan for Head Coach

2009-11-04T00:43:36Z

Lets be honest, Mangini is probably outta here at the end of the season. I'm not saying he should stay or go, there's arguments either way. I'm just positing that he's probably living on borrowed time.

If we do show him the door, I think the best option to replace him is already on staff. Its time for the Rob Ryan Era.

I mean, you don't have to convince him to come to Cleveland, since he's already here. Hes the only guy on the staff who's actually doing his job well..the defense has played much better this year, and with much more fire, which speaks to his motivational skills. What hes done with Wimbley alone should earn him consideration. Not to mention he'd cost less than the dump truck of money Randy'd have to give Gruden or Cowher et al.

I dunno, I'm just saying. Its worth considering.

Poll

Is Rob Ryan a serious head coaching candidate for us?

Hire mooncamping!

2009-11-03T16:58:55Z

Hire mooncamping as GM. Query me here.

I can general manage the Cleveland Browns from this site. I´m willing to involve anyone who makes sense. We´ll put questions regarding the franchise´s future out as fan posts. We´ll have proper discussions, and try to ascertain the public opinion. Any topic is feasible. All we need to do is get finality on our decisions. How about it?

You may apply as aides here. Well, as soon as I´m hired that is. Serious inquiries count as applications.

Accorsi and Kosar New GMs?

2009-11-03T13:28:00Z

So, I don't have any literature on this story but I heard it from the WMMS 100.7 news report this morning. If somebody has literature please post it in a comment. I'm just trying to break the news and inform everyone of what I've heard and also create a spot for discussion before Chris posts it himself.

More specifically, Accorsi is the new GM and Kosar is his apprentice for the future GM spot and the date that Kosar will start is unknown.

Personally, I don't know what to think. I'm fine with Accorsi but is hiring Kosar just a move to please the fans? This is a very risky move by Lerner.

*UPDATE*

http://blogs.cantonrep.com/freshbrownies/accorsi-to-mentor-kosar/

Here is some literature I found on CantonRep.com. I don't know if Accorsi is truly our new GM but it seems to be clear that Kosar will be sometime in the near future.

Classless Chickenshirt Move

2009-11-03T03:39:15Z

Of all the foolish organizational moves made by the Lerner organization, this is by far the foulest smelling and most classless of the bunch.

Lets summarize - Lerner who earlier stated he wanted a strong GM centric organization, is shocked that Mangini has embarrassing photos of Lerner that involve midgets, animals, and a bearded lady from the circus. By the way, the bearded lady was clad in a boyscout uniform, including the shorts that ride up to the thigh. He then scraps all his organizational plans and gives Mangini the keys to the organization.

Mangini then selects his loyal sidekick, who just may have been the photog in the above scenario. This guy dutifully serves Mangini, and Lerner. He has a reputation as a team guy, and a hard worker. Now he is classlessly cast aside, a scapegoat for the mess that Mangini and Lerner have made. Let me guess the grounds for dismissal:

George - what were you thinking when you traded for and signed all those Jets?
Did you really think that Alex Mack was as good as Nick Mangold?
I told you that neither QB was no good and you get me Ratliff?

This move stinks. It stinks so bad that the rest of the league will smell it. Lerner knows he made the wrong hire in Mangini - but he found it easier to fire the guy Mangini brought in than to admit that he made the mistake.

Poll

Is this a totally classless move by the Browns organization

Browns Reportedly Fire Kokinis

2009-11-03T01:05:23Z

Plain Dealer Link

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns general manager George Kokinis was escorted out of the Browns facility in Berea by security, two league sources told the Plain Dealer, and is believed to have been fired.

The Browns did not immediately return calls or emails, including an email to owner Randy Lerner.

Kokinis was handpicked by Browns coach Eric Mangini to be his general manager, but was barely heard from after his hiring in January. Both began their careers in Cleveland as underlings to Bill Belichick in the early 1990s.
One league source said "Kokinis is a great guy who does not deserve this. He is taking the fall for the team's problems and it's not right.''

Browns owner Randy Lerner spent considerable time following Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Bears on Sunday talking one-on-one with Dawn Aponte, Vice President, Football Administration, who was under Kokinis' jurisdiction in the football operations department.

You know, because it's clearly his fault that the Browns are 1-7. His 6 Months on the job dismantled the Super Bowl caliber team we call the Cleveland Browns.

Maybe this makes sense

2009-11-02T03:32:02Z

The Browns need to to be able to run the ball effectively and stop the run. Basic football can win alot of games. The 2008 Tennesee Titans are a perfect example. The first Mangini draft was a terrible waste. Never waste draft picks especially on the first day of the draft. I give the browns a "D" grade in retrospect. You turn your team around by drafting skill players on Offense and signing vets for both Offensive and Defensive lines. Never trade your draft choices.

Looking back at the draft the Browns could have drafted much better. I would have drafted this group as an example.

1) Chris "Beanie" Wells RB Ohio State

2) Ray Maualuga LB Southern California

2) Phil Loadholt T Oklahoma

2) Shonn Green RB Iowa

4) Victor "Macho" Harris DB Virginia Tech

6) Jason McCourty DB Rutgers

6) Myron Pryor DT Kentucky

6) Will Davis DE/LB Illinois

I would have added DL and LB and TE through the free agency. Josh Cribbs is a RB/KR not a WR. I would have tried to run the ball with big backs and a throw only when neccesary and Brady Quinn would be my QB. Derek Anderson would not be on my team. He would have been bundled in a trade for a WR. I would run 2 TE alot. The short pass is a young QB's best friend. It will take 2 years of good drafting and retooling to get this going. The browns need 3 young power RB's and a big young line to run the ball. Byner and Mack where are you?

Mangini Past and Future

2009-10-29T03:50:15Z

Eric Mangini has been getting ripped, and I’m on the fence about him. I am a strong believer in giving a head coach a couple of years to install players and a system that works for them (i.e. scUM’s Rich Rodriguez). I want to look at the offseason through today before I make my decision about Mangini. Then I will state some things I would like to see Mangini do.

Draft- When Mangini took a hold of the team I believe the Browns only had 4 draft picks in the draft. He traded Kellen Winslow to get us a fifth pick in the draft (2nd Round), then he turned our 1st round pick (5th overall) into 4 picks and 3 players. It is too early to determine a grade of the players drafted, but I like the moves overall. I think the only players we may have missed out on were (that we had a chance to get with the picks we had, without over drafting them), Percy Harvin and Michael Oher, who were drafted the 2 picks after we drafted Alex Mack. But Mangini may know what he is doing with Centers, in his first year with the Jets, he drafted Nick Mangold (2008 Pro Bowler) in a similar position.

Season- The first thing I looked at for this season was our opponents. If you take away their results versus the Browns, our opponents are 26-13. I haven’t gone through other schedules but I would be surprised if there was another team out there who have faced a similar schedule. Next I would look at the offense, and what can I say about it besides it is bad. Now the defense is a different story. Even though we are dead last in total defense, I don’t get the same sense of ineptitude as I do with the offense. I think that some of the defensive struggles can be attributed to the offense not staying on the field and turning the ball over. The Browns are tied for the 2nd most turnovers at 18, and 3rd from last in time of possession. Again this can be attributed to the quality of opponents we are playing, but if the offense can give the defense 1 less short field and hold on to the ball for a couple more plays to give the defense more field to work with. Then our defenses true colors might start showing. But all that said about the defense, we still need a better secondary. Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers had a field day against us the past two weeks.

Rest of Season- This season was lost a while ago so for the rest of the season, especially in our easier second half, I would like to see 1 major thing and I can’t believe I am about to say this. Even though I have supported starting Derek Anderson over Brady Quinn (I’m not a big fan of Quinn), I would like to see Brady Quinn start for the rest of the season after the bye week. The reasons I would accept Anderson starting after the bye week are ;(1) Anderson lights it up against the Bears this week, (2) Mangini wants to give Quinn a chance to get off on the right foot and have him start against Detroit.

Offseason- First thing first , Mangini should take the money he saved by benching Quinn, and either cut a Derek Anderson or pay a team to take him off our hands. If they can get any kind of pick out of the D.A., that would be a bonus. Then I want Mangini to declare what the identity of the team will be. Are we going to try and be an offense first team like the Cardinals or a defense first team like old Ravens. Then once he declares that, he goes and gets players for the opposite side in free agency, and builds the side he chose out of the draft.

What About The Defense

2009-10-27T15:20:20Z

With all the talk about the Offense, we are forgetting about the Defense. The Cleveland Browns had a dynamic offense in the past. The way the NFL is today, the offense gets all the "hype". When was the last time anyone on defense was named MVP? It was 1986, and that man was Lawrence Taylor. that being said, the defense is not doing great for the Browns. They are ranked 32 in overall defense and mostly in the bottom on every category. I realize that the secondary is bad, but the front 3 aren't doing good either. The only good point is the linebackers and they are above average at best. The best statistic is sacks. They are ranked 22, but that is still nothing to be too proud of. To be honest, shouldn't Rob Ryan be blamed for this? We blame the offense on Daboll and Eric Mangini, so why are we not talking about Ryan?

Ryan is quite possibly someone who you could run into at the Flats and be one of the guys. He is a blue color coach, and that gives him a slide for the fans. I think it also gives him a slide from the players. he is a good coach and i think he can do better with better players. I also think that the team can do better, but we need a good mixture of young players and veterans, not a lot of rookies. Go Browns, i haven't given up on this season yet. I still think you can win each Sunday. “On any given Sunday you're going to win or you're going to lose. The point is, can you win or lose like a man?” - Al Pacino, Any Given Sunday.

Downhill... and no I'm not talking about the Browns...

2009-10-27T02:12:37Z

Why have the "fans" from cleveland.com/browns site invaded this one? I can always count on good comments from a handful (not trying to leave anyone out) ChrisPokorny, Buckeye Brad, Roger Dorn, Rufio, kwoog and a few others... but man if this site hasn't been infested by some of the least insightful, argumentative, negative "fans" next to those on the plaindealers site. It's really hard to read through all the noise.

Chris,

This site, even through the loosing seasons, didn't seem to be a place for rampant negativity and immaturity. I don't know what 'powers' they give you as moderator, and I'll assume you have better things to do anyway, but it would be fantastic to ride this site of some of the worst offenders. Then maybe the Browns will start winning ;)

Appreciate the effort you and a few others put in to making this a good place to find out about the Browns and for the insightful comments on key topics. Hope it stays that way.

Just Be Patient

2009-10-26T05:49:50Z

I too have sat through the hiring's and bunglings of Chris Palmer and watched us finally show some progress under Romeo Eatwell, and then watched us slide right back down the slippery slope...but as my headline says...we are impatient and want to win, but just let them do what is needed...Jimmy Johnson built the Dallas Cowboys the same way, trades and draft-picks!!! I told a friend I am already writing this year off, and like the way Mangini is handling things...and to quote one more great football mind...remember what Coach Parcells said...if you want me to cook the meal, let the chef shop for the groceries...continue on Big Chef Mangini!

Quarterback Characteristics According To Dungy

2009-10-24T00:36:20Z

I like to watch the show "Football Night in America" on NBC. This year they added Tony Dungy to their staff and he has a great way of explaining football (which might explain a lot of his success as a coach). This week he did a feature on Quarterbacks attempting to characterize what makes a Starter or Elite QB. He used Matt Ryan as an example. Here is how he broke it down:

Starter Characteristics
Intelligence – Ability to read a defense and find exploitable weakness, pick the hot route, manage the game, deceive the defense. Most of this takes place before the snap.
Poise Under Pressure – Ability to sense pressure, keep eyes down field even when hurried, not to panic.
Accuracy – Ability to put the ball on target where it can give the receiver the best play on the ball (either short or long)

Elite Characteristics
Mobility – Ability to use his legs to buy time in or out of the pocket.
Arm Strength – As this gets better the field gets longer and the vertical game becomes more of a threat.
Touch – Ability to either loft the ball over a defender’s head on the run or drill it 15 yards between defenders as the situation demands.

I think it is interesting how he divided these up as if to say you need the first three to even have a chance in the NFL. Add one or more of the next three and you could achieve greatness and really make an impact for your team.
It is also interesting to take those characteristics and attempt to rank our QBs against them…

Intelligence – it doesn’t seem that either of our QBs have exhibited this so far this year. Though Quinn seems to have an edge here based on what you hear from pundits, I can’t say that I’ve seen a lot of evidence for it. Can this one be taught or is it in-born? I’d say Anderson has made progress in this area since he first started but in the last 18 months I’m not too sure.
Poise Under Pressure – Quinn seemed better at this last year than this year. Anderson has exhibited more poise this year.
Accuracy – This is a tough one as we haven’t seen a lot of Quinn… I don’t think he has played enough to develop communication with his receivers and learn where they are supposed to be. I think this is an area which we can mark with a big ? for Quinn. Anderson doesn’t put the ball in the exact ideal place but we have seen a lot of balls bounce off of hands, knees and chests this year. Do you think interceptions by Anderson have been the result of inaccuracy or just plain bad decisions?

Mobility – I’d give the nod to Quinn here but I’m not so sure that Quinn knows when to be mobile. He doesn’t use mobility to buy him time at this point. I think this is another thing that will end up improving with experience. For Anderson, he uses small movement to buy time but he isn’t going to streak around the end for big yards like Quinn might.
Arm Strength – Quinn is thought to be weaker here though some might argue this. I’d put it more like Anderson has the stronger arm and leave it at that. The question instead may be: is Quinn’s arm strong enough to make all the throws?
Touch – Anderson used to be terrible at this but there has been some improvement. Quinn exhibits good touch as much as we’ve seen but again, more play for Quinn could end up showing more of a difference here.

So I’m interested in other’s opinions here. The other side of this whole thing might be looking at potential QB draft picks next year in this light… though I’d have no idea having only seen highlights of most of them. Bradford seems to be accurate, poised, mobile… not sure about the rest. Maybe others can fill in here. I thought this was an interesting way to look at QBs.

Chris... I posted this under the "Shoulder Injury" fanpost. Someone suggested I make it a fan post because of the length. Can you delete it there?

Bradford Shoulder Injury - Brownie Opportunity?

2009-10-21T23:48:15Z

As a diehard Browns fan - I am just Jonesing for this team to have some success. As a rabid Texas Longhorn fan - I have seen the answer. Now Longhorn fans hate the OU Sooners about as much the Browns hate Pittsburgh, so take that into account when I tell you that Sam Bradford is the MAN. Think Tom Brady without the model baby mama. Believe it or not - I do not think we have a great chance at the first overall pick. I truly think St. Louis, KC, TB et al have us beat. Therefore, my bedtime prayers include the following:

Sam Bradford comes out in the 2010 draft.
He slides to the Browns at number 4/5 ish
His shoulder is fine, proving all GMs fools.
He is the legit franchise QB.
He starts dating Megan Fox ( or is she a veggie) and brings her to the Cleveland home games.

Lets get the season over with and head to the 2010 draft. While Mangini has been a trainwreck - I do think he has done a nice job of acquiring some picks to make April much more interesting than December.

Fantasy GM

2009-10-21T22:03:42Z

I had some down time today, so to kill time I decided to play Fantasy GM of the Cleveland Browns, for this coming offseason.

Draft:

1st Round: Eric Berry, Russell Okung

2nd Round: Brandon Spikes, Eric Norwood, Terrence Cody , Chad Jones

3rd Round: Colt McCoy, Zac Robinson, Max Hall

4th Round: Jordan Shipley, Kurt Coleman

Eric Berry has been called the next Ed Reed. Brandon Spikes is just a machine. Colt McCoy in the 3rd round would be low risk, high reward. And Jordan Shipley already has his timing down with Colt. Plus, for some reason (I have no proof to back this up) I think Jordan Shipley might be the next Wes Welker.

The other guys are second options; Russell Okung would give our Quarterback, who ever it is, time to make smart choices. At the same time, not giving our Quarterbacks any excuses. Eric Norwood would give us a pass rusher. Terrence Cody reminds me of Shaun Rogers. Chad Jones has just impressed me, and we can use all the help in the secondary we can get. Zac Robinson and Max Hall are more low risk high reward guys. And Kurt Coleman, well I needed to put an Ohio State guy, and he is pretty good.

Free Agents:

QB: Kellen Clemens

RB: LenDale White

DL: Kyle Vanden Bosch

CB: Ellis Hobbs

The 2 main players I would like them to target are Kellen Clemens and Ellis Hobbs, and I think these would also be the most realistic choices. Both are starter material but back ups right now, and will be looking for a place to start. LenDale White and Kyle Vanden Bosch are just players I would also like to see for the Browns that would fill holes that I think the Browns have.

Trade Away:

Derek Anderson and/or Brady Quinn (3rd or 4th Rounder, higher if one of them has a great second half by some miracle)

Jamal Lewis (3rd or 4th Rounder)

Joshua Cribbs (1st if packaged with someone)

Shaun Rogers- only if we get Terrence Cody (2nd or 3rd Rounder)

Cribbs is the player I would be most willing to shop around. That is because he can get the most value. Right now the Browns don’t need a great kick-return man/”Wild Cat” guy. They need an offense that can consistently drive down the field, or a defense that can get more 3 and outs. Once we get one of those then we can start worrying about specialists.

X Factor

Dante Stallworth, what can he do for us or what can he get us. I would like to see him stay. He isn’t an off the field problem guy like Michael Vick or Pac Man Jones. He made a big mistake, he fully admitted and co-operated with officials, and faced his consequences head on. Put him on the field, and see what he can do when healthy, we are going to have to pay for him anyway. Whether he is playing for the Browns or playing for somebody else.

Mangini: Worst Coaching Hire Ever?

2009-10-21T20:25:06Z

Here's an article I just read from SI.Com by Joe Posnanski. If it's been posted before I apologize. Anyways, I think there are a few good points here and there but overall it's a hatchet job...I am certainly not a Mangini fan by any means...but this public lambasting by the national media is getting a little out of hand. Surprisingly, Romeo didn't make the list

Mangini: Worst coaching hire ever?

"I haven't come up with a new word for a while, so I want to throw one out there .. the word is "fanbole" (pronounced FAN-buh-lee).

The definition is simply: A sweeping, exaggerated and often ludicrous sports statement that a fan makes when under the influence of an emotional sports event (and perhaps various substances).

If you see a shortstop make a diving stop and throw out a runner, you might say: "That's the greatest play I have ever seen." That would be a fanbole. It might be the greatest play you ever saw, but it probably isn't. In that moment, it feels that way.

If you see the Kansas City Chiefs give up against the Philadelphia Eagles like they did on Sunday, you might say: "This is the worst football team in the history of the NFL." That too would be a fanbole. The Chiefs are terrible, but they are probably not the worst team in NFL history. Probably not.

You call a player the worst ever, a coach a genius, a general manager an idiot -- these are probably fanboles.

But one of the fun things about a fanbole is that sometimes, after uttering one (or tweeting one), you will find that after you think about it for a while -- hey, you know what? -- you ACTUALLY BELIEVE IT

I recently tweeted this:

"Another one of those fan maybe-overstatement-maybe-not thoughts: Eric Mangini was the worst NFL head coach hire in 25 years."

Now, I'll admit -- that's pure fanbole. I cannot stand what Eric Mangini has done to the Browns, the team of my childhood. I cannot stand the lack of respect he has shown for the team's history, the Mickey Mouse game he plays with quarterbacks, the amazing knack he has for getting his players to not play hard for him or the stupid fines he hands out like he's Principal Vernon from "The Breakfast Club." Don't mess with the bull, young man, you'll get the horns.

But here's the thing: Based on the Twitter responses I've seen ... I'm actually starting to believe that I'm right. I'm actually starting to believe that Mangini really was the worst head coach hire in 25 years. The responses have mostly been to list other coaches who were worse hires than Mangini. But you know what? I don't think any of those hires WERE worse than Mangini. Remember:

1. Mangini had just been fired in New York, where he had done a terrible job. He had a losing record. His team had collapsed down the stretch, he had alienated his players, he was a pain in the neck to deal with. Point is: He'd already PROVEN how much damage he could do as a coach.

2. He came right out of the school of Bill Belichick ... and that didn't work THE FIRST TIME in Cleveland. It seems to me that Cleveland is a working-class town and Browns fans want a working-class coach -- not some pompous know-it-all who doesn't feel like he should have to explain to the commoners what he's doing.

3. What had he ever done to convince anyone he could be a head coach in the first place? Why, because he was a defensive coordinator for the Patriots under Belichick for one season? The Browns had JUST HIRED Romeo Crennel, who was ALSO defensive coordinator under Belichick. Attention Cleveland Browns owners, here's a good hint: BILL BELICHICK IS HIS OWN DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR.

4. Basically the first thing Mangini did -- first thing -- was have them tear down a mural of great Cleveland Browns players on the wall in the Browns offices. Now, there are differing opinions about what really happened, whose fault it really was, does it all matter, etc. You know what? The Cleveland Browns have never been to a Super Bowl. Never. Not one. But Browns fans still have a whole lot of pride. Browns fans grow up on a glorious history. If you allow something stupid like that to happen on your watch ... just a horrendous hire.

Now, here is a partial list of hires Twitter people think were worse than Mangini ... and why I disagree*:

*And remember: I'm talking about WORST HIRES, not necessarily WORST COACHES. Sometimes what seems like a good hire can turn disastrous. And sometimes what seems like a bad hire turns out well. We're talking specifically about the decision to hire Mangini here.

• Art Shell (Oakland): Admittedly this was a dreadful hire ... but there's no way it comes close to Mangini. Shell is a Raiders legend, a Hall of Famer player, who was also the first African American coach in the NFL (well, second, going back to Fritz Pollard in the 1920s). He actually coached the Raiders to three playoff appearances in five years in his first stint. True, when the Raiders hired him the second time he clearly had lost his coaching marbles ... but there's no way that's as bad a hire as Mangini.

• Jim Zorn (Washington): Well ... maybe. The whole process of hiring Zorn was nutty, and it's pretty clear he was overmatched. But Jim Zorn was a fine and fun quarterback, so at least he had that going for him. Plus he had not just been fired as a head coach.

• Bobby Petrino (Atlanta): This turned out to be a disastrous hire ... but I don't think it was considered bad at the time. Petrino was one of the hottest names in college football.

• Raheem Morris (Tampa Bay): Whew, yeah, that's a bad hire. But, again, at least he was hired from within and he had not just been canned.

• Steve Spurrier (Washington): No way. Not even close. Spurrier turned out to be a horrible NFL coach, but the hire itself was exciting and had every chance to work. NFL teams were falling over each other to hire Spurrier as a head coach. This isn't even in the same ballpark as the Mangini hire.

• Tom Cable (Oakland): The Raiders should have their own category when it comes to terrible NFL coach hires. But even this hire to me is not as insulting and infuriating as the Mangini hire. I mean, everyone in New York -- players, fans, media members, everyone -- DESPISED Mangini. I mean, I'm still wondering who in New York Mangini could have put down as a reference.

• Rich Kotite (New York Jets): Well, this hire has many of the same problems as the Mangini hire -- Kotite had just been canned, nobody liked him, and so on. But at least Kotite was a New Yorker who had played in the NFL and he had a winning record as a coach. This WAS bad ... I think Mangini was worse.

• Scott Linehan (St. Louis): Bad hire, of course, but he was a longtime assistant coach who had success in various other places. He'd coached in high school, in college, he was offensive coordinator for the Vikings and Dolphins. I don't think the hire itself compares to Mangini, though I certainly feel the Rams fans pain of having to endure two and a half seasons with him as coach.

• Marty Mornhinweg (Detroit): He was considered a bright young coordinator when the Lions hired him -- and he's offensive coordinator for the Eagles now. Plus, he lasted two years with the Lions (long enough to elect to kick off in overtime). I really don't think Mangini will last the season."

The Browns Fan

2009-10-21T18:09:20Z

I am brand new to this site, and this is my first Blog, but I felt compelled to write how i feel about the Cleveland Browns. I have been a Browns fan my whole life. My mother moved from Illinois to Ohio when she was just out of high school. She was a Packer fan but she wanted to be a local fan and took the Browns under her wing. I was born in 1980 and being a Browns fan was not that bad growing up. They were winning the Central Division, making the playoffs and things were alright. I even laughed during the 2007 Draft when they showed a picture of Brady Quinn in the Bernie Jersey. I had almost the same exact picture growing up.

I am a fan through and through, I will never give up cheering for the Browns, but I can’t stand what the front office is doing the team. When the Browns hired Mangini all I heard was how he was going to get the Browns back to History. When I think about the Browns history, I think or Paul Brown and Otto Graham winning 7 championships in 10 years (and the 3 they didn’t win they were still in the championship game). I think about Jim Brown beating the Baltimore Colts, Bernie leading the team to 3 AFC Championship games. So when Mangini says he wants to return the team to glory, I am all for that. My problem is that the moves he is making is not helping the team.

I understand that he is rebuilding and it takes time. Next year will be better… I guess. But to me there has to be someone that you rebuild a team around. He has shipped away the decent players to other teams (Jets) and benched Brady Quinn. To me, if you say you are rebuilding the team and you choose a Quarterback, that is who you are going to build the team around. Give the kid a chance to grow with the team.

It is hard to be a Browns fan today, but I just have to stick it out. I will utter the words that have become synonymous with Cleveland sports, “Well, there is always next year!”

Ask a Steeler Fan

2009-10-15T00:28:23Z

Hows it going Browns fans. My names Steeler_, no surprises I'm from over on the BTSC blog. I know we are not your favourite guys but I come here completely respectful and not out to bash anyone, more so, just converse with you about our upcoming game in a friendly way and answer any questions you may have about the game this Sunday.

Cheers

Divisional games are always great, no matter how the two teams stack up.

This weekend we highlight the great Browns vs Steelers rivalry, which admittedly has simmered the last few years but one that the fans still enjoy nonetheless.

Last Week:

In difficult conditions, the Browns defense and special teams did just enough to preserve a 6 - 3 win over the Buffalo Bills, windy conditions made the passing game havoc for Derek Anderson, but he will have a chance at redemption this week against a Steelers defense that has lost a little lustre from last season.

The Steelers on the other hand, visited Detroit, and came away victors with a 28 - 20 decision, after playing well for the early parts of the game, the Steelers lay down a little and let the Lions back in with a shot at a win, but when push came to shove, the Steeler D held off the Lions impressive game.

Discussion:

I love me a little debate, as long as each side keeps it respectful and mature. Feel free to post any queries/concerns or opinions on this weekends upcoming game either Browns/Steelers/AFC North related whether it be about expected gameplans, injuries etc and I'll be sure to respond with my own insight from the Steelers camp.

Cheers guys!

Interesting in hearing your take....

2009-10-14T15:28:51Z

...on the ESPN documentary that aired last night (Tuesday) and re-airs this Thursday evening called, "The Band That Wouldn't Die' about the Baltimore Colts Marching Band that endured 12 long years without the NFL until we got the Ravens/Browns.

I know there are real hard feelings from both Baltimore and Cleveland towards the cities that "took" their teams. Baltimore doesn't hate Indy so much as they were just the recipient as Irsay was moving the Colts back then but he continually lied and said he wasn't moving the team.

Modell pleaded with the city then had no other choice in his mind and if not Baltimore, would surely have gone elsewhere. While we understand your anger, it cannot compare to us having the team snuck out of town in the middle of a snowy night and being overlooked for expansion (Jacksonville, Carolina- are you kidding me!?) for so many years. Two were long enough for the Browns fans, but could you stand to see your name and colors gone as well for over a decade with no NFL team to root for?

In case you're interested, here's the link to the article I did on Baltimore Beatdown about this documentary. Open to hearing your thoughts on it as both us, you and Indy should be the ones who could relate the most.

The Case For Trading Quinn

2009-10-13T17:54:45Z

Note from ChrisP: Although the talks of trading Brady Quinn are largely hypothetical, with the trade deadline approaching, it's something that will be up for discussion. Talk about it here.

The following is my opinion and I know this is not going to make me too popular but hear me out...

The trading deadline is rapidly approaching. This is a potential decision point for trading Brady Quinn and I think this should be done for the following reasons:

1. Quinn's performance with this team has not been particularly stellar. He showed some promise but showed just as much that was not promising.
2. He still has not been completely ruled out as starting QB material. This means his trade value is still somewhat high. GMs at potential landing spots can still say, "Well, he started for a pretty bad team. Maybe he would be better with us."
3. I believe, and this is my opinion, that Quinn would have a better chance being successful somewhere else. His time here as been rocky and I think there are significant psychological barriers to him being successful with the Browns.
4. The situation that would inject BQ into a starting role is probably injury at this point. That is not exactly the best way to take over. This, again, limits his potential to be successful.
5. There are probably more teams suffering from lack of a QB now than have been in past years. This seems like an exceptional year for bad teams. Yes... we are one of them.
6. Quinn is still young and is considered a future prospect which also has implications with respect to trade value.
7. Because Quinn played for ND, he is fairly well known throughout the country. Many teams are looking for an attendance boost (bums in seats-BiS) and interest in Quinn would be pretty high. More value enhancement.
8. Quinn is not "Mangini's guy". He will likely be gone sooner or later. Sooner is better as a bad injury or more mediocre performance would just decrease Quinn's value.

In trading Quinn I would expect a high second round pick and maybe a late round pick. A late first round is possible were the need bad enough on the acquiring team. Possible landing spots and reasons:

   - Seahawks - Strong senior QB when he is healthy. Good chances for Quinn to come in for a few games here and there. Good QB to learn behind. Nice receiving corps. (Patriots, Vikings and Colts also fit this mold)
   - Rams - They need help and they need it now. They also need BiS.
   - Jaguars - They have a very inconsistent QB these days and they need a prospect. Also BiS is a big issue here.
   - Raiders - If there is a team that is desparate and would give up a lot, it is the Raiders.

So here is how the strategy would go. We continue the year with Anderson; we pretty much know what we have with him. He may improve with more organization and general improvement on the offensive squad (guys figuring out where they are supposed to be and learning to catch) which would be ideal. But if Anderson continues to be inconsistent, you have only two ways to approach this: get a better QB or make the position less relevant to your offense.
The only QB in next year's draft that is a bonifide, potential franchise QB is Sam Bradford. There are others that are decent (and we can go on and on about how high picks don't necessarily mean quality) but I don't think any of the other QBs in the 2010 draft are worth risking high picks. So if new QB it is, with the extra picks from the Quinn trade and other trades, the Browns could obtain a pick high enough to get up Bradford.
Or... we pick up a top-flight running back and fortify the defense with the idea of making a team similar to the Trent Dilfer Ravens who won the superbowl with great defense and a great running game.

I know a lot of you like Quinn and feel he has been treated unfairly under coach Mangini. I can understand that sentiment. But I don't think Quinn can now be successful with the Browns. Trading Quinn would be best for Brady and best for the Browns.

So let the flames begin...