Tribe Talk: Filling Out The Pen
March 25, 2010SABR-Toothed Triber: Pay that Man his Money?
March 25, 2010Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. As Browns fans, we know this all too well. Art Modell proved this to us in the mid 90’s after John Elway proved it to us in the late 80’s. If we didn’t learn from that, then Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, Gerard Warren, Butch Davis, and Kellen Winslow all decided to remind us just how little is guaranteed in the sports world. I am not going to dwell on all the negatives of the past with the Cleveland Browns today. It serves no point because we all know this history forward and backward. Even though we have no idea how bright or dark tomorrow will be, today is a chance to feel optimistic about the future because of Mike Holmgren.
I can hear a lot of you groaning as you read the words. Haven’t we all pushed our chips into the middle with this team before? I know I have. I thought Butch Davis was a good hire. We all know how that one worked out. Still, it didn’t have to end as badly as it did. Who knows how successful Butch Davis could have been had the Browns had a dominant culture and business model? Instead, Butch Davis and his right hand man Pete Garcia walked into a situation with a mostly unqualified Dwight Clark running the show. They quickly made a power play that gave them control of everything.
After another tumultuous round of hiring with Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel, it appeared that the Butch Davis land grab was in full effect again with the hiring of Eric Mangini and George Kokinis. They came in and remade the entire organization in the off-season. We all knew that a change was needed after Savage / Crennel, but something didn’t seem quite right with the way things were happening. Our fears manifested themselves in a mid-season firing of George Kokinis amid inexplicable roster moves and losing on the field.
Now the Mike Holmgren era of Cleveland Browns football is here and the optimism comes from the fact that Holmgren is no messiah. He isn’t claiming to be the all-knowing be-all end-all of football geniuses. Instead, he is claiming to know how to put a winning structure in place. He will have his fingerprints all over this new organization, but his won’t be the only fingerprints on it. While I can’t guarantee that the Browns are on their way to a Super Bowl and I can’t guarantee that this new regime won’t also flame out, I can say definitively that it is the right move. It is the right move because it is bigger than any one person.
The Browns (and the fans) have been witness to far too many power plays and land grabs since the team returned in 1999. Mike Holmgren’s hiring is the first time that we aren’t seeing that. Instead, Mike Holmgren has taken the Browns’ top spot and filled positions up and down the organization. We don’t have to all just hope and pray for one man’s visions to resurrect the Browns. Instead we have Eric Mangini who can now just concentrate on coaching under the tutelage of Holmgren. We have Tom Heckert who can concentrate on being the general manager.
Even if Holmgren, Heckert and Mangini ultimately fail to deliver a championship in Cleveland, the progress is undeniable. The Browns have been through many different phases since 1999. At various times they have been a monarchy and a dictatorship. For the first time in a long time and maybe ever, the Browns have a democracy with a real president presiding over the other branches of government. For Browns fans everywhere this represents hope. It represents a clear step forward in culture and philosophy for the Browns. Even if all the individual pieces aren’t right, we should all feel confident in the structure and the process.
(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
21 Comments
I could not agree more. Nice read, Craig
Agreed, except for the final paragraph: the President does not preside over the other branches, as the executive branch is considered an equal to the others. They work cooperatively, checks and balances, etc.
(This is what happens when I read the site while at work)
/teacher’d
The biggest testiment of fan optimism to date is that we feel this even after the signing of Delhomme and the susequent trading of Quinn. If Mike Holmgren were not here to stand behind those moves and it had been all on Mangini, the city of Cleveland would have to install fan card dropoffs all over town. Holmgren is everything we needed in response to everything we’ve feared. Good post Craig!
Good read Craig. I agree with your overall view of the direction of things.
Well, we all want this to work of course. But it’s all wait and see at this point.
Absolutely agree Craig. For the first time I can remember (since 1999) I honestly feel at ease going into the new season with the new leadership. There’s a chain of command, with seemingly knowledgeable people in those positions. I firmly believe Mangini will do an outstanding job when all he has to worry about is coaching. I’m giving this orginization 3 years to completely turn the team around and make it a respectable, contending team once again**.
(** But if they fall flat on their collective face, I’ll still be here cheering :/)
It’s not the surface stuff – an executive with above-average p.r. skills – that gives me the most optimism. It’s his the hiring of people in important positions at which they have previously succeeded. Heckert has run a draft before. Think about how many execs the Browns have hired who were doing that job for the first time. In personnel, Clark, Garcia, Savage and even (cue heavenly music) Belichik and his henchmen. In coaching, what’s his name, then Davis, Romeo. For once we seem to have an integrated system, one where not everyone important is at the start of their career learning curve or banging their head against the Peter Principle.
Sorry but no way am I ready to make this kind of statement not after one game has been played. It’s only because the Cleveland Browns organization was/is so bad that all of a sudden people think they see the light at the end of the tunnel and assume it’s not a train.
I’ll reserve judgment until after we see how the draft goes but more importantly how all of these early decisions manifest on the field in the form of wins and losses. Sure the moves appear to be in the right direction but again, how could they not given where the Browns were starting from? Also, I’m not sold on Mangini or his coaching staff and the last time I checked it’s basically the same group who was here last year. Holmgren can bring in young talent all day but if the coaching isn’t there to help make these guys better your just spinning your wheels.
Wow Boogeyman, it’s nice to know your loyalty is dependent on wins and losses… you’d fit in great here in Boston.
I could not agree less. If it doesn’t work, then it was not the right hire. I’m tired of “progress.” I want championships.
@9 It’s all about win and losses and championships absolutely 100% only a Cleveland fan would be satisifed with less! If in your eyes that makes me less then a “loyal” fan that’s your problem not mine.
@ Boogey:
“Also, I’m not sold on Mangini or his coaching staff and the last time I checked it’s basically the same group who was here last year. Holmgren can bring in young talent all day but if the coaching isn’t there to help make these guys better your just spinning your wheels.”
Isn’t winning the last 4 games in a row a sign that he is helping make these guys better?
Not being a jerk here, I honestly want to know. Don’t you think there was progress at the end?
I’m not usually on the side of boogeyman, but I have to agree with him to some extent. While I would not jump ship if the team doesn’t win (I’ve come this far…no sense jumping off now), I do expect Championships.
A great fan is supportive AND demanding. Expect the best! In my mind, only the playoffs would be acceptable ‘progress’ this year.
Sub .500 Record = You’re Fired!
.500 but no Playoffs = Stick Around
Playoffs = Progress
Super Bowl Champions = Mission Accomplished
@coacha12 – Great point! And it applies to the Wimbley move too. In fact, most fans would be upset about any moves we’ve made (or will make at the draft) if Mangini was running the show… except getting rid of D.A., of course. I don’t think anybody could argue with that move, regardless who made it.
@5KMD Possibly but the level of competition faced didn’t hurt Mangini and his staff either. I think overall Mangini’s stamp and the way he likes his team to play (whatever that may be) sunk in as the season progressed but since he won 4 straight people will be expecting that trend to continue. Especially if Holmgren brings in more talent via free agency and the draft.
@Kevin it’s not about sides, LoL, at least not to me I just state my opinion – good, bad or ugly. I’m not into popularity contests just trying to keep it real is all. Sports are all about winning and losing and competition anyone who says they aren’t either never won or never really was into sports like some of us other people. If it wasn’t about wins or losses they wouldn’t bother to keep track. After all I’ve never seen a column for ties or just trying.
In this light I’ll be real interested to see what happens with the Cavaliers especially if the dream season doesn’t end with a championship for the second year in a row. The Browns have the luxury of being so bad that no one is expecting much from them. In this light Mike Holmgren should be able to become a God in this town if what he does shows on the field.
@15 – by level of competition do you mean 2 teams (Pitt and JAX) who both needed to beat us in order to keep their playoff hopes alive?
because they ended outside the playoffs (partly because we beat them), I think the fact that those teams were still desperate for the win has been played down.
now, KC and Oakland. that is a valid point.
A kid just transferred to my school from Texas because his dad is the new head of strength and conditioning and he told me that it is between McCoy and Tebow but we are leaning a lot stronger towards Tebow right now. Just saying what he said.
@Boogeyman, see that was kind of the point. Nobody can guarantee success. All you can do is make good, well calculated, high percentage moves that make logical sense.
Even if Holmgren, Heckert, and Mangini don’t work out, the hiring of Mangini and his structure can’t be argued with, really. The structure is the right one with layers, checks and balances, etc. Even some of the most well-reasoned systems sometimes don’t work out in the end.
Even still, hiring Mike Holmgren was the right thing because of the plan.
@18 Nothing Lerner has done yet has been a step in the right direction. Holmgren appears to be the first but like I said before I’ll reserve judgment I mean the Browns under Holmgren haven’t played a single game yet.
As far as Mangini goes his structure didn’t work out with the Jets so I’m guessing if he can’t get it done sooner then later he’ll follow his former two QBs in Anderson and Quinn by departing.
WTH are you guys smoking? Seriously, you have optimism based on WHAT??? OMG, Booms is going to have a field day with this one. There have been so many screw ups by the front office and coaching staff it would take too long to list. Not to mention the arrogancy (i.e. “don’t come to me for playoff tickets” or this classic, “THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW”). We create self-inflicted holes in our line-up which screws up the draft….we get no one of any signifance in the best free agency class in years WHILE WE HAVE A TON OF $$ UNDER THE SALARY CAP…head coach who flat out sucked…zero RB’s…zero WR’s…free agents don’t want to come here….top 10 draftees don’t want to come here….NFL.com flames this organization…Owner who is more into that fake sport soccer than his football team….GM who won’t even see/meet tannihill while tannihil visits Cleveland…furthering the notion this is a chickensheot operation that doesn’t treat players well
Shall I go on?
Craig…it is dudes like you and your willingness to take crap performance up the rear why the browns continue to blow. The owner/gm/coach know you’re going to always come back and make excuses for them. If this was YOUR business, would you allow this to continue?
I hope Booms comes to your house and screams at you all night long
Furthermore, we’ll see how much you knuckleheads are “optimistic” about the clowns when we go 1-15…