While We’re Waiting… Athletes are people too
July 30, 2013Indians 3, White Sox 2: Giambi finishes Sox off with one swing
July 30, 2013The Cleveland Browns are the subject of one of the latest pieces published by Sports Illustrated’s new Peter King-led website appropriately called “Monday Morning Quarterback.”
Greg Bedard goes deep into what he affectionately calls Browns 6.0, wondering why, this time, should fans believe that things are actually different? Where Grantland’s Chuck Klosterman was walled off from Browns CEO Joe Banner, the team apparently realized their pre-draft fumble—Bedard received plenty of intel.
“I do have a little more power in the sense that in Philly the head coach worked with me closely but was not a direct report to me, and he is here,” Banner said to Bedard. “In the execution, that’s really not as big a difference as it sounds, but it is a difference. And if one was defining the extent of power [and] control—I hate to even use those words—there is a little bit of a difference.
“Off-the-field business, on-field performance, all of it—there’s a lot of room for growth,” Banner said of the Browns. “Some of the people from other organizations, I told them: ‘You can be part of one of the more conspicuous turnarounds that anyone has ever been a part of.’”
The entire feature, running several thousand words, discusses the roles of general manager Mike Lombardi as well as first-time head coach Rob Chudzinski, offensive coordinator Norv Turner and defensive coordinator Ray Horton. While the entire feature is worth the read, the money quote may have come from veteran linebacker D’Qwell Jackson who says that this Browns team is no longer “waiting.”
“What’s new to me is I haven’t been around an offensive coordinator, defensive and head coach that want to attack,” said Jackson. “Everyone has a sense that we’re not waiting around for people. We’re going to live and die by how we play. We’re not going to let the offense dictate what we do on defense, and vice versa. That is what any player wants. You want to be able to be aggressive. As a defensive player, that’s the mentality you have and that’s how you want to play it.”
[Related: Training camp news and notes: Position battles continue]
9 Comments
I was very excited to learn in this article that we went to the playoffs in 2007. I guess I blacked out for several weeks that year and missed it. I blame the drinking.
On a serious note, they did get some interesting quotes from the team management and I am enjoying that the Browns are getting at least some level of national attention.
here are some interesting tidbits from the article:
“Banner’s reputation inside league circles is one of a shrewd, calculating and patient businessman.”
on the Eagles decisions: “The truth is, it was collaborative although it was always real that Andy could veto.”
“I think the coach is more important than the personnel guy,” Banner said
Lombardi said. “Being back in the league is tremendous, but being back
here is even better because it really has a special place in my
heart—and an incomplete place in my heart with the way things ended.”
But there’s no doubt that the Browns have two leaders with successful track record in Banner and Scheiner.
that last one is sort of funny. Policy, Butch, Romeo/Phil, Mangini, Holmgren/Heckert all were leaders with successful track records as well. You don’t tend to hire the guys with unsuccessful track records. Hopefully, this time is different and they were the right hires to get this turned around, but it seemed a strange statement to make considering our past.
I was expecting a rub and a tug when I saw the headline!
HAHAHAHA! Thank you…that made my day!
(bows) I do what I can! 😉
All of them had some “success” in some limited capacity but none of them had success when given higher level positions with the Browns (Mangini & Romeo had success as coordinators=>not as HCs; Butch a HC at college level=>NFL; Heckert & Phil as partial-power personnel guys=>GM).
Point of order: Taking a Chad Pennington QB’d team to the playoffs in his first year as a HC counts as “success” as a HC, as does building a legit Super Bowl contender in 3 years as Jets coach.
And of course, keeping the 2010 Browns within a single score of all but 3 of their opponents with Delhomme/Seneca/Colt at QB with the rest of a dumpster fire roster counts as the same thing.
That is all.
playoffs? did you say playoffs? Oh, wrong quote