Indians 15, Blue Jays 4 : It’s alive…ALIVE!
May 15, 2014“Sudden” Sam McDowell, Tribe’s Conflicted Star (With Bonus Trivia!): Reliving Yesteryear
May 15, 2014I tried to be fair to Bart Hubbuch. I didn’t get into a flame war with him on Twitter. I didn’t call him out when he engaged in a “block party” with Browns fans. I know how nasty and defensive Cleveland fans can be. Part of recognizing our place in the wider universe is recognizing just how many faults we truly have. This time though, Bart Hubbuch revealed that even if he has some points about the Browns making mistakes in handling Johnny Manziel “mania,” he’s got some massive faults of his own on this issue and he’s really coming off like a baby. So, let me address some of what he said in his critical column of the Browns at the New York Post yesterday.
Let’s start right from the beginning. Here’s Hubbuch’s opening.
The Browns think they can control Johnny Football mania, which pretty much explains why this franchise is the NFL’s longest-running joke.
Cheap shot No. 1. Yes, the franchise is a long-running NFL joke, but any amount of research shows that the punchlines haven’t had much of anything to do with Ray Farmer, Alec Scheiner or the Browns media folks since Zak Gilbert took over. Maybe Gilbert and his crew will fail to handle Johnny Manziel effectively, but they haven’t fallen on their faces just yet and they aren’t holding the bag for Holmgren’s Colt McCoy concussion fiasco, for example. The debacle that was covered by Grantland? This had nothing to do with this current cast.
Never mind that The Post, like every other media outlet, was going to Cleveland with the expectation of writing a positive story — something that doesn’t happen too often for a sad-sack franchise with just two winning seasons since its return to the city in 1999.
And what kind of joke would the Browns be if they went against what they thought was the right way to handle a player coming into the league at the expense of really early and premature “good” press? They’d be a monstrous joke. They’d be selling their souls not to be the best football team, but for the best headlines. Maybe they’re being silly by cutting off media this weekend, but their motives are actually pretty sound. Hubbuch just wants their motives to align with his — a writer for the New York post — who is looking for page views and newspaper sales in New York.
The team’s stance ranks high on the hypocrisy meter, too. The Browns were more than happy to sell 2,500 new season tickets and a boatload of new Manziel jerseys (even LeBron bought one), yet at the same time they’re trying to act like the former Heisman Trophy winner is just another player on their roster.
It’s a balancing act. The Browns didn’t draft Johnny Manziel at the top of the first round for a reason. They obviously didn’t think he was the next Andrew Luck or RG3 who was clear and away ready to step under center right away. So, yes, they’re balancing between drafting a really high-profile player with potential to be a starter at some point vs. his popularity today based on what he did at another stage of his life. Hubbuch makes it sound like they couldn’t draft Manziel fast enough simply to sell jerseys and tickets. They passed on him twice if you think about it. Just ask Sammy Watkins and Justin Gilbert.
Next in reference to Jimmy Haslam’s statements about Manziel acting like a backup, Hubbuch takes cheap shot No. 2.
Yep, Manziel needs to just shut up and do his job, apparently. And be like the oh-so-professional Haslam, whose truck-stop chain is currently an indictment mill for the feds for defrauding their corporate customers out of millions of dollars.
I don’t think there’s any other website or outlet who has discussed, critically, the issues of Jimmy Haslam’s Pilot/Flying J than WFNY. The outstanding legal issues have real negative potential for the team and the fans if and when they come down. But, in this situation they couldn’t be any less relevant except that Bart Hubbuch is mad and wants to get a dig in. It’s fine if you want to make the case that the Browns are mishandling the Johnny Manziel media situation, but you don’t strengthen your case this way. I mean, why not drop some line about Staph infections and Kellen Winslow Jr. while you’re at it? Hey, did you hear the Cuyahoga River caught on fire 60 years ago? Stick to the point.
Hubbuch finishes.
If the Browns weren’t interested in the “Hollywood” part of the Manziel package, they shouldn’t have drafted him. They can tilt at windmills all they want, but there’s no separating the two.
As I said before, it’s a balancing act. The Browns can only control what they can control and Johnny Manziel is going to be high profile all season long whether he’s starting or sitting on the bench. In the end though the Browns seem to understand that they don’t want to live their football lives for cheap pops. The only way to be relevant in the NFL is to win and win consistently.
Hours after signing his new, $40-million contract, Browns cornerback Joe Haden may have said it best. “When you’re on the field everybody’s going to see what’s going on. It’s not like anybody’s given free spots. You have to earn it. You have to win it.”
It’s a fun side-effect of this year’s draft that Johnny Manziel gives the team some more attention and jersey sales, but none of the stories penned here about Manziel ever had anything to do with marketability; they had to do with the fact that the Browns haven’t had a legit starting quarterback since Bernie Kosar; they had to do with the fact that this kid with only two years of college experience showed a fire, competitiveness and play-making ability that defied his “two-inches too short” stature.
Bart Hubbuch has Cleveland ties, having covered the team in the early 1990s for the Akron Beacon-Journal. Conversely, Hubbuch is the big man on campus at the New York Post who just can’t believe a media market like Cleveland had the gall to say no to him. And maybe he’s right that the Browns are “tilting at windmills” but the way he went about making his case and complaining publicly on Twitter (again) doesn’t help him make that point at all.
75 Comments
Good lord, who cares.
Manziel hasn’t even worn the pads or put on the bright orange helmet and “it” has already started. This is one of the smaller reasons why I wasn’t so big on him being drafted by the Browns. The sad part is this has nothing to do with him. God forbid the day when he does or says something because it’ll be insane.
This is where the media gets trapped time & again. There’s a difference between what the media cares about and what fans care about.
The Browns capping the contingent that they’re allowing to cover the team’s training sessions and camps DOES NOT MATTER TO FANS. Boo hoo Bart Hubbach.
Excellent exigesis, Craig. This is why WFNY is a thoughtful and balanced counterweight to “teh stupid” that dominates sports media today. Don’t get me started on the crap that the NY Post’s parent companies spew on the political front.
“If the Browns weren’t interested in the “Hollywood” part of the Manziel package, they shouldn’t have drafted him.”
I would have guessed that the Browns drafted Manziel based on his talent rather than him being “Hollywood”.
Also, Hubbuch’s reply to a baiting fan ( “What a stupid f****ing response, moron”) completely decimated any chance he had at anyone seeing his point of view.
i like the part where the post was “going to Cleveland with the expectation of writing a positive story.”
oh kay.
but of course expectations are fluid and as long as they’re in town writing a positive piece, there’s always the haslam indictment angle for a fall-back.
I just hope the Browns, Cleveland, and the fans ignore this trash. Truly, just ignore it as if it was never said. It’s silly and nothing but a sideshow to what the team is trying to accomplish. Be transcendent. Let them mock, let them ridicule, let them say whatever they want to say. It doesn’t matter one bit.
I do think, though, that large segments of the “National” media is not necessarily buying this. The NFL Network had this discussion on NFL AM this morning, and the consensus appeared to be that the Browns are absolutely doing the right thing. There’s maybe something to be said for learning how to manage the circus now before it gets out of control in the future, but a lot of smart football (and media) people agree that letting the media into rookie camp does absolutely no good for Manziel or the Browns.
[But seriously, I don’t know that I’ve ever read a more petulant, childish article from a supposed “professional.” The New York media is nothing but a mass of spoiled, whiny children. I say employ the Owen household motto for dealing with Children: “Never negotiate with terrorists.”]
i think it’s pretty much the definition of sour grapes. and i don’t want to sound like a cliche artist, but it’s textbook cliche.
Could not care any less about what the national media thinks the Browns should do. It’s time to get to work, not only for Manziel but for all the rookies. Having a bunch of out-of-town yahoos running around the facility does nothing to help Gilbert, Bitonio, Desir and the rest get ready for the season.
Letting the media create a circus is a Jerry Jones-type move, so good job by the Browns shutting that down.
but the kid has the makeup to handle it. in fact, i think it’s like samson and his hair – Manziel needs the bright lights to be on for him to be on. He’ll be ready on game day.
excellent point. I was thinking the same thing when i read his piece. As fans, we just want what’s best for the team, and if Pettine thinks asylum is best, well that’s what we go with. It’s absolutely ZERO issue for the fans.
“If the Browns weren’t interested in the “Hollywood” part of the Manziel package, they shouldn’t have drafted him. They can tilt at windmills all they want, but there’s no separating the two.”
There is at mini-camp.
“The Browns think they can control Johnny Football mania, which pretty much explains why this franchise is the NFL’s longest-running joke.”
This coming from someone who writes for THE POST.
Oh, that’s rich…
http://challengenat.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/data.gif
Not decimated. Destroyed.
First issue – Taking the Post, especially the back page, as anything more than a troll, looking to drive up hits. This is exactly what they wanted, to rile some people up over a controversial sports figure and to get them arguing over him. You’ll see this approach frequently taken by sports talk radio. Seriously, has anyone here ever seen the Post before?
This point renders any further issues irrelevant.
He just comes off as a petulant little B. His lashing out oozes scorn. Then again, I might be a little panty bunched if I had to write for a rag like the Post that isn’t even ass wipe worthy.
can you actually “completely decimate” something? that’s a serious question.
otoh, we’re missing wall-to-wall coverage of this.
No. “Decimate” actually means “to reduce by 10 percent.” At least technically (I know dictionaries have modified the term to accommodate cultural use, but that’s stupid). It’s a pet peeve of mine.
But we are getting wall-to-wall coverage of the wall-to-wall non-coverage.
Decimate: to severely damage or destroy a large part of (something)
(I’ll try to break down words to their latin meanings before I use them next time)
The “completely” wasn’t needed, but the only takeaway from my comment is exactly how much his point was rendered invalid?
Nerd alert
What are we missing?
until this moment i had always thought it meant to reduce TO 10%. wow. wrong again.
http://4closurefraud.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/guilty.gif
All of it was rendered invalid. That’s why I prefer “destroyed.”
That’s why I’m here!
Yeah, it’s a little-known fact there, saggy, that the term originated with the Roman Army, where commanders would often randomly take 1 out of every 10 soldiers from a cowardly, rebellious, underperforming, captured, or foreign auxiliary unit and exectute them in front of the rest of the unit as a form of punishment, discipline, correction, or simply a message saying, “We’re in charge, now” (in Latin, though).
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view4/1475462/cliff-clavin-o.gif
Sounds like this reporter has his panties in a bunch over not being able to meet Johnny Football. LOL
He sounds like a YouTube comment section.
“If the Browns weren’t interested in the “Hollywood” part of the Manziel package, they shouldn’t have drafted him.” – Because why would anyone draft a football player who got his “Hollywood” status playing football to, you know, PLAY FOOTBALL!? Ugh.
His make up is he doesn’t care I don’t think that’s generally a positive. But regardless I’m hoping Manziel and the Browns turn this into a positive.
Yeah, editor giving assignment: “Get ta Cleveburg and write us a positive story, for chrissake. Try this, like how New York teams know how to handle a star, and bumpkins wouldn’t know a neon light if it fell on ’em. Make it punchy and get it finished by midnight.”
http://www.meijer.com/assets/product_images/styles/xlarge/1001997_QU4468_A_400.jpg
(As in WFNY can deoderize the stink created by the lame stream media)
Let me hang one of these bad boys up in here:
http://img.mylot.com/350×350/2375623.gif
“The Browns think they can control Johnny Football mania…”
What this keyboard cowboy WANTS to say but is too much of a coward is…”The Browns think they can control US?”
I guess. Giving the Post the time of day, even if just to prove it wrong, is exactly what they’re hoping for though.
And the sweet thing is, they are controlling them!
Love it.
How about annihilated?
In other important news, I need to get a pair of those!
Also works.
Winning!
Team Primary Interest: player success, winning games
Team Secondary Interest: sales of tix, merchandise, national attention increasing team value
Cleveland Fan Primary Interest: player success, winning games
Fan Secondary Interest: national attention leading to improved self-perception
Player Primary Interest: player success, team success, resulting in …
Player Secondary Interest: legacy, monetary riches
NY Post Primary Interest: attention to articles, revenue for NY Post
Three of these four actors have overlapping interests. I could not care less about the fourth’s.
Btw, this is why i discount a lot of the local media’s pre-draft braying about who should be picked. Many in the media have juicy somethings to talk/write about as an overriding concern. Good or bad, a story beats boring. I want a good team, and whether its leading hitter is Albert Belle or Andre Thornton makes zip difference to me if they’re putting up the same numbers..
Just Win Baby.
Tail: “But, but, how will that Dawg wag without me?”
Sad but true. I hate feeding trolls, too, but we can’t let false or lazy narratives take hold. That’s why I’m happy when it is effectively called out.
DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM????
If the media didn’t make a zoo out of things, then this wouldn’t be necessary. But they so often blow things out of proportion and fail to exercise any perspective, so it’s their own damn fault.
But don’t try telling them that. They’ll claim that their audience demands this kind of coverage. Which is b.s.
What’s interesting to me about his article is that he must know most of the rest of the sports world will disagree with him. It will, however, generate a lot of buzz and clicks. It’s almost as if he picked this meaningless fight just so he could write an a controversial article about ANYTHING having to do with Manziel.
The Browns have plenty of failures to point out, but most of it has nothing to do with this issue. Getting the NYP to graciously write a positive article about them has barely more than zero value to the Browns. Of course the Browns are aware that a certain media frenzy is unavoidable, but making it wait until after rookie camp (and some media coaching for the wunderkind) is something they can control, and should.
Point of order, Mr. Chairman: If they lined up the entire unit and took 1 out of every 10, can we really say it was random?
The rest of the national media will not disagree with him as they want “access” too.I’m glad the Browns exercised their option to limit the media and temper down the hype for now. I’m not sure which other OTA’s or minicamps are also eligible for this.
However I must say I don’t mind the attention: Browns news on Sportscenter and NFL network daily? That hasn’t happened since the return plus one of my employees who’s a Dallas fan said ” with Manziel you guys are going to win a championship”. I prefer that statement to the usual “commiserations to being a Browns fan”.
The nerd in me loves etymology. Good stuff G_O!
Well, the history is spotty. It’s unclear whether they determined in advance who would be picked. So, the number (1) isn’t random, but the actual person (Biff, or Frank, or Joe – actual names!) may have been. Also, they may have lined them up in series of 10s and randomly selected they guy that would be killed. As such, the unlucky guy may have been #1 in the order, or he may have been #8.