A Decade of AL Central Attendance
February 1, 2016Report: Post-Blatt airing of grievances focused on accountability, brought Cavs closer
February 1, 2016The Greater Cleveland Sports Awards were more than just an awards show last Thursday night. While it was a fantastic way to showcase some of the most prominent people in the Northeast Ohio sports world, the show was also a way for members of the media to speak to some of the three professional teams’ top executives and players as well. Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was one of the most popular interviewees, with the media having plenty of questions about the future of quarterback Johnny Manziel.
While reports surfaced that the Browns were expected to part ways with Manziel in mid-January, Haslam mentioned that while the relationship has been rough, it is repairable. Although he believes that the relationship can be fixed, Haslam also admitted that the decision to keep or get rid of the Texas A&M product is not his.
“No, I think that’s a question for (Executive VP of Football Operations) Sashi (Brown) and (head coach) Hue (Jackson),” the owner said. “They’ll make all those calls personnel-wise including quarterbacks.”
Even though the decision may not be his, Haslam admitted that the Browns front office has struggled evaluating talent in recent years, which is one of the biggest reasons why the Browns are still in the cellar of the NFL. Whether it be Manziel, Justin Gilbert, Barkevious Mingo, or many other players over the past few seasons, the Browns’ talent evaluators have struggled, to say the least.
“Look, one of the reasons the Browns are in the condition they are is they’ve not drafted well. Our predecessors didn’t draft well and we didn’t draft well,” he said. “Any time a number one draft pick or any high draft pick is not successful and is not a big contributor, that’s disappointing to the organization.”
Some may argue that Haslam is somewhat praising Manziel at times for the sole reason to increase his trade value (if there is any value at all), rather than actually want him to play for the Browns again. Either way, Haslam seems to have made it clear that the Browns could possibly give the quarterback another chance. Jim Brown recently went to bat for the quarterback as well, but, again, it is not the owner’s decision.
Of course, all of these discussions took place before Manziel was back in the news this past with his latest foray into the headlines, this time a run-in that included being sought out by helicopter. In the event that Sashi Brown and Hue Jackson feel differently than Haslam, the team could part ways with Manziel as early as February 8.
117 Comments
LOL. Good Lord…
hi SAM … i don’t wanna wait until you’re dead & gone. i’m hoping our new geniuses get this thing going in the right direction … enough F@#kin’ around already.
I see where you’re going with that, and I can only pray you’re 1) wrong, and 2) we finally dump Manziel! Btw-I see you never addressed the POW’s as loser ‘debate’ since you’re a big Stockdale supporter (didn’t think I’d ever type that all these years later), I mean, if we’re going to allude to dishonest clowns…
Not sure what animal you think you’re bating, but I can assure you you’re barking up the wrong tree.
You wanna keep Manziel??
I do, actually. If Josh Gordon had been on the team this year, I believe most would want to keep him. He has shown the most promise of any drafted QB since . . . Kosar? I’ve enjoyed watching him play football more than I’ve enjoyed any Browns QB since . . . Sipe? His off-field stuff is just noise, and it has become a great big game to look down our noses at him and make more of it than it actually is. If the NFL lets Gordon back in, and if the Browns draft another legit WR, I would love to see him play – assuming the coach likes him and can live with him. I would also love to see the Browns spend their draft picks on other positions of need, and not another “maybe?” QB in a subpar class of “maybe” QBs.
Thanks for turning this back to football.
I don’t mean to disparage your character-seriously-but we’re you as drunk as Johnny watching him play? He made about 6 good throws, 12 good plays in all the time he was on the field, which is the blind squirrel equation. Saying he’s the best thing since Kosar is relative. They’ve all been horrible. I don’t care too much about the off field stuff (although it’s obvious he needs to stay away from women-this is not gonna end well-one of these times it’s gonna go too far, especially if he’s up to what I think he’s up to, and bad decisions are par for the course). But 1 quarter of decent play out of however many he played is not a good ratio.
I’m not going to convince you, and I’m not going to disparage you, even if I don’t think what you’ve said is at all factually accurate. I watched every game he played, and I stand by it. I’d rather roll with Manziel and Gordon and Bosa/Smith than take another gamble on Goff/Wentz. But, at the end of the day, I think it’s all moot. I’m sure that Jackson doesn’t want him, and everyone can rejoice that Manziel will be off the team.
But for what it’s worth, I usually get drunk AFTER the games. It eases the pain.
It will be a happy time! And let’s face it, if Gordon wants to come back-and I’m hoping the NFL reinstates him ASAP, being on the same team with Manziel is not a good idea. If you wanna get clean, you have to change your friends, rule #1. And you’re right, we can only assume that Jackson doesn’t like Manziel much, considering how easily the Bengals handled him.
Of the issues that Manziel has, his actual substance abuse is one that absolutely needs attention – but not the kind of mocking attention it gets in most circles. I would love for Manziel to find a team and coach that actually want and like him, and will let him heal and grow, both as a QB and as a person. I’m rooting for him. As for him being on the same team as Gordon, nobody can know. If Gordon has used this year to actually get clean, then he could be the best person for Manziel to have as a teammate. It’s all speculation. I will say this, though, it sounds like Manziel has taken the best first step in changing his friends by dropping his girlfriend.
I remember Mr. Wizard doing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKiq5EwkzDg
Awesome! I remember that, too.
Again, it depends on what’s melting. Glacial ice melt could, in theory, cause shores to flood; but the simultaneous melting of glacial ice and icebergs would tend to have an offsetting effect – which, as I understand it, appears to be happening now on a large scale, as the Arctic ice cap (ice in water) appears to be decreasing while the Antarctic ice cap (ice on land and water) appears to be increasing. But . . . it is a scientific fact that melting icebergs alone would actually cause coastal land areas to increase.
Oh, but now that I’ve watched Mr. Wizard, I find out that I’m also not entirely correct. But still there is no rise in ocean levels. I love Mr. Wizard.
I see the Browns just released a statement, and no, it doesn’t sound good for young Master Manziel. Oh well. He’ll have to play the spoiled rich brat games elsewhere it seems. I’m not even mocking him-I honestly believe he’s just like the affluenza kid, entitled and ridiculous, and if he ever realizes what an a$$hole he’s been, he’ll be far too old to make a career in the NFL. I hope he enjoys being a backup, that’s about all he’ll amount to.
That is very well said, sir.
Haslam is a complete shmuck. They haven’t had a problem evaluating talent, they’ve had a problem choosing it on draft day. And he is ground zero.
Repairable, what a yutz. A week later his new GM essentially announces they are cutting him, oh, but not yet cause we just moved our cap space to next year.
Here’s a clue Jimmy, go to timeout and keep your mouth shut.