Dawgpound Mike and Mobile Dawg Follow Up
The two Browns fans that are atttempting to stage a protest when the Browns host the Baltimore Ravens next Monday night got their wish. Mike Randall (Dawgpound Mike) and Tony Schaefer (Mobile Dawg) sat down with Browns owner Randy Lerner to discuss their feelings on the current state of the football team.
While they stated that they still plan on going forward with the “Brown Out,” the two men had nothing but glowing remarks to say about Lerner. Randall repetedly stated that Lerner is understanding how the fans feel, and he too is very unhappy. Admittedly, they did mention that Lerner gets a raw deal from the media due to his perceived lack of “touch” with the team.
“We have to to a better job of listening,” Lerner reportedly said.
“A class act,” were the words that Randall used to describe the owner.
Lerner reportedly mentioned his father, the late Al Lerner, on multiple occassions and gave zero inclination that he would be willing to sell the Browns. He has entertained the idea of phoning and emailing out to the season ticket holders and he understand that these are his core customers.
In response to being accused of falsely representing a fan base, Randall and Schaefer stated that they are not looking to “represent” Browns fans, they are merely representing their feelings.
Other issues that Randall and Schaffer mentioned were a few additions that they would like to see added to the Cleveland Browns stadium, including but not limited to a display of the Browns’ NFL Championships that occurred pre-Super Bowl as well as the current retired jersey numbers.
Something else that was touched on was the “Excessive Standing” rules that have been reportedly put in place. Lerner claimed that there is no such rule in the stadium and that fans have the right to stand as often as they wish. If anyone is asked/told to sit, Lerner urged those in question to call security to make them aware of the issue.
There appears to be a follow-up meeting or phone call occuring down the road. Whether or not the “protest” will still go down remains to be seen. A recent poll by The OBR shows that the majority of fans are in fact opposed to the display.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:36 am
Good job, you two. While folks like me just sit around and complain, you got out there and did something. Good for you.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:43 am
Yes, good job. I disagree with the, “Brown out” but it was good that you did get to speak to Mr. Lerner and make some valid points.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 am
Perhaps in this case just the threat of the Brown Out did its job and there really won’t be a reason to carry it out. We stink, we get it, but if the owner knows we stink and is willing to step up and act like he’s showing that he is this week I don’t see the need to bring more attention to it.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:52 am
If it wasn’t clear, they were on WKNR’s “The Really Big Show” this morning. Good recap, Scott.
And while I have mixed feelings on the “Brown Out,” it does sound like it was a worthwhile meeting.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:53 am
Couldnt it be more of showing the nation that we’re not ok with this?
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:54 am
You know what protest I’m ready to join? One against ESPN for putting us on national television! Versus the team-I-refuse-to-admit-exists, no less. I can’t wait to vomit over the groundbreaking discoveries Jaws has about the Browns from watching tape.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:56 am
Ok, I’m sure I’m screwing this up, but if one of you WFNY guys would be so kind as to fix this.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:57 am
and the link vanished, with no pic. Interesting.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:57 am
Don’t hurt Josh Cribb’s feelings. Show up for the kickoff.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:59 am
How soon we forget. If my memory serves me right, Wasn’t it “Dawgpound” Mike Randall that welcomed Chad “Ocho Cinco” with open arms into the Dogpound after he scored a touchdown?
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
sorry if I’m not a fan of my representation dressing up as french fries
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
@MrCleveland, yes
/nods head
//stops nodding because it takes to much effort
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:11 pm
I was at Soldier Field on Sunday, and noticed the following: “World Champions, 193x; World Champions, 193x, World Champions, ……” Including the same exact wording for “World Champions, 1986″ or whatever year it is, 85, 86, I don’t remember. If they can claim them, so should the Browns. They are also correct, there is no listing of numbers or anything. Yes, it sucks that as Browns fans, all we have right now, or recently, is a past, but at least it is one, could be worse. Could be the Bengals!
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:16 pm
@11
danny, how is a walking french fry any worse than Dennis Kucinich?
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:44 pm
“Things could be worse. Could be the Bengals!”….ladies and gentlemen your Cleveland Browns!
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:44 pm
The ‘Brown -Out’ is a ridiculous idea. I’m in full support of the disgruntled fan, especially those who spend money on season tickets, but to not be in your seat at kick-off to protest the teams record/direction/whatever is lunicy. Is everyone going to be walking around the concourse, waiting for the kick off, then mad-dash to their seats for the game? Screw that. We gave up our season tickets after last year, and decided to hit one or two games a year. We’ll be at the Monday night game. In our seats, probably 10-15 minutes before kickoff.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Can someone please explain why we lionize Al Lerner Sr? He helped run the team out of town, and yet we act as if the Lerner family is some savior of the franchise.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
@15
I bet that if the Brown-out was not an over-the-top idea, it would not have gotten the attention of Mr. Lerner. Isn’t that the point?
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
The bottom line is this team is bad, with no current potential to get better. Is Mangini to blame for that? I personally don’t think so; this team lacks talent and while good coaches can bring out the best in players, I sincerely feel that there isn’t much anyone could do with the group of guys we’ve got. We need a solid plan for QB for next season, we need to get something out of our huge collection of draft picks, and we need someone to bring all of them together come next season. If our GM to be named later and Randy Lerner seem to think Mangini is the guy for the job to do that next year, great. Cleveland has always used the current coach to be the whipping boy of our frustration, but did you really expect a good season?
I find it encouraging that Lerner was willing to grant an audience to two disgruntled fans. Whether they represent the majority of fans or not, they’ve put themselves in a position to be heard and I wholly respect that. It’s clearly obvious to everyone that getting rid of Kokinis is really going to have no affect on the rest of the season; and it’d be ridiculous to get rid of Mangini mid-season. Whether he stays here for the 2010-2011 season will have to be seen.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pm
#18 should have been @16, not @15.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I just want to see the brown out to see what it would be like if the NFL played a game without fans.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
They are going to look like they were successful because everyone will be stuck in traffic like last year.
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
So Randy is a real guy. I’m so relieved, that’s so important to me.
Maybe at their next meeting these guys can ask him what led him to throw the keys to the organization to the following in succession:
- Carmen Policy/ Dwight Clark
- Butch Davis/Pete Garcia
- Savage/Romeo
- Mangini
Those ar the hires he (or his father, the Beloved One) directly controlled. Ask him how is his decision-making process different today, and why we should expect better results. Look for an answer other than he feels our pain.
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Dawgpound Mike is a self promoting fool. Pay no attention to anything this idiot has to say.
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:09 pm
I thought Dawgpound Mike came across intelligent and does not seem to be doing this for attention. However, it does seem like there’s a lot of jealousy coming from other fans who do nothing but complain.
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:28 pm
@21
Go to Detroit.
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
#1: DPM obtained his front row Dawg Pound seat from another fan only in the last few years as a desperate attention grab. It is not by chance that he targeted the seat next to Mr. John “Big Dawg” Thompson.
#2: DPM has concocted repeated ridiculous costumes (Charlie Frye suit, Dogbone Hat) in an attempt to garner attention for himself. He makes sure to prominently display his website on his foam hat.
#3: DPM conspired with another team’s player to jump into the Dawg Pound (Chad Johnson) in an attempt to further draw attention to himself, he is a true embarrassment to the other Dawg Pound season ticket holder’s and browns fans in general. Can there be anything more offensive to the spirit of the Dawg Pound than embracing another team’s player?
#4: DPM sponsors and sells many commercial products, places his website on his childish hat, and will do anything in his power to draw attention to himself and his website.
True Browns fans support their team through thick and thin and would not put their own notoriety over the best interests of the team.
Hopefully, if the media stops covering this shameless self-promoting “fan”, he will cease and desist with plans to conduct his latest attention grab, and hopefully one day trade in his ticket altogether
November 4th, 2009 at 12:06 am
I’ve encountered DPM outside of a Cleveland Browns setting and he’s as big a douche out of his ridiculous costumes as he is when he’s wearing them…
This guy and many of the NFL’s so-called “Superfans” are simply attention whores.
Al Lerner could have spoke with 20+ more qualified Browns fans if he had hanged around an Upper Level Ladies Bathroom than sat down with this clown.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Edit.
Randy Lerner.
Not Al Lerner… I was pissed from reading this and misstyped.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:33 am
I sat behind Dawgpound Mike a couple times, and the guy spends more time cursing at opposing players and trying to get on camera than he does watching the games. His foam dog-bone hat stinks and blocks the view for real fans behind him. Why Lerner met with this idiot is beyond me. Dawgpound Mike is about Dawgpound Mike.
November 4th, 2009 at 11:11 am
RE: Honoring past players… there are 10-foot banners covering the walls of Brownstown inside the Stadium honoring dozens of past Browns greats. Just ’cause it’s not in view of the television cameras doesn’t mean it’s not there.
But something SHOULD be done about honoring our past world championships…
November 4th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Dawgpound Mike was on Sportstalk Cleveland today and when the host asked him questions he did not like he hung up and ran. He is a joke, he is not a fan of the Browns he is a fan of himself.