When it was announced that the Browns were coming back to Cleveland, long time fans were looking forward to once again cheering for their football team. We looked forward to once again enjoying fall Sunday afternoons like we did watching Jim Brown w/Frank Ryan, Bill Nelson w/Leroy Kelly, Brian Sipe w/Greg/Mike Pruitt and Bernie Kosar w/Mack & Byner. Well, we were in for a big letdown as they've only been in the playoffs once (2002) and have had only 2 winning seasons since their return in 1999. In fact, their record since coming back into the league, including this year, is 86 - 180.
It's been hard being a Browns fan since 1999 but this year may be the worst yet as this franchise is totally identified with the circus known as Johnny Football. There have been a multitude of bad first round picks going back to the Modell days but the selection of Johnny Manziel may very well be the worst of them all. I say that because it's not just his inability to be a franchise quarterback but it illustrates the total dysfunction of a franchise that was a perennial contender prior to their hijacking to Baltimore in 1995.
While I understand the argument that the Browns need to play Manziel to see if he is "their guy", his actions off the field demonstrate to me that he cannot be the man to lead Cleveland to a Super Bowl. Moreover, his recent incidents illustrate something bigger: Manziel has an alcohol problem. This is a guy who was in rehab for 73 days and has fallen hard off of the wagon. The following was in a 2013 ESPN The Magazine article: "Manziel's father, John Paul, acknowledged that he was concerned about his son's anger issues, his drinking and his struggles dealing with celebrity. 'Yeah, it could all come unraveled', Manziel's father said. 'And when it does, it's gonna be bad. Real bad'." This isn't from a media person who has an ax to grind. This is coming from his own father.
On top of his alcohol issues, he has difficulty being truthful to his teammates, the Browns organization and the fans. On multiple occasions he has said that he learned his lesson. That he was going to be dedicated to being a professional and not a rock star. So much for that. But the icing on the cake was instead of admitting to his coaches that he screwed up, he lied and he has his so-called friends lie for him. Sounds more like a 14 year old busted for drinking cheap wine after the homecoming game than the guy who will lead his team to a championship.
Head Coach Mike Pettine was right in changing starting quarterbacks as a result of Manziel's shenanigans this past weekend and his lying. For those who want to see whether Manziel is "the guy", Pettine has left the door open for him to be named the starter before the season is over. In my opinion, this organization should cut its losses and end the circus known as Johnny Football.
What also needs to happen is that the guy responsible for the state of this team needs to be fired. General Manager Ray Farmer may go down as the worst general manager in NFL history as he has blown four first round draft picks over the last two drafts. Not one of these players have had any type of positive impact for a franchise starving for playmakers. Farmer is in over his head and needs to be shown the door.
I feel bad for Mike Pettine. He is a football guy and he seems to have the respect of his players. Unfortunately, he is also known as a defensive minded coach and the Browns defense is one of the worst in the league. While I would have no problem if he was given another year without Farmer and Manziel, I think that if you are going to have a new General Manager that person needs to hire his own Head Coach.
The one guy who can't be replaced but deserves a lot of the blame is owner Jimmy Haslam. When Haslam bought the Browns, we were sold on the idea that since he was a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers that he knew the importance of continuity, both in the front office and with the coaching staff. That has hardly been the case. Instead of following the Rooney family model, he seems to be following the footsteps of such meddling owners like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder.
In fact, under Haslam's ownership, he has brought this franchise to it's lowest point ever. From changing the team's iconic uniforms to those resembling that of a high school program to applying pressure to draft an undersized 20 year old quarterback who has character issues and a sense of entitlement, Haslam has made it harder for long time Cleveland fans to follow this team. What he has created is a bad soap opera that needs to be cancelled.
