Powerless GM made Browns' scapegoat | The Columbus Dispatch

Bob,

I think Randy Lerner's heart, mind, soul, and attention-span are with his English Soccer team Aston Villa. An unconfirmed report last year said that he watched two Browns games on TV -- from his London flat. And guess what? Lerner is a icon among Aston Villa fans?

Hmmm, yet he's loathed by Browns fans so where do you think his energies lie right now?

Winning and losing in pro sports are systemic. You work just as hard at winning as you do losing, and nobody works harder at losing than the Cleveland Browns.

Just ask their owner. Wherever he is right now?

Great analysis. It all starts at the top, and the "top" is too busy worrying about his kickball team in England. Move to Cleveland, Randy, and really feel what it's like to be around this sorry, Godforsaken franchise.

From Cleveland Browns info listed on WIKIPEDIA:

Following Browns owner Randy Lerner's takeover of English football club Aston Villa, official Villa outlets have started selling Cleveland Browns goods such as jerseys and NFL balls. This has raised interest in England and strengthened the link between the two sporting clubs. Aston Villa supporters have set up an organization known as the Aston (Villa) Browns Backers of Birmingham.

John,

Your analysis of Lerner and the Browns, may be accurate, but I have to disagree with your position that no one in sports works harder at losing than the Browns. Don't discount the Tribe. At least the Browns didn't trade away two all-pro QB's who started against each other in the next Super Bowl. And now we have Manny Who?

Bob,

This is the best scorcher I have read about this mess yet! The social anxiety ridden owner wants transparency. So his solution is to trot out the head coach, who a day before held a press conference WHILE the "GM" was being escorted from the building by security, the entire time never even mentioning the circus being perpetrated. "Process", "moving forward", "cleaning up our fits and gaps", blah blah blah. This really is a debacle and insult to anyone with half a brain. I don't think the solution is to fire Mangini. But Lerner needs to cut and paste the organizational structure of the Steelers. GM, President, Director of Pro Personnel, and THEN the coach. Put 3 bosses with real power above Mangini, and tell him to shut up and coach. If he still stinks, then let the new structure pick a coach. The Patriots are an exception to the rule. Lerner doesn't know his history. Belicheck did his Sherman "burn it all down" here, got fired and worked for Parcells again, got lucky with Tom Brady, and then became an oligarch/genius. Credibility/championships is what keeps Bill's iron fist ship afloat now. Never mind, go ahead and fire Mangini if you want. But cut and paste the ENTIRE Steelers thing. Hire Floyd Reese and then go back to London.

I'm in total agreement that ownership is the problem. How many coaches, gm's and player personel has the Browns gone through since their return?

This mess has been 10 years in the making. Don't think there can be any coach that can clean it up and turn things around in 8 games. I don't think even Gruden or Shanahan could OR EVEN WANT TO. But it is fun to watch a classic production of "Comedy of Errors".

Hey Hunter - Has it occurred to you that Mr. Kokinis was not fired as a "scapegoat" for the team's woes, but rather for internal non-performance and personality-conflict reasons? You should do your homework. You make the hack writers at the Plain Dealer look good with this.

It's pretty obvious that Randy Lerner wanted to can everybody. He had his lawyers review contracts, they had investigators dig up dirt and when every stone had been unturned the only person they could send packing was Kokinis.

Mangini is still standing because he hasn't provided grounds to void his deal. Lerner doesn't want to eat the balance of that deal. Lerner is probably going to make things very uncomfortable for Mangini and try to force a resignation, but Lerner won't reward Mangini for poor performance by paying his contract in full and giving him a vacvation.

Wow...Lerner is making Mike Brown look competent. Even as a Bengals fan, I can't help but feel bad for the Browns fans. They have dealt with so much over the past 15 - 20 years. Hopefully Lerner can see that he needs a strong GM vs a puppet. Mangini doesn't have the track record to warrant the power that he holds with that team.

The offensive scheme is so bad, That literally is what needs to be blown up. I don't think it's the players as much as the scheme. Derek Anderson was a pro bowl QB 2 years ago. He's not old...he didn't suffer a serious injury...he's just in an abysmal scheme that has no direction, no identity. Now I do think that was a career year for Anderson, but even so, you don't go from Pro Bowl to worst QB in the league in 2 years. It just doesn't happen.

Hunter:
Like napalm above said: "DO YOU HOMEWORK", YOU MAKE THE HACK WRITERS @ THE PLAIN DEALER LOOK LIKE PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS WITH YOUR SLANTED VILE VIEWS.

Mangini has coached a total of eight games (8). You media sharks (McManamon, Grossi,
Mary Kay, Ridenour and the rest of hack jobs)report it as if he had coached the Browns eight YEARS !!!

Can't wait for the second eight games so Mangini can make all of you "experts" look like fools !!!!

Then What?. Would you openly appologize for all you slander ?

Sad that both the Browns and the Bengals have poorly run, in-ept front offices. The difference between the two is that since 2003 (Marvin Lewis' first year), the Bengals have had good enough talent to win a division title and have several competitive, but mediocre 8-8 seasons. The issue with the Bengals has never been talent under Marvin Lewis, it has always been maturity, heart, bad coaching, bad front office decisions, and character issues that have held this team back.

The Bengals could have won the division title in 2003, but lost to a losing Browns team at the end of the year because they were not mentallly tough enough to handle success. They acted "a fool" during the halftime of the 2005 playoff game with Pittsburgh and then in the off season leading to nine arrests before the 2006 season. Still in 2006, the Bengals only had to win one of their last 3 games to make the palyoffs and blew it!

The reason they are winning now is that they have kept some of the core players from 2003 (Carson and even Chad despite his trade demands) and allowed many others to leave (Levi Jones and TJ Houshmanzadeh). They brought in quality vets (although some with a questionable past) and drafted pretty well this year and in 06 and 07 when they got Joseph and Hall.

The Browns however have "blown it up" and started over atleast four times now since 2003 with Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel and now Mangini. The Browns have also misjudged their own talent. They gave D.Anderson more credit for being a good QB, when he actually may be more of backup. Brady Quinn dropped in the draft for a reason, but they took him in the 1st round anyway. You get my point.

Although I think Marvin could have or should have been fired after the 06 season for letting the playoffs slip away, the Bengals have kept their core players intact from the 05 Divisional Championship team (Palmer, Chad, Bobbie Williams, Geathers, and Graham to name a few). How good would the Browns be if they still had Winslow, Edwards, and a stronger head coaching presence in the lockerroom with some established free agent vets that want to win?

When LeBron James has greater impact on player personel decisions than the Clown's (former) GM...something is BEYOND seriously wrong.

lerner is quikly showing al davis doesnt have a monopoly on an owner that has no football iq or management skills what-so-ever.the best thing an owner can do is hire a staff with expert football knowledge, then disappear.if you can easily name owners on an nfl team after recognizing thier name in the news, usually is a bad sign.as a 35 year browns fan sentiment wants to see kosar given a major role in the franchise. but the reality is he has no experience as gm or any nfl executive duties.unfortunatly no one with a great reputation wants to become part of the browns bermuda triangle. lerner has to take 2 steps back hire a gm who has total control of operations, and can reel in his coach, or fire, when needed. as a browns fan im used to disappointment, but at least we used to be competitive. the die-hard browns fan will always stand with thier team, as we did through the baltimore fiasco, but throw us a bone!give us something to cheer for. so lerner sell the team or go watch your soccer team and leave us a credible gm and coach.

hank_naples wrote:

Hunter:
Like napalm above said: "DO YOU HOMEWORK", YOU MAKE THE HACK WRITERS @ THE PLAIN DEALER LOOK LIKE PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS WITH YOUR SLANTED VILE VIEWS.
Mangini has coached a total of eight games (8). You media sharks (McManamon, Grossi,
Mary Kay, Ridenour and the rest of hack jobs)report it as if he had coached the Browns eight YEARS !!!
Can't wait for the second eight games so Mangini can make all of you "experts" look like fools !!!!
Then What?. Would you openly appologize for all you slander ?

Mangini was reviled by players in New York. Sure, he had a couple of guys who liked him but the vast majority of the Jets players were thrilled to see him go. They love playing for Ryan.

Mangini came to Cleveland with a cocky swagger that quickly rubbed players the wrong way. Mangini hasn't won anything, his credentials are suspect and he was fired from his last job, so strutting through the Browns HQ and acting like a little turk didn't sit well.

Then you have the way he managed the preseason. Did he give the players a starting QB to rally around? No. He played childish games, forced the QBs to split time and tried to shock the world when Brady Quinn was named the starter on game day. Then his benching of Quinn was gutless. He didn't make an announcement to the team at halftime, he told Anderson he was going in as the team took the field in the second half.

Mangini is undermining his own credibility. He's an arrogant jerk who doesn't know his own limitations. His leadership has hurt the team and they're the proud owners of a 1-7 record.

You think he's got a surpirse in store during the second half. What would that be? Naming Joe Thomas the starting QB?

Sure, it's possible that the Browns will improve after the bye. But that's only because they can't possibly get worse. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to give Mangini a pass. He had a tough job when he signed on, but he's made it worse. He's heading in the wrong direction.

i've heard thru some 'sources't that kokinis was engaged in immoral behavoir shall we say....remember they dismissed someone else prior to him

hank_naples wrote:

Hunter:
Like napalm above said: "DO YOU HOMEWORK", YOU MAKE THE HACK WRITERS @ THE PLAIN DEALER LOOK LIKE PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS WITH YOUR SLANTED VILE VIEWS.
Mangini has coached a total of eight games (8). You media sharks (McManamon, Grossi,
Mary Kay, Ridenour and the rest of hack jobs)report it as if he had coached the Browns eight YEARS !!!
Can't wait for the second eight games so Mangini can make all of you "experts" look like fools !!!!
Then What?. Would you openly appologize for all you slander ?

Talk about clueless....So this guy is predicting a second half resurgence? That's rich.
Even the LIONS are licking their chops

Obviously, the Browns learned nothing from the Butch Davis disaster that they were trying to recover from so they brought in his reincarnation.

here comes bob hunter, waddling in days later to jump on a dead topic with both feet. pathetic. dispatch please hire a columnist or promote oller so we can read something good more often

hank_naples wrote:

Hunter:
Like napalm above said: "DO YOU HOMEWORK", YOU MAKE THE HACK WRITERS @ THE PLAIN DEALER LOOK LIKE PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS WITH YOUR SLANTED VILE VIEWS.
Mangini has coached a total of eight games (8). You media sharks (McManamon, Grossi,
Mary Kay, Ridenour and the rest of hack jobs)report it as if he had coached the Browns eight YEARS !!!
Can't wait for the second eight games so Mangini can make all of you "experts" look like fools !!!!
Then What?. Would you openly appologize for all you slander ?

do you really think the browns will do anything respectful in the next 8 games?!? if you do, you are dumber than lerner... be realistic... have you watched any of the games? i am a die hard browns fan, but i will be the first to admit they are terrible...and the next 8 games will be just as bad as the first 8.... the only way they will have more wins in the second half of the season is because they play KC, Detroit, and the Raiders..... an easier schedule, but the Browns are still terrible.

play for the draft...