Beginning with a Chud

by Cleveland Frowns on January 11, 2013

If you came here for a measured reaction to the Browns’ decision to hire Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator and now first-time NFL head coach Rob Chudzinski at the end of the latest most Cleveland Browns head coaching search in NFL history, you’ve come to the right place.

STEP ONE:

CODE_FUCKING_BROWN

Okay.

Because that’s what you’re getting here: A full measure of reaction in The King’s English; our first reaction, about which, as always, we reserve the right to be embarrassed later. AS IF THAT EVER HAPPENS. FUCK.

So note that we haven’t turned on the radio on for even a second since the hire was announced, nor have we read a single thing about it yet other than a few personal text messages from close friends and family, and the @replies on our Twitter feed, which, as of 3:06AM on the date of this post, consist entirely of profanities, brilliant life-affirming puns in the folk tradition, retweets of Mary Kay Cabot’s report that Chud will run “a 3-4 attack defense,” profanities, more profanities and one guy who told us that “at least a few of the football guys whose opinions [he] respect[s] like[s] the hire.” OH MY GOD NAME ONE WAIT NO ACTUALLY, DON’T.

Which is also to say that we haven’t yet popped in for even a second of the Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com website, ESPN, or anything else on the internet including any other part of Twitter except for about half a second maybe once or twice by accident. We didn’t even look at Chud’s wiki so as to have been able to label him an “X-year career coordinator” or anything; and we hardly remember anything about him other than something about The University of Miami and that he coordinated the Browns offense under Romeo Crennel in the one season it put up good fantasy stats while nevertheless still as always losing every single game that was even remotely important. So here’s what comes immediately to mind in response to this news:

J.T. Leroy;

Steelers watches;

Browns watches;

Chief Wahoo; Long Live Wahoo!; Down with the anthropological pussies and PC eunuchs who want to take our fun away from us!!!!!!!1!!;

Meth;

WE COULD HAVE HAD MARC TRESTMAN;

The rush to be “first” is killing journalism and America in this, The Internet Age;

Meth;

Je te plumerai!;

Jerry Jones;

Don’t good “coordinator hires” come from teams that are actually good at winning football games? Like, teams that are so good that one can’t help but assume there’s so much leadership to go around in the organization so as to reflect on its top men. Isn’t that how “coaching trees” happen? But the Carolina Panthers won like 6 games last season pretty much all against shitty teams. Did they beat even one team with an even slightly better-than-decent defense? Has Ron Rivera been the one holding Chud back all along?

Meth;

But the whole team doesn’t have to be great if the coordinator’s unit is doing its job, of course. Wait, remember when idiots thought that the 2011 Browns defense was good because it gave up a relatively low number of points, when the truth was that the Browns offense was so ungodly horrendous that any remotely non-horrendously coached or quarterbacked team could basically shut its whole playbook down when they played us still be assured of coming a way with a win without giving future opponents anything useful on film? How does this principle apply to the 2011 or 2012 Panthers’ offense, accounting for the fact that the Panthers have literally the most dynamically physically gifted athlete who plays the quarterback position in all of football? Cam Newton; It’s Cam Newton who’s been holding Chud back;

There is but one truly serious philosophical problem;

WE COULD HAVE HAD CHICO KYLE;

Gus Malzahn;

CHICO KYLE;

Doesn’t Cam Newton have pretty much all the physical ability of Robert Griffin III, plus about 33% more size, strength and durability? Why did nobody in Carolina ever figure out how to do the “just run a little bit diagonal to the sideline” thing that the Redskins figured out in the preseason of RG3′s rookie year? What are the odds that the Shanahans didn’t figure out the “just run a little bit diagonal to the sideline thing” after seeing Cam play like one quarter as a rookie for Chud in Carolina, before using it to take their team to a shocking division title run? For now we’ll set those odds at 40 billion;

WHAT IF WE COULD HAVE HAD JERRY GLANVILLE BUT GOT AN OLDER FATTER PAT SHURMUR INSTEAD?;

How much can’t you wait to hear what Eric Mangini thinks about this? For now we’ll set those odds at 40 billion;

Mangini;

Mangini Mangini Mangini;

Cement;

Taquitos;

Rollitos;

Pestilence;

What are Rob Chudzinski’s affiliations with any free football camps for underprivileged teenagers in poverty ravaged-type places?;

Ashes; spread them over Chudder Bay;

And let’s hear it for Cleveland, Ohio again, too. Because we can’t be reminded enough that it was at the precise time when it was more obvious than it’s ever been in human history that the absolute last thing this country or the world or anything in the whole the universe including the Republican Party itself needed was more of the Republican Party: THAT’S when Randy Lerner — who, to his great credit, now looks like a baby panda bear next to Haslam and Banner — finally decides to get out of his fucking PJ’s to finally sell the Browns, which of course could only have been at the exact moment that the consensus most eligible candidate to join the world’s luckiest pack of sociopaths is one of the tiny handful of the most powerful walking avatars of the politics that have driven this country off the cliff, also happens to be a guy who was born into a fortune based on a business that’s aggressively, relentlessly and completely unashamedly trying to wipe all mammals off of planet earth. The guy, who, when not just this planet but this country is in as bad of shape as it’s been in at almost 100 years by history by literally every possible observable measure, decides to use a billion dollars to buy himself a toy — a billion dollar toy and the coolest possible toy that only six people in America might ever even dream of actually buying “to own.” And Jimmy III found it in Cleveland, right here, in Cleveland, and grabbed it all the way from Tennessee, where he’s “Royalty,” now with one hand full of the Cleveland Browns, and the other on the wheel as “Knoxville’s co-pilot” guys, it’s fine, Bratenahl will be really fun on gameday weekends. Oh, you’ve never been?

Triple truck stop rape/murder shower curtains;

RAPE

It is scientifically impossible and actually completely unimaginable that anyone could have a better sense of and appreciation for “the history of the fans of the city of Cleveland, Ohio” than Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner. Maybe someone could tie, but that’s it.

ISSUE 3

LegendBlank

Cleveland, welcome back the architect of the single worst failure in modern Browns history.

Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.

Welcome back, Chud. Things have changed some since you last been around.

  • http://www.clevelandfrowns.com/ Cleveland Frowns

    Sorry guys but this is sort of just where I’m at right now. I told you it’s been a brutal week at the salt mine so go on and commence with the Cam Newton bashing and etc. and I’ll check back in later. I’m sure I’ll feel better after I do some reading. And it’s nothing against Chud personally, of course. I’m sure he’s a great guy and I wouldn’t wish what Haslam and Banner did to him on my worst enemy. Anyway, this thing could work out.

    • Petefranklin

      In no way, shape, or form, will this work out with Lombardi as GM or whatever he is going to be.

    • Seth

      It just shows more evidence of bad management. Like you said maybe this will work, but what are the indicators that it will?! We passed up an experienced coach (Whisenhunt) who has experience working in a dysfunctional organization (Bidwells are terrible) and took a hopeless franchise to the mother f-ing Super Bowl!!!!! And why? Because Banner and Haslam are blindly tying themselves to the dogma that they need a “fresh face” who is “committed to Cleveland.” Since when has making a statement about the importance of a quality that has an intangible effect on success and committing yourself to it regardless of the overall context of the situation ever been a recipe for success in anything? Guess what, as an executive I would seriously question the mental stability/capabilities of any potential candidate who is dead set on working for this freak show of an organization.

      If it works fine, but if it doesn’t Banner just bet the house, the farm, his first- and third-born daughters on a guy whose greatest success stemmed from four games where Derek Anderson was able to stat pump against four horrible teams. If Jimmy Haslam is the “savvy business” everyone is labeling him as, how is he blindly following Banner on this quest to defy the forces of NFL parity? If David Stern was the NFL commissioner he would have taken over the organization last year and forced the Rams to trade us RGIII. My god in 2011 the schedule makers put the freaking ball on the for us, shot us full of steroids, moved the fences in 50 feet, and corked the bat and all we could churn out was 4 wins while simultaneously knocking ourselves of of the running for two of the greatest QB prospects in a generation. Good business people avoid/control for risk, they don’t go out and look for the riskiest move (publicly gunning for Chip) and then when that falls through double-down like a drunk sap at last call stuck in Gilbert’s web, errr at his fine risk management establishment.

      Despite my obvious skepticism with the move I’m not opposed to it working and I will grin-an-bear-it as much as I can but here is what we know:
      1) the defense will get ripped up, it wasn’t great last year but it was the stronger of the two units
      2) we will probably need a new quarterback, that Julio Jones trade is just looking better and better every day
      3) given the recent history of Browns coaching changes we will probably have to spend one high draft pick on a center because the new coach just won’t be able to live with our current center.
      4) we will definitely need to waste a mid-round pick on a fullback because it is really important that the new coach gets a fullback he likes (although I will grant Chud that Owen needs to go for his own personal safety).
      Cleveland Browns Fighting Browns Football 2013 aka the never-ending bottle of Jameo.

  • http://twitter.com/DavidAArnott David A. Arnott

    Mike McCarthy: solid coach, right? Came from the woeful 49ers to the Pack. Head coach is a different set of skills than coordinator. There’s your hope.

    • http://www.clevelandfrowns.com/ Cleveland Frowns

      Sure. There’s also how encouraging it is that Haslam and Banner have set themselves up to be the smartest guys in the world by picking a guy who was on literally nobody else’s li……

      PESTILENCE.

      • Jason Stephenson

        You mean the guy no one was talking about besides the three teams he’s interviewed for in the past, right?

  • http://www.clevelandfrowns.com/ Cleveland Frowns

    It’s going to take a lot to convince me that this wasn’t a panicked reaction to the release of the Mike Polk video. I’m all ears, though.

    PROFANITIES.

  • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

    i liked that haslam specified leader-of-men as the preeminent trait he was seeking. that is the most important trait, that is what he should be looking for, and i for one believe he meant that.

    this pick doesn’t scream that. we’ll see i guess. but since chud’s never been head coach, we can’t know. thus, it smells like banner got his ear and diverted haslam’s focus. trestman at least has led men to a couple grey cups. zimmer has never been HC, but there’s evidence that his men love and play for him.

    welp, here’s hoping haslam’s interview process required his candidates to perform tony damato’s inches-all-around-us soliloquy.

  • http://twitter.com/jimbobmorton James Morton

    In a glass half full view: For all the Panthers’ offensive struggles this season, Cam Newton was better in every single aspect of his game after Week 7, and they ended up exceeding last years output. Chud gets grief for not running his 50m running back tandem enough, but be real, those guys were terrible. He put up great numbers with Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, and Braylon Edwards. Norv? LOL.

    Glass Half Empty: Seriously? Chud? Ugh.

    • jpftribe

      Stewart and Wiliams do not suck, they just are not worth 50M which is why the Panthers now have a new GM. When you’re QB is Cam Newton, you aren’t going to get the ball to two other RB’s very often.

      Looks like Norv is for real, lots of reports on this. I don’t see how this is a bad hire.

      • http://twitter.com/BiffTFinancial Biff T. Financial

        The change back to the 3-4 defense alone makes this a bad hire. Over/under on beginning of next rebuilding campaign: 22 months.

        • bupalos

          Change to the 3-4 they are talking about will be almost trivial. This isn’t romeos version.

          • etc

            Honest question: what makes Romeo’s version different and harder to implement?

            I’m kinda dumb on things, and I drink too much during football games.

          • jpftribe

            Yeah, I’m kinda wondering that as well as who the DC will be.

          • http://twitter.com/BiffTFinancial Biff T. Financial

            Cut and paste from email just received from friend (at the very least, it contains analysis not entertained by my knee-jerk pessimism at changing schemes; not sure about Sheard piece, which is critical):

            Don’t despair if they go to a 3-4. I’ve thought about it and it could work. Rubin and Taylor can both play the nose, and Rubin is nimble enough to play 3-4 end, at least on running downs. Wynn is a prototypical 3-4 end, and Hughes provides depth. Rucker a 3-4 end on passing downs. Sheard a rushing 3-4 linebacker (how often do you see Ware in coverage in Dallas?), which Parker can play, too. Gocong and Jackson inside. Would have to draft and/or add in free agency a couple more linebackers, but I thought Johnson and Robertson both showed at least some promise.

          • bupalos

            As I understand in the broadest outline Romeo’s 2-gap version needs 3 big fat (slow) block-eaters up front, responsible for absorbing 5 gaps among them. They don’t penetrate at all, they just gum up the works and linebackers do the penetrating and tackling. That would be horrible for us. 1-gap basically means your big-but-not-slovenly front line tries to penetrate along with one backer that generally rushes (that will be sheard/mingo). After having really thought about it, I think that kind of 3-4 probably fits what we have plus what is coming out this year better than our current 4-3.

          • etc

            Thanks bup, that makes sense. We probably don’t have the d-line for Romeo’s system but I would still like to see Hughes and Winn and Taylor on the field at the same time. In a 3-4 that might be more likely.

            To really simplify the 1-gap version, can you just stand Sheard up and tell him to go? Guessing the LBs still have different responsibilities…

          • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

            here’s grantham describing the differences between 1 and 2 gap 3-4. 2 gap sounds the same to me in that lineman aren’t trying to penetrate.

          • http://twitter.com/BiffTFinancial Biff T. Financial

            Hmmm, well that is good to hear. So is it safe to assume that the current defensive line rotation (Rubin, Sheard, Taylor, et al.) will fit in the new system, personnel-wise? If so, that would be welcome news. The Browns must stop switching defensive schemes as if they were White House press secretaries, but if someone more knowledgeable than me says to relax, I am willing to entertain optimism.

        • jpftribe

          Sorry, my comment was in regards to hiring Norv. Not sure where I am at on Chud. Trestman made a lot of sense to me.

    • jpftribe

      JM, No knock on you here,

      but why can’t for once there be a glass that is at least 2/3 full. Cleveland sports always has to be an exercise in dodging cataclysmic fuckin meteors.

    • vespo09

      Glass half full:

      1) We’ve had two winning seasons since 1999, and Chud was on the staff both times.

      2) He really seems to know what he’s doing with the tight ends. Winslow and Gates both did well under him, and Olsen had something of a breakout season this year. Makes me optimistic for guys like Cameron and Smith, who can be under-used at times.

  • Chris P.

    Not to quote myself but:

    But it’s increasingly clear that if we get that guy (ed. who I referred to as “the cat’s ass”), it’ll be because we get lucky. And I’m all for that. But it won’t be because the new owner gives us a competitive advantage over other teams. It will be in spite of an increasingly clear and painful reality that there is still no match for the quality of leadership the Dolans provide in running a professional franchise in this town.

    Indeed. I was a little bitter on Jimmy a few days ago but damn it was dead on and good sweet savior on the giant wooden t, it takes like zero thought to figure out what happened here. He’s from Toledo, he coached the Browns twice, he probably followed the browns as a kid because he’s 45 and who grew up with brian sipe and kosar was a diehard lions fan? and he blinded the fuck out of Jimmy and Joey with passion and love and was the anti Chip Kelly. He probably wanted the job a whole lot fucking more than everyone else or at least came across that way.

    SO HIS HEART WAS ONE BILLION PERCENT INTO IT!

    Sweet god, maybe Chud will be fine, I have no idea. Not really important today. What’s important to remember today. Our ownership and management structure put us at a competitive disadvantage with Mike Brown, let alone Steve Bisciotti and god forbid team Rooney.

    None of this is to say there aren’t compelling reasons to hire Chud I guess. He did lead a rocket armed QB who didn’t think on the fly and a WR who was full of himself that we reached in the draft for so it should feel like he never left.

    Also if you need a job now would be a good time to walk into a truck stop and tell the owner how you’ve dreamed your whole life about handing out three packs of Marlboro’s and negotiating liquor sales in the attached family restaurant and selling shower time by the quarter hour. PASSION BABY

  • jamick6000

    From the Charlotte Observer:

    “After drawing the head-coaching interest last offseason, Chudzinski was criticized early this season when the Panthers scored 14 points or fewer in four of their first six games. But Chudzinski streamlined his zone-read package, eliminating some of the extraneous, wide receiver motions, and the Panthers improved over the second half of the season.”

    http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/01/11/3778785/cleveland-browns-hire-chudzinski.html#storylink=cpy

    • nj0

      Improved = scored more than 14 points or fewer = impressed

  • Deputy Glitters

    If this means we don’t have to worry about Mike Lombardi, I will consider this a win. Fingers crossed.

  • SteamingPileOfCraphonsoThorpe

    Ok, I have waffled on this hire more than Mike Holgrem’s backside after sitting in this kind of chair. But, I will say that one of my biggest fears initially (like, within the first 10 minutes of thinking about it) was that Chud would go the 2011-Shurmur route and call his own plays. If what I hear about Norv Turner coming as his OC is true, then I feel better about it than I did before; at least that side of the ball should be handled competently. Turner has actually proven that he’s a pretty good coordinator, just a terrible-to-occasionally-better-than-mediocre head coach. (Of course, he out-Shurmured Shurmur, so he should have been fired right then).

    Let’s review my list of qualities for Upcoming Coordinator as New HC Hire:
    1) track record as successful coordinator – well, mixed results, but has definitely had some good years (probably most were better than Shurm’s)
    2) success in more than one place – check? DA made a Pro Bowl(!), Cam Newton still a work in progress
    3) not married to a “system”, can innovate – DA made a Pro Bowl(!), got the most out of the shell of Jamal Lewis for a couple seasons, Winslow, and Braylon
    4) has been considered by more than 1 team – ??? (to be fair, his has been a hot name in the past for HC openings, just not this year after the Panthers started so slow)

    And hey, on the plus-side, he will likely campaign to get that Jurevicius-like veteran wideout to help strengthen the corps. And, at least we have a guy who wants to be here and won’t cut corners in trying to get HIS TEAM to succeed.

    • vespo09

      By cut corners, do you mean Dimitri Patterson? (ha!)

  • jamick6000

    WHAT WILL THIS MEAN FOR DICK JJAURON???

    • Brian Sipe

      I hope he canned… the guy is the definition of mediocre…

      Bring back 3-4

      • bupalos

        I’m a sort-of Jauron supporter and I agree with this.

  • rgrunds

    Those truck stop treats look good. “Cheesy, Buffalo, Ranch, Chicken”.

    mmmmm

  • GrandRapidsRustlers

    I can’t decide what is cooler. The shorts on Brad Daugherty or that awesome video board in the background. Laugh it up…I was in awe of those screens as a kid watching Force games.

    I’m on board with Chud mainly because of the universal law of trying to be on the other side of anything that Booms is on. Rules to live by.

    • bupalos

      I like Chud. I like Norv. I’m good with running the 3-4/1gap. But the reality is that the most important position on the team is GM/personnel, especially on this team that is just ripening and has 48MM in cap. I won’t believe that Lombardi is getting a big role there until I absolutely have to.

  • nj0

    I can’t help but wonder if one of the qualifications of being “Haslam’s guy” was surrendering all power over personnel to Banner. From what has been written, Banner does plan on maintaining final decision on those sorts of things. I wonder if one of the reasons that Cleveland wasn’t “right” for Kelly was because of this. Meanwhile, a guy like Chud who just wants the opportunity might not mind so much.

    • bupalos

      You nailed my biggest worry. Why does Lombardi have to be a part of this? Why? It makes absolutely no ?@!#ing sense. Everyone hates him. He very objectively sucked at what he did harder and longer than practically anyone. He is as responsible as anyone you can name for how bad this franchise has been. It’s really really really hard to believe. I just don’t get it.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Josh-Pinard/1108615484 Josh Pinard

        Matt Millen as consultant. The bifecta is complete.

      • Cranky M

        The funny thing is, on the radio they kept talking about Haslam/Banner hiding the fact that Lombardi is involved because he is such a public relations disaster.
        You know, if everybody hates a GM/scout/whatever-the-fuck so much that you are afraid to even admit he has any involvement, it’s probably a sign that you shouldn’t hire him.

  • SeattleBrownsFan

    Turned on the computer this morning and saw the news. My jaw dropped and landed with a Chud. First words out of my mouth were “WHAT?” To say I’m disappointed is an understatement since I thought there was no way they’d hire him based upon others that were available (Trestman for one).

    I will give props to Has-Ban that they wrapped this up quickly,
    but I think Grossi used the right word in his article today that the Browns “settled” on Chudzinski. I get the feeling that
    after Chips said “ahoy” to them, they really didn’t have a clear #2 in mind (although they will say otherwise) which resulted in the parade of candidates that they’ve seen this week.

    Even though it was a quick search, I can’t help thinking
    that Has-Ban were getting buying fatique…similar to what you get after house hunting for a while: you really have the ideal house in mind, but you don’t see what you really want (or can afford) and you start to make compromises and, in the end, settle for something less than you really wanted, but convinced it was the right decision.

    In the Browns case, they get Chud…boyhood Browns fan and,
    obviously, the only person they felt that was qualified AND that would to come to Cleveland and work with Has-Ban and, shudder, Lombardi.

    I moved from Cleveland in 1989 and have stayed a Browns fan
    despite living in areas of the country that had much better NFL teams. Following another team instead of the Browns has always felt like cheating on a lover to me. Yeah, we’re from Cleveland and we’re loyal, stupidly loyal I guess.

    When people ask me what NFL team I follow, I tell them semi-jokingly “I am a long suffering Browns fan” I also tell people that more and more I feel like an abused spouse when it comes to this team — they keep abusing me emotionally and letting me down, yet I keep going back to the fuckers.and giving them one more chance in the hope that they’ll change.

    Perhaps Has-Ban are really smarter than everyone in the fucking NFL, but this is a really disappointing hire IMO; maybe I’ll be proven wrong – if so, that’s good, for the Browns, Cleveland and the fans. But to quote a comment from a reader over at the PD, I’m about a Mike Lombardi hire away from a divorce and it looks like that is on it’s way.

    I think I’m gonna go out this weekend and get me a 12th man Seahawks jersey…time to start a new love affair, just in case.

    • nj0

      I guess it shouldn’t be that surprising, but I too refer to myself to strangers as a “long-suffering Browns/Indians fan”.

      But I agree with your assessment about the stupid loyalty of Browns fans. I’ve been out of Cleveland for about five years now and keep telling myself – “just adopt another team!” – but that’s easier said than done.

      I always told myself that if Mangini got hired else where, I’d start following that team and just see what happens. I think if the Bears hire Trestman (a guy whose resume and reported character really impresses me), I think I’ll apply the same tactic.

      • NeedsFoodBadly

        When I express my Browns fandom to strangers, I am invariably met with expressions of condolences, such as one would receive if a loved one had passed.

        • technivore

          I was watching the Browns/Ravens Thursday night game in a bar here in Chicago a few months ago with some high school buddies (Ignatius men forever!) and a dude at the table next to us goes, “Woah, I’ve never seen real live Browns fans before.”

          • SeattleBrownsFan

            It’s too bad I’m married, I bet I’ve lost out on a few mercy fucks by the ladies once they heard I’m a Browns fan.

  • nj0

    Cool. Bears are supposedly hiring Trestman. At least I’ll get to see how the guy I wanted does in the NFL.

    • SeattleBrownsFan

      agreed

    • technivore

      Same here. I live in Chicago so it’ll be easy to follow them, kinda hoping he turns me into a Bears fan. I don’t know if Frowns was kidding with the Trestman remark in the post above, but I had totally talked myself into him.

    • actovegin1armstrong

      Now I get the Pluck the Lark line.

      I did not think of the Trestman link. It only took me a day to catch on….

  • Jason Stephenson

    “Why did nobody in Carolina ever figure out how to do the “just run a little bit diagonal to the sideline” thing that the Redskins figured out in the preseason of RG3′s rookie year?”

    Maybe Chud preferred having a QB around for a career longer than 15 games? Let’s damn him for thinking longer term than 60 year old Mike “This May Be My Last Shot” Shanahan.

  • oxr

    I found one of those awesome bourbon bottles at a garage sale a few months back. Empty, alas.

    MOTHER OF PRESIDENTS.

  • dwhalen

    “YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ACTUALLY OPEN THE TIM COUCH SPECIAL EDITION BOTTLE OF MAKERS MARK!”-frowns, sometime in November.

    • mo_by_dick

      …

  • http://twitter.com/JRichTCF Jeff Rich

    Chudzinski Dynasty: Day 1

  • nj0

    Have we EVER had a coaching change where we didn’t switch between the 34 and the 43?

    • bupalos

      I actually feel like this will be trivial as long as sheard can handle a very few extra responsibilities. All it means is this year we draft/sign a couple fast cover backers. We already have a good and deep 3-4 1 gap line.

      I’m counting Norv, Chud, and 3-4 all as strong positives. Just waiting for them to drop the turd in the pool with Lombardi.

      • nj0

        Maybe not, but it still feels like we always flip-flop between the two. You’d think the law of averages would demand that at least once we stay in the same system.

        • bupalos

          Law of averages. Cleveland Browns.

          U drinkin?

          • nj0

            sadly, no

      • Cranky M

        Trivial? They have 4 really good DT’s, and are suddenly going to run a defense that allows one DT on the field at a time.
        DT was one of their only positions of strength, and they’re completely negating it. That doesn’t seem trivial to me.

        • alexb

          no it’s not trivial at all….see Dwight Freeney playing standup OLB in Indy. It didn’t work for him and he’s already a shorter lighter guy than Sheard. Sheard will have to play the regular 3-4 end and we’ll have to either draft or free agent an OLB. We’ll have to completely revamp the linebacking corp and get rid of a few really promising DT’s. Heck it’s even possible they trade Sheard away….he really doesn’t fit in the 3-4 at all. Cincinnatti is looking like they’ll be running the division here soon with their 4-3 so it’s all about personnel not scheme.

          • bupalos

            Sheard WILL NOT play end. I admit he’s the one I’m most nervous about, but coming out in the draft he was projected as a rush 3-4 backer, there is nothing wrong with his type for this. As for the logjam, they all project well as 1 gap 3-4 (I’d argue Rubin and Winn actually better) and I don’t think it’s going to be so terrible to have depth there. Outside of Stop-the-run-man we had incredible luck with injury on both lines. This will be a good, deep, 3-4 1-gap line immediately with 0 changes. This is so overblown it’s getting silly. EVERYONE WILL BE PLAYING EVERYTHING WITHIN 5 YEARS. It’s the natural response to increasing offensive complexity. 3-4 1 gap is the best base for flexibility either way.

            You should be talking about backers if anything, but honestly we’ve got not much special there right now no matter what scheme you’re talking about anyway, and a pretty deep draft.

          • alexb

            well he’s too big now to play OLB. So basically our starting front line will “more than likely” be Sheard,Taylor,Rubin.That leaves Rucker, Parker,Winn, Hughes…am I missing someone? I hope we still run the 43 in certain situations.
            As for backers you’re right, we will need a big run stopper to play next to DQ in the 34 and of course the outside guy which it looks like we’ll have a good shot at either Warner, Moore,Mingo and some otherst that fit the bill who’s names I can’t remember. But it’s a loaded draft for that hybrid outside guy.

          • bee cee

            hmm. at least 8 of this years 12 playoff teams run odd/even fronts. the bengals were one of the four who don’t, and they’re gone. denver runs a 4-3, but they also have peyton manning.

  • Brian Sipe

    Norv as O cord is the best part about this…. other than that I have no idea what to think

  • Jeff

    A serious question, assuming that this weekend also brings confirmation of Lombardi: Is it time to stop following the Browns? I’m trying to think of some analogy to fit the situation. Maybe it’s like being Colin Powell in the Bush war room. You hang on thinking that your unconditional patriotism might redeem the situation. Then you realize that you’re being manipulated to provide cover for the tiny-dick fantasies of immature trust-fund babies.

    • nj0

      Well said. If Lombardi gets announced this weekend….

    • etc

      It will take Lombardi at least a year to mess it up. Enjoy the team in 2013 and then bail out.

      • bupalos

        I’m not sure. There’s 48MM in cap room to squander right now. I would normally think at least 2 years before horror sets in, but that could really accelerate things.

        • etc

          That’s a good point, and the salary floor will be an issue. He could ruin it this year but it’s way too early to tell.

    • actovegin1armstrong

      Terrific political rant, but come on, you will never be able to give up on the Browns.
      The Browns are like herpes, ugly, uncomfortable and not pretty to look at, but at least they stay with you.

    • bupalos

      Look, as long as your acting like free will exists, the time to stop “following” the browns was 20 years ago. And everything you do from “following” the browns to getting out of bed pretty much benefits robber barons of all political stripes and genitalia sizes. So I find the question mooter than moot. Also CHUD!

  • Bryan

    A positive note: Panthers were 5-1 to close the season, and averaged 405 yard per game (good for 4th in leagues) and 28 pts per game. Cam Newton’s QBR was 71 over the last 6 games, his rating was 98, and he had a TD/INT of 10/2. Cam Newton over the first 10 games had a QBR of 45, a rating of 83 and TD/INT ration of 9/10.

    So it seems the Chudster figured something out over the end of the season. Such evidence of in-season adjustments is at least a clear improvement over Shurmur.

    Its a shame, however, that Chud rhymes with thud and dud (and makes me think of the word chode)

    • NeedsFoodBadly

      Opposition faced in last six games – Eagles, Chiefs, Falcons, Chargers, Raiders, Saints. Not a murderer’s row.

      • SteamingPileOfCraphonsoThorpe

        Not even a Misdemeanor Shoplifter’s Row…

        • nj0

          More like Public Intox, sleep it off in the drunk tank a la Otis from Mayberry Row

          • Bryan

            Fair points. They did light up Atlanta though. Probably the most impressive outing.

            Also, the jump in performance was of a sufficiently large magnitude that it can’t all be explained by inferior opponents.

  • fubar

    Hey Frowns, would you be satisfied if Chud hires Mangini as the defensive coordinator? I think this would be a great move, but I doubt it will happen.

    • technivore

      I don’t think there’s any way Mangini would take a coordinator job. Especially with a front office that’s in any way friendly with Mike Lombardi.

    • NeedsFoodBadly

      Everyone knows that Romeo Crennel is getting hired as the defensive coordinator. It’s as inevitable as the inexorable heat death of the universe.

    • alexb

      yeah I kind of want to hear who this “offensive innovator” is going to hire as his defensive coordinator before I listen to this 3-4 “attack” defense talk. That just sounds like a shitwiping offensive coordinator who thinks he now knows defense’s. If I hear that come out of a guy like Mangini, Ryan, Cowher….than i’ll listen. So far this has disaster written all over it.

      • BIKI024

        good lord so if you’re an OC and been around the game as long as he has you don’t he has studied countless hours of tape studyig defenses? he’s not saying he’s calling the plays or installing the system but if’s certainly reasonable for him to have a preferred philosophy. of course now it comes down to which coach he selects and how we address the defense to add more passrushers or disruptive forces. u gotta believe that 6th pick is goin on defense, along with at least 10-20m in free agents. just wait till this offseason process plays out, there should be a lot more to be excite about from now till april. FA period starts in 2 months

        • actovegin1armstrong

          ” u gotta believe that 6th pick is goin on defense, ”

          I am all for it!
          But who?

          Jones and Lotulelie will be gone.

          Moore? Milliner? Werner?

  • BIKI024

    Bring Norv and Romeo!

    fine with Lombardi as long as he keeps his hands off draft, as a pro personnel evaluator he is very well respected, as a college scout, not so much.

  • BIKI024

    always liked Chud since back in his days as OC in Miam where he led them to set school records for scoring. heck he had Winslow feeling like he was a soldier!!! love Chud’s intensity and aggressive style. he’s definitely one of the top young minds in the league who has proven to have success with all different types of QB’s so it shows he’s very smart and able to innovate instead of potentially tryin to hammer a square peg in a hole, as people like to commonly say around here.

    all his experience combined with what may end up being the most enduring experience of all is him being a lifelong Browns fan so hopefully that passion for the region and franchise will be felt in and out of the locker room and keeps the players and fans fired up. May not be the flashiest name but bring in some great experienced coordinators, and with $40m in free agency spending and the #6 pick and a relatively light schedule next year and we’re heading in right direction!

    • SteamingPileOfCraphonsoThorpe

      Thanks for being the voice of (probably unreasonable) optimism! I love the same things about Chud that you do, and I remember Winslow gushing about how great Chud was in ’07, when he was having the best year of his career. Of course, that’s easy to do when you ARE having your best year, but still.

      The Plain Dealer is aggravating my PTSD by re-running the articles they ran after each new coach was hired since 1999, very scary stuff. Such as Butch Davis saying he hadn’t been promised Grand Czar of Football powers, that decisions would be made by “consensus”…and Holgrum’s laughable statement that his coaching search would be “pretty wide” – even the PD reporter made note of the fact that it turned out to only be 3 – Perry Fewell (Rooney Rule satisfied – check), Mike Mularkey (token “other” interview, but Holgrum could now say, “at least we didn’t get Mike Mularkey”), and Shurms – does anyone believe that was a real interview? Which brings us back full-circle, Biki, to our polite argument of last week: could Chud be the young, hungry coordinator dude that wants the job? I am at least encouraged, albeit in a small way, that Haslam/Banner actually conducted a fairly wide search, especially in comparison to the previous regime.

      Here’s hoping for the best. Didn’t like the hire on first blush, but I’m coming around to cautious optimism. If the right coordinators are brought in, if the draft goes decently well (when was the last time we could say anything other than, “if the draft goes perfectly”? pour one out for our departed homie, Heckert), maybe lightning strikes in a good way this time. I definitely liked hearing Chud’s answer to “what kind of offense will you run” – a vertical, stretch offense, also describing it as aggressive. Go F yourself, Five-Yard Crossing Route!!!

      Of course, this happened in December 2007.

      But, the first Cincy game also happened that year. Remember that?

      • BIKI024

        yeah man this hire is definitely right up your alley, he has been cited as one of the top bright young offensive minds in the game. obviously considered a young wiz if the Canes hands him the keys to their offense at age 32. they broke records there under his helm. then he goes and learns from an established nfl offensive innovator in Norv Turner and molding Gates and Rivers into the dynamic duo they were (hope you’re ready jordan cameron!). then of course the grand puba of them all is coaching Cam his first 2 years in the league, setting rookie records after all he naysayers doubting if Cam’s talents transferred to NFL. as far as their overall record, the defense was mainly the weak link for them these past 2 years, including a rough start by Cam, but you gotta like how they both turned it around for the 2nd half.

    • Cranky M

      “what may end up being the most enduring experience of all is him being a lifelong Browns fan so hopefully that passion for the region and franchise will be felt in and out of the locker room and keeps the players and fans fired up.”

      This can’t possibly fail. That’s why the Browns thrived with lifelong Browns fan Brady Quinn under center.

      • BIKI024

        what Browns teams did Brady grow up watching? he was born in 85, so he was five the last time we were relevant. chud saw what real browns football was in his formative days, big difference. either way, we’re talking about intangibles here, and i’d rather have them then not.

        • Petefranklin

          Mangini was a fan …no?

    • NeedsFoodBadly

      Today, I am really appreciating your positivity, biki. No joke.

  • mojo

    I like that he ran a pretty diverse read-option package last two seasons at Carolina. I like that he scrapped the idea of making Cam a pocket quarterback in 7 because it wasn’t working. I’d still like to see them poach a young OC from Oregon or Auburn or Baylor (Oregon WR coach Scott Frost is my first choice) in order to get that no-huddle going and to speed up the reps in practice.

  • actovegin1armstrong

    Well Frownie,

    Pluck you.

    And pluck all of us as well. Alouette.

    Perhaps we should all give our beloved new coach a chance just on name alone.

    C. H. U. D. Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller

    • actovegin1armstrong

      BTW, another bizarre choice for a children’s song.

    • SeattleBrownsFan

      Beats CHUD missle

    • bupalos

      Chud’s hire complete’s the circle for me. I attended the Drive game along with several other members of our little geek/musician/sports

      • Petefranklin

        Remember how silent it was leaving the stadium?Eerie very eerie. Once Lombardi gets hired i’m swearing off this team because Ill be dead before they win a ring.

        • bupalos

          Still remember trudging back over the pedestrian bridge…it was like every single person was carrying their own personal corpse.

          • NeedsFoodBadly

            liked for evocative language.

          • Petefranklin

            Silence except for footsteps on the ramps until some leatherlung yells from a ramp away ” ELWAY’S STILL QUEEEEEER”. Then people started talking some. I’ve never known a wierder silence in my life.

    • thebearchoo

      Kid Chuddi, and apparently hes in the pursuit of unhappiness

      • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1kbBmlAvdI PML

        I got a feeling about 2 people here will know what you’re talking about.

        • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/ Scott @ WFNY

          [waives]

        • SeattleBrownsFan

          count me as one that does and was there…both for Red Right 88 and The Drive. Pretty damn quiet making the walk back to the car after both.

      • actovegin1armstrong

        This should be great, that guy is a WZRD.

  • http://twitter.com/TDDeBord David DeBord

    EPIC Post. EPIC. #chuddarbay4Life Success for a team is always about more than just one person, but hot damn am I so happy today that I am a Steelers fan.

    • bupalos

      saving this one.

  • Cranky M

    I’m completely and utterly dumbfounded and mind-boggled by how terrible this hire is. I can’t even wrap my head around it. An offensive coordinator for a terrible offense, despite that offense having a ridiculously gifted QB, one of the best WR’s in the league (still), and 3 (THREE!) good running backs.

    I mean, did anybody watch the Panthers the past few years? I caught a couple of games this year, and i swear to the dark gods that i was shocked by how terrible their offensive scheme was. I’m not even kidding. That was the one thing i took away from their games: “their coaching staff is atrocious.”

    Equally depressing: the switch to 3-4. Nice to know that they evaluated the roster and decided to negate the one fucking position of strength on the entire team (DT). Just yesterday i was reading some football talking head saying that John Hughes was going to have a breakout season next year, and that him starting alongside Rubin or Taylor would be beastly. Guess what? NOT GOING TO FUCKING HAPPEN!

    I give up. I think i honestly give up on the Browns. It’s just absurd at this point.

    • BIKI024

      sure the Panthers had a rough start this season, coming off franchise and nfl records last season. while Cam is a megatalent the nock on him was his lack of experience, and Chud helped him break NFL records, ho-hum. not to mention his experience turning around offenses/qb’s everywhere he’s been, all the way back to another record setting offense he led at Miami winning championships at age 32. the guy is as up and coming young guy as it gets, his offenses have been in top 10 in 2 out of 4 years as NFL OC and top 16 in 3 of 4. not too shabby. but records and stats aside i always liked his attitude, i listened to 32 of his weekly pressers when he was with us and always loved the fact that he grew up a Browns fan, you could always feel his passion for the teams and fans. you may not like him now but he’ll grow on you, he’s too cool and smart of a dude and we’ll hopefully see positive results on the field to back it up.

      • Cranky M

        I hope it works out. It just seems SO far out of left field that i honestly feel shocked. All i know is that i was throughly convinced earlier this season that the Panthers had the single worst coaching staff in the NFL. Hopefully Rivera was just dragging everybody down.
        And the fact that Lombardi supposedly had a say in the hire probably makes it seem worse than it actually is….

        • bupalos

          >>>>And the fact that Lombardi supposedly had a say in the hire >>>

          You gotta flesh that out…

          • Cranky M

            Grossi did an interview with Banner, and asked him if Lombardi had any say in hiring Chud. Banner tried not to answer it, but it was one of those deals where if you heard your kid saying it, you would know they were lying/trying to cover something up/had done something wrong. “Well, gee, i talked to a lot of people. Lots of different people….”
            I got the impression, at least, that Lombardi had a large say and Banner just didn’t want to fully admit it.

          • Bryan

            Cranky – I posted the following earlier. I know it won’t completely relieve your frustrations, but the Panthers offense did perform at an elite level over the final 6 games, and Cam Newton’s performance jumped up by massive amounts. This is at least one fact that suggests Chud has had some success and is willing to adapt his approach. Of course, there are other things that are concerning, but its not all bad.

            ” Panthers were 5-1 to close the season, and averaged 405 yard per game (good for 4th in leagues) and 28 pts per game. Cam Newton’s QBR was 71 over the last 6 games, his rating was 98, and he had a TD/INT of 10/2. Cam Newton over the first 10 games had a QBR of 45, a rating of 83 and TD/INT ration of 9/10.”

          • Cranky M

            Full disclosure: i don’t think Cam Newton is actually very good. I mean, he obviously has every physical tool imaginable….but he seems to have an absurdly low football IQ, and i hate his attitude. So i can’t really hold Carolina’s failures against Chud. Like i said, i was legitimately shocked. Starting to come around a bit now….

    • Jim

      Let’s stop with the hyperbole. The Panthers offense was not “terrible.” It ended the year twelve in total offense, which, if my math is correct, is above average in a 32 team league.

  • Cranky M

    Also: Grossi asked Banner if Mike Lomardi had any say in hiring Chud, and Banner basically admitted as much while TRYING to avoid answering the question. So, you know….Mike Lombardi.

    How hot should the oven be before i shove my head inside of it?

    • Stephen Chema

      I think you just want the gas on. At least that’s how I’m doing it.

    • bupalos

      Hold on, someone else reported that via something with Rhegi Hasban said Lombardi is not a part of anything nor like to be. This is an emotional roller coaster…

      But I really like the hire. I think Chud is very solid, if Norv’s coming too it’s flat awesome, and as long as it’s 1-gap 3-4 (which I would think the “attacking” thing would point towards) a great fit and easy transition.

  • Seth

    Longing for the days of the Butcher

  • alexb

    I’m sorry did I miss where Haslem and Co. talked to Gruden/Cowher…..you know the two guys out there with rings?? and they “explicity” turned down the Browns job?

    • nj0

      I think it’s a pretty well known secret that teams unofficially gauge the interest level of ex-coaches-turned-talking-heads before publicly making any overtures towards them. Peter King mentioned this just earlier this week in his mail bag.

      • alexb

        well im perfectly ok with the hire as long as they contacted Gruden and Cowher and they said no.

  • alexb

    Can we get the x’s and o’s guy in here to break down the 3-4 “attack” defense for us? I’m just absolutely stimulated pink about this “attack” option we’re going to seamlessly introduce into our defensive schemes.
    GOd I think i’m going to take up drinking again.

    • bupalos

      just google 1-gap 3-4. It’s generally the base for playing hybrid. It’s not the same concept as the “eat the blockers” 2-gap 3-4 we know from Romeo and Mangini. In terms of personnel, 1 gap 3-4 is really closer to 4-3 than it is to 2 gap 3-4.

      • nj0

        all sounds made up to me

      • alexb

        ok i understand what the attack means now, stupid way of differentiating between gap schemes. WOuldn’t it seem though we have the beef and depth to run 2 gap? Taylor and Rubin definitely have the ability to cover 2 gaps and Winn/Hughes look to be right there as well. I don’t think people understand the potential our D line has. There was virtually no dropoff when Hughes and Winn came into the game this year….that’s awesome and needs to be exploited.

    • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

      here’s todd grantham explaining it. still sounds like goobbledy gook and i dont appreciate the differences.

      i know im not smart enough to understand these things but when my team has six strong d-linemen and one strong linebacker i dont understand why you would pick this particular point in time to implement a defense that relies on more linbebackers and less lineman.

      • Petefranklin

        Exactly. Now we have to burn our #6 on a linebacker to plug a hole when we could have drafted a LB or CB to anchor the D. We had choices, now we are stuck drafting pass rushing OLB’s and with Lombardi choosing we know how this will work out.

        • alexb

          Well Teo was the only LB’er that one could have considered a 4-3 anchor type but not no more….I’m off the Teo bandwagon after watching him not be able to make tackles and get beasted all over the field. So the only lb’ers out there, and there are a bunch of blue chippers, are all OLB’ers.

    • actovegin1armstrong

      Our X’s and O’s guy is probably feeling like he has been run over by a couple of trucks and a Car2Go.
      The CDC missed on their guesses for the flu vaccine this year and most of Austin has it, or had it recently. I got it on New Year’s Eve and I still have it.

      Are you alive Rod’o?

  • cleveland__rocks

    This Frowns guy is a real idiot.

    • Petefranklin

      Coming from a guy who’s first post on here said the Browns offense would be better because they hired Childress.

      • actovegin1armstrong

        PF,
        I am hoping that Frownie will throw some salt on him when he comes up from the mines. It will spice things up a bit.

  • nj0

    Art is on the list of finalists for Canton.

    #curseofwahoo

  • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

    initial takeaway: i’m concerned about chud’s ability to lead right out of the gates. presser was inarticulate coach-speak repetitive cliches. you want to lead men? learn how to speak from the heart and directly to a focused point and without the crutches of cliches. people just stop listening when they know youre spewing talking points and not addressing them directly. that chud was unable to do this in the presser is a not insignificant red-flag. that haslam/banner didnt notice or didnt care that he’s a poor communicator is also a problem.

    • bupalos

      You don’t have to speak from the heart to the media. I know what your saying, but nor belli nor Eric could do much more than spout blank verse or scowl away press conferences either.

      • BIKI024

        ur not going to find any intro pressers much different, especially since most of the particulars are unknown such as coordinators, GM, schemes, etc.

        but in terms of overall media skills, did u ever watch his weekly pressers when he was our OC? you’ll learn to like him, he gives some good analysis in his pressers and his intelligence is clearly evident, trust me, u’ll like the guy, he’s an affable man.

        he’s proven he can command the attention of his unit, now let’s see if he can get the whole team to buy in.

      • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

        mangini and belichick listen to questions and answer directly to the extent they choose to.
        chud did answer the questions asked directly.. like his answers were to different questions. like ‘i either wasnt listening or am choosing deliberately not to answer you question and on top of that im going to use my super powers over your weak mind so that you wont even notice i didnt answer your question.’
        hate guys like that. but also, guys like that — guys who cant answer direct questions directly — have an insecurity thing causing that behavior. insecurity not an indicator of ‘leader of men.’

        • jpftribe

          I agree this is a concern, and there has been some national media speculation on this based on feedback from assistant coaches. Also saw you tweet on there being no pens in Hawaii and I think you are spot on there. I get the strong impression Chud sold being able to deliver Norv and if HasBan bought that without a deal directly with Norv,, that is a very bad sign.

    • alexb

      Hey was it just em or did chuds looked glassed over? Like he’d tied one on a couple hours before the presser or was smoking weed all night prior. There was something not right about him, he might have health issues I dunno.

  • Seth

    “Haslam said that 10 minutes into the interview, he nodded at Banner that they had found their man.”

    Sounds like exactly the type of well-thought-out analysis that precedes any good decision.

    • nj0

      cracking me up

    • alexb

      this can’t be good

    • jpftribe

      To be fair, this was 10 minutes into their second interview.

  • LesFleursDuMal

    JT Leroy. Well done.

  • Cranky M

    What are the odds that Winn and/or Hughes could be an end in a 3-4? That would make me feel much better. As would Turner being the OC.

    • alexb

      I mean they can play it, but will they be any good? It would basically mean that the only edge rush would come from the other side. The upside is that maybe we can just run a d line rotation that bullrushes every play so that we’re not creating any inside traps. But that means our LB’ers wll have to be on point and fast as fck cause all the running plays will bounce to the outside.Could work though if we get the right personnel. I’m encouraged that Chuds is saying we’ll be giving both looks. Cause there are definitely situations in which I’d like to see the good ole 4-3 with Taylor and Rubin filling the middle and Parker/Sheard on the outsides. If we pick up Warner or Mingo and get a weakside run stopper to support DQ we could have a nasty D.

  • Brian Sipe

    If we get Norv I am feeling very good about things…

  • bupalos

    Dying to know who’s going to be the DC. But if we are moving to some 3-4 I think the Cowboy’s Anthony Spencer looks like a great FA target. Might be willing to help the 49ers out of their cap situation too by taking Goldson off their hands.

    Pretty fired up that this Shurmur cloud has lifted and now it seems like smart people plus a pile of cash plus a nice high pick could move this thing forward pronto. Need to find the old smiley avatar.

    • actovegin1armstrong

      Go Bupa!

      I am going to be an optimist with you and Biki this year.

      Well…. I doubt that I can even begin to rival Biki.

      The Browns’ Superbowl is April 25th!

      Did you see Ziggy Ansah play at all this year? I saw about 5 minutes of BYU action.

      I like Milliner or Damontre Moore.

  • CleveLandThatILove

    I like him.

  • BubbaZ

    Hey Cleveland sports fan assholes…Even though this maybe funny but…Stop acting so self lothing…Did you ever hear the term self-proclaimed prophecy? Get off the I480 bridge and dust yourselves off and lets get after our new coach and winning cultire that is coming back to our Browns. Yes suicide is painless but this town never gives up. You only fail when you quit. Lets fight DAWGS! Steelers suck! Bungles blow! And to Baltimore burn in hell Art and your bullshit ride to Canton in your coffin!

    • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

      dad?

    • Petefranklin

      It had nothing to do with Chud you dummy. Read the link…if you are able.

  • bupalos

    Rat birds and GB in the eggies for me. If there is eggies. Is this thing on?

    • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

      yeah, not sure either but i’d be:
      broncos***
      niners
      seahawks
      pats

  • Beeej

    You ever think that maybe we’re the bad guys? It is like Cleveland is Cobra Commander to the rest of the sporting world’s G.I. Joe. Not only do we lose, but we lose in increasingly comic fashion. “No! No! Not the spores!” Any one of these quotes seems appropriate. http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0154326/quotes

  • alexb

    I really hope they called Cowher and Gruden cause all though we could potentially have a shot at Gruden again in teh future, I have a feeling this next team that picks up Cowher is gonna be his last. He’ll be there for a decade, win at least one more SB then call it quits. This will be the last time anybody has a shot at him.

    • jpftribe

      if you buy what Caplan has to say, there is bad blood between Banner and Gruden and neither will work with the other.

      • alexb

        hmm, interesting didn’t know that. But it’s nice to know that we have front office who put ego between them and what’s best for the team. Smells like a long term winning proposition.

  • damajuki

    Whoa, Frownzie. That’s quite a reaction there.

    I’m a long-time lurker, infrequent poster here but I have to side with Bup on this one: I love the Chud hire and, candidly (as Uncle Jimmy would say), think Haslam/Banner got it right. Here’s why:

    Chud fits all the right criteria for a long-term successful coach. He’s young but very experienced. He’s been in multiple successful systems under a variety of coaches. He’s been intimately involved in successful offenses in multiple roles. He has experience with young and/or inexperienced QBs. His offenses have been varied and tailored to specific QB’s strengths. He is popular with his players and fellow coaches.

    And he’s a local guy with experience with the team and fan base. This is not an inconsequential piece of the puzzle. Cleveland is a unique situation and a special fan base. The coach needs to understand that and keep it in mind when discussing the team and results. The only other coach since ’99 to understand that has been Mangini.

    Finally, I’ve followed Chud’s Panthers teams. It’s easy to joke about Newton and how he “held Chud back” but there is ZERO doubt in N.C. that Chud was a major reason for Cam’s success. Rivera has given Chud credit publicly multiple times.

    So freaking out may be funny and the norm around here but it’s time to turn the page. The Browns have a real head coach again. Let’s celebrate it!

Previous post:

Next post: