The Barking Lot
As Browns fans we've had a lot to bark about since 1999. Just because we support the team doesn't mean that we always agree with every move that they make. In other words, just because we're drinking the Kool Aid doesn't mean that we have to swallow it. Whether it's an issue with management, coaching, players or something league related, we probably have an opinion.
Step Away from the Kool-Aid
9/19/2016 by Captain Andy
I started writing this piece towards the end of pre-season, just after the Tampa Bay game to be exact. It was at that point that I realized just how bad things are right now for the Browns. I, as some of you, could see it coming early on with all of the veteran trades and releases but, to be fair, I decided to hold off on writing this until after the season opener against Philly. Now that we have that dreadful performance behind us I think we’ve all seen enough to make an accurate evaluation of where this season is heading.
Let’s step away from the Kool-Aid and just be real here. This team, as it stands today, will be lucky to win a game. The Browns new analytics driven “addition by subtraction” approach has, to borrow a phrase, effectively made a bad team worse. This team looks as bad as, or even worse than, a first year expansion team. Watching them takes me back to 1999. Yes, it's that bad! For the first time in my forty-four years as a fan and a supporter of the Cleveland Browns I feel like this season is over before it has even started. There’s no excitement nor cautious optimism as in seasons past. It’s just the grim reality that we are going to stink, period!
Let’s take a quick look at how we ended up here. They allow Mack and Schwartz to walk, effectively dismantling an O-line that "This team looks as bad as, or even worse than, a first year expansion team Watching them takes me back to 1999. "
had the makings of a cohesive, highly effective unit. The result is some of the worst offensive line play that we've seen since ‘99. Cameron Erving is a disaster at center. Just watch him. He's lost out there. He is either missing assignments or he's just getting blown up by whoever is over him. He's an absolute turnstile to the ball, not to mention his propensity to sail at least one shotgun snap four feet over the QB’s head.
Austin Pasztor may grow into his right tackle position as did Mitchell Schwartz, but for now he's a downgrade at that position. This miserably inadequate offensive line play has already put us on pace to go through 16 quarterbacks this season. Just do the math. We’ve lost 2 QBs in just 2 games. Hell, if you go back to last season we’ve had four different starters in four games. Now with Cody Kessler up we can chalk up another one and call it 5 in 5. Why not just make it 6 in 6 as Kessler is going to take a pounding against the Fins. The defense is almost just as bad. Yes, Nassib is a stud and Danny Shelton is showing signs of improvement, but it’s the same old story. We can’t get off the field on 3rd down. Allowing a team to go 10/16 on 3rd down isn’t going to win you a whole lot of games.
Will this team improve over time? They had better, but who knows. If history is any indication the answer would be no. All we know right now is that our QBs are getting destroyed, and our defense can’t get off the field (sound familiar?). The sad fact is that for the first time in my Browns life I feel like this team is losing me. I am so close to being done with the Browns. It’s heart wrenching. They have been my football life since I was 11 years old. I’m willing to wait it out this season, but if this organization doesn’t finally turn the corner under Hugh Jackson and this regime turns out to be a bunch frauds like all the others since ’99, my season tickets will be up for grabs along with one kick-ass tailgating RV.
Restore the Culture in Cleveland
11/11/2015
We're at that point in the season once again where we have reached full blown apathy. In other words, we just don't give a shit anymore. The only reason that we're still going to the games is because the tailgating has been so great.
This team is a f***ing disaster (again)....and don't blame it on Josh McCown either. He's actually having a very seviceable season. He has played well enough for us to win some of the games that we've lost. The problem goes much deeper than the quarterback position.
It's a systemic cultural issue on the part of the Browns organization. (thanks Bernie)
We hear a lot about changing the culture here in Cleveland, but what we really need to do is restore the culture.
The culture was changed back in 1999 when Paul Tagliabue set the Browns up for failure from the beginning. Just read Terry Pluto's book "False Start" and you'll understand.
We hear a lot about changing the culture here in Cleveland, but what we really need to do is restore the culture....
The Cleveland Browns used to stand for toughness. That blue collar, kick you in the face, fight you to the end toughness.
That used to be the identity of this franchise. Since returning in 1999 we have failed to re-establish that ourselves in any positive capacity. We have no idea what this franchise is anymore because there's no identity. What we do know is that snatching defeat from the jaws of victory has been a constant since 1999. We can't put our foot on the throat of our opponent and deliver that knockout blow to close out a game.
Until the Browns can re-establish their identity from the past and we start bloodying some noses and start punching people in the mouth we will continue to be the whipping boy for the rest of the league.
Don't Let the Door Hit Ya.....(take 2)
2/16/2014
Firing Banner and Lombardi is the best call Jimmy has made as owner of the Browns. With these two numbskulls running the show our Browns were going to go nowhere. The only issue that we have is with the timing. Had Jimmy pulled the trigger on this move earlier Rob Chudzinski, for what it's worth, would probably would have kept his job. In the right role Banner may have worked out. He is pretty good with the salary cap. But, Joe Banner is not a football guy. He is a numbers guy. Giving him control over palyer personel decisions and coaching hires was a huge blunder on Jimmy's end.To paraphrase Jimmy's statement in the press conference, "owning an NFL team doesn't come with a manual and mistakes are going to be made". At least Jimmy manned-up, realized his mistake and corrected it by firing these two stooges before things went too far. Chalk one up for the good guys!
- Double Deuce
- The Really Bad Show
- The Stadium
5/22/14
We're all aware of the eerie resemblance....Brady Quinn, picked 22nd overall (2007)....BUST. Brandon Weeden, picked 22nd overall (2012).....BUST. And now John Manziel, picked 22nd overall in the 2014 NFL draft. Bust? Who knows? Either these things happen in threes or third time's the charm. Of course you want to think the former rather than the latter, but this is Cleveland....where the "hope for the best but expect the worst" way of thinking prevails.
Update 3/9/2016
We fully expect one John Football Manziel to be released today. We finally have our answer, Manziel.......BUST!
6/12/14
ESPN 850 WKNR (a.k.a.ESPN Cleveland) has some really great programming and some excellent hosts. However, there is one show in their lineup that is, or should be anyway, a complete embarrassment to the station and the ESPN brand. That would be The Really Big Show with hosts Tony Rizzo and Aaron Golghammer. With the exception of Tony Grossi's segment, listeners of The Really Big Show, or should we say "The Really Bad Show", can expect to pick up about 2-3 minutes of actual sports content. How these moroons have 4 hours on the air and are able to steal the final hour from Mike and Mike is just baffling. So, we want to thank Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer for collectively dumbing down the Cleveland sports market.
Update: Now that Goldhammer has his own show, or so we've heard, Rizzo is singlehandedly dumbing down the Cleveland sports market. I feel sorry for Jerrod who has to sit through that crap everyday, but it is a paycheck.
6/24/2014
We' ve been to a few NFL stadiums: Chicago, Miami, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Green Bay. As NFL stadiums go Cleveland Browns Stadium is right up there, or was anyway. The renovation project should address all of the stadiums outdated features.
For 2014 we're going to be getting an improved sound system along with new scoreboards and larger video screens that will both be placed lower than the prevoius ones. This is great news for those of us in the upper rows of the lower Dawg Pound who have to stoop down just to see the game clock. The new audio system is also great news. There have been many occasions when an official's call is being announced but can't be heard.
All reports indicate that Phase 1 is on schedule and on budget. Let's just hope that we have a better product on the field. Stadium improvements aren't going to put asses in the seats, only a winning team will do that.
AFC Offensive Player of the Week
10/13/2015
Congratulations to Josh McCown who was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Josh has been putting up some wicked numbers over the past three games. If Josh can keep it going and if our defense ever decides to show up, this team can finally start being competitive. Oh, and to all you so called fans who were chanting and calling for Johnny at the Raiders game.....you can all now sit down and shut the f*** up!!
Still Not Closing the Deal
10/19/15
What we witnessed Sunday against the Broncos has been a problem with this franchise for a very long time. We can't put our foot on the throat of our aopponent and close out a game. We just watched our Browns go toe to toe with one of the few remaing undefeated teams going into week seven. Our offense traded punches with the No.1 defense in the league and our defense picked off Peyton Manning 3 times. Unfortunately, neither the offense nor the defense were able to sustain their success. Are we ever going to be able to consistently close out games? Almost winning sucks because almost winning is losing.....period. Yeah, we gave Denver a good game, but we LOST. Yeah, sometimes it looks like we're almost there and finally ready to turn that corner, but we'reNOT. Until the Cleveland Browns are able to consistenly dliver that death blow and find a way to win these close games they will continue to be the bottom dwellers of the division and the NFL.
Clay Matthews for H.O.F.
Why is Clay Matthews not in the Hall of Fame? He is certainly worthy of the honor, but he continues to fly under the radar and has been repeatedly overlooked by the H.O.F. committee. One of
the things that is certainly working against Clay is that he never played on a Superbowl team, although it has long been said that the Browns of the 80's were arguably the best team never to go to a Superbowl. While his stats weren't overly impressive, per se, stats don't tell the entire story. There are certain intangibles that the Hall of Fame committee tends not to consider, namely, a player's team contribution and overall value to the team's success. Clay was a linebacker who did everything. He could rush the passer, stop the run and drop back into coverage. He was a force in the NFL during his time and is one of the guys that offensive coordinators were sure to gameplan around. Until he is inducted and his bust is placed alongside brother Bruce's (class of 2007), the Hall of Fame is missing a truly deserving player.
Let's look at a few stats:
- 19 NFL seasons (1978-1996)
- 278 games played
- 1561 Solo Tackles with 34 assists
- 69.5 sacks
- 16 Interceptions
- 27 Forced Fumbles
- 14 Fumbles Recvovered
Give Us Back Our Legends Club!!
With the Browns' commitment to an "improved fan experience" there's one thing that has yet to be addressed....the old Legends Club. Up until 2010 the Legends Club, a sports bar located behind row 40 of the Dawg Pound, was open to the public. At some point some genius came up with the brilliant idea of making it private and charging $300/year for a memebership that entitles you to spend $35.00 per person for a Sunday brunch. Really? Any season ticket holder who bucks up an additional $300 for the opportunity to spend another $140 to feed his family of four is a chump. Besides, there's no way that this format is generating more revenue than the Legends Club did when it was public. So, we are respectully asking that the Browns forget about catering to the wine and cheese crowd and give the Legends Club back to the real fans. This isn't Miami or San Francisco, tihs is Cleveland!
