Before we get going, wasn't it refreshing to see the owner of the Cleveland Browns during a telecast of the football game?
Seeing him was enough (especially since we never saw Randy Lerner). But seeing him give genuine emotion during the game? Times, they are a changing, my friends.
Jimmy Haslam III's body language during Sunday's game in Indianapolis told Joe Cleveland a lot about what he thinks about the coach he inherited, Pat Shurmur.
It now leads me to believe that the question is no longer "if" Shurmur will be fired at the end of the season, it now becomes "when."
As in, will Haslam fire Shurmur next week? At the bye week? With two weeks to go in the regular season? In the locker room following the season finale?
Mike Holmgren is on his way out the door. Shurmur's fresh out of friends. Sure, new CEO Joe Banner knew Shurmur when the latter was an assistant coach on Andy Reid's staff in Philadelphia, but that may not be the best thing for Shurmur.
Shurmur's only won five games in a year-and-a-half. Shurmur has an 11-game losing streak to his credit. Shurmur has made countless coaching blunders during games that have cost his teams a chance to win.
I'll let this one sink in for you ... Shurmur was outcoached yesterday by an interim coach. Bruce Arians (remember him as the offensive coordinator who perpetuated the Tim Couch-Kelly Holcomb controversy back in the early 2000s) outcoached Pat Shurmur.
Joe Cleveland woke up Monday fully expecting to see a banner headline on Cleveland.com saying that Shurmur was fired. It would not have surprised me.
Sure, Shurmur could still save his job. But this team is 1-6 and lost to a very beatable Colts team. Coaching decisions, such as the decision to punt on fourth-and-1 from the Indy 40 with six minutes left (then going for it from the same yard line but fourth-and-six), kicking the extra point instead of going for the potential game-tying 2-point conversion after Josh Gordon's touchdown to start the third quarter, and essentially abandoning the run game against a very weak run defense in a game that within one possession the majority of the game will come back to haunt him.
Shurmur would have to win at least five more games over the remaining nine to even be in the discussion to come back. I believe that he would have to sweep the Steelers as well. Can it be done? There are some winnable games on the schedule -- the Chiefs, the Redskins, the Raiders, the Steelers (both), the Ravens and the Chargers are all winnable games. That's seven of the remaining nine games, so it's not as if they're having to play the Patriots, Packers, Falcons, Texans and 49ers.
The only two games on the schedule that look like definite losses are the Cowboys and the Broncos on the road. Even the Cowboys look beatable.
Will it be done? Even with a roster of up-and-coming talent that has been competitive each and every week, I don't think it will.
So, let's get the ball rolling and see who could be on the short list of guys to replace Shurmur. Mike Holmgren essentially took himself out of the equation by retiring at the end of this season, and I can't see existing assistants with head coaching experience such as Brad Childress and Dick Jauron being legitimate candidates.
Haslam and Banner will want a proven head coach that can turn this collection of talent into a perennial winner, or at lease someone with a winning background. Here's who could be on that list:
1. Jon Gruden, ESPN Monday Night Football analyst: Gruden, a Sandusky native who grew up as a Browns fan, was everyone's No. 1 choice two years ago when Holmgren fired Eric Mangini. Gruden was from the Holmgren coaching tree and the two remained close through the years. Gruden turned a struggling Raiders franchise into a winner then left after a falling out with owner Al Davis. He landed in Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl (over the Raiders) in his first season there, giving the perennial losing Bucs their first Super Bowl berth and title. He kept the Bucs a perennnial winner, but was fired in 2008 after his team missed the playoffs. For whatever reason (ego?), Holmgren decided to go the unproven route (a decision that greased his skids out of town). But the time may be right for Gruden to get back into coaching. He's also high on current rookie QB Brandon Weeden, and he may look forward to working with him. Gruden has ring, the local pedigree and the big name to get people talking.
2. Bill Cowher, CBS NFL analyst: Cowher is always on Browns fans' radars whenever they make a coaching change. He'll always be the one that got away in a lot of fans' eyes when the Dead Judas passed on the former Browns linebacker and defensive assistant for Bill Belichick back in 1991. The next year, Cowher was hired to replace Chuck Noll at Pittsburgh, and he immediately turned around a franchise that was stagnant under Noll back into a contender. Cowher was always a thorn in the Browns' side, but, like his mentor Marty Schottenheimer, his Steeler teams were prone to a big playoff choke every single year. He finally got that monkey off his back in his second-to-last year when the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2005. Since he stepped down, he's been a fixture on CBS's Sunday game-day telecasts. At least once, Cowher turned down Randy Lerner to be the Browns head coach and he has not given any indication that he would be interested in returning. Also, Haslam's Steeler ties occurred AFTER Cowher left, so they do not have a prior relationship. Do I think Cowher would come to Cleveland? Probably not. But, as long as there is a coaching vacancy, you have to include him on any short list.
3. Nick Saban, Alabama head coach: Saban's name has suddenly become hot rumored commodity, especially after Saban's interview for the NFL Network documentary "Cleveland 95: A Football Life," in which he waxes poetically about his time as the Browns defensive coordinator under Belichick and how close that team was to becoming a winner. Saban left the Browns to become Michigan State's head coach, and he has been very successful there, at Louisiana State (a national championship in 2006) and at Alabama (two national championships in 2008 and 2011 and potentially a third this year). In between LSU and Alabama, there was a forgettable two-year stint as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2005-06, in which his teams went 15-17. Saban's track record shows a guy who doesn't like to get settled down in one place too long, and he may feel the time is right for a return to the pro game. With his former Tide star Trent Richardson as the cornerstone of the Browns' offense, and with Haslam's deep checkbook, Saban could come here. But, let's take a moment and remember the last college coach that came here, Butch Davis, and how well that four-year stint went. Just because a guy was successful in college doesn't mean that will translate to the pros.
4. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles head coach: Reid's hot seat in Philly keeps getting hotter the more his team loses games. His firing of defensive coordinator Juan Castillo at the bye week reeked of a desperation move. He came very close to losing his job last year after going 8-8 despite a ton of high profile free agent signings that bolstered both defense and the offense. He's only been to one Super Bowl in his 10 years in Philly, so it may be title or bust for him. Banner worked closely with Reid at the Eagles, although their relationship was strained at best (according to some reports). Reid also worked with current Browns GM Tom Heckert, although Reid had final say on the roster. Reid may keep a lot of the assistant coaches because of his familiarity with them and may keep up some of continuity. Reid's a proven winner (129-83-1), but he's never won a championship.
5. Brian Billick, FOX NFL/college game analyst: If Cowher's the one that got away for the old Browns, Billick is the one that got away for the expansion era. Billick quickly emerged as Carmen Policy's No. 1 candidate to be the head coach of the new Browns. After his Vikings were upset in the NFC Championship game by the Atlanta Falcons, then-GM Dwight Clark was whisked to Minneapolis on Al Lerner's private jet with a contract for Billick to sign. However, Billick wanted to meet with the Ravens first and talk about their opening. An insulted Policy yanked the offer away from Billick and watched him agree to become the Ravens coach. He quickly turned Baltimore's fortunes around, winning the Super Bowl in just his second year and turning the franchise into a perennial winner. The Browns may have cost him his job in 2007, when they memorably swept his Ravens and knocked them into a losing season. Since then, he has not been a serious candidate for any head coaching openings. Who knows if he has the itch, but his familiarity with the AFC North Division (especially the Ravens) would make him a legitimate candidate if he decided to test the waters. Plus, he has a ring and his name is recognizable. Oh, and did I mention he was an Ohio native (Fairborn)?
6. Jim Tressel, University of Akron vice president: Tressel is like a modern-day Paul Brown when it comes to Ohio football coaches. Tressel, after turning Youngstown State into a perennnial Division I-AA (FCS) powerhouse, winning four national championships in the 80s and 90s, came to Ohio State and immediatly won the school's first national championship since 1968 (well, in his second year, but it was pretty close to immediate). He coached the Buckeyes to two other national championship games and always had his program on the verge of national contention. His teams owned the Michigan rivalry, only losing once from 2001-10. However, he was forced out following a scandal involving several of his players selling their memorablilia (such as trophies) for tattoos. Last season, he served as a consultant for the Indianapolis Colts and was interviewed for their head coaching job (which wound up going to Chuck Pagano). The NCAA has barred him from accepting another college head coaching job for the next five years. He stated many times that the one NFL job he would even consider leaving Ohio State for was the Browns job, because he grew up in Berea and was still a die-hard Browns fan. He was even linked to the job twice during Romeo Crennel's up-and-down four-year tenure, but was never a serious candidate. While his style may be best suited for college players, there's no denying that he's a winner. Plus, he'd be a very popular choice with the fans -- many still think he got a raw deal even though it was proven that he lied to NCAA investigators.
7. Tony Dungy, NBC Sunday Night Football analyst: Dungy, like Cowher, Gruden and Billick, has found a home on television following his retirement from being the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts following the 2008 season. Since then, Dungy has been a fixture on NBC's Football Night in America highlight show and on the SNF postgame studio show. Dungy was in the process of turning Tampa Bay's football fortunes around from 1996-2001 before he was mysteriously fired (and replaced by Jon Gruden, who promptly won a Super Bowl with his players). Indy snapped him up to replace Jim Mora, and, with the help of Peyton Manning, rode a wave of prosperity with the Colts from 2002-08, even winning the Super Bowl in 2006 and building a team that got to the Super Bowl a year after he stepped down. Dungy, a former Steeler player and assistant coach, is one of the most respected figures in professional football today and would bring instant credibility to this franchise. However, it appears he's comfortable as a TV analyst and hasn't leaked any indication of a possible return to coaching. He'd be worth talking to, though.
8. Kevin Gilbride, New York Giants offensive coordinator: As the architect of the Giants' offense, Gilbride has won two Super Bowl championships over the last five years and has the chance to win a third this season. Gilbride is one of the most respected offensive minds in the NFL, dating back to his Run-&-Shoot offensive scheme with the Houston Oilers in the early 1990s. However, as a head coach, he didn't cut the mustard, going 6-16 during his two years as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers (1996-98). Gilbride may be one of those guys who is just cut out to be a top-level assistant but not ready to be a head coach. However, the work he's done with the Giants lately has seemingly put him back on the radar for head coaching gigs. He's arguably the top candidate among current assistant coaches. If the Giants reach the Super Bowl again, his name will definitely be a hot commodity.
9. Philip Fulmer, CBS college football analyst: I throw Fulmer's name on this list because he's a coaching legend from the University of Tennessee. Haslam's father was a football player for the Volunteers, and the Haslam family is one of Tennessee's biggest athletic boosters and a very influential family down there. Fulmer won Tennessee's only BCS National Championship in 1997, and his Volunteers are still the last SEC team to win back-to-back conference championships (1997-98). Fulmer hasn't coached anyone since Tennessee fired him after a 5-7 season in 2008, but he has said that he hasn't ruled out a return to coaching. I refer to my earlier statement on college coaches making the transition to the NFL, and, if any college coach makes the jump, it's likely to be Saban. Also, Fulmer has never even been an NFL assistant coach. But, anything's possible.
10. Dom Capers, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator: Capers has had a sketchy track record as an NFL head coach. In two four-year stints with the Carolina Panthers (1995-98) and the Houston Texans (2002-05), his record is just 48-80. However, he did take over two expansion franchises, and his Panthers reached the NFC Championship game in just his second year. However, that 1996 season was his only winning season as a head coach. His defenses were always tough, but his offenses were conservative and lackluster. Capers is an Ohio native (Byesville) who played collegiately at Mount Union and also served as an assistant coach with both Kent State (1972-74) and Ohio State (1982-83), so he has some Ohio ties. He was also the Steelers' defensive coordinator from 1992-94 under Cowher. His Packers' units are known to be among the top defenses in the NFL. However, he did win a Super Bowl with the Packers in 2010 and could very well do it again this year. His background in the 3-4 defense clashes with the Browns' current desire to go with a 4-3.
HONORABLE MENTION: Urban Meyer, Ohio State head coach; Aaron Kromer, New Orleans Saints interim head coach; Todd Haley, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator; Herman Edwards, NFL Network analyst; Kirk Ferentz, Iowa head coach; Jay Gruden, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator; Wade Phillips, Houston Texans defensive coordinator; Joe Vitt, New Orleans Saints assistant head coach; Rob Ryan, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator.
There is no shortage of legitimate candidates to be the next Browns head coach, one that would surely get the fans excited and help put this team over the hump.
And, I've got to say, I would prefer anyone on this list over Pat Shurmur.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Great week for Cleveland
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Today caps a fantastic week for Cleveland sports.
And the Browns snapping their 11-game losing streak just like they snapped their last 11-game skid -- with a home win over the Bengals -- was only part of it.
You can start with the Indians decision to fire Manny Acta and give Sandy Alomar the interim job for the last week of the regular season. He went 3-3 and his teams showed some fight that had been missing since ... well, arguably, since May.
Give the Indians credit for acting fast when it came to a new manager. They targeted two candidates -- Alomar and former Red Sox manager and Indians player/front office member Terry Francona -- interviewed them, made their decision, and hired who they feel is the best man for the job.
That man was Francona, who comes to town with two World Series rings on his fingers from his time with the Red Sox. One of those rings (2007) came at the expense of the Indians. Both of those ended a long streak of no championships for a town that lives and dies with their baseball team. The so-called "Curse of the Bambino," if you will, is no more.
With his seat getting hotter and hotter, Pat Shurmur (now easily third on the depth chart of professional coaches in this town behind Byron Scott and Francona) coached his beleagured Browns to a much-needed victory in their most complete performance since Shurmur took over. 34-24, and it honestly wasn't that close. A garbage TD pass by the Bengals cut the Browns lead from 17 to 10, and a cluch sack/forced fumble by Emmanuel Stephens with the Bengals in the red zone, which was recovered and returned 40 yards by Billy Wynn, thwarted any nonsense about a fourth-quarter meltdown.
The defense picked off three Andy "Ginger" Dalton passes. One of which was by the returning Joe Haden, whose impact was immediately felt in the defense. Another was a pick-six from veteran Sheldon Brown that cemented the Browns' victory.
Brandon Weeden, who you either love or hate (depending on which type of Browns fan you are), shut up a lot of his dectractors with a solid two-touchdown, 290-yard performance. His only interception came off a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage on the Browns' first offensive possession. He clearly outplayed Dalton Sunday.
Montario Hardesty, who many Browns fans were wondering why he even still had a job after not getting any playing time in the four previous games, had to spell an injured Trent Richardson and responded with 54 huge second-half yards and his first pro touchdown. Hardesty played his butt off.
The win has sent Cleveland fans riding a wave of euphoria not seen in a while, and that wave was only extended today when Jimmy Haslam III (see the above video) was unanimously approved as the new owner of the Cleveland Browns.
You can't help but love this guy. He's the first owner this team has had that truly "gets it" since Mickey McBride sold the team in the 1950s to David Jones. Say what you will about the Dead Judas, but I can't recall ever hearing him refer to the Cleveland Browns as "YOUR Cleveland Browns." His selfish move to the land of crabcakes proves that point.
Haslam has been a fixture at Browns headquarters since he first agreed in principle to buy the team from the Lerner Family in early August. He's been at every game. He's been in the locker room. He's been talking to everybody -- the media, the out-of-town media, the coaches, the front office, other NFL owners, you name it. You can probably count on one hand how many times Randy Lerner was spotted at Browns headquarters last year.
This is nothing about Randy Lerner, who I believe is a huge Browns fan and truly cared about the team. He just didn't want to be a team owner and didn't deal with the pressures of that, especially in a city and region such as this one that lives and dies with every Browns snap.
Simply throwing money at people to try to fix it became tiring. His lastest splurge -- five years and $40 million to Mike Holmgren -- will wind up being a wasted purchase.
Holmgren may have brought in some pieces, such as general manager Tom Heckert, to overhaul the Browns roster and add more talent and playmakers. However, his handling of the head coaching position -- from leaving Eric Mangini around for the first year when it was clear to everyone their philosophies would not mesh to hiring the untested Pat Shurmur and letting him twist in the wind for two miserable seasons -- will be his downfall here in town.
Holmgren's ego wouldn't allow him to bring in a head coach with cred. But yet, he didn't want to coach the team himself. Instead of helping out Shurmur, who clearly wasn't ready to be an NFL head coach, he disappeared to Seattle and was rarely around. He was more hands-on with Mangini was the head coach than he was his second year.
Holmgren essentially owned an NFL team without every having to purchase one. Hell, he was given $40 million to own a team. He had carte-blanche to do as he pleased because he didn't have any accountability. He was working for an absentee owner who didn't want to be bothered.
That changed when Lerner finally found a buyer in Jimmy Haslam. Haslam didn't need someone to go to the owners meetings for him or run the franchise for him. He plans on doing that himself.
Suddenly, Holmgren became expendable. Haslam's been around more than Holmgren has this year, and Haslam didn't officially own the team until today.
So, his retirement, which Haslam announced within the first minute of his introductary press conference, wasn't much of a surprise. He'll finish off the year working with the new CEO, Joe Banner, and helping Banner and Haslam transition to their positions of power. Then, he'll ride his Harley off into the sunset, or somewhere near the Puget Sound.
Regardless of what Haslam and Banner decide to do with Heckert and Shurmur in the offseason, it's apparent Haslam wants to turn the Browns into a consistant winning franchise. If he sees enough growth in Shurmur this year, he'll retain him. If not, he'll let him go.
If Haslam and Banner believe they can get a better general manager to be responsible for the makeup of this roster, they'll hire him and fire Heckert. If not, they'll retain him.
Heckert, of the three, has made more of a case to be retained by the new regime. But even then, what jaw-dropping maneuvers or signings has he made? His big splashes were the trade down the the Falcons for multiple draft picks (passing on wide receiver Julio Jones, who has done well with the Falcons) and the trade up with the Vikings to select Trent Richardson. The Weeden first-round draft pick has been scrutinized because of his age and because the Browns were in line to have the No. 1 overall pick (and their choice of either West Virginia's Geno Smith or USC's Matt Barkley) and because of his early-season struggles.
Joe Cleveland has thrown his trust behind Butch Davis, behind Phil Savage and behind Holmgren when they all came aboard. My trust has been crushed by all three of these individuals.
But, I trust Haslam. He's saying and doing all the right things. His presense has been a breath of fresh air in a town that has had it's share of terrible sports owners, including Lerner and Indians owners Larry and Paul Dolan. Dan Gilbert has enjoyed the top spot in Cleveland sports owner hirarchy since he rode into town from Detroit. However, he may have to vacate that spot for Haslam.
And, suddenly, the Browns schedule doesn't look so daunting. The Indianapolis Colts, with rookie Andrew Luck, look beatable, as does the underachieving San Diego Chargers, the Baltimore Ravens (who the Browns nearly beat a few weeks ago in Baltimore and are getting decimated on defense), the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Oakland Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs, the RGIII-led Washington Redskins ... heck, even the underachieving Dallas Cowboys look beatable at this point.
There is room for the Browns to salvage this season and for Pat Shurmur to salvage his job for at least one season. Holmgren's gone -- Shurmur and Heckert are fresh out of friends. They will be held accountable for their jobs, and the No. 1 judge for that is how this team performs (and wins) on the field.
***
As far as the Indians go, Francona was a smart hire. He was by far the top managerial candidate available, and he wanted to come here. When a guy with his credentials wants to come to town, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to screw it up.
Although, you can't put anything past Paul and Larry Dolan.
One thing that concerns me is the out-clause he put in his four-year contract that gives him the right to leave if the Indians decide to fire president Mark Shapiro and/or GM Chris Antonetti. Both of these guys are on shaky ground at the moment based on their mismanaging of the Indians' talent, draft and minor league system.
You want Shapiro and Antonetti to be more accountable for their jobs. But now, it seems that they have a four-year pass because they are married to Francona.
Do the Dolans want to lose Francona before that four-year contract is up? Or does player personnel decisions make it a gamble worth taking?
I can only hope that the money the Dolans forked over to bring in Francona (he certainly wasn't cheap) signals at least some type of hope that they invest some of those $30 million profits into bettering this roster. I'm not saying they need a $200 million payroll like the Red Sox. However, this $40 million payroll crap just ain't gonna cut it anymore.
If the Dolans weren't going to invest in their roster, it made more sense to hire the cost-effective Alomar. Alomar would have come cheaper than Francona and the fans would have given Alomar a longer leash than they gave Acta or Eric Wedge. The Indians could have sucked a few more years and the fans may have put up with it because of who the manager was.
While Francona is a credible name, he also comes in with high expectations from this fan base. They want to see results. That puts pressure on Shapiro and Antonetti to make sure those results happen, whether they want to believe it or not.
Yes, the Browns will always been No. 1 in this town. However, history has shown that this town can be a baseball town when the product is at least watchable. The anger and vitriol directed to the Dolans and Shapiro isn't because people don't like the Indians; on the contrary, it's because they still passionately care about the Indians and are tired of seeing this franchise that dominated the 1990s like no one has seen being drug through the mud based on terrible personnel decisions and horrrible decisions from an ownership group that is (fair or not) perceived as cheap.
Hopefully, the Francona hire signals a change in the mentality from the Tribe brass. Perhaps they do care about wins and losses instead of just about the bottom line. The funny part is, if you care more about wins and losses, the bottom line takes care of itself.
Joe Cleveland will keep a curious eye on the Indians this offseason to see what exactly they do. He'll also be keeping an eye on what happens with the Browns for the next two months and beyond.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Today caps a fantastic week for Cleveland sports.
And the Browns snapping their 11-game losing streak just like they snapped their last 11-game skid -- with a home win over the Bengals -- was only part of it.
You can start with the Indians decision to fire Manny Acta and give Sandy Alomar the interim job for the last week of the regular season. He went 3-3 and his teams showed some fight that had been missing since ... well, arguably, since May.
Give the Indians credit for acting fast when it came to a new manager. They targeted two candidates -- Alomar and former Red Sox manager and Indians player/front office member Terry Francona -- interviewed them, made their decision, and hired who they feel is the best man for the job.
That man was Francona, who comes to town with two World Series rings on his fingers from his time with the Red Sox. One of those rings (2007) came at the expense of the Indians. Both of those ended a long streak of no championships for a town that lives and dies with their baseball team. The so-called "Curse of the Bambino," if you will, is no more.
With his seat getting hotter and hotter, Pat Shurmur (now easily third on the depth chart of professional coaches in this town behind Byron Scott and Francona) coached his beleagured Browns to a much-needed victory in their most complete performance since Shurmur took over. 34-24, and it honestly wasn't that close. A garbage TD pass by the Bengals cut the Browns lead from 17 to 10, and a cluch sack/forced fumble by Emmanuel Stephens with the Bengals in the red zone, which was recovered and returned 40 yards by Billy Wynn, thwarted any nonsense about a fourth-quarter meltdown.
The defense picked off three Andy "Ginger" Dalton passes. One of which was by the returning Joe Haden, whose impact was immediately felt in the defense. Another was a pick-six from veteran Sheldon Brown that cemented the Browns' victory.
Brandon Weeden, who you either love or hate (depending on which type of Browns fan you are), shut up a lot of his dectractors with a solid two-touchdown, 290-yard performance. His only interception came off a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage on the Browns' first offensive possession. He clearly outplayed Dalton Sunday.
Montario Hardesty, who many Browns fans were wondering why he even still had a job after not getting any playing time in the four previous games, had to spell an injured Trent Richardson and responded with 54 huge second-half yards and his first pro touchdown. Hardesty played his butt off.
The win has sent Cleveland fans riding a wave of euphoria not seen in a while, and that wave was only extended today when Jimmy Haslam III (see the above video) was unanimously approved as the new owner of the Cleveland Browns.
You can't help but love this guy. He's the first owner this team has had that truly "gets it" since Mickey McBride sold the team in the 1950s to David Jones. Say what you will about the Dead Judas, but I can't recall ever hearing him refer to the Cleveland Browns as "YOUR Cleveland Browns." His selfish move to the land of crabcakes proves that point.
Haslam has been a fixture at Browns headquarters since he first agreed in principle to buy the team from the Lerner Family in early August. He's been at every game. He's been in the locker room. He's been talking to everybody -- the media, the out-of-town media, the coaches, the front office, other NFL owners, you name it. You can probably count on one hand how many times Randy Lerner was spotted at Browns headquarters last year.
This is nothing about Randy Lerner, who I believe is a huge Browns fan and truly cared about the team. He just didn't want to be a team owner and didn't deal with the pressures of that, especially in a city and region such as this one that lives and dies with every Browns snap.
Simply throwing money at people to try to fix it became tiring. His lastest splurge -- five years and $40 million to Mike Holmgren -- will wind up being a wasted purchase.
Holmgren may have brought in some pieces, such as general manager Tom Heckert, to overhaul the Browns roster and add more talent and playmakers. However, his handling of the head coaching position -- from leaving Eric Mangini around for the first year when it was clear to everyone their philosophies would not mesh to hiring the untested Pat Shurmur and letting him twist in the wind for two miserable seasons -- will be his downfall here in town.
Holmgren's ego wouldn't allow him to bring in a head coach with cred. But yet, he didn't want to coach the team himself. Instead of helping out Shurmur, who clearly wasn't ready to be an NFL head coach, he disappeared to Seattle and was rarely around. He was more hands-on with Mangini was the head coach than he was his second year.
Holmgren essentially owned an NFL team without every having to purchase one. Hell, he was given $40 million to own a team. He had carte-blanche to do as he pleased because he didn't have any accountability. He was working for an absentee owner who didn't want to be bothered.
That changed when Lerner finally found a buyer in Jimmy Haslam. Haslam didn't need someone to go to the owners meetings for him or run the franchise for him. He plans on doing that himself.
Suddenly, Holmgren became expendable. Haslam's been around more than Holmgren has this year, and Haslam didn't officially own the team until today.
So, his retirement, which Haslam announced within the first minute of his introductary press conference, wasn't much of a surprise. He'll finish off the year working with the new CEO, Joe Banner, and helping Banner and Haslam transition to their positions of power. Then, he'll ride his Harley off into the sunset, or somewhere near the Puget Sound.
Regardless of what Haslam and Banner decide to do with Heckert and Shurmur in the offseason, it's apparent Haslam wants to turn the Browns into a consistant winning franchise. If he sees enough growth in Shurmur this year, he'll retain him. If not, he'll let him go.
If Haslam and Banner believe they can get a better general manager to be responsible for the makeup of this roster, they'll hire him and fire Heckert. If not, they'll retain him.
Heckert, of the three, has made more of a case to be retained by the new regime. But even then, what jaw-dropping maneuvers or signings has he made? His big splashes were the trade down the the Falcons for multiple draft picks (passing on wide receiver Julio Jones, who has done well with the Falcons) and the trade up with the Vikings to select Trent Richardson. The Weeden first-round draft pick has been scrutinized because of his age and because the Browns were in line to have the No. 1 overall pick (and their choice of either West Virginia's Geno Smith or USC's Matt Barkley) and because of his early-season struggles.
Joe Cleveland has thrown his trust behind Butch Davis, behind Phil Savage and behind Holmgren when they all came aboard. My trust has been crushed by all three of these individuals.
But, I trust Haslam. He's saying and doing all the right things. His presense has been a breath of fresh air in a town that has had it's share of terrible sports owners, including Lerner and Indians owners Larry and Paul Dolan. Dan Gilbert has enjoyed the top spot in Cleveland sports owner hirarchy since he rode into town from Detroit. However, he may have to vacate that spot for Haslam.
And, suddenly, the Browns schedule doesn't look so daunting. The Indianapolis Colts, with rookie Andrew Luck, look beatable, as does the underachieving San Diego Chargers, the Baltimore Ravens (who the Browns nearly beat a few weeks ago in Baltimore and are getting decimated on defense), the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Oakland Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs, the RGIII-led Washington Redskins ... heck, even the underachieving Dallas Cowboys look beatable at this point.
There is room for the Browns to salvage this season and for Pat Shurmur to salvage his job for at least one season. Holmgren's gone -- Shurmur and Heckert are fresh out of friends. They will be held accountable for their jobs, and the No. 1 judge for that is how this team performs (and wins) on the field.
***
As far as the Indians go, Francona was a smart hire. He was by far the top managerial candidate available, and he wanted to come here. When a guy with his credentials wants to come to town, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to screw it up.
Although, you can't put anything past Paul and Larry Dolan.
One thing that concerns me is the out-clause he put in his four-year contract that gives him the right to leave if the Indians decide to fire president Mark Shapiro and/or GM Chris Antonetti. Both of these guys are on shaky ground at the moment based on their mismanaging of the Indians' talent, draft and minor league system.
You want Shapiro and Antonetti to be more accountable for their jobs. But now, it seems that they have a four-year pass because they are married to Francona.
Do the Dolans want to lose Francona before that four-year contract is up? Or does player personnel decisions make it a gamble worth taking?
I can only hope that the money the Dolans forked over to bring in Francona (he certainly wasn't cheap) signals at least some type of hope that they invest some of those $30 million profits into bettering this roster. I'm not saying they need a $200 million payroll like the Red Sox. However, this $40 million payroll crap just ain't gonna cut it anymore.
If the Dolans weren't going to invest in their roster, it made more sense to hire the cost-effective Alomar. Alomar would have come cheaper than Francona and the fans would have given Alomar a longer leash than they gave Acta or Eric Wedge. The Indians could have sucked a few more years and the fans may have put up with it because of who the manager was.
While Francona is a credible name, he also comes in with high expectations from this fan base. They want to see results. That puts pressure on Shapiro and Antonetti to make sure those results happen, whether they want to believe it or not.
Yes, the Browns will always been No. 1 in this town. However, history has shown that this town can be a baseball town when the product is at least watchable. The anger and vitriol directed to the Dolans and Shapiro isn't because people don't like the Indians; on the contrary, it's because they still passionately care about the Indians and are tired of seeing this franchise that dominated the 1990s like no one has seen being drug through the mud based on terrible personnel decisions and horrrible decisions from an ownership group that is (fair or not) perceived as cheap.
Hopefully, the Francona hire signals a change in the mentality from the Tribe brass. Perhaps they do care about wins and losses instead of just about the bottom line. The funny part is, if you care more about wins and losses, the bottom line takes care of itself.
Joe Cleveland will keep a curious eye on the Indians this offseason to see what exactly they do. He'll also be keeping an eye on what happens with the Browns for the next two months and beyond.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Indians Acta-propriately
The only person who believed Manny Acta would survive the Indians' historic collapse this season from first place to worst in the span of two months was, apparently, Manny Acta himself.
The questions with the Indians was when they would drop the ax on Acta, and who else would be ridden out on the rails?
The Tribe answered one of those questions last Thursday, when Acta was fired with six games remaining in the regular season. Bench coach and former Indians all-time great Sandy Alomar Jr. was named interim manager for the rest of the season and has been identified as a leading candidate for the permanent job next season and beyond.
The other question hasn't been officially answered. But, it looks like team president Mark Shapiro and general manager Chris Antonetti will be spared for at least one more year.
Joe Cleveland was never a fan of Manny Acta. He did not have a proven winning track record coming in to Cleveland. His perceived passive-aggressiveness in the dugout led observors to believe that he didn't seem to care. And, it also looked like his team quit on him from July through September.
It was clear a change had to be made, especially given the Indians' belief that 2012 would be a season of "contention." For the first two months, they looked to be right.
However, while Eric Wedge's team patented the slow start and red-hot finish during his way-too-long seven years at the helm, Acta's teams patented the opposite -- the red-hot start and slow finish.
Acta's teams wound up with 90 losses in two of his three seasons. The middle season was 80-82, but that year saw a fall from a 30-15 start in June that many believing that the Indians were going to the playoffs.
But, it's not totally Acta's fault. He was given Spam by his front office and expected to turn it into prime rib.
At the very least, Antonetti should have also been shown the door, because every move he's made since becoming the team's general manager has blown up in his face.
For starters, he was heavily influencial on the hiring of Acta as manager. When that manager doesn't even last three seasons, that's a reflection on the guy who hired him.
Antonetti's biggest trade may have been his worst -- acquiring Ubaldo Jimenez from Colorado for four prospects, including first-round pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz. While both White and Pomeranz have struggled in Denver's thin air and have not panned out as expected, the Indians' farm system took a serious hit for a guy that has struggled to win games and be consistant since he was brought to town last July.
Jimenez was on track for at least 19 losses before the Indians mercifully shut him down. It remains to be seen if they will pick up his $5.75 million option for the 2013 season.
Antonetti's most recent offseason may have been his worst. From the re-signing of injured Grady Sizemore for an incentive-laden, $5 million base salary for one year (and then watching him sit out the whole season with a myriad of injuries) to the acquision of aging Derek Lowe, who didn't survive July to the belief that the triumverate of aging Johnny Damon, journeyman Shelly Duncan and minor leaguer Aaron Cunningham would fill the left field void while deciding to not give Josh Willingham a third year and watching Minnesota grant his wish are just the tip of the iceberg.
There's picking up Fausto Carmona's contract option, only to lose him for most of this season due to an identity fraud case that saw him being really named Roberto Hernandez and aging from 29 to 32.
There's signing the banjo-hitting Casey Kotchman as a bargain-baseman free agent to fill the void at first base.
There's going with a predominantly left-handed lineup, which allowed teams to exploit this by lining up their left-handed starters to face the Indians.
There's picking up former International League MVP Russ Canzler in the offseason and watch the right-hander tear up AAA pitching once again while his major league, desperately crying for a right-handed bat with power, didn't call him up until September.
There's turning down decent offers for Shin-Soo Choo and Chris Perez at the trading deadline, but then not acquiring anything that would help his team push Chicago and Detroit for the Central Division title that once seemed within their grasp. Instead, the team only won 5 games in August, Perez continued to make an ass out himself (even publicly ripping the front office) and Choo had a decent season, but not a great season.
Asdrubal Cabrera, who Antonetti signed to an extension during the offseason, suddenly channeled his inner Jhonny Peralta and became a butcher at shortstop (19 errors) while also suddenly losing his motivation to play (and not playing very well when he did).
The starting rotation, believed to be the strength of the team by Antonetti, became one of the worst starting rotations in MLB. Justin Masterson (who was also being bid upon by teams at the deadline) seriously regressed, along with Ubaldo, and minor leaguers like Corey Kluber, David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez were counted on to be the main starters.
Then, there's the saga of Matt LaPorta, who Acta never seemed to care for. LaPorta lost his job to Kotchman, did decently down in Columbus, but was never given a true chance by the Indians this season. Whenever LaPorta did play, he didn't play well. Whether that's because of his problems with Acta or not remains to be seen. But, the lynch-pin of the CC Sabathia trade has suddenly become an afterthought.
Antonetti didn't make the Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez trades (Shapiro did before he got promoted). But, like his predecessor, Antonetti hasn't seemed to make the draft a top priority and has failed at developing talent in the minor leagues.
The roster Antonetti tried to say was a major league, contending roster this season was a joke. Credit Acta for taking this lineup of Punch and Judy hitters and mediocre starters and turning it into a first place team by the end of May. However, a good manager builds off of that success, and Acta is not a good manager.
Antonetti is a mediocre MLB general manager who deserved to be shipped out on the same bus as Acta was. Somehow, Larry Dolan (the worst sports owner in Cleveland) was convinced these moves were good moves and that he (and Shapiro) deserved another chance to run his team.
All they've done is run his team into the ground. However, the penny-pinching Dolan doesn't seem to care as long as his team can turn a profit.
So, it appears the Red Perm and his Boy Wonder will be responsible for picking the next manager of the Cleveland Indians. The last two guys this braintrust were responsible for were both pretty miserable hires --Wedge and Acta -- so I don't have the utmost confidence in their ability to hire a competant guy.
In the end, though, whether it's Alomar or former Indians player and exec Terry Francona or some other candidate, it's not going matter unless something is done to overhaul the talent pool.
This team has regressed in three years in overall talent, and it may not get better unless something drastic happens.
At the very least, the bloated contracts for Travis Hafner, Sizemore and Hernandez/Carmona will come off the books since they will become free agents. Also, the contracts of Choo and Perez will certainly be dangled for whatever top-shelf prospects they can land, and I wouldn't be surprised if Cabrera, Masterson and Jimenez are also dangled as well.
Other than Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana (who took a step back this season) and Lonnie Chisenhall, there isn't much to build around or to hope for as an Indians fan. Perhaps Canzler opens enough eyes during this September call-up to be given the first base job this season. Even then, though, Canzler has been a career minor leaguer for a reason.
Pitching wise, it's a mess. Carlos Carrasco may be ready to return from Tommy John surgery, but he wasn't exactly the second-coming of Fernando before the injury happened.
The bullpen should be strong enough to combat the loss of Perez. Vinnie Pestano has the makeup to be a successful closer. However, he has had his share of shaky moments in the ninth this year. But, to be honest, this team won't be expected to win very much, so a closer is a luxury they really don't need.
It will be interesting to see if the Dolans hire Francona, since you'd expect that he'd command a hefty price tag. After all, he did help Boston overcome their "Curse of the Bambino" with World Series wins in both 2004 and 2007. He may ask for some say in the personnel department as well, which would cut into Antonetti's and Shapiro's responsibilities.
Alomar should get a longer leash than Acta did by the fans becasue of who he is. Other than Omar Vizquel and (thanks to last year) Jim Thome, Alomar is one of the most revered members of those 1990s super-teams by the Indians fan base. Like Omar, Alomar didn't leave by choice, and he always considered himself an Indian at heart even as he played for five other franchises to end his career. While Alomar would be a good PR-hire, he's also universally recognized as a solid baseball man and an up-and-coming managerial candidate. Plus, Alomar would be cheaper than Francona, which would be music to the meiserly Dolans' ears.
I'd expect that Alomar is given the permanent managerial job after the season ends. Perhaps Francona takes a front office position to help ease the (obvious) burden placed on Antonetti and Shapiro for jobs they are clearly not ready or prepared for.
However, by firing Acta and retaining the brain trust, the Dolans have (without saying so) place the target squarely on both of their heads. Losing won't be Alomar or Francona's fault, it will be on the guys who are responsible for acquiring the talent to make up the roster.
Hopefully, this move greases Antonetti's skids out of town, and hopefully, the swarmy Shapiro follows him out the door.
We can only hope that this is Larry Dolan's cue to sell the club, but you can wish in one hand and defecate in the other and see which one fills up first. A new owner would be the cure-all to this franchise's ails because he would clean house and bring in his own baseball people.
We shall see. But, while it once appeared that the Indians were the closest of the three Cleveland franchises to fielding a winner, it is now apparent they are a distant third, whether Sandy's the man in charge or not.
***
Joe Cleveland goes into every Sunday rooting for a Browns victory, and is extremely disappointed when that doesn't happen.
So far, the Browns have not tasted victory through four games and it looks like that skid may grow to five (11 losses overall) this Sunday at the Meadowlands against the defending Super Bowl champion Giants.
However, unlike some fellow Browns fans, Joe Cleveland has been encouraged by what he's seen.
Even though last year's team was 2-2 at this point and started off 3-3, this year's team is MUCH better, in terms of talent. That has been apparent through these four losses.
The Browns have played three playoff teams and a fourth that was off to a red-hot start following some high-profile free agent signings very, very tough and have been competitive. They came within seconds of upsetting Michael Vick and the Eagles in the season opener and gave AFC North foes Cincinnati and Baltimore all they could handle on the road.
Brandon Weeden is still a work in progress, but he's shown flashes of being a very good quarterback. Two 300-yard games on the road against division foes -- one of which has a historically tough defense (the Ravens) -- is more than enough to open this person's eyes.
Trent Richardson is the real deal. Teams are already game-planning to stop him by stacking the box, making it tough for him to get any running room. But, he's become a reliable receiving threat out of the backfield, making people look silly in the open field. As long as his knee stays healthy -- which it has thorugh these four games -- he could be the best Browns running back since the great Jim Brown himself. It's a high comparison, but I believe it's warrented.
Joe Haden's absense only proves how valuable he is to the play of the secondary. Without Haden, Andy Dalton, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Joe Flacco have shredded the Browns secondary -- a secondary that was one of the top-five units in the league last year with Haden playing all 16 games.
D'Qwell Jackson has become a legitimate playmaker and leader on the defensive side. And young linebackers Craig Robertson and L.J. Fort have shown glimpes of being good NFL linebackers.
The wide receivers have, once again, let this team down. They're not giving Weeden much help, and yet he's still putting up decent numbers. The Browns' inability to address this area in the offseason is coming back to bite them in the ass, and that's the fault of Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert.
Jimmy Haslam doesn't need a whole of excuses to bring in his own people. Heckert appeared the safest of the three (Holmgren and head coach Pat Shurmur) and still does. However, the decision to go with 15 rookies was his decision, and that may turn the tide against him.
Following the Giants' game, the Browns' next four opponents will be the Bengals at home, the Colts on the road, the Chargers at home and the Ravens at home. Haden will be back, and defensive tackle Phil Taylor may be cleared to return by the end of that stretch. It will be these four games that will make or break the Browns, especially Shurmur. The Browns have proven they can play with both Cincy and Baltimore on the road, the Colts are in the same boat as the Browns, and the Chargers are regressing.
Anything less than a 2-2 record in those four games may result in a bye-week coaching change (conveniently located right after that Ravens game), and signal the beginning of the end of the Holmgren regime. It should also be a better barometer for the progress of Weeden and Richardson.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
The questions with the Indians was when they would drop the ax on Acta, and who else would be ridden out on the rails?
The Tribe answered one of those questions last Thursday, when Acta was fired with six games remaining in the regular season. Bench coach and former Indians all-time great Sandy Alomar Jr. was named interim manager for the rest of the season and has been identified as a leading candidate for the permanent job next season and beyond.
The other question hasn't been officially answered. But, it looks like team president Mark Shapiro and general manager Chris Antonetti will be spared for at least one more year.
Joe Cleveland was never a fan of Manny Acta. He did not have a proven winning track record coming in to Cleveland. His perceived passive-aggressiveness in the dugout led observors to believe that he didn't seem to care. And, it also looked like his team quit on him from July through September.
It was clear a change had to be made, especially given the Indians' belief that 2012 would be a season of "contention." For the first two months, they looked to be right.
However, while Eric Wedge's team patented the slow start and red-hot finish during his way-too-long seven years at the helm, Acta's teams patented the opposite -- the red-hot start and slow finish.
Acta's teams wound up with 90 losses in two of his three seasons. The middle season was 80-82, but that year saw a fall from a 30-15 start in June that many believing that the Indians were going to the playoffs.
But, it's not totally Acta's fault. He was given Spam by his front office and expected to turn it into prime rib.
At the very least, Antonetti should have also been shown the door, because every move he's made since becoming the team's general manager has blown up in his face.
For starters, he was heavily influencial on the hiring of Acta as manager. When that manager doesn't even last three seasons, that's a reflection on the guy who hired him.
Antonetti's biggest trade may have been his worst -- acquiring Ubaldo Jimenez from Colorado for four prospects, including first-round pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz. While both White and Pomeranz have struggled in Denver's thin air and have not panned out as expected, the Indians' farm system took a serious hit for a guy that has struggled to win games and be consistant since he was brought to town last July.
Jimenez was on track for at least 19 losses before the Indians mercifully shut him down. It remains to be seen if they will pick up his $5.75 million option for the 2013 season.
Antonetti's most recent offseason may have been his worst. From the re-signing of injured Grady Sizemore for an incentive-laden, $5 million base salary for one year (and then watching him sit out the whole season with a myriad of injuries) to the acquision of aging Derek Lowe, who didn't survive July to the belief that the triumverate of aging Johnny Damon, journeyman Shelly Duncan and minor leaguer Aaron Cunningham would fill the left field void while deciding to not give Josh Willingham a third year and watching Minnesota grant his wish are just the tip of the iceberg.
There's picking up Fausto Carmona's contract option, only to lose him for most of this season due to an identity fraud case that saw him being really named Roberto Hernandez and aging from 29 to 32.
There's signing the banjo-hitting Casey Kotchman as a bargain-baseman free agent to fill the void at first base.
There's going with a predominantly left-handed lineup, which allowed teams to exploit this by lining up their left-handed starters to face the Indians.
There's picking up former International League MVP Russ Canzler in the offseason and watch the right-hander tear up AAA pitching once again while his major league, desperately crying for a right-handed bat with power, didn't call him up until September.
There's turning down decent offers for Shin-Soo Choo and Chris Perez at the trading deadline, but then not acquiring anything that would help his team push Chicago and Detroit for the Central Division title that once seemed within their grasp. Instead, the team only won 5 games in August, Perez continued to make an ass out himself (even publicly ripping the front office) and Choo had a decent season, but not a great season.
Asdrubal Cabrera, who Antonetti signed to an extension during the offseason, suddenly channeled his inner Jhonny Peralta and became a butcher at shortstop (19 errors) while also suddenly losing his motivation to play (and not playing very well when he did).
The starting rotation, believed to be the strength of the team by Antonetti, became one of the worst starting rotations in MLB. Justin Masterson (who was also being bid upon by teams at the deadline) seriously regressed, along with Ubaldo, and minor leaguers like Corey Kluber, David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez were counted on to be the main starters.
Then, there's the saga of Matt LaPorta, who Acta never seemed to care for. LaPorta lost his job to Kotchman, did decently down in Columbus, but was never given a true chance by the Indians this season. Whenever LaPorta did play, he didn't play well. Whether that's because of his problems with Acta or not remains to be seen. But, the lynch-pin of the CC Sabathia trade has suddenly become an afterthought.
Antonetti didn't make the Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez trades (Shapiro did before he got promoted). But, like his predecessor, Antonetti hasn't seemed to make the draft a top priority and has failed at developing talent in the minor leagues.
The roster Antonetti tried to say was a major league, contending roster this season was a joke. Credit Acta for taking this lineup of Punch and Judy hitters and mediocre starters and turning it into a first place team by the end of May. However, a good manager builds off of that success, and Acta is not a good manager.
Antonetti is a mediocre MLB general manager who deserved to be shipped out on the same bus as Acta was. Somehow, Larry Dolan (the worst sports owner in Cleveland) was convinced these moves were good moves and that he (and Shapiro) deserved another chance to run his team.
All they've done is run his team into the ground. However, the penny-pinching Dolan doesn't seem to care as long as his team can turn a profit.
So, it appears the Red Perm and his Boy Wonder will be responsible for picking the next manager of the Cleveland Indians. The last two guys this braintrust were responsible for were both pretty miserable hires --Wedge and Acta -- so I don't have the utmost confidence in their ability to hire a competant guy.
In the end, though, whether it's Alomar or former Indians player and exec Terry Francona or some other candidate, it's not going matter unless something is done to overhaul the talent pool.
This team has regressed in three years in overall talent, and it may not get better unless something drastic happens.
At the very least, the bloated contracts for Travis Hafner, Sizemore and Hernandez/Carmona will come off the books since they will become free agents. Also, the contracts of Choo and Perez will certainly be dangled for whatever top-shelf prospects they can land, and I wouldn't be surprised if Cabrera, Masterson and Jimenez are also dangled as well.
Other than Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana (who took a step back this season) and Lonnie Chisenhall, there isn't much to build around or to hope for as an Indians fan. Perhaps Canzler opens enough eyes during this September call-up to be given the first base job this season. Even then, though, Canzler has been a career minor leaguer for a reason.
Pitching wise, it's a mess. Carlos Carrasco may be ready to return from Tommy John surgery, but he wasn't exactly the second-coming of Fernando before the injury happened.
The bullpen should be strong enough to combat the loss of Perez. Vinnie Pestano has the makeup to be a successful closer. However, he has had his share of shaky moments in the ninth this year. But, to be honest, this team won't be expected to win very much, so a closer is a luxury they really don't need.
It will be interesting to see if the Dolans hire Francona, since you'd expect that he'd command a hefty price tag. After all, he did help Boston overcome their "Curse of the Bambino" with World Series wins in both 2004 and 2007. He may ask for some say in the personnel department as well, which would cut into Antonetti's and Shapiro's responsibilities.
Alomar should get a longer leash than Acta did by the fans becasue of who he is. Other than Omar Vizquel and (thanks to last year) Jim Thome, Alomar is one of the most revered members of those 1990s super-teams by the Indians fan base. Like Omar, Alomar didn't leave by choice, and he always considered himself an Indian at heart even as he played for five other franchises to end his career. While Alomar would be a good PR-hire, he's also universally recognized as a solid baseball man and an up-and-coming managerial candidate. Plus, Alomar would be cheaper than Francona, which would be music to the meiserly Dolans' ears.
I'd expect that Alomar is given the permanent managerial job after the season ends. Perhaps Francona takes a front office position to help ease the (obvious) burden placed on Antonetti and Shapiro for jobs they are clearly not ready or prepared for.
However, by firing Acta and retaining the brain trust, the Dolans have (without saying so) place the target squarely on both of their heads. Losing won't be Alomar or Francona's fault, it will be on the guys who are responsible for acquiring the talent to make up the roster.
Hopefully, this move greases Antonetti's skids out of town, and hopefully, the swarmy Shapiro follows him out the door.
We can only hope that this is Larry Dolan's cue to sell the club, but you can wish in one hand and defecate in the other and see which one fills up first. A new owner would be the cure-all to this franchise's ails because he would clean house and bring in his own baseball people.
We shall see. But, while it once appeared that the Indians were the closest of the three Cleveland franchises to fielding a winner, it is now apparent they are a distant third, whether Sandy's the man in charge or not.
***
Joe Cleveland goes into every Sunday rooting for a Browns victory, and is extremely disappointed when that doesn't happen.
So far, the Browns have not tasted victory through four games and it looks like that skid may grow to five (11 losses overall) this Sunday at the Meadowlands against the defending Super Bowl champion Giants.
However, unlike some fellow Browns fans, Joe Cleveland has been encouraged by what he's seen.
Even though last year's team was 2-2 at this point and started off 3-3, this year's team is MUCH better, in terms of talent. That has been apparent through these four losses.
The Browns have played three playoff teams and a fourth that was off to a red-hot start following some high-profile free agent signings very, very tough and have been competitive. They came within seconds of upsetting Michael Vick and the Eagles in the season opener and gave AFC North foes Cincinnati and Baltimore all they could handle on the road.
Brandon Weeden is still a work in progress, but he's shown flashes of being a very good quarterback. Two 300-yard games on the road against division foes -- one of which has a historically tough defense (the Ravens) -- is more than enough to open this person's eyes.
Trent Richardson is the real deal. Teams are already game-planning to stop him by stacking the box, making it tough for him to get any running room. But, he's become a reliable receiving threat out of the backfield, making people look silly in the open field. As long as his knee stays healthy -- which it has thorugh these four games -- he could be the best Browns running back since the great Jim Brown himself. It's a high comparison, but I believe it's warrented.
Joe Haden's absense only proves how valuable he is to the play of the secondary. Without Haden, Andy Dalton, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Joe Flacco have shredded the Browns secondary -- a secondary that was one of the top-five units in the league last year with Haden playing all 16 games.
D'Qwell Jackson has become a legitimate playmaker and leader on the defensive side. And young linebackers Craig Robertson and L.J. Fort have shown glimpes of being good NFL linebackers.
The wide receivers have, once again, let this team down. They're not giving Weeden much help, and yet he's still putting up decent numbers. The Browns' inability to address this area in the offseason is coming back to bite them in the ass, and that's the fault of Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert.
Jimmy Haslam doesn't need a whole of excuses to bring in his own people. Heckert appeared the safest of the three (Holmgren and head coach Pat Shurmur) and still does. However, the decision to go with 15 rookies was his decision, and that may turn the tide against him.
Following the Giants' game, the Browns' next four opponents will be the Bengals at home, the Colts on the road, the Chargers at home and the Ravens at home. Haden will be back, and defensive tackle Phil Taylor may be cleared to return by the end of that stretch. It will be these four games that will make or break the Browns, especially Shurmur. The Browns have proven they can play with both Cincy and Baltimore on the road, the Colts are in the same boat as the Browns, and the Chargers are regressing.
Anything less than a 2-2 record in those four games may result in a bye-week coaching change (conveniently located right after that Ravens game), and signal the beginning of the end of the Holmgren regime. It should also be a better barometer for the progress of Weeden and Richardson.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
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