Red Right 88

Cleveland sports fan and sports writer

Name:
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

quit my job decided to drive west

Monday, November 02, 2009

Randy Lerner is getting angry

Well it is pretty obvious that I was wrong about Mangini. I have never been a fan of Dawg Pound Mike or any of his ilk. But if his publicity stunt --stupid as it was-- woke up Randy Lerner then I guess I tip my cap.

When I heard George got escorted out of the building, my first thought was it must be nice to be so rich that Randy can afford to pay so many people so much money not to work for him. The Browns have become a joke and not the kind of joke that is so bad its funny. They are just a bad, mind numbing sad state of vomit-inducing pain.

Losing sucks but there are different kinds of losing. When you lose with a young team with a future that sucks but at least there is hope. What hope is there on the Browns? As far as young talent we have Joe Thomas. I love Josh Cribbs as much as the next guy. But we have built him up as this legendary player where the truth is he is an outstanding special teams player. A Josh Cribbs is great role player on a good team. The last few weeks he has made a lot of mistakes trying to be more than what he really is.

I am fine if Bernie becomes the public face of Randy Lerner. He can do what an owner is supposed to do. Walk around, smile and shake hands. That way Randy can hide as is his want. Let Bernie advise who to turn the franchise over to be the strong GM that picks the players and the coach.

But seriously if you were Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan or Jon Gruden how much money would it be worth to risk your reputation to be the coach of the Browns? $10 million? $15 million? Jeff Fisher who may be losing his job gets $5.5 million to coach the Titans. Shanahan was getting $6 million last season before he got axed.

Bill Parcells gets around $4 to be the Miami GM. To get him to opt out his contract and leave behind horse racing and the sun, how much money would it take?

Seriously. This team is a mess. How much money would it be worth to take a challenge this big? And when a salary is that high, just how hungry can a human being be?

Randy Lerner is worth $1.5 billion. And he is pissed and he is embarrassed.

The only way to fix the Browns is to get next year's draft -- possibly the deepest in NFL history thanks to the looming uncapped year before labor strife -- with 11 draft picks right.

The Browns need a talent evaluator even more than they need a football coach. The Browns have to find that guy. And almost as importantly he has to be someone that can be trusted. No more games. No more power plays.

I am not convinced Cowher is the guy. I am not convinced Gruden is the guy. I am not convinced Shanahan is the guy. I am not convinced Fisher is the guy. All of them can coach but can they pick the players too.

Roll the brink truck to Parcells house. Let him pick the players and the coach. And I am not even convinced that will work.

All I have learned is this: the best job in the whole world is this. Get an NFL owner to get you a crap load of money then be so awful he fires you and pays you anyway. Randy owes over $20 million to Romeo and Savage. Maybe Mangini is a genius. Work for a year and get paid for four.