Lerner For A Day

[BaconHound]

I have been bitching, and rightfully so, and many others have as well. So here it is, if you were Lerner (generic term for Owner) what would you do. Here is my checklist.

 

1. I would address the fans and apologize for the flaming turd of a product I put on the field.

 

2. I would look in the mirror and ask myself what type of team do I want. My personal preference would be hard-nosed defense first and foremost.

 

3. I would hire a President/GM that understood EXACTLY what type of team I wanted to field.

 

4. On draft day I would through out the old "best talent available"/"Combine Stud" mentality and draft players that fit my philosophy. An example is if I had a choice between Mack or Matthews in 2009 I take Matthews. I also don't take my foot off of the peddle. This isn't to say that you take the 20th best corner over the 2nd best WR but you lean more towards one side of the ball and you draft football players not 40 yard dashes.

 

5. I sign the appropriate free agents that fit my philosophy. The Bart Scott, Julius Peppers & the Lance Briggs of the world are a priority. If you can't land the big fish you land the next two. The beauty of the NFL is players follow the money.

 

6. I identify my biggest weakness and I slowly turn it to a strength. For example this year Santonio Holmes would have been a Brown.

 

7. The Salary Cap and the Salary Floor would be one in the same.

[Gips]

At the very least since holmgren and heckert are lerners voice they both need to step up and get real with the fans and team and assure the fans things are going to get better and knock off the nicety crap about turds like mcgee and junk players like roboslow, imho until all first year mangini draft scum is removed from the team (minus mack)things cant get as good as they need to..

 

There is really nothing randy lerner can say that would satisfy most fans, all owners say nothing but feel good mushy tripe and lie like politicians..

 

I would rather here from holmgren rather than lerner unless lerner wants to announce he is selling the club to a fellow billionaire thats also an avid browns fan,,,HAHAHA yeah..

 

It is nearly impossible to turn 12 years of suck into a winner overnight, into a better team?

Yes i think we all expect that even gandhi "soccer mom" lerner..

 

As a note i would be interested in hearing mr lerner tell us what the hell he is going to do if H&H failsauces..

 

But what im really trying to say in all this is that now is the time for holmgren to get tough and do what has to be done and most of you know what i mean, im starting to get that procrastinating we have all the time in the world to do nothing slacker feeling from H&H..

I guess thats what happens when the teams owner dont give a rats ass and the people running the team are under no pressure from the owner and paid big bucks to take their time and do nothing urgent..

[BrownsBacker]

I would move to europe to be with my soccer team 24/7 and hand the browns organization over to someone who gave a xxxx

[Squintz]

I'd look in the mirror and realize that I'm not half as smart as my dad so I'd do the honorable thing and sell the team to a competent owner.

[VaporTrail]

Seppuku. Ancient Japanese ritual suicide.

 

[htownbrown]

"He knows emphatically, that the loss of the real Browns team has left Browns fans as cowards...... so afraid to lose their team again, that they will sit and remain behaved, and be content with inane conversations about things that there are no statistices for."

 

 

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So true.

[The Gipper]

Seppuku. Ancient Japanese ritual suicide.

 

 

I had similar thoughts, though it involved perhaps the Detroit-Superior Bridge.

[miktoxic]

Cool thread, although if I were the Lerner/owner alot of folks wouldn't like it at first and i'm bound to get some hate over the following. Btw, it'd take more than a day.

 

1: I would call a TV Press conference. In said press conference I would apologize to the fans as well as to the city for the garbage that has been the Browns and to let them know big changes are coming and I will not tolerate it anymore. From this point on I am taking a hands on role with the Organization and my commitment is to building a championship team.

 

I would also apologize for the utter joke this offseason has been, the lack of professionalism shown by the current regime and I would apologize for Holmgren using the Cleveland Browns as a means of giving all of his friends jobs. Effective immediately Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert, Gil Haskell, Pat Shurmur, Dick Jauron and Ray Rhodes have been terminated. Seneca Wallace has also been cut. An interim HC, DC and OC will be named shortly. To other teams: send in your trade offers because I need to stockpile draft picks.

 

Back to the fans my single goal this year is to build a winning front office. Nothing less will be tolerated and there will be no more power struggles, no more ineptitude and no more guys coming here to collect a paycheck and hire their friends.

 

2: While I cannot let anyone know it I am tanking this season. We've already been set back this offseason and aren't a willing team thanks to stupid decisions. We need a franchise QB, this draft will have a few of them and I need to ensure my new staff gets one. The other reason is because that gives us an advantage when it comes to the waiver wires. This season for the time being will be used to scout and tryout the UFA's currently sitting at home, CFL players and UFL players. Any hidden gems we can find help.

 

3: This go round President of Football Operations will be an experienced person. Marty Schottenheimer, Dan Reeves, Bill Cowher and any number of other candidates will be interviewed by myself and a temporary committee. I'm not looking for another Holmgren, a guy who is content resting on his laurels from 20 years ago only accepting the job because his dream job turned him down and it's an easy payday. Together he and I will set about to find a VP of Football Ops. The goal of that position is to find an experienced, successful former GM, Personnel guy or Executive that knows what makes a good GM and knows what to look for. Together the 3 of us will look for the next hot GM. That person is out there, the next Dimitrioff, someone young, hungry and smart who can turn a team around. No more gophers and no more retreads at GM. That position being set the four of us will seek to find the next VP of Player Personnel. Again, no retreads. A young, hungry smart guy that fits the position and has what it takes. They're both out there just waiting to be hired somewhere.

 

Last would be the coaching staff. Unlike the bullshit fed the fanbase in the offseason THIS go around WILL be wide and far reaching. The next HC will be the guy the Pres, the VP, the GM and his VP all agree is the guy to get it done and if I agree as well. It won't be because he's my Presidents "nephew" and needs a job. It will be because this young coach knows what he is doing, has a clear track record of success and has a clear cut plan for the Cleveland Browns. The next guy to take a seat beside the Bill Belichick's and Andy Reid's of the NFL is out there just like the next Dimitrioff is out there. On the same front this HC may not get to pick his entire staff. Tony Sparano and staff are lame duck coaches in Miami. If Mike Nolan becomes available to be a DC and Bryan Cox becomes available for line coach I am pulling rank as the owner on that one. They're both at the top of their game at what they do and i'm not letting them slip away.

 

4: Waiver wires, we'll be scouring them. Ala the Lions if a player with talent hits the waiver wires we're claiming them. We're hitting free agency hard. We're stockpiling draft picks and hitting the draft hard. We're scouring UDFA's, players from other Leagues and practice squads. We're not sitting on our hands, we're going to be active. Camp cuts? We're going after those, too. The goal for year one is simple. 8-8. Get us 8 wins in year one. This isn't the NFL circa 1968 where it takes 5, 6, 7 years to build a team. If you know what you're doing you can have a team turning around in year one and rebuilt by year 2. However both require two things, 1: A good defense and 2: A good QB. That's why i'm stockpiling draft picks and tanking this year. In the present it sucks, for the future it won't suck.

 

5: I'm telling the local media hacks: Shut the **** up. I don't give a damn if you like the current staff or not, I don't care if you had your feelings hurt. I am running this team, not you. Shut your mouths and go away.

 

 

 

1000% that!!!