Browns hire (and fire) new coach

[John]

The rise ...

Mike Pettine hired as Cleveland Browns' next coach

... and the inevitable fall ...

Browns Fire New Head Coach After Sixteen Hours On Job
“It’s Simply Time For A New Direction” Says Cleveland G.M.

Pettine departs Cleveland with a lifetime record of 0-0, good enough to make his tenure one of the most successful periods during the past several decades of Browns football.

[Evas]

The sad thing is that I couldn't immediately dismiss it until I saw which website it was from.

There is not much confidence in the front office of the Browns these days.

If they blow this draft, I expect the entire front office to get purged.

Dumpster fire.

[Apollos]

Hilarious. Like Kevin, I also checked to see if this was real first.

I feel bad for Browns fans. It's been a rough go for them since returning to the league and there doesn't seem to have been much commitment to any particular individual or coach aside from the three (I think?) year tenure of Holmgren in the FO. This franchise needs a QB they can build around in the worst way, and it needs to happen in this year's draft. I'll be very curious to see what they do.

[Rory]

lmao.

thanks John (with help from the Browns front office) for making me laugh.


I had to re-post this on my FB so others I know can enjoy the moment. The only thing that would make this any funnier, is if it was the Bears instead of the Browns.

[Mike Dunn]

John's original post was a joke, of course, but not too far from reality, as Joe Banner is ousted as CEO and Mike Lombardi is ousted as GM.

Browns Overhaul Front Office

A banner day for Browns fans, no doubt. Banner for years was in my town, Philly, running the Iggles, and while he had success it was quite clear he was a bit of a Mr. Burns.

[Evas]

Wow!

Mike, you broke the news for me!

I am very happy. Not just because Banner and Lombardi were suspect at best, but because Ray Farmer has been very impressive in all of the interviews I've seen from him.

Now the fact that Farmer was at the Senior Bowl and Lombardi was not makes a lot more sense. Also why Lombardi hasn't been to any of the recent press conferences. This move must have been coming for a while. Good stuff!

[John]

I think the Browns have mastered the art of the straight face. I have reached the point where I can't tell if their latest reported embarrassment - whatever it might be on the given day - is satire or truth.

[Ghosts]

I think the Browns have mastered the art of the straight face. I have reached the point where I can't tell if their latest reported embarrassment - whatever it might be on the given day - is satire or truth.

I realize that the purge feels like just another log on the fire, but I think it's the opposite. It was so obvious that a Banner/Lombadi front office was never going to work long term, that the only sane choice was to break it up now. This draft, this amount of cap space, this year ... it really is the most important year of the franchise since 1999. I am glad Haslam cut bait, created a much more sane structure, and appears to have retained the one respected person in the front office.

Now, they just need to land a QB. :eek: However, if they do that, they are well on their way to respectability next year, and a lot more than that in another 2-3 years.