We are now more than 2 1/2 years into the NFL careers of the players who were drafted in 2007.

If you scroll down the list of first round draftees, several names will jump out at you of players who have already carved out solid beginnings to their careers.

In a few cases, some of the first round draftees from 2007 have proven to be franchise cornerstones worthy of high picks: Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Darrelle Revis, Ted Ginn Jr, to name a few.

In other cases, however, the players drafted in 2007 have proven to be worth far less than what their draft position might suggest. This is no more evident than with respect to the two QBs drafted in the first round in 2007: JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn.

My goodness, what wasted first round picks those two are proving to be.

And amazingly, Russell and Quinn are not alone. Several other QBs were taken in 2007, none of whom have amounted to much of anything. Let’s review the carnage.

First, we have to examine the combined ineptitude of Russell and Quinn. Let’s start with the caveat that both players were drafted by teams that have spent most of the last decade defining the word futility. Any quarterback would have struggled in the situations that Russell and Quinn have been in.

With that said, bad franchises take QBs in the first round specifically so that they can emerge from their futility and become competitive. The Raiders and Browns have stayed the same, if not regressed, since deciding to take these two in the first round.

And it has culminated in this, from Pro Football Talk today, in which MDS breaks down (via Adam Schefter) the possibility of the Browns or Raiders breaking the all-time NFL record for fewest points in a 16-game season (currently held by the 1992 Seattle Seahawks, 140 points):

…both the Cleveland Browns and the Oakland Raiders have a shot at the record this season. Nine games into 2009, the Browns have scored 78 points, putting them on pace to finish with 139 and break the 1992 Seahawks’ record.

And if the Browns don’t break the Seahawks’ record, the Raiders might: Having scored 88 points this season, Oakland is on pace to finish with 156. If Bruce Gradkowski manages the superhuman feat of being a worse quarterback than JaMarcus Russell, maybe the Raiders can come in under 140 as well.

Now, to be fair to Brady Quinn, he has not started the entire season. He was replaced by Derek Anderson after playing only 10 quarters. But that is perhaps even more of an indictment of Quinn’s failures, because we all saw how pathetic Anderson was.

Just take a look at Russell’s and Quinn’s career numbers. (I apologize in advance for not having sickness bags ready for the Browns and Raiders fans who are reading this.)

Brady Quinn:

• 2007 draft position: #22 overall
• Passer rating: 58.0
• Completion Percentage: 52.2%
• TD:INT ratio: 3:7
• Yards per attempt: 5.2
• Total passing yards: 1,071
• Large fines for cheap hits on opposing defenders after INTs: 1

JaMarcus Russell:

• 2007 draft position: #1 overall
• Passer rating: 65.5
• Completion Percentage: 51.6%
• TD:INT ratio: 17:21
• Yards per attempt: 6.0
• Total passing yards: 3,860
• Number of google results when you search “jamarcus russell poor work ethic”: 1,070,000

Thinking back to the 2007 NFL draft, and how big a deal was made about Brady Quinn dropping unexpectedly and being “embarrassed” as the cameras caught the disappointment on his face, it almost makes me laugh. Considering how he’s turned out, he should have been jumping for joy to be picked in the first round and get some guaranteed money; it’s the Browns and their fans who should have winced in agony.

But hindsight is always 20-20, as they say.

Okay, fine. So the two first round QBs of 2007 turned out to be putrid. Surely there must have been a diamond in the rough uncovered later in the draft, right? Well…

Kevin Kolb was taken with the 36th pick. He actually showed some promise this season, sporting an 88.9 QB rating in two starts. Still, he’s only played in 11 games over three seasons and has thrown seven INTs against only four TDs. But we’ll be generous and say the jury is still out on Kolb.

John Beck was taken with the 40th pick by the Miami Dolphins. He has thrown 107 career passes and is now a benchwarmer for the Ravens. Failure.

Drew Stanton was taken with the 43rd pick by the Detroit Lions. All you need to know about Stanton is that he has been so good the Lions took Matthew Stafford with their first pick in the last draft. Failure.

Trent Edwards was taken by the Bills with the 92nd pick. He has actually been the “best” QB from the 2007 draft…which is not saying much. He has at least played in 31 games for the team that drafted him though, and has a respectable (I guess) 78.0 QB rating with a 24:25 TD:INT ratio. I suppose this is not terrible production from a third round pick, but it’s not good for a draft class when this is the high water mark.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Isaiah Stanback with the 103rd pick and then promptly switched him to WR, where he now plays for the Patriots. Go 2007 QB class! Go!

The Bengals drafted Jeff Rowe with the 151st pick. Who? Exactly.

The Ravens drafted Troy Smith with 174th pick. He made such an impression that they drafted Joe Flacco in the very next draft.

The Redskins drafted Jordan Palmer with the 205th pick. He now plays with his brother in Cincinnati and has done about as much in an NFL uniform as Jordan Farmar.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Tyler Thigpen in with the 217th pick in the 7th round. He was later dealt to Kansas City and now is in Miami. He at least put some decent stats for the Chiefs last year. Let’s put it this way, his 76.0 QB rating, 54.8% completion percentage, 2,608 yards, and 18:12 TD:INT ratio in 2008 are better than anything Quinn or Russell have even approached. And Thigpen played for a similarly crappy team.

Apparently 2007 was like some sort of bizarro draft in which QBs were drafted in inverse order of their future production. Am I embellishing a bit? Sure. But not by much.

So, in conclusion, the 2007 QB draft class featured two first round QBs, yet the two most productive players from that class have been a 3rd rounder who has oscillated in and out of the lineup and a 7th rounder who is now a backup with his third team.

In fact, it would not be unreasonable to state that the greatest contribution from the QB class of the 2007 NFL Draft is an iPhone app that tells you the most optimal times to take a wizz during a movie.

Now, I have neither the time nor the inclination to review each position from every draft in an effort to prove my hypothesis true. But I’d be willing to blindly bet $20 right now that there is not another position from a single draft more porous, putrid, and pathetic than the QBs from the 2007 NFL Draft.

If anyone wants to take the challenge, go right ahead. But you’ve got your work cut out for you. (So you probably shouldn’t ask JaMarcus Russell to help. In fact, shh…he’s taking a nap…the Raiders are in a meeting. )

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A couple of things struck me recently regarding how bad things are in 2009 for the Cleveland Browns and their fans.

Anyone who has watched a game this season knows just how bad the team is, but a few things have happened this week that go beyond the offensive offensive numbers (repetition intended) and the record to truly illustrate what a putrid season this has become.

First off, there may be no bigger indictment of the sorry state of the Browns than this: the Detroit Lions, a team that went 0-16 a year ago and has won only one game this year, is a 3.5 point favorite over the Browns this weekend.

But wait…there’s more.

Entering Week 11, which begins the stretch playoff run for any team worth half a crap, the biggest story involving the Cleveland Browns doesn’t even involve anyone on their own team. It revolves around whether a basketball player would make a good football player.

Even more amazing, it’s not just fans talking about it, but Browns players and coaches are addressing the issue as well. (Our friends at Waiting For Next Year also noted just how terrible of a sign this is for the Browns.)

When you’ve scored five touchdowns in 15 games, I guess you can’t really blame these guys for practicing a little bit of escapism. Plus, does anyone really doubt that LeBron James could throw on some pads and cleats tomorrow and become the biggest threat on the Browns’ offense?

Don’t get me wrong: as great as LeBron’s athletic ability is, that is much more of an indictment of the Browns than any faith I have in his football ability.

Cleveland fans should be careful though. They may be jinxing their King by mentioning him in the same sentence as the Browns. Is it a coincidence that on the same day all of this Lebron-on-the-Browns talk escalated that the Cavs lost to the Wizards and LeBron hurt his wrist?

Maybe…maybe not.

But perhaps nothing though sums up the 2009 Cleveland Browns season more than what happened at the end of the Browns-Ravens Monday Night game earlier this week.

The Browns called a timeout before their final play of the game, presumably to try something, anything, in a desperation move to avoid a shutout. On the ensuing play, the Browns’ only productive offensive player – Josh Cribbs – was injured while running around and lateraling the football. He had to be placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.

The problem is that it was the Browns fourth timeout of the second half. As we all know, teams only get three timeouts per half. And, of course, the Browns did not score on the play en route to a 16-0 home shutout loss.

The moral of the story? Even when fortune seemingly smiles down upon the Browns and throws them a bone (so to speak), it turns into a complete and utter disaster.

And that, ladies and gentleman, should be the name for the official Browns 2009 Season in Review DVD.

Complete and Utter Disaster.

It is the most apt description possible for a season that continues to just get worse and worse…and worse.

Oh, and if you think I’m just plaintively wallowing in woe-is-me nonsense all by my lonesome, do a quick Google Image search for “browns fans” and then examine the first page. There is nothing but Browns fans looking miserable (except for the strange picture of the lady dressed up as the Browns’ elf).

I guess seasons like this are what you sign up for when you become a Browns fan. But even by the Browns’ lofty standards, what has transpired this year has been pathetic.

Thanks for reading. I’m going to back to doing what Randy Lerner is probably doing right now: daydreaming.

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* – Browns fan photo credit: Tracy Boulian via the The Plain Dealer

There is no joy in Cleveland, the mighty Quinn has gone three and out; kick return man and wildcat Cribbs has gone down.

A fan at Cleveland Browns Stadium for the Monday Night debacle against the Ravens, held up a sign that said it all: “Hey, Baltimore, can you take this team, too?”

After suffering through another day of depression and frustration over the state of these Cleveland Browns’ pretenders, (remember, the Browns did not “come back” in 1999; late owner Al Lerner accepted a nameless, nearly talent-less expansion team and named it the Browns), Browns fans’ hope the end of the nine-game Coach Eric Mangini Era is near.

Even though Browns owner Randy Lerner said he would not fire his incompetent, arrogant little field general and dictator this season, a seriously injured Cribbs would have had Mangini packing, as well as his clueless offensive (yes, his lame playcalling is offensive) coordinator Brian Dabold.  Cribbs, a brilliant kick-off and punt return man, is a fan favorite and heart of the team.

It was in the final seconds of the 16-0 game that Cribbs was blindsided and knocked to the turf. This came after lateraling the ball to a teammate in a desperation mad dash to score six points. (Why? Because losing 16-6 would have looked better?)

The nearly empty stadium became even more silent as Browns and Ravens players surrounded Josh while he was lifted gently onto a stretcher. Cribbs was released Tuesday morning from the hospital, and Mangini, admitted in a conference call (yes, Coach opted to skip his regular face to face press conference)that he should not have allowed the hook-and-ladder play.

Brady Quinn did what he could with Daboll’s calls for five-yard bubble passes, a non-running game and receivers who let the ball slip through their hands. Game analysts figured Quinn had 2.5 seconds to take the snap, read the defense, find an open receiver and throw the ball — before getting leveled by Baltimore’s D.

After the last interception, Quinn tackled the wrong Raven too low, knocking his feet from under him and causing serious injury. This led Baltimore defense captain Ray Lewis to call Quinn out for the dirty hit. Quinn said he didn’t mean to hurt anyone — and I believe him.

Brady was so distraught, he probably didn’t know who had the ball.

Quinn has got to be lobbying his agent for a ticket out of Cleveland. Back-up quarterback Derek Anderson is also demoralized by Mangini and his schizophrenic quarterback shuffling.

The result is, neither Quinn nor Derek Anderson can move the offense into the red zone. Their egos are bruised, their confidence shot and trade value practically nil.

After a short practice week, the Browns head to Detroit to face the Lions on Sunday. (The first team to score a touchdown, wins the game.)

There is one flickering light at the end of the tunnel: Word came down from Berea Tuesday that Randy Lerner met with former Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Mike Holmgren about a director of Browns operations position, with authority over personnel — including the right to fire the coach.

One can only hope.

The Browns got their asses handed to them again last night in another embarrassing offensive performance that culminated in a 16-0 shutout.

But nothing the offense did (or didn’t do) could match the collective fear and frustration felt when Josh Cribbs needlessly went down on the last play of the game and then had to be taken off the field on a stretcher.

Let’s forget for a moment how asinine it was for the team to run a “hook and ladder” play with the game out of reach and get to the important stuff: this morning’s Josh Cribbs injury update.

The latest Cribbs injury update, according to the Plain-Dealer, is that Cribbs was taken to the hospital immediately after last night’s game and is being evaluated for a concussion.

He was reportedly placed on the stretcher as a precautionary measure, but was said to have been laughing and joking with teammates as he was carted off the field. He was also reportedly experiencing full movement in his extremeties.

I’m not sure there are words for how relieved this news will make Browns fans, his teammates, and the organization.

Not only is Josh Cribbs the only bright and exciting spot for the Cleveland Browns right now, but he is about as high a character guy as there is. For example, this past week it was reported that Cribbs attended the senior night for the son of his former coach at Kent State, who is now deceased. Cribbs accompanied his former coach’s wife as she walked her son out on Senior night.

That’s Joshua Cribbs for you.

So while you never want anyone to get hurt during a sporting event, Cribbs is the kind of guy that you really don’t want to see get hurt. He plays his heart out on every play of every game, regardless of whether the Browns have a chance to win or not, and he embodies everything that we want our athletes to be in terms of providing a positive example for young people to follow.

You’d think that kind of thing would be rewarded by the pathetic organization for which he plays — the same organization that professes it wants to build around “high character” players — but so far Cribbs does not have a new contract. And before you argue and say that he should play out his current deal, consider for a quick second what happened last night.

In the NFL, everything can be taken away from a player in a split second. They have to take care of themselves and their families by using leverage when they have it. The Browns organization will continue on if Josh Cribbs ever gets seriously injuried; his career will not.

I have no problem with Cribbs seeking a new deal, especially when he obviously deserves it and when he says Randy Lerner promised him one.

Anyway, sorry…I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent there. Last night was just a reminder of how important Cribbs is to the Browns and how much he needs to be a centerpiece of the rebuilding project.

I don’t know why he was even on the field in that situation. Actually, I take that back…all it takes is one glance over to the sideline to know exactly why such an idiotic call would be made.

Bud Shaw put it best at the Plain-Dealer website this morning in his article about Josh Cribbs’ injury:

Three seconds left on your half of the field, down 16 points, why do anything except take a knee?

Why the Browns ran a fire drill play that ended with Josh Cribbs carted off the field because his head didn’t swivel fast enough goes into the unanswerable file in an unfathomable season, Eric Mangini’s first and perhaps only here.

That’s not the question being asked around the rest of the country, no doubt. The question being asked around the rest of the country after the Browns 16-0 loss to Baltimore: “Any chance there’s an Antique Roadshow marathon we could watch instead?”

But given the obvious doubts some Browns have about their head coach as voiced by Jamal Lewis last week, the final play of a forgettable game is another log on the three-alarm fire licking at Mangini.

I’d like to, I really would…I’m trying to stay as positive as possible…but I cannot disagree at all.

Also read this update on Josh Cribbs’ injury from Waiting For Next Year, with some quotes from Brady Quinn and Mohammed Massaquoi.

Update: Cribbs has been released from the hospital according to FoxSports.

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* – Josh Cribbs photo credit:Tony Dejak/Associated Press via The Plain-Dealer

No folks, that’s not a type there in title. Croppy is the intended word.

And the beautiful photoshop work featured in this post is the fruit on our own Ryan Russell’s labor of Browns love, in response to the most colorful and nonsensical figurative part of Jamal Lewis’ pre-practice rant about Eric Mangini earlier today.

Via the OBR:

“If you look at this like it’s a farm, we (the players) are just the crops. We’re just the crops. We’re just the crops. You’ve got to take care of your crops. You’ve got to nurture them. And if you don’t, when it comes harvest time, your crop isn’t going to be any good.”

Full size picture (Eric Mangini included!) after the jump.

Nice work Russell (who you can follow at @ryansrussell).

Entering this Sunday’s home matchup with BYE, the Cleveland Browns were sitting at 1-7 and in 5th place in the AFC North behind Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Notre Dame.

Despite the team’s poor start to the season, plus the turmoil caused by the firing of George Kokinis and threats of a Monday night protest next week, hopes were high that a second victory would be forthcoming.

“We don’t want to take anything for granted,” former starting quarterback Derek Anderson said. “I once got intercepted by the JUGS machine in practice. I thought it was Steve Heiden. So humility will not be an issue for this week.”

How right he was.

Unfortunately for Anderson, he was not given an opportunity to make amends for his JUGS INT nor his JaMarcus-esque QB rating. Brady Quinn was given the start against BYE, a move that Eric Mangini said was necessary for the future of the franchise.

“We are going to go with Brady this week,” Mangini explained at his Wednesday press conference. He then proceeded to move his mouth but no words came out, a new tactic for dealing with the press that ensures no information is given away that could compromise the immense competitive advantage the Browns have enjoyed so far this season.

After about ten more minutes of this pantomimed talking, a frustrated press corps simply began to get up one-by-one and exit. Finally the last reporter left and Mangini smiled, knowing that the precious information to which he’s privy — information that could lead to victory — would be safe from the evil, prying press for yet another week.

But that would be the last smile of the week for Mangini, who watched his team drop another crush home game yesterday to BYE by the final score of 27-6. The Browns fell behind 10-0 early and never were able to recover.

Brady Quinn was ineffective early in the game, much to the chagrin of Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. In fact, Quinn’s struggles with accuracy were so pronounced that Anderson was informed he should start warming up. Unfortunately, Anderson went 3-10 on his warm-up tosses and was intercepted by a ball boy.

That’s when the Browns made the call to Brett Ratliff.

What ensued were the most exciting seven minutes of Browns offensive football anyone can remember.

Ratliff took over with the Browns on their own 41 thanks to a solid kickoff return by Josh Cribbs. He then proceeded to do the unthinkable and strung together three consecutive first downs. The drive stalled then stalled as BYE’s defense stiffened and the Browns kicked a field goal.

Incredibly, the Browns forced a three and out on BYE’s next possession and Ratliff once again led the Browns on a field goal drive. The score was 13-6 at this point with all of the momentum on the side of the Browns.

But then reality set in, and BYE proceeded to score 14 unanswered points to seal the victory.

Needless to say, players were despondent in the locker room afterwards.

“Usually BYE week is such a breeze,” said veteran running back Jamal Lewis. “To tell you the truth, I’ve never experience a BYE week like this. It seriously felt like BYE just whipped our asses this week. I’m exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally.”

Lewis was then asked if his retirement was still imminent.

“We just lost on our BYE week, what do you think?” he replied.

Outside of Cleveland Browns stadium, the reaction was not any more positive. Browns fan Lew Singhope said it was the worst lost he can remember in his 40+ years as a Browns fan.

“Who loses to BYE?” asked Singhope. “I was just so sure that we’d come out of this weekend with only seven losses. This is just crushing.”

Singhope’s tailgate partner, Damwi Arnogood, agreed.

“Yeah, I’m bummed out,” Arnogood said. “But that’s what separates Browns fans from every other fan base. The schedule may say BYE, but the fans never will. It hurts to lose, sure, but I’ll be here next Monday night at kickoff like I always am.”

Let’s hope that all Browns fans maintain such perspective and are there cheering from the kickoff Monday night. The Old Browns are coming to town, and it sure would be sweet to get win #2 of the season at home, in front of a national TV audience, against the team that was ripped away from the city.

It would certainly be a great way to rebound from what has been a terrible BYE week in Cleveland.

Who knows what will come it, but Browns and Chiefs fans are fed up, pissed off, not taking it anymore, and letting the management of their beloved teams know about it.

Two Browns fans recently announced their plans to lead a protest during the 1st quarter of next week’s Monday nighter between the Browns and Ravens in Cleveland. The plan has received plenty of national pub and even merited a meeting with Browns owner Randy Lerner yesterday.

In Kansas City, fans are petitioning Chiefs GM Scott Pioli to not allow Larry Johnson back on the field.

Their reasoning?

He is close to becoming the franchise’s all-time rushing leader, needing 80 yards to pass Priest Holmes, and they do not believe that Johnson is worthy of sitting atop that esteemed list.

Here is an excerpt from the petition sent by Chiefs fans:

While we are thankful for his service, we feel that Larry has been a black eye on the organization and has no business being mentioned with some of the above names.

During his first few years in Kansas City, Larry Johnson ran through holes created by one of the greatest offensive lines ever put together. He was handed the ball and was asked to follow Tony Richardson, the best fullback to ever don a Chiefs helmet. Because of those early successes, Larry Johnson now sits on the cusp of becoming the all-time leading rusher in Kansas City Chiefs history. Not to discredit anything he has accomplished, but we believe it would be a travesty if Larry were to surpass the great Priest Holmes as the Chiefs all-time leading rusher.

It’s not a hidden fact that Larry hates being in Kansas City. He doesn’t like the organization, he doesn’t like the fans, he doesn’t like the city. He has been more than vocal about how he feels about being a Chief. We’ve waited for years for him to be traded and we don’t believe that there is an offensive line that can open a hole big enough for Larry and the chip on his shoulder to run through.

I don’t often cite what I hear on Mike & Mike in the Morning, frankly because I don’t listen that often and rarely find much of the discussion overly insightful, but I do think that Mike Greenberg made a great point this morning.

He said that while sports leagues are a business, the teams too often treat their fans like sheep rather than consumers, mainly because fans allow it to happen. If more fans viewed themselves as consumers, and voiced their displeasure through both words and actions, teams and leagues would be forced to listen more carefully and act with the fans’ interests and desires more in mind.

At the end of the day, the money that fans spend on tickets, parking, concessions, merchandise, etc., is the lifeblood of professional athletics. Without the constant flow of money from fans, as well as the money that comes from TV contracts (the amount of which is a function of how many fans are watching), sports leagues would not be able to operate as they do now.

I hope that we see more fan bases follow the lead of Browns and Chiefs this year (similar to what Bengals fans did last year with movements like the Who Dey Revolution) and act more like consumers than sheep.

We give our hearts, souls, time, and money supporting these teams. Fans don’t always know what’s right, and team management has to be wise enough not to let the tail wag the dog, but the voice of the fan is important and needs to be heard.

Kudos to Randy Lerner for listening, and hopefully Scott Pioli does the same. They ultimately have to make the decisions, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with them being extra cognizant of how those decisions affect the fans.

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* – Larry Johnson photo credit: SpyonVegas.com via The Pitch

Just hours after “soul-searching” about the fate of his Cleveland Browns, team owner Randy Lerner put his frustration to action with the removal of Browns General Manager George Kokinis, who was reportedly seen being escorted out of the Browns practice facility in Berea on Monday morning.

The Browns were not saying whether Kokinis resigned or was fired. However, late speculation from various media sources is, Kokinis was dismissed “with cause.”

The beleaguered — and largely absent — Kokinis, hired at the suggestion of Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini, seems to have been made the sacrificial lamb for the Browns 1-7 season, its anemic so-called offense, and the general frustration, malaise, and chaos that has been the Cleveland Browns organization since Mangini took the helm early this year.

As of Tuesday, Cleveland NBC affiliate, WKYC Channel 3 and the Lake County News-Herald have reported that Lerner has been speaking with former Browns GM Ernie Acorsi about the idea of possibly becoming the Browns next general manager with the purpose of grooming former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar for that role.

However, The Plain Dealer is reporting that Acorsi, is in retirement with no desire to go back to work.

Despite the discrepancies, one thing is sure: Kosar is expected to take on a more formal role in the Browns organization and football team he loves.

On Tuesday morning, rabid Browns fans “Dawgpound Mike” and “Mobile Dawg” appeared on the espn Cleveland affiliate WKNR-850AM “Really Big Show” to report they had just met with Lerner about the state of the Browns.

Lerner agreed to meet the two after the fans announced a protest to be staged outside of Cleveland Browns stadium at the Browns next home game on Monday Night Football, Nov. 16, against the Baltimore Ravens. The plan calls for the fans to refrain from taking their seats until after kick-off. This would give the national audience a view of a near empty stadium.

The move is aimed at giving the impression of the disgust Cleveland fans have for the 2009-10 Browns, its management, and organization. The ploy is also intended to embarrass the owner and move him to make the necessary moves to restore the Browns to the great and well-respected organization it once was — prior to the Move to Baltimore in 1995.

“Dawgpound Mike” and “Mobile Dawg” told the local radio show host Tony Rizzo that Lerner met with them for nearly two hours, Tuesday morning; that Lerner listened to their concerns and spoke passionately about the Browns. Lerner did not ask the two “dawgs” to cancel the protest and it is still on.

Randy Lerner also made mention of promising his father, Browns former owner Al Lerner, that he would take over the ownership and turn the Browns into champions, again. Randy Lerner intends to honor his father’s deathbed request.

At Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini’s press conference Tuesday morning, Mangini addressed the Kokinis dismissal — sort of: “George is a friend of mine and … for a variety of reasons things did not work out. Organizationally, (Kokinis’ dismissal) was the best decision in order to move forward.”

With that, Mangini refused to entertain further questions about Kokinis, and began droning on with the same old refrain: “Analyzing film, trying to improve…”

Perhaps Mangini, like Brady Quinn, should put his house up for sale. It takes several months to sell a home in Cleveland.

In case you have not heard, George Kokinis was fired yesterday from his role as GM (General Mute) of the Cleveland Browns.

He had been on the job for less than a year and was reportedly at odds with head coach Eric Mangini as early as training camp. Rumors have since swirled that former Colts, Browns, and Giants GM Ernie Accorsi will be hired by Browns owner Randy Lerner soon.

We here at Midwest Sports Fans, however, are not so sure. Accorsi is a GM with a pretty successful track record and his hiring would almost seem to be too logical and sound a choice for the Browns.

So we put together top 10 list of candidates who – based on the Browns moribund history since being reinstated in 1999 -are probably more likely to be named General Manager than a former Super Bowl architect.

10 – George Kokinis, former Browns GM

That’s right, Kokinis. I know it sounds strange, but Randy Lerner went against the grain this offseason in hiring Eric Mangini less than ten days after Mangini was fired by the Jets. Before you pooh-pooh this one as being ridiculous and totally outlandish, ask yourself: would you really be 100% surprised?

This is, after all, the Browns we’re talking about here.

9 – LeBron James, Global Icon

Right now the Browns are bringing nothing but despair and embarrassment to the city of Cleveland. In this sense, they are much like the Indians. The Cavs, however, and their hometown superstar, are the one positive sports story the city has to grasp onto.

Until LeBron bolts for the East Coast.

Why not sweeten the Cleveland pot by giving him a the GM position with the Browns? He was a good football player in high school and could ultimately pull an MJ by coming down from the owner’s box and suiting up. Then the Browns would actually have an NFL-caliber receiver.

8 – Ryan Russell, Browns Fan Extraordinaire

You know Ryan from his work here at MSF. If you were at the Cavs’ game on Halloween night, you also know him from his incredible Eric Mangini costume, as chronicled briefly in the video below:

Clearly Ryan and Mangini would be on the same page when it comes to player fines. That’s a start.

7 – Gregg Williams, current Defensive Coordinator of the New Orleans Saints

Williams may not have credentials to be a GM, but that’s never stopped the Browns from hiring people before.

Actually, I propose Williams be named GM / Offensive Coordinator. Sounds strange, right? But think about this: the Saints’ defense has actually scored six touchdowns this season, whereas the Browns’ offense has only scored five. The numbers speak for themselves.

6 – Krayzie Bone, rapper and Cleveland native

You know Krayzie Bone from his work with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and his subsequent productions as a solo artist. He is also a native of Cleveland who understands the longtime suffering of Browns fans.

Plus, rumors out of Cleveland suggest that Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan is sick of being the only person referred to as “crazy” around the office. It’s not that he is offended, he’s just ready for a new nickname. Having Krayzie Bone around would give Ryan a chance to be referred to as “wacko”, “crazy man”, and his own personal favorite phrase: “$&@$!“.

5 – John Elway, Browns Dream Denyer

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right?

John Elway always seemed to dash Cleveland’s Super Bowl hopes back during the time many, many eons ago when the franchise was competitive. Perhaps he can sprinkle some of his Elway Dust in Berea and reverse the obvious curse that has haunted the franchise since its return.

Sure, it might make the older generation of Browns fans wretch, but wouldn’t everyone get over it if the team made the playoffs? Most every Browns fan I know would sell their souls to the Devil himself for a playoff run. Hiring John Elway would be close, but not quite that bad.

4 – Doc Brown, Inventor

Does the phrase 1.21 gigowatts mean anything to you?

If you’re a Browns fan it should, because imagine all the great things that could be done with Doc Brown as GM and his magic Delorean at the organization’s disposal.

• Go back to 1965 and convince Jim Brown to play another couple of years, thus making more championships possible during the early years of the franchise.
• Go back to 1987 and have someone grab and twist John Elway’s ankle in the middle of the 4th quarter. We wouldn’t want to injure him seriously (well…) but enough so that he couldn’t engineer the famous game-winning drive that haunts the Browns to this day.
• Go back to 1988 and convince Earnest Byner to protect the ball a little bit better.
• Go back to 1999 and draft any of the following instead of Tim Couch: Donovan McNabb, Edgerrin James, Ricky Williams, Torry Holt, Champ Bailey, Andy Katzenmoyer…wait, scratch the last one.
• Go back to the 2008 offseason and not hire George Kokinis…thus rendering his firing yesterday impossible…thus rendering the hiring of Doc Brown impossible…thus erasing all of the previously changed events…thus restoring all of the unhappy memories that define Browns football.

Damnit! We were so close.

3 – Derek Anderson, current Browns starting QB

Think about it: if Anderson has to take over the GM duties, then he can’t play quarterback. We would then be spared from having to watch the only QB in the NFL playing worse than JaMarcus Russell.

The fact there is even a QB playing worse than JaMarcus Russell is mind-boggling…and depressing. And who knows, Mangini might still keep Anderson out there anyway.

Scratch this one. Anderson would probably just give his responsibilities to someone in an opposing franchise anyway…kind of like what he does with the football on a weekly basis.

2 – Jon Gruden, Super Bowl winning coach and Monday Night Football announcer

Have you ever heard this guy say anything negative about anyone on Monday night? In fact, have you ever heard this guy refer to anyone as anything other than a great player or a genius?

I can’t wait to hear what this guy has to say Browns players next week when Cleveland plays Baltimore on Monday Night Football.

On Derek Anderson: “This guy, he’s just an excellent quarterback. He has size, he has a rocket arm, and he’s a guy you can build a winning football team around.”

On Eric Mangini: “This guy, I tell you what, I’ve watched film with him before and he’s a coaching genius. We need to get more press for this guy and get him some Coach of the Year votes.”

I mean, this guy, Jon Gruden, he’s taken to his new position as an announcer and just done a great job. He’s an announcing genius. Not to mention a coaching genius.

Imagine bringing him in as GM. Surely his strategy of positive reinforcement would come with him once he has another NFL job. Hmm…on second thought…

1 – Cleveland Brown, star of The Cleveland Show

The Browns have won only one more game this season than a bunch of cartoon football players would have won, so why not hire a cartoon character to lead the organization? And could his name be any more perfect?

Honestly, this is a match made in Berea.

And from the underwhelming reviews that I’ve seen of The Cleveland Show, it might actually be FOX’s equivalent to the Browns. A perfect match!

Randy Lerner, as sad as it is to say, I think we’ve found the perfect candidate for your franchise.

Apparently a quick disintegration of his relationship with Eric Mangini helped spur his ouster.

ProFootballTalk was all over this story tonight. Here are the links to their coverage:

• Mangini, Kokinis marriage was doomed from the start
• Browns officially address firing of GM George Kokinis
• Report: Kokinis fired “with cause”

Also, there is this, from the News-Herald:

• Kokinis Out, Ernie Accorsi In

Randy Lerner, owner of the Cleveland Browns, stood near the tunnel to the visiting team locker rooms at Soldier’s Field in Chicago Sunday — and by halftime appeared frustrated, angry and disheartened as the Browns fumbled and bumbled its way to a 30-6 embarrassing drubbing.

Lerner admitted to The Plain Dealer he was “sick” about the 1-7 Browns, the team which ranks at the bottom or very close in all aspects of play, including the offense, defense and special teams. And starting quarterback Derek Anderson had a quarterback rating of 0 at halftime, improving to 10 before the final whistle.

But “sick” as Lerner was, he also said he was not ready to fire head coach Eric Mangini — at least not during this Browns bye week.

Lerner apparently is beginning to see the mistake he made as owner in hiring Mangini, shortly after he was relieved of his head coach duties for the New York Jets. That mistake was compounded by hiring Mangini before a hiring a general manager and naming a team president with football knowledge. More than one critic has said it was Mangini who hired his own immediate boss — General Manager George Kokinis, a man even more vague and distant with the media than Mangini. Kokinis has also seemed very much out of the loop.

Now, Lerner indicated to The Plain Dealer that it is time to bring in a football authority to help straighten out the mess. Ya’ think?

“The highest priority that I have is a strong, credible, serious leader within the building to guide decisions in a much more conspicuous, open, transparent way,” Lerner told The Plain Dealer. “I think my highest priority is to have a stable figure that represents the voice that explains the decisions.”

Over the last week or so, Lerner brought former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar in to serve as “another pair of eyes.” But Lerner did not respond when asked if Kosar would serve as the team’s “serious leader.”

Kosar told espn affiliate wknr AM850’s “Really Big Show” host Tony Rizzo that he was first trying to learn what everyone at Browns headquarters was supposed to do for the organization.

Kosar also said the Browns organization would be meeting and making some decisions during this bye week.

Kosar was the owner of the short-lived Cleveland arena team, taking it from near obscurity to the playoffs in one year. The arena league was dismantled, then discontinued last year.

Kosar has said he would love to get back into football at some capacity. But at the same time he has been hamstrung by four children and an ex-wife living in Florida.

In his impromptu interview at Soldier Field Sunday, Lerner also said the Browns current quarterback fiasco didn’t make sense. Mangini made it a priority to give both quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quin a fair shot during the mini-training camps and the pre-season exhibition games. Quinn started the first three games of the season, but was yanked at the half against the Baltimore Ravens.

Mangini thought Anderson could provide a spark — and he did manage to connect a few times early, but only got worse with each week. Lerner admitted the whole quarterback fiasco “doesn’t look sensible. As to why Mangini has not played Quinn. Lerner said he had no idea since he “wasn’t told about anything.”

In my opinion, Lerner should have been asking questions all along, and holding these coaches responsible.

Lerner could make the Browns right. But it will take the time to actually evaluate the abysmal parade of coaches — and players — since 1999

But taking the time could finally right this Cleveland Browns titanic before Browns fans drown in its wake.

Today Lerner is “soul searching.” Hopefully, he will be taking some action — soon.

Stay tuned.

The Browns are 1-7 and by all accounts are worse right now than they were eight games in their expansion season back in 1999.

Sunday’s loss at Chicago was a little better than last week’s home shellacking by the Packers, but not by much…and only because Chicago played a little more unevenly than the Packers did.

You may have noticed that I’ve been posting about the Browns less and less as this season has motored along. And there is a good reason for that: I don’t totally hate myself.

Obviously I hate myself enough to keep showing up at Browns Backers meetups on Sunday to watch the weekly dreck that is Browns football in 2009…but I try not to dwell on it as much throughout the week anymore.

Here are the thoughts and feelings of those Browns fans who are more committed than I am, if you can possibly stomach reading any more about this team:

Could Mangini really go? — (Waiting for Next Year)

I am not making a prediction. I am also not proclaiming that firing Mangini is what I am rooting for. Firing any coach after one year is a devastating move for an organization. That isn’t to say it is always the wrong move, but it is certainly not what you want to be forced to do. Ideally continuity is a good thing in NFL organizations. Then again, continuity of failure is not. Make no mistake though, I am not pulling one way or another in this post. I am just trying to dissect this current situation in as objective a manner as possible. I am going to discuss some different points and try to figure out what it might mean to Mangini and his job security. I thought Patrick McManamon was insane last week with his call for Mangini to be fired, because I thought above all it was unrealistic. Today, it all feels a little bit different.

Randy Lerner says Mangini’s job is safe for now — (Plain-Dealer)

He indicated that he wasn’t ready to give up on Mangini despite being obviously distraught about the state of the team. But he did strongly indicate that it’s time for him to bring in a football authority who can help straighten out this mess.

Browns vs Bears reaction — (Cleveland Frowns)

We’re still of the opinion that Anderson isn’t nearly as bad as he’s looked, and that the Browns’ offensive line is better than average. But, as we noted yesterday morning, playing in the NFL without receivers of a certain standard is like trying to boil water in a pot that has a hole at its bottom. It doesn’t matter what kind of shape the rest of the pot is in. With a hole at the bottom, the whole pot fails.

And then there is this, which was probably the highlight of the day from an entertainment standpoint: Rob Ryan yelling at Jay Cutler. Is there anyone that Jay Cutler doesn’t piss off?

I just don’t know what to say about the Browns anymore. It’s Week 8 and I’m already plotting who we might get in the draft. That’s sickening.

One thing that Cleveland Frowns said is correct: it is very hard to compete with you do not have adequate wide receivers. The Browns right now have two young guys with some potential in Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie, but neither is even close to being ready for serious NFL action.

With inaccurate QBs, inadequate WRs, and only decent RBs, it is hard to mount a consistent offensive attack. And when that attack appears to lack any sense of direction or ingenuity, it makes it even more difficult.

And thus, we sit at 1-7.

Hey, at least we have awesome stadium mustard, right?

Last Sunday for the Bears was nowhere near fun.

It wasn’t fun for the players, coaches, or the fans, and I was disgusted by the Bears just plain awful playing. Their weaknesses were heavily exposed by the Bengals in a game game that showed something needs to be fixed and fast.

The running game has still not come alive, and I don’t know who to blame. Is it the offensive line, the coaches, or Matt Forte? I am guessing it’s a combination of all of them.

The Bears are changing the O-line this Sunday against the Browns. Josh Beekman will take Frank Omiyale’s place at left guard. The management must see that a change needed to be made, and I have to agree with them. A change does need to be made or this team will fall behind Green Bay fast.

Jerry Angelo, the Bears general manager, said there will be some changes made for Sunday’s game.

“I don’t want to go too far into this, but certainly there are things that need to be corrected and things that we need to do better,” Angelo said. “Do we need to look at some personnel? Yeah, we do.

“There’s some of that going on as you’ll see Sunday. But we can’t overreact. I feel very confident that Lovie [Smith] and his staff see that and will get the wrongs righted. We’re going to focus on what we can control, and that’s Sunday’s game against Cleveland.”

It couldn’t be a better time in the season to play the miserable Cleveland Browns. If you thought the Bears had problems just have a look at Cleveland. They have a even worse O-line than the Bears, virtually have no offense, and their defense is just plain bad. All those factors have led to a non-stellar 1-6 record.

That’s good news for the struggling Bears. This is a perfect match-up to get confidence back up, and to start making some changes to play calling to hopefully get the ball back rolling. If there were any day for Forte to get over 100 yards rushing, this would be it.

The Bears have a chance to fix problems against a terrible team this Sunday. If they have any kind of trouble against Cleveland this Sunday I can tell you to stick a fork in the Bears cause there is no way this team would be going anywhere.

Hopefully that’s not the case. Bears play Sunday at 12pm cst.

I want you to play the song below while reading this post. Try, as best you can, to not be distracted by the vicious, piercing irony of the chorus as it relates to the sports teams of Cleveland.

I know, it’s not going to be easy…especially after the events of last night rubbed even more salt into the (eternally?) tragically open wounds of an entire city’s fan base.

On the same that night that the last two Cy Young Award winners — both of whom were Indians when they won it — faced off in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James dropped to 0-2.

You might think, well hey, at least Cleveland fans have the Browns game to look forward to this Sunday!

And this sentiment, of course, would be met either with hearty laughter or plaintive cries, all depending on one’s perspective, mood, and current level of sanity.

No, ladies and gentleman, sports in the city of Cleveland most certainly do not rock. Last night was simply further confirmation of this ever deepening and depressing truism.

But don’t take it from me. Scan the Cleveland sports blogosphere. It’s hard to wait for next year when you can barely make it from day to day this year.

Cavs/Raptors Reaction: Biff Goes Boom Again on Murder Mike — (Cleveland Frowns)

I’m beside myself about tonight’s Cavaliers loss in Toronto. In a town where Jhonny Peralta has been the starting shortstop for the better part of a decade and Brian Robiskie is a second round pick, it’s too much to bear yet another coach who’s too dumb to see what’s apparent to even the most casual of fans.

Tribe Fans Hide Your Eyes: D-Day is Here — (Waiting For Next Year)

Most Indians fans I know refuse to watch one second of it. I for one, will be glued to the TV. Will it make me sick? Absolutely. Seeing two former Indian aces face off against one another, knowing that just one year ago, they were in the same rotation in our city, is nausiating.

Note: to be fair, this post by WFNY does go onto say that the departures of C.C. and Cliff Lee were somewhat inevitable and that you can’t hold the feet of Indians’ management to the fire for too long as punishment.

Still, the fact remains, what other fan base has had to watch that?

Only in Cleveland.

Time-honored tradition of rooting against teams has arrived for Browns fans — (No Logo Needed)

After Mangini’s press conference on Monday where he stated he’s sticking with Derek Anderson and his 40.6 quarterback rating the Voice of Reason is officially throwing in the towel.  I’m done, stop the fight.  Bring out Zastudil and let him punt my fandom (and this season) out at the 5-yard line.

Cleveland Browns are how bad? — (Starting Blocks)

The Cleveland Browns are probably worse than their 1-6 record indicates.

In the Browns’ last two games, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers have combined for 1,003 yards gained against the Browns porous defense.

The Browns’ inept offense has totaled 336 yards in the two games.

The Cleveland Browns have played 907 games, including playoffs, since they began as a franchise in the All-America Football Conference in 1946.

Never has the team had a worse two-game stretch in yardage differential. Pitrtsburgh and Green Bay outgained the Browns by a combined 667 yards.

For some reason the spelling error in this excerpt just seems appropriate. Hence, I left it. Why not? It fits the motif.

Meet the Snworb — (The Kardiac Kid)

The Browns’ lethargic, pathetic performance last week against the Packers summed up their last 10 years of futility. Fans and pundits call for the heads of Lerner, Kokinis, and Mangini, or argue that we should boycott the Browns. We could fire Mangini and Kokinis, but it would begin another rebuilding process. Lerner could sell the team, but who’s to say the new owner would be any better? And why should Browns fans boycott a team they love?

None of these solutions get us any closer to what Clevelanders really want: a competitive professional football team.

Cleveland fought hard for the Browns.

The new Browns franchise is unacceptable.

The City of Cleveland should take the name, colors, logos and legacy of the Cleveland Browns away from this franchise*.

I think that’s enough of the excerpting.

Point taken, right?

As far as the Indians are concerned, the meeting of C.C. and Cliff Lee was more the malevolence of circumstance than anything else. Yes, it sucks for Indians fans that the team couldn’t keep one or both of them, but the economics of Major League Baseball dictated their departure.

You see, C.C. ends up on the Yankees and Cliff Lee ends up on the Phillies…yet the Indians, nor any other club, ever once had a chance to bid on Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Chase Utley, or Ryan Howard. Notice the glaring difference? (Note: this is not an original thought. I read it somewhere and cannot remember where to link back.)

As Rasheed Wallace once brilliantly said in a post-game interview: “it is what is is, and it do what it do.”

As far as the Cavs are concerned, I’m on record as saying that the Shaq experiment is a bad one. I just don’t see it working. Shaq of ten or even five years ago? Sure, it’s a good move. Rotund, immobile, uninspired Shaq of today?

Hell no.

I still have faith that LeBron can single-handedly make some sweet lemonade out of the lemons surrounding him, but I just really don’t see this team as being closer to an NBA championship this year than they were last year.

Time will tell, but the Cavs could not have had a more inauspicious start. to the season

And then there are the Browns.

Oh the Browns.

What is there really to say? As a commenter pointed out in the Starting Blocks post I linked to above, “somebody”predicted dire consequences if Eric Mangini were hired. We’re stuck with the current situation right now, so I’m trying to make the best of it, but games like last Sunday really make it difficult.

At the end of the day, the only thing that Cleveland sports fans really have to get them through such dire (life)times is eachother. And here, here, and here you go for the evidence.

When my mom looked at these pictures, her first comment was, “Wow, these all people all just go there to get drunk, don’t they?”

Yes, I suppose technically that is true in most cases. But look around the sports landscape at what these people are forced to cheer for. They go there and to cope.

To survive.

The lyrics to the song may say that “Cleveland rocks,” but unfortunately the only thing that ever gets rocked are the hopes, dreams, and wishes of Cleveland sports fans.

Game after game.

Year after frustrating year.

So they wait. And in the meantime they find solace at places like the Great Lakes Brewery, with tools like 8-person beer bongs, and with coolers full of Jello shots.

And I don’t think anyone can really blame them.

**********

* – Browns fan photo credit: daniel1212 at PhotoBucket

* – Indians fans photo credit: Clemson Baseball Girl

Cleveland Browns @ Chicago Bears

NFL betting favorite: Bears -13.5

In the competitive NFC West the Bears simply can’t afford to fall behind any further, especially with their rival Vikings and Packers playing each other this week. Many bettors expected the Bears to win in Cincinnati this week; instead, they were absolutely humiliated by the Bengals, who lit them up for 45 points.

Luckily for the Monsters of the Midway, the Browns are the perfect remedy. Cleveland ranks dead last in the NFL in total defense, allowing 414.9 yards per game. The Browns’ passing attack is also totally anemic thanks to Derek Anderson, whom Eric Mangini keeps trotting out there. If the Bears can’t dominate this game, it’s time to really worry.

Bears-Browns Pick: Bears -13.5

New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles

NFL betting favorite: Eagles -2

The Giants arguably looked like the NFL’s best team through five weeks; suddenly, they’re on a losing streak. There’s no question the Giants have a strong passing game, great running game and good pass rush, but they’ve hit some surprisingly tough defenses against New Orleans and Arizona. Versus the swarming, big-play-oriented Eagles “D,” the problems may continue for Eli Manning. He’s been just OK in 10 career starts against the Eagles, tossing 12 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions.

Donovan McNabb, on the other hand, has 16 career games – one full season – against the Giants in his career and has a 20:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Against a depleted Giants secondary, he and the Eagles have the edge.

Eagles-Giants Pick: Eagles -2

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers

NFL betting favorite: Packers -3

Well, well, well. Looks like the Vikings aren’t totally invincible after all. The savvy online betting player realized that last week’s tilt with Pittsburgh was Minnesota’s first outdoor game since Week 1. The Vikes opened against the Browns and enjoyed cushy dome matchups against the Lions and Rams along the way too. Can Brett Favre legitimize the Vikings again by going into Green Bay and winning a tough road game?

I think not. The Packer pass defense is decent and capable of making big plays; look for them to rebound from a poor performance earlier this season versus Favre. Also, the Viking secondary is missing Antoine Winfield and Aaron Rodgers already torched them for 384 yards in this season’s other meaning. Don’t underestimate the Pack just like you shouldn’t underestimate Philadelphia’s World Series odds.

Packers-Vikings Pick: Packers -3