Larry Brown Sports

This is kind of a tough one. If nothing else, the story of Cleveland Browns fan Rob Stipe represents an alarming trend across NFL stadiums.  Players and coaches want fans to get off their iPads and make as much noise as possible during games.  Football is the only sport where the noise level of the fans can directly affect the outcome of the game.  If an offense can’t hear the plays that are being called, there is going to be trouble.

Enter Stipe — a rabid Browns fan and member of the infamous “Dawg Pound” bleacher section who was kicked out of Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday after he refused to sit down.  That, of course, raises the following question: When does standing become too much standing?

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The Bengals beat the Browns 27-17 in their season opener Sunday in Cleveland. Cincy blew a 13-0 lead and trailed 17-13 in the fourth quarter before Bruce Gradkowski hit rookie A.J. Green for the go-ahead score (video here). It was Green’s first and only catch of the game, and it only happened because the Bengals caught the Browns off-guard. Actually, they quick-snapped Cleveland on the play, something Browns head coach Pat Shurmur believes is illegal.

“They quick-snapped us,” Shurmur said after the game. “I’ll have to watch the tape, but it’s my understanding they changed personnel, lined up and then quick-snapped. There’s rules that go along with that, so we’ll see. My understanding is when the offense changes personnel, the defense is allowed to do so as well and have time to do it.”

Shurmur is correct. Rule 5, Section 2, Article 10 of the rule book (cited by the Cleveland Plain Dealer) regarding Defensive Matchups Following Substitutions says:

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Joe Thomas signed a seven-year $84 million contract extension with the Browns Monday, a move that will likely keep him in Cleveland most of his career. Since being drafted in 2007, he has made the Pro Bowl every year and has been named All-Pro twice. He has never missed a game, and perhaps more impressively, has not even missed a practice according to Rotoworld. The fans in Cleveland must love him because of his ability and work ethic, but they should also be enamored with him because of his optimism.

Though the Browns have gone 14-34 the last three seasons, Thomas says he signed with the team long-term because he believes they are going to win a Super Bowl. “I know a championship is coming to Cleveland and I have to be a part of it,” Thomas told The Plain Dealer. “That’s everything. That’s why I wanted to do a long-term deal. Five years ago when I started this thing, that was my top goal on my list was to bring a championship here and I see the huge strides we’ve made.

“Sometimes we’ve had to take one step back to take steps forward, but I see the direction this thing is headed and I want to be part of the championship.”

That’s an awfully bold statement by Thomas. Typically I support players who believe in themselves and their team, but I can’t applaud this move. Thomas is a fantastic player and his ideals are admirable. But just like I’d recommend a player on the Bengals leave Cincinnati as soon as possible, a Browns player who wants to win a championship has his best chance elsewhere. Again, he’s saying all the right things that will endear him to the Browns fans, I just disagree with his belief.

Helmet knock to Cleveland Frowns for the story

Since returning to Cleveland in 1999 after a three-year absence, the Browns have only enjoyed two winning seasons. As if having two winning seasons and ten losing seasons in 12 years isn’t bad enough, nine of the 10 losing years were double-digit defeat seasons. Simply put, other than a miracle 10-6 year in 2007, the Browns have been pathetic.

Perhaps nothing indicates the hopelessness of the sad franchise than their front office move on Tuesday afternoon: the team announced it was applying its franchise tag to kicker Phil Dawson, as LBS contributor Aaron pointed out.

It’s not that paying a kicker decent money is a bad idea. It’s not that having a really good, consistent kicker is a bad thing either. It’s that using your franchise tag on a kicker means that you don’t have enough talent at the other more valuable positions to warrant protecting them from the free agent market. And that’s a problem.

This reminds me of a fantasy baseball team I took over several years ago. It was a keeper league and the team had just finished last, so there was very little to choose from. I ended up franchising K-Rod even if closers only account for one fantasy category just because the other choices were uninspiring. Having good closers help you win fantasy baseball, but if those are your only keeper options you know you’re in trouble.

Nothing could have the poor state of the Browns more than their decision Tuesday. Good luck Pat Shurmur, you sure have your work cut out for you.

Greg Kozarik is the host of Locked and Loaded, a radio show on the Cleveland.com Digital Sports Network.  Like so many other Cleveland Browns fans, Kozarik is tired of losing and wants some answers.  In fact, that’s a major understatement.  He thinks the Lerner Family — which owns the Browns — descends from the Devil himself.  If you skip ahead to the 6:45 mark, you’ll hear Kozarik insisting that Al Lerner is in hell right now hanging out with Satan and laughing because he stole so much money from fans and never brought his team to a Super Bowl.  Check out the Greg Kozarik Cleveland Browns rant, courtesy of Midwest Sports Fans:

The Cleveland Browns have fired head coach Eric Mangini after two-straight 5-11 seasons. Mangini was hired by the Browns in 2009 after being fired by the New York Jets. Mangini was 23-25 during his time in New York. He may not be a great coach, but when are the people in Cleveland going to realize there might be a bigger problem than the coach. Mangini has had his issues in Cleveland and certainly was not the most likelable guy, but he’s not the first coach to struggle there.

Since they were re-established in Cleveland in 1999, the Browns have had five coaches, including interim coaches. They’ve had more than four times as many seasons of at least 10 losses (9) than they have had winning seasons (2). In that time they’ve made the playoffs once. In that same span, only seven teams have employed more coaches than the Browns; the Falcons (6), Bills (6), Lions (7), Dolphins (6), Raiders (6), Rams (6) and Redskins (7). Every team on that list, aside from maybe the Falcons, has been generally horrible since ’99.

Those two winning seasons ties the Browns with the Cardinals, Bills and Bengals, and puts them just ahead of the Lions (1). That one playoff appearance ties them with the Bills and Lions for the least in that span. Are you noticing the common names on these lists? He’s another one. Cleveland’s nine seasons with at least 10 losses is matched only by the Lions.

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When the Cleveland Browns dominated the Patriots last Sunday, a modest stat line and an outstanding performance by Peyton Hillis overshadowed what was a very good game from Colt McCoy.  After leading the Browns to a 4th quarter comeback that the Browns should have won on Sunday, McCoy should get plenty of credit this week.

I think we can officially say McCoy became a man today.  His first four NFL starts have been against the Steelers, Saints, Patriots, and Jets.  He’s won two of them and should have won a third.  Peyton Manning would be pleased with that result.  The Browns have played excellent team football over that stretch and Eric Mangini has out-coached the opposition for the most part.  On Sunday, it was McCoy’s composure down the stretch that put Cleveland in a position to win.

With his team trailing 20-13 and staring one of the toughest defenses in the NFL in his face, McCoy ran the two-minute drill to perfection and capped a terrific drive off with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi to send the game to overtime.

Cleveland’s defense came out and forced a punt right away in OT and McCoy was again able to lead an impressive drive that should have given the Browns a shot at a game-winning field goal.  After making a big play on third down to get past the sticks and just about into field goal range, Chansi Stuckey coughed the ball up fighting for extra yardage near the sideline.  The Jets recovered the fumble and drove down the field, but Nick Folk missed a 47-yard field goal to keep the Browns alive.

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