Comments on: MANGINI SENDS STRONG, BUT INCONSISTENT, MESSAGE

By: JoeSixPack

JoeSixPack — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:11:42 +0000

… and next up for MangIdiot… a long overdue name change for the team. “Browns” is so drab. How about the “Cleveland Fuchasias!”

By: dgt2008

dgt2008 — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:21:59 +0000

@ColumbusWVU,
Find me a city that has gone 45 years without a championship, and I’ll show you one that has a lot of negative attitudes. There’s a no-brainer!
There’s a lot more optimism left in that fan base than there really should be by any measure. The ten years of putrid post-expansion football have yet to cause any tickets to go unsold. Truly remarkable in a NE Ohio economy that has seen many jobs and people relocate.
Your lame remark about “finding solutions” really gives far too much credit to any fan base for having power to change things. None of us are owners; all we can do is watch. Sure, fans can choose to vote with their wallets, but let’s be realistic. In the Cleveland marketplace (as opposed to healthier parts of the country), the only change that could lead to is the PERMANENT relocation of one or more of the three franchises.

By: Jay7777

Jay7777 — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:45:04 +0000

I think what Mangini has done is putrid…GRANTED the Browns past has not had a Super Bowl…but there are a LOT of fans that saw that team win Championships and a team thatw as always battling OTHER strong teams in the league…GRANTED they did not have the hype of the NY Football Giants..which was an overrated team…BUT Otto Graham, Jim Brown were part of a great tradition..albeit 45 plus years ago..THAt should not diminish what that was…and to just paint white over it..seems like one not understanding the history of a franchise..Maybe he wants fans to remember ZERO of the past..what HE really is. Being one who grew up with those teams…from afar…I hate Mangini more..and wish him ZERO luck there.

By: onanygivensunday

onanygivensunday — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:40:35 +0000

I think we can all agree that Mangini is a rat fink and is highly disrespectful. What most people don’t know is that Jim Brown is very good friends with Belichick and Belichick gives generously to Jim Brown’s charity. Mangini may feel this is a new beginning, but you can’t begin without your champions whether old or new they bring a sense of pride and a hope to be a great team again. Starting with new freshly painted walls can take away your vision. Those murals may have been important to the players, if not they should of been.

By: Lynyrd Skynyrd Fan

Lynyrd Skynyrd Fan — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:11:53 +0000

“Tupa says:
January 24th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Is this supposed to be a joke? Brown, Brown, Groza, Graham, and Co. never won a Super Bowl? You’ll be hard pressed to find a group of guys for any franchise that won more league championships. I’m assuming you aren’t dumb enough to be insulting Jim Brown, so I have to assume you really didn’t know how many NFL Championships they brought home. It wasn’t always called the Super Bowl…did you at least know that??? ”
Thank YOU! Finally someone knows the history besides me. God knows people like “ClevelandSucks” (Pittsburgh Fan) has no idea about the history of the NFL, just what tradition his team with hideously ugly uniforms have.
And for those brain-deads (ahem Steeler fans) who keep predicting Mangini will fail, might I remind you that he was 10-6, 4-12, 9-7 in 3 years as Jets coach. He started the year 8-3 this year. Go look at old man Favre’s TD-INT rate this year. You will see what caused the problem. Mangini comes into Cleveland now with a young star in Brady Quinn, an overpaid backup in Anderson (who should be traded), and Bruce Gradkowski as 3rd string. (I’d imagine Ken Dorsey will be cut since Grad signed a 2 year deal last year – that and Ken Dorsey is horrible and shouldn’t even be in the NFL). He also inherits an offense with a lot more talent than the Jets had, but a defense that was inconsitent and not as strong. But he’s brought in to smash-mouth defensive minds in Rob Ryan and Bryan Cox. It will be a good turnaround for Cleveland. Immediately? Probably not. But we got the right coach.

By: realityonetwo

realityonetwo — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 09:32:51 +0000

Has anyone ever seen this mural or have a photo of it?

By: dgt2008

dgt2008 — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 09:23:07 +0000

florio, if your point was that the Browns’ great history was mostly a LONG time ago, I can accept that. However, listing a group of Hall of Famers who won multiple championships before the Super Bowl era and then criticizing them for failing to win a Super Bowl is just stoopid.
If you want to criticize them for listening too much to Kosar, or even Jim Brown, that’s fine, but go back and read what you wrote, it fails the logic test.
I don’t know what Mangini’s point was supposed to be with painting over it, so I’ll reserve judgment on that one.

By: ColumbusWVU

ColumbusWVU — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 09:08:08 +0000

Cleveland championships prior to the Super Bowl era/merger are simply less meaningful that Super Bowl titles. There were significantly LESS teams playing for the NFL title at that time. In my opinion, Cleveland is a city that is a “historical loser” and a lot of it has to do w/ the fans and their well known negative attitude towards all things Cleveland sports. They get down on their teams when they lose games, and they are a city that prefers to search for excuses as opposed to finding solutions when things go awry.

By: dave61

dave61 — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 05:38:22 +0000

if he wins games I don’t care what he paints over

By: William

William — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:18:51 +0000

If he really wanted to show that the past was meaningless, Mangini should have just put on one of Jim Brown’s old jerseys and spilled blueberry juice all over it.

By: Dok GonZo

Dok GonZo — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:58:17 +0000

Benito had the mural painted over because he’s putting in a Krispy Kreme stand in front of it.
For his next bit of psychological warfare, he’s changing the color of the uniforms and helmets to Powder-Puff Pink … it’ll make the opposing team underestimate the Browns players on the field. Brilliant!

By: Brewster

Brewster — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:54:09 +0000

If indeed Mangini had the mural painted over, as opposed to covered with something that can be removed at a later date, it is ABSOLUTELY CLASSLESS on his part. I can see a new Coach/GM trying to make a point to change the culture of an organization, but to deface a work of art is inexcusable. The players depicted, regardless of whether they won a Super Bowl especially since none existed during their tenure, were legends of the game during their time and most (I didn’t check) are in the HOF.
I was neutral on Mangini before I read this post, but if it accurate, he is not nearly as bright as a NFL Coach needs to be to motivate players & fans. 3 and out again?
Mangenius my *ss, Manputz is more like it.

By: Darth Ringo

Darth Ringo — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:46:47 +0000

I heard he’s not done painting the walls in the building. He wants to change the name of the team to the Cleveland Manginis.

By: CanaDawg

CanaDawg — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:44:10 +0000

Oregon2000,
Not misinformation, but my bad for misuse of terms. What I meant to say was that fewer than half of the 76 seasons were winning ones. Browns are 37-20 by your calculation, but I’ll accept 37-23 including the .500 seasons. And that includes our expansion era. Prior to ’99 we only had 12 losing seasons in our entire history. The Steelers had that many by their 17th year. Wow.
You can find all this at pro-football-reference.com. Fun to compare the 2 teams in those early decades. Some pretty startling numbers there.
Kudos to the Rooney’s for not folding up the tent after running such a horrible embarrassment of an organization decade after decade.

By: JoeSixPack

JoeSixPack — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:02:01 +0000

Florio, you understimate Mangenius.
His college roomate majored in psychology – he knows what he’s doing. I’m sure he’s got some plan for a motivational mural to take the place of Browns greats. (Maybe something like a “Calvin” character pissing on a Browns helmet.)

By: Oregon2000

Oregon2000 — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:37:22 +0000

SetTheRecord,
Your lack of knowledge is really showing, the early days have the NFL has nothing to do with my point. The success of the AFL meant the Super Bowl era, was indeed a greater level of competition because of the increase in teams, talent, and coaching. BTW, I don’t play video games.
CanaDawg,
Another misinformed Browns fan. Like SetTheRecord, you need to check your facts before posting. The Steelers have MORE winning seasons than losing seasons, 35-33. That margin should grow dramatically during the Tomlin era.

By: ronry

ronry — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:19:45 +0000

What a joke. You’re kidding, right. Of course they never won a Super Bowl. However theywon NFL Championships before the name was changed to Super Bowl.
Otto Graham played in 10 championships in 10 years, winning 7. No one will match that, ever.
Painting over this was stupid. The current players don’t care about the past or the fans. If he wanted to get the players attention he should have found a better way.

By: florios new math

florios new math — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:59:20 +0000

i used to think florio only had trouble with math. now he has trouble with history too.

By: F00kFl0ri0

F00kFl0ri0 — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:49:12 +0000

So it’s Jim Brown’s and Otto Graham fault that the Brown’s suck? It has nothing to do with the fact that Butch Davis chose Gerrad Warren over Richard Seymore, or Courtney Brown was a bust to go along with Tim Couch? This has to be the stoopidest chit I’ve read on this site ever…. Hell Brown, and Graham are still better than anything that the Browns have now….

By: CanaDawg

CanaDawg — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:20:29 +0000

Hey ClevelandSucks,
I can see why you would take the position that we should just ignore the 50′s and 60′s. Steeler fans clearly have already. For almost 4 decades after the Steelers were formed in 1933, they had a winning record of about .362 and made the playoffs once (shut out by the Eagles 21-0 in 1947). Even old Mr. Rooney called the offense of that era “a joke” and the defense “paper soldiers in the wind”. 4 decades. Think about it.
Proud of the work that Chuck Noll did turning it around? He was a disciple of Paul Brown. You’re welcome.
Come and talk to us when you finally have more winning seasons than losing seasons in your existence. Steeler fans have never been able to make that claim. Ever.

By: Mike Beckwith

Mike Beckwith — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:17:56 +0000

“So to the extent that Mangini was trying to send a message to the current players that the past is the past and all that matters is the present and the future, we applaud him.”
As a lifelong Clevelander, I couldn’t agree more. Cleveland sports franchises face pressure unlike any other city when it comes to finally delivering a title. The last one has been since the Browns in 1964. Why not come up with a different approach?
Oh, by the way, Art Modell has had a similar mural put up in Baltimore at the team complex of the same players. Don’t sweat the small stuff Browns fans. This is a completely different franchise after all.

By: Vox Veritas

Vox Veritas — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:17:51 +0000

OK, I realize that the new Browns were allowed to hang on to the accomplishments of the former Browns, otherwise known as the current Ravens, but I’m having a hard time associating those old greats with the new Browns, who didn’t exist as a franchise until 1999. They moved into the new digs and there was all this stuff waiting for them… things that another completely different franchise accomplished. Measures that the NFL took to try to heal the bruises that Browns fans got from Art Modell after faithfully supporting their team forever, then having the rug pulled out from under their feet for a few measly bucks. Browns fans deserved better, they deserved to have their team stay. Those old great never played for the team that’s in Cleveland right now.

By: SetTheRecord

SetTheRecord — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:50:14 +0000

Florio, I’m a big fan of this site, but I was shocked to read that “this group of former players who are regarded as deities by fans and, apparently, current ownership of the team have failed to even generate a single Super Bowl appearance.” Are you serious? I think you may want to read up on Otto Graham, Dante Lavelli, Marion Motley, and Lou Groza. They formed the basis of one of the most successful 10-year runs in professional sports history.
And Oregon2000: “the Super Bowl era means more than the regular NFL title simply because the level of competition is greater. Anyone with historical knowledge of the NFL can tell you this.” Wow. Just wow. Please put the Madden controller down and go check out a book about the early days of the NFL.

By: wozzman

wozzman — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:45:19 +0000

The only thing that should have been painted over was the door plates on the office’s of the Browns Brass,,,from the GM to coach,,,
read any book on the history of the NFL and you can not go through one without the mention of the Browns,Paul Brown in particular.
Mangidiot couldnt make a pimple on Paul Browns butt,or on any of the players that he felt threatend by.
He wouldnt have done that in Green Bay without losing an arm and some teeth
UP HIS!!!!!

By: specialk

specialk — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:21:13 +0000

Way off base, Florio. The Browns tore up the NFL in their very first year after dominating a league that included the Baltimore Colts and San Francisco 49er’s.
I live in the heart of Steeler country and the bandwagon is becoming full again.
The Browns’ history is strong in the NFL. Leave it at that.

By: empty13

empty13 — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:13:28 +0000

Paranoia the destroia!
Unless one is bill belecheat!

By: JoeSixPack

JoeSixPack — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:09:21 +0000

Next up – Mangenius will require all members of the Dawg Pound to be spayed or neutered.

By: JoeSixPack

JoeSixPack — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:08:06 +0000

Talk about killing the messenger – Florio’s just reporting on a story of Mangini “erasing” refrences to the Brown’s past – and the inconsistency of Mangini saying one thing and doing another.
You guys are acting like HE’S the one questioning the greatness of the Browns past – when its Mangini.
It’s yet another MangIdiot moment – pumping up the fans at his press conference about the storied history of the organization, and erasing references to it the next.
I suspect we’ll see log with an ax in the locker room next with a sign that says “keep choppin’!”

By: Oregon2000

Oregon2000 — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:02:27 +0000

Robo729,
Read my post again, I wasn’t comparing today’s NFL to the pre-salary cap era NFL. You forget the NFL had only 13 teams before the AFL, but had doubled in size by 1970. That alone is a significant difference. In fact, the talent gap between the AFL and NFL was beginning to close by the late 1960′s. You’re also forgetting the NFL was very slow in allowing black players into the league during the 1950′s, when the Browns won the bulk of their titles.

By: ppdoc

ppdoc — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:46:21 +0000

Florio has a very cogent point. Jim Brown has had the ear of the ownership for years. How can you coach a team, be the general manager of a team when the old gods of the team are going behind your back and making it impossible to do your job. Jim Brown may have been the greatest running back to play the game, but his judge of character is suspect. He was the godfather of Maurice Clarett and we all know how that worked out.
When Bmore got the Ravens, Johnny U and the old Colts came to the stadium, waved from the sidelines and then stepped out of the deal. Having Bernie Kosar and Jim Brown continuously chirping in the ear of Randy Lerner, who cares more about soccer than football, makes the job of general manager and head coach less than appetizing.
If Jim or Bernie are so freaking brilliant, Lerner should make them GM or HC and lets see how they do. Otherwise if they care about their team, which I am sure they do, they should butt the heck out and let the professionals do their job.
Just one man’s opinion. Please feel free to flame me at will for dissing the gods of the Cleveland Browns.