It’s bad enough that former Browns are taking shots at the Browns right now.
But now even when Northeast Ohio’s favorite son is trying to rip someone else, it inevitably ends up with a criticism of his local (allegedly) professional football team.
Via the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cavaliers star LeBron James was taking a shot at former Knicks executive Phil Jackson for drafting one point guard (Frank Ntilikina) over another (Dennis Smith Jr.), and as so often happens, the splatter hit the Browns.
“I think Deshaun Watson should be a Brown,” James said. “Doesn’t mean that Myles Garrett isn’t going to be a great football player. But Deshaun Watson should’ve been our quarterback. Doesn’t mean you’re [ripping] on the next guy. It’s just that you’re stating what you see.’'
Like the rest of the world, James was likely stunned when the Browns passed Watson not once but twice. Taking Myles Garrett was justifiable, but trading the 12th pick to the Texans for a future first-rounder instead of taking Watson for themselves remains a mystery, even though Watson suffered a torn ACL and is out for the year.
Instead, they took DeShone Kizer in the second round, and the only good news is that he’s developing the kind of thick skin you need if you’re going to play football in Cleveland.
“That has nothing to do with me,’' Kizer said of LeBron’s opinion.
While Watson was on pace to be rookie of the year (if not a Pro Bowler), Kizer’s last in the league with a 54.5 passer rating and a 52.8 completion percentage. Which does nothing to undermine James’ point, or to make Cleveland fans focus on their basketball team instead.