Cleveland Browns find another way to look really, really bad

Doesn't this look like McGruff the Crime Dog?

Getting fired is something that most of use go through during our quest to move from having a job to having a career.  While I have never been fired, I have seen the writing on the wall and quit a job or two to avoid the stigma of getting fired.  Getting fired is embarrassing.

Getting fired on your day off is even worse.

The Cleveland Browns are a franchise in total disarray at the moment.  I feel bad for the franchise, because they always seem to be stuck with the worst luck possible.  In their long, and storied history they have championships, but once Jim Brown decided to retire early for a career in Hollywood, they have been cursed.

You have the The Drive

The Drive refers to an offensive series in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game played on January 11, 1987, between the Denver Broncos and the Cleveland Browns. Broncos quarterback John Elway, in a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds, led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation. Denver won the game in overtime with a field goal, 23-20.

Then you have the Fumble, which happened the next year AND was against the same team…

The Fumble refers to a specific incident in the AFC Championship Game between the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos on January 17, 1988 at Mile High Stadium. With 1:12 left in the game, running back Earnest Byner appeared to be on his way to score the game-tying touchdown, but lost a fumble at the 3-yard line.

 

Then Browns fans suffered, as their team was ripped away from them by greedy ownership.

On November 6, 1995, with the team sitting at 3-4, Modell announced that he had signed a deal to relocate the Browns to Baltimore, Maryland in 1996 – a move which would return the NFL to Baltimore for the first time since the Baltimore Colts relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana after the 1983 season. The very next day, on November 7, Cleveland voters overwhelmingly approved the aforementioned tax issue to remodel Cleveland Stadium.

After extensive talks between the NFL, the Browns and officials of the two cities, Cleveland accepted a legal settlement that would keep the Browns legacy in Cleveland. In February 1996, the NFL announced that the Browns would be ‘deactivated’ for three years, and that a new stadium would be built for a new Browns team, as either an expansion team or a team moved from another city, that would begin play in 1999. Modell would in turn be granted a new franchise (the 31st NFL franchise), for Baltimore, retaining the current contracts of players and personnel. There would be a reactivated team for Cleveland, where the Browns’ name, colors, history, records, awards and archives would remain in Cleveland. The only other current NFL team to suspend operations without merging with another was Cleveland’s previous NFL team, the Rams, during the 1943 season.^[1]

So, I feel your pain. As a raider fan, I know the feeling of having another city enjoy the fruits of your labor.  Heck, you even have the Dawg Pound, similar to the Black Hole.

Not your smartest move, Ochocinco....

But, even after all that, you have to remove your GM with the Sheriff? NFL.com is reporting this story, as well as others….

According to multiple published reports, Cleveland Browns GM George Kokinis was escorted out of the team’s facility Monday.

This is Hipster J. getting escorted out by the police, not the GM, but funny nonetheless....

The Browns have yet to officially respond to any of Monday’s reports, but team director of public relations Neal Gulkis said late Monday, “I haven’t heard anything, I can’t confirm those reports.”

Even so, as news on the situation continues to surface, it is becoming apparent that Kokinis is likely on his way out in Cleveland.

NFL Network insider Michael Lombardi told NFL Total Access Monday that Kokinis will be fired, and that Kokinis is aware of the situation. According to Lombardi, Kokinis has not been involved in any of the team’s recent decisions and has been something of an outcast within the organization, with coach Eric Mangini making the front office decisions.

Browns play-by-play announcer Jim Donovan told NBC affiliate WKYC-TV3 in Cleveland that the Browns have already ”severed ties” with Kokinis.

Following Sunday’s 30-6 loss in Chicago, Browns owner Randy Lerner said he was “sick” about the state of his team, and that he would like to bring in a “strong, credible, serious leader” to help run his team, according to multiple published reports.

More on this story to follow.

Update: The team released a statement Monday night that Kokinis is “no longer actively involved” with the Browns organization.

Did you really have to have him escorted out of the building?  Did you think that he was going to steal the stapler like in Office Space?

Just like my Raiders, so have to comport yourself like professional if you want people to take you seriously.  That goes twice for my Raiders.  Good luck Browns….it starts with firing Mangini.

My life as a Berkeley Football Fan…Thanks for signing the extension Coach Tedford

I think that the picture gotten here on a CAL blog (go visit when they are up and running, there was a great Oregon game breakdown) sums up the season. Cal is a sleeping Bear, ready to expose the fangs and do serious damage on the Pac-10. We watch A LOT of football being a part of the Too Old crew. One, because as a former high school coach, college and high school player it is part of my DNA. Two, the other members of the crew are passionate about SPORTS, period. Third, we are degenerate gamblers, so we will bet on almost anything.

While we were watching the Bowl season, discussions came up on how I was rooting for CAL basketball last year to blow out Ben Braun and get some new blood up in Harmon Gym, Haas Pavillion. Someone brought up that maybe I should start thinking about calling for Tedford to get blown out and start over. That would be utterly ridiculous to do so. Tedford has given CAL some long needed credibility in the football program. We have not had that kind of buzz since the year of Mooch. The record speaks for itself.

I started thinking about my life as a CAL fan. It has been a long and turbulent road. They have always been the college in my backyard, growing up in Richmond. CAL football was the first game

When the World is Upside Down

The world is upside down in the sense that my bets were all upside down.  If this is opposite world, then I am the King.  Instead, I chumped it up on the bets in the morning…

But, in upside down world, the Raiders are really  putting it to SD, but are not putting up the amount of points its going to take to win the game.  The defese got a safety and the offense drove to the 7 yard line, but the offense just stalled and The Chosen One has not made good decisions with the ball in the zone, getting saked and having to settle for a Seabass FG…

Gambling and Football Sunday

This is the one day that you get to sit back and relax. Sunday is always made for football and I guess the Lord of your particular choice. I am taking today to worship (not in a sacrilegious way of course, I am not trying to get to hell…at least so soon…since I am sure I will and have made a million other mistakes that hopefully I will get to rebuke…)

Today, I am going to have hash browns, eggs and French toast with sausage while watching the various games that are a part of the DirectTV lineup. Outside of a good breakfast, nothing says Sunday morning than some friendly wagers on the game to spice them up. So, here is what I am going with this morning during the early slate.

Sep 28 01:00 PM EST  -  Football NFL – 201 Arizona Cardinals Ev for Game

Sep 28 01:00 PM EST  -  Football NFL – 203 San Francisco 49ers +165 for Game

Sep 28 01:00 PM EST  -  Football NFL – 209 Green Bay Packers +110 for Game

What I did was take the moneyline for the game, since I think that the Cards, Niners and Packers are going to win outright. You get a better return than just taking the point spread. Plus, I am parlaying the games and for the three taking the moneyline, I am getting 11 to 1. I also have the Broncos today and have them as well in another parlay. We will check back later to see what is happening.