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Cleveland Browns ranked third most dysfunctional franchise in sports

By Steven Kubitza

Nov 20, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt (91) during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Steelers won 24-9. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt (91) during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Steelers won 24-9. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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A writer for Fox Sports recently named the Cleveland Browns the third most dysfunctional franchise in all of professional sports.

Being a Cleveland Browns fan is no easy endeavor. Those outside of the fan base constantly poke fun at the team, although some of it is deserved.

The negativity toward the team continued in a recent article written by Chris Chase of FoxSports.com. The article ranks the nine most dysfunctional teams in all of professional sports, and the Browns come in at the third spot, just ahead of the New York Knicks and the Washington Redskins.

Now it is hard to blame Chase for his views on the Browns, as they are indeed a dysfunctional organization. Here is an excerpt from his take on the Browns:

"Do the Browns even count as dysfunctional? The word implies there was ever functionality. It’s easy to rip them for the Johnny Manziel pick, but in the moment it looked okay. Don’t worry though, it’s easy and acceptable to rip them for everything else, from the Robert Griffin III signing to the Justin Gilbert pick to every single coaching hire to every single quarterback acquisition (26 of them have started a game since 1999) to passing on Carson Wentz to taking on Cody Kessler to all the front-office reorganizations to every draft pick of the past decade minus Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, Joe Haden and T.J. Ward."

Harsh, but not false.

Luckily for Browns fans, there appears to be a legitimate plan in place to turn things around. And after a 1-15 season, things can’t get much worse.

Related: Trading out of first pick is the worst possible scenario

The main problem, as pointed out by Chase, is the constant hiring and firing of front office members. That problem then leads to bad drafting, along with the carousel of quarterbacks seen since 1999.

Every new regime wants to pick their own players, with quarterbacks being at the top of that list of players. For once, a Browns owner has seemingly committed to giving a front office time to turn things around, and pick players who will be here for a long time.

Next: 5 potential major free agent targets

Browns fans should not be upset about Chase’s article, as the Browns have indeed been one of the worst franchises in sports for a few decades. Instead, fans should see this ranking as the lowest point for the franchise, and appreciate the positive steps being taken to improve the team. Things will only get better from here.

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