ESPN’s ultimate standings not kind to the Cleveland Browns
By Thomas Moore
Oct 11, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Cleveland Browns lineman Danny Shelton (71) tackles Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett (29) after a short gain at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
ESPN has come out with its annual Ultimate Standings ranking of every team in the four major professional sports in the country.
Not surprisingly, the rankings are not kind to the Cleveland Browns, with the site putting the franchise at No. 109 overall (up one spot from last year) and at No. 27 in the NFL.
According to the site, here’s what’s good about the Browns:
"The Browns spent $125 million over the past two seasons upgrading the stadium and facilities. New scoreboards, better wireless access, fan-friendlier concourses and reconfigured seating reduced overall capacity but improved the intimacy and noise inside FirstEnergy Stadium. Plus, 2014 marked the first season since 2007 with more than five wins (and four of them at home!). Add to that the cheapest tickets in the league ($54 a head, on average) and you see why Cleveland climbed 19 spots overall in our bang for the buck category, its best showing this year."
Here’s what’s bad:
"The Browns remain stagnant in the overall franchise rankings (109), and near the bottom among NFL teams (28th in the league). Cleveland’s endless struggle to put a championship squad together has paralleled its endless struggle to find a quarterback (ranked just 110th in the players category). One year ago, drafting Johnny Manziel excited everyone, but after his poor rookie season, the Browns seem to be a long way from finding their franchise leader. This also means they are a long way from winning their first title since 1964. The team received the fifth-lowest score in all of sports when fans were asked if their team “consistently wins more games than they lose,” and they got an NFL-worst score in “demonstrates a commitment to winning” as well."
Finally, here’s what’s new:
"The Browns’ double-digit increase in bang for the buck and a 16-point jump for head coach Mike Pettine and his staff in their second year show that fans haven’t given up yet. But their frustration with constant losing and unending turnover might eventually take a toll. The best way to sum up the Browns’ ineptitude is to look at the numbers. Since 1999: 23 starting quarterbacks, eight head coaches, 14 offensive coordinators and 10 defensive coordinators. And the most glaring: 32.9, as in the Browns have won 32.9 percent of their 255 games since 1999 – an overall record of 84-171. When the product on the field is this bad, the mood in the stands won’t be much better."
On the one hand it is hard to argue with the ranking. The Browns simply have not won enough since returning to the NFL in 1999, and even in the final years of the original Browns the turnover of an aging roster and then-head coach Bill Belichick’s grating personality combined to alienate fans.
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Winning would solve a lot of those problems, as you have to look no further than the Cleveland Cavaliers, who jumped from No. 101 a year ago to No. 34 in this year’s rankings.
The Cavs making the NBA Finals shows how victories can distract fans and the media from other issues, as Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is ranked as the 37th best owner in the country, while Browns owner Jimmy Haslam checks in at No. 112.
Gilbert is the same owner now that he was when the franchise was blowing draft picks, firing coaches and posting historic losing streaks. He just happens to be the owner of LeBron James’ hometown team.
Maybe if James had stuck with football rather than basketball Haslam’s ranking would be higher.
Ultimately it is winning – not stadium upgrades (although nice) or new uniforms (which are bad) – that matters, and until the Browns can do that consistently it is hard to see them making much of a move in these type of rankings.