Cleveland Browns: Letter is a nice gesture, but communicates little

Cleveland Browns fans should be encouraged, but still skeptical about the recent letter from the owners to season ticket holders.

1-15 was not what anyone expected, including the owners of the Cleveland Browns. Following the most forgettable season in franchise history, Jimmy and Dee Haslam sent a letter to all season-ticket holders, apologizing for the disappointing results of 2016.

The letter includes both an apology and a vote of confidence in the staff the organization put into place at the conclusion of the 2015 season.

The full letter, sent to season ticket holders, was shared by many.

The letter is certainly a nice gesture, proving that the Haslams care deeply about the fans and the Cleveland community as a whole. For this, the ownership ought to be commended.

But a letter addressed to fans is nothing new for the Browns. And sooner or later, fans are going to grow weary of hearing the same promises with no actions to back them up.

Following the 2013 season and firing of head coach Rob Chudzinski after just one season, an open letter from Haslam assured fans that the team was taking a methodical approach in searching for a head coach.

“We are strongly committed to finding the right person to coach the Cleveland Browns,” he wrote. Their choice, of course, ended up being Mike Pettine.

The night after dropping the finale and finishing 2015 with a record of 3-13, Haslam took to the pen again in an attempt to comfort weary fans. This letter’s purpose was to explain the reasoning for releasing coach Pettine and General Manager Ray Farmer, as well as to restate Haslam’s loyalty to the fans.

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“Our family is deeply committed to bringing you the winning team you deserve,” Haslam wrote. Quite a striking resemblance to this offseason’s letter which states; “We remain committed and determined to rewarding you with the consistent winning team you deserve.”

The rebuilding process isn’t a simple one, and fans didn’t expect the Browns to win the Super Bowl this year. But 1-15 is never going to be acceptable, and neither is a letter restating this.

Words like these may be well-crafted, but in the end, actions speak louder than words. Haslam and the Browns have been devoting all of their efforts to creating a winning organization, without a doubt. However, with results being as poor as they have the past two seasons especially, a feeling of fatigue is understandable.

For the organization to fix this, a letter is not needed. Fans will know that the organization cares about them as soon as they make a move which will immediately impact 2017’s roster or front office. Until then, fans have a right to feel impatient, and should be skeptical. They have heard these same promises before, and have yet to have been rewarded.

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There is nothing wrong with writing a letter to fans. Some may find comfort in this direct form of communication between the ownership and them, the consumer. But when it’s all said and done, the only way fans will feel the effects of a football organization devoted to winning is when moves are made to improve the team. And with two first-round draft picks and loads of cap space this offseason, there’s no legitimate excuses to use in next year’s letter.