The more things change . . .
Sashi Brown has taken on a new role since his remarkable time with the Browns. He has left the NFL. He is currently the chief planning and operations officer for the NBA’s Washington Wizards. He was in town recently as the Wizards took on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Per Marla Ridenour of the Beacon Journal, Brown took the time to address some of things he observed about the Browns’ Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta during the team’s search for a new head coach and general manager.
"“I hope they get the time to do it and that there’s true alignment throughout the building and some conviction and what I would say the organizational faith that maybe hasn’t been there across some of the rash of change that’s been spinning around here for the better part of the last decade,” – Sashi Brown per the Beacon Journal"
In this list of things he hopes for the new “analytical” regime, two stand out. Let’s review in order.
First, he hopes they “get the time to do it”. The Haslam’s have a long history of a quick trigger if there are no immediate results. Long term sustainable success takes time to establish. It will take a few seasons to get the salary cap under control. It will take a few drafts to stockpile the necessary picks to bring in young cheap talent. This is a long term project. Sashi’s comments hit home. They will need the time to make it happen. But will itchy trigger finger Haslam give them the time?
Second, he hopes there will be an “organizational faith that . . . hasn’t been there across . . . the rash of changes that’s been spinning around here for the better part of the last decade”. This quote hits the nail on the head.
For years, Jimmy Haslam has sought opinions about his organization from those outside of it. He references these people in almost every press conference (starting at 5:52) but it has somehow flown under the radar. Although not proven, it has been suggested that those outside the organization have more influence than those within it.
While it is probably good to get an outside opinion occasionally, it seems Jimmy Haslam gathers outside opinions regularly and makes decisions based on that feedback. But why?
Why not trust the insight of the people who are being paid to give those opinions? If those opinions are not going to be listened to, why hire them in the first place?
This seems to be what Sashi was getting at. The new regime needs their owner to have faith in them. No matter how many resources are thrown at the team, if the owner doesn’t trust the people he hires, nothing will work.
Sashi’s comment hit the mark, the organization fails because there is a fundamental failure by ownership to trust the people running it. Until the Haslams trust the people they hire to run this organization, the pendulum will swing forever.