The Cleveland media seems to have struck a nerve with a descriptor — apt as it may be — for Jimmy Haslam. The magic buzzword is dysfunctional, and tone-deaf as his response was, Haslam railed against the perception that he is the steward of such a franchise.
This took place at the press conference announcing the firing of yet another head coach, the seventh firing since the Haslams took over 14 years ago. Irony is not exactly the Browns' strong suit.
"Some of you have said this is a dysfunctional building. (Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski) were like this," Haslam said, holding two fingers tightly together to indicate how close the two are. "They talk all the time, their offices were next door to each other. ... If anybody says this is dysfunctional, or the two of them did not work well, that's dead wrong."
Evidently, Haslam never learned the childhood lesson of never letting someone know what bothers you. Anyone who was using a different word to describe the state of affairs in Cleveland now has a new favorite to needle at the owner, who has done nothing to earn any grace from the fans or the media.
Todd Monken made his stance on Browns owner Jimmy Haslam crystal clear
The reputation of the Cleveland Browns is not exactly a secret. Poll one hundred NFL fans on the worst franchises over the last 25 years and the Browns are likely to garner a mention more often than not. It should be no shock, then, that without directly answering a question, Todd Monken defended the current Browns' ownership regime.
"Dee and Jimmy, they cut a check with my name on it. You know what they expect? A freaking kick-ass football team," Monken said. "That's what they expect. You know what they want? They want to become a winning franchise that our fan base in our region is proud of. That's all they've been about, is how you build a winning franchise that consistently competes for championships. You know what? My job is to prove it every single day, and I appreciate that."
It's certainly honorable to attack anything in life with vigor, with the goal of proving those who believed in you right. Todd Monken — unlike the many fans who cheer on the Cleveland Browns — is compensated handsomely to be a part of this team. For the fans who get nothing other than joy (and heartbreak) from watching their favorite team take the field, though, it's going to take some action to undo years and years of disappointment and mismanagement.
Surely Monken knows this. As far as what he is able to do right now, lip service is the extent of it.
As the offseason unfolds, Browns fans will get to paint a clearer picture of what this era of Browns football is going to be all about. If the Browns — and the Haslams — truly wish to be a consistent franchise that is always in contention (like the Ravens, where Monken came from), they need to take heed of an important lesson from the Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti.
Let the football people make football decisions and stay out of the way.