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OBR Newswire Bloviation Header
OBR Newswire Bloviation Header
Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
"I've learned not to get too emotional during the season," Jimmy Haslam told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN as he exited the NFL Owner's Meetings yesterday, echoing what Lane Adkins has been telling VIP members for weeks.
Thank the heavens above.
Let's hope that rationality continues after the season is over.
While the inner workings of the Browns through the years have largely remained a mystery to most fans, we've long suspected that Jimmy Haslam's lack of patience with constant losing has something to do with the lack of stability the team suffered through during his ownership.
Having long studied NFL owners since the mid-1990s, I do not, in general, have a high regard for their football acumen. I generally fail to see what a background in, say, running truck stops, advertising, oil companies, or inheriting money provides that lends itself to knowing how best to construct rosters of large men throwing footballs and hitting each other.
I always felt that owners should primarily stick to writing checks, operating the business at a 100,000-foot level, and letting the football experts pursue their craft. Let's give credit to Haslam for learning patience from his previous mistakes, which puts him a level above many of his peers, whose narcissism prevents them from such self-assessment. The more owners meddle in football operations (look to Art Modell and Jerry Jones as examples), the more destructive they tend to be.
As far as we know, Haslam has done a nice job lately of sticking to areas where his expertise can help, e.g., real estate development, and not dictating who the starting left tackle will be.
One thing concerns me, however. When asked about the outlook at the quarterback position, Haslam said: "We need to get through the season, and we will look at everything."
Jimmy Haslam
You are not the quarterback expert (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Again, this makes total sense, but as the old joke goes: "Who's this 'we,' kemosabe?"
This, again, is where Haslam's sad, continuing failure to read the OBR Daily Newswire becomes apparent.
I. Explained. This. Once. Already. It's Kevin's turn to pick the quarterback.
Owners should be involved in choosing quarterbacks only to do the degree that, as I'm assuming was the case in the Watson debacle, a group of people come to him and ask if he can sign off on $240 million in guaranteed money. He looks at his bank book, and if he says "yes," the deal is done. If it's "no", then it's not.
This time, it's not Jimmy's turn to pick the quarterback. It's never Jimmy's turn to pick the quarterback. It's Jimmy's job to pay for the quarterback. He was asked to pay for the wrong quarterback once, and he's been very patient and understanding by giving his people a chance to ask him to pay for a different one. Pick the wrong one this time, and they may not get a third chance. No pressure.
Sorry to have to explain it like this, but it's not complicated. Owners and quarterback selections don't mix. Still, owners get to run the whole business, and GMs and coaches are responsible for getting the quarterback right. If they don't, well, the owner does get to pick them.
I think our owner has picked the best coach and GM he's ever hired. I'm hoping beyond hope that they get this quarterback pick right. If the owner is involved and the pick is wrong - guess who will get blamed regardless?
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
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