DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns SI Article

Browns featured in Sports Illustrated
Steve King, Staff Writer
11.30.2007
The wave of national media attention just keeps splashing onto the Browns' door.

The latest example -- and one of the biggest and most significant thus far -- comes with the current issue of Sports Illustrated, which has a big five-spread on the Browns. The accompanying story by Damon Hack, entitled "Believeland," talks about a "Browns team that's built for the future -- and is suddenly winning games now," according to the sub-headline.

The piece, which is teased across the top of the cover of the magazine that features a photo of Missouri quarterback Chase Daniels, is well-written and covers all of the main aspects of a resurgence that has caused the Browns to become one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- story of the NFL season to this point. The photos and coverage are of last Sunday's 27-17 win over the Houston Texans.

If the season ended today, the 7-4 Browns, riding a two-game winning streak and having captured five of their last six, would have the final wild-card playoff spot in the AFC. Trailing the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers by just a game in the North, they'll try to enhance their standing when they face the 5-6 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium.

BACKWARD GLANCES: It was exactly 55 years ago Friday -- on Nov. 30, 1952 -- that the Browns doubled up on the Washington Redskins, so to speak, winning 48-24. It upped the Browns' record to 7-3 and was the first of two straight wins, and the first of three straight road games to end the season. The Browns finished 8-4 -- their "worst" record in the seven-year history of the franchise -- and captured the Eastern Conference title for the third time in as many tries, but lost in the NFL Championship Game for the second straight season, this time by 17-7 to the Detroit Lions. For the Redskins, it was the last in a string of six straight defeats, dropping their record to 2-8. They recovered to win their final two games, but that 4-8 record -- giving them a fourth consecutive losing season -- still was only good enough for them to finish tied with the Chicago Cardinals for last place in the East. Washington had played the Browns much tougher at Cleveland in the first meeting a month before, losing just 19-15.

UP NEXT: The Browns board a plane early Saturday afternoon for the long flight to Phoenix.

Best part of this article or any other I've read in a while...
AND ONE MORE THING...: Remember the AFC title game loss in 1986, when you thought the Browns would come back and eventually make it to the Super Bowl? Or the one in 1987? Or in 1989? Remember when the Kardiac Kids' 1980 season ended so dramatically and you thought they would do it again -- only this time, go farther -- the following season? And you older followers of the team, remember when the Browns lost three times in five years in the NFL Championship Game in the last half of the 1960s and you just figured that sooner or later the club would win? And remember how it didn't happen in any of those seasons or era? Browns fans and the Browns themselves want to believe that this is a young team that should just be starting its run. Every indication is that this team has indeed been built to contend for a number of seasons. It would be stunning if it didn't play out that way, in fact. But at the same time, there's no guarantee of that happening. There's no guarantee that in the foreseeable future the Browns will be 7-4 again with five winnable games remaining. That window of opportunity could close at any moment -- even before this season is over, in fact. So the Browns can't worry about next year or two years down the road or even three. They have to seize upon the chance they have now and make the most of it, and let the future take care of itself. Finally, the stars all seemed to be aligned in the Browns' favor, so they can't let the sun come up without doing something about it. That's the painful lesson of all those other experiences through the years.

QUOTABLE: "He's always been a good coach. He just deserved a chance to show it. I think a lot of people were prejudging him. It's a tough job being a coach in this league. Even with the Patriots, when (Bill) Belichick got there, we didn't just take over. It takes time to get everything you want into play." -- Browns outside linebacker Willie McGinest talking about his head coach, Romeo Crennel, in the SI piece. main site

If anyone hasn't read the SI piece, it's definitely worth picking up or maybe even just browsing through at the local bookstore for a few minutes. It didn't really have anything in there that we don't know, being so close to everything that happens with this team, but it was just a great read and really explains what we fans have had to deal with for so long and where this team has come from. I especially liked the chart that showed how Savage has basically rebuilt this entire team in just over 2 years through the draft, free agency, and finding the hidden gems like Cribbs and DA. The part that really stuck out was the fact that it said we've been built to contend for years to come, but somehow we're winning right now. I think that's the part that even surprises Phil. And he's knows we're still not where we want to be so it's only going to get better.

Havent read it yet but i'm looking forward to it.

Can you imagine where we would be if Savage would have lost the power struggle and ended up leaving because of some know-nothing deusch?

Phil Savage is a freaking genius and I don't think we could have picked a better GM. I can't wait until the off-season to see what kind of magic he works with the defense.

Thanks for the heads up... I'm going to have to check out that article.

nordawg

1st off I could see from the start of the PS RAC era that the team was being built piece by piece for the future nothing earth shattering to me there. What the RAC haters have always left out of the equation is that RAC is one of the best if not the best in terms of player developement. You look at the NE defense, he pretty much built that defense and developed it's players into team 1st guys. The 1st thing any good coach must do is win over his players, earn their trust and respect. NOBODY, I mean NOBODY can look at the maturing process that has taken place with BE and K2 and not credit RAC with getting these guys to buy in, and be team players. And that goes for the rest of the players as well, it's just that those 2 really stand out.

That was job #1 when we hired a new HC, and it was inspite of what others may believe the #1 reason RAC was hired. Players have always played hard for him, and for the most part they have done so with their mouths shut. There were those that blamed K2 and BE from a year ago on RAC, said he couldn't control his players. Well where are you guys now? How come no love for RAC, for doing a great job getting these guys through the maturing process, and getting them to buy in to the team 1st concept.

When the sun goes down on the new era Browns and they have performed at a level we haven't seen since the 50's RAC will be one of the guys that will have led us there. The fact that it has taken time shouldn't have been a suprise, the fact that we continued to lose while putting the peices together shouldn't have been a suprise either. As long as the players, and the team show progress we continue to be on the right course. The fact that some poor decisions have been made along the way shouldn't be a great suprise either. The time needed to build this team to where it is today is IMHO way ahead of schedule to my delight, believe me. To think that the fans of Cleveland were ready to throw this great coach under the bus before the season even started is unbelievable. If the fans couldn't and can't see what is happening then they are blind as blind gets.

Remember where you heard it this team will contend for and make SB appearances in the very very near future and should for many many years to come becuase of the great job RAC and PS have done. Hate away if you like, but to the very last hater you will eat your words mark it down remember where you heard it, because it is about to happen, and RAC will be thought of as the greatest coach ever to have coached in Cleveland before the journey is over...

NMHO

I think we're all hoping for the same thing. Some of us are just doing it silently.

Sweet....might ride down to Walgreens later to pick it up.

Quote:

---

I especially liked the chart that showed how Savage has basically rebuilt this entire team in just over 2 years through the draft, free agency, and finding the hidden gems like Cribbs and DA. The part that really stuck out was the fact that it said we've been built to contend for years to come, but somehow we're winning right now. I think that's the part that even surprises Phil. And he's knows we're still not where we want to be so it's only going to get better.

---

That basically sums the entire situation up right there.

Please,
That writer forgets about the Browns barely loosing to the Dolphins in 72 in the playoffs, so you think within the next two year, we are good, NOT!!! And to make it worse, the rise of the steelers happened after that!!

I saw the Browns in SI, and i was amazed!!! like seriously!!! i love it!! people will fear the orange and brown!!

That's the beauty of this team. We're really not built for right now. Youth youth youth everywhere! Other than the DL...but I'm sure Phil hits that HARD this offseason. He even identified it as a need last year, but there werent many players to go after...and the OL was priority.

I fully expect Phil to get a young DL in FA...and draft one in the 2nd or 3rd round. Quality 3-4 DL can be had in those rounds.

While our record might not be as good next year, we will be a better team.

Quote:

---

I fully expect Phil to get a young DL in FA...and draft one in the 2nd or 3rd round.

---

You can more than expect it,..it's a guarantee.

I am off to the library. If only we got a fair modicum of respect from ESPN; must own Ratbird stock or sumpthin . . . .

Go BrOOOOwns! May the Elf be with us! And the Helmet-Stripe Nation rise to dominance again. The Pound on the Pond:

Just thank God the Browns aren't on the cover. Bet Missouri wishes they weren't......