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Wow.

http://cle.scout.com/2/915221.html

Lerner Upset after Chicago Drubbing
randy lerner

By Steve King
OBR Reporter
Posted Nov 1, 2009


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The Browns owner was visibly upset with the team's play on Sunday - and had every right to be. Steve King reports on the situation from Chicago, where Randy Lerner was joined by Derek Anderson in the parade of unhappy Browns...

CHICAGO – OK, Browns fans, if you think you are mad at the way the team is playing, then you should have seen club owner Randy Lerner following Sunday’s 30-6 drubbing administered by the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

Now, that was MAD – in capital letters – and it could mean some very interesting – and important – discussions among the Browns’ high-level football people will be carried on as the team enters its bye week. In fact, those discussions could start as soon as Sunday night when everybody returns back home from Chicago, where the Browns fell to 1-7 at the halfway point of the season, matching their worst start since they returned to the field.

The other time came in the expansion year of 1999. That was a decade ago. So what’s the problem now?

That’s what Lerner seems to want to find out – and now.

For what close observers of the team say is the first time they can remember, the owner stood at the end of the runway leading from the field to the locker room and glared at the players and coaches as they walked off at halftime with the score already 16-0 and the Browns with just 61 yards in total offense. That was 101 less yards at that point than the Bears, who were downright awful in their own right but looked like Super Bowl contenders in comparison to the way Cleveland was playing.

“I want those guys to see me,” Lerner said.

He waited right there and glared at the players and coaches again as they came out of the locker room and took the field for the second half.

The owner was clearly fuming, as visibly irate as he’s been since he took over ownership of the club when his father, Al Lerner, passed away on Oct. 23, 2002.

“I’m tired of this (stuff)!” he said.

Later, he confided to an associate of the team, “This is terrible.”

“So what do you do?” the associate asked.

Lerner replied, “I don’t know.”

Not yet, at least.

One observer said head coach Eric Mangini after the game “felt as if the owner was looking over his shoulder.”

And maybe he was.

The observer said Lerner wants to talk specifics with Mangini, including finding out the exact role of general manager George Kokinis, whose hiring he lobbied for strongly with the owner after he was hired as coach. Kokinis keeps a very low profile and has talked publicly only a few times since being hired 10 months ago from the Baltimore Ravens.

Lerner was still extremely upset when he talked with several reporters afterward. Like the fans, he’s quite confused about what’s going on with the quarterback situation. Starting for the fifth straight game since taking over for Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson was just 6-of-17 passing for 76 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions for a quarterback rating of – get this – 10.5.

Bo Derek was a perfect 10 in the movie “10” three decades ago. That was outstanding. Having a passing rating like that is just plain ugly.

For the season, Anderson is 68-of-154 passing (42.9 percent) for two TDs, nine interceptions and a 36.2 rating. If he continues on that pace, then he will set team records for lowest percent of completions and lowest rating for a season. Holding those marks now at 43.8 and 41.6, respectively, is Tommy O’Connell in 1956.

Anderson was visibly upset when he was pulled in favor of Quinn with 3:14 left in the game.

“I’m not happy that I came out. I’m not happy how I played. I’m not happy that we lost,” Anderson said.

“I’m not happy about anything.”

But Anderson isn’t the only problem, not by a long shot. In addition to Anderson’s two interceptions, the Browns fumbled the ball away three times.

“There’s no magic formula for holding on to the football,” Mangini said. “You can’t go into Chicago and play a Lovie Smith team and turn it over five times and expect to win. You have no chance, no opportunity.”

The Browns, who had just 191 yards overall against the 4-3 Bears, went into the game at or near the bottom in the NFL in just about every offensive statistical category. They certainly did not enhance their standing in most of those areas with the way they played on Sunday.

And with 78 points scored, they are on track to score just 156 points, which would be a team record for a full season. The current mark is 161 in 2000, the second year of the expansion era.

The official mark is 140, but that came in the strike-shortened 1982 season, when just nine of scheduled 16 games were played.

In that aforementioned 1956 season in which O’Connell took over for the retired Otto Graham, the Browns scored 167 points. But that was in a 12-game schedule. With four more games than they played in 1956, the Browns could score 11 fewer points.

Following the 31-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Browns, with the offense being directed by Brian Daboll, in his first job as a coordinator at any level, have been outscored 61-9 the last two games. In back-to-back games against the Denver Broncos and Ravens early in the year, the Browns were outscored 61-9.

Mangini said he will dissect the team from top to bottom.

“We’re going to look at everything – coaching, personnel, everything,” he said. “We’re going to look at everybody across the board – at every single position.”

And maybe the coach will be looked at by the owner as well.

“We’ve got a lot going on right now,” Lerner said to the small group of reporters.

How much, exactly, is yet to be determined, but rest assured, Browns fans, the owner now feels fully your pain – and anger, frustration and disappointment.

Wow is right. With all the criticism that he doesn't care about the team, this must be shocking to some. I'm Glad he did this finally something might ACTUALLY get done!

Thanks for the post Ammo....

Could be avery interesting bye week!

I just wish he would've done it before today's game, not before we get throttled by the Ratbirds.

Good for Lerner!

Sounds like all sorts of possibilities going on!

Lerner wants to know what Kokinis does? You kiddin me?! Is the guy that invisible around the offices that the owner doesn't see him or what?

DA mad..bah, who cares! Mangini thinks Lerner is looking over his shoulder?
It should be Koks job but since he hand picked his own GM Lerner needs to do it!

Clean house if you must Randy, but clean it good..all of it! Something stinks in Berea and I don't want any remnants leftover!!!

Holy crap, strong words indeed.
Mangini is feeling the heat big time.

Its about freaking time Lerner! Glad you finally see this disgrace.

you need to clean house with Mangini NOW...fire him, Mangini and Daboll should both be fired TONIGHT

Let Rob Ryan be the interim Coach the rest of the year

go out and find a football guy and hire the dude to be President, Send Mike Keenan packing, the guy is a dolt.

Bring in Omar Khan from the Pittsburgh Steelers..make him President and CEO of Football Operations...Let Khan hire the GM...I want someone out of the Steelers Front Office running this organization..im sick of this ineptitude.....Khan will bring balance, stability, accountability, and an overall clear and logical direction to this mess

Weren't you all aboard the Mangini trade after we traded Braylon?

LOL!!!!
I don't care what anyone says, the Revolt planned for Monday night definitely got Lerner's attention and this poor showing yet again in Chicago might just be the straw that broke the camel's back. Lerner might finally get it that Browns fans just don't have the patience for tearing things apart and rebuilding.

Mangini could have kept the squad from last year intact and made some minor adjustments and we could have fileded a semi competitive team.

Everyone talks about the draft picks yet as of right now the majority of those picks are from Rounds 4-7. You are supposed to replace talent with talent or high draft picks.

Boys and Girls, I have a strong feeling somebody will be fired this week. Not sure if it will by the Head Coach or Daboll, but my gut (ala Romeo Crennel) tells me someone is going to get canned.

Can he dissect himself?

They will all be canned before the next season. The question now is who is the new "president" going to be???

LOL. This is nothing but PR, but you guys keep on falling for it.

Listen, there will be changes made, but Mangini will be making the changes. He must feel pretty good he is on track on one side of the ball and that is a start.

The otherside is a mess and it is his job to fix the problem that is bothering it. Alot of that problem won't be able to be fixed this season.

Mangini isn't going to be fired and that is as they say.....that. Move on and start thinking how Mangini COULD fix this mess on offense. There isn't a whole lot of possiblities. Firing Deboll? Go right ahead. waive DA? Go right ahead. Probably both of those things are needed and if the rumors about Deboll/DA are true, it explains alot of the problem.

Maybe it will help enough to score wins over the Lions,Raiders,Chiefs or Jags, but it won't change the fact the Browns simply are a bad team left by Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel.

Here are some direct quotes:

"This was a good trade...It is actually this trade along with thje statement it makes s that has put me in Mangini's corner...i will no longer be critical of the guy"

"I like Mangini's Character, and his not take anybodies garbage mentality...I will soundly say im behind the guy all the way now...he may be a good coach afterall... "

Not mine.

Mangini won't make it until January 3rd. I don't think he get's fired next week (although Diaboli is gone), but there's too much smoke bro.........Gini is gone by Jan. 3. I suspect Lerner will hire a new Prez. (probably someone with Browns ties) and that guy will clean house and fire them all.

I'm glad he's finally doing this. Something tells me a big move might go down during the bye with the way it seems Lerner feels. But I'm glad he's pissed. I'm sure sick of losing every season and I bet he is as well.

Things getting ugly so Bernie is asked to evaluate.

Erin who left the pats to go to jets with mangini follows him here and she gets her booty canned for being such a total yea that one and for forgetting to send the medical staff along for the ride to pitt lol.

Randy leaves his box at halftime just to get in a stare down with the players and staff. He makes it a point to mention not knowing what kokopuffs is doing. He makes a point to let everyone know his is totally peeved.

Man thats gonna be one hell of a plane ride back

Never said they were... KoB

Quote:

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Boys and Girls, I have a strong feeling somebody will be fired this week.

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I feel EM will make it till week 12 or 13 at least but i am betting he will get the ax by seasons end unless he pulls out a respectable finish.

On the other hand....i feel like you bro.....i am feeling like the ax falls on someone tomorrow and i feel like it will be Daboll getting the pink slip.

JMO

More Lerner quotes from PD and Mary Kay


http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2009/11/browns_owner_randy_lerner_says.html

CHICAGO -- Randy Lerner admitted Sunday that he's "sick about" the 1-7 Browns -- but not enough to fire coach Eric Mangini during the upcoming bye week.

When asked specifically if he'd make a coaching change, the Browns owner said no.

"I think I should evaluate me," he said, only half-jokingly.

He indicated that he wasn't ready to give up on Mangini despite being obviously distraught about the state of the team. But he did strongly indicate that it's time for him to bring in a football authority who can help straighten out this mess.

"There's absolutely no question about that," he said. "The highest priority that I have is a strong, credible, serious leader within the building to guide decisions in a far more conspicuous, open transparent way. I can maybe defend decisions by saying I've sought advice and I've brought people in, and we've gone to see people -- and I think my highest priority is to have a stable figure that represents the voice that explains the decisions."

Exactly what he means by that, he didn't really say. But it sounded as if he's prepared to hire a team president to try and get this team on track. He's already brought former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar on as "another pair of eyes," but didn't respond when asked if Kosar could be the "serious leader" to "guide decisions."

Ideally, Lerner said his person would be someone that's been groomed to do the job and has a vast amount of experience. He said the person may or may not already work for the Browns.

During Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Bears, Lerner stood watching from the tunnel between the field and the locker room with equal parts disgust and anger written on his face.

He admitted that the whole quarterback fiasco "doesn't look sensible." As to why the Browns have been so reluctant to play Brady Quinn, he said "I haven't been told about anything."

There's no question he's fed up. There's also no question he doesn't really know exactly what to do about it.

"We need as many credible, serious eyes and ears assessing this situation as is possible," he said.

Lerner said part of the problem is that he thought he was on the right track when he hired former General Manager Phil Savage in 2005. He said he thought the organization would be in great shape after four years of Savage acquiring talent and re-organizing the operation. Instead, it wound up lacking all of the things he thought he was getting from Savage and Romeo Crennel: great drafting, coaching, and an overall philosophy and direction.

Now, it seems he's questioning his decision to hire Mangini -- which came almost without any consideration to any other coach or general manager. Part of him seems to think that Mangini deserves more time to implement his program and acquire talent. The other part seems to wonder if he made a mistake and should cut his losses.

Problem is, he's still in the midst of paying the $20 million to Savage and Crennel owed when he fired them after last season. If he fires Mangini and Kokinis, he'll be on the hook for many millions more.

Surely the news that former Steelers coach Bill Cowher might return to coaching next year has to intrigue him. Lerner tried to lure him out of the television business after last season and couldn't. That's when he turned to Mangini.

Meanwhile, Mangini also will be re-evaluating everything during the bye week, including coaching and personnel.

Lerner made it clear several times during the short interview that he wanted time to gather his thoughts and that he wasn't really ready to elaborate on his mindset. He said he wanted "a day or two to wrap my mind around it. There's a lot going on right now."

As for what the fans can expect, he said, "I don't know that I have a great answer for what to hang your hat on right now, other than a massive amount of thought and analysis and reflection and personal honesty is going to go into thinking about what's going on.

"The answer is soul-searching."

I think the offense's problem starts with the playcalling...

Fix that, and things should get better..

We are the only team in the league that constantly run formations with a C/G as an eligible receiver to get more pass protection.. and it doesn't work. You don't get any extra block, and then the safeties can just follow the WR's to double team.

How can a rookie WR expect to do anything against double coverage..

OPEN UP THE OFFENSE!! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE?!

"Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition" ....Michael Palin as Cardinal Xemenez

"There's absolutely no question about that," he said. "The highest priority that I have is a strong, credible, serious leader within the building to guide decisions in a far more conspicuous, open transparent way. I can maybe defend decisions by saying I've sought advice and I've brought people in, and we've gone to see people -- and I think my highest priority is to have a stable figure that represents the voice that explains the decisions."


Sorry but getting a guy to come in here and work perfectly with Mangini aint gonna happen! Heck, nobody seems to like the guy and by keeping him only narrows the field of good prospects willing to work above him!

Lerner....in attendance???

We have a Lerner sighting...repeat we have a Lerner sighting.

Osama's more high profile than that guy.

Hell I've seen Snuffleupagus more times than him.

Finally! Sheesh!

As I said in the other thread, their will be a new Prez of football operations, and he will set up the team as he sees fit. I hope it's somebody who has a philosophy and goes about implementing it day 1. No more of this "let's punt year 1 crap" like we've seen the past 2 regimes do. Get a team in here who are on the same page, and start acquiring pieces that fit NOW.....that make you a better team next year not 3 years from now (you hope).

I don't think it's the W-Ls that are frustrating people so much, but rather the complete and utter lack of us being competitive. We haven't seen this since 00. Even under the worst years of Botch and RAC/PS we weren't as bad as what we are seeing here, and as Lerner said it just isn't acceptable.

no but a strong presence in charge could push Mangini into quitting and Lerner not having to pay him.

Quote:

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But he did strongly indicate that it's time for him to bring in a football authority who can help straighten out this mess.

"There's absolutely no question about that," he said. "The highest priority that I have is a strong, credible, serious leader within the building to guide decisions in a far more conspicuous, open transparent way. I can maybe defend decisions by saying I've sought advice and I've brought people in, and we've gone to see people -- and I think my highest priority is to have a stable figure that represents the voice that explains the decisions."

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A rather strong message to Mangini & the GM.

Donald Trumph fashion? lol.....

Firing Mangini isn't going to change anything though... Its the playcalling.. Its the players..

Daboll and the offense need to get it together..

I feel sorry for Quinn b/c he is going to have to learn yet another offense come 2010.

Nah........he'll have to pay him. Noway Gini quits without having his $$$$ paid to him I wouldn't. I figure they will try and work out some settlement in where Gini get's a nice payday for his trouble, and then is shown the door. The wild card is Kok. I don't see Mangini working here without having full control, but I could see Kok being kept if the "guy" thought highly of him. This story line unfolding the rest of the year is going to be much more interesting than what we see on Sundays.............sad but true..lol.

Good read.

Like I said, the "Brown out" is a joke. Lerner knows we suck, he doesn't have to watch people stage some dumb little stunt to realize it.

Let's face facts. The offense sucks because we have no WRs. Maybe we have guys (ala Robiske or Furrey) who can complement talent but really no true WR. Do you think any DC in the league is like.......I don't know how we are gonna handle that Mossaquoi????? Oh, and dump Chansi. He bites.

Add an old man at running back who takes two extra steps before he gets it into SECOND gear. Jamal is not the solution. Do you think Jamal can ever have a 25 yard gain ever again in his life? Think of every other team's starting RB and ask that question and let me know if your answer is the same.

Then there is the right side of our O-Line. Maybe we should play a folding chair at RT. That way at least the DE has to move around it.

Then on to QB. Quinn was never given a fair shake and never a chance to succeed and the alternating camp prevented either QB from establishing chemistry with his WRs. Reps, Reps, Reps. Quinn's career will probably fizzle out and he'll be a journey-man similar to a David Carr. I wish for Tim Couch these days - did he look this bad?

So, as far as the execution of our offense goes.....I am all for it.

Now on to the defense. The defense, I am convinced, could be average. They do play with some passion at least, even if they are Jets retreads who (except for today at times) can't pressure the QB. These deserve bonuses in their paychecks for all the added time they spend on the field after all those three and outs on offense.

All and all, it starts with the top. It's good that Lerner is getting involved. But the NFL is a league where players have short careers and you can turn around your luck quickly. You need good personnel evaluators and lots of picks in the crap shoot called the NFL Draft.

It's hard to watch this team. I live in NY and used to travel out of my way to see the Browns play...not anymore. Even if when struggled, you pulled for them - it's just so hard. It's so hard to root for this team. But, of course, I'll never turn my back.

And, by the way, pay Cribbs. He's the only one on the team worth a ......

I'm guessing the little stunt has played a little role in all this.

Been publicized quite a bt nationally!

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"I think I should evaluate me," he said, only half-jokingly.

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I wish it seriously....