Posts
Nyet, says McDaniels
So Josh McDaniels is no longer a candidate to replace Rob
Chudzinski as coach of the Browns.
According to reports, Bill Belichick’s top assistant with
the New England Patriots has removed his name from any consideration.
Smart man? Or one who believes his next job should be with
an organization that has generous amounts of stability. An organization that is
not dysfunctional. An organization headed in the right direction.
By snubbing his nose at the Browns, McDaniels basically has
indicated he is willing to bide his time and wait until the right organization
comes along so he can redeem himself from his Denver disaster. Smart man.
The Canton native obviously looked at the Cleveland roster.
Then looked at the front-office structure. And then determined this wasn’t going
to work.
Maybe, as some seem to be suggesting, Belichick talked McDaniels
out of any notion to move back to northeast Ohio. Then again, maybe he didn’t
have to. One interview told McDaniels all he needed to know about the Browns.
When coaches are interviewed for jobs, the smart ones
conduct their own interview at the same time. If you’re going to commit
yourself to a new employer, you might as well find out as much as you can about
him.
In his first head-coaching stint in Denver, McDaniels ran the whole football operation. With the Browns, that was never going to happen as long as Joe Banner and Mike
(The Ghost ) Lombardi drew paychecks.
Whoever gets the Cleveland job will never have anything
resembling autonomy. McDaniels obviously saw that. The only puzzler is why it took him so long to realize
that and withdraw his name from consideration.
Would he have been a good fit with the Browns? That’s a moot
point now. The only thing we know for certain is his snub has sent a signal
around the football world to beware of what you’re being sold in Cleveland.
When all the dust clears from the search and the new coach
is introduced, we will be told McDaniels wasn’t their first choice when it
certainly appears as though he was. That’s called damage control.
The Ghost, in particular, would love to have latched on to a
Belichick protégé, especially one so young and dynamic. He must be terribly
disappointed McDaniels opted not to fulfill his so-called boyhood dream of coaching
the Browns.
So now the search for Chudzinski’s successor plods on.
One down. Who’s next?
Everything you ever needed to know about the "Go Find Another Team To Root For" crowd has just been shoved in your kool aid drinkin' faces. And I could not be happier.
ReplyDeleteLonely Ships Across The Water, Could This Be Magic?
Sycophants will always be sycophants. They do not understand what this means. They do not realize the ramifications. They never will. That's why they are blissfully naive.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes u think he turned us down? If you're so smart why ain't you rich, Rich?
ReplyDeleteNext time, have the nerve to sign your name and then I'll answer your question.
ReplyDeleteAm I going too far by starting to hope that the Browns completely bomb next season with a 1-15 type season so Haslam will have no choice but to dump Banner/Lombardi? As you said, the current power structure is none too attractive except for maybe the underqualified or the desperate. And that's not a recipe for any kind of significant jump next season. In fact, another step back (can it be that we may be pining for the good ole days of Pat Shurmur?) seems more likely. To this fan's eyes, the only chance this gets fixed is when Haslam decides to dump this two stooges and hires an experienced football man to run the football side of the operations. At this point, we could do worse (we are already) than resurrect Bill Polian. Thanks. Paul from Seattle.
ReplyDeletePat Shurmur? Bite your tongue. Suffice it to say, Haslam
ReplyDeleteis monitoring the search very closely and whoever is chosen will have his complete blessing. That is why I think that choice will have more Haslam's fingerprints on it than Banner's. Hang in there, Paul.
Rich, you say whoever is chosen will have Haslam's complete blessing - how does that impact the likely fact that Banner & The Ghost will still only choose/recommend someone for Haslam's blessing who will be willing to cede full control of football operations to them, and therefore likely be a retread desperate for another chance or a green position coach (or college dark horse) angling for an early shot at the big time, any of whom would view accepting the suffocating circumstances of the Browns job as their only way to get to the head of the line? How can Haslam bless a well-qualified candidate if none of them will come near the Factory Of Sadness knowing they'll be under Banner & The Ghost's thumb?
ReplyDeleteThanks as always,
DW
(PS - actually only under Banner's thumb. I suspect the Ghost has no more real power than the coach will and only functions as a yes man for Banner's power trip)
Hi DW,
DeleteRight now, I think Banner is approaching the proverbial banana peel. He had better get this pick right or else he steps on that peel.
Haslam is not the football dummy Lerner was. He sees the big picture and knows how important it is to get this pick right. And he knows his constituency is watching very closely.
But you are correct when you note full control will still belong to Banner (minus The Ghost). The guess here is that Haslam will cede more control to the new coach than he did with Chudzinski.
Banner's leash will be somewhat shorter and a bit tighter than this past season. Once he gets past his business problems, Haslam will be much more proactive.
You are also correct about The Ghost. He's nothing more than a glorified yes man.
I think you're wrong on this one, Rich. I look at it more as a signal that Haslam is getting more involved. The going theory is that someone(ie:Lombardi) led McDaniels to believe that he was the lead candidate. When he found out he was not, he withdrew. Now we find out Whisenunt(sp) will be interviewed, a total 180 from what Banner said about not talking to anyone from last years list. Also word has it that Haslam was directed toward Whisenunt(sp) by sources within the NFL. All this points to a greater involvement by Haslam and putting a lid on Banner.
ReplyDeleteI said in a previous post that the choice would have more of Haslam's fingerprints on it than Banner's. As for Whisenhunt's reentry into the picture, that's a puzzler. My guess is he will wind up in Detroit, which has a much better roster than the Browns.
ReplyDeleteIf you watched Whisenhunt's head coaching career closely, he was very successful in Arizona when Kurt Warner was his quarterback. Took them to the Super Bowl. When Warner retired, the Cardinals went downhill. The Lions have Matthew Stafford at QB. The Browns have ????? Where do you think Whisenhunt will wind up?
As for McDaniels, I don't for a second buy the notion he withdrew his name because he wasn't the frontrunner. Right now, there are too many candidates to consider anyone a frontrunner. I believe he pulled out because his power would have been limited and he didn't want strike two against him.