DIVISIONAL ROUND
CLEVELAND, O.H. - As the world watched the Cincinnati Bengals win their second Virtual Bowl in as many years, the sports cognoscenti in Cleveland turned their attention closer to home. In what was starting to become an annual tradition in the Forest City, the president of the Cleveland Browns resigned, compounding the team's problems on the field with rapid turnover in the front office. There were no obvious contenders for the vacancy, not even dark horse candidates. Cleveland fans girded themselves for another miserable season.
"We skipped right past the denial and anger stages," said one fan. "I guess we just fell straight into depression."
When owner Randy Lerner hired Dan Hong as the new President and CEO of the Cleveland Browns, few cared enough to notice that this nobody in the clubby world of professional football had listed only "EA Sports Madden NFL" under prior experience on his C.V. Mr. Hong made his name investing in risk arbitrage and equities, and it is rumored that he first encountered Mr. Lerner while working on a joint investment with Securities Advisors, Inc., the investment firm that Mr. Lerner founded in 1991.
Mr. Hong, who also goes by his nickname "Danimal," first met with Mr. Lerner at the Berea training facility on the Sunday afternoon after Virtual Bowl III to discuss the terms of his employment with the Browns. The details of that meeting were not made public, but sources inside the Browns organization provided the gist of the contract negotiations, which included several unusual terms.
- The CEO will have final say in all aspects of football operations, including staff hiring and personnel decisions
- No limits were set on the annual budget for football operations
- Compensation included a minimal salary with annual incentives tied to both absolute and relative franchise value
- The contract is binding for three years and cannot be voided except in the case of fraud or criminal activity
Mr. Lerner is considered to be a hands-off owner and generally stays out of the limelight
"This is classic Lerner," said Jim Donovan, the radio voice for the Cleveland Browns. "It's how great investors and businessmen think. He's giving the CEO the authority to do his job, but is holding him accountable for his decisions. By tying pay to franchise value, he's basically telling this guy, treat this money and this franchise as if you were the owner, and you will be paid like an owner. The relative vs. absolute part is important, too. A rising tide lifts all boats. You can't pay someone for just being in the right boat at the right time.
"And that last one basically says that Lerner can't fire this guy for the next three years, no matter what. One, it's obviously a very high vote of confidence. Two, it's sending a very clear message to the CEO. Make decisions for the long term. If it results in short-term pain, fine, as long as it pays off in the long run.
"But the real question is whether business translates well to football. Entertainment is business, and football is entertainment, so you would think yes. Only time will tell."
Scorecard
Below are Cleveland's average scores on a number of metrics at the beginning of 2009. These scores are based on an annual survey of league analysts.
Franchise Value - $640,060,000 (15th)
Stadium Quality - 62/100 (9th)
Roster Strength - 45/100 (27th)
Fan Support - 69/100 (20th)
Economy - 48/100 (7th)
Cleaning House
The day after the new CEO met with Mr. Lerner, the Browns announced that they had fired their entire coaching and scouting staffs. The only survivor of what has become known in Cleveland as "The Purge" was defensive coordinator Lee Sims, who was immediately signed to a new deal when the linebackers threatened to sit out training camp if Sims did not return.
"No way I'm playing for anyone but Lee," said All-Pro Chaun Thompson (ILB). "I didn't do nothing my first 2 years in the league, but this is the man who taught me how to be a player."
Thompson may be on to something. Sims gets much of the credit for developing a defense that led the league in 2009 with 28 interceptions and tied for 4th with 40 sacks. Though they ranked 21st in yards and 13th in points allowed, their ability to make plays determined the outcome of several games this season.
Disciplinarian Jesse McGrew became the third head coach in franchise history, and it seems as if the third time was the charm for the Browns. Though McGrew earned a reputation with the Cleveland media for his stern countenance and blunt honesty, he wears another face in private. A few candid shots taken during training camp shows the bond he developed with his players and explains how he got this team to play for him.
McGrew laughs as he talks to players stretching for morning practice
McGrew and Braylon Edwards share a private joke
Most importantly, McGrew took a team that had won a total of 10 games in its first three years and led them to a 12-4 record and their first appearance in the playoffs. He taught the Browns how to win again. For that alone, McGrew has become a hero in Cleveland.
Part of the credit for the 2009 season also goes to new offensive coordinator Jack Forbes, who made his name in Seattle by developing the raw, young quarterback David Greene into a legitimate passing threat. Greene led the Seahawks to the NFC Championship game in 2008 and set a franchise record in every major passing category that year. Some of those records still stand even after Alex Smith rolled into Seattle and became the new hot thing in town.
Forbes can now add another young quarterback to his resume. Under his guidance, the often-maligned Brady Quinn (QB) produced a career-defining performance in 2009 and may have dispelled once and for all the big question mark that dogged him for his first two years in Cleveland.
Quinn shouts to Kellen Winslow and Daryl Nied during an indoors practice at Berea
"The first thing I noticed about him was how cool and confident he is in the pocket," said Forbes. "That's uncommon in a quarterback his age. Nothing fazes him. If he gets knocked down on a play, he gets right back up and starts calling the next play."
That confidence may have helped his team win a few games that could have gone either way. Five times this season, he engineered a hair-raising comeback performance in the 4th quarter to give his team the win. He very nearly did it again in the Wild Card game against Indianapolis and fell only 3 yards short of pushing the game into overtime.
Though the season ended with a disappointing early exit from the playoffs, we can't wait to see what the new coaching staff can do for the Browns in the seasons to come.
In the next issue, we will review the moves that the Browns made during free agency and on draft day to build the team that taught an entire city of sports fans how to hope again.
