Browns Film Room: Hey Hue, you had a good run game vs the Ravens
December 21, 2017Browns-Bears Pre-cap: Face it, we know what will happen
December 22, 2017I’m out of things to say in 2017. I’m tired. I’m worn out. I need a vacation. A couple times per year I get punchy like this and I’m lucky enough to get a couple vacations to look forward to in each calendar revolution. As a result, I’m outsourcing my WWW this week to The A to Z Podcast. They don’t know it yet, but that’s the way things go. I listened to the latest episode and I’m letting it inform everything I have to say in this post. So check out that episode and here goes!
I don’t care what happens with Hue Jackson anymore…
I have been steadfast that I don’t want to be in the business of defending Hue Jackson. Because I’ve ripped apart the building of this roster so heavily, it’s been a side of the fence I’ve ended up standing on more often than I would like. I’m officially out of the business for real this time.
I haven’t been listening closely enough to the people who are around this team and this coach every day, including A to Z and guys like Daryl Ruiter who’ve I’ve heard talk about Hue’s potential fate. Despite any philosophies about continuity, having a consistent voice, or judging the lack of depth and cohesiveness of the Cleveland Browns roster, it really doesn’t matter if Hue Jackson returns or not. Even given the worst-case scenario that was handed to Hue, he’s managed to make it that much worse both in how he’s coached the team and how he’s acted in self-defense running his own not-so-secret media campaign.
Whether Hue Jackson can come back from that and never exhibit behaviors like that again is up to Jimmy Haslam and John Dorsey to decide. I’ve spent a lot of time speculating from my outside perch and based on my overarching philosophies, but people who are much closer and more well-connected are saying things and giving opinions based on a host of factors that they can’t always report. That’s not to say that you should listen to a beat writer if they say who they think the team should draft or sign in free agency. You probably also shouldn’t listen when they hint at tactical errors. If they are hinting at irreparable dysfunction, however, it’s notable.
I’m listening now.
What’s the greatest Christmas gift you ever got?
Zac and Andre talked about this topic as well. You’ll have to listen to the podcast for their takes, but I’m going to steal the topic idea and tell you mine.
I have no idea what age I was, but I got the GI Joe Command Center one year for Christmas. It was the absolute hey-day of my career “playing with guys” as my brother and I used to call it. We had a couple Star Wars figures and some Transformers and Go-Bots over the years, but nothing could ever compare to GI Joe for us. Getting this command center was everything I ever could have hoped for in that year, and I spent hours and hours setting up scenarios with guys and vehicles approaching this steel-looking plastic behemoth of a base that protected all my favorite guys from certain death.
I’m sure there were other gifts that should have made the list, but I don’t have control which ones my brain pushes straight to the top when these questions get asked. So, what’s yours?
We Wish You a Metal Christmas
This week I asked Alexa to play some metal Christmas music and this was the third song that came on. I loved it. My kids thought it was fun. My wife hated it. Here you go!
22 Comments
“Even given the worst-case scenario that was handed to Hue, heβs managed to make it that much worse both in how heβs coached the team and how heβs acted in self-defense running his own not-so-secret media campaign.”
Thats the head on the nail. I was a Hue supporter before they hired him. I said “If it doesnt work, I dont know jack about football (surprise!)” In the beginning of the season, when radio trolls were going on and on about 1-19 or whatever, I was saying “Last year shouldn’t count, for anybody. It was garbage, we all agreed it was going to be garbage, lets leave it in the past”
And then the way Hue has screwed up on the sidelines and the way he has waged his own little disinformation campaign, along with the way he’s thrown everyone under the bus but himself…I just have no respect for him anymore. Bye Felicia
Christmas 1988 – Not only did I get a Nintendo, but I got the Power Set. To this day I am still the only person I know who had the power set. It wasn’t often I was the envy of the other kids at my school, but that was one of those times.
Hue’s a bad coach, but it doesn’t matter anymore. The Browns just blew up the sabrenetrics model they were going to run for the next 5 years. I mean, after the botched QB trades, I’m not surprised, but they’re starting from scratch again.
On the topic of GI Joe, this is one of my absolute favorite Christmas gifts:
http://www.yojoe.com/images/resize/w/MAX/vehicles/88/rollingthunder/rollingthunder_leftfront_ext_iso.jpg
(Rhetorical) What does it say about the state of the Browns when fans don’t really care whether or not the head coach (who has one of the worst records in NFL history) is back next year?
Hue isn’t a good coach, and he’s probably a jerk. But I don’t care either. The Browns are going to be terrible next year too. This is in part because Hue is the coach.
DUDE! I had the power set too! Track and field all day.
Note that the giant missiles had missiles. AMERICA!
“…how heβs acted in self-defense running his own not-so-secret media campaign”
At least he’s “running” something. If Hue could “pass” his own not-so-secret media campaign, he’d be all over it.
But, what about the Teflon Goldfish?
Hue has done the seemingly impossible: failed to clear the lowest set of expectations ever set for a coach. The nuts and bolts of head coaching that should be manifest at the end of two full seasons – control of game situations, disciplined play, physically gifted players showing marked improvement, a culture of high standards – is minimal if not absent. Small examples can illustrate large issues. If Hue still has no idea when or whether to use a replay challenge, it’s no wonder his players are not well-versed in when to hurry to the line or how not to draw a taunting flag. When Hue blames the FO or his players, they’ll find their own excuses. If Hue panics when down a TD, his kid QB will have difficulty staying calm under pressure.
Contemplate the things we no longer identify as symptoms of rot. Late in a winless season in the worst era in team history, receivers with issues don look-at-me sunglasses after scoring rare touchdowns. No team “leaders” snatch them off and break them, and everyone’s apparently ok with that. Corey Coleman not lining up at the line of scrimmage is Hue. As are his sunglasses and curfew violation. As is the back up safety who turns fourth down into an opponent’s first down with a mindless shove. Those who want Hue back for stability have no memory of what minimally competent coaching looks like, and must assume that bad habits can be easily unlearned.
my record forthe 100 was 5.95. Usain Bolt had nothing on me
“Just because you run for 59 yards don’t mean that….all 5 of us could have run through that hole. Being inspired to run is breaking tackles”
What an idiot. What now, Craig? Can we fire him now?
and a Merry Christmas to you Harv! π
Does anyone else have to click on the teams section to see new articles?
Yes, this whole week. Clearing your cache works for a bit, but that only seems to get me current. It doesn’t fix the problem going forward.
I’m on Chrome. I haven’t noticed the problem on Internet Explorer or mobile, but I typically don’t use those anywhere near as often.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fedca99b751fa05c20af7e634e24c3c7636b3a0eaebaea7edd02c3a72015e3b5.jpg
This is a top-3 all-timer for Christmas gifts here as well. Hell, I think Iβd still be excited if I got it for Christmas this year.
https://media.giphy.com/media/qM84YabWxWoZq/giphy.gif
Best Christmas gift ever? Sega Genesis. Not only was it awesome initially, but it also guaranteed for the next 5-6 years that games would be a sizable portion of my gift haul each year. Mortal Kombat, Joe Montana 2: Sports Talk Football, Bulls vs. Blazers, Double Dragon 2: The Revenge, Streets of Rage…so many memories.
I played Streets of Rage for hours!
I still have a Sega Genesis.
After college we’d sit around, drink beer and play Toejam and Earl.
Harv, I so agree with you. Hue MUST be fired. INSANITY is keeping him. While many say people with careers in football know more than the fans, I would say that is probably true for every person in football but Hue Jackson… None of us could have possibly done worse, one win in two seasons is the worst run in NFL history…