Browns News: Brady’s Back! Rejoice!
November 11, 2009Wilbon: Iverson and Cavs a Perfect Match
November 11, 2009I am not a big fan of the idea of the “Brown out” protest scheduled for this Monday night. Â It appears that a lot of people aren’t all that excited by this protest, to be honest. Â Cleveland Frowns is so much against it that he has found a few venues to “debate” Dawg Pound Mike on the subject. Â The problem that I have with the “protest” (and what Frowns so eloquently pointed out) is that we really don’t have any idea what the protest is for. Â When you protest you are supposed to have a demand like better wages, having a law repealed or for rights by someone. Â In this case, the idea was that fans “wanted to be heard.” Â And then the reclusive owner of the Browns had a private meeting with Dawg Pound Mike and the other guy who used to dress up like Charlie’s Fryes or whatever. Â So, in the end, they are protesting even after they presumably got what they wanted. Â Very strange indeed. Â I have a better plan.
Actually a friend of mine came up with this idea, and I think it is brilliant. Â What we really want to do is show the world that we are by far the greatest fans in the world and that we deserve first class football every single Sunday. Â We are never going to be satisfied with second best. Â In addition it would be nice to find a way to help the team to a certain extent. Â My friend’s idea was that everyone should go on a voting spree for the Pro Bowl at NFL.com.
If you want to protest for real, send John St. Clair to the Pro Bowl. Â The world will hear you loud and clear via the media. Â You want people to find out about how bad the team is but how great the fans are? Â Vote in Jamal Lewis, Josh Cribbs, and Mohamed Massoquai. Â If you want to protest so that people understand just how great you are and just how badly the team has been, vote in Derek Anderson to be the quarterback at the Pro Bowl.
You can do all your voting on NFL.com. Â I think it would send a legit message to the entire football-watching nation. Â It would also make a point while also advertising to free agents just how great a fanbase we truly are. Â We deserve better. Â That’s for sure. Â So if there is any excitement with something like this, I will be happy to keep pumping it up. Â Talk about a great way to unite the distraught Browns Backers all across the country. Â It is something we can do right from out computers.
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26 Comments
I want to vote for Brady Quinn’s dreamy aura đ
Why do you think Lerner has reacted at all, and why do you think it was right before the Monday night game? And you are suggesting you don’t understand the motive of sending a message to a recalcitrant owner who would otherwise stick with his personal choice to prove out and avoid the ultimate embarrassment?
Perhaps you should just consider going back to your suggestion several months ago that everyone should just sit back and take in the next several years and “hope” for the best.
I completely agree. The Brown out is not the answer. We need to fill the stadium, especially with all this embarrassing TV Black Out talk swirling. Don’t allow ESPN any little nugget at all that the the fans have abandoned the team. You do that, and the next thing you know it won’t even be about MNF anymore, it will turn into a commentary about how Cleveland doesn’t deserve good athletes and they’ll be showing graphics of Cribbs and Massaquoi in Knicks jerseys. Do what Browns fans do, stand strong and support what we’ve got. Lerner IS listening now, to Dawg Pound Mike, Kosar and to us! It didn’t get this awful over night, and it is not going to be fixed by Monday. MNF is our time to shine to the world. If our team looks like crap, at least we will look good! Make ESPN talk all night about how amazing the city of Cleveland is, and how we deserve more for being the best fans in the pro sports. And besides, how angry would you be if you paid for tickets and participated and Cribbs shows up with an amazing kick off return?
this is a great idea. just imagine derek anderson under center in the pro bowl after the media debated if he was the worst quarterback in history.
The problem with this ‘protest’ is this: It’s two guys being attention whores. If you’ve listened to the debate bewteen Frowns and Dawg Pound(cake) Mike (get it I made a fat joke it’s like LOL MANGINI IS FAT AND THAT’S FUNNY!), it’s pretty clear that Mike has no idea why he’s making a protest. He just says ‘so we can be heard, we’re sick of the team being terrible’, then takes zero issue with Lerner. I’m sure at least one of the following two things is going on: 1) Dawg Pound Mike is a complete and utter attention whore and is doing it solely to remind everyone that he’s THE GUY when it comes to ‘true Browns fans’ or whatever he wants to claim. 2) He’s on Lerner’s payroll.
I agree 1000% with Pete at Frowns about the fact that the guy’s motives are questionable. His cognitive ability and reasoning behind said ‘protest’ are completely in question, especially since after he met with Lerner (who is, in fact the only common factor in the last ten years of the Browns suck-fest – NOT Mangini), he’s been singing the praises of Lerner and bashing Mangini (who hasn’t had the amount of time that’s truly needed to turn the ship around in a league like the NFL, especially with this abortion of a roster).
This is ridiculous. We’ve filled the stadium for years and this is what we’ve gotten. I’m with Isis, sarcasm and all. Strikes and protests hurt, they are a sacrifice for the greater good. So you might miss a Josh Cribbs return, I’ll take a management that gives a damn over that any day. Do you think ownership would do anything at all if we filled the stadiums and bought merchandise week after week? No way and if you think otherwise you’re crazy.
Lost in all of this (and very much in the middle of it) are the players. That’s why I don’t like the idea of having an empty stadium Monday. It couldn’t make them feel great that there is nobody in the stadium. It feels like a punishment to them when they didn’t put the team in Randy’s hands, didn’t let the coach handpick his boss and didn’t butcher the current QB situation. We call ourselves the victims but they are the ones under prepared and over matched going into next week’s game. I wonder how they feel about that? Then add it the fact that their hometown fans might not even bother coming?
Those of you with tickets….go. Be loud and support the team. I’m sure free agents and coaching prospects around the country would appreciate that. If you want to get at Lerner, don’t buy anything. If you already have a ticket, they already have your money. If you want to make a statement don’t buy the overpriced beer and nachos.
And don’t vote for anyone else in the AFC.
You’ll just dilute the votes for the Browns.
Parity my butt. We’ll show you parity.
@ Cody This, with all the national media coverage is about the fans now. It is about our pride. Everyone knows our front office should be blown up. Lerner knows that! I mean since the whole Brown Out story broke they fired Kokinis, gave Dawg Pound Mike his meeting, and have publicly made it known they are making changes. Let’s not embarrass our reputation as fans. What do you think you will change by having ESPN pan a nearly empty stadium at kick off? Nothing. All that will do is make them trash talk the fans and the city all game. Not Lerner, or Mangini. It will make Cleveland fans look like mindless idiots that have no idea what they are fighting for! If you were say, calling for Mangini’s head on a platter, it may be a different story. But as Craig (and Frowns) ALREADY pointed out, we have no specific demands! Just saying ‘I’m unhappy with you” and staging a highly publicized protest without asking for a specific resolution is childish and immature. Dawg Pound Mike asked for a meeting, he got his meeting. Let’s act like dignified sports fans here, not like some bratty high maintenance teenage girl on a date.
While I support the idea of the Brown-out protest, the purpose of it has indeed become muddled, and that is very valid criticism. I completely understand why many (most? Haven’t seen a scientifically valid poll, just anecdotal surveys) are against it, but I’m of the opinion that Lerner won’t change his ways until his pocketbook suffers–we can all “hope”, but we already know what we’ve got with Lerner, a guy who doesn’t learn from his errors, repeats his mistakes, and wants to be an absentee owner but refuses to make the hires to allow him to do so effectively, preferring all his top people report to him directly because he’s “picked up a thing or two.”) Unfortunately, thanks to PSLs, any impact on ticket renewals is limited…
All that said, I think this pro-bowl voting is a brilliant idea, Craig. I’d love to see this take root.
Expose the Browns and embarrass Lerner’s organization, all while demonstrating the fans’ undying devotion.
You think this thing’s got legs to take off? I’ll do my small part.
The protest is a simple show of solidarity and a means of commiserating – perhaps “protest” is the wrong word for it but the collective gesture is not without value. Seems like it would be better described as civil disobedience, which is essentially what you are suggesting w/ your idea Craig.
I just finished listening to the second debate between Mike and Pete at Frowns. ‘We did some calculations and 42 thousand people will show up late with our Brown Out’.
Me + 7 of my friends + 41,992 thousand people who show up late for kickoff every week regardless of what’s going on = 42 thousand.
This Mike is one of the biggest morons I’ve ever heard.
Many internet cocktails for Pete. He didn’t flip out and lose his cool when I surely would have.
As if the Pro Bowl ratings weren’t low enough…
First of all, the Pro Bowl idea is absolutely fantastic. I mean if even one member of the Browns offense made it into that game (Joe Thomas aside), it would be a legendary gag. Too bad we don’t have the manpower to make it happen. I would pay to have DA make the AFC roster behind Manning and Brady but over a guy like shi**y fat frat face Roethlisburger.
Second, the “brown out” is going to fizzle into a non-story. The stadium will be 3 quarters full by kickoff and everyone on television will think that’s just about right for a 1-7 team. Seriously, nobody should be getting this riled up over what will amount to absolutely nothing.
Your friend’s idea is “brilliant” because … we want the nation to know we are great fans and deserve better? Because … free agents will then come here?
Regarding the latter, simply not true. Free agents want the most money, want to win, or both. The “great fans” blather is lip service by a free agent coming or going.
Regarding the former, I don’t need the nation to feel my pain. The nation cannot help me. I want a competent football organization. Tell me how this helps.
It has worked in the past. In 1957, Cincinnati fans, with the help of pre-marked ballots printed in The Cincinnati Enquirer, so stuffed the box that seven Reds were elected starters.
Clown, before you take your frustrations out on the concessions workers at the game, remember that many of them are volunteers for local charities who are donating their time. The players will still get their money, local charities donât have that guarantee.
@ BB:
For realz? If the $9 a beer I’m shelling out is going to charity then I’m going to start saving my receipts for tax writeoff purposes.
Jerry, all these big companies, they write off everything.
/Kramer’d
@17 – No, Randy Lerner profits. But the people working the stands? Unless something has changed rather recently, those concession stand workers are volunteers. Charitable organizations volunteer to work and receive a percentage for their cause–did this during my college years several times.
The Brown out doesn’t hit Randy Lerner in his “pocket book” either. Speaking of which, that phrase is such a cliche… I don’t know anyone with a pocketbook, I don’t think.
have to admit, it would be hilarious to see DA in the pro bowl… a funny idea… but neither idea “hits ’em in the wallet”, like .. say… not buying tickets or merch. at all.
But then, if no one’s at the game because they didn’t buy tickets… the whole “these fans don’s deserve to have a Pro Football team if they aren’t gonna support it” angle comes back into view.
hmm… a catch 22. The endless debate: are you a “deserving fan” if you support them blindly (good, bad, or endlessly bad) and spend the money, or if you make bold statements in really bad situations (like this one) because you want a better team?
I love this idea and am currently doing my part. Also, I hope everyone will vote for Stylez G White, DE of Tampa Bay. He:
-is in the NFC, so no diluting the Browns vote.
-has the best name in the NFL.
Also our 2nd inside LB is Malava. Not Maiava. News to me.
“The Brown out doesnât hit Randy Lerner in his âpocket bookâ either. Speaking of which, that phrase is such a cliche⊠I donât know anyone with a pocketbook, I donât think.”
Judas priest… we’re going to go all literal on euphemisms now?
It wasn’t aimed at anyone here phred… I just mean the world at large. I imagine that phrase being spoken in the 1950’s talking about boycotting an oil company or something. Just a pet peeve, really.
Half the people aren’t in their seats by kickoff anyway. The people who are opposed to this protest are going to have to make an effort to get their butts into their seats earlier than usual.
I agree the “brown out” no longer makes any sense, and that DPM is certainly a less-than-desirable voice of the fans. However, Frowns’ article may as well be a presser for Mangini.
He’d have made a better point if he had wipedthe Brown (cwutididthur) off his nose and stopped telling me what “real” fans should or should not do.