CBS SPORTS Article on The "Goon"

BALTIMORE -- Honest to God, I hope the Cleveland Browns have quit on their coach. I hope they've quit on that smarmy little know-it-all, Eric Mangini, because the alternative is even uglier. Judging from their hopeless 34-3 loss Sunday to Baltimore, a game in which the Browns couldn't run, throw, block or tackle, the Browns have either quit on Mangini -- or they're simply the worst team in the NFL.


And the Kansas City Chiefs still play in the NFL.

But there's no way the Chiefs are as bad as Cleveland, and that's because the Chiefs don't hate their coach. Not like the Browns surely hate Eric Mangini. He's the most dislikeable coach in the NFL, and that's saying something. Bill Belichick coaches in the NFL. But unlike Mangini, Belichick has done something. He's done a whole lot of something. He has three Super Bowl rings that say he's not a jerk -- he's an irascible genius.

Mangini? He's just a jerk.

And players don't like playing for a jerk.

And Sunday was the proof.

Again, I honestly hope for their sake that the Browns quit on Mangini. Seriously. And I despise quitting. Hate it. Don't think it should be done, ever, and that includes now. I do not think the Browns should quit on Mangini, because a professional athlete should have enough pride in himself to play his best, regardless of how big a jackass his coach is.

But Mangini is such an enormous jackass that it skews things.

You can quit on your coach and still have a job in this league if you're good enough to play. But if the Browns haven't quit on Mangini, if they actually were trying on Sunday, then they're beyond help. Then there are about 30 of them who don't belong in the NFL. I could list the 30, but it would be easier to just say: the Cleveland defense, the Cleveland offensive line, both Cleveland quarterbacks, every Cleveland running back, Braylon Edwards, and various and sundry Cleveland special team players.

Mangini denies the Browns have quit on him -- but the field action speaks differently. (AP) Those are the options. Either the Browns have quit on Mangini, or those players should be released immediately. The poor Ravens deserved better. They deserved better competition, better effort, from the Browns. Baltimore is really good and doesn't need its opponent to quit to win a game. Baltimore will go to the playoffs this season, and when the last game of the season is played, Baltimore might just be there. And win it. The Ravens are that good, on both sides of the ball and on the sideline, and it showed Sunday in a blowout victory.

But I suspect something else happened Sunday. I suspect the Browns have quit on the coach. And if you follow the Browns at all, or if you don't follow the Browns but you had the misfortune of watching Sunday's game on television, you suspect the same thing.

Mangini doesn't suspect a damn thing, of course. I asked him straight out: Did the players quit on you?

And he said: "No. No. And if at any point I do identify anything like that, they won't be playing in the weeks to come."

He might want to identify the players responsible on some -- OK, all -- of the Ravens' touchdowns Sunday. The Ravens had rushing touchdowns of 7, 15 and 9 yards in which the ball carrier was never touched. Not once. And you can't explain it away by blaming the breakdown on one specific area of the Cleveland defense, because one play went left. One went right. And the other went straight up the middle.

Willis McGahee had the first two scores, and Ray Rice the third. And it was the pass defense, too. Ravens receiver Derrick Mason scored untouched on a 72-yard pass play, catching the ball at a dead stop at the Cleveland 25, then eluding two nearby defenders who kind of, maybe, tried to stop him. McGahee also had a 34-yard run where he was throwing off would-be tacklers like a man throwing off boys. Or like a motivated NFL player throwing off a bunch of quitters.

So, did they quit? Only they know. I asked three different Cleveland players if the team had quit on Mangini, and all three said no. But they were talking to an outsider. They don't know me, they don't trust me, and I get that. Only one of them even spoke to me in complete sentences, kick returner Joshua Cribbs, and he avoided the danger entirely.

"I'm no mind-reader, but I don't see any quitting in here," Cribbs said. "Give credit where credit is due. That [Baltimore] is a really good team. They're going to do some things this year. It's not like we quit. We're a disciplined team, and it starts with the coach. We need discipline, and he gives it to us."

Maybe. Or maybe Mangini has given his players something else. Maybe he has given them every reason to quit on him. Reportedly, almost 10 percent of Mangini's active roster -- five players out of 53 -- are in the process of filing grievances against their horse's ass of a coach who has, for example, fined a player $1,701 for not paying for a $3 bottle of water out of a hotel fridge.

Mangini is a power-drunk bully who derives pleasure from little-man moves like hiding the identity of his starting quarterback this preseason, like hiding the injury of Brett Favre last season in New York, and like fining a player $1,701 for drinking a $3 bottle of water in his hotel room and then forgetting to tell the front desk about it.

Mangini is a smart guy, but he undermines his intelligence by being such an ass. He's the NFL's version of Larry Bowa, one of the smarter baseball men but arrogant enough to think he re-invented the game -- which makes him so dislikeable that he'll never manage again in the big leagues. Mangini doesn't have Bowa's resume as a player, though, so Mangini isn't really another Larry Bowa. He's another Buck Showalter.

And I asked Mangini about that, too. I prefaced my question by noting that he was dealing with human beings in his locker room, and so I wanted to know if maybe, just maybe, his methods weren't working with the particular human beings in his particular locker room.

And he said: "I've dealt with a lot of football players over time, and I feel very comfortable in my ability to deal with people. I demand high expectations of people. That's something I fundamentally believe in."

Fine, but here's something I fundamentally believe: If I'm a player in this league, and I become a free agent, I'm telling my agent to consider offers from 31 teams: Everyone in the league except for any organization dumb enough to employ that fool Eric Mangini as head coach. And if I'm thinking that way, you can believe there are players or agents who think that way.

What I'm saying is this: Cleveland is a train wreck. Cleveland was better off with mediocre Romeo Crennel than it is with malignant Eric Mangini. The Browns' front office and ownership can pretend otherwise, but that's make-believe. That can't be sincere. Only a moron could watch this Cleveland football team, which I've had the misfortune of doing twice in three weeks, and think everything is going to be OK here.

Then again, Cleveland did hire Mangini in the first place. So apparently there are morons in that front office.

And maybe, possibly -- probably -- there are quitters in that locker room.


FINALLY A NATIONAL PUNDIT WILLING TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS! THE GOON MUST GO!

He is who we thought he was..

ONE AND DONE SON!

Yes, Lady Fryinn. He performed exactly how we thought he would, 6-8 for about 10 yards (okay 30).

When DA came in I had a renewed spark and interest in the game. A poster on Cleveland.com summed up my feelings the best so I will copy his words.

Thank you OHIOJIM4 for this post!:

"Note to a friend after game:

You obviously sent your message when Anderson took over in the third quarter. I felt the same way you did (Yes! Yes!). And even though my original glee was watered-down by his 3 INT performance, I'm still elated. And....happy. And I have renewed optimism about the future (where before - with Quinn, who will NEVER be more than he is - I was ready to give up and cut my own frigging throat). Because Anderson has the tools to maybe/perhaps/could be a great QB.

Lemme tell you something. Anderson is a classic, old fashioned GUNSLINGER/GAMBLER. He has the arm to throw ANY pass - and he will. Even the ones he SHOULDN'T THROW.

All gunslinger/gambler QBs do that. They have rocket arms, and supreme confidence in their rocket arms - so they ALWAYS think they can "get in in there", or "thread that impossible
needle". It's in their blood. And it's what makes them great. EVENTUALLY. Potentially.

But until they mature and learn to harness their enormous talent THEY SCREW UP a lot. And THROW A LOT OF FOOLISH/STUPID INTERCEPTIONS. Because THEY THINK THEY CAN COMPLETE IT!
But as they get more savvy - along with those stupid INTs comes a lot of "unbelievable!" and "how did he do that" completions and touchdowns.

The point is that great gunslinger/gambler quarterbacks have two things in common: they have a rifle/make any throw arm - and they all screw up big-time early in their careers. But they eventually GROW and PROSPER and ACHIEVE THEIR NATURAL TALANT. And the inevitable stupid throw pics are the price you pay for seeing the Sports Center TD Pass of the Day. Quinn will never get
you that. Anderson might.

THAT'S why I'm re-excited. If nothing else, future games (with Anderson) will be exciting and watchable, instead of fall-asleep, "wake me when it's over" boring (with Quinn).

Quinn IS DONE. Mangini can't go back."

DA MUST PLAY!

SEASON OUTLOOK

well my friends, we are just 4 days away from what any sensible fan knew was coming and that's an 0-3 start with 3 BLOWOUTS.

my prediction: 45-6 Ravens.

best case scenario for quinn: 27-13 with a TD in garbage time.


SEASON OUTLOOK

With Quinn Starting All 16 Games:
likely: 0-16
best case scenario: 1-15 (take a fluke win against either OAK, KC, or JACK)

With Quinn Starting 8 Games:
likely: 5-11 (Quinn 0-8) (DA 5-3 wins over KC, OAK, JAC, CIN, PIT)

With DA Starting 12 Games:
likely: 8-8 (Quinn 0-4) (DA 8-4 wins over KC, OAK, JAC, CIN, PIT, BUF, GB, BAL)

With DA Starting 13 Games:
likely: 9-7 (Quinn 0-3) (DA 9-4 Wins Over CINx2, KC, OAK, JAC, CIN, PIT, BUF, GB, BAL)

THE CHOICE IS YOURS MANGOONIE....

POWER RANKINGS WEEK 2

FOX SPORTS 32/32
NO WORRIES: Well, at least Braylon Edwards went one week without a big drop. And hey, maybe the Browns will get the top pick in the 2010 draft? TIME TO WORRY: Brady Quinn is already getting questioned, with folks wondering if Derek Anderson can make a difference.


ESPN.com 29/32
Two blowout losses to open the season don't bode well. (Chadiha)


AC SPORTS TIED 32/32
After watching Cleveland in two games, I've thoroughly convinced the Browns have zero talent other than the team's place kicker. The Browns are going to get killed this weekend.
personal note: give DAVE ZASTUDIL SOME CREDIT!


BLEACHER REPORT 32/32


WEEI.com 29/32
Watching Eric Mangini and the Browns struggle puts a smile on the faces of Patriots fans.


CBSSPORTS 31/32
They just don't do anything on offense. That's an issue that will carry on all year long. It's going to be a tough year for Eric Mangini and his gang. Still like him as a coach, Randy Lerner?

Even during DA's DARKEST DAYS we were never rated this low.

NOTRE DAME FALLACY

I read a post from the very insightful poster "HIGHMAY" on Cleveland.com that brought up some great points:

"I agree about the majority of the writers kowtowing. It's easy to understand. Quinn has the Notre Dame "pedigree" and the one of the most powerful agents in sports. Plus, our Madison Avenue owner loves him.

But none of that matters when it comes to winning.

Marketing is a powerful tool. Savage clearly moved for Quinn to curry favor with the fans and boss, and Crennel switched to Quinn to try and save his job. Remember the Browns had an extra #1 - and they probably could have had Eric Wright without the need to trade their 2nd rounder, had they passed on the Handsome Checkdown.

A guy without all the tools can win in the NFL. Montana and Bradshaw are the best examples, but on a lesser scale guys like Pennington. But those guys came out of the woodwork, not regaled with fanfare. Fans of Quinn should admit he does not have all the tools, and he is not NFL ready. And all the "leadership" in the world can't overcome that.

I wish, I hope, than Anderson shows up at practice and plays as hard as he's ever played in his life for the next ten days. Mangini and staff must be waiting for him to show them some commitment.

Its funny - Notre Dame plays a terrible schedule and hasn't won many big games in years, but they retain such credibility because of their insane, devoted, hellaciously rabid fan base. It's like the football version of scientology."

A lot of great points regarding Quinn and Notre Dame especially. Notre Dame is probably the #2 college team in Cleveland outside of Ohio State. This makes Brady Quinn on a completely different level right off the get go. Most fans see Derek Anderson as some hick from Oregon State. He's perennially a length behind before the race ever starts.

If DA had played the way Quinn did in the Minnesota game he would have been boo'd straight out of the stadium. For Quinn, there was just apathy because the QUINNBOTS realized that their false hopes and myopic vision were a FARCE.

I hope that Anderson can show up and show some commitment too. But how would you feel if you were in his shoes? You're in the doghouse with fans for NO OTHER REASON than because they have a love affair with an unproven quarterback because he was pumped out of the HYPE MACHINE as the golden boy.

You've been boo'd after giving the Browns their only taste of legitimate QB play since returning to the league. It's not hard to see why he would be jaded, but I hope he works through it because there a significant minority of us Browns fans who know it's the right thing to do.

On the Ratbirds...

ANOTHER LONG BOMB FOR TD!!

We are headed into another Sunday with a 99.9% chance we will be out of the game by the 4th quarter.

If Quinn is LUCKY he will score a TD in garbage time to boost his QB rating and stroke the Quinnbot's egos.

QUINNBOTS will tout that he has "no one to throw to" and that "Cribbs is his #2 receiver".

Let me remind you that SYNDRIC STEPTOE was DA's #2 at times last year yet he still put up W's on the board.

DA had this team at 3-4 heading into the Baltimore game last season, a game which we would have WON if not for numerous dropped TD passes and a defensive breakdown.

In addition we had shots to win the games in Pittsburgh and Washington had it not been for idiotic playcalling, dropped passes, and a few bad breaks.

The bottom line is DA KEEPS US IN GAMES. Unfortunately last year we didn't catch the breaks we did in 2007, but that happens in the NFL. The difference between 6-10 and 10-6 can be the bounce of a ball for some teams, look at the Packers last year.

However that is not good enough for the QUINNBOTS and KOOL AID DRINKERS. They immediately threw DA under the bus when we were 3-5 following 3 winnable games where we didn't catch a break. We all know what unraveled after that.

Tell me how 0-8 will taste? And that's 0-8 when we won't even be COMPETITIVE in any of the games. (1-7 is a best case scenario). The Quinnbots are the ones who were calling for this nightmare all along and unfortunately for the rational, intelligent football fans who saw this coming all along we have to pay the price as well.

We would have been 8-8 last year had we kept DA in there, as a result of mostly bad breaks, dropped passes and defensive breakdowns.

We would be in a similar spot to the Texans, geared up for this year and ready to ride with offensive continuity. RAC never would never have been fired and we wouldn't have this CREEPSTER of a coach who gets NO RESPECT from the players.

The problem with Quinnbots (who essentially run the organzation) is that they PANICKED and BALKED at the first sign of adversity last year. We had a brutal schedule and the Superbowl expectations were absurd at best.

What we could have had was a solid year in which we continued to build continuity in the face of adversity.

Instead we have this ASANINE mess with a BUSH LEAGUE QB behind center. We are on the fast track to 0-4 (best case scenario) and more likely 0-8 before Anderson gets back behind center.

You asked for it Quinnbots, YOU GOT IT!

You can't win a game when you're NEVER EVEN IN IT!

DA MUST PLAY!

ROMEO MUST...STAY?

I was behind the firing of RAC and the hiring of Penguini before I actually FIGURED OUT WHAT THIS CLOWN IS ALL ABOUT.

He is Romeo with ALL OF THE BAD and NONE OF THE GOOD.

He preaches "discipline" when he clearly doesn't have the discipline to stay off the buffet line 2-4 times a day. How can the players respect some fat bastard who charges $1700 when you forget to pay for a water? He is nickel and diming his players into contempt for him and his staff.

Kool aid drinkers will say it's about "accountability"? Well MANGOONIE what about when you illegally did not disclose Brett Farve's injury last year and refuse to answer questions about it. Hypocrisy at its finest.

People, we are getting the SAME PENALTIES we got last year. Kool aid drinkers will state "it's all part of the process" and will tout this same line for at least the next two years. Anyone who is not a moron knows this isn't a rebuilding year because we will be in the same position we are in right now until Mangini is fired. We are rebuilding a house of cards.

Reports from ex Jets players state they were ecstatic when Mangini was canned. Rex Ryan comes in and BAM they are 2-0 out of the gate.

The "scortched earth / strawman" types will say "Mangini built the team!"

That is laughable. None of these guys can open up around this Creepster because they are scared of him. I don't know if he got picked on in grade school but he strikes me as a cold, hard assed bastard with a huge ego to boot.

Why don't you run a few laps mangoonie, then we might give you some respect. Oh wait YOU CAN'T BUDDY.

I woulkd take Romeo over this clown any day. At least Romeo was a nice guy and actually opened up to the media. His post game interviews were priceless.

FIRE PENGUINI!

DA MUST PLAY!