A Culture of Change

So the Browns look to have a new owner.

I'm not to impressed either way so far.

I think the general view I hear most is, "I don't think I trust this guy.  But I really don't like Lerner either."

I think waiting for the other shoe to drop has been bred into the Cleveland fan.  It's like the observation radio host Kevin Kiley made a while back.  I have to paraphrase, but it goes like this: "I've been in Cleveland for seven months and that part of my brain that creates hope is dead."  It makes me laugh every time I hear the soundbite in the car.

A new owner just might be the thing the Browns need.  I didn't have a problem with Lerner per se.  He seemed interested in doing whatever was needed to make a competitive team short of actually managing something.  Which is why he wasn't going to win.  Having an absentee owner/ceo is a great way to create political strife as underlings vie for control of the organization.  Hiring Holmgren was supposed to fix this problem.  It hasn't.  Not to say that I  get the impression that people are infighting at this time, but Holmgren hasn't been plugged in enough (as it appears from the outside looking in) to really seem like he's actively creating something of long lasting value.  I'm sure he would deny this.  And he may actually believe it.  But Holmgren is on the back nine and he's dreaming of his home.  Especially since all he gets is flack in this town.

Lerner wanted to just mail in the check and let the football organization take care of itself.  This doesn't seem possible.  The owner sets the tone.  Even bat-shit crazy guys like Al Davis.  Even if he (or someday she) isn't the face of a team, the owner must and will always set the organizational culture.  If he doesn't, then any mold will grow in its place.  The team will be adrift.  And I don't know of any better way to describe the new Browns.

Randy inherited a team that has a fan base obsessed with its football heritage.  He never took advantage of this. 

The truth is that the Browns culture is still alive and well.... in Baltimore.  Ozzie might be the last man who can and does actively manage this culture of winning started by Paul Brown years ago.  Maybe the Baltimore ownership has been smart enough to see this and go with it, but in practice the Ravens are still the Browns under the veneer of Purple and Black.  The current Browns have yet to put it all back together since returning in 1999.  They're running out of time to do so.  There are ever fewer active ex-Browns who lived the culture first hand.  It may be too late.  But the first thing I would do as owner is pull in all the old Browns I could lay my hands on.  I wouldn't tell them to walk around and talk about the old days.  I wouldn't want them to reminiss with the young guys so they understand the Browns history.  It doesn't matter if Trent Richardson knows about Marion Motley or who Turkey Jones was (and why he was so damn awesome).  What matters is that we need guys who lived in that system and culture.

We need guys who knew how a winner functioned, and how that fit with the city.  The new guy may not ever figure out this either.  But he may also bring a new culture in, different and fitting for the new Browns that will lift the team up.

Whatever the case.  We should prepare for a bunch of change in all areas.  Which is something we haven't had here since 1999.