The Jimmy Haslam Thread

[MoFlo]

Yeah, we get it. Media is completely accurate and anything said by the team is bullshit. Rinse and repeat.

Well, Haslam isn't going to come out & admit that the organization is dysfunctional.

There's been plenty of evidence from multiple reputable sources that suggest a good amount of dysfunction.

 

[Soda]

Well, Haslam isn't going to come out & admit that the organization is dysfunctional.

There's been plenty of evidence from multiple reputable sources that suggest a good amount of dysfunction.

There were plenty of comments made yesterday that have merit and are worth discussion. It adds less than nothing to come in here and paint it all as bullshit because you're sour on the franchise right now.

Perspective is a good thing to have and taking both sides here and weighing them makes sense. Hence my desire to not make this forum and/or topic 'The Watercooler' all over again.

 

[Lee]

Sure Haslam doesn't think the Browns are dysfunctional. Compared to his other business the Browns are highly functional. I mean the FBI hasn't even raided the Browns yet.

 

[The Oi]

Yeah, we get it. Media is completely accurate and anything said by the team is bullshit. Rinse and repeat.

Still holdin out hope huh?

 

[Soda]

Still holdin out hope huh?

Yes, I'm not flaky.

 

[The Oi]

Yes, I'm not flaky.

Weird word to use in relation to a franchise with a criminal as an owner, that's filled with dysfunction, poor decision making and key players in the organization wanting to get out of it. I'd call someone who distrusted that situation, "reasonable." Flaky would probably be the last word that would come to mind.

You guys get it pounded into your heads from early on that you have to support a sports team for life simply because it's located in the same place you were born, to the extent where you accept and believe it to be completely reasonable for that franchise to expect that from you.

Once you all learn to look at this team like one of your favorite products than like a family member, you'll see that it makes a hell of a lot more sense to stop supporting the product until the recipe is fixed. You guys look at it like a drug addicted brother or an old sick dog. It's not. It's a failing business that wants you to pay it money to continue to fail.

 

[MoFlo]

There were plenty of comments made yesterday that have merit and are worth discussion. It adds less than nothing to come in here and paint it all as bullshit because you're sour on the franchise right now.

Perspective is a good thing to have and taking both sides here and weighing them makes sense. Hence my desire to not make this forum and/or topic 'The Watercooler' all over again.

While I agree that people shouldn't come in & automatically call it "b.s" and dismiss it, honestly, I don't blame them one bit...

How many times now has Haslam come out & said that everything is fine and the reports aren't true, only to have even more dysfunction continually get leaked?

 

[Soda]

While I agree that people shouldn't come in & automatically call it "b.s" and dismiss it, honestly, I don't blame them one bit...

How many times now has Haslam come out & said that everything is fine and the reports aren't true, only to have even more dysfunction continually get leaked?

I can't blame anyone for being mad. Personally though, I'd like to have some productive discussion here. We went a day without anyone posting anything at all in the Browns section. First comment in a day after I posted 10+ quotes from the owner is "it's all bullshit".

I find it annoying and redundant for the same posters to discount everything said, then call me out for weighing media sensationalism vs. reality, saying I'm out of touch. All the while they're eating everything "NFL Insiders" shit out. Media sensationalism happens, just like it's very probable Haslam is trying to suppress the perception by addressing what he calls "inaccuracies". Then people come in here trying to tell me that LaCanfora knows more about the Browns than the Browns? O rly?

On the dysfunction, we have heard the suite of issues and those issues were addressed by the owner, who offered some mitigating information. I said when it came out that no, you can't ignore the breadth of issues uncovered, but you must also consider the source when it comes to propping Lombardi and Shanahan up while blasting the Browns. It's like people want to believe all of the bad. I'd rather spin my tires trying to figure out how the Browns move forward and upward rather than revert to the same damn narrative without thinking twice.

 

[The Oi]

Then people come in here trying to tell me that LaCanfora knows more about the Browns than the Browns? O rly?

Nah. The Browns know more, but they're not going to TELL you how dysfunctional they are. That's for the reporters- ALL of the reporters- to tell you.

you must also consider the source when it comes to propping Lombardi and Shanahan up while blasting the Browns.

Dude...ALL sources say the same thing about the Browns.

It's like people want to believe all of the bad.

No.

I'd rather spin my tires trying to figure out how the Browns move forward and upward rather than revert to the same damn narrative without thinking twice.

Find a Quarterback.

 

[AZ_]

I can't blame anyone for being mad. Personally though, I'd like to have some productive discussion here. We went a day without anyone posting anything at all in the Browns section. First comment in a day after I posted 10+ quotes from the owner is "it's all bullshit".

I find it annoying and redundant for the same posters to discount everything said, then call me out for weighing media sensationalism vs. reality, saying I'm out of touch. All the while they're eating everything "NFL Insiders" shit out. Media sensationalism happens, just like it's very probable Haslam is trying to suppress the perception by addressing what he calls "inaccuracies". Then people come in here trying to tell me that LaCanfora knows more about the Browns than the Browns? O rly?

On the dysfunction, we have heard the suite of issues and those issues were addressed by the owner, who offered some mitigating information. I said when it came out that no, you can't ignore the breadth of issues uncovered, but you must also consider the source when it comes to propping Lombardi and Shanahan up while blasting the Browns. It's like people want to believe all of the bad. I'd rather spin my tires trying to figure out how the Browns move forward and upward rather than revert to the same damn narrative without thinking twice.

These poor Browns, falling victim to media sensationalism once again.

Hard to believe these media idiot don't see the same growth you've seen from the organization.

It's not about La Canfora knowing more than Haslam, it's about you choosing which spin you like better.

If it were Jason La Canfora independently slamming the Browns while simultaneously pumping up others out of spite, you might have the very beginnings of a logical point here.


But there is such a large majority of sources, internal and external, who are confirming the level of dysfunction within the front office.

Is that all to be taken with 100 percent accuracy? I'd hope not, I certainly don't.


But while you're chastising people for calling everything Haslam says as bullshit, you've diverged into the same pattern but with a larger number of people who you believe are all out to paint the Browns in a bad light.

 

[spydy13]

You guys get it pounded into your heads from early on that you have to support a sports team for life simply because it's located in the same place you were born, to the extent where you accept and believe it to be completely reasonable for that franchise to expect that from you.

Once you all learn to look at this team like one of your favorite products than like a family member, you'll see that it makes a hell of a lot more sense to stop supporting the product until the recipe is fixed. You guys look at it like a drug addicted brother or an old sick dog. It's not. It's a failing business that wants you to pay it money to continue to fail.

I fall somewhere between both of these points. I personally believe that you should support the teams where you are from. Just like you aren't able to choose at birth whether you are born into a rich or poor family, I believe that sports teams are something you are dealt and just have to roll with. That's not to say you can't like or watch other teams (For instance, I became a big cheesehead when the Browns were gone, but when they came back they were my primary team. I also have lived in Phoenix so have enjoyed following those teams but don't care about them as much as my Cleveland teams).

But I do also agree with you that sports are a business and people should be free to stop supporting a failing product when they want to. I rarely buy Browns apparel and I've never understood why so many people continue to buy season tickets to a team that isn't very good, but I don't think that means you have to stop liking that team. The best way to cause change in companies is to hit them in their wallet, which I think Browns fans should start doing, but I again don't think that means that you should run off and start rooting for whatever team is at the top of the standings.

 

[polska2211]

Jigo what you're missing is the inherent draw many have to sports fandom is the emotional attachment. Its loving something completely out of your control and hoping for the best.

I've gotten to the point where I can accept the lows because the highs are going to be that much sweeter....

If the highs ever come in my lifetime.

 

[spydy13]

I can't blame anyone for being mad. Personally though, I'd like to have some productive discussion here. We went a day without anyone posting anything at all in the Browns section. First comment in a day after I posted 10+ quotes from the owner is "it's all bullshit".

I find it annoying and redundant for the same posters to discount everything said, then call me out for weighing media sensationalism vs. reality, saying I'm out of touch. All the while they're eating everything "NFL Insiders" shit out. Media sensationalism happens, just like it's very probable Haslam is trying to suppress the perception by addressing what he calls "inaccuracies". Then people come in here trying to tell me that LaCanfora knows more about the Browns than the Browns? O rly?

On the dysfunction, we have heard the suite of issues and those issues were addressed by the owner, who offered some mitigating information. I said when it came out that no, you can't ignore the breadth of issues uncovered, but you must also consider the source when it comes to propping Lombardi and Shanahan up while blasting the Browns. It's like people want to believe all of the bad. I'd rather spin my tires trying to figure out how the Browns move forward and upward rather than revert to the same damn narrative without thinking twice.

This is a losing battle. I tried to fight it last week but it seems impossible to break through the narrative that we are bumbling fools that are forever doomed to widespread dysfunction when really there were only two incidents of dysfunction ("Textgate" which pissed off Shanahan and caused him to want to leave and Johnny's fiasco of a season which will hopefully be solved by rehab).

 

[AZ_]

This is a losing battle. I tried to fight it last week but it seems impossible to break through the narrative that we are bumbling fools that are forever doomed to widespread dysfunction when really there were only two incidents of dysfunction ("Textgate" which pissed off Shanahan and caused him to want to leave and Johnny's fiasco of a season which will hopefully be solved by rehab).

How about drafting Manziel?

How about 20 sources going on record for a Manziel piece at the end of the season? TWENTY

Public disparaging of Loggains, who went on the radio and gave this ridiculous Manziel story that resulted in the "wreck this league" nonsense.

Numerous others.

Pretending all the dysfunction has come from those two solitary incidents in the time Haslam has been in power is as ignorant as it is naive.

 

[The Oi]

I fall somewhere between both of these points. I personally believe that you should support the teams where you are from. Just like you aren't able to choose at birth whether you are born into a rich or poor family, I believe that sports teams are something you are dealt and just have to roll with. That's not to say you can't like or watch other teams (For instance, I became a big cheesehead when the Browns were gone, but when they came back they were my primary team. I also have lived in Phoenix so have enjoyed following those teams but don't care about them as much as my Cleveland teams).

But I do also agree with you that sports are a business and people should be free to stop supporting a failing product when they want to. I rarely buy Browns apparel and I've never understood why so many people continue to buy season tickets to a team that isn't very good, but I don't think that means you have to stop liking that team. The best way to cause change in companies is to hit them in their wallet, which I think Browns fans should start doing, but I again don't think that means that you should run off and start rooting for whatever team is at the top of the standings.

Agreed on all. But above all, I agree that Browns fans should stop attending games and buying merchandise.

Jigo what you're missing is the inherent draw many have to sports fandom is the emotional attachment. Its loving something completely out of your control and hoping for the best.

I've gotten to the point where I can accept the lows because the highs are going to be that much sweeter....

If the highs ever come in my lifetime.

No, I understand.

But the emotional part just isn't a draw for me. I don't need emotion in my life outside of my feelings for my family and to a lesser extent, my friends.

I just like to watch sports being played at a high level by a team that I have some sort of tie to. When I was younger, there was more of an emotional aspect to it but even for the Cavs, who are awesome right now...it's really just not there anymore. Sports don't stack up with other things in life, specifically BECAUSE I have no impact on the result.

What I'm after when I watch a Cleveland sporting event is that run the Cavs had in the second quarter last night and most of the game against the Clippers, where they just play the highest quality of basketball that a team can play. Excellent defense, excellent passing, great team play, alley-oops, hitting shots...etc. Seeing them do that in the playoffs, will be the ultimate in what I'm looking for out of sports. Hopefully they win it all...but I'm really just in it for well played basketball.

The Browns have proven incapable of the equivalent of that in their entire existence since 1999. If a team can't provide me with what the Cavs have proven able to in long stretches, they really do nothing for me.