As a (faux) journalist of the highest moral fiber, one of the things in which I take a great deal of pride is my ability to be humble and admit when I'm wrong. Well CMCR nation, this is one of those times.
Only a week ago, on this very forum, I was openly chastizing Randy Lerner for hastily signing a head coach before first naming a GM. At the time, it seemed apparent that the only viable GM candidate left on the market that would fit with the Mangini regime was George Kokinis, a man of whom I had never heard and whom Randy Lerner had never interviewed. I know it sounds ridiculous in hindsight, but at the time, I actually thought it was a risky move. Boy do I feel sheepish.
You see, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer (an unimpeachable source if there ever was one), Mr. Lerner completed his interview of Kokinis this past weekend...and you'll never guess what happened. IT WENT AWESOME!!!! Lerner, that legendary evaluator of front office talent, was very impressed!
Being the notorious skeptic that I am, I was totally bracing myself for some bad news. I was genuinely expecting Lerner to return to Cleveland only to report that he'd made a huge mistake and that the GM search was back to square one because Kokinis was terrible. But this.....I mean given our luck....wow. That's all I can say is wow. Bravo Mr. Lerner. Bravo.
Shame on me for ever doubting Randy Lerner. And if there are any others out there like me who questioned this entire process, let this be a lesson to all of us: When Randy Lerner rolls the dice, you'd better believe he knows what he's doing.
Let me say it one more time, just to let it sink in: GEORGE KOKINIS WAS AWESOME! The only prospective GM that is still a viable option for the Browns given that they just handed out a four-year contract to a head coach that nobody wants to manage just nailed his interview! Other NFL organizations, you are officially on notice.
This is just the kind of break this organization needed. No more stories about this Lebron fellow and his Cavs juggernaut. I'm ready to start fixating on the Browns' draft possibilities!
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12 comments:
The Randolph is smarter than anyone else in the NFl... and he's going to prove it to us, whether we like it or not!
Mary Kay also indicated that Rob Ryan will be the defensive coordinator. Those Ryan boys always succeed as coordinators. I am optimistic.
While we all have every reason to be skeptical of Mr Lerners decisions, this was an annoying and pretentious read.
Im willing to give Mangini and this Kokinas character time before passing judgement. They didnt do anything other than interview and accept a job they were offered. If they succeed, then kudos to Randy. If not, then he screwed up again. End of story.
Its an inherent risk in rooting for a team....they dont always do what WE want. Amazing I know.
This article perpetuates the notion that cleveland fans enjoy the fact that we dont win and tend to take some sort of pleasure in our teams ineptitude.
I wonder if any of the companies yall work for have hired people, wish they hadnt, and been forced to fire them....
Im not even defending Lerner. The bitching just gets old. It brings nothing to the table.
Art:
If you did your homework, you would see that just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article defending him.
However, just because I don't blame him for the last few years, it doesn't mean I can't mock this coaching/gm search. The whole point of this post was to make fun of the fact that the local media is publishing stories about the fact that Kokinis' interview was "good." Don't you see the comedic value there? He's the only candidate for the job. Should we have expected them to say anything else?
You want comedy on this blog and then I make fun of something that, to me, is absolutely hilarious, and then you bitch about the post.
Randy Lerner and the local media obviously think we're stupid. They wouldn't be publishing puff pieces about the Kokinis interview if they didn't. That, to me, deserves a good roasting.
Biff
If by "doing your homework" you are referring to how closely I read your posts, I can assure you no reader does more. That would be impossible since I read every word of every post on your site.
If your point was to mock or roast the cleveland media, then I apologize as thats not how I interepreted it. I dont pay one bit of attention to the local media, but I do agree they deserve a good mocking. Or beating. Or something.
I interepreted your article to be mocking Lerner, which is a topic that has grown extremely tired.
Yeah, I mean my feelings on this hiring process have been well-documented. I just think it's funny that Lerner told the press, or had his people tell the press, that the interview went "well" and they just ran and printed it without so much as a sentence or two about the fact that Lerner has basically put all his eggs in one basket.
I just think the quality of sportswriting in this town is laughable. These people aren't even bad writers (except Livingston). It's just that they don't do a single bit of investigating or thinking before they print something (See, e.g., all the articles about how much LeCharles Bentley coming back meant to the Browns the day before he was cut). These people just write what they're told. It's atrocious.
1) I saw Seattle just hired Jim Mora - a previous coach who, like Mangini, it didnt seem like anyone else was interested in hiring.
2) I could be wrong, but has Denver hired a GM yet??
Now, I understand neither of these are the cream of the NFL crop. Im just playing devils advocate, and indicating the Browns are not alone.
1) I saw Seattle just hired Jim Mora - a previous coach who, like Mangini, it didnt seem like anyone else was interested in hiring.
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Jim Mora's contract specified he was to succeed Holmgren at the end of this year. His "hiring" was completed before the season started. Not comparable to the Browns situation.
2) I could be wrong, but has Denver hired a GM yet??
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Do you consider Randy Lerner to be as credible as Pat Bowlen? I don't. Bowlen's won superbowls. He's got a track record that earns him the benefit of the doubt. He's got years of proven experience in this league.
Randy Lerner, on the other hand, has none of those credentials. There is no basis for his defenders. None. It's all speculation. The next good decision he makes will be his first.
"and indicating the Browns are not alone."
Of course they're not alone. There's the Raiders, Lions, and Bengals to keep them company,.
Oh, as for the Denver GM... I was so blinded with digust at the mere suggestion that the Bowlen's decisions somehow justify what our joke of an owner does... anyway, Denver is promoting from within. You know, because rather than follow Lerner's approach of seeing who makes his socks go up and down in his first interview, hiring his new love that "wowed" him and leaving the franchise to rot while he heads back to his home in NY and sips tea across the pond, the Broncos actually have an organization in place, with proven talent within that they groom and promote from. Something most Browns fans have never been exposed to and are not familiar with.
Jim Goodman will have final say in Denver:
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11439117
The browns are in desperate need of more awesomeness
Whoa easy cowboys.
I didnt say the situations were the same. In fact, I didnt comment on them all.
In an attempt to invoke some more discussion, I merely pointed out two situations which, at the very least, have cursorary parallels.
I dont disagree with any of the above posts. Lerners next good decision WILL be his first one.
I didnt say, nor did I suggest that Lerner was credible.
I didnt defend him in any way.
I didnt even say the situations were the same.
I believe what I did say, is that I was "just playing devils advocate."
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