Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur needs to win to win hearts of fans

[BernietheKid]

Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur needs to win to win hearts of fans

Published: Thursday, September 15, 2011, 2:15 AM Updated: Thursday, September 15, 2011, 2:19 AM

By Bud Shaw, The Plain DealerThe Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Pat Shurmur has walked into a different football town -- a less forgiving football town -- than the one that greeted Chris Palmer, Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel and even Eric Mangini.

If he hadn't noticed that before, the reaction to Sunday's clunker sent the message loud and clear. Disenchanted muttering transitioning to audible booing hadn't been heard so early at a game since Roseanne butchered the national anthem.

Every coach since 1999 has enjoyed a honeymoon with fans while unknowingly being on the clock with a passive-aggressive ownership.

The opposite is the case with Shurmur. He has the blessing and protection of team President Mike Holmgren. But his hiring was viewed by more than a few Browns fans as an unnecessary leap into shallow waters.

Every other arriving coach benefited from the sense that change was a necessity. Had to get rid of Palmer for Butch Davis, Davis for Crennel, Crennel for Mangini.
The dynamic changed with the Mangini firing. Keeping Mangini cost the Browns a year's growth. That's my opinion -- that they should have canned him a year earlier.
I suspect, though, there are even more people who believe Mangini didn't need to go at all.

And there's another subset: those who recognized the benefit of an offensive-minded head coach to carry out the Holmgren-Tom Heckert vision but didn't see why the

Browns had to go so green by bringing in a rookie -- not to mention giving Shurmur a second job as offensive coordinator.

Nothing the Browns have done -- included but not limited to Shurmur's hiring -- suggests this season is about winning. The trade down in the draft where they could have walked away with a big-time playmaker at wideout. The lack of interest in free-agent playmakers. The kid-heavy roster.

Passion makes people do dumb things, but Browns fans aren't stupid. (OK, Drunk Guy trying to open your car by pressing "send" on your cell phone, you're the exception.)

They can see this team isn't ready to contend. If excitement over the start of a new season blurred anybody's vision on that front, five minutes of Packers-Saints last Thursday provided a stronger untinted eyeglass prescription.

On Wednesday, Shurmur mentioned the work of fullback Owen Marecic against the Bengals. Funny, a lot of people are still wondering what was wrong with Lawrence Vickers. Shurmur also talked of learning some things about the wide receivers.

"We're getting a better feel for those guys now that we've seen them in a real game," said the coach who may or may not know that many in the stadium Sunday made up their minds about the quality of the receiving corps last year.

New offense. New defense. No off-season training activities. An undersized second-year quarterback who was Holmgren's idea but who is Shurmur's to coach up.

That should all work in Shurmur's favor with fans, but for that to happen, people need to see quarterback and head coach look more calm and collected than either did Sunday.

They need to see that this offense and this quarterback are the future.

The success of Heckert and Holmgren elsewhere is comforting.

But for one weekend, with the Browns' sloppy penalties and the lack of attention to detail against the Bengals, no wonder if some were pining for the days of Mangini if not former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

The way the Browns lost to Cincinnati, people need to see proof this isn't just another false start.

Sunday in Indianapolis wouldn't be soon enough.

Spinoffs

• The agent for Browns punter Richmond McGee said McGee hurt his back in pregame warm-ups and "could hardly feel his legs" once the game began. Big deal. Some Browns tailgaters reach that point every Sunday.

• The wife of Manny Ramirez called 9-1-1 to report he slapped her during an argument. What will Manny's defenders and apologists say now? That it was just "Manny being Manny Pacquiao"?

• Internet headline after the season opener: "Browns report card: Room for improvement." If only my high school chemistry teacher graded on that kind of friendly curve.

She said it

"You're a hater, and you're just unattractive inside." -- Serena Williams to a U.S. Open umpire.
If Drew Rosenhaus were her agent, he would say she only meant the official in question looked much better in direct sunlight.

She said what?

Raising the level of polite discourse, tennis analyst Mary Carillo, in an interview with Tim Brando, likened Williams' behavior and similar tennis outbursts to that of "an ass-clown."
I fully expect Carillo to apologize. To the World Clown Association.

You said it: The Expanded Midweek Edition

Dear Bud: What wisdom and insight did you gain from ESPN's expanded THREE-hour NFL pregame show Sunday morning? -- Jim O., Chardon
Chris Berman likes to rhyme names.

Bud: I heard the cable show "1,000 Ways to Die" is being replaced with "1,000 Ways to Lose," and will feature Browns games since 1999. Who do you think would be an appropriate host for the show? -- Edward Aube, Broadview Heights
You mean if Randy Lerner says no?

Hey Bud: Is it true Pat Shurmur was Tweeted on Sunday evening by Eric Mangini, Romeo Crennel, Butch Davis, and Chris Palmer and advised to get out now? -- Tim
No. Mangini was too busy telling ESPN viewers how to bring along a young quarterback.

When did the Bullpen Mafia go into the Witness Protection Program? -- Rick Ray, South Euclid
Not sure. I just know the child's backpack Vinnie Pestano carries to the bullpen now includes fake noses and glasses.

Bud: How badly did Peyton Manning miss the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday? -- Tom Hoffner
Not as badly as Kerry Collins missed retirement.

Bud: Do you think the Indians would've had a better chance of winning the pennant if they had peeled clothing off a Rachel Phelps cutout a la "Major League"? -- Alex, Olmsted Falls
Yes. Since crying in baseball is a no-no, peeling clothes off Onion has not been the team-building exercise the promotions department had hoped.

Bud: In light of the Bengals' quick snap Sunday, did The Plain Dealer ever quick-print an edition to avoid the embarrassment of running one of your stories? -- Mike Bass
First-time "You said it" winners receive a T-shirt from the mental_floss collection.

Bud: Did Peyton Manning's hospital chart say to "cut that meat"? -- Joe S
Repeat winners get free surgery with no anesthesia.

Bud: Should I wait or should I get in now on the Montario Hardesty Peanut Brittle Bar initial public offering? -- Michael Sarro

Repeat winners also get root canal.

Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur needs to win to win hearts of fans: Bud Shaw's Sports Spin | cleveland.com

[Sez.EJ]

Simple.. improve on last week, each week, and win some games.

[Listercat]

and never, I mean NEVER look as horrid as your men did against Cincitucky...EVER

[Brown Warrior]

"We're getting a better feel for those guys now that we've seen them in a real game," said the coach who may or may not know that many in the stadium Sunday made up their minds about the quality of the receiving corps last year.


Translation of Shurmur's quote: "Wow. Shep's right. Our receivers SUUUUUUUUUUCK."

[Sez.EJ]

Originally Posted by Listercat

and never, I mean NEVER look as horrid as your men did against Cincitucky...EVER

You must have scrubbed your brain of 2009 with DA.. I tried to.. but that was the lowest ever.. DA vs buffalo.. 2 of 17 for 22 yards and an INT.. .... OR... vs Pitt.. DA want 9-22 for 106 yards INT and a TD... (just 2 examples.. I don't think I could take any more than that)

I'll take this team over that one any day of the week. I wanted to vomit watching DA gun fastballs at guys heads from 6 feet away wondering why they could not catch the ball. He was a nightmare.. I actually found myself anxiously waiting for his next screw up..that was my only enjoyment that year..

We have only played ONE game. this year.. .which we nearly won... So.. this is far from the worst. We will be better as the season goes on.. DA never got better.. only worse..

[Enigmatic Evil]

Its simple. SHOW the confidence the media was parroting in the off season. His post game presser last week was a trainwreck and he looked like a coach with no control. He needs to LEAD by example. Every coach needs to be the coach that sets the example for the football team. Progression, we need to see that this team is moving in the right direction. If we continue like we played last week, the fan base, the ENTIRE fan base is going to create Shurmur as Public Enemy #1. If how quickly things came to a boil last week is any indication, I would give Shurmur, tops, six weeks of mediocrity before the lynch mobs are full force.

[hiwaygal]

The more I learn about Shurmur the more he reminds me of the ass-wipe I used to work with. Somehow he manages to make you think he knows oh so much, but the guy does ABSOLUTELY nothing...

However, to appease those who hate me for missing EM, I will try to abstain from FIRE HIS ASS comments until the end of the season.

[Brown Warrior]

Again, Hiway... you're talking about ERIC Mangini, right? That guy?

It just keeps blowing my mind. The guy gets no love anywhere... but here.

[hiwaygal]

From the OP:

I suspect, though, there are even more people who believe Mangini didn't need to go at all.

http://www.barkinghard.com/forums/140884-post91.html


No Shep, he gets "love" more places than here.

I'm surprised that with all the reading you do of those analysts and specialists you've never seen anyone else who LIKES Mangini except here.

[Brown Warrior]

Originally Posted by hiwaygal

From the OP:

http://www.barkinghard.com/forums/140884-post91.html


No Shep, he gets "love" more places than here.

I'm surprised that with all the reading you do of those analysts and specialists you've never seen anyone else who LIKES Mangini except here.

I'm not being tool-ish... well, I probably am... but he's mostly known as a surly and vaguely strange guy not loved by players. His understanding of the QB position as totally unlike other positions isn't celebrated, either... but he reveres the Tuna like Republicans revere Reagan (yeah, the guy who bloated the deficit, caused a "crash," and basically destroyed the economy) with misguided adoration.

To me, their both DCs. I mean Tuna and Mangini, not Reagan (!).

[Flugel]

Not for nothing, but what's up with so many different Mangini vrs Shurmur threads? I'm even willing to pretend Mangini didn't win 10 games as a rookie Head Coach in NY or get fired for winning 9 games when his QB's arm fell out of socket. He woke up in Cleveland a very stupid man and ESPN might get kicked off the air for hiring such an idiot. Whatever you need me to think as long as we can move forward into the 2011 season. Do we really need this topic dominating our board? I've even seen Mangini blamed for an old roster when Savage left him a draft volume of 4 selections in 2009 just 1 year after netting 1 keeper in the 2008 draft. Even worse, there wasn't a GM on board for this hot mess. FWIW, when the YOUNG D'Qwell Jackson couldn't answer the bell - was there a more valuable defender than David Bowens was in helping to closeout 2008 with 4 consecutive wins? Wasn't the SAME old man pretty large vrs Drew Brees a year later? If a franchise doesn't don't draft well (volume-wise) from the mid 90s through 2008, I've never understood why the coaches always get chased out of town while NOBODY ever insults the GMs or ownership willign to go with incompetance at GM?

Pat Shurmur has ZERO to do with all that so regardless of what I thought about Mangini. I want Shurmur to succeed. Frankly, I'm glad he has Heckert and Holmgren here so he can concentrate on what he needs to do. I think he's inherited some of the more healthy draft volumes we've had talent wise because of that.

I keep hearing what a genius Bill Belichick in this league is. The point of the matter is he was overseeing a winless football team the day Drew Bledsoe actually bledsoe much with a lacerated kidney. NONE of those defensive schemes looked brilliant winless. Then Tom Brady came into the picture and suddenly he's the benchmark of brilliance everywhere that King of Kings is willing to permit it. Let's not get off track on that though. I'm just saying even GOOD chess players need their chess pieces to attack with. You're not going to show up as a new HC on a franchise in transition and win with pawns. I say this because ALL of our expensive free agent upgrades on paper usually end up on IR exposing what all the previous bad drafting leads to.

[Brown Warrior]

Good points, Tom. I didn't like Mangini because he was a DC who literally became retarded whenever he tried to think about offense or QBs... and I personally think he's weird. But I respect anybody's right to disagree with that.

Shurmur? I like that he's an offensive coach and I prefer that because of the whole HC/QB thing that generally defines long-term winners. Personality? I hate to sound repetitive... but he ALSO seems a little peculiar to me. Kind of sedated or something?

And then to totally contradict myself: I saw flashes of a dry sense of humor from Mangini that started changing my mind... and he's good as an analyst, too. I totally acknowledge that my feelings about his personality are probably based on way too little familiarity with him (!).