Don’t the Browns already have a coach?
After a few weeks without anyone taking the temperature of the office furniture in Berea, the nonsense has come back thanks to a line from ESPN broadcaster Jon Gruden.
Gruden was on Rich Eisen’s podcast show and Eisen asked Gruden if he would listen if someone wanted him to coach again next year.
“I think I might,” Gruden said.
That’s all. Not, “I’m coaching next year.” Or “I’m already moving my furniture into the coach’s office in Berea.” Just that he would think about it if someone came calling.
That didn’t stop the speculation from the “experts” who quickly drew the conclusion that Gruden will be on the sidelines for the Browns next year:
- In other words, Gruden could be back in coaching as soon as next year. He has been linked most prominently with the 1-5 Browns, given his past relationship with team president Mike Holmgren. So says Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk.
- Gruden is being “highly desired” by the Cleveland Browns, says Digital Sports Daily.
- And apparently Cleveland fans are “dreaming” of Gruden taking over the team, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
I guess we should be thankful that no one is trying to sell Gruden as an in-season replacement.
When Mike Holmgren decided to bring Eric Mangini back as coach it was clear he was going to give him the full year. It wouldn’t make any sense to bring Mangini back only to fire him after six or seven games – Holmgren needs a full season to evaluate Mangini and it’s only fair to give him that.
As to Gruden, what is it about him that makes anyone think we’d want him to coach the Browns? People like to point out that he is a “Super Bowl-winning coach*,” but that was in 2002 and with Tony Dungy’s players. Once Gruden started turning the roster over and bringing in his own players the team went downhill.
And Gruden’s inability to settle on a quarterback in Tampa makes the past few years in Cleveland quarterback issues look like a dream.
Finally, since every coach and every player is great, as Gruden tells us each week on Monday Night Football, can we really trust his ability to judge talent?
If some other team wants to take a shot on Gruden, if they fall in love with his bad haircut and goofy faces, good for them.
But there’s no place for him in Cleveland.
Not now and not next year.
*We really need a statute of limitations of about 10 years on the phrase “Super Bowl-winning.” It’s a bit ridiculous when people refer for Mike Shanahan as a “Super Bowl-winning coach” when his last Super Bowl was in 1998; same with Brett Favre who won a Super Bowl in 1996. That’s a long time ago.
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Oh, and all that talk about James Harrison retiring? Yeah, not so much.
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I often wish we had more aspects of European soccer crowds in American sports – check out this video from Anfield, how sweet would it be to see that at a Browns game? – then something like this happens and makes me think that maybe we can do with a little less passion.
Red Right 88 