Calling Norman Einstein

The last time the Cleveland Browns won a game was on December 24th, 2016. They finished the 2017 season without a single win making them the second team in league history to finish with a 0–16 record.  Last month Head Coach Hue Jackson got the axe.

Ask any Cleveland fan about their team’s execution and they’ll answer, “I’m in favor of it.”

Browns GM John Dorsey, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is “open to hiring a woman as Cleveland’s next head coach.”

Schefter inferred the team “would like to interview former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for the job.”

Condoleezza Rice is being considered by @Browns for head coaching interview, according to ESPN: https://t.co/sFeLDpSTM1

— USA TODAY NFL (@usatodaynfl) November 18, 2018

Former Pro Bowler, Joe Theismann, once said, “Nobody in football should be called a genius.  A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.”

So, word got back to the team and Dorsey was forced to issue a statement saying, "Our coaching search will be thorough and deliberate, but we are still in the process of composing the list of candidates and Secretary Rice has not been discussed.”

Rice, who has been eyed as an eventual candidate to replace the bungling Roger Goodell as NFL Commissioner, posted to her Facebook account that she was “not ready to coach.” 

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shoots down report that she could become next head coach of the Cleveland Browns, but encourages NFL to hire more female coaches https://t.co/ryaQd1agzR pic.twitter.com/tdjjIbNGOp

— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 18, 2018

To put things in perspective, and I know this is hard for the Dawg Pound peeps, here’s Indianapolis Head Coach Jim Mora back in 2001 after his team stunk up the place losing to the Niners in a game that saw his Colts allow 20 unanswered points while their fourth-year QB, Peyton Manning, tossed four interceptions:

Carolina Panthers Vs Cleveland Browns

My buddies Proof and Woodsterman have watched their 49ers eliminate themselves from the playoff picture and the 5-8-1 Carolina Panthers have played so horribly this season that their chances of going to the playoffs is statistically weak despite their two-game winning streak.

The 6-8 Saints are sitting pretty right now.  If they beat the 5-9 Falcons it’s over for Carolina.  If the Saints lose and the Panthers win there’s still a chance to make it to the playoffs, but that’s a pretty tall order.

The Browns will start their snot-nosed brat at QB and I had seriously given thought to buying a ticket on the visitor’s side of Bank of America Stadium (there were still seats available behind the Browns’ bench) expressly for the purpose of berating Manziel.  I decided instead to yell at the TV from the comfort of Casa de Curmudgeon at the little twerp.  I hope the fans who are sitting near the Browns’ bench give him hell.  After all, in the game where little Johnny was totally dominated in their 30-0 loss to Cincinnati, the Bengals players mocked him with his own obnoxious “money sign” after mercilessly sacking him and picking off his passes.

The latest reports from the Panthers organization is that Cam Newton will start for the Panthers.  I don’t like that decision.  I’ve pushed playing back-up QB Derek Anderson for a long time now.  He ably demonstrated he can lead the Panthers to victory.  Anderson deserves to start against the team that cut him after the 2009 season and because Newton did nothing during most of the season to help his team have a winning season.

And because no football post would be complete without some pom-poms, here’s a picture of a bevy of Top Cat beauties. 

Johnny F-U Ball

Yesterday I was going to put up a post about the preseason game between the Cleveland Browns and the team whose name shall not be mentioned.

Usually when I create a graphic suitable for a football post, I have the two team mascots pictured in front of the stadium where the game will be played.  I couldn’t go with that idea for last night’s game because the team whose name shall not be mentioned no longer has a mascot, at least not a politically correct one.  I ditched the idea and didn’t post anything.

For the purposes of full disclosure, I grew up pulling for any team other than the team whose name shall not be mentioned.  Despite the fact that I am not a fan, I was going to root for Washington because I loathe a certain arrogant smart ass.

Back in February Barry Switzer, former head coach for Oklahoma and the Dallas Cowboys, said this about the immature, polarizing player:

"I'm gonna tell you. I said Johnny Manziel is…I don't like his antics. I think he's an arrogant little prick.  I've said that and I'll say it again. He's a privileged kid, he's embarrassed himself, he's embarrassed his teammates, his program. He's embarrassed his coach. And they'll all have to defend him because they have to coach. I know that. I spent 40 years in the damn game so I know how it works."

Linebacker Brian Orakpo and the rest of the Redskins bench were having a little fun with the rookie.  At one point in the first quarter, Orakpo celebrated a teammate’s sack of the little snot by showing off his imitation of Manziel’s “money gesture”.  After forcing the Browns to punt, Orakpo stopped near the yard marker in front of the Redskins sideline and again gave the money sign.

With 2:28 left in the third quarter, Manziel threw an incomplete pass.  A few words from the Redskins bench were hurled at him.  As he walked back the huddle all butthurt, he flipped them off.  The gesture was caught on national TV.

The Browns lost the game 24-23 and Manziel is expected to draw an $11,025 fine for his gesture.

"It did not sit well," Browns coach Mike Pettine said. "I was informed of it after the game and it's disappointing. Because what we talk about is being poised and being focused—that you have to be able to maintain your poise." 

"That's a big part of all football players, especially the quarterback, that we have to keep our composure," Pettine said. "So that's something that we'll obviously address with him."

Asked in his postgame news conference if he thought it was wrong, Manziel smiled before laughing.

“I felt like I did a good job of holding my composure throughout the night, and you have a lapse of judgment and slip up.  I mean, I didn't think it was positive," Manziel said, before adding he couldn't blame it on distractions, repeating he had simply lost his composure.

Better get used to it little man.  Welcome to the NFL.