RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN

By STEVE KING

It would be nice, and a whole lot easier for those running them, if in all pro sports, including the NFL, the rules of youth sports were used.

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You know, rules like everybody is treated equally, regardless of their ability level.

Yes, it would be nice.

But indeed, we all know that that isn’t true, has never been true and will never be true. There is no “everybody-gets-to-play-two-innings” rule in the leagues where everybody gets paid.

Every team has its alpha dogs. They’re the best players, and they have the biggest egos. As such, they need the most attention to stroke those egos.

The Browns have such players. In fact, they have more than their share of them.

That’s both good and bad. It’s good in that a team must have good players to win, but it’s bad in that, as mentioned, their egos must be stroked. The team isn’t going to win if these guys fail to play well, and they’re not going to play well if their egos aren’t coddled.

Yes, it’s a vicious cycle, one that must be navigated.

As such, then, I hope that the two new Browns chiefs, head coach Kevin Stefanski and Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager (man, that’s a mouthful) Andrew Berry, realize that. I hope they realize that a big determining factor in their ultimate success – that is, being able to keep their jobs for the long haul – will be their ability to handle guys like Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Baker Mayfield and Kareem Hunt.

What they had to say the other day about wanting players who want to be in Cleveland, and establishing a clear guideline of what’s expected of a Browns player, is all well and good, and there is much merit to it. But the rules are going to have to be stretched – they always have to be stretched – for the stars.

Sorry, guys, it’s just the way it is.

So, gentlemen, do you want to play? Are you still interested in working for the Browns?

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