The way the Browns have struggled – mightily, historically (for them) — in the expansion era hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Big surprise, huh?
But that embarrassment hit home again this week when USA Today came out with its list of the 100 most important people in the NFL.
The Browns have only one person on the list, and you might – or might not – be surprised by who it is. It’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown, who is almost right in the middle at No. 48.
The newspaper states this about Brown: “It’s his turn to see if he’s the one who can turn this once-proud franchise around. Brown’s reliance on analytics will make it that much more interesting to watch.”
There are six other people on the list who have Browns and/or Cleveland connections in:
4 – New England Patriots head coach and former Browns head coach Bill Belichick – “One of the indelible images of the legendary Patriots coach shows him smirking from behind his hoodie, his face partially obscured by the cowl like the evil emperor from ‘Star Wars.’ Appropriate, perhaps, given many football fans west of Connecticut consider Belichick’s ongoing dynasty an evil empire.
“Still, despite the occasional football scandal, Belichick’s influence and success are undeniable. Despite a relative lack of superstars during his 16 years in New England – Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Rob Gronkowski are rare exceptions – Belichick has built an AFC East champion 13 times, reached the conference championship game 10 times and won four of six Super Bowl appearances in that span. It’s a remarkable outlier of a feat in the post-free agency, parity-driven NFL. No other team has appeared in more than three Super Bowls or won more than two since 2000.
“Since Belichick’s team-centric approach took root, “Do Your Job” and “The Patriot Way” have become franchise-defining catchphrases. Perhaps no team better maximizes the abilities of players who might appear marginally talented – Troy Brown, Tedy Bruschi, Rob Ninkovich, Mike Vrabel, Wes Welker – than Belichick’s football factory.
“As long as Belichick dons that hoodie, it stands to reason his team will remain the NFL’s crown jewel, maintaining a level of success the other 31 teams can only hope to approach.”
14 – Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, the son of former Cleveland St. Ignatius High School star quarterback Oliver Luck – “As if the pressure of being a franchise quarterback (and successor to Peyton Manning) coming off an injury-marred season isn’t enough, the eyes of the league are upon Luck as he negotiates a new contract. His package is expected to set the bar for quarterback deals, perhaps eclipsing $25 million in annual compensation.”
35 – Arizona Cardinals head coach and former Browns offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, whom the Browns, for whatever genius reason, chose not to interview in their 2013 head-coaching search in 2013 that resulted in the hiring of Rob Chudzinski – “Speaks his mind. Loved by players. He was the first in league history to hire a female assistant coach (as an intern) and instituted a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence for players in his locker room.
“More controversially, Arians recently blamed concussions on players not tackling properly, not on the nature of the sport, and has called mothers who won’t let their kids play football “fools.” Arians, a two-time coach of the year, is also renowned as a quarterback whisperer and was instrumental in shaping the careers of Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck.”
56 – Baltimore Ravens General Manager/Executive Vice President Ozzie Newsome, a former Browns tight end who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – “He has been in the Ravens front office since they came to Baltimore in 1996 and became the NFL’s first African-American GM in 2002. Newsome is considered one of the league’s best talent evaluators and has built two Super Bowl champions in Baltimore.”
58 – Fritz Pollard Alliance Chairman John Wooten, a Cleveland Browns Legend – “He works with the NFL to promote minority hiring for coaching, scouting and front office positions.”
66 – Cincinnati Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn, the granddaughter of Browns and Bengals Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Paul Brown – “She was the first woman to be a chief contract negotiator in the NFL and has assumed more day-to-day control of the franchise. The Monday Morning Quarterback (on sportsillustrated.com) called her ‘The NFL’s Most Powerful Woman Nobody Talks About.’ ”
