Cleveland Browns Owner Randy Lerner Fires GM George Kokinis

The Randy Lerner hands-on approach to running the Cleveland Browns began this afternoon with the firing of General Manager George Kokinis.

Kokinis came on board with the team after head coach Eric Mangini was already hired, which was a very weird approach by Lerner because usually a general manager is hired first, and then the head coach.

Still Lerner, who is usually a hands-off type of guy when it comes to running his business, has begun to change his style by making the first big move of the 2009 NFL season, and firing his GM.

Kokinis was fired at lunchtime, and it was reported that he was escorted out by security and never returned.

He was supposed to be Mangini's superior, but it turned out that he was more of Mangini's right hand man and Lerner was fed up with the lack of hierarchy in his team.

Lerner, a very private owner who does not like the spotlight one bit, has been out and about in the the press, public, and the headlines ever since a couple Browns fans made an announcement that they wanted to protest the team's front office.

Since then, Lerner has made statements to the media, and was even in attendance at the Browns-Bears game in Chicago.

According to various sources, Lerner was in the tunnel off the field and he was seen screaming, yelling and acting very animated.

Very un-Lerner-like.

Ever since he took over the Browns after his father's, Al, passing, Randy has been almost non-existent when it comes to anything Browns and football. At least American football, because traditional football is his real passion.

Now the times have changed, and boy have they ever in only a weeks time too.

Lerner may not become a Al Davis or Jerry Jones-like owner who has to be completely involved in every aspect of the decision making, but once Lerner locates his new "credible, face of the franchise," then he will most likely disappear into the shadows.

Who will now fill the void as the GM of the team?

Bernie Kosar perhaps?

He was just brought in a couple of weeks ago as a consultant and to help develop the quarterbacks on the roster, and Kosar does have experience in football management since he was part owner of the Cleveland Arena Football League franchise that was horrible for years, but Kosar helped turn them into a contender in only one season.

Other rumors state that Lerner has once again contacted Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer, and among a few others for a possible President of Football Operations position.

The Browns are on a bye week, and Lerner has said that Eric Mangini's job is safe, but for how much longer?

Will a new GM or president fire Mangini instead?

Does Lerner really want to fire another guy only to have to pay him for the next few years like he is already doing with former GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel?

No one knows the answer right now, but one thing is certain, as Mangini has said before, "No one is safe on the roster right now." The same can now be said for Lerner in that no one in the franchise is safe now.

Lerner is fed up, and it's nice to see him getting hands-on to try and fix this problem, which by the way, he created too.

Lerner is a very successful businessman and franchise owner in Europe, now he needs to get it right in America too.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)