Bringing the Real Browns Back: An Open Letter to Randy Lerner

Dear Mr. Lerner:

Can I call you Randy? If we were sitting together speaking as Browns fans, we'd call each other by our first names, despite our socioeconomic differences. Half of Greater Cleveland is calling you far more uncomplimentary things, so I'll be nice.

Besides, the Browns have long been a bond that reached beyond age and class, as machinists bonded with lawyers at the old Municipal Stadium for generations.

Randy, your team has lost its identity. It does not know what it wants to be when it grows up, and that problem goes all the way to the top and has been the central problem since its rebirth in 1999.

When Phil Savage held his opening press conference in 2005, it seemed to me at the time that after endless spin from Carmen Policy and the disaster that was the Butch Davis era, we finally (you, but I use "we" in the spirit of your "public trust" attitude of your own recent presser) had someone who "gets" Cleveland football.

Four years later, the product I see tells me few, if any, in Berea "get it."

That team in Pittsburgh your organization can't beat has an identity. They run the ball and stop the run, with physical play on both sides of the line of scrimmage. They've had that identity since 1972, and year in and year out, they've been contenders.

The Browns once had an identity, but it's been gone since 1989 or so. Whoever you hire going forward, it's time to get that identity back.

Across the generations, fans remember or were told by their elders of the big plays. Graham to Lavelli. Ryan to Collins. Nelsen to Warfield. Sipe to Newsome. Kosar to Slaughter.

Those big plays did not come out of a vacuum. From Paul Brown to Blanton Collier to Sam Rutigliano to Marty Schottenheimer with Lindy Infante as offensive coordinator, the Browns were known for a precision offense with a punishing offensive line.

All those passing combinations were set up by fast, powerful runners. From Marion Motley to Jim Brown to Leroy Kelly to Mike and Greg Pruitt to Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner, the Browns who built that proud tradition could always wear out a defense on the ground.

At this point, I will not address the current coaching staff or general manager, as I will leave that to you. Simply put, the Browns do not have that core identity, and to succeed consistently, that identity will have to return. Please hire people who aim to bring that identity back.

I'm sure you heard the chants of "Cow-her! Cow-her!" in the fourth quarter at a mostly empty Cleveland Browns Stadium. I did on TV. I'm not completely on that bandwagon, because Cowher may want total personnel control, and we both remember a man named Butch Davis.

I'd recommend looking at Russ Grimm, who played under Joe Gibbs on the famous Washington Redskins "Hogs" offensive line of the 1980s and coached under Cowher himself. He currently holds the position of Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach with the Arizona Cardinals, and that once-pathetic team is bound for its first playoff appearance since it made its home in St. Louis.

With his background, Grimm could be an ideal choice to bring the Browns' classic identity back.

This brings us to Phil Savage. We've all sent emails we regretted sending, but I can honestly say I've never dropped an F-bomb in an email from a company account.

The Browns once also were the epitome of innovation, class, and professionalism in the sport. As the late Paul Brown once told his players, "Men, we are the Yankees of football." That's another attitude that needs to return to the lakefront, and that's why I'd recommend a new GM.

I respect Mr. Savage for the upgrade in talent over the Butch Davis regime, and I would love to see him accept the position of Director of Player Personnel, where he can concentrate on talent acquisition instead of being in over his head in his present capacity.

For General Manager, I'd recommend Floyd Reese, who compiled a solid track record with the Tennessee Titans. I'm sure the never-ending drama from Berea sickens you more than it does I, and you could find a far worse man to hand the reins to.

I have great respect for your late father, whose approach to management was, "Hire good people, get out of their way, and let them do their jobs." Unfortunately, as the soap opera continues and the most loyal fans in professional sports are on the brink of having their anger become indifference, the job is not getting done, and your investment is losing its value.

Please take these suggestions into account, please hire people who actually "get" the proud tradition of Cleveland football, and may we smile about our team instead of cursing it in 2009.

Sincerely,

A Lapsed Browns Fan