Maybe Randy does get it, or is he blowing smoke up our backsides. We will see how long he can financially put up with this crappy team. Maybe he heard the fans for once.

I do applaud him for stepping up to address the fans. Now we will have to see if it is smoke and mirrors or he really means it.

Also, it doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement for our current head coach!

I have mixed feelings about Randy Lerner. The play on the field since the Lerner family has assumed the Browns speaks for itself.

But I have always thought that the Lerners put forth more than an honest effort in rebuilding this team for long-term success. They do a lot of things "right": They haven't sold corporate naming rights to the stadium; they've been willing to spend money; and they prefer to hire football people and let them run the team.

All that being said, the team could not have been run any worse during their time in ownership. Only the Lions have fared worse over that time out of the now 32 teams in the league.

After more than 10 seasons, the Browns greatest victory STILL is the one that the Browns fans themselves staged by taking on the NFL and fighting to get back their team. Lerner needs to show these fans more respect.

The Browns are now a decades-long national embarrassment. It has taken a toll on the fans. And Lerner needs to be as aware of that as much as he is aware that he wants to change,fix the long-term culture of the team.

If RL and Mangini are willing to take their lumps for this "changed culture", I can respect that. I would even be willing to buy-in, but right now, doing so makes me feel more foolish than hopeful.

All Lerner has to do is make Mangini remove that fool Daboll from the Offensive Coordinator spot and the TEAM will be better off.

The addition of Kosar will speed up that move. Say what you want about Bernie Kosar but he is one of the smartest QBs to ever play the game. His ability to recognize defensive fronts and coverages is what made him so successful as a QB. His talent was average at best but he was able to exploit defenses throughout his career.

Bernie will bend Lerner's ear and Daboll will not make the season as the O-coordinator.

I personally wouldn't mind having Kosar as a QB Coach and putting him up in the booth to analyze opposing defenses.

Lerner's message translated: "HELP, I'm in over my head--I want a winning team as much as anyone but don't know how to go about getting one--I'm out of my element."

I know how Mr. Lerner feels - 40 years ago I was placed in a job where I too was out of my element and fell flat on my face. I got out of that line of work--so should he. He seems to be a nice man who just doesn't fit the bill.

As one who had followed the Browns since the days of Graham and Groza, I believe the Browns are going (staying) nowhere until Mr. Lerner sells the team. Laugh if you want, but Jim Brown would make a good owner.

Well, I give Lerner credit for the fact that he has even issued some sort of response. Think it about it, folks. Normally, these fan-generated protests against sports team owners are usually met with silence/no comment, etc. People in high places regular stonewall the "little people". Lerner doesn't have to be any different, but he chose to respond directly and I, for one, appreciate that.

I'm with Larry. Randy certainly was not planning on his dad passing and it's clear he wants little to do with this franchise. But the team is a huge cash cow and finanically are sound for years to come. Name one NFL team that loses money. Losing credidibility on the other hand is a different story!

I give him credit for the response. and as much as i complain about how bad the Browns are I do feel sorry for some of the guys - yeah - i know they are getting paid tons of money and not delivering but i think at least a few of them are really trying and pro athelete or not it has to be painful to have the team play so poorly and have the fans giving up.

For a supposedly smart guy, and a wealthy one to boot, that was, to put it mildly, an awkardly written e-mail. Actually, it was almost incomprehensible.

Sorry but what is going on now with the team reminds me of what happened with Modell and Belicheat. Get rid of the good players then move the team. The NFL once said they wanted a team in Europe, and where does Learner live????

Randy - if you want to do the region a favor, then PLEASE sell the Browns.

And fans, register your displeasure by signing the petition at sellthebrowns.com

How do they get all those clowns into that tiny, little car?

SEll the team to a consortiom headed by Bernie Kosar. He does not have that kind of money but he can recruit people who do who are winners and committed to staying in Cleveland. What about he cavaliers guy? HE can probably afford both teams.

Larry... good comment. Have Jim Brown and Bernie team up. Bernie is a lawyer so he can handle the contracts and and Jim can do PR and recruit.

Troydawg, there is no comparison, Cleveland hated Modell and Coach B.. Since they left, Modell has a Super Bowl Ring, a real football team and BB has how many rings? Cleveland has a joke.

I would like to see Mr. Lerner bring in Marty Schottenheimer as President of Football Operations to oversee all aspects on the football side of the Browns Organization. Evaluation of the GM, coaching staff,the scouts,and finding a direction for the future(it seems this team has none). If he deems a change or changes need to be made---THEN HE MAKES THEM. Mr. Lerner has a large financial empire to oversee ,so I don't think that he can give The Browns the attention that they need.
If he's eager to seek guidance,then there it is.

RANDY!! You dont rebuild a culture by hiring the head coach first! You begin with the Vice President of Football Operations, then the GM, then the HEAD COACH! The head coach should answer to a man that KNOWS FOOTBALL!

Mike-----"Mr. Lerner has a large financial empire to oversee..." exactly what large financial empire is that?

=========
We felt at the end of last year that we lacked any overall philosophy, approach or direction regarding recruiting, drafting, coaching, preparation or training.
=========

EUREKA! I've figured it out!

Randy Lerner thinks the Browns are a COLLEGE team.

Working American: MBNA

If Lerner was smart. He would fire Mangini at the by week. Put Bernie as your interim coach. Because he needs the fans to have some hope. Then at the end of the season. Decide what kind of coach we need to move forward. and never rush to the first one. And Randy. Just because you like someone. Doesn't mean they are the right one for the job........and never and I mean never hire a coach off of belichick's staff. They all ride on his coat tails. he runs the show they are just his puppets..

Randy wants some new ideas? I call BS, it's been the same for 10 years.

Here's a new idea, hire someone who has a clue as GM, hire someone who has a clue as a head football coach and Lerner himself needs to spend a bit more time paying attention to how things are running.

This organization if a mockery of football, not just the NFL, football in general.

@mike: Randy, and his sister, sold MBNA for several BILLION dollars. MBNA is owned by Bank of America, now. His empire is a soccer team, and the Browns.

Randy, to no fault of his own, has no idea what the hell he is doing. He sounds clueless and in over his head every time he opens his mouth. I'm sure he's passionate and he wants to win, but all he does is makes mistakes. Mangini was a joke that was fired and hated by most of the league and Lerner threw himself at him.


Why can't we have a competent owner!!!!?!!??

I just want to thank you and your father for retrieving our team from those hated ravens. I know that the management can't play the game for the fans and that you are probably as frustrated as we are. I also appreciate the fact that you're not afraid to spend money on good players and that you are actually trying and came out today with a voice (even if a was an e-mail) that was heard by everyone the cares about the Cleveland Browns. The players are the ones that have to win the games, not the fans. Boycotting the kickoff is going to do no good on Monday night football and I also want to apologize for all of the northeastern Ohio people that jumped ship and wear yellow and black or whatever the colors of that team in our division that always gets a lucky bounce and seems to win when they should lose. Someday our Browns will have the tradition of winning that we had around the Paul Brown and Blanton Collier coaching days and hopefully Eric Mangini will be right there along with them. It takes time to build a winner and we are definitely getting impatient but we're going nowhere. Sorry for the traitors that root for the stinking Steelers. Go Browns!

I think it's commendable that Mr. Lerner acknowledged the concern and frustration of the fan base. I think he wants his team to win, and probably shares the same disappointment of other Browns fans.

The sad reality is that Mangini better get a clue real quick, or the slide will continue.

The Lerner family have done a lot of positive things for northeast Ohio; through providing jobs and benevolent pursuits. In the grand scheme of things, football is just a game. Best wishes for future success for the Browns. Can we say maybe the year after next year?? :0)

Browns fans deserve a pansy team - the fans are pansies.

Why else would so much Steeler paraphanailia abound around here with no negative consequences for the displayers?

If I were in Pittsburg in a Browns shirt/jersey, I would expect to get mugged, or have the shirt torn right off me at the least. Here in Cleveland, we welcome Steeler fans. If a few of them dressed in their Steeler regalia were found mysteriously beat up by the side of the road, Browns fans would look a little more manly. Now, a girlie team fits our girlie town. I'm not saying burn down your neighbors house if he has a Steelers flag out front, but at least steal the Steelers flag, tear it up, and defecate on it in the road.

I think it took a lot of guts for Mr. Lerner to come out and openly express an interest for his team by asking for our advice on how to get a winner. I think him and his father deserve our thanks for getting a team back in Cleveland and in 10 years I think that he appreciates our grief in having one or two winning seasons. I think that Jim Brown becoming more involved would be disastrous but Bernie Kosar could become a quarterback coach. I also like the thought of bringing back Mark Trestman who was here when we were winners and someone said he is in Canada. Maybe we are being too hasty about Mangini. Everyone complained that Brady Quinn was only given 10 quarters before he got benched but they were really 10 ugly quarters. Mangini's only been here for seven games and that's not enough to judge him yet. Thanks for listening Randy and go Browns!

Kudos to Randy Learner for "aknowledging" the fans' frustrations. Whatever his aversion to being in the spotlight, he needs to start spending more time in Cleveland for home games and to realize his personnel decisions are wanting. It's fairly obvious that the Browns "management" organization does not contain the best and brightest in the league. Could it be that the best can't be recruited because they can see that the ownership is in over its' head? I'm not foolish enough to demand that Randy Learner sell the team, but I do think he needs to get better qualified people in management NOW.

patriot76 - In Pittsburgh in a browns jersey you wouldn't get mugged, just laughed at.

In Hudson you'd look upset at the other Volvo driver who was wearing another team's jersey.

"It's been way too long since the Browns have had anything to feel good about or invest in, and it's clear that the doubt and negativity are taking on a life of their own."

Translation - I have no idea what I'm doiong, or how to hire someone who does.

I stand corrected about Mr. Lerner's sale of MBNA,but my point is that he needs to bring a football man in here to oversee football decisions. Head coaches are hired on an average of every 2.75 years. They are hired before the GM. Obviously,we need a professional to take control of this rudderless ship.

I have to agree with "Larry". He seems like a nice man in over his head. That said, he is the owner and
the buck stops with him. He gave Savage and Romeo
and Mangini the keys to the car and they keep driving it off a cliff.

This whole protest effort is a scam. Mike Randall aka Couch Potatoe, aka Charlie's Fries, aka Dog Pound Mike, is simply using the emotions of the fans to potentially leverage a position for hiself with the team. This guy is a fraud and has made a living off his phony devotion to the team. All he is looking for is attention for himself.

How do we know this isn't the mayor's fault?

he he he

It's just like the Lions, so long as there's cash flow, the team will continue to suck because it's cheap to suck.

Ditto what Daniel said

what a phony

"As a result, each season was feeling like starting over and 4-12 following 10-6 felt painfully not all that surprising."

that's why romeo and phil both got extensions before the 1998 season, right randy?

In the weeks between now and the Ravens game this effort will surely lost momentum. Especially, if by some miracle, the Browns play better against the Bears. The seating bowl is only 3/4 full at kickoff most if not all games anyway.

My comprehension level is disturbed,like reading a post from Loren.

Looks like lerner is asking for help,from a shrink,or an allergist.

@Randy-talkin mumbo-jumbo isnt gonna make any difference.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

Brian Brennan for CEO

LOL @ Frank. He's right, won't be much of a protest when you only get 25% more fans to not attend.
I worry about the day when fans will stop attending whole games, then whole seasons. What will Randy do when his precious team isn't making any money?
Poor Al must be rolling in his grave. His teams drafted talent, were stricken by injury, and still made the playoffs on January 5, 2003, the season Al passed away. Since then it's been all downhill.
Randy's right to accept his due penace.

The Browns failures are real. However, the idea that Randy Lerner is going to pump millions of dollars into something he doesn't care about is just pure nonsense. He fired the entire group of Savage, Crennel and others that the fans wanted removed. The majority of fans realize the change wan't going to happen over night. One minute fans are screaming about how bad the Browns have been for so long, and the next minute they act like we weren't that bad last year and a new coach and GM would magically turn it around in 6 months. Can't have it both ways. Mangini and Kokonis deserve time to change the culture. Randy isn't going to fire them because Pat "let me pout in the corner" McManamon's feelings are still hurt or some fans decide to wait in the parking lot during the kickoff. It's going to take time, plain and simple.

hmm I'm understanding this now. Lerner does what the fans want. What a poor way of doing business. Good for RAC or Mangini to keep DA on field, even though the results have been disatorus (sp)

Mr. Lerner,

A culture will be developed when your team consistently wins games. Let the culture develop on its own. Focus on the team and its ability to win.
Don't worry about fining players like a bunch of Nazi's. Don't worry about things other than competing. Everything else will take care of itself.

You sound like a desperate man who doesn't know what to do, quite frankly. I'm sure you truly want this franchise and town to celebrate victory together. But you haven't convinced anyone that your heart is in this. You've convinced people you'll try anything to make them happy. Put your heart into this team and make it work. Then people will be happy. They'll follow you when they believe there is something to believe in.

Thanks for your time..finally.

psychoJ...Randy didn't make his decision based on what the fans wanted however they got what they wanted either way and now many are expecting immediate results. Doesn't, won't and can't happen that way.

I am very happy with the way the browns are playing because now instied of watching them on tv or going to the over priced games my wife and I are now going out for rides, going to dinner, visiting our grand kids we found a whole new world out their I hope the browns keep it up.

I am very happy with the way the browns are playing because now instied of watching them on tv or going to the over priced games my wife and I are now going out for rides, going to dinner, visiting our grand kids we found a whole new world out their I hope the browns keep it up.

I am very happy with the way the browns are playing because now instied of watching them on tv or going to the over priced games my wife and I are now going out for rides, going to dinner, visiting our grand kids we found a whole new world out their I hope the browns keep it up.

why are the qb contracts based on percentage of snaps and number of starts? who negotiated for these types of incentives that hinge upon a coaches decision? what a joke.

It's funny ... we have trouble winning and have since 1999. George Allen used to takeover losing football teams in the NFL and win immediately. He never had a losing season as a head coach. Maybe we should study what he did to win right away.

Patriot76, clearly you've never been to a Browns - Steelers game in Pittsburgh, they're far more courteous to opposing fans, likely because they win games.

I don't blame people in NEO who have become Steelers fans, it's no fun following a perpetual looser.

They say practice makes perfect: How long do we have to wait before the browns are even close to perfect, Randy? Maybe in my life time I hope.

When was the last time anyone heard from Kokinis?

I thought he was supposed to be an "equal partner" with Mangini, who we hear from daily, and yet I can't recall the last time I read or heard anything about what Kokinis is up to. Pat and Marla, there must be a story there.

Due to the so many disloyal fans, perhaps Lerner should take his team to another state.

people, please. Yes it's been 11 years since we came back, they havent been all bad however. I seem to remember a playoff appearance, and a 10-6 season recently. We ARE better than Detroit, and we are better than Oakland, Kansas City, St Louis.

I thought that Mangini would be good for us. I like team discipline, but we arent seeing it on the field, or we arent seeing it for 60 minutes. One quarter, half a game, they play inspired but then there is no adjustments and they go nowhere from there. That is what is frustrating. How can you play well against good teams, and then roll over?

I think Savage is right about the QB's. We have (had) an O-line that should be ok. How can they be so bad? I agree, droped passes arent the fault of the QB's, but the poor passing is.

BQ should be in again. DA had his chance and he is not stepping up. BQ should not have been replaced, yes in that game, ok. But not as the starter.

Malone College must not be very good if the only ads they can afford are the roll over ones which take control of my browser. So- no reading of this article or the ads on the page. Note to self, Ohio.com- you are already dying- do you *really* want to P.O. the few remaining customers you have?

Crennel was a big mistake. We should of hired one of the Steelers assistants.

how uptight can one sound via email?
hes been in england to long.
more white collar mumbo jumbo BS.

I appreciate the fact that Mr. Lerner addressed the issue. However, I still believe he is more soccer than football. Why did he hire the coach first then the GM. It appears to me that Mangini is running the Browns instead of the GM. I feel that Mangini has greatly decreased any value of either Anderson or Quinn. Also, he speaks of the long years with nothing to show for Cleveland yet he allows Mangini to pull Quinn after 6 quarters? This does not make sense to me. I feel that Mangini was a bad pick and the fact that he hired the GM pretty much tells us where he stands with Lerner.

If Aston Villa played like the Browns they would have been relegated down to League 2 by now. Maybe that's why Lerner's talking about "recruiting" -- he thinks the Browns will be playing in the MAC next season!

@90ragtop: How does selling the Brown's help the region? So loss of jobs, out-of-town income tax, TV revenues, etc. improves the region?

Raghead, you're a cotton pickin' pus-sy! How about a simple idea for a simple mind: TURN OFF YOUR TV! DON'T WATCH!

Thousands of fans fought to bring a franchise back to Cleveland. Now you and your ilk want to bail. If Randy Lerner sells, there's no guarantee the Browns would stay here. It'd be much cheaper to take up a collection to ship your sorry as-s out. Don't worry though, you'll always find employment. There's a McDonald's on every street corner.

Stay the course, keep this owner, this coach and start Brady Quinn. We all need a laugh.

dhough1976 Posted:

"For a supposedly smart guy, and a wealthy one to boot, that was, to put it mildly, an awkardly written e-mail. Actually, it was almost incomprehensible."

Geez I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this. For a minute there, I had begun to believe I'd lost touch with the English language.

Randy, dude - simple is better. Keep your sentences simple and have a point. "On the grounds of frustration and irritation with performance, then that's the medicine I [we] are going......." says almost nothing. Just say, "I understand the frustration and anger of Browns fans." It takes half the words and gets the point across efficiently.

I'm starting to understand how we ended up with such a horrendous coach in Mangini. RL needs to model this after Miami. Hire a real football guy - with a successful track record - and let him build the organization from top to bottom.

This Mangini train is going nowhere fast. And the train wreck lies squarely at Lerner's feet. That email explains it all, sadly.

These Browns remind me of the squealers with Mark Malone. Those were great years...for the Browns. And for some strange reason, I don't remember as many squealer fans out "showing their colors" like I do today. What a bunch of non loyal bums.

Daniel...very well put. We all need to hang in there. Remember, the squealers sucked for 5 decades (that's 50 years for squealers fans) before anything good happened over there.

hope.luck.support.seriously.do you think belichek hopes.are the patriots lucky.dont gimme support.were browns fan.we d support bush if he was from cleveland.i support the protest.and also,i miss crennel.yeah,i said it.

hope,luck and support.crack head.

Any thing short of firing Kokinis and Mangini will not be good enough. Lerner has to learn quicker his mistakes. Not another three to four years of utter bull! Get Cowher!Now!

Randy Lerner Please sell the Health And Safety Mans Rugby team and come and stay in england where you are loved. I'd be extremily happy to see him turn his back on you lot because then he can concentrate on making Aston Villa FC better which he has done ever since he brought us. Please Lerner sell the Rugby For Wimps team and concentrate on a club where the fans appreciate you.

Up The Villa!

Stuart