NFL Week 17 - The Final Countdown

[jimmy olsen]

Seriously Browns?  Firing Chud after one season is terrible.

That's why they're the Browns.

[alfred russel]

The Browns need the Sweater Vest. Make the call to Akron, you chumps.

What if they fired Chud knowing they could bring in the Sweater Vest? Would it then start to look like a good move to the doubters?

[MadBurgerMaker]

No, because they could have brought the Vest in last year.

[alfred russel]

No, because they could have brought the Vest in last year.

Disagree. It would look like last year they made a mistake hiring Chud. Not that this year they made a mistake by bringing in Tressel.

[MadBurgerMaker]

What do you disagree with?  Tressel wasn't doing anything last year that would have prevented him from taking the head coaching job.  If they had wanted him, they would have hired him, not someone else. 

It's just the Browns being the Browns. 

[Ed Anger]

Tressel's manly gaze would discombulate opposing coaches and make Dan Dierdorf's head explode.

[alfred russel]

What do you disagree with?  Tressel wasn't doing anything last year that would have prevented him from taking the head coaching job.  If they had wanted him, they would have hired him, not someone else. 

It's just the Browns being the Browns.

What I knew about Chud prior to their hiring him led me to believe he was a shitty coach. Going 4-12 doesn't change that. Admittedly going 4-12 with the Browns this year isn't necessarily disgraceful, but it is 4-12.

They realized that whatever they were thinking at the beginning of the year was wrong, and now they are probably going to hire someone they could have hired last year (even if not Tressel). They made a stupid decision last year, and now aren't going to compound it by letting the guy continue to win games at a 25% clip until he meets everyone's standard of being given a fair shot.

[alfred russel]

Lets put it this way, and assuming our two options are Chud or Tressel:

At the beginning of the year: The Browns answered the question, "who gives us the best chance to win" with Chud. That was dumb.

Today: The Browns answered the question with Tressel, and that is smart.

Of course in reality they probably will answer it with Romeo Crennel, but hey, these are the Browns.

[MadBurgerMaker]

It is 4-12 in his first year.  A non stupid team usually will want to find out if the coach can show enough improvement in their next year, because the first year will involve a lot of changes.

[alfred russel]

It is 4-12 in his first year.  A non stupid team usually will want to find out if the coach can show enough improvement in their next year, because the first year will involve a lot of changes.

I don't know the answer to this question, but does history prove this out? Do second year coaches post better records than first year coaches?

[MadBurgerMaker]

I would imagine coaches who are worthy of being kept around tend to show improvement in their second year vs. their "rookie" year, yes.  There isn't any way to know if they're going to improve on their first year if you don't actually give them another one.

E:  And it's not like 4-12 is some abnormal season record lately for the Browns or anything.  I just noticed there was a new GM this year too. 

[sbr]

The players aren't very happy about the firing.

Cleveland Browns Players Went Ballistic After Their Coach Got Fired

The Cleveland Browns fired coach Rob Chudzinski last night after a 4-12 season.

It came as a surprise for two reasons, 1) he was less than 12 months into a four-year contract, and 2) the team had two major quarterback injuries and traded their starting running back in September.

Browns players are not happy. When news of his firing became official, many of them delivered some brutally honest quotes.

Offensive lineman Jason Pinkston sent this text to Mike Silver of NFL Network:



SI's Peter King reports that both D'Qwell Jackson and Joe Thomas were upset by the firing. Jackson told King that the firing was "crazy," saying:

"On the bus back to Pittsburgh, [defensive teammate] Jabaal Sheard showed me a text from his agent that said Chud could be fired. I said, 'No way. No way.' After the Trent Richardson trade and our quarterback injuries, I thought for sure he'd get a pass. Not one year. Come on. One year? There's no way. Chud was good for us, good for the team. He came in and did everything right, I thought."

Another player went after owner Jimmy Haslam:

I am texting with numerous Browns players and their emotions range from bewildered to furious

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) December 29, 2013
One Browns player: "We are so dysfunctional. These billionaires need to pick somebody and stay with them. These aren't girlfriends..."

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) December 29, 2013
"... you can't dump them if they (fail to please you) one time."

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) December 29, 2013
Another Browns player: "This organization is a joke."

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) December 29, 2013
It's a mess:

#Browns LB D'Qwell Jackson said he's mad that folks are speculating that Chud will be fired. "He's a great coach.'' Can't even fathom firing

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) December 29, 2013

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/cleveland-browns-players-went-ballistic-142301494.html

[Valmy]

Shanahan is out.  That's interesting.  Redskins rebuilding project take 12.

[Neil]

Why would anyone think that Tressel is even capable of coaching at that level?

[sbr]

Shanahan is out.  That's interesting.  Redskins rebuilding project take 12.

That is the least surprising change that will happen today.