Written by Dave Kolonich

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So…some guy named Adam Schein – who totally looks like a Flight of the Conchord – doesn’t think very highly of the Browns.

And why is this?

FoxSports.com – NFL Organizational Rankings - Schein Analysis

Does the name Eric Mangini ring a bell?

Talk about being so 2009…  

FoxSports.com – NFL Organizational Rankings

Other than the inconvenient fact that Mangini is still employed by the Browns, Schein doesn’t offer many details regarding why the franchise is ranked so low. After all, according to Schein’s rankings, the Chiefs, 49ers, Bears and Bengals are supposedly better than the Browns.

 

Or, in other words – a team like the Chiefs – one who has paid a fortune to try to emulate the mythical success of the Patriots are better than the Browns.

As are the 49ers – a franchise run by a family more dysfunctional than the Lerners – one who fired their GM mere weeks before the draft and just signed David Carr to compete for a starting job.

Don’t forget about the Bears – where the GM and Head Coach have been feuding for years, and now are trying to marry a hothead QB with a egomaniacal offensive coordinator.

Finally, there are our dear neighbors to the south – a franchise that essentially lacks a scouting department, GM and overall restraint, but boasts an impressive cultural swath of criminals.

So – what are we to take from this? If anything?

First, the national media being what it is – meaning never local – often rely on information that is usually anything but valid…but nonetheless dramatic on a slow day and downright scandalous on a better one.

For example, if you asked any national media type to give a quick sound bite on the Browns last season, they would have quickly cited the alleged QB battle between Brady and DA, then threw in a barb at Mangini.

This season, with the climate much different in Berea, these same “journalists” have to dig a little deeper. If the spin is intended to be positive, then a nice flowery piece on Mike Holmgren is in order.

If not, then guess who gets the blame?

Hopefully, by the time the 2010 season concludes, this exact strategy will prove irrelevant.

Much to Schein’s surprise, the Browns as “an organization” have added an incredibly knowledgable team President and bright young GM, along with a bevy of new scouts – and are slowly creating a functioning system of management. 

But enough about all that – what about Mangini?  Isn’t he such a jerk?

Ideally, all the weight carried by Mangini in 2009 has been relieved from him and he can do what he does best – which is maintain a culture of accountability and discipline in Berea, while hopefully adding a few more wins in the standings.

Of course, this will prove quite dangerous for the likes of Schein – and for all those who just can’t let things go.