Jimmy Haslam

[peekskill68]

This should be required reading for CJ and Woody, Macc, Gase and any Jets personnel within 50 miles of management.  Too long to post but fascinating if you have the time...

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25797430/inside-cleveland-browns-front-office-where-hope-history-collide

Some highlights:

Despite the appearance of confidence, the Haslams, overseeing their fifth regime change in six years as owners, were embarrassed to be starting over again, according to confidants. This was not what they envisioned when they bought the team in 2012, after being minority owners of the Steelers. Haslam had personally made the decision to hire Jackson in 2016, against the recommendation of the Browns' executive team. But the Browns had just lost to the Steelers, dropping Jackson's three-year record to 3-36-1, and after constant fighting behind closed doors, Jackson was publicly warring with his offensive coordinator, Todd Haley. So according to people briefed on the meeting, on Oct. 29, Haslam and general manager John Dorsey entered Jackson's office and told him the team was going to move in a different direction.

Jackson asked why he was being fired.

The team quit on you, Dorsey replied.

At the time, four of the eight Browns games had gone to overtime.

"Get the f--- out of my office," Jackson said.

___________________________

His conversations often feel like interviews. In a league of absentee owners, Haslam is accessible, walking the halls of the facility and stopping to converse with coaches and staffers regardless of rank, which is both charming and problematic. He will lean in -- he's a close talker -- and ask open questions, wanting the unvarnished truth. Each answer leads to more pointed queries. If you're a position coach, he'll ask how you rate the talent the scouts have drafted. If you're a scout, he'll ask how the coaches are developing talent. You realize he has no true football compass and is pitting you against your peers, sometimes even your boss, but in the moment it feels like you've got the owner's ear.

"You think you're the one he trusts," says a former high-level member of Browns management. "By the time you realize that he confides in everyone, it's too late. You're gone."

___________________________

He started the draft by trading down, from No. 4 to No. 9, then traded up to No. 8 to pick Pettine's preferred player, Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert. With the second first-round pick, Farmer was targeting Oregon State receiver Brandin Cooks. But then Manziel started to slide and Haslam wanted Manziel. Some of the football guys in the room wanted to wait and pick Bridgewater in the second round. But the team had soured on Bridgewater after his interview dinner and workout with team brass; something about Bridgewater's handshake rubbed Haslam the wrong way, he told team executives. Manziel texted Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains during the draft, begging the team to pick him, and Loggains forwarded the texts to Haslam. Farmer knew whom the owner wanted, so he made a decision that felt like a concession and traded up to draft him, despite significant concerns about Manziel's skill set and hard partying at Texas A&M. Haslam celebrated, but those in the room could tell Farmer was frustrated. After months of planning, he'd given away his two first-rounders to his coach and owner.

___________________________

FARMER'S FEARS WOULD prove to be well-founded. Haslam was losing faith and patience in Farmer, who told his deputies that the owner questioned his roster decisions so often that every move "became what he would like to see done." Haslam told other executives he didn't think Farmer was strategic enough in the draft -- an unfair charge, the scouting department felt, given Haslam's fingerprints on personnel decisions. On top of it all, Farmer was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season because he had illegally texted team personnel on the sideline during a game in 2014, upset over the offensive playcalling. The Browns now were breaking the rules and losing, leading to even more public mocking. The outside anger was felt inside the building. Marketing executives wanted employees to see how fans were engaging with the Browns on social media, so they projected the Browns feed onto a giant wall at the facility. It was like broadcasting talk radio over the entire building, and one day in particular, it was worse than that. One of the marketing staffers entered a search for #dp -- for Dawg Pound. The problem was, that hashtag carried a few different meanings, one of which triggered an array of porn to be broadcast onto a wall for the entire office to see for more than 20 minutes, until a tech employee killed the feed.

___________________________

Until it was time to commit to a coach.

After a few rounds of interviews, the brass voted. It was 4-1 in favor of Sean McDermott, the Panthers' defensive coordinator, a coach who had crushed his interview and was known to be open to new ideas.

Haslam voted for Hue Jackson, the former Raiders head coach and then-Bengals offensive coordinator. Jackson was a respected playcaller and teacher, especially with quarterbacks. Haslam told the group he felt Jackson could relate better to players. Jackson knew how hard it was to get a second chance as a head coach, and he was nervous about the rebuilding plan. He would later tell friends the team undersold him on the extremeness of the rebuilding plan, a charge that Browns executives found absurd, given the level of detail shared during the interview process.

DePodesta wrote Haslam an email arguing that the Jackson hire went against many of the characteristics of successful coaches they had discussed. Brown met with Haslam -- there's always a race to be the last one to talk to Haslam before a big decision -- and told him he thought hiring Jackson would be a bad call. "I hear you," Haslam said.

Then Haslam flew to Cincinnati and hired Jackson, who would report directly to ownership.

____________

THE HASLAMS HAVE messed things up before. They confess as much in their all-staff meetings after announcing shifts in administration. Last year at the combine, a group of fired Browns coaches, a club both exclusive and expanding, met for dinner. Those who know Haslam well -- even those who have been fired by him -- admit each housecleaning probably made sense on its face. Too much fighting, too little winning. It's the overall pattern that is baffling, the inability of Haslam to either evaluate people and plans well or stick by them. There were a lot of coaches at that dinner, but they weren't the only casualties of Haslam's decisions. The main casualties have been ideas. Nobody knows what will work, or what could have worked, because Haslam refuses to commit to a football ideology long enough to see it through.

 

 

[MDL_JET]

Love these behind the scene type articles. Was a great read. Wish we can get a Jets version of this.

I'll never understand why owners are like this.  I know Haslam isn't the only one, they have such power trips. You spend all this money to own a team, you put together a staff and then don't listen to them. Wtf is the point? 

Also lolz at being turned off from Bridgewater because of his handshake. Idiots. 

[CTM]

 

4 hours ago, peekskill68 said:

His conversations often feel like interviews. In a league of absentee owners, Haslam is accessible, walking the halls of the facility and stopping to converse with coaches and staffers regardless of rank, which is both charming and problematic. He will lean in -- he's a close talker -- and ask open questions, wanting the unvarnished truth. Each answer leads to more pointed queries. If you're a position coach, he'll ask how you rate the talent the scouts have drafted. If you're a scout, he'll ask how the coaches are developing talent. You realize he has no true football compass and is pitting you against your peers, sometimes even your boss, but in the moment it feels like you've got the owner's ear.

"You think you're the one he trusts," says a former high-level member of Browns management. "By the time you realize that he confides in everyone, it's too late. You're gone."

I've worked for owners like this. It creates a toxic culture where different functional areas are pitted against one another and actively hide information from each other while misleading the clueless egomaniacal owner who lacks the expertise and experiance to wade through the BS.  The net result is always dysfunction 

 

[CTM]

1 hour ago, MDL_JET said:

Love these behind the scene type articles. Was a great read. Wish we can get a Jets version of this.

I'll never understand why owners are like this.  I know Haslam isn't the only one, they have such power trips. You spend all this money to own a team, you put together a staff and then don't listen to them. Wtf is the point? 

Also lolz at being turned off from Bridgewater because of his handshake. Idiots. 

Because they equate money with brains or success in one area as being easily translated to another.

The owners I worked for were rich kids who never worked a real day in thier life, but they were surrounded by enough sycophants who told them how brilliant they were (in the interest of getting in thier pockets) that they almost have no choice but to believe it. This is likely the Johnsons, a guy like Haslam has this happening + the arrogance/confidence that comes with successfully building an unrelated business.

 

[Adoni Beast]

I love the part where Peyton was pushing Haslam to go after Gase, and Gase wanted no part of Cleveland.

[Beerfish]

Hugh Jackson is a joke, you could see it from that one hard knocks episode where his smart vet coaches were wanting guys being given 'maintenance days' to at least show up and be in uniform even if not taking reps so they could be picking up stuff and Jackson goes well out of his way to make sure everyone knew he was the HEAD coach and they were going to do it his way.

Also you have a feck of a lot of nerve to tell the GM to get the heck out of my office when your team has win 3 games in three years.

If I was Dorsey i would have said.  'This is no longer your office, security will be arriving shortly to escort you out of the building.'

 

[kdels62]

Mayfield is that whole organization. He's gonna be a legend in that market. 

[peekskill68]

From the draft day chaos, to an owner listening to too many people, to the natural manipulations you get when the HC and GM report separately to the owner with different agendas you can just see some of this Cleveland craziness existing in Florham Park...

[varjet]

There will be a similar article written one day about how the Johnsons influence and make football decisions.  They must.  

We all argue for a "Head of Football Operations," thinking that the Johnsons are going to bring Shanahan, Holmgren or Parcells out of retirement.

But the Jets have a HOFO, who is active in the role.  It was Woody, and now is Chris, Johnson.

[Barry McCockinner]

also, the Browns

https://dailysnark.com/browns-show-their-true-dysfunction-by-accidentally-showing-porn-during-staff-meeting

 

[fusionCA]

the most important thing i got from this is QB coach Dowell Loggains who had a hand in picking Manziel and had a direct line to the owner.

 

my god how do we find this awful coaches and get them to be on the Jets staff 

[playtowinthegame]

1 minute ago, fusionCA said:

the most important thing i got from this is QB coach Dowell Loggains who had a hand in picking Manziel and had a direct line to the owner.

 

my god how do we find this awful coaches and get them to be on the Jets staff 

 

I couldn't believe the Browns drafted Manziel because Loggains showed Haslem all the text messages from Manziel begging him to draft him. LMAO....Keep Loggains away from Mac and Christopher Johnson! 

[sourceworx]

4 hours ago, kdels62 said:

Mayfield is that whole organization. He's gonna be a legend in that market. 

He's already one to their fans.

My neighbor is a huge, huge Browns fan. The guy has a framed picture of Mayfield hanging in his living room, next to pictures of his family. It's funny and creepy at the same time.

[joenamathwouldn'tcry]

Required reading for those of us who are ready to anoint the Cleveland Browns as "The Next Big Thing"  Shining proof  of why the Browns have been the Browns, and in spite of the recent  "successes", drafting and Mayfield, things can go south in a hurry.  Leads me believe that Dorsey may be available in the not too distant future.  Also, those who construe Loggains forwarding an E-mail to the owner from Manziel, as "proof" that he was the driving force behind the draft pick.  Come On!......

[Aussie Jet]

I'm looking forward to the day I read an article where Gase tells Maccagnan to get the **** out of his office.

[Pac]

 

1 hour ago, joenamathwouldn'tcry said:

Required reading for those of us who are ready to anoint the Cleveland Browns as "The Next Big Thing"  Shining proof  of why the Browns have been the Browns, and in spite of the recent  "successes", drafting and Mayfield, things can go south in a hurry.  Leads me believe that Dorsey may be available in the not too distant future.  Also, those who construe Loggains forwarding an E-mail to the owner from Manziel, as "proof" that he was the driving force behind the draft pick.  Come On!......

Exactly.  The people who've been actually envious of the Browns organization need to read the article twice.

Dorsey is a pompous ass who will be fired in a couple years.  Probably makes all the metrics nerds who've lauded the Browns feel sad that Dorsey said he doesn't "need f***king nerds to tell me how to evaluate players".

Mayfield is an immature punk and will likely lash out when things go south..  and they will go south.

 

[docdhc]

2 hours ago, Pac said:

 

Exactly.  The people who've been actually envious of the Browns organization need to read the article twice.

Dorsey is a pompous ass who will be fired in a couple years.  Probably makes all the metrics nerds who've lauded the Browns feel sad that Dorsey said he doesn't "need f***king nerds to tell me how to evaluate players".

Mayfield is an immature punk and will likely lash out when things go south..  and they will go south.

 

Dorsey knows personnel though, he has had good drafts. Mahomes and Hunt in KC, Mayfield in Cleveland.

[WayneChrebet80]

To be fair I think Haslam got sold snake oil on the analytics revolution in the NFL starting with Joe Banner. The Eagles were successful because Andy Reid has a great eye for talent not Joe Banner. 

Baseball is a game built for analytics because of the requisite sample size needed to make accurate predictions based off data. 

PFF and Football Outsiders tires to evaluate every play of every game for every player, but the sample size just isn’t there with football. Especially college football where the players are all ridiciously inconsistent week to week. 

 

[redlichtie]

15 hours ago, Beerfish said:

Hugh Jackson is a joke, you could see it from that one hard knocks episode where his smart vet coaches were wanting guys being given 'maintenance days' to at least show up and be in uniform even if not taking reps so they could be picking up stuff and Jackson goes well out of his way to make sure everyone knew he was the HEAD coach and they were going to do it his way.

Also you have a feck of a lot of nerve to tell the GM to get the heck out of my office when your team has win 3 games in three years.

If I was Dorsey i would have said.  'This is no longer your office, security will be arriving shortly to escort you out of the building.'

 

LOL, I’m guessing that was probably not far off what happened. What a numpty

[jack48]

20 hours ago, MDL_JET said:

Love these behind the scene type articles. Was a great read. Wish we can get a Jets version of this.

I'll never understand why owners are like this.  I know Haslam isn't the only one, they have such power trips. You spend all this money to own a team, you put together a staff and then don't listen to them. Wtf is the point? 

Also lolz at being turned off from Bridgewater because of his handshake. Idiots. 

They are not used to being told what to do.  Or even having it suggested to them.

[jack48]

19 hours ago, Beerfish said:

Hugh Jackson is a joke, you could see it from that one hard knocks episode where his smart vet coaches were wanting guys being given 'maintenance days' to at least show up and be in uniform even if not taking reps so they could be picking up stuff and Jackson goes well out of his way to make sure everyone knew he was the HEAD coach and they were going to do it his way.

Also you have a feck of a lot of nerve to tell the GM to get the heck out of my office when your team has win 3 games in three years.

If I was Dorsey i would have said.  'This is no longer your office, security will be arriving shortly to escort you out of the building.'

 

I know. that made me laugh.

 

"You are fired."

 

" Get out of my office."

 

Can't make this stuff up.  

 

Cleveland

[kelticwizard]

On 1/24/2019 at 12:17 PM, Beerfish said:

Also you have a feck of a lot of nerve to tell the GM to get the heck out of my office when your team has win 3 games in three years.

Frankly,  I think he's got a heck of a lot of nerve even asking why he's being fired.