THE 2014 BROWNS MEMES AWARDS

 Welcome everyone to the 2nd annual Browns Memes Postseason Awards!

The Browns ended up 7-9 which on the surface sounds like improvement.  However the record seems a bit jaded when you factor in the fact this team was 6-3 and riding high in the division.  If you factor in the fact that the team went through a period that looked like something out of a scripted nightmare.  If you think about the fact we now have almost zero value at the QB position.  So much went wrong in a very short period of time.

So where can we find some positives?  Well we can't, but it is sports and we are playing for awards.  If we can't earn awards the traditional ways (winning, in case you have forgotten by now) then someone is going to have to make some awards up for them.  That someone is me.  So with no further delay I present the most prestigious awards a player can earn from a goofball Twitter account... The Browns Memes 2014 Postseason Awards!

First I would like to recognize Josh Gordon as the 2014 Idiot of the Year.  He is the only award winner from this year to have won his award before the season even started.  Despite tremendous efforts from Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel to pry this award from Gordon's hands they just couldn't.

I always thought Browns Twitter made severe fun of Indians Twitter due to the overuse of silly nicknames and slogans... then WRECK THIS LEAGUE became the rallying cry for the backup quarterback to enter the game and instantly become some weird hybrid of all the greatest qualities of Randall Cunningham and Joe Montana wrapped into a barely 6 foot tall fratboy.  WRECKED MY TEAM is more like it.

Last year a streaker in the preseason stole the Run of the Year from the entire stable of running backs.  This year a man in the Dawg Pound shed two blocks from Bengals fans and laid the first hit of the day on Jeremy Hill... one row deep in the stands.  Congratulations Rhett, you earned this one!

For a short period of time this year it looked like we finally scared the same old Browns away.  Isaiah Crowell helped with that.  This lightning run against the Falcons was one of the better runs I've seen from an actual running back in a good long time.

I'm glad that we are retaining our coaching staff.  Our defense did a lot of good things.  But offensively we were a bit of a joke.  Most of the dumb coaching blunders of the season seemed to come while we had the ball.  Take this gem early in season, where the Browns broke almost every written and unwritten rule in football.  And couldn't even get set to run the play...

This year I thought it would be fun to let the fans in on the voting as well here is the results for the fan polls for Biggest Letdown, Biggest Surprise and MVP of the season.

Congratulations to all of our esteemed winners.

THE HALFWAY POINT

The only thing I know for sure about the 2014 Cleveland Browns is that I know less about the team now than I did before the season began.  Never in all of my days of watching this team play have I seen more bizarrely unpredictable play.

But one thing I know for sure is that they are better than the old Browns teams.  But reading many people's narratives of this team you would never believe it.  To see the amount of people complaining about the QB situation and digging for negatives is crazy to me.  To have five wins at the halfway point of the year is an incredible feeling.  So lets go down memory lane, as I stack up games 1-8 head to head against last year's team and lets see if anyone would want to live through last season again instead.

Game One:

2014  Browns 27 - Steelers 30 - The season couldn't have started worse, the team bumbled to a 27-3 halftime deficit.  However the Browns came out in the second half like an entirely different team scoring 24 unanswered points to tie the game late in the 4th quarter.  However the team ran out of gas at the very end of the game giving up a game winning FG in the last seconds.

2013  Dolphins 23 - Browns 10 - The Browns finally mustered some offense just before half to take a 7-6 halftime lead.  That was their highlight as the Browns fell apart and Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins cruised through the 2nd half outscoring the Browns 17-3 from that point on.

Advantage: 2014   

Game Two:

2014  Saints 24 - Browns 26 - In a game where most experts gave the Browns no chance to even be competitive in their home opener the Browns outplayed the Saints through most of the 1st half.  However the Browns missed some opportunities and gave up some late points and still led the game 16-10 at the half.  However this week the Saints managed the comeback and took a late lead in the game.  Then the unthinkable happened.  Brian Hoyer led a clutch drive setting up a Billy Cundiff game winning FG.

2013  Browns 6 - Ravens 14 - Once again the Browns wasted a good defensive effort, only managing 6 points at halftime. The Ravens quickly erased the deficit and added one more TD for good measure.  Brandon Weeden was injured in the 4th quarter and Jason Campbell didn't have a chance either.

Advantage: 2014

Game Three:

2014  Ravens 23 - Browns 21 - The Browns managed to hang tough with the Ravens, and heading into the 4th quarter held a fragile 21-17 lead.  Brian Hoyer hit Taylor Gabriel on 70 yard pass that looked like it was going to setup some insurance.  The Browns didn't do another thing right that game.  The entire offense and defense fell apart and the same old Browns reared it's ugly head.

2013  Browns 31 - Vikings 27 - After a shocking week Trent Richardson was traded and Brian Hoyer was named starting QB.  The next shocker was the fact we had offense for the first time in 2013.  In the first exciting game of 2013 the Browns hung tough, but found themselves down by 4 in the 4th quarter.  Then the unthinkable happened.  Brian Hoyer led a clutch drive finding Jordan Cameron for a game winning touchdown.

Advantage: 2013 

Game Four:

2014  Browns 29 - Titans 28 -  The Browns had another first half meltdown in this game, building a 25 point deficit in the 2nd quarter.  However the Browns scored 28 unanswered points to end the game completing the largest road comeback victory in NFL history.

2013 Bengals 6 - Browns 17 - In one of the most drama free games in a while the Browns managed to hold an early lead for the entire game.  The Browns put this game on ice in the 4th quarter with Hoyer's 2nd TD pass of the game.  The Bengals offense didn't have an answer.

Advantage: 2014

Game Five:

2014  Steelers 10 - Browns 31 - In the biggest win over the Steelers in decades, the Browns beat the Steelers from pillar to post.  The only negative in the entire game was the fact that Alex Mack would be lost for the season.

2013  Bills 24 - Browns 37 - Brian Hoyer's season ended during the Browns 2nd offensive series.  This opened the door for Brandon Weeden to reclaim his job at QB.  Weeden wasn't terrific, but Travis Benjamin was.  His punt returns set up several key touchdowns taking the Browns winning streak to three games... but now we have to go forward with Weeden.

Advantage: 2014

Game Six:

2014  Browns 6 - Jaguars 24 - In one of the biggest momentum killing losses in recent memory, the Browns didn't show up in any aspect of the game.  Jacksonville literally had a blowout handed to them in this game.

2013  Lions 31 - Browns 17 - In one of the biggest momentum killing losses in recent memory, the Browns took a 17-7 lead into halftime.  After the half the Browns self destructed as the Lions put up 24 unanswered points.  The game will probably be best remembered for Brandon Weeden's flipper pass interception in the 4th quarter to seal the game for the Lions.

Advantage: None, both of these games can burn in hell

Game Seven:

2014  Raiders 13 - Browns 23 - This certainly wasn't the prettiest game in the world.  But the Browns took advantage of the Raider's mistakes and handily won this game.

2013  Browns 13 - Packers 31 - The Browns traveled to Lambeau Field, and did exactly what everyone expected them to do... get blown out.  Weeden was horrible, and lost his job again after this game.

Advantage: 2014

Game Eight:

2014  Buccaneers 17 - Browns 22 - The Browns running game continued to struggle since the loss of Alex Mack, but the passing game picked them up.  Hoyer threw for over 300 yards for the first time this season, and the Browns hung tough and picked up a hard fought fifth win of the season.

2013  Browns 17 - Chiefs 23 - Jason Campbell became the 20th starting QB for the Browns since 1999 at Kansas City.  And after not being able to complete the comeback after a 20-3 Chiefs lead, became the 20th QB to take a loss.    

Advantage: 2014


So tell me again why people are so upset.  I have the 2014 season up 6-1-1 versus the 2013 team.  And the only time I picked that team was Hoyer's debut.  Let's not forget those 5 wins we have at the halfway point is more than the 2013 team mustered all season long.  They won their next game and never won again.

So calm down people, the most alarming things about this year's team is the offensive and defensive lines.  We have some work to do.  But sit back and enjoy it for a change.

MOST FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE MORE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THEY PUT ON FILM

Since YouTube has come around I have been able to start a new tradition over the last few years for the beginning of football season.  Now each year before the season starts I watch Masters of the Gridiron.  And if you don't remember this classic film, allow me to enlighten you.

in 1986 Browns center Mike Baab had the idea to create a short movie featuring the Browns that would be a parody of Conan the Barbarian.  With many of his teammates on board they created Masters of the Gridiron, a movie that represented the 80's in Cleveland so much I can't believe the WMMS Buzzard didn't make a cameo at the end.

The script was something that would make today's NFL brass cringe.  It starts at a Browns game when Baab is knocked out cold, and due to an obvious concussion becomes Baabarian.  Baabarian is joined by a band of Masters of the Gridiron, given equally cheesy names.  They go through a training montage, fight through a Michael Stanley performance at the stadium, and ultimately Baabarian has his showdown with Tiny Tim (No I'm not kidding, watch it and see).

So I present to you MASTERS OF THE GRIDIRON:

THE QUARTERBACK INCOMPETITION

Normally my post game rants I highlight some guys who played well and adversely call out some guys who under performed.  This week that is easy, the defense was really good and the offense was really bad.  As stupid and simplistic of an analysis that is, it really is the truth.  The defense is set, and outside of some injuries at CB the Browns defense looked mean, nasty and tough.  Three turnovers created by the first team alone should have set the tone for this offense in flux, but alas that didn't happen.

The reason that this is significant was that coach Mike Pettine wanted to name the starters, most significantly the starting QB.  So the battle of Brian Hoyer vs Johnny Manziel had its final showdown on Monday Night Football.  And did someone stand out?  No.

Our offense way abysmal.  It looked like the worst of Brian Daboll, Pat Shurmur, and Rob Chudzinski all combined into some new type of stupid that was painful to watch.  And more importantly created more questions than answers to a unit that appears to be in way worse shape than many of us feared. So what better way to end an annual QB controversy in Cleveland than a completely disfunctional game?

And as the dust settled after that stinker it was Brian Hoyer awarded the starting position over fan favorite Johnny Manziel.  Was it fair?  Did Hoyer earn it?  So lets take a look at both guys...

Truthfully that is where the positives end.  Brian Hoyer may have just won a QB competition doing the least amount of good things in the history of the NFL.  Boasting a 40% completion percentage and failing to convert third down, let alone a touchdown Hoyer has hardly given the Browns faithful a reason to forget about Johnny Manziel.

However I don't want to bury the guy, he certainly wasn't blessed with a ton of support from his teammates.  Hoyer's inaccuracy was amplified by some very poor WR play, and his decision making hampered in the last game with some very poor offensive line play.  The first team units under Hoyer looked disorganized and poor as a whole.

To be honest it is hardly the glowing endorsement I was hoping to give our QB going into the season, but I am guess I can see the coach's logic.  So if I can see the logic in it, how bad could Johnny have been?

    
Considering the above pic was Johnny Manziel's NFL highlight so far, I can honestly say that I wasn't blown away.  I haven't made it a secret that I don't see Johnny through the same rose colored glasses that many fans do.  Johnny looked every bit the college gimmick offense QB who probably came out of school too soon.  He did outplay Hoyer, but only barely.

While that may sound harsh, those aren't criticisms they are facts.  The truth is Johnny Manziel isn't Brandon Weeden, he's a 21 year old kid.  He has a lot of time, and an almost limitless ceiling.  But Johnny isn't any where near that ceiling right now.  The worst part of Johnny's game has been simple, but obvious... he isn't ready for the pro game.  Simply calling a play in a huddle is new to him, and it has been a struggle for him.  I noticed several instances where he turned to throw to a receiver who was running a completely different route than Johnny thought he was running.

Fixable?  Yes.

Fixable overnight?  Absolutely not.  

So I am sorry to the people who were Manziel or bust this season.  There are adjustments that people in Johnny's position need to make, and no matter how much you wish it to be true he is no exception.  Brian Hoyer has more experience, a better grasp on the offense, and in my opinion gives this team a better chance to win during this brutal stretch that starts this season.

The fact is that Brian Hoyer's window is small, if he wants to make a career as an NFL starter this is his chance.  It is now or never for him.  I hope that ending the competition will allow him to regain some of the comfort in the offense he showed last season.

And as far as Johnny Manziel goes, chill out people.  He isn't the exception to the rules, he's human and he will be well served to learn his position.  The logic that players don't get experience backing up veterans is flawed, and if you really are a fan of the kid let him learn.

And if they both turn out to suck, there was one bright spot at QB...

JUDGING THE QB COMPETITION, AND GRADING SOME STANDOUTS FROM PRESEASON GAME #1

New Browns coach Mike Pettine has said this offseason that the Browns were going to "break off the rear view mirror," this season.  Blowing a 4th quarter lead in a football game isn't going to make that happen any quicker. But it is the preseason and I'm not going to sweat some bubble players letting a game get away.  The real competition is between teammates in these games. So I am going to look at some of the battles for positions that were fought last night.

Obviously the most hotly contested battle on the team is between the hometown boy Brian Hoyer and the media darling Johnny Manziel.  While tons of fans have a personal agenda is at play in this battle, I personally want to see the best man win. The trouble is that objectively I didn't see one guy take a resounding lead in the competition.

Hoyer's was 6-14 with 92 yards in three series with the offense. He made a few nice reads and throws, but the kink in his armor on Saturday night was a couple overthrows that could have potentially lead to big plays for the Browns offense.  The worst part of his night was that perhaps his best two thrown ball of the night were also not hauled in.  Miles Austin dropped a pass near the end zone that would have set up first and goal.  And Josh Gordon couldn't haul in a well thrown ball in the end zone, due to a very nice play by the Lions' defense.

Manziel's debut was also somewhat polarizing.  Johnny went 7-11 for 63 yards with 27 rushing yards.  While Johnny didn't set the world on fire, it is important to remember this was his first ever professional action.  Kyle Shanaham wasted no time letting Johnny be Johnny as he rotated between standard pro offensive plays, and more gimmicky style offense.  Johnny made a couple nice reads and throws, and a couple drive saving runs to keep the offense on the field.  Probably the most impressive moment of his game for me came when Johnny was under pressure and threw an awkward, but catchable ball to Terrance West in the flat for an 8 yard gain.  Not many QBs in Browns history make that play.  But Johnny's night wasn't all positive as he had a fairly bad overthrow on a comeback route and fell victim to some poor WR and OL play.

While the numbers were a bit pedestrian I felt that both guys did a nice job of moving the ball and despite no touchdown drives, we consistently flipped field position, putting our defense in a good position to shine.  Neither guy probably gained or lost much ground.

Some other guys who really helped their cause vs. the Lions:

RB-Ben Tate: Tate had 25 yards on 6 carries, while not great numbers you must remember the Browns passed the ball more than any team in the NFL last season because we weren't getting solid carries out of anyone.

RB-Terrance West: 22 yards on 10 carries doesn't sound that great, but considering he lost a fair number of his yards on poorly blocked runs out of the pistol sort of balances that out.  When given ample opportunity West showed some power and vision and had several nice runs of his own.

TE/FB-Marqueis Gray: The former Golden Gopher QB showed why he was in camp showing a unique blend of size and speed. Gray had two nice catch and runs for 51 yards.  He will just have to clean up a bad drop that he had in the red zone, that looked more like a borderline fumble to me.

WR-Charles Johnson: Browns WRs did not have the best night against the Lions, so Johnson's performance probably will allow him to sit smugly during positional meetings this week.  Johnson made three tough catches for 30 yards, showing off his hands and running ability.

G-John Greco: The block of the night came from Greco as he alertly blasted a back side rusher.  The block was so vicious that it was initially flagged, but was ultimately deemed a clean block.  He helped a first team offensive line that really stood out as a unit.

S-Donte Whitner: Whitner has nothing to prove as one of the veterans on this team, but he had a couple hard yet clean hits.  I felt he really motivated the rest of the defense to tighten up after a shaky start.

MLB-Craig Robertson: Robertson showed great improvement over last season in both run support and pass coverage. With draft pick Christian Kirksey (who stood out himself) breathing down his neck, Robertson didn't do anything to indicate he is going to give away his starting position easily.

OLB-Barkevious Mingo: Last year's first round pick made the Browns only sack of the night, but it was a highlight reel sack.  Mingo powered through what I thought was an obvious hold by a Lions fullback to get his first preseason sack.

K-Billy Cundiff: Cundiff made all four of his FG attempts, quieting critics of the team for not bringing in multiple kickers for this year's camp to challenge for the spot.

WR-Marlon Moore: While Moore wasn't involved much in the offense he made the most of his one touch by returning a kick 52 yards, showing incredible speed in the process. With the Josh Gordon suspension looming there may be an extra spot available.  All eyes were on Willie Snead for that spot, but Snead really hurt his cause last night opening a possible door for a guy like Moore.

Hopefully next week's game in Washington will answer even more questions.

A SAD DAY FOR THE NFL

I'm pissed off, this is supposed to be an exciting time of year for me.  Preparing for the upcoming football season has always been a highlight of my year. But today the NFL set an ugly and confusing precedent.  Ray Rice received a two game suspension.  Two games for literally beating the snot out of a woman, on camera and dragging her out of an elevator. 

Goodell who has publicly said he wanted to clean domestic violence out of the league was lobbed a softball to do just that.  Instead he loudly proclaimed that he doesn't really care.  To me this an even more cowardly decision based on the fact that brand new NBA commissioner Adam Silver used every ounce of his power to punish an owner, who didn't even break any laws all in the name of cleaning up his game.  You would think a veteran commissioner would have more balls than that.    

Perhaps it was the disgusting victim blaming that was perpetrated by Ravens.  Did this make you feel better about what happened?

     

Well it must have worked on Goodell.  Way to stick by your guns brother, because this is a great reason I could see for women to shun the league.  To me this is an insult to the same women the NFL has desperately tried to market to for the past decade or so.

But maybe that wasn't the reason that Goodell decided not to come down hard on Ray.  Perhaps it was the fact that Ray Rice himself seemed to have learned a lot from the incident. 

  

Do I need to mention how stupid Ray Rice must be?  I'm not buying Ray's inspirational attempts to move on. Other class acts have been equally as inspirational...

I will never understand what in the blue hell Roger Goodell was thinking here.  This is a very bad look for him and his precious shield.  But in the end I guess I should at least be relieved that Ray Rice received some punishment from the league... 

IS BRADY QUINN SERIOUS?

Before I get too far into this, I will be the first to admit I am not overly impressed with the Johnny Manziel party stories.  I think that Johnny probably could have skipped a couple of his party trips over the last couple weekends while the OTAs were going on.  And even though it is the offseason I could have done without the drunken money phone video.  It's not that I'm completely opposed to letting loose and having fun at all.  Johnny just made it to the pinnacle level of his sport, go out and have fun.  But stupid videos like that give ammunition to the people who want him to fail.  It damages his brand, it makes grouchy old men like me start to grumble, no good comes of it.

But in Johnny's defense he also has not been absent for any team functions.  He hasn't created any true waves within the organization that we know of.  As a football player he speaks humbly and tries to say the right things. And despite the national attention he brings, nothing in my opinion has been detrimental to the team.  Johnny is under contract, and ready for the beginning of training camp here in about a month and a half.

The fact is that anyone that cares about professional football seems to have an opinion on Johnny Manziel.  However one dissenting voice that I never expected to hear was from Brady Quinn.  Quinn was on Sirius XM radio the other day and expressed his disapproval for Johnny's antics.  He logic was that Johnny was being disrespectful to the veterans on the roster with his antics.

While in theory there wasn't anything wrong with what Brady said, there is the factor that Brady Quinn is probably the last person on earth with any right to criticize another athlete in that manner.  If you are asking why, lets have a little history lesson.

Brady Quinn was the Browns selection at #22 overall in the 2007 NFL Draft.  The Browns spent their 2008 first round pick to acquire Quinn in a deal with the Cowboys, and looked to make Quinn the team's franchise quarterback.

The problems began nearly immediately.  When trying to sign Quinn, he was demanding a salary closer to what a top 5 pick would make.  Quinn and his agent tried to justify it by saying that not only was he projected to be picked that high, but the draft pick the Browns traded to draft Quinn would likely be in that range as well.  So essentially Brady Quinn said through an agent that he thought he was worth more than many of the guys picked before him, and wasn't planning on winning that many games for the extra money.

That drama lasted all the way through training camp, and Quinn finally agreed to terms the day before the opening preseason game.  By then Quinn had missed all of the season preparation, and missed the window for being considered for the starting quarterback job at all.

If someone can tell me exactly what respect for the veterans was shown there I would love to hear it.  All I know is that it was a bad look for fans like me.  I can honestly say that I was not a big Brady Quinn guy right from day one of him signing with the team because of the lack of respect for the team.  And no offense Brady, but Johnny just signed his deal yesterday.

2008 was even worse for Brady, as his absence allowed Derek Anderson to have a pro bowl season in 2007.  And although he still had a ton of fan support, Brady Quinn knew into the offseason there was no chance of him starting for the team in 2008.  That is the time Brady really tried to ditch his "boy next door" image.

So lets talk about some of the lesser known things about Brady Quinn.  While no matter how dumb the Johnny video looks, you can tell that he is having a good time.  I remember the Brady Quinn party story of him getting drunk at a bar and ripping off gay slurs and picking fights.  But Brady was quick to let Johnny know that a first round QB was the, "face of the franchise."  Probably a good thing the media wasn't as voracious as it is now huh Brady?

But that incident didn't really hurt the team, so fans didn't worry too much about it.  However the incident where Brady Quinn got into an altercation with defensive lineman Shaun Smith probably did.  So fist fighting teammates is another way to show respect for your team.

So guess what Brady, you can go ahead and shut up now.  You are making yourself look more foolish now than when you did when you finally stepped onto a football field for us.  Save the career criticism for people who are doing worse than you did.

Follow me on Twitter @BrownsMemes
 

HAVE YOU GIVEN UP ON JOSH GORDON YET?

I've already gone off on Josh Gordon.  It is mean spirited, angry and has a link right on the sidebar.  But if you don't want to read the rants of an angry person, it was the moment that I gave up on having Gordon as an option for the Cleveland Browns.

People agreed with my anger, but remained hopeful he would keep his nose clean and get back on the field.  Until last weekend.  He was caught speeding, and guess what, there were drugs found in his vehicle.  Probably not the greatest look for a guy who is currently appealing a potential year long suspension from the league.  Truthfully, I thought Gordon had the traffic cop thing figured out after last year...

Since then I've noticed a few more of you have jumped off of the Josh Gordon bandwagon.  And I have said if he does somehow get back on the field for us, I didn't really like Kellen Winslow Jr. that much either.

So maybe the Browns will be able to get through to this kid somehow...

And if he never gets back on a football field, at least he is keeping the distractions away from Johnny Manziel.  Way to find a way contribute Gordon!

At least I can say I've been calling this all along... This is from way back when we signed the Free Agents.

Follow me on Twitter @BrownsMemes

WELCOME TO THE bWo ERA

Hey Yo!  Being a Browns fan is hard.  It is really hard.  First we had our team just ripped out of the city.  And for several seasons if we wanted to watch football we had to watch someone else.  Then came the "Countdown to 99."  We were getting our team back.  But it was tough at first, even though we got the first overall pick of the draft, as fans we knew we weren't going to just get a great team.  We knew that it might be 3 or 4 years until we would have a contending team.  So we went into it expecting the worse.  And we got the worst.

Finally, four years in we snuck a 9-7 team into the playoffs... just to lose a heart breaker to the blasted Steelers.  That is our only playoff appearance the team had had in the 15 seasons the Browns have been back in the NFL.  And since then the Browns have only lost less than 10 games in a season in 2007.  That year we were 10-6 and couldn't even get into the playoffs.

That makes it hard enough to be a Browns fan.  And if you are a Browns fan that remembers all of those times, you should seriously pat yourself on the back.  You are a true fan.  And chances are you are an angry fan.

Unfortunately much of our futility wasn't due to bad luck, it was due to Randy Lerner.  He made the Browns a case study in what happens when a pro sports franchise has an apathetic owner not willing to attempt to build a winning team.  We didn't sign proven talent, and we didn't retain our talent.  When your only hope is "building through the draft" and you also put poor people in position to make decisions that is the recipe for disaster.

A few decades ago the media might have been clever enough to pick up on it.  Perhaps expose the owner for being a cheapskate.  But today's media isn't nearly clever enough for that.  They have become large market loving, corporate boobs.  The once proud franchise known as the Browns has been reduced to a joke in their eyes.  And they don't stop with the team, they also have attacked our fans.  For years we have been the butt of their jokes and this fanbase is fed up.

A few weeks ago the jokes were supposed to stop.  The Browns drafted quite possibly the most sought after interview to ever play football, Johnny Manziel.  ESPN's coverage of the draft was the Johnny show.  Then we took him.  Then the news came out that Johnny actually contacted our QB coach and asked them to make the move for him.  Then the Browns protected him, and shut the media out.

That's when the explosion happens.  National media scumbags like Bart Hubbuch and Ben Maller were on all out attacks on all things Cleveland.  It became loud voices harshly judging the brand new Browns front office, and of course our city and fans.

Cue the bWo!

  What is the bWo? It stands for the "Browns World Order." It originated as an observation by @JeremyInAkron within a twitter conversation.  They saw the influx of Browns fans lashing back at the media hate.  Essentially drawing the hate upon themselves, being the bad guy in a way.  They saw the parallels to the old wrestling faction, the nWo.

And it is true, the nWo was the attempt to make Hulk Hogan and his friends bad guys when he went to the WCW from the WWE.  Suddenly the fans were showing up supporting the bad guys.  Suddenly they were on the underdog wrestling show, as the hottest wrestling commodity around.  Their membership grew by leaps and bounds.  They weren't taking any crap anymore.  To me that sounds a bit like us.

Us fans have been the bad guys of the media for a few years now.  Then the media created their "Hulk Hogan" in the form of Johnny Manziel.  But now he is a Cleveland Brown, the WCW of the NFL.  The Browns were the national joke, and now suddenly our #2 jerseys are on shelves from coast to coast. People are joining us in droves.  And the fans aren't taking any crap about their team.  So yes why not? The bWo!

It just stuck.  And truthfully, like it or not if you are a Browns fan you are already a member of the bWo.

Bernie Kosar has been in the bWo since 1985

We cheer for the hated whipping boys of the national media.  ESPN has us power ranked dead last in the league.  Scumbags like Ben Maller and Bart Hubbuch can't wait to rip everything about us, so the bWo make their lives hell.  Channing Crowder said that he couldn't tell the difference between Cleveland's women and men... Even Drew Carey took to the internet to take care of him.

Drew Carey even joined the bWo and went after Channing Crowder after calling Cleveland the "Anus of america"

So if you want to stick up for your team and show your Browns pride tag your twitter posts with #bWo.  Chances are you are going to find some friends.  I expect the bWo will be a big part of the fanbase this coming season.  Don't fight it because if you are a Browns fan, in some peoples eyes we are already the bad guys.  

My name is @BrownsMemes and I am a proud member of the #bWo

JOHNNY HEADLINE

Normally I don't consider myself a very good member of the sports media.  In fact in some ways I am even a fraud.  What I do isn't even really "memes" they are just captioned pictures.  However after the last five days of my life I have reconsidered my position.

What happened?  Well that is where my rant begins.  Johnny Manziel went to Las Vegas, during the holiday weekend... in the offseason... in May.  He stood by a pool with bikini girls, he went to a UFC event, and he came home and went back to practice.

Look at all the trouble being caused here

That is it.  That's all he did.  Not exactly riveting stuff.  Yet someway somehow the local, national and anyone with a voice seemed oddly compelled to talk about it... for days.  Some of the stuff was absolutely ridiculous.  Many trying to put some crazy negative spin on it.  For many of these people that consider themselves professionals should be embarrassed.  I'm not going to call any one single person out, because there are so many guilty parties it literally makes me sick.

First off, this is the guy we drafted, so this is not a surprise...

Should Johnny have been about Texas A&M football right here?

Perhaps some of us should have worried more about what this guy was doing this weekend.

So I finally promote myself I am now a full fledged member of the media.  I realized I don't need a press pass to be any more legit than most of our big time media.

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