I like the guy and wanted him as soon as his name surfaced. We got us a coach!

Zombo said:

I loved that too.

Yes, I'm a sucker for the Browns and I would have found a way to embrace Gace or McDaniel even though I didn't really want them.

And yes, I was optimistic with every single coach the Browns have hired (OK, not so much with Crennell and Shurmur ... but I liked the rest).

But this guy just makes me feel better. He's a grinder. He's a lifer from a football father coach. He's not comfortable in front of a microphone or in a suit. Sounds more like Bill Belichick to me than all of the BB employees we have fallen in love with.

Instead of getting Bill Belichick employees that Belichick used, to get certain aspects of them into his team, you get your own guy with his own thoughts and his own way. A young Parcells, a young Belichick, a young Cowher.

A Football Coach. Not a system guy. Not a West Coast guy, a Spread Guy, a Zone Blitz Guy, not a Belichick disciple.

Now let the man coach out the five years of his contract and see what you've got.

I'm glad we kept Farmer too. Let's quit making changes, set the course, and the winning will come.

Zombo

Yeah... It's good vibes

Of all the coaches being paraded around...there wasn't one coach that was going to "wow" the shit out of us...it wasn't going to be a big splash- so why not go this route ? might as well, IMHO

My hope is like everyone's --- let's get settled in, grab some freakin talent, and go kick some teams in the nuts. Period.

This league is littered with "quick turnaround stories"... being a Browns fan - don't bet on it...but there's no reason why we can't get some freakin foundation started, finally. Let this guy lead this team on the field ... Toughness Toughness Toughness... I love it.

I get the sense our new coach isn't power hungry- when it comes to player personnel... He's going to "mold" what we have with what's added- so what if he doesn't have control of those decisions ? I'm pretty sure the parameters were set from Haslim/banner/blow-nardy...if that's been set and communicated, I'm fine - and it feels like Mike is going to be set with it. I have no doubt, most of the top candidates were going to want real control... Especially, the way Chud was run.

Summing it up...it was 2 points that landed this coach

1. Football coach who was going to be "company man"- no sense fighting the obvious (not always a negative thing, IMHO)

2. Defensive Line-type specialists... management trying to get some return on our investments

Screw Johnny jack-off... Let's do Clouney, best WR we can get, and then QB third. If the Browns could get that done...Flacco, Big Ben, and The red head would resign before the first OTA's... could we even dream of a D-line like that ? Everyone's expecting us to go after a QB with our first selection...let's go D-line and a DOMINATE this division. Let the Hoyer magic lead us into the playoffs.

I'm feeling better...glad the search and the extra negative Browns bashing is over (for now)... the NFL now can turn its attention to whats going to be the biggest fiasco of a SB ever... a Friday or Monday SB ? are you f'n kidding me ?

Bermeck (bald white guy... I can relate)

@thenew23 said:

better yet to that mix maybe we can bring over Pettines buy Jarius Byrd to add to the mix

Zombo said:

I loved that too.

Yes, I'm a sucker for the Browns and I would have found a way to embrace Gace or McDaniel even though I didn't really want them.

And yes, I was optimistic with every single coach the Browns have hired (OK, not so much with Crennell and Shurmur ... but I liked the rest).

But this guy just makes me feel better. He's a grinder. He's a lifer from a football father coach. He's not comfortable in front of a microphone or in a suit. Sounds more like Bill Belichick to me than all of the BB employees we have fallen in love with.

Instead of getting Bill Belichick employees that Belichick used, to get certain aspects of them into his team, you get your own guy with his own thoughts and his own way. A young Parcells, a young Belichick, a young Cowher.

A Football Coach. Not a system guy. Not a West Coast guy, a Spread Guy, a Zone Blitz Guy, not a Belichick disciple.

Now let the man coach out the five years of his contract and see what you've got.

I'm glad we kept Farmer too. Let's quit making changes, set the course, and the winning will come.

Zombo

i love the rant video someone left on another thread when he was going after HS team to get them all riled up.

@spectralcow said:

me too brother!! (randy savage imitation....grhhhh). i've had best friends try to shave their heads only to hit divets and sand traps left by bar brawls and cat fights.

the browns' baldies. sounds like a gang from the movie 'the warriors'.

at least we'll know the theme of next year's tailgate.

@tour2ma said:

I'll add another quote from Pettine :

“To compete in the AFC North, you have to be willing to bloody your nose a little bit,” Pettine said. “I think that’s the mentality that we’re going to take here. This team is going to be built on toughness.

Plus this :

"I don't want to build, for lack of a better phrase, `a good old boys club,'" said Pettine, the last of seven NFL head coaches hired in the offseason. "A lot of coaches hire people that they are friends with or go way back with, and sometimes those relationships are great and for those reasons they work well together. When you put coaches in a room like that they're going to bond.

"I'm not looking for someone to go to lunch with. It's going to be all about winning."

I'm still kicking around the Stat numbers, but I'm behind him and I'm hoping he succeeds here.

@bonedawg said:

Puppet is one word that never came to mind watching and listening to Mike...

@hoorta said:

I agree- please Stooges, let Mike have a significant voice in player selection- he seems to have an idea of what type of guys he wants on the team.

I'm sure he'll have a voice. How significant?

But I'm not sure he cares... I believe him when he says he'll fit systems to players. I'm betting that his OC choice reflects that.

Zombo said:

What Zombo says! Couldn't have said it better, but I DID support Shurmur (at FIRST!) & I HATED the Romeo hire from the 1st day. I also agree that keeping Farmer is HUGE.

It will be interesting to see how Coordinators & assistants shape up.

Mike

@gftchris said:

I loved his answer too. Seems like an intense, straight up, honest, shoot from the hip guy.

Mike

@bonedawg said:

I agree- please Stooges, let Mike have a significant voice in player selection- he seems to have an idea of what type of guys he wants on the team.

with an ATTITUDE.

Pettine seems seriously intense in a good way. Of course, it will be easier to play with an attitude

when you have Hoyer stay healthy, and fix the pass defense.

Oh, and I saw a quick interview with Banner. They asked him about the perception of some fans

that some coaches weren't inclined to come to Cleveland,...

Banner got short with him, and smarted off saying " there's nothing to comment on" and "it is only

the media"

Banner is scum just like his hire, Scumbardi. Hell with both of em. Can't wait to see them gone.

@bonedawg said:

That is nothing more than internet speculation. None of us know exactly what went on behind closed doors, or what the real reason Chud got canned was. Pettine seems like the type of guy that asked his own questions during the multiple interviews, and he also seems like the type of guy that wouldn't have accepted the job if he wasn't 100% comfortable with the answers he got.

@tour2ma said:

LMAO

@d-bone said:

Uh-oh... I knew there was a catch...

And I already shave my head, so the club is already formed. Just be sure that if you do it, you don't have the mid-cranial ridge that Pettine has. It makes you look like a Klingon. Try to determine whether or not you have a nice rounded dome first, then go for it.

Just watched presser, one-on-one with Donavan and player reaction videos...

Here are my reactions...

Pluses:

• self deprecating... "...not comfortable."
• quiet determination/ toughness
• eloquent
• grounded... "I don't want to win press conferences."
• Daughter sent him "text that would have made most Fathers cry."
• candor... "Dad as an assistant was one of those ideas that was better on paper."
• practical... "First you have to teach how not to lose and then you can teach how to win."

Minuses:

• No final say in roster decisions... "still being worked out..."

Bottom line:

He wanted the opportunity badly enough that the above lack of control was not enough to dissuade him as it likely did other "candidates". But he did it eyes open... knowing what it might mean and with the confidence that it is something that he can overcome.

Taylor - D.Bryant - Rubin - Winn - Hughes - A.Bryant - Mingo - Sheard - Kruger - DQJ

With all that front 7 talent on D, I have a feeling Pettine will find a way to maximize it... Plus, by hiring a D-minded HC we may just be able to convince Ward to stick around with his buddy Haden for a little while longer...

@gftchris said:

I loved that too.

Yes, I'm a sucker for the Browns and I would have found a way to embrace Gace or McDaniel even though I didn't really want them.

And yes, I was optimistic with every single coach the Browns have hired (OK, not so much with Crennell and Shurmur ... but I liked the rest).

But this guy just makes me feel better. He's a grinder. He's a lifer from a football father coach. He's not comfortable in front of a microphone or in a suit. Sounds more like Bill Belichick to me than all of the BB employees we have fallen in love with.

Instead of getting Bill Belichick employees that Belichick used, to get certain aspects of them into his team, you get your own guy with his own thoughts and his own way. A young Parcells, a young Belichick, a young Cowher.

A Football Coach. Not a system guy. Not a West Coast guy, a Spread Guy, a Zone Blitz Guy, not a Belichick disciple.

Now let the man coach out the five years of his contract and see what you've got.

I'm glad we kept Farmer too. Let's quit making changes, set the course, and the winning will come.

Zombo

I'm actually optimistic. We'll see how long that lasts.