Ah Charlie, We Hardly Knew Ya...

After his disastrous performance in the home opener this past weekend against the dreaded Pittsburgh Squealers, Charlie Frye's tenure in C-Town has come to an end. As I wrote this, he is Seattle SDeahawks bound for a draft pick. It's another sad chapter in the embarassment that is the Browns. Back in the 80's and early 90's the Browns were, at the very least, competitive. My Browns are now in Baltimore and we have been sold this bill of goods that is the new Cleveland franchise. They have been doomed from the get-go.

It took way too long for the new ownership to be settled on by the league. When they finally decided on Al Lerner, they had to scramble to pit together a skeleton organization to field for the Fall schedule.

The NFL decided that the perks given to previous expansion franchises, such as the Jags and Panthers, made them too competitive too soon. As such, the new Browns, as the next new franchise, got neutered by a gun-shy NFL.

They selected Chris Palmer as their 3rd or 4th selection for head coach. Everyone knew that Palmer was just keeping the seat warm for. . .

Butch Davis, who drafted badly, coached badly, scouted badly, ran the administration out the door and replaced them with his lackeys, and torpedoes the entire franchise. The Browns after Davis were no better off than their inaugural year.

Tim Couch. I like Tim Couch but god damn Kenny Stabler couldn't have won with the offensive line that Couch played behind. Couch never had a chance and Butch Davis destroyed his arm, his confidence and his career. How he got up from blistering hit after brutal sack time and time again I do not know. A poll recently listed Couch as the 4th worst 1st round pick of all time. I totally disagree with that. He never got guys to play in front of him, his coach only drafted defense, and his bell just got rung too many times. In the few, and I do mean few, games that Couch actually got some protection, he played like a first round pick. But getting murdered for 15 games does not make up for the 1 good game your line actually blocks for you.

Three Head Coaches in 8+ years. Not a good way to develop any type of consistency. This team has never had consistency or stability in any one area of the franchise. I am hopeful that Phil Savage has it figured out but I am afraid that Romeo Crennel is just keeping the seat warm for Bill Cowher.

But most of all I hate Cleveland Sports fans. I sympathize with them in that all the really want is a team that will win three games each season. To beat Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cincinnati all at home. But they turn on their team, their players, and themselves. They kiss the ground Tim Couch walked on and then treat him today as though the ills of the Browns are his fault alone. They do the same to Frye, will do the same to Anderson, and will likely ruin yet another promising career in Brady Quinn.

Bank that salary Brady if you know what's good for you.

In many ways, the loss of the Browns to Baltimore soured me on pro-sports forever. I despise basketball despite having one of the league's premier players in LeBron James. I hate baseball despite the fact my team is in first place. I hate football, golf, Nascar, and just about any other organized team sport. I used to love hockey but now I barely tolerate it.

But what about the Monsters? Will I see the Erie Monsters play hockey. Oh hell ya. Minor league hockey is about all I can stand anymore.

So goodbye Charlie Frye. I'll miss you as a loyal Akron U alumnus. I'll miss you as a former football fan. But I'll pity you as one more body ground up and fed to the wolves by the worst franchise in pro sports history...the Cleveland Browns.