Tag Archives: Jim Harbaugh

Why was Browns owner Jimmy Haslam willing to trade multiple draft picks to the 49ers for head coach Jim Harbaugh who in his 3 years as San Fran’s head coach has led them to 3 straight NFC title games and 1 Super Bowl appearance? Because the lack of leadership and talent evaluation for this organization has been the common denominator in their 13 losing seasons in the 15 years since they returned to the NFL in 1999. The Browns needed a proven winner because they had become the NFL’s version of the Los Angeles Clippers and some would argue that the Browns are worse off than the Clippers were. Donald Sterling would agree with that!

So I did a comparison of when the Clippers first moved to L.A. and the 15 years that followed, and the Browns from when they returned to the NFL in 1999 through the 2013 season. Cleveland’s 15 year run from 1999-2013 is worse than that of the dismal run that the Clippers enjoyed from their inception in the “City of Angels” from 1984-1998.

During this current Browns 15 year stretch the team has had only two winning seasons, made the playoffs once and their winning percentage is (.321). In the Clippers 15 year run, they only had one winning season, but they did make the playoffs three times, while posting a (.330) winning percentage.

With those numbers, because of various punch lines on national late night talk shows, getting shredded on local radio talk shows and because the numbers don’t lie – you are what your record says you are – a laughing stock, Jimmy Haslam was willing to do anything to try and change the direction of this franchise. Yes, even trade draft picks for a head coach. You have to give him credit for trying, but unfortunately for JH3, in the end, the Browns lost again.