Breaking Terrible: Why Shurmur and Holmgren Have to Go

I can't believe I'm writing about this again, and despite what many might believe, I do NOT enjoy writing posts like this. I do NOT enjoy calling for the heads of those in charge of the football team I desperately want to love. I do NOT enjoy being negative. However, Pat Shurmur, Mike Holmgren, and to a lesser extent, Tom Heckert, have left me with no choice. It's time for them to go. Not at the end of the season, but not long after Jimmy Haslam steps into his office as the new owner of the Cleveland Browns next week.  This has been the worst run of football I have ever seen, and everything about the franchise, from the PR gaffes to the awful display of football on the field has come to this: the Browns aren't just Breaking Bad, they're Breaking Terrible.

(Photo used with permission from BitterOrangeandBrown.com)

The Beginning

It all started in October of 2010. The Cleveland Browns under head coach Eric Mangini and rookie QB Colt McCoy had just knocked off the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints and the always dominant New England Patriots in back to back victories. The following week, the Browns were a tragically-timed fumble away from beating the then-juggernaut New York Jets in overtime. The Browns were still a talent-starved franchise, but the improvement over the 2009 team was massive. This team and coaching staff was playing hard, playing physical, playing inspired football against even the top teams of the NFL despite being given 73 year old, over the hill, interception-prone Jake Delhomme, career-backup Seneca Wallace, and 3rd round rookie Colt McCoy as the team's quarterbacks. They were a QB and some speed away from becoming a truly good football team, likely about 1-2 seasons away depending on the QB.

Then, it all derailed when Browns President Mike Holmgren threw his head coach under the bus. I can't find the exact quote, but I know it was something along the lines of "I don't know how he's winning, and it defies all logic to me, but it needs to continue for Mangini to keep his job." Long story short he was vaguely saying he wasn't buying in yet to the obvious progress the 2010 Browns had made. The train slowly derailed after that (after all, human beings know what a vote of "no confidence" looks like). The Browns went on a losing streak and finished the season 5-11. It wasn't good enough for Coach Mangini to keep his job, and he was unceremoniously fired. The verdict on Mangini purely as a head coach is up for debate, but the Browns were noticeably improved, seemingly on the right track and the train got derailed.

Enter the Shurmurnator

When Mangini was fired, it was very clearly stated by Mike Holmgren that 5-11 against one of the NFL's toughest schedules was not enough progress for Mangini to keep his job. I didn't like it, but I understood it. I understand someone wanting to bring in their own guy to coach the team. Enter Pat Shurmur. Like any new head coach, I was willing to give Pat the benefit of the doubt, but several things didn't sit well with me (call it a "gut feeling", if you want)...

1) Shurmur's track record as a coordinator: I made excuses for it at the time trying to find the positives, but Shurmur's track record as an offensive coordinator was a disaster. There were reasons why (terrible offensive line play his first year, rookie QB his second year), but Shurmur's resume did not say "head coaching material." However, in recent history, the most obvious candidate has rarely been the "best" candidate, so I foolishly wrote off this as a reason to be concerned.

2) Shurmur ran the "purest form" of the West Coast Offense: When I heard this my concern grew even deeper. Shurmur stated he's not a "trick play" guy, as well. Here's my problem with this: a) while you don't want to run trick plays constantly, the threat of a trick play is usually good for a critical touchdown once every 3-4 games if you set it up right. b) the best offensive weapon at the time was Josh Cribbs from the wildcat formation. By removing the wildcat and the threat of trick plays, Shurmur essentially took his best offensive weapon away. Also, by 2011, offenses in the NFL were evolving. The West Coast Offense was on its last legs when Holmgren was finishing up his coaching career, and come 2011, the WCO looked so antiquated that national columnists were stating that Shurmur's scheme was horribly outdated.

3) Shurmur's agent is Bob LaMonte: At the time it was viewed as "nitpicking" to be concerned that Shurmur's agent was the same agent that Mike Holmgren had a personal friendship with, but it was troubling that Holmgren seemingly narrowed his list to LaMonte clients instead of trying to find the best candidate available.

(Note: While this can be viewed as nitpicky, one must realize that LaMonte's influence further spread in Berea with the hiring of Brad Childress as Offensive Coordinator in 2012. Also, LaMonte clients have shown up in other areas of the franchise. It's not a stretch of the truth to think that Holmgren was trying to take care of "his guys," whether they were the most qualified coaches or not.)

4) Shurmur's uncle was on Holmgren's staff: This can also be viewed as nitpicking, but one can't ignore that Shurmur's relationship with Holmgren gave him an inside track to the Browns job. While it's not nepotism by the true definition, it's not out of the realm of reality that Holmgren had an affectionate eye for Shurmur and wanted to give him a chance even though he was probably not the most qualified candidate for the job. (in fact, based on Pat's (lack of) performance, the speculation grows truer everyday).

The Result

2011 happened. The Browns went 4-12 (worse than the previous year) against what was considered one of the softest schedules in the league. The Browns lost their offensive identity as a ground and pound, physical franchise. The gameplans were unimaginative and Shurmur NEVER ONCE outcoached another head coach. In fact, Shurmur was caught with his pants down (similar to the title photo) more than once in 2011. The Raiders scored a touchdown on a successful fake field goal attempt, catching the Browns asleep at the wheel. This isn't even touching the Alex Smith blunder (which, when explained, was the single worst head coaching decision I have ever heard of). National pundits said the Browns offense was so predictable that opposing defenses knew plays based on the formation and tendencies through film study and 25 years of West Coast Offense knowledge.

Shurmur was responsible for several coaching blunders during the season that were Romeo Crennel-esque. Clock management and personnel decisions were terrible, and the playcalling was as bad as ever. Granted, he didn't have help because his QB was terrible and his team was young, but I left every game thinking that better coaching would have won at least a couple more games.

Then, Mike Holmgren became defiant and made excuses for his team. "If we just made that field goal and had a couple mistakes go our way we'd be much better." and "Don't call me for playoff tickets."

It bottomed out with the Colt McCoy Concussion Conundrum, where Colt was KNOCKED OUT and inexplicably went back into the game. We heard the reasons why he went back into the game (Colt complained about his wrist and appeared to be fine mentally) but anyone who is AT ALL aware of what was happening on-field knows that Colt was likely concussed. Shurmur's blatant disregard of the situation, if anything, showed his lack of awareness of what's going on the field. It was abundantly clear to me: the game moves too fast for Shurmur as a coach.

The Excuses

The excuses began for Pat Shurmur: 1) The Lockout 2) Peyton Hillis' Ricky Vaughn-like (Major League 2 version) emotional state 3) The QB (an excuse I believe was the most valid of all) 4) The young roster and lack of weapons. While these points were not excuses for Shurmur's horrendous in-game decisions and poor play calling, they were still valid.

And, like a fool who always gets back together with his or her manipulative, poisonous ex, I was starting to buy in and give Shurmur the benefit of the doubt once again. Drafting Trent Richardson made me excited at the idea of becoming a ground and pound physical football team again, and drafting Brandon Weeden validated many of my thoughts about inferior QB play holding back the Browns. I was starting to believe again. I thought an improved ballclub was inevitable based on offensive improvement alone, and most of all, Shurmur looked and sounded like a different person knowing he had new toys to play with on offense.

The Present

I was wrong. I visited training camp twice in August and, while impressed at how fast paced and efficient the practices were, I was alarmed by the lack of physicality of practices. I was alarmed by how Shurmur wasn't giving his rookie QB the proper repetitions to be ready for the home opener against Philadelphia.

After a 12-35, 4 INT performance against the Eagles, Weeden was clearly ill prepared for the opener. No one in their right mind expects a rookie QB to torch a stacked secondary in his NFL debut, but no one expected it to be THIS bad. And the coaching staff was to blame for not giving him the proper repetitions in the preseason.

Weeden has improved considerably since that game, but he's still a rookie that makes rookie mistakes and rookie throws. And he's a rookie that the coaching staff is not treating like a rookie. Consider this: Brandon Weeden is throwing an astounding 40.4 times a game. A rookie QB is throwing 40 times a game even though the #3 overall pick in the draft is running very, VERY well, and is clearly the strength of the offense. It's inexcusable and defies all logic on how to coach up a young QB. Rookie QB's need to be brought along slowly. It doesn't matter if Weeden is 28 or 21, he's still an infant in NFL years. No one is saying Weeden should be throwing 15 times a game like Roethlisberger and Flacco did in their rookie seasons, but he shouldn't be throwing more than he has to, or put in situations where he's set up to fail. A good coach will try to minimize his rookie QB's mistakes unless the situation calls for it (aka down by 21 and are forced to throw to get back into the game).

Most of all, Shurmur isn't adapting his gameplans to his personnel. Weeden is receiving a crash course in NFL offense and facing NFL defenses while Shurmur and Childress are not accentuating his strengths. Weeden is best from a shotgun formation making sight adjustments at the line of scrimmage and operating the offense in a fast-paced, no-huddle environment. It's similar to what the Panthers did with Cam Newton last season, the Patriots adapting their offense to the new age and how Mike Shanahan is adapting his West Coast Offensive philosophy to accentuate fellow rookie QB Robert Griffin III's strengths. The bottom line is this: the gameplans are as horrible as last season, but the execution is better because Weeden is throwing down the field more often. The team is every bit as mistake-prone as last season if not moreso, and as a head coach, Pat Shurmur is as lost as he was last season, and if anything, the pressure of losing is getting to him.

The Meltdown

A sign of a good head coach is how he handles adversity, because adversity occurs during every game and every point during a season. Shurmur hasn't handled adversity well in-game based on how the wheels fall off every time something goes wrong, and how he abandons the run when down by as little as 7 points.

Now, Shurmur is attacking the Cleveland media, cursing out respected former Browns head coaches, AP writers (whose jobs are literally only to write the facts, not stir the pot), and leaving creepy voicemails to Browns beat writers. The behavior is similar to that of a psychotic ex and is a serious character flaw for someone whose job is to ignore the media and try to win football games. While head coaches are not the President of the United States, they are expected to be Presidential in front of the media and in front of the ball club. Good coaches stay level-headed in the face of criticism and adversity. It's part of the job. After all, what if Shurmur spent the energy he's spending on fighting the media on his gameplans? They most certainly need it.

And that leaves me to this thought: don't good head coaches ignore the criticism and soldier on? Why is Shurmur so sensitive to (justified) media criticism?

It's simple: he's in over his head. He's not head coaching material and needs to be fired as soon as possible. Near-nepotism put him in this position, and the person who put him in charge (who is equally as sensitive to media criticism) needs to be sent packing as well.

The Aftermath

The aftermath remains to be seen, but the wreckage in Berea is piling up. Jimmy Haslam takes over ownership of the franchise next week, and while I don't expect him to act swiftly, I expect him to act decisively. I have never seen a coaching staff and regime as bad as the Holmgren Era.

Get these guys out of here, Jimmy. Blow this up. They've done enough damage to my Browns fandom and the fandom of many in this city.

We've been lathered up again, now it's time to rinse ourselves clean of this mess, and, this time, hopefully not repeat.

The Unofficial Post-College Handbook

(Before I begin, I want to make a disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor or a life professional. I'm a regular guy who is going through the process of buying a home. I'm merely giving my opinions on what you should do to avoid mistakes upon graduation from college.)

Pour out the stale beer from the 3/4 drank cans all over your living room and return the kegs to the store, kids; it's time to graduate. While I'm sure you're reading a plethora of "professional advice" columns telling you how to act professional in interviews, to delete all your college photos from Facebook and to tweet professionally on Twitter, I'm going to give you some words of wisdom: You can still have fun after college. Most of your co-workers are just like you, despite what the so-called "be professional" types say. ESPECIALLY if they're unmarried and sans children. You will grow up naturally when you realize your body just can't go like it did in college, and when you realize you have to focus on your job every single day you walk through those doors.

Upon graduation you will realize you have two options: live life to the fullest, or plan ahead. I chose to plan ahead and the advice in this post follows that philosophy. I'm not saying my way is right or wrong, I'm merely giving my opinion as to what I think is a reasonable course of action. Here's why I think planning ahead is so important: You may not realize it now, but when you apply for a home loan, banks will meticulously analyze your entire history for the previous two years of your life. And in today's banking market, it is ridiculously, RIDICULOUSLY hard to get approved for a home loan because the bank simply will not let you buy beyond your means anymore. Therefore, the first two years out of college are the most important. If you want the dream of homeownership and stability as soon as possible, I highly recommend following these steps.

Rule #1: Live at Home After College, If Possible

This is everything you did not want to hear, but it's true: stay there as long as you can stand it. Now, there is a reasonable expiration date (no one wants to be late-30's "oh I live with my ma" guy), but it is the wisest, and smartest move to live at home until you get your financial mess in order. Use this time to pay down your student loans and set yourself up for the future. You WILL thank yourself 5 years down the road.

I've lived with my parents for two and a half years after college. In that time I have been asked "Why?" a million times and have seen many a friend who didn't move out of the city move to fun places in Cleveland. Now I can definitively answer why I stayed home: in that time I have bought a nice car, paid off the loan for that nice car AND saved up for a down payment on a mortgage for a house without needing to purchase Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI).  Now, some of you can't live with your parents for a multitude of reasons. I understand that and that's ok, to each their own. But if you can stand it, and work close enough to home to do it, I strongly recommend it.

Rule #2: Find a Reputable Company to Work For

This part is easier said than done, and my advice comes from my own mistakes. Without getting into detail (and I have my reasons why), I took the first job I was offered out of college for a company with a less than stellar reputation in the Cleveland Ad Agency field, and that decision came back to bite me. Because of that decision, it is hurting my chances to get my loan approved (but it will happen, rest assured). You want to work for a company with a known reputation of excellence in the city you work. I can't begin to tell you how many times I told fellow ad agency professionals "Oh, I work at ______" and their response was either a blank stare or "Who? Where?" That hurt my job search when the inevitable screwjob from the company occurred. Fortunately for me, everything worked out in a new career path, but I will never forget the lowest of lows. 

Trust me: find the right company, not the first company. Your life and your finances will be far more stable.

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot this, but remember this: Do not, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT marry yourself to your company via social media unless it's for LinkedIn (a network that's supposed to be professional). You may be excited that you've been chosen by your company for your first job, and you may love your job at first, but let the shine wear off and you'll wish you didn't. And if you work for a big company, even more of a reason not to link your social media accounts to your jobs. I married myself to my first job and it was one of the biggest mistakes I made when it was time to change careers. You may or may not leave on the best of terms.

Rule #3: Car First, House Later

 

While most people would think the next logical step post-college would be to save up to move out, I disagree. Why? If you're like most college students, you're driving a ticking time bomb that is turning into a money pit of repairs and headaches. This may sound like crazy talk to those of you who can't wait to move out of your parents' basement, but it will save you hundreds in headaches and repairs later: buy a newer car first. You can choose brand new or lightly used, but I don't recommend an older car because you will find yourself in the same situation all over again in a few short years. Another reason to purchase a car? It helps build your credit rating for that house you want. Assuming you make the payments, of course. Don't buy anything stupid or beyond your means. You aren't ready yet for the brand new Bimmer. Buy something safe and fuel efficient and affordable to repair, and if you're into it, a hint of sport. (That's why I chose the Ford Fusion)Then, once your car is paid off and you can finally afford that house, you have a car that you won't have to worry about for at least 5 years. With regular maintenance, of course.Rule #4: Save for the 20%-25% Down Payment
This is going to take some financial discipline on your part, but you will thank yourself in the long run. Yes, you CAN buy a house with a small down payment. Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD, especially in this housing market where loans are hard to come by. If you buy a home and put down less than 20%, you have to buy what's called Private Mortgage Insurance, or PMI. This is costly in the long run. Plus, your monthly payment will be so much higher by putting less down that you're probably stretching yourself too thin anyway. You will save several thousand dollars, and will have a much more manageable monthly payment if you simply bite the bullet and keep saving until the time is right, unless you see a situation simply too good to pass up.
Rule #5: HAVE FUNNow that I've scared you, it's time for a GOOD reality check: post college is not all doom and gloom. While you will look back on a few years ago and ask yourself "When did I become boring?" the truth is you haven't. You and your friends still do the same crazy things you did in college, just in more sophisticated locations. Many of your new co-workers are just like you, especially if they're without kids. They like to go out, have fun, and be young, even if they're a few years older. Despite what the "professional advice" columns say, you don't have to make your Facebook squeaky clean and you can keep being the same person you were before in social media (DISCLAIMER: Unless you're an idiot who posts about clearly illegal, offensive or unethical things, or your social media accounts are for professional purposes) The whole key is to be smart about it and have balance.  The decisions you make now are the most important when it comes to setting up your 30's and 40's. BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION FIRST, and not only will you be better off in the long run, but you will be prepared in case a rainy day comes.
Enjoy your new adulthood! It's not as bad as you fear.

The Curious Case of Mike Holmgren

There's a group of people who I interact with (real life friends and social media acquaintances) who just don't understand why I'm so concerned about the current Browns regime.

Call me a hater, Mangini's #1 fan, an idiot, a moron, someone lacking football sense all you want.  The fact is I have some very deep concerns that are football related, and if you want to listen and open up your mind, you will understand that my arguments are strongly based in logic. Where do we begin?

-Rewind to 2009: Eric Mangini just led the Browns to 4 wins in a row. Mike Holmgren comes in and decides to retain Mangini.  Seems like a good move at the time. Hell, I agreed with the move. However, here's where the train starts taking the wrong turn...

2010 Offseason: Holmgren tells Mangini and the media that he wants to win now (or what the current trend of what mostly girls like to say: "RIGHT MEOW!!!!!!!!"). By doing so, the Browns sign Scott Fujita (a great locker room guy and solid player, but not an impact guy), Chris Gocong (see: Fujita, Scott for description), trade for Peyton Hillis (smart for 2010), and sign over the hill turnover machine Jake Delhomme and solid career backup Seneca Wallace.

Now, all these vets serve a purpose, even Delhomme. However, this purpose has absolutely nothing to do with "winning now." These are locker room guys who are meant to provide adequate production, and in the case of Delhomme he's a veteran meant to teach a young guy how to play the position of QB. In no way would any rational mind think these guys are impact players meant to fulfill Holmgren's mandate of "winning now."

The 2010 Draft was solid despite the gambles on Montario Hardesty and Colt McCoy. This draft is still panning out, and for all we know Hardesty can show us something next year being a full year removed from the ACL tear. However, to expect your impact players to come from a single draft and to make an impact as rookies is once again irrational and does not fulfill Holmgren's mandate of "winning now."

So here we are going into the 2010 season with a roster void of impact players and lacking a true starting QB option, and the coach has a Team President-mandate to win now. It just so happens that the schedule is the toughest in the NFL, too.

Is this really fair to Mangini?  Not at all, but I trusted that Holmgren was a rational thinker: that this is year two of a massive rebuilding project, and year one of said rebuilding project with a true General Manager at the helm. Of course Mangini wasn't truly expected to win now, was he? He wasn't going to make Mangini the fall guy for a subpar roster so he didn't look bad...was he?


2010 Regular Season:

The Browns were clearly undermanned week in and week out, but somewhere along the line established an identity: they ran the football down your throat with a punishing running game and played generally solid defense. The run defense was massively improved compared to years past, and Rob Ryan's schematic vision was finally starting to be seen by the masses: Browns fans were starting to envision just what this exotic defense would look like with TRUE playmakers on defense. The Special Teams were once again spectacular.

However, Jake Delhomme was not playing well even before his ankle injury. Seneca Wallace still played like a backup QB. Then Seneca got hurt and the focus moved to Colt McCoy.  Colt was impressive in his first start against the Steelers, decent against the Saints (truthfully, the defense won that game), and sensational against the Patriots.  The Browns worked their way up to 3-5, going 3-2 in the last 5 games...but even before that, fans could see just how close to victory the Browns were against truly tough teams (Bucs, Chiefs and Falcons come to mind).  In many cases, coaching got them close, but fumbles and other non-coaching related blunders kept the Browns from victory.

The Browns had momentum going into the Jets game, which in my opinion was the turning point of the 2010 season. It was Coach Mangini's old team, with many of the players he coached up, vs. his new team. It was Colt McCoy's most impressive game, in fact, I truly thought the game tying drive signaled his arrival to the NFL. The Browns got within field goal range but a Chansi Stuckey fumble in overtime signaled the end.

It was downhill from there. Scott Fujita was injured in the game and ruled out for the season after that. This was a major injury because Fujita was a major reason behind the improvement of the run defense. Without Fujita, the defense devolved back to the shoddy run defenses of years past.

Colt McCoy was hurt in the following game, and a (now healthy) Jake Delhomme squeaked out a couple wins despite looking like he was driving an out of control car ready to crash it at any second.

However, when Colt came back, he wasn't the same Colt we saw from before. He suddenly looked like a rookie...defenses had finally figured out how to game plan against him and he was ineffective. By this point, rumblings of Mangini's job security had shaken Berea, and Mangini lost the locker room.

Until the wheels fell off on the season and questions about Mangini's job security became apparent, we could say this about the Browns: they were an undermanned yet physical football team. The Browns may not win, but the next morning, you KNEW you played the Cleveland Browns the day before. The team was well-prepared and well-coached every week.

And then, despite a roster devoid of playmakers, a merry go round at the QB position, and the toughest schedule in the league, Mangini was fired.

At that point, I knew deep in my heart: Mangini was set up to fail, set up to be the fall guy for a roster that wasn't ready to compete yet. That doesn't sit well with me because it shows a lack of integrity by those who put him in that position. And that comes squarely at the top. They were supposed to have his back and they didn't. Ever get sold out by your superiors at your job? I have (not at my current job, I love my current job).  It's not a fun feeling.

The blame game began: Brian Daboll's offense was archaic, I'm bringing in someone to run MY offense, this was Mangini's hand picked roster to win it all (the most laughable argument I've ever heard but people bring it up all the time when slamming the guy), etc.

Then it happened: the Browns hired Pat Shurmur. Shurmur's resume did not read of someone qualified to be an NFL head coach, however I sold myself because of Holmgren and Heckert's familiarity with him. I thought maybe the anonymous guy could be the guy to bring us out of the doldrums.

It made sense because it was a perfect storm: Holmgren's hand-picked coach takes over a roster in Year Two of Heckert's rebuilding process with year two of a QB who showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie year (but also showed some serious warning signs, which I'll get to in a minute) going against a much softer schedule than Mangini faced in 2010. Shurmur was set up for success!

Except it didn't happen. Shurmur's offense makes Daboll's look like the Greatest Show on Turf Rams in comparison. Shurmur undid everything Mangini established with the physical running game and strong special teams. And worst of all: the team is ill-prepared week in and week out. It was apparent Week One against the Bengals when the defense was asleep at the wheel when AJ Green went streaking past everyone to give up the game-clinching TD. Special Teams gaffes have killed the Browns this season. Poor preparation (asleep at the wheel for hurry up offenses, fake field goals, etc) has killed the Browns this season. Most of all, Shurmur doesn't come off as a strong leader: he comes off more like Holmgren's puppet than anything else.

Most of all, we saw the warning signs from Colt McCoy in December of 2010, and Holmgren decided to stick with Colt in 2011 without providing any competition. I understand the reasoning behind it, but I have seen this script before with Charlie Frye in 2006. It did not end well.

What really sticks in my craw this season?  The excuses: Colt is a "rookie QB" (no he isn't), The Browns HAD to get younger this season (if that's the case then why the hell didn't we get younger last season?), this is "year two of year one" (again, NO IT IS NOT!!!!!!), the lockout (Jim Harbaugh isn't hurting from it).

Here's the bottom line: Mangini may have not been the best coach on the planet, and no one is saying that he is, but if you're going to replace him after setting him up to fail, you better replace him with someone who looks like a genius by comparison.


I can accept the argument than Mangini was not the guy to lead us to the promised land (but I'll also argue he's been dealt awful hands by both teams he's worked for), but I can't accept that one year after being given a mandate to "win now," suddenly the Browns are making excuses for their new coach because he's their hand-picked guy. Something reeks like bad fish about it. It shows a lack of integrity.

Given everything we have seen this season that has shown ill-preparedness, aloofness and arrogance by the coaching staff, how can we expect a bright future? What makes this front office think that Pat Shurmur is a great coach who will be here for a long time aside from the President's ego?

Don't forget: the buck stops at your desk, Mike Holmgren. Your move.

Remembering Steve Jobs

This post is difficult to write, and it's funny as to why it is so difficult to write: I never met Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was, for all intents and purposes, the CEO of a global corporation who only knows I exist because of my AppleID I created when I purchased my first iPod back in 2005, and through their financial reports due to the products I have purchased through them. Why should I be so saddened that a billionaire with more money than I can fathom is gone?

Then I realize why this post is so difficult: I'm writing it on my Macbook, which as you know (unless you live under a rock) is made by Apple. I often say one of my biggest mistakes in life was waiting 22 1/2 years before FINALLY switching from Windows to Mac.

Meanwhile, I'm charging my iPad on said Macbook. My iPod nano sits in my car as my playlist whenever sports radio is unlistenable and I also use when I go on runs or walks.

Also meanwhile, I'm finally going to take the iPhone plunge when the iPhone 4S is available. iPhone is a phone I've sought after for years but couldn't take the plunge because it wasn't available for the wireless carrier my family was on. (Now, ironically, I work for the carrier that has carried the iPhone all along, and am paying my $200 early termination fee to leave my family's carrier and go onto my own plan with said original iPhone carrier. Go figure, right?) Apple indirectly writes my paychecks through their incredible mobile products. I literally would not be able to sell products the way I do without Steve Jobs' influence, and I literally would not get paid the way I do without him.

So, needless to say, Apple has a tremendous influence on my life via Steve's vision. You may be the staunchest Windows or Android fan and refuse to cave to Apple's "closed ecosystem," but whether you like it or not, Steve Jobs' influence on your life is as indirectly impacted as it is directly impacted on my life.

Everything that is fundamental in how we communicate or use technology today has been either created by Steve Jobs or created in response to Steve Jobs' creations.

-Without the Mac there is no Windows, or a mouse to navigate. There is no debating this.

-Without the iPhone there's a good chance that all the rage would still be "dumbphones" with full keyboards instead of the move to touchscreen smartphones we have seen in the past few years. Hell, every single smartphone that has been introduced in the past four years has been in direct response to the iPhone. Even touchscreen dumbphones today try to be a primitive version of the iPhone.

-Without the iPhone, Android wouldn't be a household name because Verizon wouldn't have marketed the "Droid" brand so heavily because they desperately needed an iPhone competitor. BlackBerry wouldn't have moved to the interface that they have with BB OS6 and 7, Windows Phone would still be this impossible to use mess of an interface that Joe Public would have no idea how to use. Steve Jobs brought smartphones to the masses, and made them easier to use than even the simplest of flip phones.

-Without the iPad, the tablet market doesn't even exist. Everything before it was those God-awful "Tablet PC's" that were completely unintuitive.  I can only imagine how convenient having an iPad would have been in college, because I could store all my notes and textbooks on the device.

-Of course, without the iPod, we'd all still be using those horrific MP3 players of the past.

To lose such an influential figure at an age where he still had plenty of life left if he stayed healthy is a true tragedy for this world.

The biggest lesson that I'll learn from Steve Jobs is how to run a successful business. Chances are I'll never own a business like Apple. But the principles used by Apple are principles that every business should follow, but they sadly do not because of too many accountants and MBA's on the Board of Directors are focused on formulas and operations algorithms instead of focusing on what matters most: PRODUCT. Sure, Apple still has a focus on profit margins and business operations, but they do not compromise the quality of their product in order to reach those goals.  Apple doesn't use focus groups because they (rightfully) believe they know what the public wants before they even think they want it. There's a "different" culture at Apple, and most truly successful, game-changing businesses have that "different" approach (Chipotle being a perfect example...they're literally the Apple of the food industry).  It's truly a shame that more businesses don't study Apple's corporate philosophy and try to replicate it...I think our economy would rebound as a result, and more jobs with higher paying wages would be created in the process.

So, when you think look at the total body of work, it is not at all surprising to see why so many are deeply saddened by the passing of a legend. The candles and flowers outside of Apple Retail Stores and outside of Apple's corporate campus are certainly warranted.  Those who aren't saddened by his passing either have not experienced the joy of his creations, or are ignorant of his impact on the competitions' products they do use. Thank you, Steve Jobs. Thank you for your incredible influence on my life and I hope your influence on Apple will live on for decades after your passing so our lives can be enriched further. You will be sorely missed.

Sent from my Macbook.

The Curious Case of Holmgren/Heckert/Shurmur

I am going to start by saying this: Truthfully, this is an overreaction to today's stunning, bitter loss to the Bengals, but I need to rant. Hopefully come January we can look back at this piece and laugh.

When Browns President Mike Holmgren fired Eric Mangini and hired Pat Shurmur, the bar was set: despite beating the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints, the always winning Patriots, and coming within a Chansi Stuckey fumble from beating the Jets, apparently Pat Shurmur could do better than Eric Mangini as the Browns' head coach...so Mangini was fired, and Shurmur was hired.

Now, after a loss to a team that was 4-12 a year ago, starting a rookie at QB, that lost its best defensive player, we're supposed to be "patient?" 

All offseason Holmgren and Browns GM Tom Heckert skewered the offensive scheme of the 2010 Browns, subtly indicating that it was the scheme's fault that the offense was terrible, not the fact that there was a dearth of talent on the field.

Now, only a Greg Little addition later, the Browns offense looks no different. And the team is far more undisciplined than they were a year ago. The penalties in the first quarter alone were sickening and inexcusable because most high school teams shows more discipline.

The bar was set when Mangini was fired: this Browns team needs to win more than 5 games or else this change at head coach was an absolute failure.

After all, Mangini wasn't given a lot of slack, right?

The Rock: The Most Electrifying Launch in Twitter History

I have a confession to make: growing up, I was a HUGE wrestling fan. From the moment I first saw "Macho Man" Randy Savage drop a flying elbow on WCW Saturday Night, I was hooked. Eventually, the Attitude Era of the WWF captivated me until about 2002 when I grew a little older, and the newly christened World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) lost its luster. I occasionally watch today out of the corner of my eye just to keep tabs on who's headlining, and watch the occasional big returns (known among Internet wrestling fans as "mark out moments") of Superstars from years gone by. Guys like Hulk Hogan, the reformation of DeGeneration-X and of course, the return of Bret "The Hitman" Hart were all epic memories for those of us nostalgic for days of Sports Entertainment Past.

However, nothing compared to the return of The Great One, The Most Electrifying Man in All Of Entertainment, The People's Champ, none other than The Rock. I felt like I jumped into a time machine and went back in time about 10-12 years. It was an incredible return that many thought would never happen. And to top it all off: he did it while launching his social media initiatives, which gives me a nice segue into this becoming a professional column for this digital marketing professional.

Here's the truth: The Rock had the greatest launch of a Twitter account in the history of Twitter. Many will disagree because Dwayne Johnson doesn't have the mainstream cache of Tiger Woods or LeBron James, despite starring in many successful feature films. Yes, I remember the hoopla around the launch of LeBron's Twitter account and how rapidly his followers grew.  There's are major reasons why The Rock's Twitter launch was the most electrifying launch in the history of Twitter. Dwayne Johnson, World Wrestling Entertainment and the company behind The Rock's Twitter launch, Digital Royalty (the company behind the social media efforts of Shaq, The Cleveland Indians, UFC and many more sports and celebrity social media initiatives) could not have executed this plan better.

The Rock's Twitter launch marked a return to his roots. There is a very small, but important reason why the launch of Dwayne Johnson's Twitter account is so fascinating: The chose the Twitter handle @TheRock. Those who have followed The Rock's career know that he has tried to shed the image of a "pro wrestler acting in movies." When Hulk Hogan was trying to become a movie star, people still thought of him as a "wrestling actor" rather than a true Hollywood star. The Rock successfully made this switch and then tried to shed his nickname. Gone was name "The Rock" or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson from movie credits, he was simply "Dwayne Johnson." People thought he was embarrassed of his wrestling past, when in reality that was what made him the movie star he is today.

The Rock's Twitter name @TheRock is proof that Dwyane Johnson has not forgotten about where he came from. He can try all he wants to shed his nickname, but he will always be The Rock. He essentially re-branded himself in one fell swoop, realizing that fans everywhere still think of him as The People's Champ even though he also shines on the silver screen.  He could have just as easily been @DwayneJohnson, but he chose @TheRock. From a branding perspective, that is a very bold move considering his efforts to shed the nickname in recent years.

The Rock's Twitter launch coincided with an Earth shattering announcement of his return to WWE. I do realize that LeBron's social media efforts coincided with a certain "decision" that caused a metric ton of buzz (I'm still extremely bitter about it, I might add). However, LeBron's social media efforts combined with his "decision" sparked extreme negative sentiment in the social media community that many say destroyed his brand. The Rock, however, successfully created extremely positive buzz among a fan base that was starving for the return of The Great One, and got many past wrestling fans who don't watch anymore (such as myself) extremely interested in present-day WWE, at least until WrestleMania, which The Rock is scheduled to guest host.  The hashtag "#therock" was the #1 trending topic on Twitter and "Dwayne Johnson" was the #1 trend among Google Trends. In one fell swoop, The Rock owned the social media landscape, and the sentiment was all positive.

Not only is Dwayne Johnson in the spotlight, but so is World Wrestling Entertainment. The company which runs an amazing social media department has come upon some tough times in the development of new stars. WrestleMania looked to be a snoozer. Instantly, WWE has the attention of current fans, past fans dying for nostalgia and casual observers who remember the golden era of the World Wrestling Federation known as the "Attitude Era." WrestleMania XXVII may break the milestone of one million pay-per-view buys, which would be incredible considering how WWE has fallen among mainstream interest since its peak in 1998-2001.

So bravo to Dwayne Johnson, World Wrestling Entertainment and Digital Royalty. You have successfully electrified both the Sports Entertainment AND social media landscape.

(For those of you who want to rain on this post and say "Wrestling is fake" I say this: it may be scripted, but you try to play a football game 4 or more nights a week with no offseason for a 20-30 year career. Your body gets beaten to hell in sports entertainment and there are the scars, surgeries, mental issues and deaths to prove it.)

The Overrating of Mark Sanchez

I can't believe this happened, but man is it awesome: Adam Schefter re-tweeted not one, but two tweets by yours truly and my Twitter feed blew up with replies from Jets fans in outrage over what I said about their franchise quarterback. I need the proper forum to respond and it can't be done in 140 characters, so this is it.

Immediately, the common sentiment among Jets fans is "Enjoy your Pro Bowl center (Alex Mack), we'll keep our QB who has led us to two straight AFC Championship games!" That's fine. You can feel that way. My team is in a rebuilding phase and I believe in a bright future thanks to Browns General Manager Tom Heckert and the development of Colt McCoy. I'm not at all bitter that the Browns let Sanchez go to the Jets when we were in position to draft him. In fact, I'm far more upset the Browns didn't draft Josh Freeman and instead traded our draft position to the Bucs so they could select him.

But here's the truth: Mark Sanchez is overrated. Whether you agree or think I'm just a bitter Jets hater, please understand this...

-A quarterback with passing weapons such as Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards (when he's not dropping the football), Jericho Cotchery, Brad Smith and Dustin Keller should not struggle throwing the football for any reason. The Jets had moments of frustration offensively this season when Sanchez would clearly struggle.

-He had an excellent running game on top of the incredible depth the Jets had at receiver. This should have only helped Sanchez complete passes to his receivers. That didn't happen.

-Offensive line: One of the best in the National Football League. The Jets are solid up front, especially at the center and both tackle positions. Sanchez was rarely under duress.

What's my point? Sanchez was put in literally the perfect position to succeed. He made some progress from year one to year two but overall he was not good enough given the weapons he had at his disposal.

A sub-55% completion percentage, a 75 QB rating and a middle of the road TD/INT ratio is simply not good enough when you have the offensive talent the Jets have.  Furthermore, Sanchez's body language and demeanor have been criticized by fans and media in New York at times. I do not see this problem going away in the future, especially as the Jets are expected to lose at least one of their top offensive weapons.

Compare this to Josh Freeman, a fellow 2nd year QB with far less talent on his team: 25 TD's/6 INT's, a completion percentage of an incredible 65.6%! This is the QB I'm FAR more upset the Browns let get away!

In fact, that should be the outrage among Browns fans, not that we traded away the rights to Sanchez.

Hopefully Colt McCoy makes us forget about that draft day blunder. But I certainly don't call the Sanchez trade a bad one, especially since Alex Mack has turned into a very solid anchor on the offensive line.