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Browns DT
Gerard Warren
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The Cleveland Browns are the Miami Hurricanes.
I feared this would happen.
Butch Davis, in his first year as the Browns’ head coach after spending six
seasons at the University of Miami (Fla.), seems to have brought a college flavor to the
pro game, and I’m not so sure I like it.
Before their Week Three game at Jacksonville, the Browns danced and stomped on the
Jaguars’ logo at midfield. During the game, DT Gerard Warren threw a cheap shot at
Mark Brunell that sent the Jaguars’ quarterback to the locker room with a concussion.
CB Corey Fuller got in Tom Coughlin’s face, apparently mocking the Jaguars’ head
coach for predicting a Jacksonville win.
Their antics were bush league, their behavior immature — just like those great
Miami (Fla.) teams.
And where did the Browns find their motivation? Let’s just say, you can take the
coach out of Miami, but you can’t take the Miami out of the coach.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Davis told Warren to plant Brunell and see
what would grow. But I know Davis is trying to bring that Hurricane swagger to a franchise
that hasn’t swaggered to a league title since 1964. I just wish they’d swagger
with some class.
"We want to build a reputation, why not?" WR Kevin Johnson asked.
"We’ll be the bad boys of the league. The Bad Brownies."
The Bad Brownies?
Doesn’t exactly strike fear into my heart the way the Steel Curtain did or the
Monsters of the Midway did. The Bad Brownies? Sounds like a bad batch of Duncan Hines, and
that’s just what the Clevelanders are looking like — a bad batch, that is.
Warren’s hit on Brunell was cheap. After Brunell had thrown a first-quarter
interception, Warren drilled him with what the Jaguars thought was a deliberate
helmet-to-helmet hit. I understand throwing a block to prevent Brunell from joining the
play. But Warren crossed a line. Already without RB Fred Taylor, Jacksonville lost
Brunell, and later the game.
"We do not coach our players to play dirty," Davis said. "We don’t
coach a cheap shot. Gerard had no idea it was Mark. He rushed the quarterback, saw the
ball being turned over, and he blocked the first white jersey that was there."
Apparently, the NFL disagreed, and it fined Warren $35,000.
Compare that to your annual salary.
The Jaguars accused the Browns of taunting throughout the game. That’s a penalty
in today’s NFL.
While I admire the Browns’ newfound spunk, I have no admiration for arrogance and
cockiness. Even if players walk the walk after talking the talk, their classless ways will
find no acceptance here.
The type of behavior displayed by the Browns has been a Hurricanes trademark for years.
It even predates Davis. But Cleveland isn’t Miami, and the NFL isn’t the Big
East.
A swagger should portray confidence, a no-fear mentality that on its own intimidates
the opposition. A swagger is silent. It doesn’t take cheap shots, it doesn’t
shout in the opponent’s face and it doesn’t taunt.
The Browns didn’t swagger, they strutted — obnoxiously. But they claim
otherwise.
"Swagger? Yeah, we have one," S Percy Ellsworth said. "It starts with
our coach. I think he has a swagger. But I don’t think it’s an in-your-face
swagger. But he has a swagger, and we’ve picked up on it."
And run with it.
Davis’ swagger was bolstered by stints with two of the biggest swaggers of all
time, Jimmy Johnson (with Miami and the Cowboys) and Barry Switzer (with the Cowboys). But
Davis’ players are taking that swagger to new heights, and it will be his
responsibility to curb it.
If you ask me, though, the Browns don’t have that much to swagger about. Sure,
they beat the Jaguars, but Jacksonville was hardly at full strength. Cleveland was
basically handed its Week Two win over Detroit, with Lions QB Ty Detmer throwing seven
interceptions. I’ll give the Browns some props for a hard-fought win over San Diego,
but they have no business Super Bowl shuffling.
"We’re just trying to play hard," Davis said. "We’re just
trying to teach gang tackling and teach swarming on defense. I don’t think we’re
doing anything other than trying to play hard."
I’m sure that’s the case, but with the Browns taking an us-against-the-world
mentality, they’re letting their emotions get the best of them, and one day,
it’s going to come back to bite them.
I’m thinking it will come before they see the Jaguars again Dec. 16. |
