To nobody’s surprise, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has reportedly already made his decision to fire head coach Mike Pettine, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
In addition to the team’s abysmal 3-12 record, Pettine reportedly lost Haslam’s confidence. An example Rapoport provided for this was when Pettine guaranteed victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, his players “rolled their eyes.”
Another time, before the team’s second game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Pettine reportedly told his players he might be getting fired and they “hadn’t done their part” to help him keep it.
Along with Pettine, general manager Ray Farmer is likely to be fired as well, per Rapoport and others in the media.
His ridiculous text messages to the coaching staff, which earned him a four-game ban, should have been the first clue that he wouldn’t last. Then again, he also never had a fair shot to run the team like a normal general manager in the first place.
#Browns GM Ray Farmer may be fired without ever hiring a coach. Had 2 top picks forced on him: Manziel (Haslam's call), Gilbert (Pettine's)
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 3, 2016
What’s interesting in all of this is the overall permeation of dysfunction, from owner to general manager to head coach.
This past week Pettine reportedly asked Haslam, straight up, if his job was safe for the 2016. Rather than give him an answer, Haslam cut the meeting short and refused to speak on the matter.
Regardless of who’s in charge, the Browns continue to reign supreme as the NFL’s most laughable franchise. At this point, it’s hard to imagine there is anyone out there with the power to reverse the decades-long curse of incompetence that has stricken the organization.