The Browns announced today that longtime Cleveland attorney Fred Nance would be joining the team as General Counsel. This is a very, very good move. In fact, there's little not to like about it. Nance is a wise, reasoned and intelligent individual, and if he is going to spend the majority of his time with the Browns (like he said he is) the Browns should be better for it. Provided, of course, his word and advice carry weight. The Browns had another wise counsel named Bob Kain the previous two years, and he left the team after last season. Nance has been involved in NFL circles for years, and if his role grows with the team it's better still. If he is involved in hiring the new football leader, it's even better than "better still." There's simply very little not to like about the man.
UPDATE: I must respond Brian D's to comment about Bob Kain … Kain was not part of the hiring of Eric Mangini and George Kokinis. Kain resigned while these decisions were being discussed, but before they were final. Kain, again, was not responsible for those decisions. He gave input, but resigned before they were final.
In addition, I added a comment on the Nance hiring, but felt it should be included here as well. Here is what I wrote in the comments:
"I had to make dinner for my kids, so I posted something quick (on Nance) to get on board.
"My take is based on the fact that any reasoned and intelligent voice added to the Browns mix is a step forward. Fred Nance is among the more reasoned and intelligent voices in the city. He'd make an excellent team president. That he's General Counsel need not lessen his impact, provided his voice is given weight, credibility and import.
"Plus he's an Ignatius guy … always a positive."
I should add that Nance was one of the five finalists interviewed to succeed Paul Tagliabue as NFL commissioner.
I don't know how this helps the Browns so much as it helps Lerner. Indeed, it doesn't really help the Browns in the standings. Nance and the local politicians have been groping each other for years, and groping Nance's firm for decades. Put him on salary as an employee instead of retainer, and Nance can now avoid future many potential conflict of interest scenarios. Seriously, from a fan's perspective, who cares about this hire? In both the short and long run, it's just going to put more money in Lerner's pockets.
Pat, I typically like and agree with your takes. This one, though, makes no sense. No logic, no proof, nothing.
Is it a good move cuz this guy has been in Cleveland a long time?
Is it because he is wise, and intelligent? I'm sure you could find one or two yokels who could say similar things about every single Browns hire for any position over the last 10 years. Just because you say it doesnt make it so.
And lastly, you compare this new guy to the previous guy from the past 2 years. Well, if that isn't the nail in the coffin for the new guy, I don't know what is. The old guy was a no name, didn't appear to have any influence and surely didn't help the team win games or improve in any measurable way. In fact, this is the first time I'm hearing the name of the wise intelligent guy who previously held the position and I read a lot of Browns articles on the web.
I'm sorry but this easily is your worst and most nonsensical post you've ever written. I don't share your same feeling that the Browns have finally started to peer around the corner due to hiring a longtime Cleveland attorney.
Geez … you guys are harsh. I had to make dinner for my kids, so I posted something quick to get on board.
My take is based on the fact that any reasoned and intelligent voice added to the Browns mix is a step forward. Fred Nance is among the more reasoned and intelligent voices in the city. He'd make an excellent team president. That he's General Counsel need not lessen his impact, provided his voice is given weight, credibility and import.
Plus he's an Ignatius guy … always a positive.
Nance was a finalist to replace Paul Tagliabue as NFL commissioner. He is one of the most powerful people in Cleveland and is well connected among the top men in the NFL. You can bet that Nance will be tapping some of those resources to help Lerner find a football czar.
And Bob Kain was a former CEO of IMG. He helped Randy in buying the Aston Villa Futbol Club. The only knock against him is that he advised Randy on the selection of Mangini and Kokinis.
Nance was instrumental in bringing an expansion team to Cleveland after Modell ran off to B'more…I guess you can hold THAT against him.
How long does it take to throw some potatoes in the microwave???
An Iggy guy…no wonder Pat loves him!
All Fred Nance reminds me of is this old blog post. Hell, Lerner should hire Steve Stone and Eric Carmen, I trust Brush High School alumni more than I trust St. Ignatius alumni. Fred Nance doesn't prop up anything, except maybe now Lerner gets access to have a few bills with a different dead president's face printed on the front. And I have four words for you: peanut butter and jelly. Or, the only two words my father ever knew: Chinese restaurant.
http://xr.com/5f2c
i'm not going to cheer for a friggin lawyer.
What's the difference if he was one of the five finalists interviewed for commissioner? Four white guys and one black guy. Frankly, I think if Bill Cosby applied for the job, he'd have made it to #5, too.
It's rarely good when a lawyer is giving a football franchise owner advice about anything other than legal stuff. It doesn't translate to the field, it only translates into the owner's wallet. Wayne Embry had that problem when Gund's team counsel always made a buttinsky of himself.
they're your friends, Pat!
As the chief cook and bottle washer here I like the balance that Mr Mac is trying to maintain between work and the most important people in his life. If he says this is good news, I'm gonna believe him. Thanks for not giving the kids takeout. Real men can cook and write about sports at the same time!
How can you take Chef O'Boyardee's culinary skills seriously when he calls Stouffer's macaroni and cheese "making dinner?" Even Fred Nance wouldn't approve.
I never buy Stouffer's mac and cheese. Ever see the fat content in that pile of goo? It is tasty tho … or at least that's what I've heard.
DUDE! You got a lot of First names……GO CAVS !!!!! Browns 24 Steelers 17
Why did YOU HAVE to make dinner? Did you show a certain someone special your grady sizemore imitation coffee cup Photo???EH! sounds like someone ran OUTTA the Room VROOM VROOM
Wow, Patrick Joseph Thomas McManamon was up and at 'em early this morn. Must have gotten the girls their Lucky Charms topped with Guinness and then sent them off to school early.
The Browns can hire Fred Nance, Larry Nance and John Nance Garner, and it is not going to make a damn bit of difference if Lerner pulls out the stupid stick and taps another bozo to be President/GM/Czar/KingoftheWorld.
I'm not going to believe all the Nances in the world are going to help Randy Lerner make the first good decision he's made since he stopped wearing short pants until I see it. Not sure Randy would listen if God in heaven above came down onto the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium and pointed his finger at the sideline and said, "FIRE THAT MAN, AND HIRE THAT MAN!"
But I congratulate Fred on picking up what is probably a seriously nice paycheck, and just before Christmas, too. Merry Christmas at the Nance house this year.
Oh, and Alan, Michael Vick's PC Quotion doesn't interest me. The fact that he has always been a terrible QB does. And I doubt that little stint in federal correction has made him a better one unless Joe Montana was his cell mate.
I thought he was going to be something else coming out of Virginia Tech, but all those years at Atlanta proved otherwise. He was flat out terrible.
Uhh . . . that's quotient, not quotion. But you get my meaning.
OK, maybe I was wrong in knocking Kain for his role in the selection of Mangini and Kokinis. Maybe he was against one or the other being hired. But, if his "input" prior to his resignation was in favor of either of them, it was bad advice. Did he resign because Lerner wouldn't listen to him, or was it just because his non-compete clause with IMG had expired and he wanted to get back into sport's marketing?
Miguel, how can you possibly say Vick was "flat out terrible?" His peers didn't put him in the Pro Bowl three times because he killed Lennox Lewis' poodle.
Yeah, they put him in the Pro Bowl because the pro bowl is the biggest bunch of nonsense this side of the MLB starting All Star lineup.
He stunk flat out as a passer every single year of his career. He's horrifically inaccurate (53%–which is god awful), throws mostly short passes, and throws too many picks for how few TDs he gets.
Yeah, he can run. Fine, bring him in as a running back if he still has the moves, but trying to build an offense around him is a disaster waiting to happen. He flat out stinks.
vick fumbled away that game against the browns the year they went to the playoffs. he's terrible.
but it wouldn't be a bad choice for the browns to use vick as a qb option and run him until some steelers player shatters every bone in his body. he either succeeds or he gets mauled.
He's horrifically inaccurate? Perhaps you haven't noticed Quinn throwing balls to Mangini during the actual games. Vick is a good quarterback, better than most quarterbacks in the NFL. Expectations for him have always been way too high, as they should be for the first pick in a draft.
And yet somehow me thinks if Vick was a Brown, you'd be first in line to criticize and complain about him and call his 3 pro bowl appearances a joke. Amiright?
No, urwrong. The team is a joke. His Pro Bowl appearances were not. Who gives a crap who is at quarterback. At least Vick is more entertaining to watch than anybody other than Cribbs, and Cribbs can't play offense. Blitzing Vick caters to his special skills. Blitz Quinn, and any game he's in is over.
Because Quinn is inaccurate you want to get a different QB is also inaccurate? Not sure I buy that logic.
For the record, however, Quinn and Vick have identical career completion percentages, with Quinn compiling those numbers under circumstances far more adverse than Vick. The jury is still slightly out on Quinn, but it's rendered its verdict on Vick (in more ways than one) over the course of six full seasons. And that verdict would be, he stinks.
Pardon me if I would rather have an actual QB rather than a guy who is simply a name. You're sounding like Randy Lerner during a GM search, Alan.
I'm not trying to build a team, Miguel. I'll be dead by the time the team is seriously competitive. I'm a consumer. Entertain me. Besides, with the garbage receivers the Browns have, a short passing game combined with a running quarterback is precisely the type of offense that would work best.
"I'll be dead by the time the team is seriously competitive."
Dunno about the rest but I'd settle for a coma.
as terrible as vick is alan has a good point. the guy has some natural talent as an athlete. maybe his brain has evolved past idiot level just enough to be a decent nfl qb.
due to parity, in the nfl respectability can be achieved overnight. but you've got to have a respectable head coach and mangini isn't that guy.
Thanks, Stalker Boy. Appreciate it. Always good to hear from you, even though you said I wouldn't.
"The Browns make a very wise and good move"
And to what city would that be??
Baltimore, I believe.