Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam expected a backlash from fans after his team turned in another disappointing season. What he did not expect, given the look on his face, was to be asked if the Browns were run by the Three Stooges.
Haslam and CEO Joe Banner spoke to the Cleveland media Monday, one day after firing first-year head coach Rob Chudzinski. One TV reporter, who labeled himself as “a news guy, not a sports guy,” opted to forego his own research and head straight to his station’s Facebook page to find a question for the Browns’ brass.
The reporter rattled off a fan’s lengthy and aggressive response to Chudzinski’s dismissal, prompting a priceless reaction from Haslam. After reciting that the franchise was an “embarrassment” that “encourages apathy instead of hope,” the reporter concluded with, “Jimmy, can you assure the fans — their words, not mine — that you don’t have The Three Stooges running this operation?”
The Three Stooges refers to Haslam, Banner and general manager Michael Lombardi, and given the looks on their faces, they did not take kindly to the comparison. Instead of poking Banner in between the eyes, though, Haslam responded with the standard answers about how much he cares about the team, wins and the fans.
The Browns now will begin the search for their fourth head coach since 2010. The franchise’s instability and lack of results has prompted frustration from the fans and players alike, and if they undergo another underwhelming season in 2014, the Stooges nickname might turn into something NSFW.
Check out the Browns’ leadership fielding the tough questions below.
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