Shurmur Firing Pool

**mkocs6** · 10-08-2012, 01:48 PM

Well, with the Cleveland Browns still winless this season--and losers of eleven straight dating back to last year--things look pretty bleak as the ownership of the franchise is about to change. It also appears that Pat Shurmur is a very nice man, but he is not a head coach. Incoming owner Jimmy Haslam recently indicated that he would retain Shurmur for the entire season, but I'm guessing that he might reconsider once he divests himself of the first $700,000,000 (of $1.1B or so) he'll be spending to acquire this football team. In any case, and barring some ridiculous turnaround that I just can't see coming, we're five games into the season and Pat Shurmur is already dead man coaching. Ladies and gentlemen, I am opening the pool and asking you to place your wagers.

(And if anybody out there is thinking, 'this guy has a family' or something like that, please direct your holier-than-thou energies elsewhere. In the first case, no one has been a bigger supporter of the Cleveland Browns' present regime than I have, and that has included Shurmur. He is not a head coach. He is 4-17 in twenty-one games and his teams are not prepared. In the second case, Shurmur is only in the second year of his contract, and so when he is fired he will have at least one year (I think two, in fact) of guaranteed money left on his deal. No one is going to starve and he will get another, more appropriate job, either as a coordinator or coaching a position, within a year of his firing.)

Key Dates Remaining in the Browns' Season
October 14 -- Cincinnati Bengals
October 17 -- Jimmy Haslam expected to assume full ownership of the team at NFL owners' meeting
October 21 -- at Indianapolis Colts (mkocs6)
October 22 -- (tubbs)
October 28 -- San Diego Chargers
October 29 -- (Kabamodernfan)
November 4 -- Baltimore Ravens (Pruitt)
November 5 -- (Rich Gapinski; mikesteelnation1)
November 11 -- Bye
November 18 -- at Dallas Cowboys
November 22 -- Thanksgiving (not exactly a key date for the Cleveland Browns, but more of a in-case-you-forget sort of thing)
November 25 -- Pittsburgh Steelers
December 2 -- at Oakland Raiders
December 9 -- Kansas City Chiefs
December 16 -- Washington Redskins
December 17 -- (Trumpet)
December 23 -- at Denver Broncos
December 30 -- at Pittsburgh Steelers
December 31 -- Wait 'til... (DBF)
January 1 -- ...next year (Scott)

By the way, everyone, feel free to pick days I have not listed if you think the firing may come mid-week, a few days into the offseason, or whenever.

**DaBearsFan** · 10-08-2012, 02:15 PM

First off, let me pass along a brief message to Coach Shurmur.

Coach,
I realize you've had a hard time as a head coach in the NFL. Yes, I know that there isn't much talent there and the powers that be decided to draft a 28 year old rookie who played in a conference that doesn't play defense (no disrespect intended mkocs). What you need is to come to a place that is both different and familiar to you. Come back home, to a school you are very familiar with. We need an offensive mind, someone who knows what they are doing. From one Spartan alumni to another, come back home, work for Dantonio for a year or two and help us accomplish something that hasn't happened since your playing days.
Signed, DBF, self-appointed representative of the MSU Spartan Football team.

Back to the main point of the topic, I think the owner will make good on his promise and wait until the end of the season. I'll put a Stanley Nickel on December 31

**Pruitt** · 10-08-2012, 02:34 PM

Firing Shurmur sends a message to the downtrodden that the new owner understands that this HC is in over his head. It also tells the depressed masses in seal brown and burnt orange that the glorious reign of Mike Holmgren will soon be over. So, while I understand that firing a coach mid-season will accomplish nothing tangible for this season as a PR move it is a good one.

0-9 going into the bye - November 4th, approximately 90 seconds after the final whistle.

**mkocs6** · 10-08-2012, 02:55 PM

@DBF: No offense taken. I think he might make a good candidate for the offensive coordinator's job at Michigan State, too. You'll need some more pop to deal with Ohio State next year

@Pruitt: Noted. I do think Holmgren and Heckert have actually added value to the franchise in terms of talent, as I've said in the past. In spite of that, the process has not moved quickly enough and the results aren't showing on the field. They have secretly built very solid offensive and defense lines along with a decent stable of runningbacks and young linebackers. I also think Trent Richardson is really, really good. These will be helpful for the next junta, which will still have plenty of work to do but won't be utterly starting from scratch as they did after the Mangini disaster.

I have placed my chip on the evening of October 21. Four days into Haslam's ownership, if the Browns are 0-7--and let's face it, they will lose to Cincinnati at home--having dropped a very winnable game against Indianapolis, the center cannot hold any longer. That would be thirteen losses in a row. At almost a full season of winless football, it's time for Haslam to show he means business.

**ScottDCP** · 10-08-2012, 03:00 PM

I'll take Jan. 1.

I don't think Haslam will do it until he can try to hire a coach away from the Steelers. He has no interest on the current team.

**mkocs6** · 10-08-2012, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by ScottDCP

I'll take Jan. 1.

I don't think Haslam will do it until he can try to hire a coach away from the Steelers. He has no interest on the current team.

The problem that I have with this theory is that I don't see anyone on the Steelers' staff who looks to be in line for a head coaching position. This is clearly Dick Lebeau's last job and I can't imagine anyone with a brain is eager to repeat the Todd Haley experiment. John Mitchell, who is assistant head coach (whatever that means in practice), has been an extremely successful defensive line coach for a long time, but he's already 60 and it's unusual for a guy to get his first head coaching job in the NFL at that age. Maybe there's a position coach there who no one knows about, but I just don't see it. Finally, since it appears like that Joe Banner (who was an exec with the Eagles for fifteen years) is going to assume the presidency after Holmgren, there's no guarantee they're even planning to stock the cupboard with Steelers' personnel.

Your selection is noted, however.