Minutes after Joe Banner was introduced as CEO of the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, he extended an olive branch to a battered fan base with little cheer in recent years.
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"I know these fans have been through a lot of hopeful starts," Banner told reporters. "I don't want to be the next promiser in their lives."
A clown car of supposed heroes have paraded through Berea, Ohio, vowing to correct the ills of the previous regime and bring sunshine to the Browns. None have succeeded, but the early returns on new owner Jimmy Haslam III are positive.
Haslam sat beside Banner and spoke of the long hours they've already logged together, hoping to rebuild an organization that hasn't won a playoff game since the 1994 season.
"There's no excuses for this not being one of the top franchises in the NFL," Haslam said.
The sense in Cleveland is that major changes will follow Mike Holmgren's retirement in January. General manager Tom Heckert told sources he expects to be fired. Banner and Haslam talked about evaluating everyone from coach Pat Shurmur to rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden after the season.
Banner worked with Shurmur and Heckert during their time with the Philadelphia Eagles. He called Shurmur "a really good guy, passionate," and said "there isn't a single one I don't like personally."
Translation: Everyone employed by the Browns better dial it up a notch. A day of reckoning awaits. Endless banter about "processes" and 14-year rebuilding plans won't fly anymore, by the sound of it. Haslam and Banner are here to rip off the training wheels.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
