An abrupt schedule change during the NFL's Annual League Meeting last week led the Browns' Todd Monken and the Rams' Sean McVay to miss the annual coaches photo. Monken explained that he was in the middle of a haircut when the picture was taken.
On Wednesday, the new Cleveland coach was asked about missing the photo.
"Oh, I didn't, I really don't give a s---," he said on Wednesday. "I mean, nothing to do with me. I mean, they moved the meeting. I didn't miss it. I was just trying to get a sweet haircut. That's what I was trying to do. And then they moved the meeting. Now you can claim that I should have been at the meeting when they moved it up and my a-- would have known that's when it was -- yeah, OK, I got you. And was it disappointing? You bet your a-- it was disappointing. Am I allowed to be head coach if I'm not in the head coach's picture? You think with AI they could have done that quickly and got me in there? But no, it's the way it is.
"It'll be under the bridge. And what will matter most is how we move from here and do we win or not. Ultimately, none of that will matter."
Monken's missed photo for a haircut was met by some with comments suggesting such a thing could only happen to the Browns, a downtrodden franchise that is consistently perceived as always stepping in mud.
The first-year head coach was asked how he plans to change that decades-long perception.
"Winning. It changes everything, right?" Monken said. "Winning changes everything, right? I told the coaches that the other day, right? Or playing well. How does a player stop the narrative? Play well. How do we stop the narrative on offense? Score. How do you stop the narrative about not winning? Win. It's pretty freaking simple, right?
"I mean, is that not in life in general, right? There's a narrative out there that you're not a good husband. Well, change. Be a good husband, right? All that's part of it, right? Change the narrative. Become that. That's what we have to do. It's real simple."
Since their return to the NFL in 1999, the Browns have made three playoff appearances. Cleveland has finished last in the AFC North in three of the last four seasons and has had two seasons with a winning record in the past 18 years. That's the sort of ominous history Monken is out to change. It's easier said than done, but at least the new coach will attempt to right the ship with a sweet haircut.
