DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Jim Brown, estranged from the Browns, and unimpressed with Trent Richardson

I think someone's jealous that Richardson may break some of his records years down the road.

http://www.espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=1160

Jim Brown, estranged from the Browns, and unimpressed with Trent Richardson
May 24, 2012 -- 6:00am

By Tony Grossi

The Morning Kickoff …

Chasing No. 32: Ever since the Browns traded three low-round draft picks to move up one spot to No. 3 in the first round and secure the selection of running back Trent Richardson, Jim Brown has been the Holy Grail of interview-seekers.

The day of the draft – long hours before Richardson was assured of going to the Browns – the greatest running back of all time delivered a stinging commentary on Richardson on the Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio.

“I think he’s ordinary,” Brown said on April 26.

Reached Wednesday night at his Hollywood Hills home, Brown expounded on his feelings.

“When you think of greatness and the great backs, they all had some individual traits that you can identify – quickness, balance, power, speed,” Brown said. “I think the kid is a good working back, and if you’ve got everything else around him he can play his role. But when it comes to outstanding, I don’t see anything outstanding about him. It’s not said in a cruel manner. He’s very efficient, and that’s what you want.”

I asked on what Brown is basing his observations.

“I’m basing them on highlights, and highlights show the best of you,” he said. “But here’s the deal, he can change everything that I’ve said.”

Keeping it real: Brown, 76, has been estranged from the franchise for which he starred from 1957 through 1965 on various occasions over the years, though he considers himself "a Cleveland Brown forever." The current frosty relationship stemmed from his dismissal as an “executive advisor” by Browns President Mike Holmgren two years ago.

The parting, which cost Brown about $500,000 in annual income according to sources, was a textbook PR disaster. Brown, the franchise’s greatest player, boycotted the team’s inaugural Ring of Honor ceremony in 2010 and compounded his conspicuous absence with a scathing letter to Holmgren, charging him with disrespect.

“Browns fans believe you’re a bitter man and that’s why you’re saying these things about Richardson,” I said to Brown.

“That’s so petty and so ridiculous,” Brown replied. “Anyone that thinks that I’m a guy that goes around bashing anybody … I (criticized) a lot of people in my career … I talked about Tiger Woods (before his scandal) and challenged him, and O.J. (Simpson), because of certain hypocrisy. But the Browns speak for themselves.

“What have I said about the Browns other than the fact that Richardson is an ordinary back? There’s so much I could say. So you tell all those people that want to look at me, look at what you’ve got. You’re sitting on a mess. You’ve got a guy that doesn’t give interviews except in other cities. I ask all the people in Cleveland, do you get the impression that Mr. Holmgren wants to be there? If you do, then tell me.”

Holmgren has said he is “all in” on his commitment to turning around the fortunes of the Browns. He made a thorough round of interviews to Cleveland media outlets shortly after the draft.

Back to Richardson: “Let me ask you a question,” Brown said to me. “I haven’t heard anyone say anything special about (Richardson). Have you?”

I said a lot of people considered Richardson the best offensive player in the draft other than the quarterbacks taken ahead of him, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.

“Well, they see something I don’t see,” Brown responded.

I said Richardson has been compared favorably to his hometown hero, Emmitt Smith, who happens to be the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. I said that from my own observation, Richardson’s 5-9 ½, 228-pound physique and renowned weight-room strength would seem to make him a running back extremely difficult to tackle.

“If you look at Emmitt Smith and the kind of blocking he had, I don’t think he’d have close to the career he had (without it),” Brown said. “But if you take a Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson … Earl Campbell, there’s something special there.

“Emmitt was a warrior. But when it comes to the first level of backs, Emmitt would not be in my first level. So when I look at Richardson, I see adequate speed, adequate power, and a good attitude. But I don’t see anything special. And I don’t know if anyone can tell me there’s anything special.”

I said to Brown that Richardson looks freakishly strong.

“You’re not gonna come into pro football dealing with how strong you are,” Brown responded. “They’ve got enough people dealing with strength. Your quickness and your speed are the two assets that I would look at. Look at Earl Campbell. Earl was quick. You have to have a certain kind of quickness, certain kind of speed, and then your strength comes into it.

“But you’re not going to make it with strength and ordinary speed and quickness. I don’t think it’s even an issue. When you deal with Richardson, he comes out of that Alabama mold. He’ll work hard for you, and he’s kind of an all-around back. But if you look at Cleveland, I would have gotten me a couple of receivers.”

Richardson universally has been hailed as the best running back to enter the NFL since Adrian Peterson (in 2007). How does Brown feel about that?

“Adrian Peterson, I loved him when I first saw him and I still do,” Brown said. “He gets hurt, but that’s a special talent. He’s got good size, great speed and great quickness. In pro football, you can be a workmanlike guy that fits in to a good team and you do things that they need you to do and you’re worth it. But if you’re talking about a top draft pick and someone who’s gonna have instant impact on your team, I don’t see the kid that way.”

Final points: I’ve enjoyed a dialogue with Jim Brown since I first covered the Browns in 1984. Before that, I came from the generation whose fathers adored him. I can still hear my father, glued to the black-and-white TV, exclaiming, “Look at him. He’s an animal, the way he runs.”

I do not believe Brown is saying these things about Richardson because of bitterness toward the present Browns’ management, although it’s obvious that bitterness exists. I am giving him the benefit of doubt as the everlasting conscience of the position of NFL running back. I simply disagree with him.

“Here’s my last thing to you,” Jim Brown said. “I think Richardson is a fine young man. I think he’s a good all-around football player. But from my standpoint, that’s ordinary. You talk about someone that’s going to move or light up the franchise or create a certain kind of thing, that’s what I’m talking about. I’m not trying to be mean. There are certain people you look at and there’s something special about them. I don’t see it.”

According to Grossi, Brown also thought Emmitt Smith was ordinary. I'd be ok with that kind of result.

Every time Jim Brown speaks, it just seems like he's a sad, bitter old man. I feel more pity than anything for the man. It's a shame he can't embrace his status as legend. He'd rather shy away from it, almost in a "fake" way just to seem like he's not proud or doesn't care about what he's done.

You think about guys like Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, Dick Butkus, etc. They know that what they've done in the game is important. Jim Brown, I think, knows this too, but is trying so hard to seem humble or ho-hum that he comes off as bitter.

Bitter is the word..Man what an old hateful fart

The interviewer forgot to put in when Brown told him to get off his lawn...

I wish the Cleveland media would stop putting the Mic in front of him. If they did, Brown would just fade into the background noise where he belongs because, let's be honest here, nobody cares about Jim Brown anymore. He's whined and cried and flubbed his way to insignificance.

As badly as I've bashed Brown over the years, even I've grown apathetic. He's gone from hero to annoying to sad to passe.

Jimmy...stay off my lawn.

Comparing playing Running the BALL in the 50s-60s to Running A FRANCHISE in this decade is just about ridiculous.

Holmgren does interviews in Cleveland. He also has history other places, is he NOT ALLOWED to interview outside of Ohio?

Last I heard Holmgren interview it was with Mike & Mike in Cleveland.

Please stop talking Mr. Brown. I will always love you to death but PLEASE stop talking.

^^ This

J/C

It seems like Jim Brown wants the best of both worlds. On one hand, he wants to be left alone as the lost icon of a bygone era. On the other hand, he wants to keep his name in the press.

I'd prefer he pick one or the other. Either embrace your place in the game, Jim or go away.

Maybe I'm missing something here, since I'm not a Browns fan, but it seems like Tony Grossi asked Jim Brown his opinion, and Jim Brown gave it. It may not be a popular opinion in Cleveland, but it sure didn't sound like Jim Brown was trying to be nasty, just telling it like he saw it. In fact, Jim Brown was even saying that Trent could change, and become a great player.

Good read even if very few will agree with what Brown had to say. I like reading contrasting viewpoints.

I see 2 unique qualities with Richardson and that is his power and balance but he also has this thing where his upper body and lower body seems to almost unattach. It is hard to explain but when you see him do it, you are lefting scratching your head.

Fair enough... I guess I don't know a lot of the history of Jim Brown after 1964, when my father used to tell me stories of how amazing Jim Brown was as a player.

Here's the real reason Mom,no matter who you are,or who you were,don't say anything negative about a Brown.
If Charlie Manson was a slot reciever for the team,someone would explain away the swaztika on his forehead and make him sound like the all-american boy.
That's an attitude front runners can never really understand.

It takes alot to impress Jim Brown,obviously Emmit and this Richardson fellow don't.
Although it might sound disingenuous to credit the Cowboy's oline and not mention the great one he ran behind.

Thats a bit over the top

Thanks Bcbrownie for explaining this to me. . keep in mind that I lived in Pittsburgh for many years, so I'm not exactly a "front-runner" fan.

Of coarse you're not.
I've worked in Pittsburgh for many years and I've never met a Stealer fan that claimed they were.

Jim Brown has become a bitter old man and Grossi knew the answers he was going to get when interviewed him.

So we have "two peas in a pod", who are bitter toward the Browns management, joining forces to bash the Browns while trying their best to appear that they are not bashing the Browns.

Both Jim Brown and Tony Grossi would be great studies in human nature due to the fact they both hold a resentment toward the current Browns, that is eating away at them. So much so that we already know the subject matter of an article or what will be said in an interview, before they take place.

A rather sad interview that had an outcome that was predictable.

J/C,

Perhaps it's sour grapes, but know matter how bitter he comes off the truth is ... It's his opinion and JB prefers taller (bigger) backs such as himself, just as Bernie prefers taller QB's.

It's one mans opinion, so I take it for what it's worth.

Jim Brown prefers his buddies from an era that is long gone. It's sad. His love of himself is bigger than his love of the game. My dad was really upset over the way Paul Brown handled him, but I'm thinking Paul Brown was right.

It does nothing to detract about the way I feel about the way he played the game. That was a thing of beauty. And I really liked "The Dirty Dozen". But it's been all downhill from there for him.

Oh, and Grossi's a hack. I can't even trust him to quote a bitter Jim Brown in context.

I'm not going to attempt to figure out Jim Brown, or put labels on him, or disect his life to try to see his motivations like so many others here.... but I will say this: given his track record of commenting on players that we've taken, I welcome his comments because he has universally been wrong on just about every player he has commented on since The Return.

So, if he dislikes Richardson, I'm quite Ok with that.



Other than that, good to hear from him - sounds like he's still doing well.

I could never believe that Jim Brown would say anything negative about a young man such as Trent Richardson.

Thinking back to 2002, when the Browns took William Green in the first round, I don't remember Jim Brown having anything negative to say about WG and he wasn't nearly the prospect Trent Richardson is.

From the time Jim Brown lost his job with the Browns as executive advisor, he has been trying to stick it to Holmgren and the Browns. His petty bitterness over losing his job is so obvious as he resorts to attacking a draft prospect before he even gets a chance to play a down for the Browns.

Sad to see Jim Brown stoop to this level, in an attempt to get even.

It's a sad situation in a way.. a cleveland sports hero to be sure..

But now, more or less a sad figure.

When I read this article, I thought,, I wonder how much he skewed Lerners thinking while in the Employ of the Browns as a consultant?

I wonder if his thinking is what caused Randy to make some of the decisions he made. and maybe, just maybe, when randy realized it, took on Holmgren and Holmgren knew it also and dumped Brown..

Just a little outside the box thinking..

In 10 consecutive seasons, Emmitt Smith dropped below 1300 yards rushing only 3 times. of those, he dropped below 1200 yards rushing only once.

He was also a receiving machine during that decade.

He scored 136 TDs on the ground during the decade of 1991-2000. He added another 11 receiving TDs.

If we get anything close to that from Richardson, I'll be thrilled. Personally, I hope that he beats Jim Browns average yards/carry over a long career.

I can agree with the sentiments on Emmitt Smith. He was a good back but as has been said he did his best work behind a great line on a team with plenty of other weapons. I, personally don't think he is in the same gategory as Walter Payton. Although the '85 Bears where a great team, Payton did what he did playing for a team that was mediocre at best for alot of years.

What made Emmit special was the fact that he just didnt get taken down in the backfield and Richardson has that same quality. Plays that should have been a 1 or 2 yard loss were always going for 3 or 4 yard gains. That quality made the passing game much more viable as Aikman was in 3rd and short more often than any QB that I can remember.

Just clicking.

I can't say this for sure, but, for what it's worth, I feel like Jim Brown has offered opinions and appraisals of players on multiple occasions and has most often been wrong.

William Green comes to mind. For some reason, I feel like Maurice Clarett comes to mind as well.

Clarrett is where I lost any respect for Brown. It wasn't that he went against the NFL in the hopes of changing rules which kept young players from making a living, but rather the way he ditches Clarrett the moment he lost the case. Brown pushed that deal and used Clarrett as a tool, then when Clarrett lost he couldn't distance himself fast enough. It was pathetic.

Regarding how the Browns feel about him, there's no denying that Brown was an absolute embarrassment as a mouthpiece for the organization. Not only was he wrong about the players he pimped, but he embarrassed the Browns with comments.

Is it any wonder they dropped him like a hot potato?

Yet Brown can't accept responsibility for his screwups and instead wants to play the bitter old man, where not only has he taken a shot at a Browns pick, but also at the President. Nevermind the fact that his observations about Holmgren are just flat wrong.

Again, I wish the media would stop putting their Mic's in front of him because he's just an embarrassment, not only to himself but to the organization that no longer even wants anything to do with him, and that's no small feat.

Jim, as a player you're the greatest Brown of all time, but as a talking head, you're nothing more than an embarrassment. Please...just go away.

j/c

Jim Brown is entitled to his opinion just as everyone else is.

Hopefully TRich will use it as inspiration to prove him wrong. For all we know, that may very well been the motivation behind Browns comments in the first place.

I can't say I know as to the reasoning or intent of Browns comments, but he's never been bashfull about expressing his feelings so I don't know why anyone would expect him to now. Especially when his comments through the course of his life were never intended to win a popularity contest. LOL

I agree, the way he handles the Clarett situation was disgraceful

Just clicking

the single biggest reason I'm a browns fan (having grown up 30 miles outside of pittsburgh) is because of Jim Brown.

Went to a game in the very early 60s and saw him drop 150 yards rushing.. I was, from that point on, hooked.

But now,, I just wish he'd shut up.

You take T-Rich and put him in Jim Browns time and he would of made Jim Brown look like a "ordinary back".....Jim Brown do us all a favor shut up and get over yourself, you played in todays game you would make Montario Oneyardesty look like a All-Pro.