Browns owner Dee Haslam supported helmet-swinger Myles Garrett. (Bleacherreport.com)
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Editor’s note: Tony Grossi is an analyst on the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
In a season of woefully unmet expectations, conversation about the Browns has centered mostly on events or occurrences that have little to do about winning.
And that’s the problem, of course.
We’ve attempted to tabulate the Tribulations of Terror from the 2019 season. They are listed chronologically from most recent to the unofficial start of the season in April.
Believe it or not, we eliminated several items in the interest of brevity. Plus, there is four weeks yet to go.
1.Freddie Kitchens’ T-shirt.
2.Baker Mayfield’s first time playing with a gloved right hand.
3.Damarious Randall’s home alone penance for reportedly missing practice.
4.Devaroe Lawrence’s release.
5.Dee Haslam’s wearing of a No. 95 winter hat to support Myles Garrett.
6.Odell Beckham Jr.’s allegation that he is tested for performance enhancing drugs more than other players.
7.Suspensions and over $2 million in fines and lost pay for the Nov. 14 melee with the Steelers.
8.Garrett’s accusation of racial slurring by Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in a confidential NFL appeals hearing.
9.Former offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s calling out of Kitchens as the reason for team’s lack of discipline.
10 Garrett’s bopping of Rudolph’s head with his own helmet.
11.Randall’s ejection for a helmet hit on Diontae Johnson.
12.Antonio Callaway’s release after another failed drug test.
13.Rashard Higgins’ game-winning touchdown catch against Buffalo highlights his season disappearance.
14.Beckham’s and Jarvis Landry’s mandated removal of painted cleats at halftime in Denver.
15.Mayfield’s shaving of facial hair two times during and after the game in Denver.
16.Jermaine Whitehead’s release after racist Twitter rants and death threats.
17.Genard Avery’s unexplained trade to Philadelphia Eagles.
18.Austin Corbett’s trade to Los Angeles Rams.
19.Mayfield’s “Jesus, Tony” mike drop and press conference walk-off.
20.Landry’s “we’re goin’ to win” declaration prior to Patriots game.
21.Greg Robinson’s one-game benching.
22.Garrett’s sucker punch to the face by a posing autograph-seeker at a downtown Cleveland traffic stop.
23.Beckham’s $14,000-plus fine for wearing football pants too high above the knees.
24.Mayfield’s $12,500 fine for saying officiating was “pretty bad.” (Later rescinded.)
25.49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa’s OSU flag-planting re-enactment after a sack of Mayfield.
26.49ers cornerback Richard Sherman’s false accusation of a pre-game handshake snub by Mayfield.
27.Garrett’s two personal fouls against Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian.
28.Beckham’s removal from the Jets game for wearing an illegal visor.
29.Beckham’s wearing of a $2 million Richard Mille watch in pre-game warmups.
30 Chris Smith’s personal tragedy of his fiancée being killed in a roadside accident.
31.Randall’s assertion that players would have demanded trades if former interim coach and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had been hired as Browns full-time head coach.
32.Garrett’s palm strike to the face mask of Titans tight end Delanie Walker.
33.Robinson’s ejection for kicking Titans safety Kenny Vaccaro.
34.Kareem Hunt’s eight-game suspension.
35.Mayfield’s roasting of the Giants in a GQ interview for drafting Daniel Jones.
36.Kitchens’ delighting in Browns “not backing down” in several skirmishes with Indianapolis Colts in joint workouts.
37.Beckham’s comment to Sports Illustrated that the Giants sent him to Cleveland “to die.”
38.Former Browns offensive line coach Bob Wylie’s comments that Kitchens was hired as Browns coach because of his relationship with Mayfield and GM John Dorsey’s aversion to a strong coach like Gregg Williams.
39.Duke Johnson’s trade to Houston Texans.
40.Beckham’s non-participation in preseason games and most practices.
40.Mayfield’s comments that disgruntled Johnson should be “either on this train or not” after Johnson requested a trade.
41.Beckham’s decision to skip all but the first voluntary OTA workout.