The Glade 4.0

Joe Banner, Mike Lombardi out in Cleveland, Ray Farmer new GM
Posted by Michael David Smith on February 11, 2014, 10:02 AM EST

In a stunning announcement on Tuesday morning, the Cleveland Browns revealed that Ray Farmer is their new general manager, as CEO Joe Banner and former G.M. Mike Lombardi are leaving the team.

The news will come as a total shock in Cleveland and across the NFL, where the Browns were already viewed by many as a dysfunctional franchise following the firing of head coach Rob Chudzinski at the end of the 2013 season.

It is unclear what happened to cause the Browns to clean out their front office, but it is not a good look for owner Jimmy Haslam that he appears incapable of bringing stability to this franchise.

Now Farmer, who was previously the assistant general manager, has a huge task ahead of him in shaping a franchise that needs a complete turnaround. He and new coach Mike Pettine have an uphill battle to turn the Browns from perpetual losers into contenders.

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

A humorous coloring book for the whole family, depicting famous disappointing moments from Cleveland professional sports.


If you are looking at this Kickstarter project you are probably a fan of Cleveland sports, just like me. My condolences.

You know the history. You've been to the games. You've watched them on TV. You know that when it seems like the game can not be lost, it will be. That when the most is at stake, they will play their worst. And when it seems like it can't get any worse, it definitely will. I am speaking specifically about the Browns, the Indians, and the Cavaliers.

When I was growing up in Cleveland, the Browns had opportunities to make the Super Bowl behind Bernie Kosar. We all know how that ended. The Cavs also seemed poised to make some deep post-season runs. Nope. And the Indians came one inning away from a World Series Title. Then it just kept getting worse...

This project is not about reopening old Cleveland wounds. I'll leave that to the national sports media. This is about having a laugh at the sheer lunacy of what we have "witnessed" over the years. We know we have to laugh sometimes to avoid losing our minds.

It's also about sharing the history with our children so they can appreciate why we cheer the way do, and more often, hang our heads in disbelief. At the very least, it is a great way for them to learn about Murphy's Law.

The coloring book will be roughly 55 pages long, with 25 black & white illustrations depicting scenes of notable Cleveland sports failures, such as: The Shot, The Fumble, The Drive and The Decision. My profile pic is an example of what the coloring pages will look like (a larger version is now posted in the updates section). The pages opposite of the illustrations will feature the story behind these iconic moments. There will be a "Thank You" page, Table Of Contents, and other standard pages.

The money being raised for this book will be going toward the legal and publishing costs, getting an ISBN, the first printing costs, and other various costs related to publishing the book.

Thank you for your support and I hope this book can warm a frozen Cleveland sports fan's heart!

Go Browns! Go Indians! Go Cavs!

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin