Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is a former minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His wife, Dee, a co-owner of the Browns, has a very strong voice in the organization. She was with her husband during their time in Pittsburgh.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson has been in the AFC North for a long time, long time and has faced the Steelers a number of times.
New Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley had that same job with the Steelers immediately before coming to Cleveland.
The Haslams, Jackson and Haley – especially Haley – have watched the New England Patriots beat the Steelers like a drum over the years. In fact, the only team in the AFC that’s better than the Steelers – the only team that doesn’t blink when it faces Pittsburgh – is the New England Patriots.
Realizing all that, then, you would think that the Browns’ top people, when they were considering accepting HBO’s invitation to be featured during training camp on its tremendously popular but tremendously invasive show, “Hard Knocks,” would have taken a moment – or two or three or four or more moments – to figure out one of the things the Patriots and Steelers have in common in this regard.
Hmmm. What is it? What could it be?
I’ve got it!
It’s that while they have no doubt received enough invitations from HBO to choke an elephant, the Patriots and Steelers have never been featured on “Hard Knocks” and will never be on it. You can count on it. You can take it to the bank. Nohow, no way.
The Patriots and Steelers are not in the business of baring themselves for all the world to see. They are in the business of football, of winning games and championships. When they don’t win the Super Bowl, the season is deemed a failure.
That should have told the Browns all they needed to know about “Hard Knocks.” But, unfortunately, for some unknown reason – perhaps stubbornness, perhaps ignorance, perhaps the mistaken notion that being part of the circus is more important than getting themselves turned around, or perhaps a little or a lot of all these things — didn’t.
So, if this thing ends up blowing up in their faces, the Browns will deserve every rotten thing they get.
