FanHouse TV: The Browns Are Starting Over Yet Again
by FanHouse TVTo say the Cleveland Browns face an uphill battle in staying relevant in the dangerous AFC North would be an understatement. Having to face the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals a total of six times during the season will not be easy, especially considering all of the change and turmoil that has surrounded the Browns for years.
Mike Holmgren has been around winning teams before, and as FanHouse TV's Thomas George reports, a change of culture is underway in Cleveland.
by Pat McManamon
CLEVELAND -- Jim Brown has walked the walk longer than most of us have walked. The man has dedicated his life to trying to cure what he sees as injustice and to give hope to those who need it most.
Brown has been a far from perfect citizen, but as a product of the racist and segregated days of the '50s and '60s he saw plenty to make a man angry. Brown grew up in the same era that produced the Watts Riots, Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King. He played football impeccably, but also stood up for Ali when he was stripped of his title. He left football when he determined it was time.
Unfortunately, he also grew up in a time when a proud black man was not embraced by all of the nation.
Brown has said many, many, many insightful and impactful things, and he has made himself a voice that should be heard. But ... there are times when Brown's militant stand needs to be pushed aside, and when his positions push the envelope of tenability. The man sees life through the prism of racism and injustice, but not everything in that prism is a question of race or injustice.
More: Brown Turns Down Ring | FanHouse TV: Holmgren Wrong Target
So it was the past couple days when a public spat broke out between Brown and his former team, the Cleveland Browns, over the Browns decision to include Brown in a Ring of Honor that will be established in its stadium on Sept. 19. Brown rejected inclusion, and wrote the Browns he wanted no part of it. That is his right. But there is no justification for Brown to paint team president Mike Holmgren in a negative light with racial overtones. The two have a disagreement, obviously, about how large a role Brown should have with the team; grown men can disagree without race being involved. 
NFL legend Jim Brown turned down the Browns, stating in no uncertain terms that he was not interested in and would not attend the Ring of Honor ceremonies at his former team's home opener.
In a letter to team president Mike Holmgren and copied to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Brown stated that Holmgren's take on Brown's presence with the team at the ceremony could be summed up in on sentence: " ... one monkey don't stop the show."
Holmgren never used the word monkey. Instead he said he had a good conversation with Brown about the ceremony and hoped Brown would attend, then added it would be a great day for all who attended.
Brown's letter followed by a few days the team's announcement about the Ring of Honor, with the team's 16 Hall of Famers the first inductees. Brown, Otto Graham and Paul Brown are the premier members of this group.
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The letter contains stinging criticisms of Holmgren, who is respected throughout the league. In his year off, he and his wife spent a good amount of time helping the poorest of the poor build homes in Mexico. Holmgren's moves have been questioned, but never his motivations or his character.
Holmgren's only comment about Brown's letter was released through the team. He said: "Jim got back to me as he said he would and informed me he would not be attending the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor ceremony." 
by JJ Cooper
As we get ready for the start of the NFL season, FanHouse will be take a look at the offensive line situation for each team in the league -- how they performed last season and how they project into 2010. You can find additional FanHouse offensive line analysis here.
It's not easy being a Cleveland Browns' fan. You have to be nearing retirement to remember the team's glory days of the 1950s and 1960s, and even the Brian Sipe and Bernie Kosar days are now distant memories.
In the 2000s, Cleveland has rotated quarterbacks, running backs and coaches as frequently as most teams change their socks. But there is one part of the Browns team that isn't a joke. Even while the rest of the offense (and the defense) has struggled for an identity, Cleveland has developed a solid offensive line. Unfortunately, all that has proven up to now is that a strong offensive line isn't enough to take a team to the playoffs.
More Between the Lines: Bengals | Ravens | Steelers
by Barry Barnes