THE DAWG POUND DYNASTY: AN ALTERNATE HISTORY OF THE NFL

THE DAWG POUND DYNASTY: AN ALTERNATE HISTORY OF THE NFL

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Introduction

There are some teams that you just have to hate. They represent everything that is wrong in sports. They are too cocky. Too arrogant. They buy championships in free agency. And their fans…their fans just rub you the wrong way. They win a dozen championships and still they are not satisfied. They are like a virus, destroying the entire league to feed their insatiable appetite for glory. You can’t help but hate those teams, unless you are lucky enough to love them. Then sports become something different for you. An affirmation of everything that is right in the world. That no matter how bad a deck you were dealt in life, there is always a team that will prove the world wrong for you. That you will always be a winner as long as you remain faithful and true.

Some people love them. Most people hate them. They are the teams that are just too damn good. The New York Yankees. The Montreal Canadians. The Chicago Bulls when Michael Jordan was still playing. And the Cleveland Browns. Or as they are known to everyone outside of the State of Ohio, the Fucking Browns.

From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “The Dawg Pound Dynasty

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You need to realize, the Browns Dynasty was a perfect storm of luck. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. But due to fate, or the hand of God almightily, it worked out for them in the end. Randy Lerner may act like he knew he was going to turn an expansion team into a Super Bowl powerhouse overnight, but let’s be honest. He was lucky. If he knew then what he knew now, there is no way that his father would have chosen Carmen Policy and Dwight Clark as their President and VP of operations! But by the grace of God, Policy and Clark turned them down, and then Al Learner was left scrambling at the last minute for a President. And by the grace of God everyone in the league could see what a train wreck the Browns organization looked to be and turned him down. That was, until he made the call to former Detroit Lions head coach Wayne Fontes.


Jon Gruden on ESPN Radio (July 11, 2012)

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Excerpts from the book “Maize and Blue and Brown all over: A coaching odyssey” by Gary Moeller
Published by Random House © 2013



Chapter Five: The unexpected comeback

When all was said and done, I didn’t see it coming at all. The Lions were struggling under Bobby Ross, and we just received the worst news ever: Barry Sanders retired after the final game of the 1998 season. It was bad enough that we couldn’t win with him, but we couldn’t even keep him on the team! I was worried that both Bobby and I would be out of a job, and I was honestly worried that our resume in Detroit wasn’t exactly blowing anyone away. I didn’t think anyone would be offering me a head coaching job, and I spent the off season trying to figure out how to fill the rather large gap at running back.

“Wayne,” I said softly into the phone. “Are you serious? You want me to come down to Cleveland and coach the Browns?”

“Yes Gary,” The jovial former Lions head coach said into the receiver, “the draft is coming up quickly, and I want you on board before we make our picks. I think we can make some noise with this team, and I’m eager to have a man of your caliber on board to make that a reality.”

“Wayne, you are looking at a rough couple of years,” I replied, “you are in charge of an expansion team and nobody is picking you to win more than three games next year. I have to be honest Wayne, it is common knowledge that you weren’t Lerner’s first pick-“

“Hell Gary, I wasn’t even his seventh pick.”

“That’s what I mean Wayne,” I replied firmly, “when the Browns lose next season, and they are going to lose a lot, who is to say you won’t be fired…along with your head coach. A GM is given a window to turn a team around, but I can’t help but feel like you are an interim President filling in until next season.”

“Well Gary,” Wayne replied, “I won’t lie, I’m not Lerner’s first pick. But if we are going to be perfectly honest, you’re not my first pick either.”

I said nothing as Fontes began to laugh at his joke, apparently oblivious to the fact that it didn’t help his position at all.

“I’ve been turned down by a few folks as well, and I expect that the first question you’ll be asked at your press conference is if you feel pressure knowing that I called nine other coaches before I called you.”

“Nine?!”

“Yeah,” Fontes said with a sigh, “three turned me down right off the bat, and the other six turned me down once I started talking about the draft.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, “you are not planning to trade the second round pick? If you can get a solid wide receiver in the second round you can set up Tim Couch to be a superstar.”

“Gary, I’m not picking Tim Couch with the number one pick.”

I nearly dropped the phone at the revelation.

“You can’t seriously be considering wasting the #1 pick on Akili Smith or Donovan McNabb then?!”

“No, not a quarterback,” Fontes replied, “I’m looking at Ricky Williams and Edgerrin James. I think I can trade down to the #3 pick with Cincinnati, and then threaten Mike Ditka down in New Orleans to give me all of his draft picks in order to get Williams. He seems pretty desperate to get a hold of him, although I certainly can understand why. But if it all works out, we could have all of New Orleans picks and half of Cincinnati’s picks by the time the draft ends. And as far as I’m concerned, we don’t need one pick, we need a lot of them. We are literally building this team up from the ground.”

I suddenly understood why six men had already told Fontes no. Not only was he going to pass on the best quarterback in the country, but he was making it public knowledge. He was lessening the trade value of the number one pick with every phone call.

“Wayne,” I said softly, “I don’t know if I can sign up for this either. If you pass on Tim Couch and the Browns struggle, there is no question you will be fired. That’s the kind of decision that haunts a general manager forever. Do you really want to be known as the guy who passed on Tim Couch?”

“Gary, the last time I felt this strongly about a pick was in 1989, when I had to use every trick in the book to convince the Lions to pass on Dion Sanders and pick up Barry Sanders with the #3 pick. But I know in my heart that Couch is not going to pan out with Cleveland. A quarterback should be the last piece of the puzzle, not the first piece.”

“Do you really believe that Wayne,” I replied, “or are you still gun shy about Scotty Mitchell.”

Fontes’ decision to pick up Scott Mitchell as a free agent doomed his tenure as head coach in Detroit, and the rumors had already been floating around that Fontes was gun shy. He was afraid of picking a quarterback because he lost faith in his own ability to coach them, and to gauge their talent.

“I won’t lie, Gary,” Fontes replied, “I am not particularly eager to pick a quarterback to build this team around. I’d much rather pick a running back to build this team around. But at the end of the day I know I am right. I’ve gone over a hundred different mock drafts with Couch as the top pick, and in every one of them it ends the same way: with Tim Couch at the helm of a very mediocre team. And I’d rather run a good team looking for a quarterback than run a terrible team that already has one. I’m not picking a quarterback this year. But we are going to build one hell of a team, and in 2000 when we are in the market for a quarterback, we will be giving him the tools to win that year.”

“So who is going to fill the gap until then?” I asked.

“Well, Gary, as you know, I picked up Doug Flutie in the expansion draft. From what I am seeing, he is more than up to the task of leading this team.”

I said nothing as I rubbed my eyes.

“Wayne, you are going to pass on Tim Couch and go with Doug Flutie?! What does Lerner think about this?!”

“Well, from what little he does know, he isn’t much pleased,” Wayne replied, “but I think by the end of next season he should be on board.”

“Wayne,” I said softly, “I just don’t think I can do this. I mean, you are taking some huge gambles, and for that you should be commended. But I’ll be honest, I don’t know if this can work.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone for what seemed like a full minute.

“Gary,” he replied, “I have been head coach of the Lions for a long time. And that team still feels like my team when I watch them play. But Barry is gone and you guys are starting Charlie Batch at quarterback. You are in a rebuilding process right now, no different than I am. But here it will be your ship, your team. And no matter what happens, the fans will never forget the man who helped build this team from the ground up.”

“Yeah,” I said sarcastically, “I am sure the state of Ohio is going to just embrace me with open arms. After all, I am the former head coach of the Michigan Wolverines.”

Wayne laughed.

“Gary,” he said with a chuckle, “if you can turn this team into a contender when it’s all over, they won’t care a lick about that. You will be Brown and Orange at the end of the day. All you need to do is take the gamble and come down to Cleveland to help me give these fans something they deserve: hope.”
 
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(Starts reading)

Oh. My. God.

The Cleveland Browns a dynasty!!!! And the new Cleveland Browns, no less!!!

AWESOME!!!!!

Maybe this means Cleveland escapes the curse over it?

Take this to today.

Maybe Doug Flutie gets his due.
 
(Starts reading)

Oh. My. God.

The Cleveland Browns a dynasty!!!! And the new Cleveland Browns, no less!!!

AWESOME!!!!!

Maybe this means Cleveland escapes the curse over it?

Take this to today.

Maybe Doug Flutie gets his due.

As we will see in the first update, the Browns come out running out of the gate. There will be no curse, and what looks like bonehead decisions (hiring disgraced former Lions coach Wayne Fontes and former Michigan head coach Gary Moeller) turn into strokes of genius in the next two seasons.

And Doug Flutie will get his due. Although he won't last long at QB for the Browns he will make a major impact.
 
Oh, yeah, include appearances by LeBron James (maybe this inspires Dan Gilbert to try and lure free agents to Cleveland) and Drew Carey, if possible.
 
Oh, yeah, include appearances by LeBron James (maybe this inspires Dan Gilbert to try and lure free agents to Cleveland) and Drew Carey, if possible.

Hmm, hadn't thought of a LeBron cross over. I like that idea. ;)

And I do plan to go to 2014, but this will be a much shorter TL than Zhirinovsky's Russian Empire. I am thinking each chapter will represent a season. I do hope to keep this going as I finish up the prep for Bleeding Florida, but I don't think this will last nearly as long as ZRE.
 
I'm originally from the Cleveland area...

I spent a few summers working in Sandusky in college, so the Cleveland area is close to my heart as well. :)

Although I'm a Lions fans, I do like the the Browns and really want to see them turn it around. And I did think this concept would really work with an expansion team becoming a powerhouse in the NFL almost by mistake.
 
Chapter One: Draft Day 1999

Chapter One: Draft Day 1999




NFL Draft Day

Courtesy of ESPN

Aired April 17, 1999
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.


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CHRIS BERMAN: Well, I think you can tell from this chorus of boos what the Cleveland fans think about Wayne Fontes’ decision to trade the #1 pick to Philadelphia-

MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER: You know Chris, I really think this is a very bold and aggressive move from Fontes. Although he is giving up Tim Couch, who I am assuming the Eagles will pick with the #1 pick, he is getting quite a lot in return. A #2 pick as well as a third round pick, a sixth round pick, and a second round pick in 2000. That is really not a bad trade for Cleveland, especially since Fontes made it abundantly clear that he was interested in Ricky Williams. To be honest, I would be more upset if I were an Eagles fan, because there was a very good chance that Fontes would have used the #1 pick to get Ricky Williams, and Couch would have still been available when Philadelphia picked next.

JOE THEISMANN: I disagree, Marty. Tim Couch is a franchise quarterback. He is a future Hall of Famer. You can’t pass up on a guy like that.

CHRIS BERMAN: But some are arguing that Ricky Williams is a future Hall of Famer as well.

JOE THEISMANN: But you can build a franchise around a Tim Couch. When is the last time you had a mediocre team built around a running back? Even a potentially great running back like Williams.

MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER: When Wayne Fontes drafted Barry Sanders in 1989, and that turned out to be a pretty good decision for Wayne.

JOE THEISMANN: Yeah, but Marty, Wayne only won one playoff game in Detroit. Duplicating his so called success in Detroit is hardly the sort of thing that is going to excite fans in Cleveland. Ricky Williams is a great running back, but he is not Tim Couch. Tim Couch is the kind of player that only comes along once is a lifetime.

CHRIS BERMAN: Well, I think Philadelphia has made their selection-

(Cut to NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue who is walking to the podium)

PAUL TAGLIABUE: With the first over selection in the 1999 NFL draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select…quarterback…Donovan McNabb from Syracuse!

(Audible moans and cries from the contingency of Eagles fans in attendance. A chant of “bullshit!” can be heard.)

MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER: Wow! Talk about a shocker! The Eagles pick up McNabb with the #1 overall pick of the 1999 NFL draft.

CHRIS BERMAN: And if you though Cleveland fans were upset, wait to you see these Eagles fans who are not at all happy with their teams pick.

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The head scratching decision from the Eagles to pass on Tim Couch seemed to be a literal gift from the football gods to Wayne Fontes, who not only still had a chance of getting Tim Couch but who now had two additional draft picks in 1999. The assumption was that Fontes would jump on Couch and pass on his preferred pick of Ricky Williams. But Wayne Fontes was determined to get a hold of the Texas running back, and he saw another opportunity to add more draft picks when Cleveland’s in state rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, contacted Fontes about another draft day trade. The Bengals, realizing that Fontes was lukewarm on Couch, contacted the Browns GM to see about a potential trade. Fontes held his cards close to his chest and indicated that he had yet to decide if he would draft Williams or Couch, but that he was open for offers. The Bengles made him one he couldn’t refuse. The #3 pick, a third round pick, and a first round pick in 2000. Fontes quickly agreed, and watched as the Cincinnati Bengals selected Tim Couch with the second overall pick of the 1999 NFL draft.

From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “The Dawg Pound Dynasty

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I remember when I heard that Fontes had again traded down, allowing the Bengals to draft Tim Couch. I though overall it was a smart trade. Couch never really lived up to his potential as an NFL quarterback, and I didn’t see him as the franchise QB that everyone else saw him as. Also, I knew that the Bengals were going to struggle in 2000, and there was a very good chance that they would be giving up the #1 pick overall. But what soon became clear was that Wayne Fontes turned into a gambler, blinded by his own streak of good luck. He was all set to draft Ricky Williams with the #3 pick, but then lightning struck twice for Fontes: he got a call from Mike Ditka, and Ditka was desperate. Although Fontes needed Williams he was blinded by his own streak of good luck. He decided to trade the #3 pick for an unprecedented eight draft picks. Ditka was giving up every draft pick in 1999 as well as a first round and third round pick in 2000. The New Orleans Saints were obsessed with getting a hold of Ricky Williams, and Fontes agreed to give up the #3 pick since he assumed another great running back would still be available. After Ditka took Williams, Fontes soon turned all of his attention on Miami running back Edgerrin James.


Jon Gruden on ESPN Radio (July 11, 2012)

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Excerpts from the book “Maize and Blue and Brown all over: A coaching odyssey” by Gary Moeller
Published by Random House © 2013



Chapter Six: The nightmare draft

I watched as Wayne Fontes slumped in his chair at the latest pick. The Minnesota Vikings had selected Daunte Culpepper with the eleventh overall pick. A part of me wanted to scream at him. Wayne was certain that we would still get Edgerrin James with the twelfth pick but I knew that was impossible. The Colts made no secret of their desire to draft James with the fourth overall pick, and to nobody’s surprise, they did just that. At first Fontes was unfazed. He was certain that we would get Champ Bailey. But the Redskins traded up and then picked him up with the fifth overall pick. Then it was Akili Smith. But of course, Detroit saw the potential in Smith and picked him up with the ninth overall pick.

“Wayne,” I said somewhat angrily, “we need to make a pick.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, “Joe Montgomery, the running back from Ohio State…he wouldn’t be a bad pick. Local kid and all…”

“Wayne,” I fired back, “he is not a first round pick. If we waste this pick on Montgomery we will have traded Tim Couch and Ricky Williams for nothing. We need a franchise player, or the closest thing to it left at this point.”

Wayne was still keen on picking up a “Barry Sanders” like running back, but we all could see that we missed out chance with Williams and James. At this point, we needed to find the best player available.

“What about that quarterback from UCLA, Cade Mcnown?” he asked, “he has the tools to be a contributor in a year or two.”

“We already bet the house on Doug Flutie being our starting quarterback this season,” I replied. “We can’t use a first round pick on a backup quarterback.”

Fontes shifted in his chair uncomfortably.

“We need a running back,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Well, we still have Tyrone Wheatley who we picked up in the expansion draft,” I replied. “He’s solid, and I think we can get enough production out of him to fill the gap at running back.”

I knew Fontes wasn’t sold on Whatley, who up to that point was a bust with the New York Giants. After a dismal 1997 season, in which Wheatley only ran for 583 yards, Wheatley looked finished in 1998, running for a miniscule 52 in an injury prone season. But I remembered working with him when I was coach at Michigan, and I knew his potential.

“OK then,” Fontes replied somewhat unenthusiastically, “we’ll put Wheatley at running back for now. What’s our next move here then?”

I looked at the folders with yet to be drafted players names scattered across the table.

“We need to improve the offensive line,” I replied, “and Jason Tait could help at tackle. Center Damien Woody would be a good pick as well. But if you want my opinion, our defense is horrendous right now. We need to patch of the defense ASAP, because Flutie and Wheatley are not going to be the foundation of a particularly intimidating offense. They can shine…but only if they don’t have to play catch up.”

“Who do you have in mind?” Fontes asked.

“That defensive end from Florida,” I said as I picked up a folder off the table and handed it to Wayne, “Jevon Kearse.”

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Here is a break down of the first round of the 1999 NFL draft in TTL.

Now just for an FYI, I realize the butterlies when it comes to trades and picks would be huge when considering Cleveland dropping down to 12. But by in large I left the picks alone unless directly altered in TTL through Cleveland. I could spend a hundred hours nitpicking over each draft pick in this scenario, but by in large, I will tend to go with the person a team already picked.



1999 NFL Draft, First Round:

1. Philadelphia (from Cleveland): Donovan McNabb, QB, Syracuse

2. Cincinnati (from Cleveland): Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky

3. New Orleans (from Cleveland): Ricky Williams, RB, Texas

4. Indianapolis: Edgerrin James, RB, Miami

5. Washington (from Carolina): Champ Bailey, CB, Georgia

6. St. Louis: Tory Holt, WR, North Carolina State

7. Carolina (from Washington): Chris Claiborne, LB, USC

8. Arizona (from San Diego): David Boston, WR, Ohio State

9. Detroit: Akili Smith, QB, Oregon

10. Baltimore: Chris McAlister, CB, Arizona

11. Minnesota (from Washington): Daunte Culpepper, QB, Central Florida

12. Cleveland (from New Orleans): Jevon Kearse, DE, Florida

13. Pittsburgh: Troy Edwards, WR, LSU

14. Kansas City: John Tait, OT, BYU

15. Tampa Bay: Anthony McFarland, DT, LSU

16. Tennessee: Ebenezer Ekuban, DE, North Carolina

17. New England (from Seattle): Damien Woody, C, Boston College

18. Oakland: Matt Stinchcomb, OT, Georgia

19. New York Giants: Luke Petitgout, OT, Notre Dame

20. Dallas (from New England): Kevin Johnson, WR, Syracuse

21. Arizona: L.J. Shelton, OT, Eastern Michigan

22. Seattle (from Dallas): Lamar King, DE, Saginaw Valley State

23. Buffalo: Antoine Winfield, CB, Ohio State

24. San Francisco (from Miami): Reggie McGrew, DT, Florida

25. Green Bay: Antuan Edwards, S, Clemson

26. Jacksonville: Fernando Bryant, CB, Alabama

27. Detroit (from San Francisco): Aaron Gibson, OT, Wisconsin

28. New England (from Jets): Andy Katzenmoyer, LB, Ohio State

29. Minnesota: Dimitrius Underwood, DE, Michigan State

30. Atlanta: Patrick Kerney, DE, Virginia

31. Denver Broncos: Al Wilson, LB, Tennessee
 
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This is freaking awesome, keep it up...


Thanks! :D

And as we can see, what looks like a terrible draft for Cleveland turns out pretty good in that they end up with Kearse in the first round. And now they have 18 more picks in the 1999 draft! :eek:

And although Fontes was a bust as a head coach in Detroit, he had a tremendous eye for talent in the draft (Barry Sanders, Johnny Morton, Herman Moore) with the one black mark being his pick up of Scott Mitchell as QB. Fontes will do well with his picks, and lets not forget that Moeller (as a former Michigan head coach) will show some favoritism for Michigan players (OT Jon Jansen, a pro bowler in OTL, is coming up in the 2nd round, and with WR Kevin Johnson off the table, we can see how this will play out for the Browns).
 
The only thing I know about Cleveland is Lebron couldn't wait to leave but as I love your writing style and I love sport what if's subscribed.
 
I'm a life long Pittsburgh Steelers fan and even I'm enjoying reading this. LOL! Keep up the good work and looking forward to reading future updates. Just go easy on my Steelers BTW...
 
Yes, most teams probably didn't have 19 picks back when there were 12 rounds.

I just hope my Packers have a Super Bowl win somewhere; I became a Packer fan when the first browns left and have enjoyed following a much more stable franchise. I'd probably still be one TTL, but would have 2 favorite teams if these Browns started doing well.
 
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