FanHouse Ericmangini

With a bevy of big name coaches likely ready-for-hire heading into the 2010 season, in addition to a lot of really poor NFL teams in 2009, we can expect rumors to be swirling all over the place for the rest of this season and on into the offseason. Thus, it's not surprising to see Mike Holmgren mentioned as a possibility. Of course, most thought he'd have to at least wait until next season to get involved.

According to Adam Shefter of ESPN, Holmgren may not have to wait. Shefter reports that the Browns want to hire Holmgren as their vice president of football operations -- similar to the role Bill Parcells has with Miami -- and that the job is immediately Holmgren's for the taking.

In case you hadn't noticed, sports these days are all about Goliath. In 2009, the Steelers, Lakers, North Carolina Tar Heels and now the Yankees have all won titles in their respective sports. Cinderella is yesterday's news. The teams that win these days are the teams that always win, and if you think that's boring, well, tough. You can kiss one of Derek Jeter's five World Series rings.

So with that in mind, we need to be really careful about overlooking the Dallas Cowboys.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All you ever hear about the Cowboys is what's wrong with them. Terrell Owens was a pain. Roy Williams is a loudmouth, too, and isn't good enough to replace T.O. Tony Romo's too concerned with his golf game and his high-wattage love life to ever attain his potential. The new stadium is ridiculous...

NFL Coaches Fight Club: the Tournament. Because we have nothing better to do than predict what might happen if head coaches started punching each other in the face.

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You really do have to feel kind of bad for Browns fans. Here's a group of people that were among the most loyal fans in football (and, truthfully, they still are) only to have their team ripped away from them in 1995 and taken to Baltimore where they won a Super Bowl five years later.

After patiently waiting for three years, Cleveland was given its team back in 1999, and this is what they were rewarded with: absolute chaos. And losing. A lot of losing.

On Sunday, the Browns were obliterated on their home turf, 31-3, by the Green Bay Packers and the fans in attendance decided to take that opportunity to amuse themselves in unique and hilarious ways.

The Steelers' back-door cover against the Vikings notwithstanding, the glut of truly awful NFL teams is wreaking havoc for Las Vegas bookmakers. And Sunday was the latest, worst example of that.

''I can't remember an NFL season with this many bad teams,'' Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay, who has been in the business for 22 years, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Matt Youmans. "No doubt, it was the worst day ever for the books.

''We can't attract money on these poor teams. We keep losing on the same teams. They are not even close to covering.''

When asked to explain what he would like to see from his team, first-year Browns head coach Eric Mangini offered this: "Aggressive, intense, tough, physical, finishing ... consistency, execution (editor's note: I'm in favor of it!), communication ... good, solid, sound, fundamental, tough football. Physical football. Intense football. That's what I want every week."

He made these comments shortly after the Browns lost their sixth game in seven tries, this one a steady-as-she-goes 31-3 defeat to the Packers. Last month, after an 0-3 start, fans started an online petition begging owner Randy Lerner to sell the team. Nothing came of it, so the sights have been set a little lower: fire Mangini. This time the Akron Beacon Journal's Patrick McManamon is leading the charge.

I have to admit, I'm not much of a wrestling fan, so the only thing I know about the WWE performer who goes by "The Miz" is that he was a cast member on MTV's The Real World during its New York season, as well as various other "reality" shows. Apparently, he's also a Cleveland Browns fan and isn't all that excited about the job first-year head coach Eric Mangini is doing.

During a chat with ESPN.com's Jon Robinson earlier this week, The Miz decided to weigh in on the current situation in Cleveland, and as it turns out, everybody sucks, and he wants to forcefully make Mangini poop his pants.

How's that for a mental image?

NFL Coaches Fight Club: the Tournament. Because we have nothing better to do than predict what might happen if head coaches started punching each other in the face.

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The Browns-Steelers game this Sunday could ultimately decide the division, with the winner positioning themselves for a deep playoff run. Oh, wait, the Bengals currently lead the AFC North, the Steelers are 3-2 and tied with the Ravens, and the Browns are the Browns. Which is to say: awful.

But after earning their first victory of the season against the Bills a week ago, Eric Mangini's vision of this team is taking shape. Nothing like two field goals and a 2-for-17-for-23-yards (and a pick!) day from your quarterback to put your season back on track.

I'm blaming the McCain-Palin ticket. Prior to Brady Quinn taking a political stance last fall, his career was moving along. Nothing spectacular, but modest improvements, and he had even earned the starting gig midway through last season ... only to land on injured reserve a few weeks later.

And after a coaching shake-up, Quinn again won the job, this time out of training camp, only to lose it following three atrocious performances. (He was so bad that head coach Eric Mangini wills stick with Derek Anderson after last week's 2 of 17 for 23 yards effort against the lowly Bills.)