00:00John Fanta, as always, joining us here because it's 420 Tuesday on The Fan.
00:04Hello, John.
00:06Good afternoon, fellas.
00:08All right, now that sounded pretty chipper.
00:09I mean, you always sound chipper to start off these calls, though,
00:12but the way the internet was describing it,
00:15the way Fanta and 60 was describing it yesterday,
00:17people are under the assumption you've just had full-on meltdown
00:20after meltdown after meltdown about these Browns.
00:23It's a terrible afternoon, and I didn't mean any of that.
00:26But it's a gloomy afternoon.
00:30Will the sun ever come up, John?
00:32I don't know.
00:33Yeah, I don't know.
00:35Maybe it's not Annie for us in Cleveland.
00:37It's Arch.
00:38The sun will come up for him, I suppose.
00:41Guys, you know, I was thinking about this.
00:46Obviously, we've all had some time.
00:48It obviously hurts in a variety of ways.
00:51You know, like on the spectrum of openers,
00:55I went into Sunday with no expectations level.
00:58I fully expected to lose the game.
01:00That went worse than anybody could have predicted
01:05for a first-year coach making his debut
01:08and a roster with young, reportedly hungry talent that had upside.
01:14The moment that Deshaun Watson threw that pick,
01:18the moment that he threw that interception,
01:20it just felt like the wind was sucked out of everything and everyone
01:26to a point that the Jacksonville fans, you know,
01:29I'm sure you've seen those videos of them saying,
01:31hey, put Shadur in, put Shadur in.
01:32They got bored with the game.
01:34It was just sad.
01:36It was sad in every way.
01:37They did not ruin my afternoon.
01:39I think I made it until about, I'm going to say 132, maybe 133,
01:45when I switched over to red zone full-time
01:48and I kind of went to, I kept the brown sword on my phone.
01:52But, you know, at least they didn't go until 340.
01:55And then, but that would have at least,
01:58that would have meant that we had more to talk about.
02:00It was embarrassing.
02:02And I'm still flabbergasted, even by brown standards.
02:07This is worse than 0-16.
02:10It is.
02:11Because they're lying to us.
02:13They're lying to people's faces.
02:15It's one thing to be bad.
02:16It's another thing to not tell the truth.
02:17Well, John, that's exactly where I wanted to take this
02:20and get your reaction from Berea yesterday,
02:24where Todd Munkin said that he did see some good things on tape
02:29from Deshaun Watson, and that's why he's going to be the quarterback
02:32next week in Tampa.
02:35Yeah, he's a sacrificial lamb, Nick.
02:38He's a sacrificial lamb.
02:39He can't believe that.
02:40This guy's worked with Lamar Jackson.
02:43He knows what very good looks like.
02:45He knows what great looks like.
02:46He knows what MVP caliber football looks like.
02:49Todd, you're insulting yourself.
02:51You've made a lot of money, Todd Munkin,
02:53and you're going to make a lot of money in this job.
02:56But there's no way that he feels that way.
02:58No way.
03:00He didn't just, like, unlearn how to view football, guys.
03:05And I think the thing that I'm kind of perplexed by is,
03:11remember he took the job, and everyone's like,
03:14man, this is really refreshing from the guy who's now coaching the Falcons.
03:18He says stuff, and he speaks.
03:21I'm sorry.
03:22This is a different Todd Munkin than the guy that I was listening to
03:25throughout the springtime,
03:26and the guy that laid out expectations.
03:29And his football team better reflect that on Sunday.
03:33You put up a clunker.
03:34You know what?
03:36For the coach, I will give him a pass.
03:39I'll give him a pass on game one.
03:41And I don't know if you two are.
03:42I don't know if the town is.
03:44I get it if people give him a pass.
03:46You only get 17 of these.
03:47So I get it if you're not.
03:48I'll give the guy a pass for game one against the Jacksonville team
03:52that did win 13 games last year.
03:54You go to Tampa Bay, and you do the exact same thing.
03:58I can't get any work.
04:00You do the exact same thing.
04:02Guess what?
04:03Your passes are out.
04:04Your passes are out.
04:06And I was called crazy here three or four weeks ago when I was on this show,
04:09and I said this to me reeks of a one-year thing with Munkin.
04:13And people are giving me crap, saying you're wrong to say that.
04:16Let me tell you something.
04:18If I'm him, okay, I'm looking myself hard in the mirror right now
04:25and saying, do I really want to go down with the ship?
04:28Do I want to go down with the ship?
04:30Maybe he doesn't care.
04:31Guy's an older guy.
04:32He doesn't need this job to be deemed a successful coach in his career.
04:36He doesn't.
04:37I know it's one of 32, but he doesn't.
04:39And he wouldn't have been the head coach of any other football team in the league.
04:43Not many people wanted this job.
04:44We're all watching why right now.
04:47There's a reason why John Harbaugh had no interest,
04:49and that's the same reason why John Harbaugh was a winner on Sunday night over Dallas.
04:53All right, so what exactly does Deshaun have to do to lose the job?
04:56Because I maintain it.
04:58I think everyone thinks that this is coming, and he's just going to be out of the job.
05:01I think people thought he'd lost it in week one.
05:03But, John, I think people are looking at this a little wrong.
05:05You have to look at it through the Browns lens.
05:07And the Browns lens is the idea that they're going to give him a long time,
05:11at least longer than two weeks, I think, to try to see if any of it can come back.
05:15Because they believe in him in a way that we don't.
05:17For some reason, John, they don't see what we see.
05:20They're like a flat-earth denier in this.
05:23You can give as much evidence as you want, and they just don't care.
05:27They're going to ignore it.
05:28They're not going to pay attention to it.
05:29That's what they do here with Deshaun.
05:31Yeah, I'd rather have Ray Charles running the team.
05:34I mean, they're blind.
05:37They don't have a lens.
05:38So when you're saying that we're not seeing it through the lens that they are looking at it through,
05:46they don't have a lens.
05:48There is no lens.
05:50It's a clouded mind is what it is, guys.
05:54Because you can't watch this and think that it's capable.
05:59It's not.
06:00This is a professional-level football.
06:03I genuinely don't think that he would be successful in the UFL.
06:07Like, I'm being serious.
06:09I don't think he can play.
06:11He can't play football anymore, guys.
06:13So when you're saying, what does he have to do to lose the job?
06:16I mean, I suppose he'd have to be bad again and then would have to double down on the press
06:20conference.
06:21But would that even be enough, though?
06:22That's what I want to know from you.
06:23Is that even enough?
06:24Like, how far are the Browns going to take this?
06:26When everyone says he shouldn't have started, and then everyone after week one says,
06:29wow, he really can't play and he really shouldn't have started,
06:32what lengths are the Browns going to take before they look at this and say this is undeniable?
06:36Because they put their head in the sand the entire time with Deshaun.
06:39That's the fear I have here, John.
06:41I'm being called crazy for saying this, and maybe you two will call me crazy, too.
06:46But I'm telling you right now, if he's as bad and there's the same discourse,
06:51if I'm in the football league, I'm issuing a phone call on Monday and saying,
06:55hey, guys, like, you know, we're not to get involved in competition,
06:59but one thing we are going to get involved is the safety of our league.
07:03I'm serious now.
07:05I'm not joking when I say this.
07:07I am concerned.
07:09I'm concerned if he's as bad and they put him on the field for the home opener.
07:13Well, John, to that point.
07:14Are you too concerned?
07:15Are you too concerned?
07:16Are you concerned about the safety of the situation?
07:19Is that fair?
07:20Or am I being outlanded?
07:21John, I compared it to when LeBron returned to Cleveland as a member of the Miami Heat.
07:27That's what the environment is going to be like for a home player.
07:31Do you think someone's going to physically, like, assault Deshaun?
07:33Is that what you think?
07:35No, I'm saying I wouldn't be surprised if there was thrown objects,
07:38and I wouldn't be surprised if it was an ugly day in Cleveland sports history.
07:42I mean, I'd be curious to know what your callers say.
07:45I think they would agree.
07:47I don't know how.
07:48It's definitely going to be an ugly day in Cleveland sports history.
07:50That is a guarantee.
07:51I don't know.
07:53I mean, the NFL is not going to play with the assumption that people are going to throw things at
07:56Deshaun Watson.
07:56I can't imagine that.
07:59I don't want that, you know, for the record.
08:01Like, I'm not rooting for that.
08:03I'm not saying I want that.
08:05I don't want anyone to get that.
08:07I'm just saying I am concerned.
08:09And I don't know.
08:10I mean, Nick, it sounds like JP's doubting me a little bit.
08:14Nick, are you seeing what I'm saying?
08:15I'm seeing what you're saying.
08:17And JP's not, because we talked about this a little bit before you called in.
08:22Just that we're seeing a couple of weeks in foresight that that home opener has the potential to being one
08:29of the bizarre moments in Cleveland sports history that we're talking about decades and decades from now.
08:35It's just not, this is, this is, it's, it's really sad that we're discussing this after one game in a
08:45season, but that is the reality of the situation.
08:48You're asking me what lengths guys, if he's as bad this week and they come out Monday and they say
08:55they're starting him, I really do think even the biggest Munkin Barry has some defenders, even quote unquote friends of
09:03the organization.
09:05You know, I've been talking with some national people that cover the league and, you know, they'll, we'll be laughing
09:10back because they'll, they'll chuckle at my rants and stuff.
09:13And I went off on them yesterday and I said, you know, you're, you're, you should be ashamed and they
09:17should be ashamed for the project they put on the field on Sunday.
09:20They're getting paid millions of dollars.
09:21And what they're doing is they're wasting people's time and energy and, and you're running the risk of losing some
09:27people here, you know, and that, that's the last thing you're not losing me, you're not losing you too, you're
09:31not losing a lot of your listener base, but I don't blame a fan.
09:34I watch this team right now.
09:36I'm not going to see her and start blaming those people.
09:38They might still be watching.
09:40They might be saying one thing, meaning another, but to me, if, if, if he's as bad on Sunday, I
09:47don't know how he makes it through the game.
09:49Now, when I, a non-football coach, non-player, okay.
09:54And watching this game on Sunday and I was questioning whether or not Deshaun Watson would make it through the
09:59game.
09:59If he's as bad, hell, if it's not the fans.
10:04It's the players in that locker room.
10:06You've heard the players already this week.
10:08You know, who said, that's beyond my pay grade.
10:12Ronnie Hickman says, that's beyond my pay grade.
10:14When that guy threw that interception, you watched the body language of that football team.
10:20And the body language of that football team said, they've quit on this guy.
10:26Todd, you don't have nine weeks to figure it out.
10:29You got this week.
10:29I wish I could tell you that I thought the Browns cared about the fans revolting or anything like that,
10:34but they, they haven't throughout this entire stretch.
10:36And so like, that's the, the, again, the thing I go back on is you and I and Nick, we
10:40can talk all day about what we would do.
10:42We never would have played the guy to begin with.
10:44And we wouldn't have played him in week one and we wouldn't be playing him in week two.
10:47The Browns are beating to a different drum here.
10:50And so like the, I think here's what I'll say.
10:52Yeah.
10:53Here's what I'll say.
10:54Sorry to cut you off.
10:55You're good.
10:55I think what, I think what will happen if he, if he's as bad Sunday and they start him, you
11:01are going to see a leak to a national person.
11:04Who then states, they simply don't believe in the rest of their room and they are intentionally trying to tank
11:11for a great quarterback class.
11:12You're going to see it.
11:13There's going to be, they, they, they are, they are ignorant and they are at times not very smart for,
11:20for many times, not very smart, but I don't know how you could be so tone deaf to not start
11:25to do some damage control office.
11:26If he's as bad on Sunday, as he was this past Sunday, I confidently believe one of two things will
11:32happen.
11:33Number one, it's his last start as a Cleveland Brown on Sunday.
11:35And number two, or number two, you're going to see some damage control PR from Schefter or from another national
11:43person that says this is exactly, this is actually what the Browns are trying to do.
11:48All right, John, before we get you out of here, a big, big night for the Gardos.
11:52They, they, they vomited all over their shoes last night.
11:54It seems like in the most important times, they just aren't able to come through.
11:58I know you've been doing a lot.
11:59You got Fanta in 60 on Mondays and you got a lot of NFL to take in.
12:03But this is a big game tonight, John.
12:05Do, do the guardians take care of business?
12:08Huge game.
12:09I don't know if they take care of business.
12:11You know, they, they, they've got to go up against who they've had some success against the last time they
12:18saw him.
12:18He only lasted an inning.
12:20That was that really weird start in which, you know, the White Sox made a mistake on mound visits and
12:25all that.
12:26But here's the thing.
12:27Foster Griffin, he's been okay.
12:31He's had a couple of starts where he's really been roughed up.
12:34You know, you're going to know.
12:35I think you're going to know early in this one.
12:37I think you're going to know right out of the gates here because I'm a little fearful the White Sox
12:41recollecting themselves last night and starting this game trying to get after Griffin right off that first pitch.
12:48So, I think it's very important that we have a zero in that top half of the first inning because
12:55I think Chicago has refound something here over the last 72 hours.
12:59They won a thrilling game in St. Louis the other night when they were down to their last strike.
13:03And the Guardians got a hit, guys.
13:05I mean, it's simple stuff here, but it's going to be very hard for them to win this division if
13:10Jose Ramirez doesn't get anything going.
13:13They're doing it right now with him banged up.
13:15I know he's hurt.
13:16I think we all know he's hurt.
13:18But he's got to do something for this ball club or else it could be very difficult for them.
13:22They have to win tonight.
13:23I mean, there's no other way around it.
13:25They've got to win this baseball game.
13:26And you really say they've got to win the next two.
13:29But if they fall behind to two and a half, we're down to, you know, ten days left in the
13:34season here.
13:36It comes off very hard to be close to three games back.
13:39And you've got just a little over a week to play and a day game tomorrow.
13:43You've got to win this ball game tonight.
13:44And you need your trade acquisition.
13:46When they got Foster Griffin, I called you up.
13:48Fired up, JP.
13:50Tonight, he's got to validate that.
13:52This is why you make trades.
13:54This is why you make trades.
13:55Go and get it.
13:56All right, John.
13:58Of course, Fanton 60, NBC Sports.
14:00Gateway, is there a way to, like, re-watch the Fanton 60 if you missed it on Monday?
14:04So it is archived.
14:06First off, if you have Peacock at home, you can go into Peacock anytime and watch the show whenever you
14:11want.
14:11Every episode is archived there.
14:12It is on your podcast feed.
14:14So if you're listening on iTunes, Apple, Spotify, it's on your podcast feed.
14:19And the link is on YouTube.
14:20It's on my X, but it is always archived on YouTube.
14:23We've got – we had Kirk Herbstreit and John Gruden.
14:26John Gruden thinks the Browns should start tailing green.
14:28He said it on my show last night.
14:30He said that he actually thinks tailing green has a future.
14:33Like next week they should start tailing green?
14:36Or you mean in, like, week 17?
14:38No, no, John Gruden says tailing green should be starting now.
14:41Did you drug test him when he said that?
14:43Or did you just kind of let that one go?
14:44I'll tell you what, man.
14:46No, he said he's better than Shadur Sanders.
14:50All right.
14:50Well, I got to hear it now.
14:52Now I'm going to go back and watch.
14:53I got to hear it.
14:56He followed it up by saying, you know, he kind of corrected himself on the – that he would understand
15:01why they would start Shadur.
15:04But he was very high on tailing green.
15:06Spent the summer with him.
15:08Spent time with him.
15:09Spent time training with him.
15:10You know, like overseeing his training.
15:12I think they did some of their film rooms.
15:14Some of the film room sessions that Gruden's done in his career, he did with tailing green.
15:17I'm actually surprised it has not been aggregated in Cleveland, Ohio yet.
15:20But it is – that interview is out there.
15:23It's on YouTube with John Gruden.
15:24He thinks the Browns at some point are going to turn to tailing green.
15:28All right.
15:28We'll get to working on that, getting aggregated.
15:29Thank you, John.
15:30I appreciate you.
15:31Thanks, John.
15:31Thank you, guys.
15:32And I want the best for the Browns.
15:34I don't want an ugly scene.
15:35I think that's why there's passion in my voice.
15:37I hope that the stuff I spoke of does not happen.
15:39But I am worried about it.
15:41I'd be lying to you guys if I told you otherwise.
15:43That's all we can ask from you.
15:44Thank you, John.
15:46Thanks, guys.
Comments