Browns fan Rice not shy about sharing expectations

Cleveland Plain Dealer ^ | February 19, 2005 | Joe Guillen

[E Rocc]

Washington - As if new Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel isn't feeling enough pressure to revive the hapless franchise, he now has Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice counting on him.

At a Black History Month celebration in Washington on Friday, Rice looked in Crennel's direction and declared to the crowd, he "is going to bring my Cleveland Browns back."

"I would say that's a little pressure," Crennel admitted later.

Rice, who keeps a Browns helmet in her office, has been a fan since childhood, when she used to watch games with her dad in Birmingham, Ala.

That was back in the days of Jim Brown and Paul Brown, and the Browns were the team they saw most often on television.

Crennel knows a little about pressure. Just a couple of weeks ago, he was the New England Patriots' defensive coordinator in their 24-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Now he must turn around a team that has had just one winning season since returning to Cleveland in 1999.

But it wasn't all about football Friday.

Crennel, dressed in an olive green suit with a Super Bowl ring on his right hand, and Rice shared the State Department spotlight with Bernard LaFayette, director of the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island, and Dorothy Height, chairwoman of the National Council of Negro Women.

Crennel was introduced as the first black head coach hired by the Browns (Terry Robiskie was an interim head coach) and only the ninth hired in the NFL. He acknowledged his place in coaching history and the opportunity his new job in Cleveland presents.

"If I'm successful, it'll open doors for some of you people," he told the crowd, which was largely State Department employees and students.

He stressed the importance of education and a strong family atmosphere. "Don't accept mediocrity," he said, "always reach higher."

Crennel's oversized Super Bowl ring also drew plenty of attention. Some guests took pictures of it.

Winning five championships as an assistant coach was nice, Crennel said, but he wants more.

"Now, I'm looking to get a Super Bowl as a head coach," he said.

[Chi-townChief]

Hey, rd: Just out of curiosity, what happened to all the great Cleveland stuff on your FR homepage??

[rdb3]

I'm changing up a bit. Matter of fact, thanx for reminding me.

Believe you me, the Cleveland stuff will return.

[E Rocc]

I've got a "throwback" Cleveland Rams jacket (to go with my Browns stuff). College football was bigger than the pros then and they didn't think they'd be able to compete for attention with a team run by Paul Brown.

-Eric