In Akron, Marla Ridenour notes with John Beilein stepping down, the Cavaliers now will have had six coaches in the past seven seasons, which "mimics the dysfunction that has made the Browns the laughingstocks of the NFL." The "common thread between the two teams is ownership." It "remains mystifying why two successful businessmen" in Jimmy Haslam (Browns) and Dan Gilbert (Cavaliers) "cannot hire the right leader for their athletic teams, but risk may be at the heart of the issue." The responsibility "ultimately lies with Gilbert, but the failure to make the right decisions on coaches goes layers deep into the organization and envelops" Cavs GM Koby Altman and "others before him" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 2/20).
PUSHING THE RIGHT BUTTONS: In DC, Chase Hughes wrote new GM Tommy Sheppard has been "running the Wizards front office for less than a calendar year, yet he already has an impressive list of marginal moves." Sheppard "continues to nail the smaller moves but he has also hit on some of the bigger ones." Hughes: "What will ultimately write the story of Sheppard's tenure as GM are decisions even bigger than those. There will also be some level of luck between the draft lottery, injuries and other factors. But the best signs for what the Wizards should hope they get from Sheppard are already there" (NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.com, 2/19).
JOB WELL DONE: In Ft. Lauderdale, Safid Deen notes the Dolphins "won the NFL's 'Huddle for 100' competition, as Miami led the way in the league's effort to promote volunteerism and meaningful contributions throughout the country." The Dolphins "logged a total of 75,623,500 volunteer minutes with the help of 89,210 volunteers during 163 events last year, beating all other NFL teams to commemorate the league's 100th season." The team will receive $100,000 "to be used on a community service project" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 2/21).
