According to reports out of Boston, Fox Sports,  and the NFL Network it seems the “Mangenius” will be roaming the NFL sidelines after all in 2009.  The reports indicate Eric Mangini will be hired as the new coach of the Cleveland Browns with a press conference scheduled for Thursday.

So why the title above you might ask?  Simple, Romeo Crennel who was just recently fired as the head coach of the Browns was, just like Mangini, an assistant under Bill Belichick in New England.  There has been a lot of talk on sports radio and TV across the nation about the “Belichick tree” and how unsuccessful the branches have been.

The Browns were a hot pick going into the season after Derek Anderson put up big numbers in 2007 and ended up staying in Cleveland after many teams were interested in him if he opted to sign elsewhere last offseason.  Those teams are happy now because the 2008 season was a far cry from ‘07 as Anderson’s numbers ended up costing him his starting job to Brady Quinn late in the season and he now may be just a backup in Cleveland unless he’s released.  Quinn didn’t help save the season, or Crennel’s job, as the Browns finished a very disappointing 4-12.

The Jets, one of those teams interested in a Derek Anderson towards the tailend of the ‘07 season ended up with a new signal caller for 2008, but not the guy anyone could have predicted.  Brett Favre became a member of “Gangreen” and with the offseason acquistions of Faneca, Pace, and Jenkins seemed like the perfect ingredients for a playoff run.

After beating the rival Patriots and the undefeated Tennessee Titans on the road, the Jets were 8-3 and talk started of an all New York Super Bowl.  Wow do those days seem so far away, the Jets lost four of their last five, the only win a gift at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, lost the season finale to the guy that wasn’t good enough anymore in Chad Pennington, and watched Pennington’s team celebrate a division title in the Meadowlands.

Mangini did have two winning seasons in New York, but after a 4-12 run in 2007 everyone knew that anything less than the playoffs would likely mean he would be out of a job and the way the season feel apart, there was no doubt.

So Cleveland, good luck with more of the same with Eric Mangini at the helm.    Whomever the new GM is going to be has his hands full knowing no matter what you give this guy in talent he can find a way to blow it.  While Paul Brown is rolling over in his grave, the fans in Cincinnati finally have something to cheer about.