Baskin's Blog: Manny Acta and Pat Shurmur hanging in the winds of change

CLEVELAND - The winds of change are brewing through the city of Cleveland. Not just the change from summer to fall, but who will be running Cleveland's pro sports teams in the next few months.

Early on Thursday it was Indians manager Manny Acta, could it be Pat Shurmur by the time Oct. 16 rolls around?

The Browns are just one of two teams that are 0-3 in the NFL. The spotlight is on the Browns and the Ravens and that’s the only game on Thursday night. You have to wonder: What is going through incoming owner Jimmy Haslem's mind?

His future team has come close, but not pulled off a win. The end of the Browns loss to the Bills was more like playing in Buffalo, than in Cleveland. There were plenty of orange seats to be had after the last home game.

After the Bills game, talk about the team might have been looking ahead to the game with the Ravens. The Browns are in no spot to look past anybody. Dangerous talk for a team with a nine-game losing streak. The Browns have lost eight straight games to the Ravens and 11 straight to the AFC north. 

So where does this leave Shurmur? If the Browns get blown out to Baltimore, it will mirror the past few weeks for Acta. Everybody knew it was coming. Shurmur could suffer the same fate when the name on the bottom of his paycheck changes.

Coaches are hired to be fired. Acta is looking for work. Shurmur needs to keep it close, and that might not be enough to make it through the season. The Browns can't take any steps backwards.

The winds of change are making there way across Lake Erie, who will be around to see the spring?