There are many Cleveland Browns fans in the Kanawha Valley.
Some even admit it.
OK, OK, so that was a cheap shot. Browns fans of late have become as tortured as Chicago Cubs fans in baseball. And who am I - a lifelong New York Mets fan - to throw shade?
Thankfully, some Browns fans have fun with the misery. My favorite picture was of a Browns fan holding up a sign that said "Rebuilding since 1964." Then there was the classic obituary that ran in the Columbus Dispatch. The one in which the gentleman "respectfully requests six Cleveland Browns pall bearers so the Browns can let him down one last time."
Behold, though, I am not here today to shovel more dirt on the Valley's Browns fans. (Johnny Manziel does enough of that with his actions.) Instead, I am here to offer hope. And that hope comes to you via former WVU Mountaineer John Thornton.
Yep, John Thornton.
Browns fans undoubtedly know by now that former Oakland Raiders head coach and innovative Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson was hired as the new Cleveland coach.
"I like challenges," Jackson said at his introductory press conference. "And boy, what a challenge."
It is that. Browns fans must still have nightmares starring Trent Richardson. Jackson is the team's eighth coach since 1999 and the sixth since 2008. The last time a Cleveland franchise was a serious NFL contender was when Bill Belichick was coaching there in the 1990s. Before, that is, the team was moved to Baltimore.
So this hire is big. It was hailed nationally. "Hue Jackson hire represents huge coup for Browns," read one headline.
And right in the middle of it is Thornton, who just happens to be Jackson's agent.
Ring a bell? It should. We've brought you news of Thornton in the past. The former two-time All-Big East offensive lineman played 10 years in the NFL after his days in Morgantown. His last NFL game was played in 2008. Then he turned to the business side of football.
Thornton has represented or worked with many players recognizable to those in the Mountain State: Aaron Dobson, Geno Smith, Mario Alford and Chris Neild.
He once landed Bengals' defensive end Michael Johnson a four-year, $20 million contract. Then came Wednesday's splashy three-year deal. In a word, the guy is awesome.
"I try to be," Thornton said with a laugh.
It's a nice story.
"Hue was my coach in Cincinnati," Thornton said. "We've always been close. Whenever I wanted to talk, he was there. He kept it all together [with the Bengals]. Well, when he came back from Oakland we got together and I told him what I was doing. He went with me.
"This is my my first head coach [signing], which is pretty cool."
Thornton said he dealt with "everybody" during the Jackson negotiations.
"Owner, general manager... When it's the head coach you deal with the organization's top level," Thornton said. "When it's a player you deal with personnel people, maybe the general manager.
"It was a good experience. I thought it was a pretty cool deal."
Both sides seem to have worked the process well. Jackson had also interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers.
"We were supposed to be flying to see the [New York] Giants," Thornton said, "when we made this deal."
Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam skipped the owners' meetings in Houston to make sure Jackson was hired. Thornton and Jackson made sure a head coaching deal was struck. Meanwhile, rumors swirled.
"It's funny," Thornton said. "There are so many media people around something like this. You have those assigned to cover both teams. You have the national guys. One [national reporter] came out with something completely false. I told the Browns it wasn't coming from us. They said, 'We know.' "
There were reports Jackson wanted more decision-making power than most coaches.
"No, no, no," Thornton said. "He wants to coach. I think that's what they liked about him. And he was happy with what they said."
Thornton pointed out Jackson's familiarity with the AFC North as a key. The coach was at Cincinnati. He coached Joe Flacco at Baltimore. Cincy head coach Marvin Lewis was once at Pittsburgh.
"Now the division has one of its own," Thornton said.
As the headline read, it was a "huge coup" for Cleveland. The lone question: Why not go with San Francisco or wait on an offer from the Giants? After all, it is the Browns.
"Well, the Browns beat the 49ers this year," Thornton said flatly. "Yes, the Giants are a stable organization. Then there was also his [offensive coordinator] job with the Bengals.
"We talked about it though. I told him if he goes back to Cincy, hey, that's not a bad option. He'll be a hot candidate again next year. But if he wins in Cleveland, it'll be something special.
"They really wanted him a lot in Cleveland. That means something to people."
And if all works out, Thornton's involvement will mean something to the Browns faithful in these parts.