CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's so easy to become mad at the wrong people.
That's what I thought when reading the Bleacher Report story by Brad Gagnon on former Browns running back Peyton Hillis. Gagnon did a good job of not only drawing out Hillis, but also not leaving some of his claims unchallenged.
But this much is clear -- Hillis is still mad at the Browns for not giving him a contract extension after his superb 2010 season. That was the year he rushed for 1,117 yards and 13 touchdowns. He caught 61 passes. He was a fearless back who ran over some defenders, and jumped over others.
He was one of the most entertaining Browns players to watch since the team returned in 1999. He even made the cover of Madden 12.
Then Hillis wanted his money.
The Browns had some doubts about Hillis, everything from his durability to his maturity to his work ethic. They did offer him a multi-year deal, but much of it wasn't guaranteed.
The team knew that Hillis had a torn hamstring that ended his 2008 season in Denver. He had a concussion in 2009 in Denver.
Meanwhile, Hillis couldn't decide on an agent. He went through four in a 14-month period. To the Browns, he appeared immature as he kept changing agents. They also wondered how he'd handle the success of one good year. Finally, they had physical concerns.
They were not going to guarantee him a lot of money for some very sound football reasons.
"TURNED THE FANS AGAINST ME"
As Hillis looks back at his career, he claims the Browns convinced the media that he was a bad guy. And the media was critical of Hillis in 2011, which "turned the fans against me."
The sad part is how Hillis still misses the obvious point: If you want the fans to support you, play well.
Consider how Joshua Cribbs used his popularity to gain a contract extension in 2010. He did it with the same Mike Holmgren front office that was reluctant to pay Hillis. It happened because Cribbs had been productive for four consecutive seasons. The front office also knew Cribbs was durable and had an excellent attitude when it came to the thankless job of special teams.
The fans "turned against" Hillis because he stopped producing and even some of his teammates wondered if he was distracted by his contract situation.
Hillis had one good year in Cleveland. He was under contract for $550,000 in 2011. He would be a free agent after that year.
"I think they were just out to get me out of Cleveland," said Hillis.
Suppose he had another 1,000-yard rushing season in 2011. Fans would have demanded the Browns pay him. Entering 2011, he was the most popular player on the team. But then came a series of poor decisions, even though Hillis still doesn't see it that way.
Hillis opened the 2011 season with 57 yards rushing in 17 carries against the Bengals. Next was a vintage performance: 94 yards on 27 carries for two touchdowns, with four receptions as the Browns beat the Colts, 27-19.
At that point, I remember fans wanting the front office to get a contract extension done.
THE STREP THROAT
Then Hillis didn't play a home game against Miami. It was announced that he had a strep throat. He later admitted that his agent told him not to play because he was sick.
Now, he says he had a virus that caused him to lose 20 pounds. Maybe that was true. I don't know. It was never reported by the team as such. In 2011, Hillis never said anything about losing 20 pounds in a week.
Hillis skipping the Miami game appeared to be a power-play to secure a new contract. In his Bleacher Report interview, he is still fixated on not being paid by the Browns.
A lot of other messy stuff happened in 2011, not worth recounting.
Hillis said he played much of that season with a hamstring injury, and that was why he finished with only 587 yards (3.6 average) with three touchdowns. He tore a hamstring in 2008. He had a hamstring issue in 2007 while playing for the University of Arkansas.
He had other minor hamstring problems in 2009 and 2010, but played through them.
Many of his teammates wondered about if Hillis was serious about the game. Joe Thomas talked about Hillis being a "terrible distraction ... it was toxic."
THE BROWNS WERE RIGHT
The Browns offered a multi-year contract, but not with much money guaranteed beyond the first year and a signing bonus because they questioned his ability to stay healthy.
He left the Browns after 2011, and signed with Kansas City on a one-year, $2.8 million contract. He rushed for 309 yards in 13 games in 2012. In 2013 and 2014, he played a combined 16 games for the Giants. He rushed for 362 yards (3.7 average). He had two concussions.
So in three years after leaving Cleveland, he ran for 671 yards -- a 3.6 average. The injuries continued.
To be fair, he now praises the Browns fans. He still is upset with the former front office and how he was portrayed in the media. Now 29, he still lives in Arkansas. He is helping to coach a high school team in Siloam Springs.
Suppose the Browns had given him a long-term, lucrative deal. Would that have prevented the injuries and decline? That's a question Hillis was not asked -- and probably would prefer not to answer.
For one year, the Peyon Hillis Story was magic in Cleveland. But just like that, the magic was gone, and that's still very hard for Hillis to accept.