BelieveLand Blogs

Wallace's historic day leads Browns past Steelers

2012-01-02T00:15:00.002-05:00

CLEVELAND --- With Colt McCoy resting up for the playoffs, Seneca Wallace had to be ready to run the Cleveland Browns offense.

Was he ever.

With McCoy bundled up on the sideline in cold and windy conditions at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Wallace set franchise records with 480 yards passing and six touchdowns - the final one to Ben Watson with 1:10 left, giving the Browns a 45-41 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in a wild regular-season finale Sunday.

"Just think of all of the great quarterbacks that have come through here," Wallace said. "It's very humbling. I just thank everybody around me and everything. I couldn't have done it, obviously, by myself. There's weapons all around me, and the line did a great job. It's one of those games where it got to a shootout, and we just kept having to match each other."

It was an ideal afternoon for the Browns (15-1), who got to rest McCoy and several other big-name players without losing momentum going into the playoffs.

Wallace barely got the Browns past Ben Roethlisberger, who threw for 520 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions for the Steelers (10-6). Pittsburgh has lost 21 straight road games to the Browns, including the postseason.

"We're going to use this as motivation," Roethlisberger said. "We had a chance and didn't get it done, so we've got to get out there and start making it happen. We've got to get on a run here. That's what it's all about in the playoffs, getting hot and hopefully we can get that going."

The Steelers head to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 as a wild card, but could have clinched the No. 5 seed with a win. Instead, they'll be the No. 6 seed.

"This certainly wasn't a throwaway game for us," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

According to STATS LLC, it was the first time in NFL history opposing quarterbacks each threw for 400-plus yards and five-plus touchdowns in a game. The teams' combined 971 net yards passing broke the record of 906 set earlier this season in a Week 1 game between New England and Miami.

"Wallace played a great game," Roethlisberger said. "Their guys were making plays all over the field and scoring points."

For Wallace, it was a huge day that could eventually lead to a significant payday. A nine-year veteran backup out of Iowa State, Wallace already had the attention of general managers around the league after he nearly beat New England last season while McCoy was recovering from a concussion.

Now he has a huge performance and a victory under his belt, and he'll become a free agent in the offseason.

"We're going to miss him," tackle Joe Thomas said, adding that he thought Wallace should sign with an NFC team.

For now, though, Wallace is ready to get back to his main role in Cleveland: Helping McCoy get ready to lead the Browns back to the Super Bowl.

"We've got the best quarterback in the NFL as a starter here, so it's not hard at all," Wallace said. "He's the heart and soul of this team and the leader of this team. So, it's pretty easy to take a back seat and watch him play, and I'm excited to see what he does in the playoffs."

Greg Little had nine catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns for the Browns.

Mike Wallace had 11 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown, and Hines Ward had a pair of touchdowns for the Steelers.

With the afternoon off, McCoy's season quarterback rating of 122.5 coming into the game broke Peyton Manning's single-season mark of 121.1 set in 2004.

With AFC home-field advantage for the playoffs secured, the Browns also rested several key players with nagging injuries: cornerback Joe Haden, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, wide receiver Josh Cribbs, center Alex Mack and running back Peyton Hillis.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur said it was an "easy call" to rest McCoy, but the coach found ways to keep McCoy's head in the game; Shurmur said he handed over play-calling duties to his quarterback in the first half.

And Shurmur was thrilled with Wallace's day.

"It was clearly one of the best performances I've been a part of," Shurmur said. "No doubt about it. I can't say enough about Seneca Wallace. The whole world got to see what we see every day."

Browns secure home field

2011-12-26T07:24:00.002-05:00

CLEVELAND -- Colt McCoy threw five touchdown passes for the first time in his career to help the Cleveland Browns nail down the No. 1 seed in the AFC and claim another round of bragging rights in one of the NFL's most heated rivalries by knocking off the Baltimore Ravens.

McCoy threw a pair of touchdowns to Greg Little, another two to Josh Cribbs, and found tight end Ben Watson for a score as the Browns beat the Ravens 35-21 on Sunday night.

"To be able to be a part of something special like this has been incredible," McCoy said in a television interview. "Great night tonight for us, securing that No. 1 seed."

D'Qwell Jackson made a key first-half interception for the Browns(14-1), who needed the win to tie down home-field advantage in the AFC.

The loss eliminated the Ravens (7-8) from playoff contention.

Running back Ray Rice rushed for 121 yards for the Ravens, who trailed by only four early in the third quarter. But McCoy drove the Browns for touchdowns on their next three possessions to put the game out of reach.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur said the team's run defense will be examined, but added the final score told the story.

"We won big," Shurmur said. "That's the bottom line."

McCoy was 21 of 29 for 283 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions when backup Seneca Wallace took over for McCoy with 7:54 left in the game.

"Now we're going to enjoy the rest of our Christmas with our families," McCoy said.

Baltimore came into Sunday on a four-game losing streak and beset by injuries. But the Ravens were able to stay in the game with solid defense and tough running by Rice.

McCoy's second-half fireworks proved to be too much for Baltimore.

"Thirty-five points on that defense, that's a good night," Shurmur said.

The victory was the Browns' fourth over the Ravens in 2011. Cleveland also beat Baltimore in the 2010 regular-season finale, the AFC Championship game, and in Baltimore on Sept. 25.

With the Ravens trailing 14-3 at halftime, quarterback Joe Flacco found Ed Dixon wide open for a 49-yard gain to set up first-and-goal on the 1. Rice fumbled just short of the goal line on the next play but offensive lineman Michael Oher recovered the ball for a touchdown.

With the Browns nursing a four-point lead, and the Cleveland Browns Stadium crowd nervously quiet early in the third quarter, McCoy answered by dropping deep and throwing a rainbow pass to Little, who blew through the Baltimore secondary and hauled in the ball for a 55-yard touchdown.

McCoy then showed his running ability on the Browns' next possession, juking his way between Ravens linebackers Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis on a scramble. McCoy finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown toss to Cribbs, giving the Browns a commanding 28-10 lead.

Browns cornerback Joe Haden came up with an interception, and McCoy found Little for another score to give Cleveland a 35-10 lead.

Flacco finally answered with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith -- then drew the ire of the Cleveland crowd by scrambling for a two-point conversion and spiking the ball over the goalpost with his team trailing 35-18.

The Ravens have lost five straight games since a Nov. 20 victory over San Diego. Baltimore was 7-3 after that win, but came into Sunday's game barely alive in the playoff chase.

Perfect season lost

2011-12-19T13:43:00.003-05:00

Look, the Browns stink. We know this. It's the same thing every year. So in an effort to have some fun with the remainder of the season, I'm going to post write-ups about the Browns so it reads as if they are best team in the NFL.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Pat Shurmur never put a whole lot of stock in a perfect season, except as a means of gaining home-field advantage and setting the Cleveland Browns up for another Super Bowl run.

Well, they still have a chance to earn home-field advantage.

The perfect season? That's history.

John Skelton threw for 299 yards to outduel Colt McCoy, and the Arizona Cardinals rallied behind coach Ken Whisenhunt for a shocking 19-14 victory on Sunday that ended the Browns' 19-game winning streak. It was their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010.

"I personally always viewed the undefeated season as, really, just gravy," Shurmur said. "The goal was to get home-field advantage and win the Super Bowl. That's what we discussed.

"We were fortunate enough to be in the position to possibly achieve the undefeated season," he added, "but we still have the primary goal in front of us, and that's to get home-field advantage."

Cleveland can wrap up the No. 1 seed in their final two games against Baltimore and at Pittsburgh. But the Browns no longer have the pressure of becoming the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with a perfect record, or extending the second-longest winning streak in league history.

"I think our goal ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. The next step is getting that number one seed in the playoffs," McCoy said. "We've got a home playoff game -- we've got a bye secured."

McCoy was 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered 8 yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in the game. But the Browns (13-1) were unable to recover the onside kick, and Arizona picked up a couple of first downs to secure the victory.

"They had a good game plan," McCoy said. "You have to give them credit."

Jay Feely kicked four field goals for Arizona (7-7). Beanie Wells added a short touchdown plunge with 4:53 left in the game, points that came in handy when McCoy led one last scoring drive.

"Everybody had marked it off as a win for the Browns, but those guys in the locker room, they're football players," Whisenhunt said. "They decided they were not going to lay down, they were not going to give up, so they went out and played a tremendous game."

Neither team looked all that tremendous in the first half.

Browns wide receiver Greg Little was hit twice with offensive pass interference, McCoy was harassed by the Cardinals' weak pass rush, and Cleveland wound up making five first downs.

One of them came when Arizona's Patrick Peterson ran into Browns punter Brad Maynard, giving them 15 free yards. The Cardinals tried to give Cleveland another gift later on the drive when Phil Dawson missed a 59-yard field goal attempt but Arizona had 12 men on the field.

With another chance from 54 yards, the normally reliable Dawson still pushed the kick right.

McCoy finished the half 6 of 17 for 59 yards, with a handful of drops between wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and tight end Benjamin Watson. In fact, things were going so badly for Cleveland that at one point it ran out of the wildcat despite having one of the best quarterbacks in the game.

The Cardinals were still clinging to a 6-0 lead when McCoy finally hit downfield, finding Watson over top of the coverage for a 41-yard gain. Three plays later, the Browns' star quarterback hit Massaquoi in the corner of the end zone for a 7-6 lead with 8:04 left in the third quarter.

Arizona answered when Skelton hit his own tight end, Todd Heap, for a 38-yard catch. Larry Fitzgerald added a 17-yard grab to set up Feely's 46-yard, go-ahead field goal.

The Browns moved into field-goal range on their ensuing drive, but rather than have Dawson attempt a 56-yard kick in the same direction he had already missed, Shurmur elected to go for it on fourth-and-9. McCoy's pass fell incomplete and the Cardinals took over.

They needed seven plays to cover 59 yards, but had to settle for another field goal and a 12-7 lead. It was the third time the Cardinals drove inside the 5 and had six total points to show for it.

They got seven on their next trip, though.

With first-and-goal at the 5, Wells managed to gain a yard and then bulled ahead for three more, setting up third down from just outside the goal line. Wells took the carry over the right side and powered into the end zone, giving the woeful Arizona offense its highest-scoring game since late October.

The Browns marched down the field in the closing minutes, and McCoy showed his moxie by scampering around the end for a touchdown that made it 19-14, but that was as close as they got.

Cleveland came into the game averaging nearly 36 points, but was held to its lowest total since Week 17 last year. The Browns needed to win that game to make the playoffs, and wound up riding the momentum to a Super Bowl victory.

All that momentum finally came to an end against the most unlikely of scenarios.

"We set the tone on both sides of the ball," Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson said. "This is the great thing about football. You can't always look at the records, because you've got grown men out there who are all getting paid. You don't have to be better on paper.

"If you're better on that given Sunday, you'll get the win."

In my poll? #20

2011-11-10T16:16:00.006-05:00

Ever since all the hoopla surrounding Tattoogate, it seems as though the national media has had it out for Ohio State.

The school's football program became such a powerhouse under the sweatervest that even other schools from other conferences started hating on Ohio State. It was the program that could do no wrong. The program by which all others were measured against.

Ohio State was America's college football team. Then, well, last year happened. And going into the 2011 season, with its athletic director, head coach and all kinds of expected returning starters no longer working or playing for the scarlet and gray, Ohio State got a #18 preseason ranking in the Associated Press poll.

Respectable, but not by Ohio State standards. And fans knew that AT LEAST the first half of the season would be a cluster on the field. Sure, the non-conference schedule had a couple easy ones tossed in there, and that was a good thing this year as Ohio State needed some time to figure things out on the field.

At 6 wins and 3 losses, Ohio State should be ranked. But they are not. They're receiving some votes, and virtually sit at #27 right now. But the team should be ranked somewhere around 20th. And here's why:

They started the season with a 42-0 romp over Akron, a team they should've blown out and did. Then the voters moved them up from #18 to #15.

In their second game they beat Toledo 27-22. Although the game was close, remember that Ohio State still had no identity on the field and players were still being shuffled back and forth. Also, Toledo and other top Mid-American Conference schools have been closing the competition gap between themselves and schools from larger conferences, playing them more competitively over the last 8-10 years. Toledo is a quality MAC opponent who also took Syracuse to overtime before losing by a field goal. The Rockets are ranked 26th nationally in passing offense, 18th in rushing and 8th in total points scored. So although it was a close game against a small school, a win is still a win, yet the voters penalized Ohio State and dropped them from #15 to #17 in the AP poll.

Game 3 saw the Buckeyes suffer their first defeat of the season with a 24-6 loss to a good Miami (FL) team. Miami is 5-4, but could just as easily be 9-0. They have been in every single game this year, always in a position to win, even when playing against the big boys. Look at their four losses: 32-24 @ Maryland ... 28-24 vs. #17 Kansas State ... 38-35 @ #10 Virginia Tech and 28-21 vs. #36 Virginia. All four losses could've been wins if not for mistakes on defense, penalties and a key turnover here and there. Miami has beaten itself countless times but is still a quality team when it plays like it should.

The Miami game dropped Ohio State from the rankings and they haven't been back since. I swear, voters were waiting for the opportunity to do this and are now only hoping and praying for another Buckeyes loss to keep them from re-entering the Top 25.

Game 4 was the 37-17 win at home over Colorado, a team everyone is blowing out this year, and Ohio State did the same. Still, at 3-1, Ohio State was left out.

Game 5 was a hard-nosed 10-7 loss to a Michigan State team that is ranked #13 in the AP. Close games like these against good teams shouldn't hurt the team on the losing end that much, case in point #2 Alabama only dropped to #4 in the AP after losing to #1 LSU in overtime 9-6. Michigan State is 7-2 (4-1 Big Ten), has one of the nation's best defenses (ranked No. 9 in the country in points allowed), and has quality wins over Michigan and Wisconsin.

Game 6, Ohio State blows a huge lead and barely loses at the end, 34-27, to a Nebraska team currently ranked #19. Ohio State was still one-dimensional at this point, and I chalk-up the miraculous comeback as more of Nebraska winning the game rather than Ohio State losing it. Nebraska has beaten Michigan State and they also blew-out a good Washington team earlier in the year.

At this point, the low-point in the season, Ohio State was 3-3, unranked, with two of its three losses in close games, and all three losses against very good teams.

After the Nebraska game, Ohio State got back senior RB1 Dan Herron, and the ground game was back! In the 3 games since his return, Herron has carried the ball 23 times for 114 yards, 33 for 160, and 14 for 141. The guy moves the chains! In those games, the Buckeyes have rattled off three consecutive wins, two over quality opponents (17-7 over a then-ranked Illinois team, and 33-29 over #16 Wisconsin). Illinois is ranked No. 27 rushing and No. 13 in points allowed, with a quality win over #28 Arizona State. Wisconsin is No. 10 in rushing, No. 4 in scoring and No. 10 in points allowed, and they've beaten Nebraska and narrowly lost to Michigan State.

Two teams with 3 losses have been ranked inside the Top 25 this year. Texas A&M was ranked when they were 5-3, but dropped out with another loss last week. The other team is current #24 Auburn (6-3). I like Auburn, but looking at their body of work I am not impressed. They have escaped with close wins against Utah State (42-38), Mississippi State (41-34), South Carolina (16-13) and Florida (17-6), and they've lost by large sums to Clemson (38-24), Arkansas (38-14) and LSU (45-10). It's like whenever Auburn faces a quality opponent, they either get blown out or somehow barely squeak-out a win. Aside from Miami, Ohio State has been playing everybody close.

Right now I would say Ohio State and Auburn are the best 6-3 teams, but Ohio State sits just outside the Top 25 at No. 27. They should be around No. 20 in my book. How teams like #16 Wisconsin, #21 Texas, #22 Michigan and #23 Cincinnati are ranked higher than the Buckeyes baffles me. The only justification is Tattoogate. Voters like hitting a team when they are down. Watch. If #12 Penn State loses this week, they MAYBE stay inside somewhere between Nos. 20-25. But there is a good chance they will drop off the poll. The voters are good like that.

With three regular season games left (Purdue, Penn State, Michigan), Ohio State has a good shot at running the table. Earlier in the year, under new head coach Adam Sandler, Ohio State had lots of work to do in finding an identity. They were without a handful of key expected returning starters, and Sandler had to shuffle quarterbacks until he found out which one made less mistakes. Good for him he went with the frosh. That'll pay off in two years.

The voters need to set their grudges aside and put the best teams into the right order. Enough with the politics. The fact of the matter is Ohio State is 6-3. It's three losses are to Miami (FL), Michigan State (close game) and Nebraska (close game). All quality opponents. If Ohio State had it's act together earlier in the year they could be 7-2 or even 8-1 right now. But, instead, they are 6-3, and in my opinion, the best 6-3 team in the nation. That warrants something, something other than "others receiving votes."

Once again, hard to watch

2011-10-18T10:14:00.006-04:00

Has anyone else puked-up their orange and brown pride after trying not to watch another Sunday choke-job?

Game after game, season after season, decade after decade. Same story, different players on the field. Different personnel on the sidelines. What do they call doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result? Oh yeah, crazy, nuts, insane. Well the Browns coaching staff and front office is just that. The stadium sound team should snag a copy of Cypress Hill's 'Black Sunday,' because every Sunday is just that. "Who you tryin' to get crazy with, esse? Don't you know I'm loco?"

The Browns may only be 2-3 (which isn't too bad, considering we still face a somewhat laughable schedule), but this team could very well be 0-5 right now if it weren't for a) Peyton Manning's neck, and b) Jason Taylor's defensive offside penalty.

a) Let's face it: if Peyton Manning is healthy, Indy destroys Cleveland.

b) Think back to the Miami game. Browns are driving late in the 4th, down 16-10. They have 1st-and-10 at MIA 27. McCoy incomplete pass short left to Smith. 2nd-and-10 at MIA 27. McCoy incomplete pass short right to Smith (AGAIN!). 3rd-and-10 at MIA 27. McCoy incomplete pass short middle to Cribbs. But wait! Miami's Taylor is called for defensive offside, 5-yard penalty, replay 3rd down. 3rd-and-5 at MIA 22. McCoy completes a short pass to Moore for an 8-yard gain, first down. Had it been 4th-and-10, it would have been a turnover on downs. Next play, McCoy hits Massaquoi for a 14-yard-score and the Browns win on Phil Dawson's PAT, 17-16. Thank you Jason Taylor!

So yeah, the Browns are 2-3 but could easily be 0-5. The offense it THAT horrible! Where's the scotch. SOMEBODY GRAB THE SCOTCH!

I can stand the Texas Longhorns about as much as any Clevelander can stand the Miami Heat these days. Don't know exactly why, but I just can't stand 'em. Hated Vince Young. Hated Colt McCoy. He chumped-out in the big games, couldn't take a big hit, and really only excelled in college because his offensive line and receiving corps were blue chippers and it was at a time when Big 12 defenses were weak (still are).

But McCoy was eventually drafted by the Browns and because of that fact alone, I had to find a reason to like the guy. Only reason I could come up with was the fact that he was a Brown ... and as a Browns fan, you gotta back your team and stick up for its players. I mean, there's always a glimmer of hope that we will return to the glory years of the 1980s, and you MUST be on the bandwagon all the way, through thick and thin.

One thing I don't like about McCoy from an NFL quarterback standpoint is his size. The dude is small. He looks like Dustin Pedroia in pads (except that I doubt McCoy can grow any facial hair). In the long-term, I just don't think he can cut it as an NFL quarterback. He's Brady Quinn with a little less muscle and a little more finesse. He's Tim Couch with a little less raw talent and a little more smarts.

McCoy's tale of the tape is barely 6-1 and 215 drippin' wet. Actually, all the Browns quarterbacks are tiny. Thaddeus Lewis is 6-2, 200. Seneca Wallace is 5-11, 205. The average height of the Browns offensive line (Joe Thomas, Jason Pinkston, Alex Mack, Shawn Lauvao, Tony Pashos and Ben Watson) is 6-5. That make's McCoy's height a problem.

Look at other quarterbacks around the league. There are only a few exceptions (Michael Vick, Drew Brees and Aaron Rogers), but for the most part, successful QBs are bigs. Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Cassel are 6-4. Matt Schaub, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and Cam Newton are 6-5. Heck! Joe Flacco is 6-6. (side note: thinking about next year's draft, as Browns fans always do ... Andrew Luck is 6-4).

I don't know what it is exactly. Maybe it's his size. Maybe it's the play calling. Maybe it's the other guys on the field. But one thing's for certain, ever since McCoy became Cleveland's QB1 we haven't been able to effectively pass the football. Maybe he's better off with the clipboard and headset.

When the game plan keeps McCoy in check and he attempts less than 40 passes per game, the Browns are 4-5. When he attempts more than 40 passes, the Browns are 0-4.

Someone send Mike Holmgren a memo already!

I can picture meetings between front office personnel and the Browns coaching staff and they never look good. Picture a long boardroom table in a nice plush conference room, all the top dogs are in there (Tom Heckert, Jon Sandusky, Joe Sheehan, etc.). All the relevant coaches are in attendance. Suddenly Pat Shurmur appears in the doorway and announces, "Standbyyyyyy ... annnnnnnd nowwwwwwww, [gestures with hand] please rise for the honorable Michael George Holmgren." Then Holmgren walks into the room and everyone stands up like it's General Patton waltzing in wearing full uniform with combat helmet. "Please be seated."

I picture Shurmur standing off to the side and gazing toward Holmgren with goo-goo eyes, as The Man commands the attention of the room, much like Reed Rothchild admiring the presence of Dirk Diggler at Jack's pool party.

Then Holmgren announces that despite all the media hoopla, "We're sticking to our guns. We're sticking to what works in this league. West Coast-style!" Then he throws up the fingers like Snoop Dogg in the 'Gin and Juice' video, and exits the meeting.

All the coaches nod their heads up and down in agreement, as if hypnotized. Shurmur offers a blank stare and smiles as The Man exits the room, while defensive coordinator Dick Jauron slams his fist on the table in disgust.

I tend to agree with my buddy Ryan Gilkerson who said after the Browns lost to the Raiders Sunday, that the Hillis illness (Week 3) and hamstring (Week 6) are phantom injuries. He stated that it's obvious Holmgren and Shurmur's game plan is a West Coast-style offense. Knowing this, and realizing that his carries will be limited, it's apparent that Hillis isn't going to go all-out and give it 100 percent on Sundays. Any why would he?

He's playing for just above the league minimum salary. Let's say he goes all-out and shines (in a limited role). He racks up a string of games that are about 12 carries for 55 yards. Solid work. Yet no matter what, his free agency stock will drop significantly at season's end. So why put it all on the line when you can get nothing good out of the deal? Right? Save your body and have your agent point back to the 2010 campaign when it comes time to sign the new contract. And as a retaliation for Hillis being so disgruntled, the Browns staff looks as though they are benching him in favor of Hardesty in the limited RB1 role, with the majority of the plays still calling for dump passes from McCoy.

Only thing is, those dump passes ain't workin'.

What does work is Peyton Hillis. Since he became the featured back last year, the Browns are 0-9 when he carries the ball less than 15 times. When he exceeds 15 carries they are 6-5. Mediocre, for sure. But I'll take it over 0-9.

So why not scratch the lousy playbook, sign Hillis to a 3-year extension at, say $15 million, and put the big 4-0 in the backfield with 20 touches per game? It's not rocket science. It's called smash mouth football. And smash mouth football, built around a solid running game and a stifling defense is what Cleveland Browns football is all about. It's what carried the team to success in the 1960s (Jim Brown) and 1980s (Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack). What this storied franchise needs is to realize that Hillis is good enough to carry the load. He proved it last year. And he can continue to prove it if they give the guy a chance.

One thing is for certain, McCoy is surely not the answer.

Browns & Bucks...not much luck

2011-10-16T11:58:00.002-04:00

In my humble opinion, the Browns should be 0-4 right now.

Think of it this way:

We got worked by the lonely (Yet 3-2) Bengals week one. That was a game I surely had us slated to win. No chance could the Bungles, led by rookie QB Andy Dalton, come into Cleveland and take us out. Well, they did. Insert balloon deflating .wav file here.

In week two, we went head to head with the artists formerly known as the Indianapolis Colts. No Peyton Manning means they are the Colts of yesteryear.

- side note, I hate espn.com - could they preload ANY MORE video that just plays when you hit their site? That's obnoxious. They should be fined.

The Colts are in shambles due to the neck injury to Peyton Manning. I personally don't think that Manning will play another down in the NFL, or even in a lame backyard football commercial where he yells at kids. Nope, I think he's going to hang up his cleats, and retire with the Biggest Forehead in NFL History. You heard it here first.

Week three, the Browns returned home, and the barbaric crowd washed up on the shores of Muni Lot. The Browns winning on a last second Cris Carteresque TD in the corner of the endzone was overshadowed by pantsless fights and in the open oral in Muni Lot. Stay classy, Cleveland. Without last second heroics (by MoMass and the woman in the Muni oral video), I don't think the Browns deserved a W in this game. One inch either way, and we lose. (That's what the guy in the Muni oral video said.)

Week four we looked like the Little Sisters of the Poor vs Tennessee. With a Golden Buckeye yielding QB in Matt Hasselbeck, and a sudden Travis Prentice wannabe in Chris Johnson, how could the Browns lose, right? Well, we suddenly drank the Hardesty Kool Aid that maybe next year he'd be on the cover of Madden, and oh yeah, we forgot how to tackle. The Browns looked like the boys from Varsity Blues after they partied at the strip club the night before a game. When the Browns were walking off the field, all I could think was, "I don't want your life". Well, maybe I do, but whatever. My life is pretty solid as I'm typing. I have some leftover Buffalo Chicken Dip in hand from last evening, and my fiance is out shopping. In my house, on Sundays, everybody wins. Even you, stop by anytime.

Speaking of Buffalo, they are 4-1 and atop their division. (They sit above New England because they beat the pouting Patriots. I love seeing Tom Brady with the quiver lip when he walks off a field.)

How about them Lions? A perfect 5-0? Somebody alert the Pilgrims and Indians, we may actually be able to enjoy Thanksgiving football this year. I really hope I didn't just jinx it. If they can keep this play up, I don't know about you, but I'm lugging my TV Tray with me to Thanksgiving. Believe dat!

The Dream Team Eagles are 1-4, along with the now Tebow lead Broncos. Nobody cares about their record except Agent 53.

Miami is 0-4. I say karma. They should do themselves a favor and boot that poser SheBron out of town. Trust me, the guys a cancer, and a proven loser. I blame his 'karma' for the NBA Lockout as well. I keep seeing lemmings (aka major sportscasters) Tweeting about 3Quarters James playing in the NFL. If an NFL team wants a guy who gives up on his team, plays only when he feels like it, and can't finish a game, trade for Albert Haynesworth. At least Haynesworth's mom isn't a train wreck. Or is she?

The Ohio State Buckeyes may have the WORST NCAA Division 1 Offense I've ever seen. We completed 1 pass yesterday (albeit a touchdown) and ran the ball 50+ times. Ground and pound or lack of a good noodle to hurl the pigskin? Jury is out, but I'm not sipping that Kool Aid, sorry Mrs. Braxton.

Michigan lost. All is now right with the world.

I have been Tweeting quite a bit during Browns games. You can find me @KidSalty

The only reason I updated this blog today is because Private Jake Walsh keeps busting my marbles that it's not updated. The guy moved to Hilton Head, SC and watches the games at Street Meet (Browns Backer Bar, much love!). The poor guy moved in with a Steelers fan down there, so things may get dicey come Week 14 and Week 17. I have a feeling David Camma will be locking Walsh in a room for a few hours those weeks.

Can we also give a big F- to the NFL Scheduling Committee. Really? We play the Steelers in Week 14 and then in Week 17? Why not just play a double header and save the travel time, costs and fuel. What a joke.

That's all the time for now...til next time...

NFL is BACK

2011-07-26T19:16:00.003-04:00

Well, well, well. Look who's back. Like a drunk buddy stumbling through your apartment door at 9am after a bar bender, the NFL is back and things are about to get crazy.

I've neglected the blog for a while. LeBron choked. The Tribe is playing good ball, and the NFL has been in a lockout.

Only, I don't really call it a lockout. They really didn't miss anything. That's like saying I was locked out of work last Saturday and Sunday. No...I wouldn't of been there anyways. Granted the Hall of Fame Preseason game was canceled. Take a vote on who cares about that. If you've read this blog for a while, you know my disdain for Preseason games, and the racket that they are. I was hoping a few more Preseason games would be canceled. I bet LOTS of other season ticket holders feel the same way. It's like paying full price for a steak dinner at XO, but getting a frozen Banquet Salsbury Steak with green beans and mashed potatoes. Chew on that.

Undrafted kids from college are eligible now to sign with NFL teams. Two guys I was hoping would be donning the Orange and Brown would be WR Dane Sanzenbacher (sp?) and RB Jon Clay. Dane signed with the Bears and Clay with the dreaded Steelers.

So, ok, we move on from those guys. I am praying the Browns are able to ink a WR.

WR Santonio Holmes: I don't think there's a shot in heck that the Browns can ink this guy. It'd shock the world if we did, but I don't see it happening.

WR Sidney Rice: I like the guys speed, and his ability to spread the field, but I think we'd have to way overspend to sign him. I'm not convinced he's a #1 WR, but we'd have to pay him like a top flight #1 WR.

WR Braylon Edwards: Who? NEXT.

WR Steve Smith (NYG): Another guy I like. He's got good hands, and he's an upgrade over what we have. Bear in mind that he's also not a #1 more a mid #2 at best.

WR Plaxico Burress: Why not? NEXT.

WR Malcolm Floyd: Here's a guy that I'm high on. I think he can develop into a very productive WR for us, and his price tag should be in our range.

There's also a slew of very good offensive lineman available. Keep an eye on that.

Avid Browns fan Joe Marcotte wrote into the blog saying he wouldn't mind seeing the Browns land Charles Johnson, Dante Whitener, and Paul Posluzny. He feels if we can snag 2 of the 3, or even all 3, we'd be in great shape. I couldn't agree more. He also feels we should go after a RT. The man knows what he's talking about folks.

On the defensive side of the ball, the cornerbacks stand out to me. There is some serious talent there.

Should we go after a RB? I know everyone loves them some Peyton Hillis (myself included), but I'm not convinced we can rely on him all season. We need a serviceable #2 RB (Hardesty??) and/or a change of pace back. For a #2 Ahmad Bradshaw, Joseph Addai, Michael Bush, Cedric Benson would be above the call of serviceable. For a change of pace back, I like Sproles from SD.

Players are resigning as I type. Players are signing as I type. Lots of trades being mentioned. I'll do my best to continue updating this, otherwise, my dad may delete it from his bookmarks.

All for now, time for dinner and some NCAA Football. Go Baylor Bears.

What a difference 21 years makes ...

2011-07-13T01:01:00.004-04:00

I remember the summer of 1990 when, as an 11-year-old kid playing Painesville Little League for the Orioles, I was selected as an alternate for the AL All-Star team.

We had 24 All-Stars and four alternates in Painesville. And all the All-Stars were more than excited about adjusting and pulling-on their new mesh ballcaps.

Back then, the MLB Mid-Summer Classic was a 2-0 AL win at Wrigley Field. Julio Franco was named MVP for smashing a double off NL reliever Rob Dibble, plating Sandy Alomar Jr. and Lance Parrish in the 8th inning. Yeah, two slow-moving catchers scored the only runs that year. Strange, I know.

In 1990, MLB had 58 All-Stars. There were 700 players on MLB rosters then. So about 8 percent of Major Leaguers were named All-Stars.

That number has been just about the norm over the years. Players selected who didn't get the chance to play, either couldn't play (due to real injuries) or were prevented from playing (because of a managerial decision). But there was one constant: everyone showed up. Even the guys who were injured made an appearance. That's because the All-Star Game used to be fun. Little League or Major League. Didn't matter. Being named an All-Star used to mean something.

But it's changed over the past 21 years.

Players have been skipping the All-Star Game. More and more "phantom injuries" and "fatigue excuses" have been popping up in recent years. MLB has also installed a rule that prevents several top starting pitchers from participating, for "scheduling concerns and injury prevention." This, despite the league raising the stakes on the outcome of the game. Whichever league wins the All-Star game is rewarded with home-field advantage for the World Series. Yet guys like Justin Verlander and Cole Hamels are ruled ineligible because they started a regular-season game on Sunday? Give me a break!

The 2011 edition of MLB's All-Star game had 81 players earn the All-Star "distinction." Now, with 750 roster slots in MLB, more than 1-in-10 players make the All-Star team. So much for distinction. Remember when card values would increase for All-Stars in the August editions of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly? Those were the days.

Nowadays, several big names are guilty of cashing-in on All-Star bonuses, only to sit back in their million-dollar homes watching the game from their plush recliners on the big screen. How many kids punched-in their ballots for Derek Jeter and were excited to see his No. 2 Yankee jersey leading-off yesterday, only to be disappointed when Jeter promptly punched-out due to fatigue? Jeter will make $15 million to play baseball for seven months this year. Over the course of his career, he's made more than $200 million in Yankee salary, excluding his earnings from several top tier endorsement deals. He owns four mansions, and during his Yankee career he's dated Mariah Carey, Miss Universe, Joy Enriquez, Jordana Brewster, Vanessa Minillo, Jessica Biel and currently Minka Kelly. Fatigue? Please!

There were 12 All-Stars selected for the Painesville Americans and Painesville Nationals. Each team had two alternates. Rules stated alternates must attend and view games from the bleachers, wearing only the team hat and team jersey. The rest of your uniform stayed in the trunk of your Dad's car.

Didn't matter to me. I was good with simply being recognized, and I proudly sported my team hat - even after our All-Star team was eliminated. We'd wear the hats to Senior League games, Cedar Point, family picnics, etc. We'd dirty 'em up. And next year ... first practice ... we broke out the Painesville American hats. You were good if you could pull off that feat at the start of your "12-year-old season." Not many 11-year-old made the All-Star team.

Today, it's the same way at the Little League level. Kids still run around the neighborhood playing whiffle ball, wearing half their All-Star uniform. They emulate their favorite players' batting stances just like I did with Julio Franco's unorthodox stance and Don Mattingly's sweet left-handed swing. And that's fine, because that's how America's Past-Time is supposed to be celebrated.

We can only hope today's Little Leaguers draw the line and ignore their favorite players' recent All-Star game shenanigans, which takes the fun right out of the game.

A Legacy That Will Last Forever

2011-06-21T01:24:00.001-04:00

Bottom of the 8th inning, Indians batting, down 5-3.

Albert Belle walks. Manny Ramirez flies out to right. Herbert Perry pops out to first. Paul Sorrento walks, moving Belle to second. Sandy Alomar pops out to third.

I sat in my seat about midway up in section 184 thinking I was about to witness another Indians loss. But then again, this was a time when the Tribe were transitioning from bad baseball to pennant-winning baseball. It was July 18, 1995. I was 16. Justin Falcone sat next to me. He was 15. Next to him was his grandpa, Mr. Chic. He was 67 at the time, a HUGE fan of Cleveland Indians baseball. He was one of the old-timers who would follow pitch-by-pitch the entire 162-game schedule, either in-person, on the tube or from the voice of Herb Score on 1460 AM radio. The only games he’d miss were probably because of family functions. Yes, his priorities were in order.

Justin offered me the ticket earlier that day. We’d get a ride to the stadium in Mr. Cicconetti’s truck and he’d hang out with us to watch the game from the bleachers at the new Jacobs Field.

While trucking down Route 2 I remembered him asking me if I’d been to the new stadium. I had. But he gazed through the windshield and told me anyway, that it was nice, but it didn’t compare to the old Municipal Stadium. I remember him saying that and found it odd because my grandpa Felix used to say the same thing when plans were in place to start building it. Grandpa Felix died in 1992 and never got so see The Jake (it debuted in ’94), but then again, he was an old-timer too and he hated to see the old stadium go.

I ran the plans by my parents and they were on board. I remember sprinting from the garage and down the street to the Falcone’s house so Justin and I could get ready and cut through the backyards to his grandparents’ house. We were amped for this game and didn’t want to go back home with a loss.

Anyway, after Alomar popped out to end the 8th, Tribe fans began heading for the exits in typical Cleveland fashion. Gotta beat the traffic! It was a sellout crowd that day and I’d guess about 10,000 fans headed for the exits. Normally, we too probably would’ve bolted for the parking lot. But Justin and I looked over at Mr. Chic and he remained seated, staring toward the field smiling. We weren’t going anywhere until the fat lady sang her song.

Paul Assenmacher mowed ‘em down 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th, with the then-California Angels still leading 5-3.

Bottom of the 9th, Wayne Kirby hustles-out an infield single on a grounder to first base. He was stubby, but he was fast! Jim Thome, who was supposed to have the night off, pinch-hit for Ruben Amaro, and ultimately struck out swinging. That was a run-and-hit, and Kirby swiped second. So we had one out, one on second. Just as good as a sacrifice.

Next up, Omar Vizquel singled between short and third. There was no play as the speedy Kirby ran on contact and made it from second to third, and the quick young Vizquel made it to first without a throw. One out, runners on the corners. Angels 5, Tribe 3.

Carlos Baerga comes to the plate and walks, loading the bases. Angels closer Lee Smith is now shaking in his Mizunos as none other than Belle chucks his donut to the ground in the on-deck circle and slowly makes his way to the batters box, setting the stage with the bases loaded. The crowd is on its feet, John Thompson is banging his drum behind us.

Belle falls behind in the count, 1 ball / 2 strikes. Next pitch, THWAP! The crack of the bat never sounded more sweet. It was a long, powerful, line-drive to deep left-center. The ball was carrying, carrying, carrying … then … GONE! Into the seats! GRAND SALAMI!

TRIBE WINS! TRIBE WINS! Final score 7-5!

I remember not being able to see the field because everyone was up, out of their seats jumping up and down and the place was going bananas. Mr. Chic, Justin and I were high-fiving complete strangers and hugging one another.

One of my best Cleveland sports moments, definitely the top of my list as far as Indians baseball goes. And I got to share it with a man who had given me so much. The thing is, at that time I hadn’t known exactly what he’d given me.

Mr. Chic passed away 10 days ago. I’ve read about him and I’ve spoken with my parents about him since that somber June 11th day. I’ve learned EXACTLY how much he’s meant to not only his family but also how much he’s meant to the community where I was born and raised – and where he lived his entire life.

There was a connection there that I hadn’t seen before until I sat down and reflected. What did Mr. Chic share with me? Well, he shared quite a lot.

My earliest memories of him were going over to the Falcone’s house for summer cookouts. He’d be putting together teams for games of side-yard, scramble-style bocce. He always seemed to have a smile on his face and there’d always seem to be a young grandkid in his lap. Sometimes he’d simply be sitting there in a lawn chair, keeping to himself, observing his family with an arm dangling down toward the grass scratching the head of one of the dogs. He seemed content, having such a huge family that loved each another and always shared these moments amongst one other (and with a few of the lucky neighbors.)

Whenever the Cicconetti-Falcone family would go out of town for their family vacations – whether it be to Salt Fork or Maumee Bay – I’d somehow become trusted enough by Mr. Chic to take care of his garden with a simple watering chore, twice a day. Damn his garden was magnificent, probably still is. But that simple task made me feel important. I knew how much those flowers meant to him. He’d show me EXACTLY how to use the hose, so as not to apply too much water pressure because the flowers were delicate. My Mom would remind me, “Have you taken care of Mr. Cicconetti’s flowers yet? You better get over there before it gets dark, mister!” I couldn’t have been more than 12 years old at the time.

Now, 20 years later, I asked my Mom, “I remember you telling me about how grandma and Mrs. Cicconetti would wash everyone’s hair or something. What was that about?”

Apparently, Mr. Chic and my grandpa Felix worked together at Diamond Alkali back in the 50s, 60s and 70s. They became good friends and their wives, Jackie and Helen, respectively, formed a close bond. Jackie had 7 daughters and my grandma Helen had 2. So, while their men were at work, Jackie and Helen would get together, hang out while the children played (12 in all, including the boys), and apparently all I remembered from those stories was the hair-washing chores for the 9 girls. Must’ve been a long process.

The friendship was so special that it bridged not one, but two generations. My parents remained close with the Cicconetti-Falcone family, and their kids continued that sacred bond with sleepovers, card trading, squirt gun fights, foot chases and whiffle ball games. And to think, all this started way back in the 1950s with Mr. Chic and my grandpa Felix. Two cronies who shared a love for gardening and Indians baseball. I look back now and wonder if Mr. Chic thought of my grandpa Felix when I sat with him and Justin at the Tribe game in 1995. I wonder if they ever went downtown and saw a game together.

To this day, although we rarely see one another any more, I still consider Mr. Chic and Jackie as a third set of grandparents, I consider their children as aunts and uncles, and I consider their grandkids as cousins.

I have many other fond memories of Mr. Chic, from trips to the Oasis ice cream store with his grandkids to driving around in the truck splashing through rain puddles as we giggled in the back. He always treated my brothers and I as if we were part of the family.

He was a truly remarkable man and he has left behind a truly remarkable family. When the world loses men like him, they are not replaced. They leave a void that cannot be filled. But one thing is for sure, men like him leave behind a legacy that will last forever.

Who the hell is Mel Kiper?

2011-05-06T00:27:00.002-04:00

I don't know who Mel Kiper is. But his son is an overpaid television sports personality who I mute every time I see his face and fruity mop on the tube.

I mean, what does this guy do? Really. And is what he does worth the money he's paid?

Well I'll tell you what he does and it isn't anywhere close to being worth the check he cashes from ESPN.

Mel Kiper, Jr. pretty much just provides general information to fans about potential NFL draft picks. That's it. He's a cheap scout who is paid like an entire team of NFL scouts. He rambles on and on about how the information he provides is golden and what each NFL team needs to do in order to have a successful draft. And God forbid if your opinion differs from his. He'll start jerking his head up and down. He'll look around the room with that Peyton Manning face of disgust.

Every year ESPN hypes his mock drafts and touts him as "King Kiper," but for what? His analysis of college players is nothing special. He's even been accused of over-hyping prospects on his draft boards based on their player-agent relationships.

For instance, in 2010 he had Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen ranked as the top college quarterback and the No. 4 overall talented player entering the draft. Scouts, Inc. had Oklahoma's Sam Bradford as the top QB and No. 3 overall talent, with Clausen ranked at No. 38.

Anyone with a pulse knew Kiper's analysis was dead wrong. Notre Dame hadn't produced a solid NFL quarterback in more than 30 years (Joe Montana, 1978). So naturally, Bradford was selected No. 1 overall and completed 60 percent of his passes as a rookie. He tallied 3,512 passing yards, 18 TDs, 15 INTs and had a QB rating of 76.5.

Clausen was taken in the 2nd round (No. 48 overall) by a team with NO quarterback. He completed 52 percent of his passes, totaling 1,558 yards, 3 TD passes and 9 picks. QB rating: 58.4. After that Brady Quinn-like stat line (and now that "Yes I" Cam Newton has been drafted by the Panthers) I wouldn't be surprised if Clausen never again reached QB1 on another depth chart.

So how could Kiper get this so incredibly wrong? Isn't he the top dog? The draft expert? And isn't quarterback ALWAYS the most talked-about and hyped position heading into the draft? Well maybe, just maybe, it's because Clausen's agent is a longtime friend of Kiper's?

Another time, a couple years ago, Kiper projected that a junior running back would be drafted by no later than the top few picks of the 2nd round. There was buzz around Virginia Tech's campus and the kid ended up leaving school early. After all, Kiper's word is golden. Right? The kid ended up being drafted No. 243 overall, now makes the league minimum and mostly stands on the sidelines on Sundays holding his helmet, wondering what could have been had he remained on campus, finished his degree and bolstered his draft position by playing his senior season. Damn you Mel Kiper, Jr.!

Kiper usually starts generating his mock drafts one week after bowl season. He calls the first installment "Mock Draft 1.0." How trendy! Kiper released his 2011 "Mock Draft 1.0" on Jan. 19. Of the 32 first round picks, Kiper's initial mock draft had 2 that were right. Yep. Two.

With each month leading up to the draft, he updates his mock draft as a Mock Draft 2.0, Mock Draft 3.0 ... and so on.

He released his polished and sparkling "Mock Draft 5.0" the day before the 2011 NFL Draft. This was after shuffling players up and down and all around, based on having nothing else to do in life but scour over more and more film, dissect the NFL Combine, and listen to the buzz from NFL teams about who they were going to target on draft day, etc. He waits until the last possible second before his editors at ESPN.com scream "DEADLINE, MEL! WE NEED VERSION 5.0 STAT!!!! DEADLINE!" ... then, he releases his best million-dollar effort.

"Mock Draft 5.0" yielded 9 correct picks out of the 32 first round selections.

That's a 28 percent success rate, which is clearly better than the first installment of only 6 percent correct. So pretty much every 5 mock drafts he increases his percentage by 22.

If we weren't already overexposed to his weird face, I'd suggest he try generating more mock drafts. Because, you know, by the time he got around to "Mock Draft 20.0" he might have a success rate of 94 percent.

And that, my friends, might be worth the check.

Winning!

2011-04-13T03:27:00.002-04:00

When the Tribe were down 14-0 in the 4th inning of their season opener April 1, ESPN's Scott Van Pelt posted the following Tweet:

"Snapshot of the Indians season after 4 frames: Tell that man he can stop banging the drum."

Only John Adams, much like Tupac and Biggie, hasn't stopped (and won't stop) banging. Can't nobody hold him down. Dude is a beast. In this case, it's not "Levitation, Homes," it's "Dedication, Holmes."

Maybe the opener, during which the Tribe fought back, made a game of it, and ended up losing 15-10, was just an April Fool's joke? Because now the Indians sit atop the AL Central Division in first place.

Keep banging the drum, please.

After rattling off eight consecutive wins, the Indians (8-3) dropped a game on the road last night to the Angels by a score of 2-0. They were one-hit in a pitcher's duel.

Despite the loss, this young season has been a sign of good things to come.

Offensively, the Tribe will surely have its ups and downs this year. The team is young and will probably be inconsistent at the plate. At times, they will look unstoppable. Then again, other times they will probably look unwatchable.

What's great is the Tribe have a quality mix of young talent showing flashes of what the young Indians team was doing prior to moving into Jacobs Field in the early 90s, and some older veterans playing like they are 25 again.

The regulars are hitting a combined .281 (79-for-281), with 13 homers and 48 RBIs. And Choo hasn't even found his rhythm yet.

But pitching will be the key for this team.

The Tribe's current rotation of Carmona, Carrasco, Masterson, Tomlin and Talbot have combined to earn seven quality starts out of the team's first 11 games. Their combined ERA is 3.62. Combined WHIP is 1.19. The staff has allowed just five home runs in the first 11 games. Those numbers are Phillies-esque.

Even better, the bullpen has a 3.18 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP and has allowed only two homers.

"Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!" said John Adams' Ludwig tenor drum mallets as they continued striking the face of his bass drum from the bleachers beneath the left-center scoreboard. That sound is a staple and it reminds Tribe fans that, even if we are down by 14 runs, you never know which batter might start the rally. It reminds us not to listen to the doubters (as if Clevelanders ever do), to stick with what works, to stay focused and to keep on WINNING!

The beat goes on ...

Karma?

2011-04-10T10:58:00.002-04:00

Let's see...

Cavs beat the Heat in Cleveland. Game was intense, as I blogged before.

Tribe opened the season looking horrible at 0-2. How are they now? 6-2. 6 game winning streak. As Chris Perez said: a young team with confidence is a scary thing. Well said, Perez. Liking the hair, keep it up.

Charlie Sheen just came to town - came out on stage wearing his Tribe jersey.

Lake Erie Monsters clinched their first ever spot in the Playoffs.

Cleveland Gladiators have looked pretty good!

Scene Magazine's Best Of Cleveland Party was insane.

It's going to be 70+ degrees today.

Burn on big river, burn on. It's good to be a Clevelander, hell, it always has been. It's funny how some small success and warmer weather breathes life into this city. Take away the snow, dark clouds, pouring rain and heartless local talent that leaves for South Beach, and what do you have left?

You have pride that's as strong as the industries this city was founded on. Keep digging back, Cleveland. We've missed you.

LeBron's Mom Arrested - Again.

2011-04-07T09:37:00.000-04:00

Karma rears it's ugly head.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/LeBrons-Mom-Arrested-for-Assault-119394369.html

Cavs - Tribe - Maybe even some Browns?

2011-04-03T18:52:00.002-04:00

Had the absolute privilege of attending the Cavs vs. Heat game last Tuesday. The place was electric. (Thanks again Conley)

Cavs, obviously, won the game, and Lebron, obviously, cried afterwards. Ryan Hollins played like an All Star caliber big man. Baron Davis orchestrates the game like no point guard we've seen in a Cavs uniform for YEARS. The rest of the team played like the playoffs were on the line. We are not a playoff team, but they were playing for pride.

It's really a shame what's happened to the Cavs this year. Obviously LeBron bailed like the coward that he is, but literally, nothing else went their way. Andy Varejoa - their energy catalyst - went down with a season ending injury. Antwan Jameson also suffered a season ending injury.

When you look at next year, and add in healthy Andy, 'Twan and Baron Davis, I think the Cavs will be fun to watch. Granted, I thought they'd be a playoff team this year, but who's keeping track. Right?

Had the non privilege of attending the Indians home opener on Friday. Fausto Carmona was lit up like a leg lamp in an old mans window. We left when the Tribe trailed 14-0. Yes, that's a baseball score, the Browns are still locked out. The Tribe rallied a bit, but it was still ugly baseball. They then lost on Saturday as well. Today, Sunday, they played a great game of baseball and beat the White Sox for their first win of the season. Justin Masterson threw a great game, Orlando Cabrera went yard, Lou Merloni came up big, and Pronk continued to hit the ball hard. Enjoyed watching it, and look forward to their series with the Boston Red Sox.

We are now in April. That's big for two reasons: 1. It's the month of ManCation. A vacation trip for the fellas where we do everything Manly.

Quick game break: The Cavs were being manhandled by the Knicks, and Baron Davis just went on a run. The guy is on fire. 11 points in a minute. Cavs are now down by 10. That was fun.

2. April is also the month of the NFL Draft. Lucky for the NFL that fans are focusing on the draft, and not the fact that they are still bickering over $9 billion dollars. Who are the Browns going to take? I honestly don't know. One thing I do know: there should be some serious talent on the board when the Browns send their pick to the podium. Some serious upgrades. We may snag another franchise corner, or a run stopping tackle, maybe even a linebacker. You noticed I mentioned all defensive players there. That's because I want them to take a defensive player with that first pick, OR, trade down if the deal is right. I will say: We don't need a QB early, and that feels good, BUT, we do need another RB. Free agency? Sure, if there is one.

Ok, dinner is ready, and the Cavs are back on. Boy, it feels good to be a Sunday.

Delhomme to start?

2011-03-27T18:22:00.002-04:00

from CNNSI.com:

My Browns peeps tell me everyone really wants Colt McCoy to be the starter. But if the work stoppage drags on into the summer, McCoy, a second year player, might not have enough time to learn what he needs to learn and prove to new head coach Pat Shurmur that he's ready to start. In that case, the team will likely feel more comfortable with the veteran Jake Delhomme. Bringing him back to Cleveland as a backup is complicated. Delhomme has told the team he has no intention of being a backup. He wants to start. That means he might not be willing to take a paycut.

National Football Post

Has It Really Been That Long?

2011-03-21T19:36:00.003-04:00

My poor Dad. I think he still checks my blog every day and emails me saying that it's been a while since I posted anything.

Shame on me.

No really, shame on me. I've probably turned off the 5 readers that actually read this thing.

Has sports been that boring? Actually, not at all. Life has just gotten in the way.

Shame on me.

Isn't life all about sports? No, not anymore. As you get older, I think life becomes more of a contact sport. You're either jumping over hurdles, or bashing through them hoping you find peace on the other side. What do you really find? You find another hurdle. That's life.

Are all hurdles bad? Not at all. Mine have all been good, but hurdles none the less. Life, like sports, is fast. Blink...and you just missed something. In life, blink, and you can miss a lot.

The Cavs have been somewhat boring, I can't lie. A few exciting wins here and there have been blanketed by some very ugly basketball.

That being said, I really liked the trade they made. Moving Mo Williams and Jamario Moon for Baron Davis, his beard, and a #1 pick. Everyone says this will be a bad draft class. The more I watch of the NCAA Tournament, the more I disagree. There's some solid players that may come out. I also think most, if not all, big names in College will indeed come out this year. Potential NBA lockout solidifies it in my mind.

I've watched more College Basketball this season than I can ever remember. Obviously the Buckeyes have been a blast to watch, but I've also enjoyed a few Cleveland State games, and even Michigan hoops. I know. I know. How dare I? I think Michigans team is young and fun to watch. That being said, I'll never root for them. (Asterik: I wouldn't of minded seeing them beat Duke. Not a Duke fan. Just never have been.)

Lots of Cavs fans are hoping to see Jared Sullinger in a Cavs uniform. I'm not 100% sold on his game in the NBA. I think his lack of size could be troublesome, but time will tell. If the Buckeyes outside shot turns cold in the Tourney, and he can put the team on his back, my tune may change.

I received an email from the Browns on Friday. They said they will refund season ticket holders of the cost of their season tickets if the season is locked out. Really? Should I say 'thank you'? No chance. We shouldn't have to pay until this is resolved. Would you buy a movie ticket for a movie that may or may not come to the theater? Would you pay for a meal at a restaurant that may or may not be open? I didn't think so. Do the right thing, Browns. For once.

Side note: I wonder how much money the City of Cleveland stands to lose if the Browns don't play this year? The loss on Muni Lot alone could be devastating.

Tribe starts soon. On April Fools Day, actually. No pun intended. I'm excited for baseball to be back. It makes watching ESPN bearable. I wish the Miami Heat would get their own channel so I could call Uverse and block it.

I saw the WWE when they came to town a few weeks ago. Really enjoyed it. I will say this; The WWE does a great job of being entertaining. I can't tell you a thing about current wrestlers, but I wasn't bored at all at the event. Seeing Undertakers entrance was a spectacle in it's own right. Absolute wow factor.

To the adults standing and screaming the entire time...wow. Take off the Rey Mysterio mask and take a seat. Let the kids see the action and enjoy it. To the people that buy an entire bucket of hot wings and then eat them in their seat...spare me. I love a wing as much as the next guy, but come on bro. You're in a public place and nobody wants to inhale Franks Red Hot for two hours. Just saying.

Well, now that I've blown the dust off the blog, I guess I'll go do some dishes. As a wise man once said: That's life.

Rotten Apple ads

2010-12-16T18:02:00.002-05:00

Today I finally reached the breaking point. Logged on to ESPN.com, encountered - once again - the highly annoying ad you see pictured at right, then contacted whoever it might concern at ESPN with this letter:

~~~~~

I visit ESPN.com several times throughout the day. Lately, I've been driven to use my mobile device because using my Mac at home has been a COMPLETE HASSLE.

Your advertisements for the Apple iPod Touch are ridiculous and annoying. When I want to find information on new Apple products, I go to apple.com. When I want to find information on sports news, I go to espn.com.

The first moments after arriving at espn.com are spent having to deal with this annoying ad campaign. I understand the whole idea behind these ads, why ESPN needs to use them, etc., but is there any way you could tone it down?

Like maybe only having the ad blow-up into this huge theatrical presentation if you CLICK on it. I just run my mouse over it and the entire computer turns into this fruity Apple commercial. I mean, c'mon already.

Thanks for your time,

Mark Catalano

~~~~~

I toned it down because the first draft was mean. I sent it twice. Then I get two responses:

~~~~~

Dear Mark,

Thank you for contacting us.

We value the comments and opinions of our fans. Your comments in reference to advertisements on ESPN.com will be forwarded to the appropriate department for review.

For live assistance with this or any other issue, please call Customer Care at 1-888-549-3776 (ESPN) between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. EST.

Regards,

Sara

ESPN.com Customer Care

~~~~~

The second e-mail was the exact same as the first - verbatim - except for the last part. Apparently Sara had to use the restroom because the second one was signed by "Andria."

I usually have zero complaints ever about ESPN, but these ads are killing me.

1 Minute Drill

2010-11-21T16:01:00.003-05:00

Zero timeouts.

Would be quite the march.

Cribbs is missed RIGHT NOW.

Dallas vs Detroit: who cares.

80 yards in 1 minute starts NOW.

17 yards to Massaquoi. Nice.

Massaquoi again for 13!

50 yards in 40 seconds.

Stuckey didn't get out of bounds. 20 seconds.

Browns spike it. We lost a ton of time there.

3rd and 10...18 seconds...50 yards...

McCoy to Moore! He gets out of bounds!

1st and 10...13 seconds...29 yards...

Browns look CONFUSED.

Hits Stuckey in the hands and then into a Jags players hands. Interception.

Don't bother shooting me. I'm going into hiding.

Tick tick tick tick

2010-11-21T15:20:00.002-05:00

Jones Drew dicing us up. Twice in a row.

Garrards ball tipped AGAIN! TJ Ward with his second INT of the game.

Bittersweet because we can't move the frigging ball. LET'S GO OFFENSE!

Once again we can't get a first down. Robiskie with a drop.

4th down and we line up for a long field goal.

51 yards..........

FINGERS CROSSED!

Nope. No good. Unreal.

Sorry, had to walk away for a few.

Browns sack Garrard, then allow Mercedes Lewis to dice us. Can't tackle just the guys feet, fellas. WRAP HIM UP.

3rd and 3...HUGE.

Run to Jennings for 1-2 yards. They'll go for it.

They got it. Jones Drew has 110 yards.

He just gashed us to the 5 yard line. Not good. Not good at all.

Make that 132 yards.

Buffalo takes the lead on Cincy.

Browns take a timeout.

Browns sack Garrard!

Underwood drops an easy TD. Was right in his mitts.

Touchdown strike to Mercedes Lewis. Shoot me.

Tie ball game.

Colt McCoy with a GREAT pass to Moore!

McCoy's pass tipped. Deep breathe.

Green Bay putting the hammer to the Vikings.

Stuckey with a snag, and picks up extra yards! (And he holds onto the pill!)

Houston creeping back against the Jets!

3rd and 4...

COLT RUNS FOR A BIG FIRST DOWN! But he's hurt. Not good, not good at all. Who would we even turn to?

He's staying in. Guys a warrior.

3 minutes left in the game. Colt is limping quite a bit.

Be smart here. Chew some clock.

Hillis can't gain anything. Offensive line should be ashamed.

Buffalo 42 to Cincy's 31 - can't wait to see what TO and Ocho think about that!

2nd and 10...

Hillis gains 3 or so yards. Jacksonville uses a timeout, 1 remaining.

3rd and 8...

Let's avoid a turnover here. Avoid the sack. Be smart.

Jacksonville shows blitz.

Colt is sacked. It was inevitable.

Field goal attempt here.

Dawsons kick is GOOD!

Browns up by 3!

2:46 left in the game...

Browns drop the returner at about the 10 yard line. That's what I like to see.

TJ Ward comes up limping.

Garrard way overthrows Underwood. Deep breathe.

Garrard to Osgood for the first and he gets out of bounds.

Jones Drew just ripped our hearts out. Short screen pass just about goes the friggin distance. I could puke.

2 minutes left and Jacksonville is on the 1.

Browns hold Jennings short.

Touchdown for Jones Drew. Sick feeling has returned.

GARRARD FUMBLES!

2010-11-21T15:14:00.002-05:00

Browns recover! Tough day for the Jags! Garrard coughed it up on a QB Keeper.

Garrard looks to be shaken up.

Browns offense better WAKE UP.

Colt sacked again. Piss poor.

McCoy forced to throw it away.

Crucial play here. If we can't convert, Jacksonville has all the momentum in the world. And we run it. Hillis picks up a chunk, but not clearly enough. Sad. Sad. Sad.

Wonder if Garrard will be back?

Browns punt. Wrapped up at about the 20. Well done, and a nice kick.

Garrard has his helmet on and coming back into the game.

4th Quarter and the Browns are in the lead. Again. Can we hold it?

Not an Interception?

2010-11-21T15:06:00.002-05:00

Ball hit the ground! Browns get to attempt a FG!

Rock-n-Roll!

Dawson's kick is GOOD!

Browns 17 - Jaguars 10

Don't look now, but Buffalo is mounting a serious comeback against Cincy!

Garrard with a nice pass to Miller.

Garrard to Miller again.

Jones Drew loses 1.

End of the 3rd Quarter.

Frown Upside Down

2010-11-21T14:57:00.002-05:00

Then back to frown.

Browns go 3 and out.

Weak.

Jones Drew runs for a few.

Browns had Garrard wrapped up and he got away.

Looked MUCH LIKE last week with Mark Sanchez. WRAP YOUR MAN UP!

Drew gashes the middle.

Joe Haden picks off Garrard then GETS STRIPPED. Why do DB's always try to be heroes? PROTECT THE BALL.

Looks like Browns got it back, but c'mon now.

Hillis gains one to the right side.

Jags are really dominating the middle. Too bad that's where 95% of our offensive plays go.

Big 3rd down here. Huge blitz. McCoy gets picked off. Unreal.

McRib commercial. Those things are legit.

Yikes

2010-11-21T14:41:00.002-05:00

Anyone else get nervous when Hillis jumps over people? I know I do.

Browns punt.

Jones Drew with the carry. Suddenly the ball is on the ground...Elam snaps it up...and runs it in. They say Touchdown for Cleveland? It can't be....can it???

They have to review it. Maybe not?

SHOCKING! BROWNS TOUCHDOWN! ELAM GETTING IT DONE!

Elam is a Kent State alum. Who knew?

Garrard screen to Jones Drew to the 23 yard line.

2nd and 4...

Another screen pass, this one to Thomas. May have the first.

Nasty Nate reporting that Rothlisberger was knocked out by Richard Seymour.

Jones Drew with a rush. Gains a couple.

2nd and 6...

Garrard to throw. Overthrows his target. Again.

Big play here. 3rd and 6...

Shotgun formation. Slings it up the middle. He may of creeped to the first. Announcers say it's going to be short. That being said, Jaguars have gone for it 14 times on 4th down this year. Madden-esque.

Half yard short or so.

They are going for it. I say MJD up the gut. Announcers are saying QB Keeper.

Jones Drew it is. Chew on that, Richie. He got the first.

Jones Drew is 5'7".

Garrard throws, ball is touched by his Wide Receiver, INTO THE HANDS OF TJ WARD!

BROWNS INTERCEPTION! Believe Dat!

Browns Need to Buckle Down

2010-11-21T14:11:00.002-05:00

Garrard picking the defense apart.

Jones Drew down to the 5 yard line.

1st and Goal for Jacksonville.

45 seconds left in the half...

Garrard throws way too high. I expect a run next.

Garrard throws a TD to Thomas. It was great coverage by Sheldon Brown, but he got it in there. DAMN!

Browns 7 - Jacksonville 10

30 seconds left in the half...

Browns take a knee.

Turnover on Downs

2010-11-21T14:03:00.002-05:00

Jones Drew up the middle.

Garrard throws over the middle, incomplete.

Joe Flacco: 13-15 for 195 yards. Not a bad stat line.

Garrard throws for a first down.

Browns bat down the ball. Sheldon Brown credited with the knock down.

2nd and 10...

Garrard drops it over the middle.

Garrard runs. Damn. Looked like Terrelle Pryor.

1st and 10...

Jones Drew may be small but he just willed himself to a first down.

Jags Ball

2010-11-21T13:57:00.002-05:00

Cincy crushing Buffalo.

Garrard to Mercedes Lewis.

Garrard flips it to Jones Drew. JONES DREW THROWS!

Picked off by Elam! PICKED OFF BY ELAM! ALRIIIIIIIIIGHT!

Browns ball at the 20.

Hillis up the gut. Picks up a few.

He has 121 total yards on the day already.

2nd and 6...

Hillis gains zero.

Lost 2 I guess.

McCoy sacked. Damn.

Browns punt. Hate typing that.

Browns Town

2010-11-21T13:49:00.002-05:00

McCoy rolls out and hits Massaquoi, but he was out of bounds.

Hillis up the gut for a chunk.

McCoy throws a screen to Hillis who BREAKS a tackle and goes for 47 yards! WOW!!

Mike Bell comes in to run the ball, and even the announcers call him Hillis. We're all very used to it I guess, haha!

McCoy avoids a sack and literally throws the ball into the hands of a Jags lineman. UNREAL, luckily the guy didn't catch it.

Offensive Pass Interference on Robiskie. He must be reading 'How to be an NFL Wide Receiver' by Braylon Edwards.

Hillis with a delayed draw run play. Picks up a chunk. Ways to go for a first.

3rd and 13...

Shotgun. McCoy throws it and Massaquoi cut to the sideline. Yuck.

Field Goal? Yep, Dawson on the field. 51 yard attempt.............

No good. Wide right. It had the distance.

"Too high." - Major League

16 Play Drive - Heck Yeah!

2010-11-21T13:41:00.002-05:00

Browns piecing it together.

Loads of car commercials lately. Let's all hope the Auto Industry is on the rebound.

Just got a penalty for grabbing the inside of a guys helmet? Um, what??

First down for the Jags.

Mangini upset, good to see him showing some fire. He isn't invited to fish with us, however.

Josh Cribbs didn't make the trip with the Browns.

Maurice Jones Drew is small.

Rob Ryan's beer gut isn't. Haha! Nothing but love for the guy.

Garrard almost throws a pick! Pass broken up, looks like they'll have to punt.

Steelers up 7-3 on Oakland now.

Browns ball at the 19.

2nd Quarter featuring Ritz Crackers and Cheese

2010-11-21T13:36:00.002-05:00

McCoy with ALL DAY to throw, yet nobody is open. He runs for a few.

McCoy throws a duck "QUACK" and it's tipped....weirdly...right into the hands of Massaquoi.

McCoy throws again to Evan Moore. Snags about 9.

McCoy is a magician! He eludes a sack, then dumps it off to Peyton Hillis who TAKES IT TO THE HOUSE! BOOMSHACKALACKA!

Dawson's kick is good.

Browns 7 - Jacksonville 3

Peyton Hillis vs Jacksoville Jaguars

2010-11-21T13:29:00.002-05:00

Hillis with another carry to the right side. Big stiff arm!

3rd and 6...

McCoy in shotgun.

Throw to Stuckey for no gain.

Flag down. Fingers are crossed.

Fouls by both teams. SWEET. Geez.

Replay of the down I guess? We'll take it.

Cheapshot by the Jags on McCoy. Thugs.

Great throw to a slanting Stuckey!

FIRST DOWN BROWNS!

Haven't typed HILLIS in a while, I was having withdrawl.

I benched Ocho Cinco at the LAST SECOND in Fantasy Football today. He just scored. Sweet.

McCoy sacked.

False start by the Browns. Looking like the Browns of old right now.

Oakland beating the Steelers 3-0.

End of the 1st Quarter.

Browns 0 - Jacksonville 3

Believeland Blogging is Back!

2010-11-21T13:16:00.003-05:00

Nasty Nate Thompson texted me asking if I was blogging today. I figured: why not?

Karissa just made us a cheese tray with crackers, so I'd say the game is off to a good start.

McCoy almost picked off early, and once again, the Browns offense is all Peyton Hillis. Either he runs the ball, or it's a screen to him. Obviously I'm a huge Hillis fan, but our offense is becoming VERY predictable.

Josh Scobee just kicked a short field goal to give Jacksonville a 3-0 lead. Now you're caught up.

I see tons of Geico commercials, but I honestly don't know ONE person who uses Geico for their insurance.

Temps are 80 degrees in Florida. It's a brisk 55 here in Mentor.

Browns with a return. Looked like we clipped a Jaguars player. Yep, flag came in late. Blake Costanzo with the block in the back.

I'm going to post smaller bits and pieces as the game goes on, just just full quarters. Hillis up the gut, gains a few.

I'd like to hang out with Joe Thomas. I wonder if he'd take me fishing? Yeah, probably not.

Hillis up the gut again, just shy of the 1st down.

If Joe Thomas did take me fishing, I'd want Hillis to come too. I'll provide the worms and beer.

Hillis has a Road Warrior looking facemask. Seriously, that thing looks like the front of a Dodge Ram truck!

McCoy with a quick pass to Massequoi. I probably butchered his name, but if he caught more balls, I'd try to learn how to spell his name. His drop last week hurt us just as much as Stuckey's fumble.

Ben Watson down hurt and is limping. Not good.

Browns get the first on the ground.

Run again to Hillis. Shocker.

Haven't heard Jerome Harrison's name since we traded him. I do think he'd be a nice change of pace back from Hillis.

Screen pass to Hillis.

Run by Hillis.

Seeing a trend?

Which Ryan is it?

2010-11-10T14:47:00.001-05:00

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2010/11/10/rex-ryan-dresses-as-brother-rob-ryan-for-press-conference

Funny!

Browns, Hillis capitalize on terrible Broncos trade

2010-11-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

Maybe the hooded sweatshirt was hanging over Josh McDaniels’ eyes the entire 2009 season. Or maybe he never took the time to watch all of the Denver Broncos’ game film from 2008. Or maybe Mike Holmgren and the Cleveland Browns’ new front office is a whole lot smarter than we realized.

Or maybe there’s no reasonable explanation for how Peyton Hillis (notes) ended up where he is – sparking the suddenly feisty Browns, and leaving Broncos fans writhing in agony over the worst trade of last offseason.

Where is Brady Quinn (notes) these days? You’ll find him scraping barnacles off the bottom of the depth chart, languishing behind Tim Tebow (notes). Yes, that’s the guy whom McDaniels traded Hillis for – he of the career 66.8 quarterback rating and 52 percent completion rate. And it wasn’t even a straight up player-for-player deal. Denver kicked in a sixth-round pick in 2011 and a conditional pick in 2012 to sweeten the pot. Nothing like a couple of bamboo shoots under the fingernails on draft day to remind fans of a team’s brain-searing roster machinations.

The Browns’ Peyton Hillis rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns vs. the Patriots.
(Tony Dejak/AP Photo)

Of course, you could give Hoodie Jr. a pass and say that there was no way McDaniels could have known Hillis would be a player who almost singlehandedly destroyed Hoodie Sr. (Bill Belichick) and the Patriots, en route to 220 yards from scrimmage (including 184 yards rushing) and two touchdowns – a guy who through eight games is on pace to rush for 1,288 yards and score 16 total touchdowns.

You could say McDaniels couldn’t have known, and you’d be right. He couldn’t, because McDaniels never took the time to try and know what Hillis was capable of accomplishing. Despite Hillis’ five yards per carry average and five TDs in a meager 68 rushing attempts in 2008, he didn’t get a sniff when McDaniels took over. Instead, the new regime, in its infinite wisdom, went out of its way to try almost anyone at running back other than Hillis. They drafted Knowshon Moreno (notes), signed J.J. Arrington (notes) (then cut him and signed him again), and scooped up injury-addled veterans Correll Buckhalter (notes) and LaMont Jordan (notes). And into the abyss Hillis went, never to be heard from again in 2009, save for 13 meaningless carries in 14 games.

The truth is, McDaniels never believed in Hillis, and the running back said as much when he joined Cleveland this offseason. Maybe only Hillis believed in himself, since nobody in the media (including me) was shooting a thumbs-up in Cleveland’s direction at the time of the deal. Just like nobody talked about Hillis when they lauded the sick talent in the University of Arkansas’ backfield in 2007, yammering non-stop about Darren McFadden (notes) and Felix Jones (notes), and almost never saying a word about Hillis.

Hindsight is cruel in the NFL, and Hillis’ success is downright merciless for a Broncos team that can’t run the football (last in the NFL heading into this weekend) and has watched Moreno struggle to stay on the field.

So Hillis delivers the two-pronged entry this week, making Denver’s shortsightedness a loser, and Cleveland’s sheer luck a winner. I have a feeling both cities will be talking about this trade for years to come.

Have the Browns found their identity?

2010-11-08T00:48:00.004-05:00

The Cleveland Browns seem to be back to what they were once known for: smash-mouth football!

We remember what worked so well from the mid-1980s to the early-1990s, establishing the ground game with Byner, Mack, Metcalf, etc., and setting up the big play passing game with Kosar to Slaughter, Langhorne, Newsome, Brennan and Weathers. The offense's success translated into success for the defense and the Cleveland defense was one of the most feared in the league.

Maybe this Browns team has begun to copy that blueprint?

On Sept. 27, after the Browns had started the season 0-3, I wrote "State of Browns? Ehhh, iffy" - and for good reason.

At that point the season didn't look promising. But then again, they'd only lost those first three games by a combined 12 points and could have just as easily been 3-0 at that point. At any rate, the Browns were finding ways to lose football games.

They were just about to enter a brutal stretch of their schedule with upcoming games against CIN, ATL, PIT, NO, NE and NYJ. Those six games looked like six more losses. But something happened and the Browns - now having just completed five of those six games - are 3-2 during the rough stretch.

Overall they are sitting at 3-5, yet could easily be 6-2 right now.

The Browns are actually playing good football. In their last 12 games dating back to last season, they are 7-5.

They closed out 2009 with 4-straight wins:

- 13-6 over Pittsburgh,

- 41-34 over Kansas City,

- 23-9 over Oakland,

- 23-17 over Jacksonville

Their three 2010 wins:

- 23-20 over Cincinnati,

- 30-17 over New Orleans,

- 34-14 over New England

Dating back to last season's bye week, the Browns have lost nine games by a combined 73 points. That's an average loss of just 8.1. They're in just about every game.

The one common trend with the Browns' winning ways this season has been the success of running back Peyton Hillis. In the Browns' five losses, he's averaging 12 carries for 58 yards. In their three wins, he's averaging 24 carries for 118 yards.

See the trend? Establish the ground game with Hillis and the Browns have been unstoppable. What Hillis did to the Patriots' run defense in Week 9 needs to be looked at further. For starters, he carried the ball 29 times for 184 yards and two scores.

He victimized several Patriots defenders and the Browns offensive line was easily winning the battle in the trenches. In the first quarter, Hillis had 9 carries for 63 yards. Second quarter he had 2 for 10 yards. Third quarter he had 9 for 41. Fourth quarter he had 9 for 70.

Hillis' 184 yards on the ground against the Patriots were the most rushing yards gained by a player against the Patriots since Ricky Williams rushed for 185 yards on Dec. 29, 2002. That's almost eight years people!

According to ESPN, of his 29 carries, Hillis ran the ball 21 times for 133 yards and a touchdown on attempts between the tackles (72.4 percent of his carries). Entering Week 9, only 49ers RB Frank Gore (69.5) had a higher percentage of his carries go up the middle than Hillis (65.4).

Hillis carried the ball six times for 59 yards (9.8 avg) and a touchdown when the Patriots had eight or more defenders in the box. Entering Week 9, the Patriots had allowed only 1.3 yards per carry with eight in the box, fourth-best in the NFL. Hillis also rushed for three first downs in those situations, half the total the Patriots had allowed in their first seven games this season (6).

On the season, Hillis has 133 carries for 644 yards (4.8 avg), 5 TDs rushing; and 30 receptions for 229 yards (7.6 avg), 1 TD receiving. Of the Top 10 running backs in the AFC, he ranks 7th in yards, but also 7th in total carries out of those 10 backs.

The Hillis surge has given the Browns' offense a jolt like no other. They've jumped up a bit to 25th in total offense (25th in passing, 13th in rushing). This has translated to having a better overall defense, because with the offense clicking they are starting to eat-up some time of possession battles. Coming into this season the Browns' defense was considered middle of the road at best. They started out slow because the team was getting killed in time of possession. Currently, the total team defense ranks 21st (24th in passing D, 15th in rushing D). They are 11th in points against and are now actually +2 in the turnover margin.

Through Week 6, the Browns were being outscored 125-81 (48-14 in the fourth quarter). The team record was 1-5. In the last two games (Saints-Patriots), the Browns are winning 64-31 (with a slight 21-20 fourth quarter scoring deficit). The team record: 2-0. In the Saints-Patriots games the Browns outscored both teams by a combined 44-10 in quarters 1 through 3.

What the Browns are doing is involving Hillis more, and playing games to win by coming out fast, putting points on the board, and limiting 4th quarter damage by killing the clock with the ground game. And they aren't making stupid mistakes.

The team is showing more discipline and looks like it has finally bought into Mangini's system (by the way, Mangini is now 4-1 coming off bye weeks).

Now, even if the Browns lose to the Jets next week and slip to 3-6, that four-game span against JAC, CAR, MIA and BUF looks quite promising. The Browns could easily take 3 of those 4 and be sitting at 6-7 with CIN, BAL and PIT to round out the season. And by that time, with the final two games in cold-weather Cleveland, anything can happen.

State of Browns? Ehhh, iffy

2010-09-27T14:48:00.002-04:00

Like the late, great Hal Lebovitz used to stay at the start of his News-Herald columns, "A little bit of this, a little bit of that ... "

The Browns have had a fourth-quarter lead in all three games this season, but are 0-3 for the third straight season and the fourth time in five years.

At least we didn't grow up in Detroit.

There were some bright spots in Sunday's 24-17 loss in Baltimore. But I'm not so sure the Browns had a really good game as much as the Ravens defense played a really bad one.

TOUGH SCHEDULE

Whatever the case, the Browns are 0-3 and could just as easily be the shock of the league at 3-0 if they had the ability to play the second half the same way they play in the first half.

Sitting at 0-3 is a major cause for concern. Especially when you consider the Browns have two very difficult stretches in their schedule this season.

The first stretch already started with the loss at Baltimore. But the next six games are going to be brutal. We can only hope for some magic and for certain things to just start clicking defensively. Here's a list of who we face:

Game 4 - Bengals (in Cleveland)

Game 5 - Falcons (in Cleveland)

Game 6 - at Steelers

Game 7 - at Saints

Game 8 - Patriots (in Cleveland)

Game 9 - Jets (in Cleveland)

If the Browns don't upset the Bengals or Falcons, they could be entering their next four-game stretch at 0-9. This relatively easy four-game stretch includes:

Game 10 - at Jaguars

Game 11 - Panthers (in Cleveland, Thanksgiving weekend)

Game 12 - at Dolphins

Game 13 - at Bills

Then the season closes with three difficult divisional games. These games might be more difficult than the first time the Browns face these teams, as I am sure the Division and Wild Card spots will be on the line for these three:

Game 14 - at Bengals

Game 15 - Ravens (in Cleveland, day after Christmas)

Game 16 - Steelers (in Cleveland, day after New Year's)

Looking at that schedule, on paper the Browns are underdogs in all but one game: at Buffalo on Dec. 12. But that game, whether in Cleveland or Buffalo, has historically been a cold, slow-paced, fumble-fest in the snow that could go either way depending on which team gets the breaks that day. Remember Dec. 16, 2007, the Browns were hosting the Bills at Cleveland Browns Stadium, going into the game 9-5 against a 7-7 Bills team. Browns won 8-0. One safety and two field goals by Phil Dawson, one of which was booted 49 yards in blizzard conditions. Fun fact to remember heading into this game: Buffalo, NY has an average temp of 36 in December. Their average snowfall for December is 25.4 inches. The number of days it snows in December on average is 15. Keep your fingers crossed for a whiteout!

OUR QUARTERBACK SITUATION BLOWS

Jake Delhomme? Seneca Wallace? Riiiiiight. Both QBs suck. Sure, they are professional quarterbacks with jobs. But compared to all other QBs in the league, they suck. When I watch Browns highlights each week I ask myself, "When are the Browns going to put a QB1 onto the field that can single-handedly win some football games?" You know, if Colt McCoy doesn't get some experience this year, he will suck in 2011. He'll be making rookie mistakes like Tim Couch and Brady Quinn did. The only question is does McCoy have what it takes to learn from his mistakes? He's definitely a smart, NFL prototype quarterback with a strong, accurate arm, quick release and good pocket presence.

I think he'll be a good QB. The question is: Will he ever be a good QB in orange and brown - because, you know, the Browns are notorious for demoting and trading quarterbacks after a few bad passes and some tough losses.

O-LINE

Alex Mack (6'4", 311 lbs.) and Joe Thomas (6'6", 312 lbs.) have been lights out. Thomas was drafted 2007, 1st round, 3rd pick. Mack was drafted 2009, 1st round, 21st pick. Probably our two best draft picks since the 1999 return.

Something you may have not known. I once had the opportunity to meet and speak with Mack for about 5 minutes at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Mack was drafted on Saturday, April 25, 2009. The following day I had a flight from Cleveland to Norfolk. I was leaving the area and returning home after MANcation 2009 in Hocking Hills. As I walk toward security, I see this fairly large dude wearing a white polo and some khaki shorts with a Browns hat turned around backwards like Ken Griffey. I look at him standing in front of me in line and I'm thinking, "Dude's a Brown. His face looks familiar." Then it hit me! He was drafted the day before. I'd just seen him on TV at the MANcabin. So I say, "Excuse me sir, weren't you just drafted by the Browns?" He turns and replies, "Yeah, Alex Mack," sticks out his hand to shake, "how are ya." So I shake his hand and go on to explain how I'm a big Browns fan and how we were excited to have him because we needed some more stability on the offensive line. He tells me that he flew in as soon as he got the news and how he was pumped to be playing with Joe Thomas, etc. He spent that Saturday evening and Sunday morning meeting people, and was about to fly back out to California to make preparations to move to Cleveland.

HILLIS OVER HARRISON?

I say yes. Peyton Hillis has rushed for 220 yards and 3 TDs on a 5.6 yards per carry average. The 24-year-old is a battle-tested beast. He not only knows how to run- and pass-block, but he's that one guy opponents on the defense do everything in their power to avoid when someone else has the ball. At a rock-solid 6'2", 250 lbs., the guy pops chinstraps.

And the more (or less, actually) I see of Jerome Harrison this year, the more I think last season was a fluke. In the five games Harrison was the Browns' featured back in 2009, he topped 100 yards four times. In those five starts he had 151 carries for 734 yards (4.9 per carry) and 5 TDs. Now with his recent thigh injury (and injuries in previous seasons), you have to start questioning his durability. He's only had 19 touches this year (16 rushes and 3 receptions) and he's already broke. Hillis had more than that (22 rushes, 7 receptions) against the Ravens defense. Then again, Harrison is five inches shorter and 45 pounds lighter than Hillis, and probably hangs out in the Flats after hours more than he should.

CRIBBS HAVING ANOTHER ALL-PRO YEAR

In terms of returning kicks, we all knew what we were getting with Josh Cribbs - the best in the game and perhaps the best in NFL history.

But what we were looking for with that pay increase for the 2010 season was for Cribbs to play more of a major role in the offense. And so far he has.

Cribbs is currently the Browns' leading receiver with 10 receptions for 143 yards and 1 TD. That's like one game for an elite wideout. Ten receptions over three games surely aren't enough. Heck, he's only been targeted 15 times (an average of 5 per game). At any rate, this is a step in the right direction. In addition to his receiving yardage, Cribbs has amassed 9 passing yards, 32 rushing yards, 112 kick return yards and 34 yards on punt returns.

Check out this list of Cribbs' total yards since joining the league out of Kent State:

2005 - 14 games ... 1,106 yards (79.0 per game)

2006 - 16 games ... 1,647 yards (102.9 per game)

2007 - 16 games ... 2,312 yards (144.5 per game)

2008 - 15 games ... 1,531 yards (102.1 per game)

2009 - 16 games ... 2,528 yards (158.0 per game)

2010 - 3 games ... 330 yards (110.0 per game)

He's just heating up. Dude is consistent. Get him the rock!

DEFENSE

As far as the defense is concerned, the Browns are in the middle of the pack right now, which is good considering how shaky the offense has been. Typically teams with bad offenses and are prone to 3-and-outs have horrible defensive statistics because the defense is tired and always on the field.

The Browns overall defense is 16th. Rushing defense is 20th. Passing defense is 12th.

When it comes to pressuring the quarterback the Browns are 23rd in sacks with just 4. Guess which team is ranked 3rd? Packers, with 10. And wouldn't you know it, Clay Matthews Jr. is leading the league with 6.0 sacks. He had 10 sacks as a rookie last season. The Browns had an opportunity to draft Matthews in 2009, and that would have been off-the-charts crazy considering his father played as an All-Pro linebacker with the Browns during the glory years under Sam Rutigliano and Marty Schottenheimer. Now, the Browns did get Mack in the first round, ahead of Matthews in 2009, and you can't argue with that. The offensive line is important and the Browns needed some fixes in that area more so than they did at linebacker - at that point. But other than Mack, the Browns screwed up their 2009 draft.

THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW

When the Browns used to know how to draft players out of college, they were good. During the Rutigliano (1978-1984) and Schottenheimer (1984-1988) years - which spanned 11 seasons - the Browns were 91-77 (.542 win%), had four seasons of at least 10 wins, and made the playoffs six times.

In the 11 years since the Browns rejoined the NFL in 1999 (plus the three games from this season), the Browns are 59-120 (.329 win%), with one season of at least 10 wins, and made the playoffs one time.

There have been roughly 70 draft picks made by the Browns since 1999 and only a few of these players have amounted to anything in a Browns uniform.

Hopefully the Mike Holmgren years will be similar to the Rutigliano-Schottenheimer years, and the tiny snowball at the bottom of the hill can eventually build into a large snowball and make it all the way to the top, collecting all the pieces it needs along the way. I'm sick and tired of our snowball making it halfway before being squashed by the Bengals, Ravens and Steelers, then having to start all over again. And I'm sick of starting out 0-3.

Quarter 4 vs. Tampa Bay

2010-09-12T15:22:00.002-04:00

Browns punt. Typical. C'mon man.

Mike Williams looking like Jerry Rice.

Cadillac runs for 4 yards.

Browns sack Freeman! TB will punt.

TB's defense is fired up. LET'S GO BROWNS!

3 and out.

TB third down, great play and huge first down. Shoot me man.

Browns 14 TB 10 8 minutes left

Freeman out throws a wide open TD.

TB scores. Flag down. Against us.

Typical Browns, welcome back.

"These are two very bad teams" - Shawn VanHuss

Delhomme throws another pick.

Cadillac running over us.

TAMPA BAY FUMBLES!!

Hillis gets the first!

Browns going for it on 4th and we get a false start. You must be kidding me.

4th and ballgame.

Way over thrown. Game over. I'm signing off, can't stand this shit.

Quarter 3 vs. Tampa Bay

2010-09-12T14:46:00.002-04:00

Just saw a penalty flag thrown very close to a players helmet. Jeff Tripplett threw it. Didn't he learn his lesson?

Delhomme working the tight ends. Looking solid early in Q3.

Peyton Hillis is pure beast.

And Hillis fumbles again. Really making me eat my words. Unreal.

Browns D looking good, thankfully.

Cribbs with zero return.

Delhomme looks hurt.

NE is working the Bengals.

TB moving the ball slowly.

Cadillac looking explosive. Flag will bring that run back. Whew.

Matt Forte going off on the receiving end.

Hey look, Houston is beating Indy!

Cribbs fumbles the kick. TB saying they have it.

Blake Costanzo recovered it! HERO!

Delhomme another risky throw.

Fail to get a 1st. Again.

Detroit beating Chicago.

Cadillac dicing us up.

Kellen Winslow just almost made great catch. Dropped it. Memory lane, ha.

Seneca Wallace in the game.

Cribbs at QB though. Wildcat produces zero.

Delhomme throws to Cribbs.

Quarter 2 vs. Tampa Bay

2010-09-12T13:54:00.002-04:00

Cribbs throws to Seneca Williams. Nice!

Delhomme throws a duck. Could've been a TD.

Browns D holds strong. NICE!

Cribbs with a nice return.

Hillis drops the ball. SON OF A BITCH.

Browns recover.

HARRISON WITH A HUGE RUN!!

Missed a few plays. Buffalo Chicken Dip and chicken nuggets were done. MMMMMM.

BROWNS INTERCEPT after a Cadillac run! YEAH BOY!

Delhomme throws a duck INT. Unreal.

TB scores. Shoot me.

Seriously, 20 seconds left in the half and we do that. Lost all momentum.

Quarter 1 vs. Tampa Bay

2010-09-12T13:13:00.003-04:00

Tampa Bay moving the ball. Using the tight end quite a bit.

Browns finally stop them on third down. Stand up.

Delhomme throws for a first down to FB Peyton Hillis. NICE!

Hillis with a run. Got nothing.

Dump pass to HB Jerome Harrison. Gains 6.

Delhomme throws on third down into the hands of TE Ben Watson. Stone hands. Let's hope that trend does not continue.

I think we should be in the market for a Punter. Remember I said that.

Cadillac Williams with the run. Really gets nothing. He's a member of the Backyard Legends.

Defense stops Cadillac again. Odds that he drives a Caddy?

Browns sack QB Josh Freeman!! Scotty "The Ninja" Fujita!

TB may need a punter too.

Delhomme taking some chances. Little risky.

Hillis on a draw play for what looks like a first down! Hit the DB so hard his helmet came off and he's down hurt. Hillis is a beast.

TOUCHDOWN!! 41 yards to Massaquoi (sp?) from Delhomme!

What a strike!!

Pass interference on Sheldon Brown.

Freeman runs wild. Damn it.

Defense better buck up.

TB going for a FG.

Good from 41 yards.

QUARTER OVER.

Hurricane Rolling In To Town

2010-09-08T09:50:00.002-04:00

By Mike Yozipovich
(ps: that's his own tattoo in the picture

The key to the game and what to watch for will be the effectiveness of
Miami's offensive line. Offensively, I believe, Miami has the edge at
every skill position over Ohio State. The only problem is that the
Offensive line is soooo average and has the task of stopping Ohio
State and it's dominating defensive line. I know this can be said for
just about any game and any team. However this is the Hurricanes one
glaring weakness. If it is as porous as it was against Wisconsin in
last years bowl game, Miami's offense will be totally inept. On the
other hand if they can rise to the challenge and give Jacory Harris a
little time, he should be able to pick apart the secondary of Ohio
State. By all accounts, the one weakness of the Buckeyes. The 2010
Hurricanes pass to set up the run, while most teams are the exact
opposite. So if the passing game gets going, look for Damien Berry and
Lamar Miller to be effective on the ground.

It's a lot of "ifs", I know. I do think it's going to be a close,
lower scoring, type of game. I'm just kind of undecided which way I
think it's going to go. The game reminds me more of the 1999 Kick-Off
Classic match up than the 2002 National Championship game.

If you are not familiar with Miami, here are a couple guys to watch:

Jacory Harris-QB; Cool, calm, nerves of steel. Trusts his arm and
takes some risks. His pro style of play is the exact opposite of
Terrell Pryor.
Damien Berry-RB; Nose for the end zone.
Leonard Hankerson-WR; Once known for a case of the drops. The senior
once worked all summer with Mark Duper before his junior year and
everything changed. He is the Hurricanes best, most reliable receiver.
Allen Bailey-DE; Future 1st round draft pick.
Ray Ray Armstrong-S; Playmaker

Breaking News: Muni Lot

2010-08-24T11:17:00.003-04:00

According to multiple sources, the famed Muni Lot won't open this year until 7am.

Think that means you can sleep in and still get a primo spot?

Think again. The traffic to get into Muni is going to be horrible. You may have to get there EARLIER to sit in traffic, waiting for the gates to open.

What's the reasoning behind this? Stay tuned, we're trying to find out.

- Salty

Quickness Kills

2010-08-23T12:37:00.002-04:00

- WHY THERE'S NO LeBRON JAMES OF THE NFL.

By John Brenkus, special to ESPN

Pretend for a moment that the NFL lifted its eligibility rules, which dictate that three full football seasons must pass after a player's high school graduation date before he can declare for the draft. Would that mean the NFL would suddenly be blessed with its own LeBron James, a teen prodigy who rules the game with his preternatural talent? Not bloody likely.

There are huge, prohibitive differences between even the best young players and their pro counterparts in speed (peak age: around 26), strength (peak age: early 30s) and aerobic capacity (peak age: 25). But the biggest difference is quickness.

For most positions, flat-out speed is less important than quickness. Quickness is that critical first step that allows a lineman to explode off the line and establish the optimal leverage angles on his opponent. That step helps a receiver get separation from the defender. And teenagers simply aren't hardwired to be as quick as veterans.

We've used cutting-edge accelerometers and infrared timing gates to measure the reaction times off the line of scrimmage for numerous college and NFL players. Most recently, we tested receivers Mardy Gilyard, 23, of Cincinnati, and Damian Williams, then 21, of USC, just before they entered the 2010 draft. Each took his first step in .33 of a second, on average.

Compare that with our measured reaction times of 26-year-old Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who was 44 when we tested him three years ago. They reacted to the trigger, on average, in only .18 of a second - almost twice as fast as the college kids.

The results were no coincidence. Reaction time improves with age, getting shorter until we're in our late 20s, when typically times start to increase. It's all about muscle memory. Our ability to react quickly to a stimuli is dependent upon how efficiently our brain's cerebellum communicates with the primary motor cortex and the motor neurons and neurotransmitters that trigger muscles. Practice and repetition create shortcuts in the neural pathways that transmit messages from brain to body, decreasing reaction times. In other words, practice makes quickness more perfect - and separates the men from the boys.

Slap in the face!

2010-07-10T02:57:00.002-04:00

As a Cleveland sports fan, I'm still trying to grasp what it is about our three major sports teams that always seems to lead us fans up and down a roller coaster ride of emotions every few years.

These gut-wrenching rides have taken place on the field. There were The Drive (Elway), The Fumble (Byner), and The Shot (Jordan). It has also taken place due to the misfortune of Cleveland being a mid-market sports city on a small-market budget. We've traded away All-Stars during their prime contract years (C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee) in an effort to gain SOMETHING, usually in the form of prospects, to avoid being outbid by major-market teams and being left with nothing to show for it (Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome).

Will it ever all come together for Clevelanders?

When it comes to the Cavaliers, we've never really had a true superstar with contract issues. Even with LeBron James, the contract wasn't the issue. You can't say the same for the Indians. The Cavs were in a position to pay James more money than any other team in the NBA. But he wasn't traded last season for two reasons: 1) the Cavs were in the hunt for an NBA title, and 2) based on what the Cavs could offer, and given the fact that he was so well admired throughout Northeast Ohio, we would have been crazy to trade him away on the thinking that he would leave for less money and opt to play for a city where he had no real ties.

At any rate, the Cavs made an attempt at a new contract prior to the 2009-10 NBA season. James said no dice. He wanted to see what other teams offered. The Cavs front office shrugged and said, "Okay, we'll let you play around with free agency. We know you're not going to Carlos Boozer us. After all, you are ONE OF US."

But way back then, James must have known deep down inside what he was going to do. He knew that Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and him were going to play on the same team. The question was: Which team? Cleveland was still a possibility.

I think the final straw for James was during the Cavs' playoff run last season, when James had an apparent elbow injury (although MRI results were negative). During this phantom injury time, James was inconsistent on the court. One game he'd put up astronomical numbers. The next game, he'd play passive basketball and look disinterested. I remember hearing the home crowd boo him for the first time in his seven years with the Cavs. I believe at that point, something in James' mind changed. He still had the idea that he'd be playing on the same team as Wade and Bosh, only now he knew that Cleveland wasn't the city they'd all be playing in. Maybe there actually WAS some significance in him quickly peeling off his jersey and discarding it following the knockout game vs. the Celtics.

We should've known something sketchy was in the works when Toronto agreed to do a sign-and-trade with Cleveland for Bosh, but Bosh replied, "No way, I'm not playing in Cleveland." At that point it was obvious that James' run in Cleveland was over. Maybe we were just being too optimistic and keeping our fingers crossed.

In the day following James' announcement to leave the Cavs and play for the Heat alongside Wade and Bosh, the national media seemed to agree that Clevelanders were overreacting and handling the news poorly. The collective groan in the papers and on the radio and television was that Cleveland fans were treating James unfairly. Bloggers were begging us fans to "stop crying."

But what these people are not getting is the fact that James' decision to leave the Cavs and continue the prime years of his career playing for the Heat is not what has Cleveland fans this upset. Would we have shared a feeling of being "let down" or "disappointed" had James announced his decision via Twitter or some other instant media source? Sure. But the reason that this level of uproar has been so deafening is because of the way James went about his announcement.

Was there really a need to hold an hourlong national primetime special announcing this decision? No, there really wasn't. What James did was unprecedented, unwanted, unwarranted and unneeded. He strung us along and dropped a LeBomb.

I've thought a lot about if there has ever been a similar situation in sports history (even minus the TV special), where a hometown sports icon leaves his or her respective team to make less money in order to play on a star-studded roster with one goal in mind: winning championships to bolster a personal resume.

This has never happened. Sure, players have left bad, mediocre, and even in some cases good teams, for monetary reasons. And typically, when players have left their teams for the opportunity to win a championship, the moment has come during the twilight of their careers as a last-ditch effort to get a ring before retiring.

Never has a player, who was born, raised, drafted and invested in their local community to the point James was, left their home team/city/state during their prime years like James has. James stated during "The Decision" interview that his heart is still in Northeast Ohio, but I just don't believe him. His mansion is still there, but that's about it. This move had disloyalty written all over it.

Can you imagine the buzz and backlash Joe Mauer would have gotten had he opted for free agency to hear pitches from the Twins, Yankees, Mets, White Sox, Dodgers and Marlins? Mauer keeps everyone on the dark as the free agency signing period approaches. The Minneapolis-St. Paul community would have been in an uproar (and so would have the national media) had this situation unfolded, and had Mauer ultimately signed with the Yankees for less money than the Twins offered so that he could "win championships."

But that situation never happened because Joe Mauer is loyal. He understands what it means to his community to play for the Twins. He's their homegrown golden child, much like LeBron James was to the greater Cleveland-Akron metropolitan area.

What James did was give up. He looked down the road toward the end of his career and thought, "If I play out my entire career in a Cavs uniform, I might win one title, maybe two. But one or two titles aren't enough. I want to make history. I want my legacy to be that I won more titles than MJ, more titles than Kobe. And I just can't do that in Cleveland. Just don't see it happening."

Whereas Mauer looked down the road toward the end of his career and thought, "I WANT to play out my entire career in a Twins uniform. I WANT to win titles for Minneapolis-St. Paul. If we win three or four, that's awesome. But then again, if we win just one, that'd be great too. I realize I'm an important figure to this community and I enjoy living and playing here, and that's what is important. If at the end of my career I don't have any World Series rings, yet I've had fun and enjoyed all my years playing the game I love, I will be happy. I will be content."

And with no World Series rings, Mauer would still go down as being one of - if not THE - greatest catchers in MLB history. He would be forever known as a great individual player, but an even greater team-oriented guy. See Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken, etc.

In 2003, James picked up a city that was in need of a boost. He created a buzz and lifted a city's spirit. This was/is a city that was/is experiencing some of the worst there was/is to offer during tough economic times. Northeast Ohio has been hit hard, but James gave families a reason to smile and have a good time. He single-handedly boosted the economy. With his move to Miami, James has let the City of Cleveland down, very hard. And yes, I understand that the NBA is a business and that James was a free agent and that it was HIS decision. That's all fine. But we were slammed! We did not deserve it. For seven years we've given James everything and more. Treated him like a king. So let's not kid ourselves. Cleveland was slapped in the face and pushed out of the airplane with no parachute on the national stage. Absolutely uncalled for!

And for that, he cannot be forgiven.

LeBron signs 3 year deal!

2010-07-01T08:13:00.003-04:00

Various national media outlets are confirming that LeBron James has indeed inked a brand new 3 year deal that will keep him in Cleveland.

He, however, will not be donning the Wine & Gold for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Instead he'll be sporting Scene Magazine red.

"We are very excited to sign LeBron to a 3 year deal. We are celebrating our 40th Anniversary, and what better way to do it than bring on the best player in the NBA? With the addition of Mr. James, we wholeheartedly expect to win the Corporate Challenge for years to come," quips an elated Scene executive.

With the addition of James, Scene Magazine is the clear favorite to dominate the Corporate Challenge, but other area businesses are already asking, where will LeBron end up in 3 years?

Bank of America? Progressive Insurance? Pannini's? The Cavs?

James is expected to hold various positions in the Scene Magazine office, including but not limited to Light Bulb Changer, Hanging Plant Waterer and Poster Hanger. Basically anything that will fully utilize his height.

Jay Z has declined comment, but is rumored to be writing a battle rap song that not only slams Scene Magazine, but the Indians, Browns and Usher. How original.

The LeBron wait may of already ended, but the hourglass is already spilling sand the other way. Stay tuned daily to see where the media thinks James will be in 3 years!

Tribe looks horrible, but they have before

2010-06-10T18:13:00.002-04:00

Riding the Cleveland sports train is a lot like planting your rear-end into one of the seats at Cedar Point’s Power Tower.

It’s up and down and up and down.

When the Cavaliers are good, the Browns are bad. When the Indians are good, the Buckeyes lose a couple late-season close games and end up in a non-BCS bowl. We don't live in the New England, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia or Los Angeles areas, so I guess because we are fans of Cleveland sports that means we can't win 'em all.

This year, Browns shook things up in their off-season by hiring a new GM and completely refining their quarterback position. Fans are excited about the promise Colt McCoy brings to the table. The Cavs, they had one of their best regular seasons in team history, yet were ousted in the second round of the playoffs, which has led to the firing of the head coach, resignation of the GM, and arguably the league’s biggest star readying himself to test the free agent waters.

And then you have the Indians, sitting at 22-36 and in last place in the AL Central. It is June 10th and they are already 12.5 games behind the division-leading Twins and one game back of the lowly Royals. When the stadium was called Jacobs Field, it would sell out and merchandise sales were through the roof. In recent years, the Indians have had to deal with a significant decline in ticket sales and merchandising, which is probably what forced the front office to accept an offer from local insurance company Progressive to rename the stadium Progressive Field. A quick look at the standings this year reveals that the Tribe are dead-last in American League attendance.

Their contracts appear to be as mess as well. The Indians are paying Travis Hafner (.243 avg, 20 R, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 0 SB) $11.5 million, yet Shin-Soo Choo (.290 avg, 33 R, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 10 SB) is making only $461,000 in comparison.

Jake Westbrook (3-3, 4.84 ERA) is making $11 million and Kerry Wood (0-2, 8.68 ERA, 4 SV) is pulling in $10.5 million. The club’s two best starting pitchers, Fausto Carmona (4-5, 3.49 ERA) and Mitch Talbot (7-4, 3.54 ERA), are making $5.08 million and $400,700, respectively. You could say that Carmona is the only player making what he’s worth in MLB terms.

When you're paying veteran ballplayers big bucks, they are supposed to provide A) numbers that show up in the box score, or B) significant clubhouse leadership, or C) both.

That’s been the Indians’ bread-and-butter. Find a young nameless talent (example Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Jim Thome, C.C. Sabathia etc.) and sign them to a long-term deal. Yet it’s also been the Indians’ fire-and-smoke when these players develop into superstars and opt for free agency and the highest-bidding major market team (Ramirez to Boston, Belle to Chicago, Thome to Philadelphia, Sabathia to New York). Although, as in Sabathia’s case, there have been instances in the past where the Indians knew what was going to happen with free agency and have traded away their superstars for prospects, cash and picks.

From 1969 through 1993, the Indians had a final regular-season record of .500 or better just four times. Then in the strike-shortened 1994 season, the Indians were a powerhouse and finished 2nd in the AL Central at 66-47. This was the first of eight consecutive .500 or better seasons, six of which the Tribe made the playoffs.

That 1994 team consisted of:

C – Sandy Alomar

1B – Paul Sorrento

2B – Carlos Baerga

SS – Omar Vizquel

3B – Jim Thome

LF – Albert Belle

CF – Kenny Lofton

RF – Manny Ramirez

DH – Eddie Murray

To Cleveland fans these are all household names. Heck, to ordinary fans of baseball these are now all household names, but back in 1994 nobody knew who Sorrento, Vizquel, Thome, Lofton and Ramirez were. Baerga was already an All-Star, as was Belle. But it wasn’t until the 1995 campaign, when the Indians finished 100-44 and went on to the World Series did people start to recognize and respect this lineup as it developed from young farm talent into slugging All-Stars.

That starting nine from 1993 has one Hall of Famer (Murray), two future Hall of Famers (Thome, Ramirez), and three borderline Cooperstown enshrinees (Vizquel, Belle, Lofton).

In 2002, when the Indians finished in 3rd place at 74-88, the entire city of Cleveland was in shock. How could this happen? We were so used to winning. The Indians rattled off sub-.500 seasons in four of the next five seasons. Wahoo fans collectively wondered if their team was headed in the same direction that it was stuck in for 25 years in the late 60s, 70s, 80s and early 90s, which was nowhere but down at the cellar of the division.

Suddenly, in 2007, the Tribe once again won the division, finished the regular season four wins shy of 100, and reached the ALCS, losing in seven games to the Red Sox after leading 3-1.

Game 1 – BOS 10, CLE 3

Game 2 – CLE 13, BOS 6 (11 inn.)

Game 3 – CLE 4, BOS 2

Game 4 – CLE 7, BOS 3

Game 5 – BOS 7, CLE 1

Game 6 – BOS 12, CLE 2

Game 7 – BOS 11, CLE 2

Sorry about bringing that one up again.

Since then, the Indians have finished in 3rd, 4th, and are now currently last, in 5th, in the division.

We have to wonder if a lineup that looks like …

C – Lou Marson/Mike Redmond

1B – Russell Branyan/Matt LaPorta

2B – Luis Valbuena/Mark Grudzielanek

SS – Asdrubal Cabrera/Jason Donald

3B – Jhonny Peralta

LF – Austin Kearns/Mike Brantley

CF – Grady Sizemore/Trevor Crowe

RF – Shin-Soo Choo

DH – Travis Hafner

… can within the next decade develop into a lineup that includes a couple Hall of Famers and is one that was mostly made up of All-Stars. Cabrera, Sizemore and Choo are here to stay. All good enough to be All-Stars. Donald is a young talent that is perhaps playing in the Big Show a tad bit early due to Cabrera’s injury, yet he has shown signs of brilliance and should develop into a very good infielder. Add a couple key pieces here and there, and you never know. Give this lineup a solid first basemen and a quality veteran clubhouse leader and a young starting pitching talent … and … I’m just saying.

Remember, those 1994 Indians caught us by surprise. A couple of years earlier things continued to look bleak and nobody gave the Indians a chance. Afford this team some time to get healthy and develop and they will be back in contention.

At least we all hope so.

Unconditional Love? Why?

2010-05-13T22:58:00.003-04:00

I haven't blogged in over a month, and right now, I simply can't even think of a headline for this.

What I just WITNESSed was a team that could not, or refused to, overcome any obstacles.

Maybe LeBron is hurt far more than we were told?

Maybe the Celtics suddenly found the Fountain of Youth?

Maybe the Cleveland Cavaliers were outcoached by the Boston Celtics? I sure feel that their game-plan superseded ours. How can you not? They were able to stop the best player in the NBA. The Cavs got torched by Rajon Rondo. Even Tony Allen looked like a superstar against us. I refuse to believe that we were not outcoached in this series.

Cleveland fans give so much, and get so little in return. In a severly depressed economy, where homes can't sell, people are still losing jobs, foreclosures is still a headline and more people are moving from the city, than moving into it, one thing remains constant: Cleveland sports still sell out.

Granted the Cleveland Indians have a few seats available here and there, the the reality is, Clevelanders are spending their hard earned money, and what are we getting in return?

I feel speechless.

Our beloved Cavaliers gave up? Win or lose, hustle your ass off, earn your money, and stop breaking our hearts. Stop embarassing the City of Cleveland. A city that has given you their money, time and hearts. If you can find a better definition of "unconditional love" than a Clevelander to their sports team, I would love to see it.

Actually, I just found my headline.

LeBron sure seemed to rip his jersey off awfully fast. I wish he realized he tore out millions of hearts as he did it. Upset? Sure LeBron, I'm upset too.

If you decide to turn your back on this city, the day we win a Championship (and yes, there will be a day), I hope the City of Cleveland bans you from ever returning.

Man up, LeBron. You said you want to bring a Championship to Cleveland. Put your money where your mouth is. Cleveland fans have. Year after year. Deliver, King James. If you aren't a man of your word, you aren't a man at all.

Speechless. Again.

Cleveland Browns Trade

2010-04-02T13:30:00.001-04:00

The Eagles and Browns completed a five-player trade Friday, with Philadelphia sending former Pro Bowl cornerback Sheldon Brown and linebacker Chris Gocong to Cleveland for a fourth-round pick, a fifth-round pick and linebacker Alex Hall.

"Sheldon Brown has been a very good football player for the Eagles over the last eight years," Eagles coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "He's a good person, a legitimate tough guy and he'll do a good job helping the Browns."

It would figure the two teams would be trading partners.

The Browns' general manager, Tom Heckert, is the Eagles' former general manager. Cleveland is likely to extend the contract of Brown, sources close to the deal said.

"Chris did a good job converting from defensive end to linebacker and helped us win a lot of football games," Reid said of Gocong. "We wish both of them all of the best."

Adam Schefter is ESPN's NFL Insider.

ESPN LINK

Shaun Roger Arrested

2010-04-01T14:04:00.002-04:00

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Breaking news into the 19 Action Newsroom this hour.

19 Action News has learn Cleveland Browns Defensive lineman Shaun Rogers has been arrested at Hopkins airport with a gun.

It happened as the NFL'er was about to board a flight. The gun was discovered in a bag. Apparently, Rogers told officers he forgot the gun was in there.

No further details are available at this time.

Check back for details on this developing story.

How Arnie Palmer Put Ben Roethlisberger in His Place

2010-03-15T17:42:00.002-04:00

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 13, 2010 8:53 PM EST in Golfiness 20 comments

This story was told to me just a few days ago from a very credible source.

The Steelers have their training camp in Latrobe, PA - a town absolutely owned by Arnold Palmer. Near the training camp is Laurel Valley golf club. It has hosted several major championships and is a big deal club in the area. Ben Roethlisberger came by during training camp one summer and said he wanted to get on the course to play. The pro shop said that they would accomodate him but that members that had tee times would go ahead of him and they would work him on.

So, Ben looks around the pro shop and starts buying up stuff. Makes his purchases, then disappears to the first tee. He's teeing off out of turn. The pro shop wrangles him down in the first fairway and demands that he return to the clubhouse to wait his turn to play. Eventually, he gets to go off. He runs into a bunch of people who naturally want his autograph. He says no to all of them. Doesn't want to be nice to the people letting him play their exclusive track.

When he's done with the round, Ben goes into the locker room in the clubhouse. He takes a shower and comes out, when a man comes up to him and tells him, "What you are going to do right now is go into the pro shop and sign autographs for every single person who wants them, and then you will never come back here again."

The man who told him that? Arnold Palmer.

Link.

Salty's Thoughts: I absolutely love it. Proves, again, that Ben is a punk. Arnie doesn't play reindeer games.

Breaking Down the Cavs Trade

2010-02-18T15:09:00.002-05:00

Cavaliers send Zydrunas Ilgauskas and his $11.5M expiring contract to the Washington Wizards.
- Everyone who is anyone that is a Cavaliers fan has a place in their basketball heart for Z. We saw him battle back from foot problems, and develop into a mainstay on some very bad teams, and then some very good teams. He even became an All Star. Right now, Z is no All Star. As Nate Thompson put it, "Dwight Howard eats Z for breakfast." He's right, Howard does. Z doesn't move around as well as he used to, but he does stretch other centers into covering him because of his ability to hit jumpers. (Well, they are kind of jumpers, he barely leaves the floor.) Regardless, the Cavs will miss Z, but there is an outside chance the Wizards may cut him and the Cavs can resign him. That's a big couple of "ifs", but it can happen. Or maybe it won't happen. Nothing is promised in the NBA, right Carlos Boozer?

Cavaliers send Washington a First Round Draft Pick.
- Fine by me. We seem to do better with our Second Round picks (Carlos Boozer, Boobie Gibson) anyways.

Cavaliers receive Antawn Jamison from the Wizards.
- Jamison is big (6ft9") and averaging 20.5 points and almost 9 rebounds a game. Don't get the fantasy into your head that he'll score 20 a night for the Cavs. We don't need him to. He may even come off the bench with the second unit to provide a legitimate scoring threat when LeBron needs a breather. Best 6th man in the NBA, believe that.

Cavaliers receive Sebastian Telfair from the Los Angeles Clippers.
- Telfair is a real toss in. He could provide some quickness, but I really don't know how or if the Cavs will find him minutes. Consider that Mo Williams will be back soon, Delonte West is now healthy, and Leon Powe has been practicing. Cavs may even release him.

What this boils down to is the fact that the Cavs and Danny Ferry want to win NOW. Shaq has the "Get a ring for the King" mentality, the rest of the team is on board, and Jamison is saying all the right things after finding out he'd been dealt to the 1st place Cavs.

If you think about it, the Cavs starting 5 will be:

Mo Williams
Delonte West
Shaquille O'neal
JJ Hickson
LeBron James

Coming off the bench then is:

Antawn Jamison (a starter on any other team in the NBA)
Anderson Varejao (a starter on most teams in the NBA)
Anthony Parker (can really spread the floor, and plays above average defense)
Jamario Moon (also spreads floor with good defense)
Leon Powe (The Cav Killer should provide toughness if he can prove healthy)
Daniel "Boobie" Gibson (with as many open looks as he'll get, he should be a marksman from the 3pt line)
Darnell Jackson (may see the floor more often until/if we see Z come back)

Is that the lineup to bring Cleveland the Championship it so yearns for? I'm not sure, but I do know, if I'm Danny Ferry, I feel good about my chances.

Well done, Danny. Well done.

Love,

Cleveland Fans Everywhere

Shaq Keeping it Real

2010-02-13T12:39:00.002-05:00

How can you not love Shaquille O'Neal?

His Shaqship was shocked — shocked! — the Orlando Magic had the nerve to double-team him Thursday night, even though the Magic's starting center, Dwight Howard, likes to call himself "Superman."

Shaq is old school. He comes from a time when men were men and superheroes were superheroes.

The essence of his message to Howard on Thursday was this: "I was Superman before you were Superman. And besides, you ain't really even Superman, so stop calling your tired self that, anyway."

The only thing missing was a "Why, I oughta ... " from Shaq.

"When I was coming up," said the world's largest human being, "there was Patrick Ewing and Hakeem (Olajuwon), I never doubled anybody. You tell me who the real Superman is. Don't compare me to nobody. I'd rather not be mentioned. I'm offended.

"Don't let them (the Magic) double team me and make it a him vs. me thing. Eighteen years straight, Hakeem, Patrick, Rik Smits, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, the best of the best, straight up. I never doubled nobody, nor have I ever asked for a double team."

Got that?

Just to make sure reporters did, at the end of his postgame rant, the big fella got downright Shaqeloquent: "Superman, my (butt)."

Another Cavs Rumor

2010-02-13T12:35:00.004-05:00

Rumors are circulating that the Cavaliers are on the verge of acquiring forward/center Troy Murphy from the Indiana Pacers.

A source said Friday that wasn't true.

The Cavs might be reluctant to give up second-year forward J.J. Hickson or a first-round pick in the Pacers' deal.

If they can trade center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and get him back in 30 days, they might be inclined to make such a deal.

The 6-foot-11, 245-pound Murphy is averaging 14 points and 9.9 rebounds and is shooting 38.6 percent from the 3-point line.

- News Herald

Salty's Thoughts: I love how the News Herald posts the rumor, then the next line says a source said it isn't true. Why post it then? Anyways, stay tuned for all the Cavs trade hype and non-hype.

The Plain Dealer is reporting the Cleveland Cavaliers are in negotiations to acquire Suns All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire.

2010-02-13T12:28:00.001-05:00

The Plain Dealer is reporting the Cleveland Cavaliers are in negotiations to acquire Suns All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire.

Citing multiple league sources, the report confirms a meeting between Cavs general manager Danny Ferry and Suns GM Steve Kerr Friday afternoon in Dallas.

According to the paper, sources indicated the Cavs and Suns have been discussing a deal involving the five-time All-Star for nearly a month.

The two teams have collaborated on deals before, including a trade that sent Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland in the summer of 2009.

In recent weeks, Stoudemire has heard his name pop up in one trade rumor after another. Suns coach Alvin Gentry had a discussion with his big man before the Suns' victory over the Nuggets last week about all the speculation, reminding Stoudemire the situation is completely out of his control.

"I told him he's got to try to put it behind him and move on because whatever happens is going to happen," Gentry said after the game. "It always happens this time of year, there's someone that's always the talk -- it just happens to be him this year."

Article here.

Browns interested in Tebow?

2010-02-05T14:13:00.003-05:00

This just in from ESPN Insider:

"Tim Tebow's name is arguably one of the more controversial right now, and that's just regarding what his draft stock looks like. A rumor has been floating around all season that the Patriots were interested in him, and it's back as of last week, courtesy of the Boston Globe's Albert Breer."

"Earlier this week, we also wondered whether or not the CFL was a good option. The National Post had word that the Montreal Alouettes secured negotiating rights with the Florida product, meaning if he were to go to the CFL, he'd land with guru Marc Trestman. We argued upon hearing the news that perhaps some work in the CFL could increase Tebow's NFL viability down the road, seeing as it worked for Hall of Famer Warren Moon, Doug Flutie and Jeff Garcia."

"Back south of the border, a new team has potentially entered the mix, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer has word that new Browns GM Tom Heckert came away "impressed" with Tebow following his time at the Senior Bowl. AFC North blogger James Walker is not swayed that the Browns would actually make the move:"

James Walker's take:

"This doesn't necessarily mean the Browns are interested. Everyone will say great things about Tebow's strengths publicly before the draft, while scrutinizing his weaknesses in private."

Todd McShay's take:

"We cannot find a way to give him any higher than a third-round grade, and even then we envision him as nothing more than a Wildcat or short-yardage quarterback who could move to H-back. Overall, Senior Bowl week could not have gone worse from an on-the-field standpoint."

Cavs Getting Love

2010-02-01T12:26:00.002-05:00

The only contender that is looking and acting like the real thing at the moment is the Cavaliers, who have already finished a season-sweep of the Lakers.

Took a trip to Pittsburgh

2010-01-25T11:14:00.001-05:00

Had to mark my territory.

Believe or Leave, baby.

Cavs Rumor Gaining Steam?

2010-01-20T09:39:00.002-05:00

Rumor has the Cavs trading for the Hornets David West and sending Z to them.

Kicker is, the Hornets would buy out Z's contract and release him. He would then be able to resign with the Cavaliers after 30 days.

Um, wow.

Cavs Making Moves?

2010-01-18T11:36:00.002-05:00

Looking doubtful the Cavs will be keeping both Z and Shaq as the trading deadline becomes closer.

Troy Murphy (pictured right drinking a chilly one) and Chris Bosh seem to be the names that keep popping up.

Both of the Cavs big men have expiring contracts, and as we know, that makes them NBA Gold.

ps: Just typed 'expiring contract' into Google and Z's name was the first thing to come up, accompanied by a Cleveland.com article.

"Zydrunas Ilgauskas is bracing himself for the storm. For at least the next six weeks he has a new attachment to his name when it comes to clandestine trade talks and media reports: expiring contract."

Whole article.

Browns QB Next Year

2010-01-18T11:29:00.002-05:00

Rumors have Kevin Kolb (PHI) to the Browns in a draft day trade. This seems to be gaining some steam. Stay tuned.

The guy on the right achieves greatness the right way

2010-01-13T14:10:00.003-05:00

With Mark McGwire back in the news I've been thinking about Major League Baseball and how tarnished the sport's reputation has become with several of its record-breaking superstar sluggers using banned substances to achieve greatness.

McGwire hit 49 home runs as a rookie. We all had his Topps All-Star Rookie card. Some of us maybe even had a green Athletics jersey. Oakland went on to win the World Series that year, the year of the San Francisco earthquake.

1990 was a memorable year for me. I remember going to a day-night doubleheader at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Tribe vs. A's. July 6. Bash Brothers in full-force! It was during the first of two games when the Athletics hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs. It was Rickey Henderson, Carney Lansford, Jose Canseco and McGwire. They hit seven home runs as a team that day, winning by a score of 12-1. Oakland went on to another World Series that year, but lost to Cincinnati. Big Mac his 32 dingers that year.

Then he hit 33, 39, 22 and 42 home runs in his next four seasons. These were all seasons he played in his 20s. Then he was injured. When he was 29, he hit 9 HRs. When he was 30, he hit 9 HRs again, battling injuries.

During those two injury-riddled seasons, McGwire gradually began packing on weight in the form of muscle, similar to the way Barry Bonds did it. McGwire was 6'3", 220 lbs. for much of his playing days throughout his 20s. In the 1995 season, when McGwire reported to spring training he was listed as 6'3", 258 lbs. He was 31. He hit 39 HRs that year.

When McGwire was 32, he hit 52 HRs. At 33, he hit 58. At age 34, he hit 70. At age 35, he hit 65. At age 36, he hit 32. And during his final season, McGwire (at age 37) hit 29 HRs.

It was during that final season that the city of St. Louis saw a changing of the guard. McGwire was on his way out and he had a new teammate named Albert Pujols who was on his way in.

In 2001, Pujols came into spring training listed at 6'3" (just like McGwire), but weighed only 210 lbs. (38 pounds lighter than McGwire). He was only 21 years old.

At this point McGwire was deeply-rooted in steroids and human-growth hormone. On the other hand, Pujols had never even thought about taking performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).

The list of baseball greats who have admittedly used, or have been otherwise linked to using, PEDs is sickening. Names like Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire could have been baseball heroes. Immortals. Instead, they now leave tarnished legacies.

Several other players saw a two-to-three season surge in their power numbers. Players like Luis Gonzalez and Brady Anderson come to mind.

I started thinking about which players who have used PEDs would have accomplished Hall of Fame worthy numbers had they never used. Bonds, Ramierez and Rodriguez probably would have. However, when you start talking hypotheticals you are essentially guessing.

So then I wondered which players from the "Steroids Era," which according to Dan Patrick dates from 1994-present, have compiled Hall of Fame careers while playing the national past-time clean and honest.

Derek Jeter has, but then again he has never really been a power threat, which is what steroids have been all about. I wanted to know which player(s) have hung in there with the 'roid boys without ever cheating the game.

Ryan Howard has. So has Ken Griffey Jr.

But one name sticks out more than those two - a clean slugger who has hit for power and average, and whose numbers are comparable to other players who have reaped the benefits of enhancing their bodies through use of PEDs. I believe this name stands out more because this one player in particular has been cheated out of several individuals honors by players who were allegedly cheating.

This player was selected in the 13th round of the 1999 amateur draft by the St. Louis Cardinals ... and his name is Albert Pujols.

As previously stated, Pujols made his MLB debut in 2001, which happened to be McGwire's final season. Pujols missed one game that year, batted .329 with 37 home runs, 130 RBIs and 112 runs scored. That year he finished fourth in the National League Most Valuable Player (NL MVP) award voting.

Here is what Pujols has done since then:

2002 - missed 5 games, hit .314, 34 HR, 127 RBI, 118 R.

- Finished 2nd in the NL MVP.

2003 - missed 5 games, hit .359, 43 HR, 124 RBI, 137 R.

- Finished 2nd in the NL MVP.

2004 - missed 8 games, hit .331, 46 HR, 123 RBI, 133 R.

- Finished 3rd in the NL MVP.

2005 - missed 1 game, hit .330, 41 HR, 117 RBI, 129 R.

- Won his 1st MVP.

2006 - missed 19 games, hit .331, 49 HR, 137 RBI, 119 R.

- Finished 2nd in the NL MVP.

2007 - missed 4 games, hit .327, 32 HR, 103 RBI, 99 R.

- Finished 9th in the NL MVP.

2008 - missed 14 games, hit .357, 37 HR, 116 RBI, 100 R.

- Won his 2nd MVP.

2009 - missed 2 games, hit .327, 47 HR, 135 RBI, 124 R.

- Won his 3rd MVP.

In this nine-season span, Pujols played in 96 percent of his team's games and has amassed a career batting average of .334 with 366 home runs, 1,112 runs batted in, 1,071 runs scored and three NL MVP awards. He won one batting title, led the league in homers and hits once, led the league in runs scored and total bases four times, and led the league in slugging percentage and OPS three times. He has been elected to eight All-Star teams, has been awarded five Silver Slugger awards and one Gold Glove award. Oh yeah, and he was chosen as the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year.

That's quite a list of accomplishments for a player who has yet to play a game in his 30s.

But my jaw dropped when I considered that Pujols has played for nine seasons, won the NL MVP three times, and finished second, third or fourth a total of five times.

Here is a slugger who has racked up Hall of Fame-type numbers during the steroids era, without ever using steroids or other PEDs. And four out of the five times Pujols did not bring home an MVP, the recipients of the award were shady MLB characters with bulging biceps.

In 2001, when Pujols was 4th in the MVP voting, the Nos. 1-3 players were Bonds, Sosa and Gonzalez. Bonds and Sosa have been linked to PEDs, and I should note that Gonzalez set a career high in home runs and RBIs that year, at the age of 33. Gonzalez hit more than 30 HRs in a single-season only one other time (in 2000) during his 19-year career. So his 2001 season is questionable. Too big a jump in the power numbers for such a small guy. Take the 2001 NL MVP award away from Bonds, skip over Sosa and Gonzalez, and give it to Pujols (making it MVP #4 for him).

In 2002, Pujols finished 2nd to Bonds. Take it away from Bonds and give it to Pujols (MVP #5).

In 2003, same story for Pujols, finishing 2nd to Bonds. Give it to Albert! (MVP #6).

In 2004, Pujols finished 3rd behind Bonds and Adrian Beltre. Beltre had 48 dingers and 121 RBI. The 48 HR was the only time in Beltre's 12 MLB seasons that he's hit more than 26 HR. And the 121 RBI was the only time he ever eclipsed 100. Questionable! Take it away from Bonds, skip Beltre (who has been linked) and give it to its rightful owner: Pujols (MVP #7).

In 2006, Pujols finished 2nd to Ryan Howard. Howard has never been linked to PEDs. This was a legit 2nd place showing for Pujols.

In 2007, Pujols finished 9th. Every player Nos. 1-8 seem to be legit. They were (in order) Jimmy Rollins, Matt Holliday, Prince Fielder, David Wright, Ryan Howard, Chipper Jones, Jake Peavy and Chase Utley.

To recap, in Pujols' nine-year MLB career, he's been awarded the NL MVP three times, but he should've been the recipient of that award four more times, giving him a total of seven MVPs in nine years.

But apparently Pujols doesn't mind. He's all about hard work and practice and doesn't care much for individual accolades. In fact, his message for his 2009 Sports Illustrated cover story was "Don't be afraid to believe in me."

Despite that, many people still are. And how can you blame them. As soon as one baseball hero gets his reputation tarnished, we collectively move on to the next one, only to be disappointed again. A perfect example of this was the shift from Mark McGwire as baseball's savior to Barry Bonds ... and then from Barry Bonds to Alex Rodriguez ... and so on. But Pujols doesn't care if he is known for being a great baseball player, like so many others do. He also says there is no reason for him to take PEDs.

In the SI article, he stated, "You know how I want people to remember me? I don't want to be remembered as the best baseball player ever. I want to be remembered as a great guy who loved the Lord, loved to serve the community and who gave back. That's the guy I want to be remembered as when I'm done wearing this uniform. That's from the bottom of my heart."

And now that McGwire is the St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach, if at some point Pujols even remotely considers enhancing his on-field performance illegally, the older, wiser Big Mac will be there in the locker room as a reminder of how quickly one can go from being a hero to being a villain.

And right now, Albert Pujols is one baseball great who I'm not afraid to believe in.

Some thoughts

2010-01-11T11:19:00.002-05:00

Hearing that Tom Cable will be fired soon from Oakland.

Browns should be announcing a new GM today.

Josh Cribbs still posting stuff about money on his Twitter page.

D'Qwell Jackson thinks Cribbs should be paid more.

Chad Johnson loves bitching that his team lost, but, where was he? Talk about the Invisible Man.

Seeing Ed Reed pick that ball off yesterday reminded me that he should be a Cleveland Brown. I remember watching that draft, and he and Willie Green were on the board. Rumor had it we stayed away from Reed because of 'off the field issues', then Willie Green went off and got stabbed because he was shady. Good call, Browns management. Good call.

Pete Carroll left USC because he knew the gig was up. It's amazing to me how a coach can be a 'winner' while breaking so many rules, and then just jump ship to another college or even the NFL. Shady, and a real shame.

No chance Texas loses if Colt McCoy doesn't get hurt.

Going to go out on a limb here...Willie Parker will be a Cleveland Brown next year.

Cribbs's Tweets

2010-01-07T11:02:00.002-05:00

Josh Cribbs is upset about his contract. As we've become accustomed to, he has taken to Twitter to vent his frustration. Here's his last three tweets.

What would an athlete do without Twitter? Would they have to actually man up and have a conversation with their agent and/or team? Gasp! Who could imagine that!!

Tweet time:

"It's now time for me to let go & Let God. I've said all I needed to now I give it to him who is above all, the real Boss in charge of salary"

"I'm sorry guys i don't want to seem greedy but fair is fair & there is no way around it, i'm the best at what I do but paid the lowest. Hmmm"

"Thanks to all browns fans who stuck with us all year even tho u didn't want to, & to all who gave me words of wisdom that encouraged me...Thanks everyone, I love playing for the browns & put my all in to it, but it doesn't look good 4me at this point on returning...I don't believe I made the to do list for the team in 2010.''

Thoughts?

4 in a Row?

2010-01-04T11:24:00.002-05:00

Say it ain't so!

First time we've won 4 games in a row since 1994. That's awesome and sad at the same time.

Am I overly excited? Not exactly.

The Browns did just enough to make us look forward to next year. Like they always do. Whether it's a signing of a Czar (Holmgren) or a big signing (Shaun Rogers, Corey Williams) or drafting 'studs' (Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn), they Brownies always have a way of baiting us back. I would prefer they drive around in a dark van and offer us candy, personally.

Anyways, the crowd yesterday when we beat the Jaguars was AWESOME. Clearly Cleveland's hardcore showed up yesterday at the Muni Lot and Cleveland Browns Stadium. What a blast. Crowd (even though it was somewhat empty) was loud, fired up and wanted to see a victory.

The Browns didn't disappoint. Jerome Harrison was sluggish at first, but really got the legs going. Josh Cribbs continues to electrify. Pay him. Thanks. Joe Thomas was laying pancakes like the Waffle House and the crowd was eating them up!

All that being said, we won 5 games this year. Granted we beat the Steelers, which was like a Poor Mans Super Bowl, but then we beat KC, Oakland and now Jacksonville. I'll take wins, don't get me wrong, but I'm not cutting up confetti and uncorking champagne. The Cleveland Browns have a ton of work to do.

That work starts with Holmgren and our 11 draft picks. Stay tuned as we break down some things relating to the draft.

ps: picture is a shot from Muni at roughly 11am yesterday.

Browns Town? Why not...

2009-12-27T13:26:00.002-05:00

Oaklands kicker looks like Ben Rothlisberger.

DA looks like Z in a helmet.

Is Jerome Harrison the real deal Holyfield? Or is he simply benefiting from playing KC then Oakland?

"DA is sooooo bad" - Nasty Nate Thompson

I'm grubbin some wings from Quaker Steak. LA Lickers sauce and Thai'r Kicker. They are good, but really, a dollar a wing? Kinda steep.

Speaking of Nate and Harrison, he is getting up slowly after a return. Nate is starting him in the PBRXFL Championship game today. Who would've thought?

Anderson is lanky and slow. Gerard Warren with a sack. Screw him.

Some QB's are really having a big first quarter.

- Schaub with 200yds, 2TD's. He's 10/11

- Brady has 90yds, 1TD. He's 7/7

- Eli Manning with 75yds. He's 9/10

- Matt Ryan has 90yds with two scores

First Quarter ticking down in Cleveland

Browns 10 Oakland 3

Quinn done for 2009

2009-12-22T11:03:00.002-05:00

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Brady Quinn has been placed on injured reserve with a right foot injury sustained on his 24 yard run at the end of Sunday's 41-34 victory over Kansas City and will be lost for the season.

"It's going to take a little while (to heal),'' said coach Eric Mangini.

He said he's not yet certain if he'll undergo surgery.

Derek Anderson will start Sunday against the Raiders. Brett Ratliff will be the No. 2 and Josh Cribbs will be the No. 3.

Quinn went 2-7 as a starter this season, and is the NFL's 26th ranked quarterback with a 67.2 rating. Anderson went 1-4 this season with a dismal 36.2 rating.

It's the second straight season Quinn will finish the season in IR. "He's done a lot of good things,'' said Mangini. "I think the no-huddle helped him and helped us.''

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2009/12/cleveland_browns_brady_quinn_o.html

Braylon Not Paying?

2009-12-21T12:34:00.002-05:00

A former "America's Next Top Model" contestant is reportedly suing former Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards for up to $70,000 a month in child support. The New York Post reported that 25-year-old Nik Pace gave birth to Edwards' son in August. The article says Edwards filed in Atlanta to be recognized as the boy's father, but Pace objected and sued for child support in New York. According to the Post, Pace's lawyer said Edwards filed in Georgia because the state is traditionally less generous with child support payments.

But a source said that Edwards wants to be a part of his child's life and filed in Georgia because that's where Pace lived and gave birth, only moving to New York in November. Edwards' attorney, Randy Kessler, said Edwards has loved and supported his son since before he was born.

Pace was a finalist on "Top Model" in 2005.

Browns Awards

2009-12-21T12:09:00.002-05:00

The Browns should have the Offensive Player of the Week (Jerome Harrison) and the Special Teams Player of the Week (Josh Cribbs) - go Browns town!

Holmgren coming to town?

2009-12-21T10:50:00.002-05:00

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Mike Holmgren is coming to town
He's making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice
Mike Holmgren is coming to town
He sees you when you're eating too much
He knows when you're awake
He knows if your blocking has been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Mike Holmgren is coming to town...
Mike Holmgren is coming to town

One Extraordinary Figure

2009-12-14T14:32:00.003-05:00

Sometimes extraordinary people do extraordinary things. And sometimes those same people are kind, thoughtful and modest, and might believe the things they do are nothing more than ordinary.

Today marks one year since the passing of Kevin J. Rodstrom, a truly extraordinary guy who did extraordinary things. But my belief is that Kevin thought he lived an ordinary life. Little did he know, that as a grandson, son, brother, best friend, friend, and just as an acquaintance to some people, he left an indelible mark on peoples' lives that will be forever remembered.

Sometimes ordinary people (or seemingly ordinary sports teams) need an extraordinary inspirational figure in order to accomplish extraordinary things. How many people have ever accomplished something in honor of someone or for someone?

As much as family and friendship were important to Kevin, sports played a big role in his life. On Nov. 14, 2009, I ran the SunTrust Richmond Marathon. At that event I encountered countless runners who donned t-shirts noting that this guy was running for this cause, or that girl was running in honor of that sister or mother, etc. On this particular day, I wore my red-colored multiple sclerosis bracelet in honor of my dad, who is living with MS.

But one of the big motivators of mine, who helped me through countless long training runs, was Kevin. I had no RoddyWear to sport for my marathon, so instead I simply used a black Sharpie marker to color a portion of my red bracelet black, in honor of Kevin and to represent the eye-black I'd seen him wear on a few occasions during baseball games.

Somewhere around mile 18 during the marathon I reached a stumbling block. My right foot was throbbing and I stopped to check it out. I now had a nagging injury and wasn't sure that I could make it through the remaining eight or so miles to the finish. It was cold. The sky was gray. It was raining. The tip of my yellow shoe was turning red like Curt Schilling's sock during Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS. And they say that in the marathon that the halfway point is mile 20. So I knew that this hurdle I was up against was going to be a challenge.

I looked around for a brief moment and saw an elderly man wearing a "Veteran" ballcap. I observed a police officer place his hand onto the shoulder of another struggling runner, offering words of encouragement. One runner passed by wearing a LiveStrong t-shirt.

And then I looked down at my red bracelet with the black stripe and thought, "If I'm going to get through this, I'm gonna need a little help guys." And at that moment, I sucked it up, hobbled along and eventually finished all 26.2 miles. My finish time was average, but the important thing was that I finished. I'd accomplished something extraordinary that most people never do, and in my case it took the inspiration of a couple extraordinary figures, Kevin being one of them.

On June 12, 2009, the Painesville Little League was holding its annual City Championship game at Calhoun Field. From what I'm told, one of the teams participating in this game was sponsored in memory of Kevin.

This game was reportedly an instant classic, taking three extra innings to determine a champion. And finally, at 10:48 p.m., the team that was sponsored in memory of Kevin emerged victorious in a 21-20 thriller.

One of the people who attended this game said, "It was one of the best Little League games I have ever witnessed," and "It was quite a testament to Kevin and his family. We felt that Kevin was with that team every game!"

This was perhaps an ordinary team of Little Leaguers that went on to do extraordinary things, and whether the kids knew it or not, they had a big angel with a big heart looking down over them, helping them every step of the way.

My wife and I recently made a trip up to Ohio for Thanksgiving. I wanted to take some time to run through the places where I'd grown up and observe what's changed over time and what remained the same. I did runs through Painesville City, Fairport Harbor, downtown Cleveland, Painesville Township, Concord Township, etc. On one particular morning I had my dad drop me off at the start of the new Lake MetroParks trail on Ravenna Rd. I planned on running from that point all the way back to my parents' home in Fairport Harbor, a distance totaling seven miles.

But when I arrived at Bank St., by where George's Famous Dinner Bell used to be, I took a slight detour. I swung it down around by the train tressel on Rt. 84 and remembered painting that on one occasion with Kevin, my brother, and a few others. I chuckled at the memory, and at the fact that based on my observations the tradition was still alive and well.

I hooked a left at the light and went over the train tracks, then took a welcomed walking break at Riverside Cemetery. This was my first visit to Kevin in years, and it was a nice way to break-up the long run. It was Nov. 28, 2009. Kevin would have been 31 years old.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, my throat was cold and dry. I shook my head and thought to myself, "Damn! Too young! Way too young!"

In five months I'll be turning 31 years old. Life is so precious. In the time I've had to reflect, I've realized that each day we have is a gift. And if we live our lives as Kevin did his - honorably and to the best of our abilities - after we're gone the best gift we can ever give anyone is the gift of knowing that we lived life to the fullest. Like each day was our last. We need to think extraordinary. We need to believe extraordinary. We need to live extraordinary.

And then maybe, just maybe, those who we one day leave behind can be inspired to keep our memories alive and do extraordinary things as well.

State of Affairs (Part 1)

2009-12-08T12:17:00.005-05:00

I am going to take some time to point out some things about the Cleveland Browns.

I'm going to jump around a bit I'm sure, but let's try to start with two main guys that no longer play for us.

Braylon Edwards (33 catches, 505 yards, 3 Touchdowns). Remember when he left the Browns and scored for the Jets, everyone freaked out and said how horrible of a move it was for us to 'dump' him. To those same people, did any of you see on Sportscenter last week where Braylon was thrown an easy touchdown ball, in stride, and it hit off his facemask? Good riddance.

Kellen Winslow (58 catches, 633 yards, 5 Touchdowns). Granted, K2 hasn't played for the Browns at all this year, and Braylon did, so he has some better stats. But, he's also seen a QB change, and now has a rookie throwing to him. That being said, I personally miss K2 more than I miss Braylon. Yes, Braylon was double covered. Yes, at times, he makes circus catches. But I can't get over his drops and his attitude. Sorry, but I'd prefer to have K2 right now. In a perfect world, I'd like to have both and be winning. Believe that.

Now, the Brown got Chansi Stuckey (24 catches, 204 yards, 2 Touchdowns) from the Jets in the Edwards deal. The guy has some talent, but our offense is too bad to know if he should be starting.

The other Browns receivers are as follows:

Mohaned Massaquoi (28 catches, 509 yards, 2 Touchdowns). Imagine his numbers if he's the #2 behind Braylon and has K2 drawing attention as well. Kid has shown some flashes, but once again, we're too inconsistent to know if he's a game changer.

Brian Robiskie (5 catches, 92 yards, 0 Touchdowns). This guy has been lost. Why do we draft a WR so early, and then make him inactive? Ray Maualuga (47 tackles, 2 fumbles recovered, 1 sack) would've been a much better pick for us in my eyes. Or, maybe we could've taken Clay Matthews Jr (35 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 7 sacks). At worst, Matthews would've sold a truckload of jerseys to Cleveland faithfuls.

Josh Cribbs needs to be paid. Now. The guy lays his body out on the line play after play, and should be compensated for it. He's not just a kick returner. He's a Special Teams stud, a WR, a QB and a RB. Pay him, he does deserve it.

Brady Quinn (1183 yards, 8 touchdowns, 5 interceptions) isn't bad. I'm not saying he sucks or that he's the answer. He simply isn't bad. I will say this; I am ok with him being our starting QB in 2010, as we address other needs of the team in the upcoming NFL Draft. Believe that.

I am sorry to see Jamal Lewis go out this way. Say what you want, but he's a gamer. I hope he doesn't walk away, but I do think he's going to.

I hope Shaun Rogers makes a full recovery. He's a big man to be nursing a leg injury, and he's 31, so time will tell.

Corey Williams needs to shut up and play. Upset about your playing time? Try producing on the field. For what he's paid, he should have a much better season under his belt.

We do miss D'Qwell Jackson (59 tackles, 1 forced fumble). I also hope he's ready to rock next season, we'll sure need him.

Wouldn't be shocked if we tried out or drafted a kicker next year. Just sayin'

Who will our punter be in 2010?

Who thinks the Browns have a shot this Thursday against the Steelers?

Rogers Done for Year

2009-11-30T14:59:00.001-05:00

Browns will place NT Shaun Rogers (ankle) on injured reserve, ending his season. The team hasn't said if Rogers ruptured his Achilles or broke his ankle, but he will undergo surgery. An Achilles' tear could jeopardize Rogers' status for Week 1 in 2010. Turning 31 in March, Rogers is due a $6.9 million base salary next season.

Gooden Heckling

2009-11-04T12:43:00.001-05:00

Heckling by Los Angeles Clippers fans may have led to the Mavericks' Drew Gooden saying some allegedly insensitive comments during the Mavericks' game at Staples Center on Saturday. Gooden did not play and was dressed in street clothes behind the bench. According to the Web site Outsports.com, Gooden yelled a homophobic slur at a pair of fans seated near the Mavericks bench. The Web site said Gooden yelled the slur at actor Chris Wylde, who is married and is not gay and was attending the game with a friend.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Salty's Thoughts: Um, hey Drew, nice picture. And you're the one calling names?

'Bron to LA?

2009-11-04T12:23:00.002-05:00

Well, at least I'm fairly sure now where LeBron James is going to be playing next season. Los Angeles, most likely with the Lakers. I've heard this scenario from some NBA people. I don't think James would have any problem submerging his ego for Bryant's for a while knowing full well his talent already is surpassing Bryant's. James has often talked about expanding his empire, and lately has been involved with books and movies. So where else but in L.A. would you want to be to be involved in the entertainment industry?

bulls.com

Salty's Thoughts: It's not 1981. You don't have to live in LA or NY to be involved in the entertainment industry. He's in commercials, tv shows, movies etc now and resides in good old Ohio. Welcome back, LeBron. I said it first.

Browns need a GM

2009-11-03T13:51:00.002-05:00

So the Cleveland Browns fired their General Manager yesterday. George Kokinis was escorted by security yesterday around noon out of the Browns facility. Seems a little overkill to me, but obviously Lerner wanted people to know he was done.

Speaking of Lerner, rumor has it he's interested in grooming Bernie Kosar to become the next tenured (or not so tenured) GM of the Cleveland Browns. Also hearing that he wants Ernie Accorsi to groom him. Sounds like Lerner is trying to kiss up to the Cleveland faithful here to me. Kosar is far from being a GM, but Lerner knows that he's a Cleveland Icon, and if Kosar seems to have Lerners back, so will the Dawgs. Or so they hope.

Eric Mangini's job is safe. I actually think that's a good thing. Remember, we are still paying Romeo Crennel, Phil Savage, and now Kokinis. Glad we didn't add Mangini to the list of guys on the payroll that are sitting home spending my money. And yes, I call it my money because I own four season tickets and spend my money on their merchandise, food and drinks. So yes, I feel that I'm paying guys to sit home and hit refresh on the bank account page and then laugh when the direct desposit hits. Imagine that visual. Romeo on a Friday morning in sweat pants and a Browns tshirt, hitting refresh (and about eleven other keys because his hands are so large), spilling powder from his donut on the keyboard, and then cackling when the $200,000 bi weekly deposit shows up. It's like telling Howie Mandell you'll take the deal.

Lerner is also meeting with two "long time season ticket holders". I won't even name their names here. He's actually meeting with two media hogs that do anything and everything they can to get on TV. Including but not limited to catching Chad Ocho Cinco Johnson when he jumped into the Dawg Pound. Could you imagine anyone diving into the Dawg Pound at the old stadium? Forget it. In my eyes, Lerner should take his precious time and meet with a few season ticket holders that save up all damn year to fork over their VERY hard earned cash to show up every Sunday on a budget and watch a very, very subpar product get their teeth kicked in every week.

It's like showing up to a Bruce Springsteen concert and finding out that The Boss isn't going to play today and instead you get to see Weird Al. Oh, and as for a refund, you must be joking, right?

Imagine sitting down in a movie theater to see the newest, biggest release out there, and they instead show you an infomercial. Refund? Sorry, I don't speak that language.

We pay to show up and see a PROFESSIONAL football team play 10 times a year. Yet, we haven't seen a PROFESSIONAL footbeall team in 10+ years.

So after 10+ years, millions of dollars spent, countless hours sitting frozen in our seats, paying for PSL's, all we get is to be represented by two "long time season ticket holders"? Who appointed them the Official Spokesman for the Pissed Off Fans Coalition of Cleveland? I don't remember casting my vote, do you?

ps: I'm sending my resume to Lerner for the open GM position. I recommend you do the same. You never know who he's going to hire next.

Flashback: Cavs vs Celtics 10/27/09

2009-10-28T10:13:00.002-04:00

Here's a few thoughts as I look back on that game.

- The Cavs came out fired up, to say the least. Early 14 point lead, they were cruising. Then, just like the playoffs last year, they slowed down. The other team, in this case Boston, started hitting open 3's and the Cavs fell behind. Is it our defensive scheme? Are they making adjustments and the Cavs aren't?

- I will have to check the box score, but I felt like Z played more minutes than Shaq.

- I've already seen enough of Z and Shaq being on the floor together.
- Z really seems to be even slower than he was in the playoffs last year. Not a good sign considering this was the first game of the year.

- I hate Rasheed Wallace. I hated him 100% last year and hate him 200% this year since he's wearing a Celtics jersey.

- Ray Allen still has a sweet stroke. They don't call him Jesus Shuttlesworth for nothing.

- Boobie Gibson's play, or lack there of, reminds me how vital Delonte West is to our bench.
- Part of me wishes that LeBron would've taken D-West under his wing this summer instead of Hickson.

- Speaking of Hickson, the guy seems to always be flailing in the air, grabbing at air and coming down with air. GRAB THE BALL, JJ.

- Jamario Moon has hops.

- If you're going for an 'easy lay up' and LeBron is within 103 feet behind you, lay down and play dead. Hell, stop - drop - and roll if you have to. The man is going to make a poster out of you. You will end up on Sportscenter. Good morning, Rondo.

- Granted he's coming off of an injury last season, but Kevin Garnett can't jump. I'm sure he'll get his legs under him, but he looked like a shell of his former self last night. His team did come out on top, however.

- Marquis Daniels looks like he's straight out of Grand Theft Auto. He and Delonte can ride bikes together.

- When Shaq threw Garnett down yesterday, you could tell it hurt. Garnett got up and pounded his chest if as to prove he's a warrior. He got up very slowly. Like an old man that fell on the Bocce court. It hurt. I wish Shaq would've done it more.

- The Cavs should really sign Antonio Daniels. Cut Coby Karl and get Daniels in. He can surely run that offense better than Boobie, and he surely isn't as soft.

- Anthony Parker can play. I like what he brings to the floor and I think he's going to be a great signing by the Cavs.

- Charles Barkley is a joke. Complete joke. Untied shoes? White shoes with a black suit? Plus, you can't understand half the stuff he's saying. He wants to be a GM one day? JOKE.

- LeBron can hit shots from anywhere. Literally, anywhere.

- Game 1 of the season felt like a Playoff Game. That only means one thing; we are in for a long, fun season!

Fugetaboudit! It's a Mangini!

2009-10-26T18:59:00.002-04:00

That's what we Browns fans can say every time Derek "Generic" Anderson steps onto the field as the team's starting quarterback, every time Generic Anderson throws a wild pass or interception, every time Generic Anderson gets sacked and fumbles the ball, and every time the Browns lose a game that Generic Anderson quarterbacks.

"Fugetaboudit! It's a Mangini!"

Yes, this guy is generic in every sense of the term. He's a poor man's Brett Favre. Big arm with wild tendencies. Only he rarely ever has his moments of glory.

Take away the very lucky (and streaky) year of 2007 when the Browns had the league's softest schedule, and Derek Anderson wouldn't even be playing in the NFL in 2009. He be an afterthought. But the Browns exist. So he is still here. Haunting us in our dreams.

So it begs the question: Why on Earth is Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini sticking with Derek Anderson as the team's starting quarterback, and not switching back to Brady Quinn? It's almost like Mangini is waiting for a 2007 Week 1 (Bengals game) miracle to happen just so that he can say, "I told you so!"

Sure, fans really hate it when there is a quarterback controversy and they lose confidence in their head coach when he switches back-and-forth. Coaches don't like doing it either. It makes them look as though they haven't a clue how to effectively do their jobs.

But in this case - the case of Anderson vs. Quinn - any sound football mind in Mangini's current situation would be absolutely bonkers not to make the switch back to Quinn.

But for whatever reason, Mangini just won't budge. He's like a kid who was just told that Santa Claus doesn't exist and starts crying, refusing to listen and let reality sink in. He says it has nothing to do with the $11 million in incentives Quinn would be eligible for if he plays in 70 percent of the team's offensive plays in 2009.

So if that is not the case, then what is?

Quinn was benched after just 10 quarters as a starter. In those 2 1/2 games, Quinn faced the No. 23 (Vikings), No. 2 (Broncos) and No. 15 (Ravens) overall defenses.

Over that span he completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 400 yards, with 1 TD and 3 INTs. He was sacked 10 times and had passer ratings in those three games of 74.1, 58.7 and 42.7.

Bad numbers, sure. There's no doubt about that. But put those numbers up against Anderson's in his three most recent games, vs. the No. 27 (Bills), No. 17 (Steelers) and No. 3 (Packers) overall defenses.

Similar-type defenses, statistically. But far worse numbers.

Over these three games for Anderson, he completed just 32.9 percent of his passes for 244 yards, with 1 TD and 3 INTs. He was sacked five times and had passer ratings of 15.1, 51.0 and 36.4.

Additionally, Anderson fumbled the ball four times in those games compared with Quinn's two.

The teams Quinn played against are a combined 15-4. In the last three games during which Anderson was at the helm, the opponents' combined record was 12-8. Overall, tougher competition for Quinn.

Quinn has done the equivalent of going 0-for-4 with two groundouts, a flyout and a strikeout (swinging), while Anderson has gone 0-for-4 with four strikeouts (all looking). At least Quinn has gotten the bat on the ball.

Quinn has definitely outplayed Anderson this year. And that says a lot based on the quality competition he's faced and the little experience he has.

Coming into his starting role this year, Anderson had 27 starts under his belt. Quinn had just three coming into 2009. So even though this was his 3rd year in the NFL, Quinn is a rookie as far as field commander experience goes. Anderson is a veteran, playing like a bad rookie.

So why Mangini won't make the switch back to Quinn is going to remain a huge question mark.

And do I even need to mention that Anderson was drafted by the Ravens of all teams? For Pete's sake! Go a step further than benching this guy and cut him already.

And until that happens, whenever my friends and co-workers poke fun at me for being a Browns fan, all I can really say is, "Fugetaboudit! It's a Mangini!"

Browns actually won!!??

2009-10-12T11:42:00.002-04:00

Yes, the Cleveland Browns pulled out a victory yesterday, despite setting a franchise low in passing yards.

The previous record was 38 yards in 1953, and the Browns offense was dead set on breaking records, and ended with 22 yards of passing offense!

Derrick Anderson starred as JaMarcus Russell in the game, going 2-17. Not a typo.

Myself and Minniti Thumb counted 6 blatant drops by the Browns, but I've read a few reports that say the Browns had a total of 9 dropped passes yesterday. 9. Unreal. If that's the case then DA coul'dve been 11-17.

Guys that blatantly dropped passes, from my account, were; Robert Royal, Brian Robiskie, Chansi Stuckey (who we got for Braylon Edwards), Jerome Harrison and Mohamed Massaquoi.

The Browns won 6-3 on a pair of field goals by Rent-A-Kicker, Billy Cundiff.

The Browns defense, however, looked good. Our defensive backs have been above and beyond, and Shaun Rogers is playing like an All Pro the last two weeks. He was an absolute beast again yesterday in Buffalo.

The bright spot yesterday was simply the Cleveland Browns Special Teams. That entire unit deserves a game ball. Seriously. Dave Zastudil was outstanding. We had them pinned inside the two yard line at least two times, maybe a few more.

Between the Special Teams and the Defensive Backs + Rogers, the Browns do have a few things to build on. The offense, however, is in serious need of some help. Brady Quinn wasn't getting it done, the wideouts can't catch anything thrown by Anderson, so what are we to do? Jamal Lewis looked good, gaining over 100 yards, but part of that could be that the Bills defense sucks, and they lose 2-3 starters during the game yesterday.

What is wrong with our passing game? Can it be some weird jinx that our wideouts simply can't catch a ball? Is it something that DA is doing? Does he put some weird Ninja Spin on the pigskin, rendering it uncatchable? I'm not sure what it is, but if I'm the Head Coach, I'm spending today trying to figure it out. Hell, call up Bernie. Get his input. Yes, I'm serious.

Are you kidding me?

2009-10-01T12:14:00.004-04:00

As per my usual lunch ritual, I warmed up some grub and then went to CNNSI.com to do some reading. I'm a big fan of the Truth and Rumors section but always peruse the headlines.

What I saw today made my lunch taste no so good, really fast.

In consecutive order, three headlines in a row:

Browns bench Quinn, will start Anderson at QB

Disappointing season dooms Wedge in Cleveland

FanHouse: The six best, worst NFL organizations

I'll give you a *(!@#$ guess as who was voted the next to WORST NFL Organization out there? That's right, the lonely Cleveland Browns.

Three headlines. In. A. Row. They could've added Delonte West's remake of the popular video game, Grand Theft Auto, where he strapped himself with three loaded guns and drove a 3 wheel motorcycle at damaging speeds.

At least they spared us that, right?

Now, as if it weren't bad enough that the Browns were voted the next to WORST NFL Organization out there, guess what TWO other teams were in the top 3?

None other than the hated Pittsburgh Steelers (#2) and the Baltimore Ravens (#3). Our biggest rival and the city that stole our team and organization? I mean, what gives? Steelers, as much as I've always hated them, have always been a ship to envy. They draft well, they play well, and they hire well. We haven't seen them hire a ton, but when they have, they've made the right calls.

As for the Browns? Here's what CNNSI had to say about them;

31. Cleveland: Why did Randy Lerner jump so quickly to hire Mangini, who treats his players like high school kids? The Browns are are 54-110 since returning to the NFL in 1999. Enough said.

Good question...damn good question. I'll admit, I wasn't anti Mangini. I guess I also didn't realize how high on his horse the guy was.

Think about this: The Jets didn't make the playoffs with Mangini last season. He was then FIRED. He had a Hall of Fame Quarterback by the name of Brett Favre and a solid team around him.

The Jets FIRED him. They hired a new coach and drafted a ROOKIE quarterback by the name of Mark Sanchez. They are 3-0.

The Browns are 0-3 and the laughing stock of the NFL. Hell, the Lions won last week. THE LIONS WON LAST WEEK! I just typed that. Twice. Had to be sure it was correct.

Here's what was said about the other teams...thugs.

2. Pittsburgh: Continuity means three coaches over 40 years, with a record six Super Bowl wins. Dan Rooney, his son Art and the rest of the front office has hired superbly and drafted well. They know luck plays a part -- if the Giants hadn't been able to trade for Eli Manning, they would have drafted Ben Roethlisberger and maybe the Steelers wouldn't have won two titles in four years. But they get premier players with low picks and develop talent -- when it doesn't gel at first, it still seems to work in the long-run, like with James Harrison, cut and re-signed a bunch of times until he developed into the league's most dangerous pass rusher.

3. Baltimore: One title this decade and little change at the top, other than the dismissal of Brian Billick after the 2007 season. Who replaced him? John Harbaugh, who fans didn't know and wasn't on anyone's "hot list.'' Record so far: 16-6. The continuity comes from Ozzie Newsome, who has been running the personnel operation since 1996 after going straight from a Hall of Fame career on the field to the front office. Twenty-five teams passed on Ray Lewis before Newsome took him and 23 passed on Ed Reed. Joe Flacco looks like the next great QB (if Matt Ryan isn't already it).

Awesome, huh? As if we didn't hate both of them enough as it is. That being said, it's hard to argue with anything they typed above, it really is.

Back to my lunch.

"Handoff to Harrison" is the new "Metcalf up the middle"

2009-09-29T01:00:00.003-04:00

Reading the play-by-play for the first half of the Browns' embarrassing 34-3 loss to the Ravens, and I got sick and tired of reading Jerome Harrison's name. It was frustrating. Kind of like driving down Mentor Ave. and catching every single red light.

Don't get me wrong, I like the fact that he's in the game and getting his touches. He deserves a shot as the team's RB1, and he's a much better fit than Jamal Lewis at this stage in both of their careers.

Starting Harrison and giving him the majority of the action would do a lot to make Lewis better when he returns to the lineup. Harrison needs a rest? Okay. Plug in the beastly Lewis with fresh legs! Short yardage situation? Okay. Plug in the battering ram! Make Lewis the big back for Harrison like Pittsburgh did when Jerome Bettis was handing over the reigns of the backfield to Willie Parker.

But damn! The Browns ran Harrison into the ground Sunday. The guy was hit by birds worse than Fabio on a roller coaster.

Check it out for yourself and tell me what you think:

1st Browns offensive series:

- 5 plays (1 run to Harrison).

2nd series:

- 5 plays (2 runs, 2 passes to Harrison).

3rd series:

- 6 plays (3 runs, 1 pass to Harrison).

4th series:

- 3 plays (2 runs to Harrison).

5th series:

- 3 plays (3 runs to Harrison).

You sick of reading his name yet? The guy was battered by the Ravens defense in the first half worse than a 9th inning Phillies game every time Charlie Manuel hands Brad Lidge the ball.

Of these five first-half offensive possessions, the Browns ran a total of 22 plays. Fourteen of them were either runs or passes to Harrison.

Remember when the Browns would have a 2nd-and-long or a 3rd-and-short and hand the ball off to Eric Metcalf, who would in turn stutter-step a few times in both directions before running straight up the middle, only to get stuffed at the line of scrimmage?

We referred to that circus act as "Metcalf up the middle," before the Browns would punt and Jimmie Donovan would lead us into another frustrating commercial break.

What the Browns are doing now with Harrison reminds me of "Metcalf up the middle," because I get the feeling that this team has no confidence in any other playmaker.

In the second half he continued to get the crap beat out of him, only it wasn't as bad as it was in the first half:

6th series:

- 5 plays (2 runs, 2 passes to Harrison).

At this point of the game, the Browns had run 27 plays and 18 of those were to Harrison. Seriously.

7th series:

- 13 plays (zero runs or passes to Harrison. Yes, he actually got a breather and saw no action on this series).

8th series:

- 4 plays (1 pass to Harrison).

9th series:

- 1 play (zero runs or passes to Harrison).

10th series:

- 5 plays (2 runs to Harrison).

11th series:

- 3 plays (1 run, 1 pass to Harrison).

12th series:

- 1 play (1 run to Harrison).

So at the end of the day, the Browns ran a total of 54 plays on offense, going to Harrison on 24 of them.

To reiterate, Harrison had the ball on 18 of the first 27. For the final 27 plays ... try just six plays for Harrison.

It was a case of either involving the guy way too much, or not involving him enough. He's 26 years old. Now is the time to start using him the right way.

*Notes on Harrison

2009 stats:

35 carries, 112 yards rushing, 0 TDs (3.2 avg)

14 catches, 90 yards receiving, 0 TDs (6.4 avg)

2008 stats:

34 carries, 246 yards rushing, 1 TD (7.2 avg)

12 catches, 116 yards receiving, 1 TD (9.7 avg)

2007 stats:

23 carries, 142 yards rushing, 0 TDs (6.2 avg)

2 catches, 19 yards receiving, 0 TDs (9.5 avg)

I'll be honest...

2009-09-28T17:08:00.001-04:00

Sure - I only posted the first 2 quarters of the game yesterday. I barely watched any of the second half. Derrick "INT" Anderson came in and I almost gagged. I didn't even think the second quarter posted, as the website was giving me headaches (as if the Browns headache wasn't bad enough).

So - we logged off and went fishing. Had a blast and forgot about the Browns.

Screw 'em.

2nd quarter...

2009-09-27T13:38:00.005-04:00

Harrison runs for 17!!

Quinn with a QB keeper. Really? That's our call? Even the Announcers questioned it.

2nd and 8. Harrison picks up 3.

I'm calling a screen pass for 3 yards here.

Terrible throw. We will punt.

They get the first.

McGahee runs for one yard. They said he was done. He looks good to me.

They throw for 9. It's like a free for all.

"This game is more depressing than my sex life." - Rellik Dodge. Whoa.

Almost an INT for us. OF course we drop it.

3rd and 3...They just ran the option against us. We are THAT SAD.

Ravens are moving the ball at will.

We can't tackle. It's very sad.

We may hold them to a FG here...unless they go for it.

Looks as though they'll kick. Watch for the fake.

Browns 0 - Ravens 13 (I'm +1)

I'm at a boiling point. Browns are HORRID and then I have to watch a Coors Light commercial featuring Romeo Crennel?? SERIOUSLY?? Stick to eye.

3rd and 7 for the Browns...can we please get a first down? Anyone? Bueller??

And we're 2 yards shy. Ravens appeared to be offsides. UNREAL.

Pass to Todd Heap. We blow ANOTHER tackle.

Elam hits Heap hard on the next play. However he holds on.

They throw to the end zone. Eric Wright with a solid play.

2nd and 1o at the 15...McGahee waltzes in. Nobody laid a hand on him.

Browns get the ball with 1 minute remaining and ran the ball three times. If the players haven't given up, it seems like the coach has. Absolutely no confidence in our passing game.

Halftime. Get some food. Do whatever you want.

First quarter

2009-09-27T13:02:00.002-04:00

Start the internal meltdown.

Ravens jerseys look so lame.

CRIBBS! To the 30. He hesitated, I think he could've busted it.

Brady Quinn time. Tick...tick...tick...

Conley's calling handoff. We have 4 WR wide. We throw for 5 yards.

2nd and 5...We throw again, Braylon stretches, I think we have it.

Quinn throws an interception. Awesome. Shoot me.

Commentators are already riding the BEEP of the Ravens.

They love them some Flacco.

Ravens are in the red zone. I missed a few plays, was carrying the meatballs into the basement. Men are lazy on Sundays. Going upstairs to the kitchen wasn't an option.

Ray Rice stopped for no gain. D-Jackson with the stop.

Ravens are going to go for it on 4th.

They got it. QB keeper. Of course. FLACCO FOR PRESIDENT!

Shaun Rogers just stole your lunch. Get over it.

McGahee scores. Sweet.

Head + ass.

Missed some more.

Ravens with a long strike to LJ Smith. Clayton with a penalty. Still got the first. Screw them.

Empty backfield...McGahee wide.

Pressure on Flacco. He throws for 2.

Flacco goes deep. McDonald almost snags it. DAMN!

Flacco has ALL DAY TO THROW. Gain of 18.

We can't sack him.

Wimbley with a sack! LOSS OF 10!!!

Quinn is 4-5 for 16 yards. I've said it 100 times. Tim Couch.

"WE NEED TO GO DEEP!" - Conley

Quinn to Harrison for a gain of 12. Short screen pass. It's working, but it's really Harrison making cuts. He's very elusive.

Harrison runs. Loses 2. We can't run.

Browns 0 - Ravens 10 (so I'm +4 right now. Not good at all)

Some pregame thoughts

2009-09-27T12:45:00.002-04:00

LaDanian Tomlinson (BYL) is out this week. He sure isn't what he used to be, but he'd look good in a Cleveland Browns uniform.

Speaking of out and running backs, Jamal Lewis won't start for the Cleveland Browns. Browns are beat up. Hope guys aren't giving up already?

Phildo Dawson is out as well. Sweet.

Sunday Night: Colts vs Cardinals. Shoot out.

"Remember how bad the Cardinals were a few years ago?" - Conley. It goes to show you that a few decent drafts and a front office with their head not up their ass can turn a team around. Hmm....

ESPN pregame hasn't even mentioned the Browns vs Ravens matchup today. We are THAT sad.

So far the entire pregame staff has taken the Jets over the Titans. Berman just took the Titans. I'm saying Titans also.

Colts vs Cards...I'm taking Colts.

I have a bet on the Browns game. Yes, I'm a mo-ron. I have +14 points in a bet w/ my boss from Baltimore. COME ON NOW!

Conley is taking the Dolphins over the Chargers. Bold choice. Tom Jackson just took the Dolphins too.

Cris Carter is lame. "I'm taking the Chargers homie."

"Alright Brownies, give me something to believe in again..." - Kyle Carroll via text.

I have 96 meatballs in the crockpot. Covered in Open Pit bbq sauce. $.99 a bottle. Biggest steal since Ricky Henderson roamed the paths. Believe 'dat.

Almost time for kick off...get up!

Disgruntled? You could say that.

2009-09-23T14:57:00.002-04:00

Well, I wasn't able to make it to the Minnesota Vikings game. I had my best friends bachelor party, and was out of town.

We hurried up and cleaned the lodge we rented, so we could be on the road to make it home for the Browns game.

As we drove through Columbus and towards Cleveland, we saw a ton of Browns fans heading down to the Cleveland area to watch the game, albeit at the stadium or a local watering hole.

Should've told them the roads were closed or that the game was canceled.

Little did they know the Adrain Peterson train was rolling through Northeast Ohio that day.

Then we had the Broncos game. Was that even a game? It was embarrassing. There's no other way to describe it.

Next we play the Ravens, in Baltimore. Should I even focus my entire Sunday around this game? You and I both know that I will, but will it be more enjoyable than stepping on a Lego in the dark? The Broncos game sure wasn't, and the Ravens look like Super Bowl contenders. Browns...they are just pretenders.

The Browns honestly may not win a game until the end of November, when the Detroit Lions come to town. And that may even be a reach. Despite their record, they WERE better than the Browns last year.

That being said, I've put my Cincinatti Bengals tickets up for sale. It's a sad day when a die hard, season ticket holding Browns fan can't even muster up the rally to attend a home game.

Let's look at the finances of going to a Browns game for a quick minute:

(2) tickets = $100 total
(2) parking spaces (one for the van, other to tailgate in) = $30 total
Gas for the van = $20
Food = $25 (and that's on the low end)
Beer/Drinks = $20
Propane tanks = $10

So, on the day of a home game, I've dropped $205...and I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN INTO THE STADIUM YET! That's a tough pill to swallow, for such a shitty product.

The Browns are so bad and break my heart so often, I had to be sure I was current on my Life Insurance Policy, so I contacted my Insurance Agent to be sure. Gabe Cicconetti had this to say:

"Well Joe...I don't know what really to say except that I cannot believe that I will have to pay $25 to Muni-lot garage this year for the Browns games. It is so frustrating that as fans we are charged outrageous ticket prices for a sub-par product, $7 for beer, over $4 for a bottle of water, and now the city wants to get in on the action and start digging deeper in our other pocket for parking. It's disheartening that we (Browns fans) are the only people embarking on the city of Cleveland to spend money on a Sunday (or any day for that matter) and the city feels that it is necessary to take advantage of tens of thousands of people that actually still support a business that calls Cleveland home. I look at it this way, how long would I continue to go to my favorite restaurant if every time I go the food sucks but they keep promising it will get better on my next visit, so I keep going back, but now the hostess starts punching me in the face every time I go in. Not sure how long I or anyone could continue to put up with that."

Well said, Gabe. I couldn't of said it better myself.

Tailgating is the only fun a Browns fan has on Sunday. If you don't believe me, hit the ATM and come down on a Sunday and ask them. While at that ATM, got a few hundred I can borrow?

- Salty

Browns ain't what they used to be, but it doesn't matter ...

2009-09-23T14:55:00.006-04:00

Why can't the Cleveland Browns field a consistently good team like they used to in the 1980s?

That is the question that springs to mind every time the Browns lose another sloppily-played football game - which seems to be becoming a pattern every Sunday.

During the Browns' heyday from 1979-1989, their record was 92-75-1 (.551 winning pct.).

Since their return to the NFL from 1999-2009, their record is 54-108 (.333 winning pct.).

In the Browns' recent 10-year span they have played 162 games and won 54 times. Major League Baseball's season is also 162 games, and the last time the Indians held a .333 winning percentage over a single season was ... well, never.

The worst Indians season on record was 1991, when the Tribe won just 57 of 162, finishing with a winning pct. of .352.

So its safe to say that the over the last 10 seasons, the Browns have been worse than the worst Cleveland Indians team of all-time. Ouch! It hurts just typing it. That 1991 Indians lineup consisted of:

C - Joel Skinner (.243-1-24)

1B - Brook Jacoby (.234-4-24)

2B - Mark Lewis (.264-0-30)

SS - Felix Fermin (.262-0-31)

3B - Carlos Baerga (.288-11-69)

LF - Albert Belle (.282-28-95)

CF - Alex Cole (.295-0-21)

RF - Mark Whiten (.256-7-26)

DH - Chris James (.238-5-41)

SP - Greg Swindell (9-16, 3.48)

SP - Charles Nagy (10-15, 4.13)

SP - Eric King (6-11, 4.60)

SP - Rod Nichols (2-11, 3.54)

SP - Tom Candiotti (7-6, 2.24)

SP - Dave Otto (2-8, 4.23)

CL - Steve Olin (3-6, 3.36, 17 saves)

Horrible team. Of course, a few of those players went on to have great careers for the Tribe (Baerga, Belle and Nagy).

But the Browns have failed to have all but two players become even decent. And those two players who have had a decent careers as Browns are Joshua Cribbs and Phil Dawson. Sad thing is, their accomplishments in orange and brown have been as special teams players. And having one or two marquee special teams player just doesn't cut it. You can have the best kick/punt returner and field goal kicker in NFL history, and if the rest of your team is in shambles, then your entire team - overall - will still suck. Special teams make a difference, for sure. But special teams don't make your team.

The only other guy you could have put into that category of even coming close to approaching a decent career as a Brown was Kellen Winslow Jr., who is now playing with Tampa Bay. The other players who have come close have been very inconsistent. No need to mention names, but take away the one statistical spike that was 2007 and ... well, you know what I mean.

As the games go by, 2007 is looking more and more like the fluke season we all thought it was. The Browns went 10-6 that year and shocked the league. The reason it was a shocker was because the team went 4-12, 6-10, 4-12 and 5-11 in its previous four seasons.

We had one of the easiest schedules in the NFL in 2007, the one year where the Browns looked like they were actually primed to turn things around and return to the glory days of fielding a winning and competitive team for perhaps the next decade. Cleveland was chocked full of what looked to be young talent, and it only had a few problem areas to address - those being the offensive line, defensive line and secondary.

Well, the offensive and defensive lines were addressed, but the secondary is still flailing. And during the 2007 and 2008 offseasons, addressing and focusing the concerns of 2007's roster holes only opened up new and different concerns for the team. Too much attention was being focused on the problem areas, and the other positions I believe suffered.

Now we look bleak at wide receiver, tight end and linebacker. Also, aside from the couple bright spots on the offensive line, there are other major issues there. And the secondary never really got fixed. AND our quarterback and running back situations are also questionable. Nobody really knows if Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson should be the starter. Nobody really knows if Jamal Lewis still has some gas left in the tank, or if the Browns should shift to the younger and more promising Jerome Harrison, who averaged 7.2 yards per carry in 2008 and showed that he can be a decent pass-catcher out of the backfield.

So many holes, so many questions. The one thing the Browns front office won't have to worry much about is the fans. The fans will always be there because Browns fans are arguably the most rabid and loyal fans in the NFL.

If the Browns win - good. Fans will obviously be there. But it almost feels like the front office has the mantra of "if we lose - so what - the fans will still be there." Well you can't just take the fans for granted. See Jacksonville, Detroit. How many years of losing can a city that's already down on its luck take?

What Browns fans want now, more than ever, is a team like that of the 1986 squad that went 12-4 (5-1 against the division), including 27-24 and 37-31 wins over Pittsburgh. Our scoring offense was 5th in the league. Our defense was 11th. Our turnover differential 4th best. I'll even go so far as to say that there are probably some unemployed Browns fans throughout Northeast Ohio that will take a winning Browns team over a job. That's how much we love this team. It also further emphasizes how painful it is for us to watch this team lose so badly.

We all remember the '86 roster. Every player was a household name. We painted "#1 Dawgs" on our faces. We ate football-shaped Browns cookies from the local bakery. The chile tasted better on Sundays.

You can picture them running up the stairs of the dugout at old Municipal Stadium, and onto the field. Fans barking in the Dawg Pound! Biscuits flying onto the field!

The roster was classic! I never knew how good we had it until 2009.

Quarterback

- #19 Bernie Kosar

Quarterback

- #10 Mike Pagel

Left Tackle

- #77 Rickey Bolden

Left Guard

- #74 Paul Farren

Center

- #61 Mike Baab

Right Guard

- #69 Dan Fike

Right Tackle

- #63 Cody Risien

Running Back

- #44 Earnest Byner

Running Back

- #28 Herman Fontenot

Fullback

- #34 Kevin Mack

Wide Receiver

- #84 Webster Slaughter

Wide Receiver

- #88 Reggie Langhorne

Wide Receiver

- #86 Brian Brennan

Wide Receiver

- #89 Gerald "Ice Cube" McNeil

Wide Receiver

- #85 Clarence Weathers

Tight End

- #82 Ozzie Newsome

Tight End

- #81 Harry Holt

Left Defensive End

- #96 Reggie Camp

Nose Tackle

- #79 Bob Golic

Nose Tackle

- #72 Dave Puzzuoli

Right Defensive End

- #78 Carl "Big Daddy" Hairston

Defensive End

- #96 Reggie Camp

Defensive End

- #91 Sam Clancy

Left Outside Linebacker

- #56 Chip Banks

Left Inside Linebacker

- #51 Eddie Johnson

Right Inside Linebacker

- #53 Anthony Griggs

Right Outside Linebacker

- #57 Clay Matthews

Linebacker

- #59 Mike Johnson

Linebacker

- #58 Scott Nicolas

Left Cornerback

- #31 Frank Minnifield

Right Cornerback

- #29 Hanford Dixon

Strong Safety

- #24 Ray Ellis

Strong Safety

- #22 Felix Wright

Free Safety

- #37 Chris Rockins

Kicker

- #9 Matt Bahr

Punter

- #7 Jeff Gossett

Punt and Kick Returner

- #89 Gerald "Ice Cube" McNeil

What I wouldn't give for a roster like that one today? What I wouldn't give for a meaningful drive to the local bakery for Browns cookies while the chile slow-cooked on the stove early Sunday morning? So while you are pulling your Browns jersey over your shoulders on Sunday mornings, just remember how great it can be in Cleveland. Be rabid and continue rooting for the Dawgs! The 53-orange helmets that make up our team need us now more than ever.

4th Quarter

2009-09-20T18:35:00.003-04:00

Huge gain to Buckhalter. Marshall flagged for holding! HUGE!

Moreno stuffed again like a turkey breast.

"I f*cking hate the Browns." - Conley

Huge strike to Jabar Gaffney for 49 yards. Frustrationville. Population us.

They scored. I hate this.

We are down two scores. We have one offensive touchdown in the last 33 quarters. We're still in this, right? Right?

We throw to Harrison. No gain.

We were now offsides. This is a bad dream.

2nd and 17...sure...

Quinn is sacked! WOW! GO BRONCOS!

Quinn sacked again. Almost a safety. Boy are we sad.

Moreno with a great run.

I'm logging off and researching which team I should root for.

3rd Quarter

2009-09-20T17:56:00.003-04:00

I'm not feeling too hot. See, I went to my buddy's wedding last night. If I don't finish the blog, you'll have to deal with it.

3rd and 9 for the Browns. Quinn drops back hits Cribbs (short of the 1st down AGAIN) and Cribbs fumbles the ball. Broncos recover. This is just amazing.

False start on the Broncos. We cheered. It's come to this. It's sad.

Orton to Marshall. Hate them both.

Conley said the Browns need a sack. I think they need another kind of sack. Get it? Marbles.

Sorry, that was R Rated.

Marshall runs the ball for a first down. He's the greatest ever to touch a football. He's so dreamy. Announcers sure think so.

1st and 10...Moreno meets the brick wall that is Shaun Rogers.

Orton throws to Graham.

3rd down...can we finally stop them on 3rd?

Stokley drops it. Orton hit him in the hands. SHUCKS!

Denver hits the FG.

Browns 6 - Denver 13

Braylon with a GREAT catch, and then he was literally DDT'd. What the?

Harrison stuffed. I hate Shannon Sharpe.

It's 6:10pm and Delonte West is still playing Grand Theft Auto.

Can I buy a TV package that will mute Shannon Sharpe for life? I'd pay $9.95/mo for it.

Browns will punt.

Moreno runs. Flag down. Minniti says it's on us. And it was. Minniti is no longer with us.

Moreno with a first down, pass from Orton.

Orton scrambles, and is taken down.

"Lot of F bombs flying." - Karissa

Megan is sleeping. Sweet.

Orton scrambles, and is slow, and rifles to Marshall. Seriously, we are weak.

I'm eating. Deal with it.

End of the third quarter. You didn't miss anything. Trust me.

Browns 6 - Denver 13

2nd Quarter

2009-09-20T17:04:00.003-04:00

Ok, time flies when you're grubbing and blogging.

We are watching a dog challenge on ESPN during commercials. Hilarious. There's a guy with a dog, and the guy is wearing dual knee braces. HA!

McDonald almost picks the ball off in the corner. That would've been huuuuuge. Damn!

He stepped out with his 2nd foot.

3rd and goal...David Bowens pressures! Orton incomplete.

Broncos to kick a field goal.

Kick is good. Hate them.

Browns 6 - Broncos 10

"Broncos aren't scoring the rest of the game" - Minniti. I think he's eaten too much grub.

Nate, Conley and Minniti are HOOKED on this dog challenge shit. Maybe they're stoned and I just don't know it??

Cribbs returns just short of the 20. We need to drive on this one.

Jamal Lewis with another good run.

Pass complete to Braylon for a first down. I called him a Nancy Bitch, Minniti hated it.

Harrison up the middle. Got 4-5 there. Mangini loves running up the gut.

Cribbs runs to the left. Good run, and a flag down. Thumb is claiming facemask. He is CORRECT!

15 yard penalty. ALRIGHT!

1st and 10...Quinn throws it away.

Lewis lost a few.

Quinn to Cribbs SHORT of the first down. That's the second time already that Quinn has thrown to Quinn MUCH SHORT of the first down. We can't afford that. We welcome Tim Couch back, again?

Dog Challenge time. Shoot me.

Moreno with a sprint. AWESOME. Come on Defense.

Run again for -2.

2nd and 12...Orton has ALL DAY TO THROW. But he tosses incomplete. That was close.

3rd and 12...Orton in the shotgun. ALL DAY AGAIN. Luckily he sucks. Geez o man.

Denver fans are turning into BOO BIRDS! Team Turmoil!

Cribbs returns to the 25 or so.

There's a dog on this named Very Beary. SHOOT ME.

Another named Slim Shady. This is bad TV.

These dogs really wipe out. "Anything can happen out there." - the dumb announcer

Jamal Lewis with a good catch and run.

3rd and 1...we run and don't get it. AWESOME.

We will punt.

Thumb is on sandwich #3.

Megan is about asleep. And she's complaining.

Moreno with another solid run.

3rd and 1...Moreno BARELY gets it. Unreal. Game of inches.

Dog Challenge. I hate it. "What gave you the edge today?" - Announcer. "Lots of hard work." - the lady that owns the dog that won. Spare me. Seriously??

2nd and 6...Nate said it best that we need some pressure!!

Orton throws high, and terribly. He does suck.

3rd and 6...spirit fingers don't work. They complete it.

Eric Wright was just called one of the best corners in the league. Wow.

2nd and 10...Orton throws into the ground.

3rd and 10...Stokley is killing us. Orton only completes on 3rd down. SHOOT ME.

Pass interference on us. Why not, right?

1st and 10 from the 30...Ball is tipped. Browns just let it drop. Really?

Orton almost sacked. Again. And completes to Stokley. Again. Geezus.

Almost picked off. Almost.

Orton throws a duck. Again. He only completes on 3rd down. Kinda like Cris Carter only caught touchdowns. Yes, I just used Orton and Carter in the same sentence.

Orton throws another mallard. Fans mad.

Elways jerseys sighting.

Broncos to attempt a FG. He shanks it! The wind took it, that was wild!

LaMont Jordan looks like a house.

Browns to take a knee. We didn't need to attempt to score again. Why would we? Too much fun.

Browns 6 - Denver 10.

Halftime.

First Quarter - Denver game

2009-09-20T16:23:00.003-04:00

Here we go! Blogging quarter by quarter from the Conley Compound! First time for the QbQ (Quarter by Quarter) blog from a remote location! Conley even said I could keep the laptop!!

Browns kick off and DENVER FUMBLES! WOOHOO! Browns recover!

Brady Quinn delivers a strike to Braylon Edwards that gets us within the 10.

Jamal Lewis for no gain.

Incomplete.

Browns settle for a friggin' field goal. Awesome. WASTED OPPORTUNITY #1.

Denver takes over. I'm playing catch up here a bit, so I'll summarize.

Denver slowly moving the ball.

"Kyle Orton's going to have a career day." - Conley

"No he's not." - Nick Minniti

Sausage Sandwiches today were provided by Conley's girlfriend, Mary. We would like to thank her. Nate already spilled some on his shorts. Ha! Chewtoy!

Denver is kicking. Cribbers on the return. Fields from the 6, and dropped at the 12. Browns take over.

Browns 3 - Denver 0

Incomplete to Cribbs. Pass was there, he got popped.

Run to Harrison. No gain.

Our offense reminds me of sitting in class during high school. Dry and boring. Time moves SO SLOW.

Quinn in the shotgun, fumbled the snap.

Broncos recover. Boy I can't wait for the bell. I have study hall next.

We can blame that snap on Alex Mack.

Knowshon Moreno (BYL) runs for no gain.

2nd and goal...Moreno again to the right. Stopped short.

Orton throws a TD to Tony Sheffler. Awesome. Screw this.

Let's take a moment and think about Delonte West for a second. Dude was pulled over carrying a pistol in his waistband, one strapped to his leg, and a loaded shotgun in a guitar case over his shoulder. Both pistols were also loaded. He was riding a 3 wheel motorcycle. Talk about a potion for potential headache. More on that later.

Browns 1st and 10 from the 20.

Jamal Lewis runs for 3 yards.

Jamal Lewis to the right for a nice gain! First down Browns!

Quinn runs it for about 7 yards, before running out of bounds.

Quinn to Furrey for a first down! There we go!

I am a Furrey fan. He has solid hands.

Jamal Lewis up the middle for a yard or two.

Quinn to Braylon for about 20 yards!

Lewis up the gut again, no gain.

Quinn throws to Cribbs. He loses yards.

Browns will kick a FG.

Kick is good.

Browns 6 - Broncos 7

Browns kick off. Dawson had to have a holder for it. Windy? Not sure. It's just Phil being Phil.

Knowshon Moreno to the left for 11 yards. Kid is strong.

Correll Buckhalter runs it. Thought he was still with the Eagles. Who knew?

2nd and 8...Orton throws...over the middle to Brandon Marshall. Eric Wright on the tackle.

Chargers up on the Ravens. BELIEVE THAT!

Pittsburgh winning. Screw that noise.

3rd and 5...Orton throws complete to Stokley. DAMN IT. Huge gain.

Moreno for 5.

Orton throws to Royal. First down Denver. Our defense is paper thin.

1st and 10...Buckhalter stopped.

Whoops! We're in the 2nd quarter! HA!

Tisket atasket Browns want Hank Baskett?

2009-09-16T09:04:00.002-04:00

Now that wide receiver Hank Baskett has been placed on waivers by the Philadelphia Eagles, he's liable to draw heavy interest on waivers. Before he was let go by Philadelphia, several teams contacted the Eagles about prospective trades for Baskett. That included the Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns,Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs, according to a league source.

National Football Post

Salty's Thoughts: Baskett get's the Jeff Garcia treatment here. The math is simple: If your girls hotness is above your celebrity status, you get her picture on the blog, and not yours. Simple.

TO...a leader?

2009-09-16T09:00:00.002-04:00

When the Bills signed Terrell Owens, we were told he would be a leader for a young team, a better teammate than we realized, a star who would bring some straight talk and swagger to the locker room. Owens pulled the old silent act after Buffalo blew a late 11-point lead in New England. He took a pass. The kind you can't drop. Owens has sold himself as a personality, a guy who commands people's attention. He got a key to the city. He has his own reality TV show. The reality after Monday's game was that he lacked the decency to stand and face the music after a tough loss.

Buffalo News

LT had clean pee pee

2009-09-16T08:58:00.001-04:00

Legendary Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor submitted a teammate's sample when he failed his first drug test in 1987, he told the Yes network's "Centerstage." "Actually, it wasn't my urine. I failed the drug test and he didn't. I couldn't believe it." Taylor also told Michael Kay: "The night before I retired, I realized that I wanted to do recreational drugs again.

New York Post

Salty's Thoughts: Never mess with Karma. You will lose every time.

4th quarter...

2009-09-13T15:18:00.003-04:00

Sound has cut out again. Amateur hour on Fox. Thanks for tuning in. This rocks.

Quinn throws a duck, it's tipped, and Braylon comes down with it. Good snag.

Donovan McNabb appears to be hurt. Nate is mad. Well, he's not mad. I just like to act like he is. It's called creating drama on a blog. Ask Stephen King.

Sounds back!

3rd and 8...False start on James Davis. AWESOME!

3rd and 13...Quinn guns deep and out of bounds. Browns will punt like bitches. Sorry.

So let's see. Notre Dame lost. Ohio State lost. Browns are losing and I'm going to lose in Fantasy Football. I'm a sports fan because....???

LL Cool J doing a Direct TV commercial is bush league. Just saying.

AP slashes us again.

Favre throws incomplete.

2nd and 10...run for 4.

3rd and 6...Favre has ALL DAY. Pass is dropped, they will kick to the Browns!

Cribbs, always electric.

For the record, Kyle Carroll's boyfriend, Joe, is sporting his infamous rattail for the Browns game today. Don't let him down.

Quinn to James Davis, who gets leveled. Looks like potential shoulder, or got the wind knocked out of him.

2nd and 9...Quinn to Steve Heiden. Short pick up.

3rd and 2...false start on Joe Thomas.

3rd and 7...Quinn delivers to Mike Furrey for a first down.

Browns are running the no huddle. I dig it.

Quinn scrambles out, and may of fumbled.

Vikings ball. Guess you can't teach old dogs new tricks. We sure look like the Browns of old.

AP runs for 3. Blah blah blah.

AP is killing us. Runs again for a chunk.

Favre sacked by our boy, WIMBLEY!

AP dropped at the line of scrimmage.

Vikings will attempt a FG. BLOCK THAT KICK! BLOCK THAT KICK!

Field goal is good. BLAH.

Cribbs returns the ball.

Romeo Crennel is in the new Coors Light commercial. Boy, I won't miss his dullness after each game. Trust me there.

Another false start for the Browns. Sad.

Quinn incomplete.

Braylon drops a ball. Granted it was a diving catch, but still, dropped it nonetheless.

Browns kick. BLAH.

Quinn is 14/23 for 98 yards. When did we get Tim Couch back?

AP just made us look like a Midget Football Team. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

That is just piss poor. Very simply put. Glad to see we'll be on ESPN tonight.

Nate is going to get AP tattoo'd on his arm. Ok, I kid. Nate has gotten 40 points from him today.

At least Jamal Lewis hasn't given up.

Two bright spots for the Browns today, well maybe 3:

1. Jamal Lewis has looked good
2. Kamerion Wimbley has looked good
3. They don't play AP every week

Two things that have pissed me off today, well maybe 3:

1. AP
2. Fox Sports for lack of sound half the damn game
3. Reggie Wayne (playing against him in Fantasy and he has 162 yards and a TD)

Quinn looking weak on this drive. Royal just dropped one. COME ON. Thought we were supposed to be improved this year? Less penalties, less dropped balls. Looks like the same dog and pony show that we subject ourselves to week in and week out.

Tav Jackson in for the Vikings.

Hand off to Chester Taylor.

Taylor again.

3rd and 9...Tav Jackson throws incomplete.

Vikings kick. Anyone still watching? You're lucky I love you all or I would've logged off a while ago. As if anyone reads this anyways.

Quinn pump fakes twice, and then takes off. First down due to the feet of Quinn. Nice.

Dump pass to Jamal Lewis for a first down.

Mike Furrey with a drop. What is in the Gatorade cooler that these guys drink from? Something is seriously wrong over the last 2 years.

Another dump pass to Jamal Lewis. Another first down. At least he can catch. Keep giving it to him.

Quinn to Furrey for 5.

2nd and 5...throw to Furrey for a first down!

Quinn to Cribbs. Cribbs was hit hard. Browns are really trying to score, get the old monkey off the back. Vikings should just let us. Be boys. Be friends.

Quinn to Massequai...screw you, I don't know how to spell it. Ha!

Quinn is sacked.

40 seconds left in this game, if you'd call it that.

Royal with CHEESE scores on a strike from Brady Quinn!

BROWNS SCORE! WOOOHOOO!

Browns onside kick. A shitty onside kick.

That's ball game.

Thanks for reading. Thanks to the Browns for 'playing'. Sweet.

3rd Quarter...

2009-09-13T14:44:00.002-04:00

Vikings movimg the ball. Percy Harvin (BYL) runs for 11 yards.

Delay of game on the Vikings. 1st and 15 now.

Favre goes DEEP to Moss again, and he catches it, but was out of bounds.

McDonald got beat on that play, hands down mans down. Pick it up.

Run to Chester Taylor. Anytime it's not AP running the pill, I'm happy.

Favre avoids a big sack. Completes to his TE with the funky name. Yes, still lazy.

16 yard pass from Favre to Moss again. Defensive pass interference on McDonald. Sweet.

1st and goal...run to AP who gains a few. Ball on the 1.

2nd and goal...this is huge...Browns stop AP once again! Stopping that guy is a real feat. Can they do it again? If I'm the Vikings I do one of two things: give to AP or go back to Moss who has a big advantage over McDonald.

3rd and goal...they go Peterson for a touchdown. Damn it. We can't buckle here.

Do you think Favre hates it, or will hate it, that the Vikings prefer to run in the red zone? Stay tuned. It's a long season.

AP bleeding from his arm. Probably from carrying the Vikings. Fake.

Vikings kick off to Cribbs, who looked like he may bust it.

Jamal Lewis with another dicing run! Way to go!

Lewis runs again for about 8 yards. Guy is looking good.

Bennie Sapp limping off the field for the Vikings. He looks to have cramps, real hard. (That's a Raising Arizona reference)

Brady Quinn throws a TERRIBLE ball. Directly to the Vikings. You've got to be kidding me. Vikings ball.

Favre throws again to that damn TE.

3rd and 1...AP gets it. Of course he does. Here we go.

Shaun Rogers sacks Favre! That was fantastic! Man-CHILD.

Screen cut out again. Sweet.

Favre finds Harvin (BYL) for a big gain.

1st and 10...AP gets about 4.

2nd and 6...AP gets it. He's starting to wear the Browns down.

2nd and 5 now...AP get it. He's starting to wear the Browns down even more.

Handoff to AP, who was literally a step away from being in the end zone. Was tripped up. Unreal.

AP runs again and loses 2. Barton on the tackle.

Browns need to get fired up real fast.

Favre to Harvin again.

3rd and 3 here...Touchdown throw to Percy Harvin.

This is ugly.

Vikings kick off the Cribbs. We held on it, of course. Why wouldn't we?

Vikings 24 -- Browns 13

Quinn to Royal for a first down. Nice play.

Text from Rellik: This game is horseshit.

Jamal Lewis bulls ahead for 2 yards.

End of the third quarter.

Went from excited to annoyed. Ahh, the life of a Browns fan.

2nd quarter...

2009-09-13T14:08:00.002-04:00

Well, a lot happened. Braylon had an amazing grab that was called back. I talked about how much I hated Brian Billick, and stuff like that.

Then my blog disappeared. So, we start here.

Vikings 10 -- Browns 6

We are at the 5 minute mark in the 2nd quarter.

3rd and 1...BROWNS STOP CHESTER TAYLOR in the backfield! Elam with another stellar play! Way to go!

Vikings punt!

Browns ball at about the 40 or so.

4 minutes left in the second quarter.

"Browns still haven't scored a touchdown" - Natey "True" - me

Quinn throws behind Braylon Edwards on a quick route. Incomplete.

False start on Braylon Edwards. Another penalty.

Jamal Lewis stopped for no gain.

3rd and 16...Quinn keeps it and is about 2 yards short. We will kick.

3 minute mark.

Favre incomplete to Harvin (BYL). Bad throw.

Shaun Rogers is all sorts of big. Dude is a monster.

Brodney Pool on a safety blitz and he drops Favre like an aged bag of potato's!

Billick is coming down on the Vikings. Just saw a pig fly by my house...

2 minute warning. Browns defense looking strong!

3rd and 16 for the Vikings. Damn, the Browns almost had Favre in the end zone. Dump pass to Chester Taylor, they are short of the first.

Wimbley took Favre down hard. Love it.

Vikings punt to Cribbs, fielded at the 33...JOSH CRIBBS TO THE HOUSE! (Still not an offensive touchdown.) WE SCORED!

UNREAL!

VanHuss has found a bar to watch the game! Albeit it without sound, and being surrounded by Philly fans, he is not in jail. Via text: "Cribbs!!!! Pay that man!!!!!!!!!!"

Browns kick to Harvin. Dropped by Francies. Vikings have 1:24 to drive the field.

Mike Yozipovich via text regarding Cribbs: He's the best.

Favre throws to the sideline. Deflected by Eric Wright.

Screen cut out for a second. Not cool.

2nd and 10...Favre throws to Rice for 8 yards.

3rd and 2..with 1:14 left before the half.

Billick NEVER shuts up. Ever.

Favre from the shotgun. Wimbley drops Favre again, but he got the ball off. Incomplete. WIMBLEY IS BACK! He heard us!

Vikings have to kick again. They kick it WAY short to avoid Cribbs.

Browns have 1:04 to drive the field. We have the ball at the 39 yard line. Let's drive it!

We better go for the house here, no dink and dunk run the clock out bullshit.

Vikings send the house. Quinn throws it away. Smart play.

Good point by Nate that DA would've been sacked there.

Quinn to Davis, who gains a few.

3rd and 8...Quinn runs for 1. Halftime.

GREAT HALF FOR THE BROWNS! See you in the third quarter!

Back by popular demand...

2009-09-13T13:11:00.003-04:00

The quarter by quarter blog!

First Quarter --

Vikings try to onside kick. NOT IN OUR HOUSE!

Jamal Lewis with a solid run.

Quinn looks pretty solid. Glad we know he's starting.

Shawn Conley via text: "wow browns look good"

Browns settle for a FG. Does not end our drought of quarters without a touchdown.

Shawn VanHuss via text: "No browns in pa. They bar said they would. Can't find a place that will carry it." He's in PA for a wedding. Not a good way to start his Sunday, I'm sure.

Percy Harvin looks quick. He's also a Backyard Legend. Believe 'dat.

Browns have shut Adrian Peterson down.

3rd and 9...Nate says to bring some heat!

Screen play to Chester Taylor, and loook who's out there with him! Shaun Rogers!

Vikings punt to Cribbs.

Braylon Edwards flagged. Gosh, it's been so long since I told him to screw himself. Welcome back!

2nd and 16...we hand off.

3rd and 16...we hand off. Hey, joke's on us! Romeo Crennel must be back!

Drew Brees has 2 TD strikes already. One to Marques Colston (BYL). Natey isn't happy, as he's playing against Brees this week.

No reply yet from VanHuss. He may be in a PA jail. Stay tuned.

Favre throws a pass to their TE. I'm not typing the TE's name, as it's just too difficult. I'm lazy.

Run up the middle to AP, very close to a first down. Should be 3rd and 1. Mr. Rogers, won't you be my neighbor?

AP picks up about 10. Dude is good.

Abraham Elam with a sack on Favre! He even jumped over Favre's walker before tackling him. Classy move.

"Come on Wimbley" - Nate "Yeah, Wimbley needs to step up" - Me

AP to the right side. 9 yards. Damn.

3rd and 1...Dugan up the middle. Remember when Jimmy Doogan said there's no crying in baseball? Just thought I'd ask.

Favre has all day, literally, to throw.

Gains 5 yards on a pass to Chester Taylor.

Hand off to Percy Harvin (BYL) for 7 yards.

1st and goal...hand off to AP - shocker - and he's down at the 1. Almost fumbled.

2nd and goal...Peterson again to the left. WIMBLEY steps up! He loses 3 to 4 yards!

3rd and goal...Natey is saying they have to pass. They do. Terrible throw by Favre.

Vikings will line up for a FG. Solid stand by the Browns, considering they stopped AP twice inside the 5 yard line.

Longwell hits the FG.

Tied 3-3 at the end of the first quarter.

I'm going to finish my Chipolte.

Kyle Carroll via text: "Woot woot! Go Browns!" She loves the blog! Welcome back, Kyle!

Lawyers, insurance firms cash in on fantasy football

2009-09-10T11:04:00.002-04:00

(CNN) -- Henry Olszewski was stoked in 2008 when he, along with millions of Americans, drafted New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to his fantasy football team.

About eight minutes into the season, a 220-pound safety was blocked into Brady's knee, tearing two of the quarterback's ligaments. Brady's season ended, as did Olszewski's.

"That Monday, [Olszewski] came in the office, and he was bummed out," said Anthony Giaccone, president of Intermarket Insurance. "He asked, 'Why can't we buy insurance for fantasy team players?' "

Thus spawned the brainchild for Fantasy Sports Insurance, which guarantees that NFL players won't miss a certain number of games. FSI will reimburse a fantasy player's entry fee if they do.

It's one of a blitz of bizarre businesses cropping up in the $800 million industry of turning quarterback stats to greenbacks, said Paul Charchian, president of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. See fantasy football's top 10 prospects »

Charchian is familiar with the wellspring of offbeat companies fueled by the fantasy football craze; he owns LeagueSafe, which stores league entry fees in a bank until it issues a payout to the winner at season's end.

Other specialty businesses, he said, range from the obvious, such as trophy companies, to the esoteric, such as fantasy dispute resolution.

You read the last one correctly.

Web sites like fantasydispute.com and sportsjudge.com offer to mitigate fretful fantasy feuds. Think there was collusion in a trade or your league commissioner is playing favorites? Write up your dispute and send it to one of the sites. For $15, a lawyer will settle your quibble.

Rest of the story.

Cleveland makes Forbes list of 10 most miserable cities

2009-09-08T22:51:00.002-04:00

Was reading through some old magazines earlier today, when I ran across an issue of Forbes from February 2009.

Found a list that I thought was interesting. It was "America's 10 Most Miserable Cities." Sad to report, but Cleveland made the list. Top 5 actually.

Most of the cities are big sports towns with die-hard fans who root for one team or another. Despite the number of "sports cities" that made the list, the only mention of sports for these cities was with Cleveland and Detroit.

I've included with this list Forbes' short paragraph for each city. Also, I thought I'd add the professional sports franchises that each of these cities stand by, no matter how good or bad they might be.

10. St. Louis, Mo.

- The Gateway City scored in the bottom half of all nine categories we looked at for the Forbes Misery Measure. It was the only metro area to pull that off.

- City's team: St. Louis Cardinals, MLB.

9. Miami, Fla.

- Miami has been crushed by the housing collapse. Moody's Economy.com estimates that 26% of mortgages in Miami are delinquent or are likely to be written off as bad debt that can not be collected. Violent crime and corruption are also off the charts.

- City's team: Miami Heat, NBA.

8. Buffalo, N.Y.

- If you like snow, Buffalo is your place - to the tune of 90 inches a year, more than any other metro area that has a million people. Buffalo's population has been steadily shrinking since the mid-1990s.

- City's team: Buffalo Bills, NFL.

7. Detroit, Mich.

- Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced to four months in jail last year for his sex-and-text scandal. Tough year also for the state's football teams, as the University of Michigan suffered through its first losing season in 40 years and the NFL's Lions failed to win a game.

- City's team: Detroit Pistons, NBA.

6. Flint, Mich.

- The city immortalized in Michael Moore's documentary "Roger & Me," is plagued by the double whammy of high crime and high unemployment. General Motors employs one-tenth the number of employees in Flint compared to its peak in the 1970s.

5. Modesto, Calif.

- Unemployment has skyrocketed in Modesto with further pain to come. It is expected to average 16.7% in 2009, up from 11.4% last year. Another drawback: It has the highest car theft rate in the U.S.

4. Cleveland, Ohio

- Only Denver gets socked with more snow than Cleveland's 52-inch annual average among the 50 largest metros. Clevelanders wait in fear for July 1, 2010, when hoops star LeBron James can switch teams as a free agent.

- City's team: Cleveland Browns, NFL

3. Chicago, Ill.

- Living costs in the Second City are not much higher than the national average, but the 10.3% sales tax is a killer and is the highest of any city. A winning Olympic bid should move along needed transportation infrastructure improvements.

- City's team: Chicago Bears, NFL

2. Memphis, Tenn.

- Memphis scores points for not having a state income tax, but the sales tax is an onerous 9.3%, one of the highest in the country. FedEx is the biggest employer in the area by far with 30,000 employees.

- City's team: Memphis Grizzlies, NBA

1. Stockton, Calif.

- Only 15% of Stockton adults have a college degree, which is one of the lowest rates in the U.S. Unemployment is expected to hit 15% in 2010, while housing prices should keep falling back to their mid-1990s level when the median home price was $130,000.

Big Dog wearing Browns orange

2009-09-08T15:02:00.001-04:00

CLEVELAND -- John Thompson, who is known to many Browns fans as Big Dawg, pleaded guilty Tuesday to drunken driving. A judge sentenced Thompson to three days in jail, one year of probation and he has to attend three MADD meetings. Thompson was arrested last month at West 128th Street and Lorain Avenue. Police said he was driving without the vehicle’s headlights on and weaving. Police said his blood-alcohol level was .125. The legal limit in Ohio .08.