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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Random Thoughts from a Random Mind

A little bit of that and a little bit of this ... (yes, that is a slight twist on how Hal Lebovitz opened up his weekly Sunday column)

Joe Cleveland finds himself completely apathetic when it comes to the plight of the Cavs. They've lost like 23 games or something and have only won once since LeBron and his Heat came to Cleveland and completely shamed them in front of a packed house rabid for some overdue payback.

The Cavs hugged their former teammate, joked with him, let him drive the lane at will and lethargically lost by 25 or something ridiculous. At that point, in my opinion, Cavs Basketball as we know it died.

It doesn't seem coincidental that the team has fallen into the toilet since that beating, very rarely playing competitively. Even when they have, they have continued to lose. Some on last-second shots (I was at one of those games, against the TimberWolves), others by as many as 55 points.

This team is coming dangerously close to setting the all-time NBA record for the longest losing streak. Players are routinely getting hurt and not playing, meaning a lot of rookies that no one has ever heard of (Manny Harris? Christian Eyenga? Samardo Samuels? Anyone?) The team is actively trying to trade away proven commodities such as Antawn Jamison or Mo Williams (unfortunately, their contracts are pretty ridiculous and large). Byron Scott looks like someone who didn't think he was signing up for this back in June, when he took the coaching job.

Of course, at the time Scott got the job, LeBron James was still a Cavalier. Two weeks later, he wasn't.

To be honest, I thought the Cavs would be more competitive than this. I thought they would win enough games to sneak into the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed. I thought LeBron's supporting cast, guided by a proven head coach like Scott, would be good enough. Their 7-9 start to the season kind of reaffirmed that optimism, too.

Now, this team is on the fast track to a high NBA Draft lottery selection. A lot of locals wanted this to happen. My question is, WHY???

Is there a "can't miss" prospect in this year's draft class? Quick, name me someone who is the bonafide No. 1 pick. I can't. The only name that pops into my head is Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, and that's only because he plays for Ohio State. So, why tank the season?

Sad part is, I don't think they are doing this on purpose. Not like the year before LeBron came out, when Jim Paxson cut costs and trotted out a team that probably couldn't beat a rec league team in a regular basis.

This is probably the worst the Cavs have looked as a franchise since Ted Stepien owned the team in the early 1980s and nearly ran the club into the ground with his boneheaded decisions both on (and off) the court. I was too young to remember Stepien, only hearing many stories and reading many articles and books about it ever since.

Dan Gilbert, once lauded as the "best owner in Cleveland sports," is now a pariah on the national scope because of his open letter to the fans just hours after LeBron's self-proclaimed, self-centered "Decision." The Cavs' value as a franchise is falling. There's even speculation (questionable speculation, at that, but speculation nonetheless) that if the NBA decides to contract teams, the Cavs may be on that list.

Unfortunately, the Cavs and their losing ways have the pro stage all to themselves until the Indians open Spring Training. That's another story all in itself.

***

Hope is not lost on the local basketball fan, though, if he or she wants to watch the sport. It just has to be on the collegiate level, but so be it. The college game may be more entertaining than the superstar-driven NBA is, anyway. Why do you think the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is one of the most watched (and most wagered-upon) sporting events of the year, pro or college?

Joe Cleveland has always followed the Cleveland State men's basketball team ever since the Vikings made their miracle run to the Sweet 16 in 1986 (even spending a few years covering them while attending that same university in the 1990s). Needless to say, I'm enjoying this 20-win bunch. Joe Cleveland will get a chance to see them in person for the first time on Thursday's game vs. Valparaiso, so I'm looking forward to that. In recent years, the Vikings have won every time I've seen them at the Wolstein Center, so hopefully, that string continues.

Joe Cleveland has also started paying more attention to the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Thad Matta has done a tremendous job turning the Buckeyes into a top-notch basketball program to coincide with their usual football excellence. He's reached the National Championship game once and has churned out top recruting classes year after year after year. I don't know if they can stay undefeated (right now, they are the only one left in Division I), but this team should be a force in this year's NCAA Tournament.

Basketball fans can enjoy Ohio State and Cleveland State for what they are. Leave the Cavs in the dust and focus your energies on the college guys. You won't be sorry.

***

Joe Cleveland likes to point out that the City of Cleveland has nine pro football championships overall compared to Pittsburghs's seven. Well, make that 10. The Cleveland Bulldogs won the 1926 NFL Championship, I just recently discovered. So, 10 total, and 8 with the Browns. You've got to be proud of something, don't you?

***

If you're tired of the "I'm rooting for the Packers because they're playing the Steelers" arguement, how about rooting for the Packers because of some of their players?

Matt Wilhelm is a Lorain County product and resident who was a co-captain on Ohio State's 2002 National Champions. He's a special teamer and backup linebacker for the Packers. I covered Matt while he was in high school at Elyria Catholic. Root for Matt.

Charles Woodson is from Fremont who became the only defensive player to win a Heisman Trophy while at Michigan. Woodson is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL today. Root for Charles.

Clay Matthews is the son of former Browns standout linebacker Clay Matthews. Many Browns fans wished that the team drafted Matthews when they had the chance (and, they had several, thanks to all the trades Eric Mangini made in that draft). He's the front-runner for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year who is just like his dad, both in ability and personality. Root for Clay.

A.J. Hawk and Ryan Pickett are other ex-Ohio State players who dominated on the defensive side for the Buckeyes during their tenures and were fan favorites. Root for A.J. and Ryan.

And, how can you not root for Green Bay, one of the last bastions of purity in the NFL. The only team in the league that is community owned, playing in the NFL's equivilant of Wrigley Field or Fenway Park. Lambeau Field is a football cathedral, famous for the "frozen tundra" and tough players. Lombardi, Staff, Hornung, Taylor, Gregg, Kramer, Nitchke, Adderley ... do I have to go on? Their history would make a Steeler fan blush (and it should). And, besides, Brett Favre doesn't play for them anymore. He left them in a selfish huff and embarassed himself out of the league. The Packers are in the Super Bowl playing for the trophy named after their famous former coach.

Those enough reasons for you? They're more than enough for Joe Cleveland.

***

Why all the doom and gloom about the possibility of a 4-3 defense for the Browns? Did you not pay attention to the way this team played defense the last six years?

Yes, occasionally, they did well. But that was occasionally. Not even Rob Ryan's self-proclaimed genius could make the Browns a consistant force on the defense end. And, remember, all those teams played in a 3-4 base.

The Browns are actually better suited for a 4-3 defensive alignment. Don't think so? How about this:

DE-Matt Roth; DT-Shaun Rogers; DT-Athyba Rubin; DE-Kenyon Coleman (or someone else); OLB-Scott Fujita; MLB-D'Qwell Jackson; OLB-Chris Gocong. D-Lineman Jayme Mitchell was acquired in a trade, and he's supposedly better suited to play end in a 4-3 (Heckert made that trade; Mangini never played him).

I think this defense would be a lot better than what we've seen, and no moves had to be made. Of course, is Jackson completely healthy, and will Roth and Jackson re-sign, and will Rogers come back (without Mangini around, he might be rejuvenated), and how will the draft, free agency and trades impact things? There are still questions, but I think there are more answers than you'd expect.

***

Cleveland Indians GM Chris Antonetti (wow, didn't realize he was still alive, considering how quiet the team was during the offseason) says he expects the team to be contenders this season.

Manny Acta is talking a lot of sunshine and rainbows and is hard-selling a disenchanted fan base on his optimism.

Meanwhile, the Indians did not make any significant offseason moves, still having a major hole at third base, second base, the outfield and the bench. Let's not forget first base, either, where Matt LaPorta hasn't exactly been as promised when he was acquired for CC Sabathia.

I'm sorry, but if Joe Cleveland wants to watch minor league baseball, I'll go to Columbus, or Akron, or Eastlake, or Avon. They actually charge minor league prices and make no bones about what they're trying to do. And, it's more entertaining.

This Indians fan isn't ready to drink your Kool-Aid yet, Chris and Manny. You have poor ownership who cut corners all the time who keep saying they'll "spend when the time is right," but then let a team that was one game away from a World Series just three years ago fall apart because (wait for it) THEY DIDN'T SPEND!!!

I love the Indians, but Joe Cleveland will be busy paying attention to how CSU and OSU are doing in the NCAA Tournament and how the Browns draft to care about your annual 8-16 April.

I admire your optimism, and for Cleveland's sake, I hope your right. I just don't see it. Convince Larry Dolan to sell the team, and maybe I'll start believing.

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Why such hatred toward all things Steeler?

Every once in a while, Joe Cleveland gets asked that question. Not often, though. And, it's usually from a fan of the Pittspuke Squeelers that just so happens to live around here.

No, the Steelers didn't kill members of my family or burn down my house or kick my dog or anything like that. However, I DESPISE them. I DESPISE their fanbase, the so-called "Steeler Nation." And, I DESPISE the Steeler Fan who happens to live in my own backyard (no, not one particular person, but you catch my drift).

(On a related note, any fanbase that refers to themselves as a "Nation" should be neutered. The only "Nation" I admit to is the the United States of America. I've never heard anyone refer to "Browns Nation" or "Tribe Nation" or "Cavs Nation" and I hope I never do. It takes a "Nation" of millions to hold this guy back ... and yes, that was a Public Enemy reference.)

As much as Joe Cleveland love the Browns, it's the complete opposite for the Steelers. And, it seems like that hatred has only grown and grown ever since the Browns came back to the NFL in 1999.

But why?

There was always a natural rivalry between Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Both are Rust Belt Cities in the Midwest filled with blue-collar people who love the game of football. The communities are only seperated by 200 or so miles, so it's not exactly a lengthy commute to get to Cleveland from Pittsburgh or vice versa.

Pittsburgh is the closest "Major League" city to Cleveland. It's closer than in-state rival Cincinnati, and it's probably just a little further away from Columbus (who has no opposing teams to Cleveland, just the beloved Ohio State Buckeyes). It's also closer than Detroit, Indianapolis and Chicago. The close proximity only adds fuel to the rivalry.

And, because there are some spots in Ohio that are actually closer to Pittsburgh than Cleveland, there are some spots where the Steeler game would be televised instead of the Browns game. And, there are more Steelers fans than Browns fans.

When the Browns (who were formed in the rival All-American Football Conference in 1946) joined the NFL in 1950, they were an elite team. The Steelers, meanwhile, were a laughingstock. The Browns reached the NFL Championship game the first five years they were in the NFL, winning three of them. The Steelers never even made the playoffs.

In fact, it took about four years before the Steelers were able to beat the Browns in football. As Pittsburgh fans like to say now as they beat the Browns every single year, there really was no rivalry then. Back then, the Browns biggest rivals were the Lions and the Giants, and that was because those were the teams the Browns had get through every single year in order to win the NFL. Also, the Rams, because they were in Cleveland before they moved to Los Angeles following winning the 1945 NFL Championship.

It wasn't until the 1960s when there seemed to be a genuine rivalry between the two teams. The Browns reached the NFL Championship game in 1964, 65, 68 and 69 (winning it in 1964), but were pretty mediocre from 1957 (their last NFL Championship game appearance) to 1964. During that time, Art Modell bought the team, fired Paul Brown and built their team around the tremendous running of Jim Brown. Also, the Steelers began to compete with the Browns on the field.

By the end of the 1960s, the Steelers were back to being bad and the Browns seemed to be on the verge of becoming an NFL powerhouse again. The Steelers had the No. 1 pick in the 1969 draft and had just hired a former Browns offensive lineman and Colts defensive coordinator named Chuck Noll as their head coach. That season, the Steelers only won one game, even though they drafted future Hall of Famer "Mean" Joe Greene.

That's when everything changed, and the rivalry ratched up a notch.

Almost mirroring the intense rivalry between Bo Schembechler's Michigan teams and Woody Hayes' Ohio State teams (the "Ten Year War"), the Steelers and Browns games grew more intense as the Steelers suddenly got good. Meanwhile, the Browns were slipping into mediocrity. Browns fans weren't used to being beat by the Steelers, and they didn't like it very much.

In 1970, Three Rivers Stadium opened in Pittsburgh, and the Browns failed to win a game there for the first 16 years that facility was opened. They finally won there in 1986, actually starting a run of four consecutive years of beating the Steelers on the road. And, for good measure, the Browns did squeak out a win there in their return season of 1999, just two years before Three Rivers was closed and the Steelers moved to Heinz Field.

It was during the 1970s that, legend has it, Joe Cleveland's impression of the Steelers was ingrained forever.

I don't know how true this story is, because I was only 4 or 5 at the time, and it was relayed to me by other family members. But, one summer day, my parents took me and my infant brother to Sea World. They decided, for whatever reason, to dress us in identical Pittsburgh Steelers shirts.

I guess we went on one of those ferry boat rides where the fake cowboys shoot air rifles at the fake Indians. As we settled in, the driver of the boat was saying the dos and don'ts of the ride over the loudspeaker. He said the following:

"Please be sure to keep your hands and feet inside the boat at all times and please refain from jumping into the water. Steeler fans, however, can be tossed overboard."

Everyone started laughing, as did I. Until I realized people were looking at me, who was wearing a Steeler shirt.

I don't know if that started it, but ever since then, I DESPISED that team. You can blame Sea World, I guess.

Like I said, I don't know how true that story is. I never asked my parents about it. But, part of me wants to believe that story to be true. Maybe my parents were trying to teach me that liking the Steelers was no good, and we live in Cleveland, so we should love the Browns. And, no, I don't believe my parents were being cruel. They loved me and still do.

But, as I became more and more aware of football, you start to realize that, as a Browns fan, you don't like Pittsburgh and you don't like Cincinnati. And, I HATED both teams with a passion. I also hated the Houston Oilers and the Denver Broncos, but not as intensely and, in the case of the Broncos, for different reasons.

What makes Joe Cleveland cringe and sick is sudden crop of Steeler Fans who live among us in Northeast Ohio and have always lived among us. Where did they all come from, and why?

The Steelers I first heard of were the Super Bowl dynasty of the 1970s, but when I began to follow football, the Steelers were a joke. The Browns were getting into the playoffs regularly and beating the Steelers. Chuck Noll had lost it, and the team never seemed to find a competant replacement for Terry Bradshaw (Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone, David Woodley, Bubby Brister, Todd Blackledge ... I laugh just thinking about it).

I believe locals began to shed their allegiance for all things Brown and Orange in three different stages.

The first stage is when the Browns passed over Bill Cowher, a popular former player and assistant coach, for Bill Belichick in 1991. Modell didn't believe Cowher was "ready" to be a head coach and may have held a grudge because Cowher followed Marty Schottenheimer out the door when Marty left the Browns to coach the Kansas City Chiefs. The next year, Noll finally retired, and the Steelers hired Cowher. I think some Browns fans were miffed that Belichick (who wasn't very popular among the fans) was their coach and Cowher was with the Steelers. Cowher immediately turned the Steelers into winners as well, while the Browns seemed to be mired in mediocrity under Belichick. So, they may have started to follow the coach they wanted all along and root for the Steelers.

The second stage is when the Browns were moved to Baltimore in 1995. Supposedly, there were some in Pittsburgh who were decidedly against the move. They lamented the loss of their fiercest rival and claimed "it would never be the same" with the team in Baltimore (they were wrong, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. They are from Pittsburgh). Steelers owner Dan Rooney was one of the few who lobbied for the NFL to keep the team in Cleveland and block Modell from moving. The Steelers and the Bills were the only two teams to vote against the move. With the Browns gone, some Browns fans began to adopt other teams to root during the three years the NFL wasn't in Cleveland, and Pittsburgh became a popular choice.

The Steelers had reached the Super Bowl in 1995, so you had the bandwagoners. Browns fans wanted to see the newly christened Baltimore Ravens suffer, and the Steelers played them twice a year. And, Pittsburgh was the closest NFL city to Cleveland, so a lot of Steelers games were shown on the TV.

The third stage was after the Browns came back in 1999. That first game was against the Steelers. And, we all know that the Steelers dominated the Browns, 43-0, in front of a National TV Sunday Night audience. I think some Browns fans could never fully embrace the new team and were also tired of the losing. Meanwhile, the Steelers consistantly qualified for the playoffs. More and more bandwagoners shed their Browns gear for Steelers gear.

What's sad is the local Steeler Fan acts as if they've followed the team forever. They brag about how the Steelers never change coaches (umm, they did hire a new coach four years ago, but whatever) and about how the Steelers have more Super Bowl championships than every other team. They brag about how the Rooney family is the "standard of excellance" for NFL owners. And, even though most of them dissed the hiring of Mike Tomlin when it happened, they can't stop bragging about their head coach.

Newsflash, it's all because of winning. Steeler fans would be screaming for Tomlin's head if the team didn't reach two Super Bowls in the last four years (including this year's). They talk up Bill Cowher as great, even though his teams continually choked in the playoffs before they finally were able to win a Super Bowl just two years before Cowher retired. They wondered why the Steelers would draft a MAC quarterback with a long last name until Ben Roethilsberger was forced into action as a rookie and he won every single game he played. They can forgive Roethlisberger's many transgressions as long as he continues to win.

People don't realize that Art Rooney was a joke of an owner when he first famously bought a share of what was called the Pittsburgh Pirates after a successful day at the horse track (seriously, look it up). Rooney was always broke and had to merge with other NFL teams twice in the 1940s to keep his franchise afloat. At one point, he was bought out by Bert Bell, but after Bell became the NFL commissioner, Rooney got his controlling interest back.

The Steelers reached the playoff a grand total of ONCE between their formation in 1933 and 1970. And, they lost that playoff game. They never won an NFL title during that span, nor played for one, for that matter.

The Steelers had a young Johnny Unitas in training camp, and CUT him. Unitas wound up catching on with the Baltimore Colts and became one of the greatest QBs to ever play in the NFL. The Steelers, meanwhile, sucked.

The Steelers would grab great players on the downswing of their careers. Bobby Layne and Marion Motley immediately come to mind. Both were legendary players with the Lions and Browns, respectively, but stumbled and bumbled around as Steelers before they mercifully retired.

The Browns, actually, have more professional football championships than the Steelers do. The Browns have eight compared to the Steelers' six. If you want to count the Cleveland Rams' 1945 NFL title, the City of Cleveland has had NINE football championship teams, compared to the Steelers' six.

But, all that matters is what has happened from 1970 to now. The Steelers have had three head coaches during that span, reached eight Super Bowls, have won six (and, hopefully, that number stays that way in two weeks) and have won countless division championships. They've reached the AFC Championship game 14 times, winning eight.

The Browns, meanwhile, have only won five division titles, reached the playoffs 11 times, reached the AFC Championship game three times (losing all three) and no Super Bowls. They've been to the playoffs once since the team returned in 1999 and twice since 1990. Both times, they met (and lost to) the Steelers in the playoffs.

They also haven't won a division title since 1989. Oh yeah, and the Browns have only beaten the Steelers four times since they returned in 1999 (twice at home, once at Three Rivers and once at Heinz Field).

You do the math as to why there is a sudden proliferation of Steeler fans around here. Funny part is, real Steeler fans (i.e. people who live in and are from Western Pennsylvania) are ANNOYED at the bandwagon Steeler fans that live in Northeast Ohio. "Follow your own damn team," they say.

For a time, my biggest rival was the Baltimore Ravens, but that was because they were the old Browns owned by Art Modell. A loss to the Ravens bothered me more than a loss to the Steelers. In fact, I actually rooted for the Steelers against the Ravens in the 2007 AFC Championship game. This year, I rooted for the Ravens. I still despise them, but not as much as I despise the Steelers.

I think the sudden crop of Steeler fans around here have added to my hate. You don't see a lot of Ravens fans living around here, nor Bengals fans for that matter. Fans of other teams that live around here (like the Cowboys, Eagles, Jets, Packers, etc.) don't play the Browns every year, or share a divsion with them, so they don't bother me as much.

My new second-favorite team is whoever plays the Steelers every week. On my birthday this year, the Browns lost, but so did the Steelers. For me, it was a wash.

Joe Cleveland is what his name says he is -- a fan of Cleveland teams. I've never allowed Steeler garb to be worn on my person since that fateful day at Sea World, and I never will again. I was born here, I live here and I plan on living here for many, many more years until the day the Good Lord takes me away (hopefully in at least 40 more years). So, I root for the teams that represent me and my area. Pittsburgh doesn't represent me, and they never will. Cleveland does.

So, Go Packers, and remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Friday, January 14, 2011

The murmur for Shurmur

So, Mike Holmgren has hired his new head coach for the Cleveland Browns, and it's the offensive coordinator from the St. Louis Rams, Pat Shurmur.

Most Browns fans aren't happy. They wanted a big name like Jon Gruden to become the head coach. Heck, there's even some who believe the job should have went to Marty Morninwheg or Mike Mularkey instead.

Really? Both Morninwheg and Mularkey weren't exactly success stories in their first (and only) head coaching gigs prior to returning to more success as assistant coaches. Morninwheg only won 5 games in Detroit (and made an infamous coin toss choice in an overtime game), while Mularkey's best year in Buffalo was 9-7 before his teams slumped down to reality.

Maybe it's Joe Cleveland's belief that anything can be better than what we've witnessed ever since 2003 (with the exception of 2007, although that season ended without the playoffs), but I'm willing to give Holmgren and Shurmur the benefit of the doubt.

For starters, it seems the recent trend is to hire an unknown guy and let him go. Falcons fans weren't exactly lining up at the ticket counters when Mike Smith was hired to replace Bobby Petrino. Steelers fans preferred Ken Wisenhunt or Russ Grimm over the "outsider" Mike Tomlin when Dan Rooney hired him to replace Cowher. Ravens fans had no idea who John Harbaugh was before he was tapped to be their head coaching replacement for Brian Billick. And, there's others where that came from, but you catch my point.

Today, all those teams are in the playoffs and are one of 8 teams still alive with a berth in the Super Bowl. Tomlin's already won one Super Bowl title, Harbaugh's teams have reached the playoffs every single year, and won at least one playoff game in each, and Smith's team is the No. 1 seed in the NFC and, if they win a tough game with Green Bay, should be the favorite to reach the Super Bowl this year.

Don't you think the Browns would love to trade places with one of those teams? Joe Cleveland certainly would have.

Probably the best factor in all of this is that, for once, there is in single, solitary unified vision for the Cleveland Browns from the top on down. Shurmur comes highly recommended from Andy Reid, who has been probably the best Holmgren disciple as a head coach. And, Tom Heckert was the GM in Philly prior to coming to Cleveland with Holmgren.

Shurmer's uncle, Fritz Shurmur, was a highly successful defensive coordinator under Holmgren at Green Bay. Holmgren trusted Fritz Shurmur completely to run his defense, which allowed Holmgren to focus on the offensive side. So, there's a connection there.

Pat Shurmur has been indocrinated into the West Coast offensive system that Holmgren prefers. Shurmur has helped develop Donovon McNabb to become an elite QB, and helped develop rookie Sam Bradford into a consistant QB last year with the Rams. I'm sure Holmgren is expecting Shurmur to do the same with his own youngster, Colt McCoy.

A West Coast system favors McCoy, because it relies on shorter passes and quicker plays. McCoy doesn't have the "howitzer" arm that other QBs have, but McCoy's got smarts and a great attitude. He's got born leadership abilities, which is something most Cleveland QBs have lacked since they returned to the NFL in 1999. I can't think of a Browns QB who was renouned for his leadership abilities. In fact, it always appeared the team was divided between which QB they preferred (Couch-Holcomb, Garcia-Anyone else, Dilfer-Frye, Frye-Anderson, Anderson-Quinn).

Shurmur probably comes cheap, which is good since the Browns are still on the hook for Mangini's salary (and probably Crennel's salary). Shurmur doesn't have a big ego, which means he'll be eager to learn and use Holmgren's valuable resources to make himself better.

Perhaps he becomes a "puppet-hire" for Holmgren. Holmgren doesn't have to coach the team himself, but he has a guy he can mold and turn into a sucessful coach by essentially calling all the shots. Holmgren can surround his new protoge with veteran assistants (Dave Wannstedt is already rumored to become the defensive coordinator) to to help his transtion. And, Holmgren and Heckert can continue to draft and sign players they believe fits into their unified vision and know they have a coaching staff that can execute their vision (unlike Mangini).

Now, because of Shurmer's connection with McNabb, ESPN is already pegging Cleveland as a rumored destination for the veteran QB to allow McCoy to soak up more of the offense while not being forced to immediately play. That would be interesting.

It will be interesting to see how Shurmur (or Holmgren) fills out his coaching staff and to see how this offseason progresses. Shurmur is expected by the fan base (and Holmgren) to hit the ground running and show some immediate improvement next season. And, the onus falls on Holmgren because of how quickly he settled on Shurmur. He doesn't have Mangini to scapegoat now, the bulls-eye is squarely on him.

I have a feeling that's exactly how Holmgren wants it.

Joe Cleveland is willing to not jump to conclusions with the Shurmur hire is allowing himself to step back and observe how things go. The Browns have never had such a unified front office/coaching staff, probably since Paul Brown was running things back in the 1950s before Art "the Meddler" Modell came in and made a mess of things. We all know how great those Paul Brown teams were.

Perhaps Pat Shurmur is the next version of a Tomlin, Harbaugh, Smith or even Sean Payton or Mike McCarthy. Give him some talent, and let's go!

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Soapbox time

Joe Cleveland is sick and tired of all the national pundits out there who have a bias against Cleveland..

What exactly did we do to deserve this type of treatment? We're like the lepers of professional sports, especially in the eyes of the so-called *eye-rolling* "Worldwide Leader of Sports," ESPN.

Check out this latest drivel by one of the schleps ESPN employs to write stories on their Web site:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove10/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=6007562

The lead itself is so typical of everything ESPN. Let's compare Cleveland to Boston. Boston, which is near Bristol, Conn., and where every staffer appears to be from and be a huge fan of their teams. Let's turn David Ortiz into a superstar, when he did the same exact stuff with Minnesota and other teams he played for. But, because he's wearing the sacred Red Sox uniform, let's highlight him on ESPN all the time. Let's try to sweep it under the rug when Ortiz is linked to PEDs but we'll blow it up when Manny is because Boston gave up on him.

Yes, Boston teams are winning. Boston also forgets that they went through a lot of heartache before that winning happened. Remember that so-called Curse of the Bambino that caused the Red Sox to go 80 years without a World Series title? Yeah, because they won two World Series titles within the last 10 years, and they continue to contend for playoff berths thanks to a flawed MLB system where rich owners in big markets can overpay for free agents while poor owners in small markets have to cut corners (like our good "friends" Paul and Larry Cheapass ... err ... Dolan), that's all forgotten about. Ancient history, right Boston?

How about the Patriots? Remember when they were best known for being the punching bag for the 85 Bears in Super Bowl 25? Remember when they were 0-2 in Super Bowls, thanks to Brett Favre and Desmond Howard? And, how they couldn't win a Super Bowl, even with the great Bill Parcells as their coach? Remember how upset their fanbase was when they gave up draft picks for Bill Belichick, who was a terrible coach in Cleveland, and how they were ready to lynch him when he benched their beloved Drew Bledsoe for some mediocre Michigan low-round draft pick named Tom Brady? Of course, Boston Fan doesn't remember all of that. Now, Belichick is a "genius" and Brady is "the best QB in the NFL." And, chances are they'll probably get back to the Super Bowl and win another one, and that's a credit to Belichick and his system. He's, apparently, the only one who can perfect his system, since so many of his disciples go on to other outposts and fail as head coaches (and, Browns fans know that all too well, since we had two of them). But, like I said, recent history is all that matters, and the Patriots have won 3-of-4 Super Bowls in the last 10 years and lost the other one on a "fluke catch by a journeyman receiver."

Remember when the Celtics were coached by Rick Pitino? Remember how Boston fans ran him out of town and back to the college ranks because his teams were so terrible? Remember when Paul Pierce was a selfish player on some bad teams? Yeah, Boston Fan like to point to those 17 championship banners, but only one of those banners have been won in the last 25 years. But, that's OK, they manipulated the system to get Garnett and Ray Allen (just like Miami did with LeBron, Wade and Bosh this year), and it helped with the development of Rajon Rondo. Like I said, it's what have you done with me lately, and Boston will enjoy their 2008 title and their berth in the 2010 Finals (even though they lost to the "hated" Lakers).

I'd like to hear from Boston Fan when things go South (and they will). I like how everyone points to the fact that Cleveland sports teams haven't won a championship since 1964 and forget that the Indians reached two World Series in the 1990s (and eliminated their beloved Red Sox and Yankees to get there in various years) and the Cavs reached an NBA Finals in 2007. They forget that in 2007, to go along with the Cavs finals berth, the Indians had a 3-1 ALCS lead on their beloved Red Sox and the Browns were a tiebreaker away from clinching a playoff berth. But, today, all three of those teams "suck," and that's all that matter.

Joe Cleveland "loves" when a network is televising a Cleveland game and they continually roll out highlights of The Drive, The Fumble, The Blown Save, Red Right 88 ... really? Hell, they even mention the Cuyahoga River catching fire, and that happened in 19-freaking-69!! Most of those idiots at ESPN weren't even born when that happened, but they gleefully talk about it like it was yesterday.

It makes Joe Cleveland wonder if the dregs at ESPN, who look through their rose-colored Boston/New York/LeBron glasses, would be happy if folks like me and the other hard-working, loyal folks in Northeast Ohio start being front-runners like they are? Sure, we've got enough Steelers fans around these parts to nauseate folks, but seriously? The tone of that article almost makes it a shame to be a fan of Cleveland sports teams. Yeah, they're down on their luck right now. LeBron leaving the Cavs hurt more than anyone really wanted to believe and may have set this franchise back a few years. The Indians continue to cut payroll, make lopsided trade and alienate their fanbase by spending more money to turn the stadium into a Winter Wonderland park instead of on the on-field product. And, the Browns are looking for their fifth full-time head coach since they came back 12 years ago, during which time they've only made the playoffs once, had a winning season twice and beat the Steelers 4 times.

But, the name on the front of those jersies and in front of those nicknames are "Cleveland." Cleveland is where we live. Yeah, we're frustrated by the lack of winning and aren't ashamed to admit it and bash ownership, coaches or even players if we feel they're not doing enough to reverse that trend. But that's what loyal fans do. The Red Sox may have had loyal fans, but that was before they started winning and EVERYONE became a Red Sox fan. Have they been loyal to the Patriots or the Celtics? How about the Bruins, who haven't won squat? Loyalty is easy when your team is winning. When the team (or teams, in our case) are down on their luck, that's when loyalty is proven.

Cleveland fans complain a lot, but they're loyal. And, if your teams haven't won a championship in 46 years and counting, wouldn't you be a little bit frustrated and complain a lot, too?

I believe that one day a Cleveland team will win a championship (my money is on the Browns at this point, because the NFL is set up for a team to come out of nowhere and win and sustain winning when it happens. And, Mike Holmgren seems to know what he's doing). And if doesn't happen, so what? Sports teams are a distraction from everyday life. It just so happens to be Joe Cleveland's living to watch and write about sports, but so be it.

Even though ESPN wants you to be (as they gleefully run every single stat LeBron garners as the Heat keep winning), don't be ashamed to be a Cleveland Sports Fan. Remember, it's always darkest before the dawn, and every cloud has a silver lining.

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Monday, January 10, 2011

The case against Art "Judas" Modell

The 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame were revealed on Sunday, and, notable to us Cleveland fans, was that Art Modell was not among them.

When Joe Cleveland read the story, he cheered like the Browns had just scored a touchdown or the Cavs had gotten a win. Sure, those things have been pretty rare lately, but you catch my drift.

It amazes me every year that a guy like Modell can continue to garner interest in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Only once has Modell become a finalist. Thanks to the efforts of Plain Dealer Browns writer Tony Grossi, he was passed over. But, it seems like he's always on the preliminary list for Hall of Fame consideration, and it baffles a guy like Joe Cleveland.

What exactly did Modell do that was so noteworthy? Everything I can think of was pretty negative.

First and foremost, he moved a franchise with one of the deepest NFL traditions with a rabid fanbase to a different location. The man moved the Browns to Baltimore because he was broke. Why was he broke? Because he was (and is) a poor businessman, plain and simple. People can blame the City of Cleveland for not building the Browns a new stadium when Jacobs Field and Gund Arena were built, but the fact is, Modell voluntarily took over control of Stadium Corp. from the City of Cleveland and had an iron-clad lease. Plus, he turned down the opportunity to get in on the Gateway project, focusing on trying to remodel and refurbish his current stadium, until he saw the "palaces" being built for the Indians and the Cavs, and all the revenue it generated, along with the sweet leases their team's owners got for moving into those new stadiums. Also, it didn't dawn on him until later that his biggest tenant, the Indians, would be leaving his stadium, and right when they were on the cusp of becoming a winner.

He's probably the only NFL owner to continually be in the red every single year. I could take over an NFL team and make money without even trying. Modell continually was broke. Why? He can only blame himself.

Moving the Browns is a bad enough sin on its own and should immediatly strike down any conversation about the man being an NFL "immortal." He's an immortal jackass, but not an immortal.

Secondly, he fired one of the greatest coaches in football history in Paul Brown. You don't fire a guy like Paul Brown! Paul Brown revolutionized the game of football. He changed the way people coach the game and the way people play the game. He invented the screen pass, the draw play, the messenger guard system that paved the way for those helmet-to-helmet devices all QBs have (by the way, he invented that, too. Look it up. He put a speaker in QB George Ratterman's helmet in 1956 during a preseason game, but unfortunately, the signal kept picking up the police and cab radios so it was scrapped), coaches calling plays, scripting plays, the passing game, you name it. The man was ahead of his time, and that was why his Browns won NFL championships seven times in his first 10 years and lost in the championship game the three other times. He even got back to the NFL Championship game (1957) after a mediocre 1956 season thanks to his drafting of the great Jim Brown, but lost.

Then, Modell bought the team and decided to stick his nose into things. Brown didn't like that. Brown had supposedly lost the ear of his team, and, after a decent 1962 season, Modell fired him. Sure, the Browns recovered to win the 1964 title under Blanton Collier, but they haven't won a title since.

Modell stubbornly refused to hire a legitimate personnel man. Whenever he did (George Hadhazy, Ernie Accorsi), the team would see immediate success. However, Modell continued overstep his bounds and wound up running these guys out of town.

Modell, on the eve of the 1970 season, traded his Hall of Fame receiver, Paul Warfield, for Mike Phipps. Phipps was God-awful; Warfield went on to become a champion with the Miami Dolphins. Coincidentally, the Browns (after some decent seasons in the early 1970s) spiraled into mediocrity until a guy named Brian Sipe and a coach named Sam Rutigliano came along with a season for the ages in 1980, which only ended in heartbreak.

Modell's players constantly held out for more money because Modell had underpaid them, or broken his word on contracts. Holdouts by Frank Minnifield and Webster Slaughter helped derail the Browns' playoff successes of the late 80s as the 1990s came aboard.

Modell hired Bill Belichick, but it was before Belichick was truly ready to become a head coach. He passed on Bill Cowher, who wound up leading the rival Steelers to immediate success. Belichick, meanwhile, alienated most of the team's fanbase with questionable in-game decisions, questionable personnel decisions and a notable feud with popular Bernie Kosar that wound up leading to Kosar's PR-disaster mid-season release in 1993.

Modell decided he wanted to make a big spash in free agency, so he borrowed a ton of money to sign Andre Rison. Rison was a poor fit with Belichick's team and rubbed fans the wrong way with his Diva attitude. Meanwhile, Modell couldn't pay off his loans. It was a prominant reason why Modell, as he famously said, "had no choice" but to move the team.

Heck, he even tried to move his team in the 1970s ... to STRONGSVILLE! Modell purchased a plot of land that he threatned to build a new stadium on if Cleveland didn't cow-tow to his demands. In the end, it proved to be a giant bluff, and both parties came to (what they believed to be) and equally beneficial agreement.

I could go on. Modell ran off Marty Schottenheimer (his most successful coach besides Collier) by sticking his nose into football business. Modell ran off Forrest Gregg, who wound up taking the Bengals to the Super Bowl (something that was sure to stick in Modell's craw, since Paul Brown founded and ran the Bengals). Modell hung on to Sam Rutigliano too long, and his decision to move the team helped derail any momentum the football team had gained by qualifying for the playoffs in 1994 under Belichick. And, let's not forget the shabby condition his stadium was in. It constantly needed work, and the playing surface was also terrible. It was HIS stadium because of HIS decision to take over Stadium Corp. from the city. He probably thought that controlling the stadium revenue would help him make money. He was wrong.

Now, let's dissect what people believe Modell did right.

A myth is that Modell helped create Monday Night Football. Roone Aldridge of ABC Sports created Monday Night Football. All Modell did was volunteer his team and his stadium to host the very first installment. Modell was on the committee, but it wasn't his decision or his brainchild. He wasn't against the idea, but so were other people. A Hall of Famer is not created because he "agreed" with a decision to start a Monday Night game and then lobbied for his team to host it.

Another myth is that Modell helped smooth over the AFL-NFL merger by volunteering the Browns to join the AFL teams in the new AFC. Modell had stubbornly rebuffed any chances to jump ship during a highly-contentious negotiation session between the two leagues but finally did. Modell's motives was that he felt that his Browns (which had recently won an NFL championship, mind you, and were starting to regain that postseason mojo in the late 60s) would come over to the "weaker" AFC and dominate. Unfortunately, his good friend Art Rooney, who jointly with Modell decided to take his Steelers to the AFC, would be the one to dominate in the 1970s after many, many years of moribund play. Also, the Colts (who were the other team to jump to the AFC) qualified for the first true NFL Super Bowl in 1970 and won. It was Modell's idea, but the others who joined him reaped the rewards while Modell ran his team into the toilet.

Modell helped introduce revenue sharing to the league (debatable) and helped negotiate lucritive TV deals for the league (probably true). He was on the television committee for a lot of his later years in the league, and during that time, the NFL's marriage with TV exploded, to the point to where networks are paying billions of dollars for the right to broadcast the games and games are now on five different networks (two cable) and playing in prime-time three nights a week. But, in reality, that's something that helped his fellow owners get rich and didn't really pay any true dividend to the fans, other than an oversaturation of the market. You shouldn't take a spot in a Pro Football Hall of Fame from a deserving player because you helped make your fellow owners rich because of some TV deals. That's just ridiculous.

The myth that Modell voluntarily gave up the Browns' name, colors and lineage to move to Baltimore is also asinine. The NFL FORCED Modell to do this because of the threat of lawsuits and injunctions filed by the City of Cleveland and Browns season ticket holders. The entire move itself was a giant black-eye for the league, especially when Modell was such a huge critic of guys like Al Davis and Bob Irsay, who moved their franchises to different towns. He angered a lot of his fellow owners by going back on his word and moving his team when he always so outspoken against franchise relocation in the NFL.

A new nickname and uniforms would have cost Modell money, and the money Baltimore paid him to move had just helped him break even. He didn't want to spend any more than he had to. which included consultants for the nickname, color scheme, logo, mascot and uniform design. A "Name the Team" contest also cost him and his staff a lot of man hours to sift through the ideas. Besides, you think he wanted to voluntarily give up the one thing he paid for back in 1961, which was the BROWNS franchise and lineage? The NFL forced Modell to do this as a compromise to placate Cleveland (while also promising a new franchise would begin play there in three years, something the NFL never did and hasn't done since). Modell was also forced to play money to Cleveland and their season ticket holders, buying out his silent partners Bob Gries and Al Lerner, along with paying some of his fellow owners to allow him to move. In the end, he would up right back where he started -- broke, and teetering with being out of football.

In the end, Modell wound up selling his team (something he stubbornly refused to do in Cleveland) to a billioniare named Steve Bisciotti. With Bisciotti as his partner, the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000 (giving Modell his long-awaited Lombardi Trophy) while also turning most of the football operations over to Ozzie Newsome. Three years later, Bisciotti bought out Modell, leaving him a 1 percent interest in the team that is by and large an honorary thing.

Modell begged and borrowed his way into the NFL when he bought the Browns (mostly with loans) and continued to run his team into debt until he finally found a billionaire to buy him out. He actually had a billionaire who wanted to buy him out in Cleveland in Al Lerner, but Modell refused. Today, the Lerner family owns the Browns, while Modell's family does not. And, that's what he gets.

He was a poor businessman before, during and after his tenure with Cleveland and into his tenure with Baltimore. For that, he does not deserve to be rewarded with a bust among such great legendary players and other contributors to the NFL. He deserves to die, alone, as a martyr, and that's all he deserves.

The day that man dies will be the cause of a big celebration in Joe Cleveland's house, that's for sure. And, if Modell ever sneaks his slimy way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, posthumously or not, Joe Cleveland will NEVER, EVER step foot into that building in Canton again. And, I'm sure he's not alone in that thinking around these parts.

But, that's just my opinion. Differ if you like, but remember, until next time ... Cleveland Rocks!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

O-H ... UH-OH!

So, Joe Cleveland missed the first half of tonight's Sugar Bowl because of his real job, which is fine. He had friends giving him text updates while he plugged away on stories about high school basketball. And, judging by those texts, Ohio State was looking really good.

Then, I decided to watch the game, and just like that, their luck took a turn for the worse. Coincidence?

Seriously, I was pleasently surprised that Ohio State jumped on Arkansas as great as they did in the first half. I was worried that the tattoo controversy surrounding Terrelle Pryor and his junior co-horts would prove to be a distraction. Instead, it almost seemed like it served as motivation. They looked unstoppable.

But, in typical Tressel fashion, the Buckeyes went away from what was working in the first half in the second half. They allowed Arkansas to get back into it and steal the momentum. And, even though Ohio State was making some plays in the fourth quarter offensively, it didn't look like it was going to be enough.

Special teams have been a thorn in Ohio State's side all season long, and I always felt that, if they didn't correct those issues, it would come back to bite them in the ass when it counted. That blocked punt sure looked like it was going to lead to a game-winning touchdown, didn't it?

The walls in my house reverberated from Joe Cleveland's swearing at his TV. How do they let a punt get blocked? Especially in that situation.

Fortunately, college football has a rule that says, once a runner's knee is down, the play is blown dead. The Arkansas player couldn't scoop it up and run with it; he had to fall on it. Had this been the NFL, that would have been a touchdown and the game would have been over. But, it's not the NFL.

I don't know, but Ryan Mallett looked overrated to me. This is a "can't-miss" NFL prospect? He reminds me of Jake Locker, who all the draft pundits love but hasn't done jack in games. Mallett didn't wow me when he was at Michigan, and he certainly didn't wow me tonight. Sure, his receivers dropped a lot of passes, but come on. A true winner at QB wouldn't have made that terrible of a throw in that situation. It was great coverage by Solomon Thomas, but if Mallett was all that, he would have known better to not make that throw. I don't know, that's just Joe Cleveland's opinion.

I do feel that, even though OSU almost melted down in the second half, they helped put some of those pro-SEC, anti-Ohio State stereotypes to bed. Remember that Ohio State isn't quick enough to play with teams from the SEC. Remember that the Big Ten is an archaic conference that can't hold a candle to the SEC, and that Ohio State would be mediocre if they played in the SEC. I think they proved that they can play with the SEC's best and beat them. Sure, they're still 1-9 vs. the SEC in bowl games, but it's that one win that counts.

Joe Cleveland, however, was a bit conflicted about cheering for the Buckeyes in this one. He was not a happy person with Pryor and his buddies for selling their memorabilia (especially their gold pants trinkets they get for beating Michigan) for free tattoos. He almost wished Tressel would suspend all of those players for the bowl game, even though it would have meant a certain loss. He almost hoped Pryor would have a terrible game as a result. However, I'm an Ohio State fan first and foremost. I rooted for the Browns, Indians and Cavs in the past even though there were players on those teams I didn't care for, so why should this be different?

I would not be surprised, however, to see Pryor and Herron reneg on their "word" to Tressel that they will return for their senior years and go out for the draft. For Pryor, however, it's almost worth it to suck it up, take his suspension, and try to establish himself as a QB afterward. As of now, the NFL sees him more as a receiver and gimmick player instead of a bonafide QB, and that would likely mean a lower draft status and less money.

In the end, though, it's always good to see ESPN look bad. They love the SEC and hate the Big Ten, so it was good to see (and funny to see Mark May get booed when he tried to interview Cameron Heyward. He's such a hater.)

Joe Cleveland will enjoy this Buckeye bowl victory and hope that the SEC gets theirs later in the week when Auburn plays Oregon (Go Ducks!) And, now, he can turn his attention back to that Browns coaching search ...

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Bye-Bye, Mangini!

Joe Cleveland wasn't surprised to see Eric Mangini get canned as the Cleveland Browns head coach this morning (in fact, I turned on my cell phone to see at least five people texted me that Mangini was toast early this morning).

I was a little surprised, however, that Mangini actually finished the season.

The writing was on the wall when the Browns fell to the lowly Buffalo Bills in a lackluster effort, and it was pretty loud and clear when they duplicated that same effort the following week against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. At that point, it was obvious to anyone with half a brain that Mangini had to win both of his remaining games if he expected to come back for a third season as Browns coach.

That didn't happen.

From my seat in Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday, after the hated Steelers had just gone up by two touchdowns with less than half of the first quarter gone, I wondered aloud if Mike Holmgren himself would descend from his luxury box down to the sideline, Haskell in tow, tap Mangini and Brian Daboll on their respective shoulders, tell them to get lost, grab their headsets and coach the rest of the game. Most of people in my section thought that would have been the greatest thing ever. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

However, Holmgren waited until Mangini walked into his regular meeting with him this morning and basically told him the exact same thing.

For the time being, though, it appears Holmgren isn't interested in coaching himself. I wonder if that's part of the "due dillegence" he has to do to placate the NFL in the search. He has to interview at least one minority candidate (thanks, Dan Rooney), although, I think that rule doesn't help minority candidates at all. Most of them wind up taking token interviews even though the team has already decided on the candidate they want. The fact is, the best man usually gets the job, and I think the color of a man's skin has little to do with it anymore (college football, on the other hand ...)

If, after two weeks of interviewing candidates, Holmgren decides that the best candidate is himself, so be it. I think the Browns could do a lot worse than a guy who has 3 Super Bowls under his belt. One loss was to John Elway, who simply wanted it to much. The other loss was one of most controvercial Super Bowls in history, thanks to a litany of questionable officials non-calls and penalties.

If Holmgren is comfortable in his role as the president, here's a few names to keep an eye on:

Jon Gruden: Gruden has a history with Holmgren in both San Francisco and Green Bay. They share the same offensive vision and they share the same agent. Gruden also grew up in Ohio as a Browns fan and would relish the chance to coach the team back to prominance. Gruden also personally reccommended Colt McCoy to Holmgren, and it was Holmgren who lobbied his GM, Tom Heckert, to draft him. It depends on if Gruden is ready to return to coaching this year or not, but I'd have to say he's the No. 1 candidate.

Marty Mohrningweg: I don't know if this is how you spell his name, but many NFL experts are saying Marty is the favorite. Mohrningweg does have head coaching experience, however it came with the Detroit Lions under Matt Millen. Mohrningweg's teams went 5-27 while he was there, and included a curious decision to kickoff to start an overtime that wound up biting his team in the ass. Mohrningweg has made a name for himself as an offensive coordinator, especially lately with the Philadelphia Eagles. Mohrningweg has said that he learned a lot of lessons from his first coaching stint, and Holmgren and Heckert should be a bit more competant at running a team than Millen was. Mohrningweg shares the same offensive philosophies (and agent) as Holmgren, and it appears he's one of the coaches Holmgren has already asked permission to interview.

John Fox: Fox's name started coming up in conversation as soon as his Carolina Panthers began to take a turn for the worse. Fox has never coached in the Holmgren tree, but they both share the same agent and have similar philosophies and a mutual respect and admiration for each other. Fox is more of a defensive coach, but he took the Panthers to their only Super Bowl and coaxed some great seasons out of Jake Delhomme, who is currently a backup QB for the Browns. Its obvious that the Panthers needed to make a change, but Fox's reputation is that he's a solid coach who gets the most out of his players.

Perry Fewell: At first, I thought Fewell was just going to be interviewed to placate the Rooney Rule. However, Fewell did do fairly decent as Buffalo's interim head coach two seasons ago and made a seemless transition to become the Giants' defensive coordinator. I think he's a darkhorse candidate at best, because I think Holmgren wants an offensive-minded coach. However, if his contract is up, I could see him coming in as the defensive boss here.

Jim Harbaugh: I don't agree with Harbaugh as a candidate, because I don't think coaches can make the transition from college to the NFL. Even though Harbaugh ran a pro-style system at Stanford, and he spent many years as an NFL quarterback and his brother has been successful as the Baltimore Ravens coach, I would rather some other team take the flier on Harbaugh. As long as Michigan doesn't get him (speaking as a Buckeye fan), I'll be happy. That being said, I couldn't see Harbaugh coaching in the same division as his brother anyway.

Brian Billick: One prominant radio guy has been saying Billick should be a front-runner for this job. Billick did coach a West Coast offense at Minnesota under Denny Green, who was on the same coaching staff as Holmgren in San Francisco, so there is a connection there. Billick can be abrasive, but he did coach Baltimore to their only championship since they left Cleveland (and only Super Bowl). He knows the North Division inside and out. And, he was ready to come here to coach the Browns before Policy overstepped his bounds and tried to wave a "take it or leave it" offer at him just hours after his Vikings were upset in the NFC championship game in 1998. He's been out of coaching since Baltimore fired him three years ago, so it will be interesting to see if he leaves his TV job. I can't see him as a legitimate candidate.

Steve Mariucci: Mariucci coached with Holmgren in both Green Bay and San Francisco before taking over for George Seifert in San Francisco for a few years. Supposedly, Mariucci was ready to take the Browns job in 1999 if he was to be fired as 49ers coach (as had been rumored) before Terrell Owens made that terrific touchdown catch in the playoffs to eliminate Green Bay (and Holmgren) and save his job. Mariucci has enjoyed his cushy gig on the NFL Network, but you have to assume he might be on Holmgren's list of confidants.

Gil Haskell: Holmgren brought Haskell in as an advisor to both him and to Mangini's coaching staff. Haskell was Holmgren's long-time offensive coorindator in Seattle. Holmgren always wondered why Haskell was never given an opportunity to become a head coach, and there are some who think that this may be that opportunity. Haskell is also up there in age and I can't see him becoming the head coach. Offensive coordinator, yes. Head coach, not so much.

Josh McDaniels: His name popped up because he's from Canton and played at John Carroll and because he shares the same agent as Holmgren. If Mangini would have been retainined, I could have definitely seen McDaniels becoming the offensive coordinator next year. However, McDaniels does not share Holmgren's offensive vision. And, do we really need another Bill Belichick disciple coaching the Browns, especially since the last two worked out so well (sarcasm)? Assistant coach, yes. Head coach, no.

Karl Dorrall: The former UCLA coach's name popped up in Plain Dealer reports as a candidate. He was a fine assistant coach at Carolina and many feel that he's on fast track to becoming an NFL head coach. Unless Holmgren is trying to bring in an unknown that he can puppet-string around (Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy would be another one), I can't see Dorrall as a viable candidate at this point.

Rob Ryan: I put him on the list because he's currently under contract with the Browns and he's being linked to other head coaching openings. Supposedly, Holmgren liked Ryan a lot. I don't know if the guy his head coaching material, considering his defenses were usually inconsistant. He'd be entertaining as a head coach, to say the least, and I think it was fairly significant that the defense ran out as a group with Ryan leading the way. The players love him. That being said, he is a bit of a loose cannon whose words could come back to bite him. It will be interesting to see what happens with him -- I wouldn't be surprised if he was retained by Holmgren as DC if he didn't find a head coaching gig.

Do you have any candidates you believe should be kept an eye on? Any opinions on the coaching search? Feel free to comment on them below.

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Who is Joe Cleveland?

Hello, world. I am "Joe Cleveland." I am a life-long Cleveland sports fan who has a background in sports journalism who is not afraid to say his opinion on the state of sports in Cleveland or elsewhere.

At a former newspaper I worked for, a co-worker used to call me "Joe Cleveland" because, in his opinion, my views on the world of sports were just as he envisioned those of the genaric person he called "Joe Cleveland." In his world, "Joe Cleveland" witnessed a lot of heartbreak in his or her life and kept coming back for more. "Joe Cleveland" always blamed the coach or the front office when things went bad, and "Joe Cleveland" loves to bash players as soon as they bolt Cleveland for "greener pastures."

Now, I'm not guilty of all of these things, but I am on some of them.

For starters, I still boo players such as Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez and (especially) LeBron James for leaving their Cleveland teams as free agents.

I do love booing players who I believed did not give a full effort when they played for Cleveland teams and have since moved on. Braylon Edwards is a perfect example.

I also love booing players who bash Cleveland on their way out of town. Derek Anderson better hope he never takes a meaningful QB snap in Cleveland in the next few years (FYI, I LOVED his meltdown after the Monday Night game. It essentially proved everything that I thought about the guy when he played for the Browns.)

Joe Cleveland is going to wrap this blog up, but he can assure you he'll be back to vent about other things in Cleveland sports whenever he can. Thanks for reading, and please spread the word!

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!