Well, the NFL's free agent circus came and went over the span of just a few weeks. For the most part, the Browns sat back and watched the carnage form around them.
The Browns showed an interest in Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan. However, not at the exhorbitant price tags Dan "The Fan" Snyder and his Redskins paid for them.
***A quick break in the action here. I've heard a lot of people complain that the Browns didn't match Washington's steep bid for the Rams' No. 2 pick to presumably pick Robert Griffin III. I've heard some people claim that they wish they had an owner like Snyder, who isn't afraid to spend money and take chances, instead of the quiet, deep-pocketed Randy Lerner. Do you realize how much of a joke that Redskins franchise is? They win as much as the Browns do lately, which is NEVER. They are always in salary cap hell because Snyder overpays for mediocre talent and tries to recreate a fantasy football team in real life. They treat draft picks like cancer, which is why you'll never see any young nucleus in Washington. Snyder likes to throw a lot of money at big-name coaches (Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs, Mike Shanahan), but then quickly gets rid of them if they can't win with his overpriced, mediocre talent. Even with the "savior" RG3, Joe Cleveland will go on record and say that the Redskins will NEVER win a Super Bowl, much less even get to one, as long as Snyder continues to run his team into the ground. Moving on ...
The Browns let Matt Flynn go to Seattle without even bringing him to talk to them. In fact, they didn't really show an interest in any quarterback that was out there.
Tim Tebow could suddenly be had for pretty cheap, but the Browns didn't even show one hint of interest.
The only two free agents signed where a pair of defensive linemen -- Frostee Rucker and Juqua Parker. Of course, free agency is not over yet, and there are still plenty of free agents to choose from, but most of the big names are gone.
Unlike some of the other people in this town, Joe Cleveland would like to take a moment and applaud Tom Heckert for not breaking the bank on mediocre talent.
Remember Phil Savage, the absentee general manager who had an up-and-down four year tenure with the Browns? Savage LOVED making a splash in free agency every single year. He had a deep-pocketed owner who never asked questions and trusted his talent evaluators, so Savage took advantage of that never-ending checkbook.
Here's just a few of the gems Savage gave exhorbitant contracts too -- Gary Baxter, LeCharles Bentley, Corey Williams, Shaun Rogers, Derek Anderson, Joe Jurevicus, Ted Washington, Willie McGinest ...
Jamal Lewis was a nice signing for one season, before the treads came flying off those tires in a hurry during that second year and especially that third year.
Eric Steinbach was a great signing, until he hurt his back and missed all of last season.
Dave Zastudil was a great signing, until he got injured and missed a season-and-a-half.
Jurevicus and Bentley were popular signings because they were from Cleveland. Jurevicus was at the end of his career and was only productive for one season. Bentley, who was a Pro Bowl center the season before, never even played in a single game with the Browns, suffering a career ending knee injury just one play into his first training camp.
Savage gave up his entire 2008 draft for Brady Quinn, Rogers and Corey Williams. How did that one turn out? That turned out to be the final nail in his coffin.
Derek Anderson had one great year (or 3/4ths of a year, if you want to get technical) and was rewarded with a large contract. Then, the real DA showed up and drug the franchise down with him. Now, he holds a clipboard and gives Cam Newton chest bumps whenever Newton scores a touchdown.
Savage hit on a few draft choices. Immediately coming to mind are Joe Thomas, D'Qwell Jackson ... and that's about it. He took Atyaba Rubin in his last draft (his first pick, in the FOURTH round), so he gets credit for him, too, I guess. Josh Cribbs was signed as an undrafted guy the same year he wasted the third-overall pick on Braylon Edwards.
Remember Travis Wilson? Of course you don't. Wilson was a receiver from Oklahoma that Savage once drafted in the third round. Wilson never caught an NFL pass, even though he proclaimed in his first press conference that he was "the best wide receiver in the draft" that year.
You can blame Savage for the disaster that was a starting defensive backfield of Eric Wright-Brandon McDonald. Both were drafted in the same year (Wright in the second round; McDonald in the fourth). Both made a living out of getting torched by opposing quarterbacks. The second-coming of Dixon and Minnifield, they certainly weren't. Last I saw, Wright and McDonald were on a Detroit team that got torched by Matt Flynn and Drew Brees in back-to-back weeks to end their season.
Savage treated the draft like a lost cause. He seemed to focus on the first two rounds, but let himself go from rounds 3-through-7. His excuse was that if anyone becomes a star selected after round 3, that was the exception and not the rule.
Remember Kamerion Wimbley? The Browns could have had him or Haloti Ngata in the first round. Savage listened to Romeo Crennel (who wanted a pass rusher) and GAVE his old boss Ozzie Newsome his first round pick in exchange for the Ravens pick and a sixth-rounder. Ngata has been a stalwart for the division-rival Ravens. Wimbley is now playing for his third-different team, the Browns having dealt him for a third-round choice that turned into Colt McCoy.
Do you still want a guy like Phil Savage running your team? It's no wonder why the Browns only had one winning season in their four years together, but yet were a complete disaster when Savage and Crennel were let go after the 2008 season. He neglected the draft and tried to find "win-now" shortcuts that wound up blowing up in his face.
The Browns' track record in free agency has never really been any good. That even goes back to the Judas Modell days, when he got loans from four different banks to sign Andre Rison to an exhorbitant contract, only to watch Rison destroy his locker room with his cancerous attitude.
How about that Jeff Garcia free agency signing? That was Butch Davis' answer to the Tim Couch-Kelly Holcomb QB carosel. By the end of that season, both Davis and Garcia were gone.
The good teams never go buck-wild in free agency. Green Bay hasn't signed a free agent in two years. Yet they won a Super Bowl just two years ago and came close to doing it again last year. Those hated Stillers never break the bank in free agency, either.
Teams that build through the draft are the ones that wind up consistantly winning over the long haul. This is what the Browns are attempting to do.
The Browns have 13 picks in this year's draft at the moment. Let them do what they do best.
***
So, who's going to be at quarterback, now that Griffin, Luck, Flynn, Manning, Alex Smith, Kyle Orton, Jason Campbell, David Garrard and Tim Tebow are all off the market?
The only way the Browns take Ryan Tannehill is if they trade down from the 4-spot. They won't take him at No. 4. I expect Miami will take him at No. 8, if they don't try to move up to get him first.
Brandon Weeden could be had in the second, or possibly even in the third round. Weeden's age (28) is hurting his stock. If he was 22 or 23 like all the other QBs, he'd be a first-round choice, hands down.
I expect that Colt McCoy will be the starter again. I know that some people are ready to give up on him and think that he's crap, that he's the second-coming of Charlie Frye-Luke McCown-Spurgeon Wynn-Brady Quinn-Tim Couch all over again. And, he might be, when it's all said and done.
However, you can't deny that McCoy played against a stacked deck last year. He had no offseason to learn a brand-new offense. He lost his top offenisve threat in Peyton Hillis for most of the season due to injuries and other assorted bizarre antics, leaving him with a one-legged runner in Montario Hardesty and a practice squad college teammate in Chris Ogbonnaya to hand the ball off to. He was without a dynamic playmaker at receiver, and the receivers he did have led the NFL in collective dropped passes. The right side of his offensive line was a joke, and both of the guards were essentially rookies. Don't forget that rookie fullback in Owen Marecic as well, who wasn't quite ready for primetime.
I expect a lot of these things to be addressed with those 13 draft picks this year. Don't be surprised if a guy like Cedric Benson is signed as kind of a stop-gap, Jamal Lewis-esque signing, even if they take Trent Richardson at No. 4.
This will be a make-or-break year for McCoy. He knows the braintrust in the organization made a play for Griffin (they admitted it and looked like petulant children crying over spilled milk when they did admit it). He knows they may take a QB in the draft, whether it's Tannehill, Weeden, Brock Osweilor, Kellen Moore or Russell Wilson or some other QB I'm not thinking of.
If he fails this year, he'll wind up like Brady Quinn, never starting a game again.
I still think Weeden gets taken by the Browns, perhaps at No. 37, and I still think Seneca "Cancer" Wallace gets shown the door. Wallace has been nothing but a problem since he was brought over to the Browns two years ago and has shown little in positive production in the few times he's been used.
My prediction for the draft -- Morris Claiborne at 4, a receiver (Wright from Baylor, Floyd from Notre Dame or Jeffrey from South Carolina) at 22 and Weeden or LeMichael James at 37. Can that change between now and April 22? Absolutely.
But, that's why this part of the season is fun.
***
Joe Cleveland was going to end his blog here, but I've got to address Paul Dolan's little chat he had with Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer today.
Dolan refuted claims in Forbes Magazine, which said that the Indians turned a $30 million profit last season (largest in MLB). Dolan admitted the only year ownership got to enjoy some of the profits was the playoff year of 2007 (funny what a few extra sellouts in October can do for the bottom line), and that they've never been as much as $30 million.
Had this been true, the Dolans could get into hot water for not spending the money they get from revenue sharing, both with the frustrated fan base and with MLB.
Dolan also claimed that he really does want to win as badly as the fans do. He also said that the team isn't for sale and, even if it was, there aren't any buyers lining up to buy it.
I really want to believe Paul Dolan and take him at his word. But, I just can't.
I believe everything he told Terry Pluto was a lie.
I believe that they did make $30 million and pocketed most of it. I believe that the team is for sale. I don't believe that he wants to win, only to turn a profit.
If he wanted to win, he'd put his money where his mouth is. Time and time again, he hasn't done so.
His cronies Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti aren't exactly babes in woods in this, either. They've made some dumb baseball decisions that have cost this team time and time again. They've spent what little money Dolan allows them to spend in dumb ways (David Delucci and Jason Michaels ring a bell? Matt Lawton? How about that Travis Hafner contract?), and have squandered numerous draft choices (anyone remember John Drennan, Dan Denham or Brad Snyder? Of course you don't) over the years.
The Indians have had their window of opportunity three times since John Hart left for good -- 2005, 2007 and 2011. The window slammed shut in 2006, only to open again 2007, but slam back shut in 2008 and 09. The window is open again this year, but it appears Dolan, Shapiro and Antonetti are willing to let it slam back on them in 2012.
Last summer was fun, even though Joe Cleveland (like many) were waiting for that other shoe to drop (when it did, it dropped hard). Fans were coming back to the Jake. The team was exciting. Some of the young guys were getting their chances and making the most of those chances. Heck, even Jim Thome came back to exorcise some of those old demons.
I fear this summer will be like the summers of 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 were. I want to be wrong.
Joe Cleveland really wants to believe you, Paul Dolan. However, he just can't. You've burned us one too many times.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Thwarting the RG3 Hysteria
With NFL free agency upon us, and the NFL draft about a month and a half away, many Browns fans have begun the speculation game.
The most popular speculation -- perpetuated by the local sports talk minions -- centers around Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy winner.
With the St. Louis Rams holding the No. 2 pick and not in any need to take a QB, especially after drafting Sam Bradford No. 1 overall just two years ago, they have made no secret about auctioning off that pick to the highest bidder. 90 percent of the local sports-yammers are demanding that the Browns win that auction to land the guy they believe will get this team to the Promised Land.
Joe Cleveland is not one of those guys. In fact, Joe Cleveland is saying that the Browns should stand pat at No. 4, or even (gasp) trade down and get some more picks.
There's no question that quarterback is the glamour position in the NFL, and, nowadays, it's hard to find a team that wins a Super Bowl without an elite QB under center. You'd probably have to go back to 2002, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won with Brad Johnson taking snaps, to find a Super Bowl champ that didn't have a "superstar" quarterback.
A lot of people seem to think that Robert Griffin III has the tools to become a "superstar" quarterback. He can throw. He can run. He has a good head on his shoulders. He's a great athlete.
But, does that mean he'd be a good fit for the Browns? Not if it means giving up two first-rounders this year and a first-rounder next year. Sorry to burst that bubble, but it's true.
RG3 (I hate using that moniker, just because I hear it so damn much on the radio) is not a good fit for the West Coast Offense that the Browns are trying to impliment. Bringing Brad Childress on board as the offensive coordinator only reaffirms that committment to that offense.
All the draft gurus like Mike Mayock, Todd McShay and Mel Kiper claim that any team who drafts Griffin will have to tailor their offense a little bit to fit his skill set. So, what makes you think that Pat Shurmur, Childress and Mike Holmgren will deviate from their uniform philosophy just to make sure the square peg (Griffin) fits into their round hole? I can't see that happening.
And, with Tom Heckart's love of draft picks and being able to utilize them well (as we've mostly seen these past two years), why do you think he'd suddenly mortgage the future just to bring in one guy?
And, if you do that, Griffin is still playing around the mediocre talent that the Browns have on offense. You lose out on the chance to add a top wide reciever in the draft, or a top lineman (let's face it, the offensive line, especially the right side, need some work), by throwing everything in the Griffin bucket. Griffin will still be throwing to a receiving corps that led the entire NFL in collective dropped passes. Griffin will still be behind an offensive line that has a revolving door at right tackle, a right guard who was good for at least one false start penalty each game, and a left guard who is coming off back surgery and missed an entire season last year.
He'll get a chance to show off those world-class legs, that's for sure. He'll also open himself to injury.
The Colts release of Peyton Manning this week is a huge wild-card in what the Browns are able to do in the draft. Once that domino falls, others will follow and the path will become clear. Here's what Joe Cleveland believes will happen:
Heckart said that the Browns have no interest in entering the Manning sweepstakes, and smartly did so. The Browns don't need to throw a ton of money on a 35-year-old guy coming off three neck surgeries, even if he is one of the best to ever play the position. Besides, I think Manning wants to go to a team that is close to making a deep playoff and Super Bowl run. Also, after playing his entire career in a dome, I think Manning would want to play his home games either for a warm-weather team or a team playing in a climate-controlled facility. The Browns are neither.
Browns fans pining after Griffin are hoping that the Redskins sign Manning. The Redskins seem to be the Browns' top competition in the RG3 sweepstakes, and seem willing to give up as much as possible to draft him. If they sign Manning, suddenly, they may not need to be involved in the Griffin hoopla. That could also allow the Browns to not give up as much to the Rams, since they'd suddenly be (presumably) bidding against themselves.
Not going to happen. Manning doesn't want to play in the same division as his brother, Eli, even if Washington will give him the farm. It also seems like Manning is eager to remain in the AFC, which puts Miami (where Manning lives during the offseason) as the leading contender. However, I could see a team like Kansas City (AFC West), Arizona or Seattle (NFC West) signing him. Everyone knows that the West Divisions in the NFL are the weakest and are the most wide-open each year. The path to the Super Bowl would be a lot clearer coming out of the West. Denver is suddenly an intriguiging option as well, considering they got to the Divisional Round with a guy like Tim Tebow under center.
The other top QB free agent is Matt Flynn, Aaron Rodgers' backup at Green Bay. Flynn put himself squarely on the radar when he broke all the single-season Packer passing records in a wild season-finale win over Detroit, and Green Bay elected not to slap the franchise tag on him. Flynn, who has only started two games in his career (both starts were outstanding), is intriguing because of the system he comes from. Plus, he won a national championship as a college QB at LSU (Buckeye fans remember that one). Any team running a WCO would be interested in Flynn, which is where the Browns come in.
However, Heckart seemed to put the kibosh on signing Flynn with his statement that the Browns weren't going to go "crazy" in free agency this year. If Miami loses out on Manning, they become the top spot for Flynn, since Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is now their head coach, and he'd be running the exact same offense he learned the last 3-4 seasons in Green Bay.
I predict Manning will sign with a West team (Denver, Kansas City or Arizona), Flynn will sign with Miami, Washington will give up the farm for the No. 2 pick and draft Griffin, and the Browns ...
Well, I can see the Browns staying put at No. 4 and taking someone like receiver Justin Blackmon, running back Trent Richardson or cornerback Morris Claiborne. At No. 22, if he's still there, the Browns may target Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who played in a WCO system in college. If Tannehill is gone, the Browns may gamble and see if Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden tumbles to the second round because of his age (28). I really believe Weeden would be a great fit for the Browns and could easily start immediately. And, by the way, Weeden's team beat Griffin's team and played in a BCS bowl, where they beat Andrew Luck's Stanford team.
Joe Cleveland says that expect either Tannehill or Weeden to be in a Browns uniform next season and competing with incumbant Colt McCoy for the starting job. And, receiver will be addressed in this draft. Can you imagine Blackmon and Weeden renewing their college chemistry in the NFL together in Cleveland?
While Heckart won't go "crazy" in free agency, that doesn't mean they won't sign anybody. I can see them making a play for receivers such as Warren product Mario Manningham, Mount Union grad Pierre Garcon or former Saints first-rounder Robert Meachem. All three wouldn't command exhorbitant bucks to sign. All three would immediately become the top receiving target on the Browns and would allow promising second-year player Greg Little to play more in the slot and for Josh Cribbs to continue to serve as the utilityman. The Browns won't go into next year with just Little, Cribbs and Muhammed Massoquoi as their main receivers again, that's for sure.
While the Browns are willing to draft a QB, I honestly don't think they're ready to give up on Colt McCoy just yet. That's why I think a guy like Weeden, because of his age, becomes a realistic target. Weeden is almost like signing a quarterback in free agency. Weeden can start immediately, but Colt is still young enough that he can be a backup for a year or two and still be in his prime when the time comes for him to start.
I can see the Browns signing a veteran to serve as a sounding board for both McCoy and Weeden/Tannehill, someone like Donavan McNabb. Heckart, Shurmur and Childress are all familiar with McNabb, and McNabb is familiar with their offense. McNabb knows he's done, but who wouldn't turn down some money to serve as mentor and emergency quarterback? McCoy played a lot better when he had Jake Delhomme on the roster helping him out, and regressed when he had just Seneca Wallace, who clearly had his own agenda in mind, playing with him.
The Browns are more than a quarterback away from becoming a contender, which is why I can see Heckart trading down from No. 4 and acquiring more picks, or keeping what they already have. They have holes, plural, and the addition of someone like Robert Griffin III won't suddenly fill all those holes. Sure, he'll be exciting to watch, but I think Browns fans would rather see wins.
We watched how Cam Newton dazzled the highlight reels for the Carolina Panthers last year, but they only won 5 or 6 games last year. Just because Newton rushed for 12 touchdowns and was a terriffic fantasy football quarterback doesn't mean that the Panthers are any closer to the promised land. Griffin can be like Newton was, but that won't translate into wins.
The Steelers appear to be on the decline, and the Ravens aren't getting any younger either. The Browns and the Bengals have a chance to flip the AFC North on its ear and become the two dominant forces that those other two teams were for years based on their young nucleuses and their draft picks. Now's the time to be smart with the cap room and the draft picks and not be greedy. A trade for Robert Griffin III would be greedy.
Give it up, sports-yakkers. Your fantasies of RG3 appear to be over, unless he somehow slips down to No. 4. Time to get on board the realistic train, captained by Joe Cleveland, and get ready for Brandon Weeden or Ryan Tannehill.
***
Quick takes on the other team teams in this town:
<> Joe Cleveland wasn't shy about believing the Cavs' should have went Derrick Williams-Brandon Knight at 1-4 in last year's draft. I admit that I was wrong there, although Tristan Thompson still has a way to go.
However, Kyrie Irving was the correct choice at No. 1 and can become a star in the NBA. He's a top-notch point guard and seems to rise up in the clutch (unlike that other self-centered "King Nothing" that the Cavs had for seven years). He's playing not like a 19-year-old kid who only had 13 college games under his belt, but like a seasoned veteran. Unlike King Nothing, who was anointed the Chosen One before he pulled on his Cavs jersey for the first time, Irving had to earn his standing with the fans. He's just fun to watch, which makes the Cavs fun to watch.
The Cavs probably won't make the playoffs, and the lottery may not go their way this year because they're not one of the worst teams in the league. However, they are in a great position to make more strides in the next few years because of what Irving brings to the table.
<> The news just keeps getting worse for the Indians. Grady Sizemore reported to spring training with an injured back that will keep him out a few more months, and he appears content to collect his $5 million when he said he wouldn't "rush himself back." Nice knowing you, Grady.
Then, closer Chris Perez suffered an injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks. Vinny Pestano suddenly becomes the frontrunner to become the new closer until Perez gets healthy, which puts more strain on the Indians' top strength, its bullpen.
The season hasn't even begun yet, and I'm already dreading it for the Indians. At this rate, 81-81 would be successful.
Joe Cleveland still thinks there's something to the fact that no one is under contract following this year. I can only hope that means Paul and Larry Dolan are ready to cash in their chips and find a new buyer. That might be the light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
The most popular speculation -- perpetuated by the local sports talk minions -- centers around Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy winner.
With the St. Louis Rams holding the No. 2 pick and not in any need to take a QB, especially after drafting Sam Bradford No. 1 overall just two years ago, they have made no secret about auctioning off that pick to the highest bidder. 90 percent of the local sports-yammers are demanding that the Browns win that auction to land the guy they believe will get this team to the Promised Land.
Joe Cleveland is not one of those guys. In fact, Joe Cleveland is saying that the Browns should stand pat at No. 4, or even (gasp) trade down and get some more picks.
There's no question that quarterback is the glamour position in the NFL, and, nowadays, it's hard to find a team that wins a Super Bowl without an elite QB under center. You'd probably have to go back to 2002, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won with Brad Johnson taking snaps, to find a Super Bowl champ that didn't have a "superstar" quarterback.
A lot of people seem to think that Robert Griffin III has the tools to become a "superstar" quarterback. He can throw. He can run. He has a good head on his shoulders. He's a great athlete.
But, does that mean he'd be a good fit for the Browns? Not if it means giving up two first-rounders this year and a first-rounder next year. Sorry to burst that bubble, but it's true.
RG3 (I hate using that moniker, just because I hear it so damn much on the radio) is not a good fit for the West Coast Offense that the Browns are trying to impliment. Bringing Brad Childress on board as the offensive coordinator only reaffirms that committment to that offense.
All the draft gurus like Mike Mayock, Todd McShay and Mel Kiper claim that any team who drafts Griffin will have to tailor their offense a little bit to fit his skill set. So, what makes you think that Pat Shurmur, Childress and Mike Holmgren will deviate from their uniform philosophy just to make sure the square peg (Griffin) fits into their round hole? I can't see that happening.
And, with Tom Heckart's love of draft picks and being able to utilize them well (as we've mostly seen these past two years), why do you think he'd suddenly mortgage the future just to bring in one guy?
And, if you do that, Griffin is still playing around the mediocre talent that the Browns have on offense. You lose out on the chance to add a top wide reciever in the draft, or a top lineman (let's face it, the offensive line, especially the right side, need some work), by throwing everything in the Griffin bucket. Griffin will still be throwing to a receiving corps that led the entire NFL in collective dropped passes. Griffin will still be behind an offensive line that has a revolving door at right tackle, a right guard who was good for at least one false start penalty each game, and a left guard who is coming off back surgery and missed an entire season last year.
He'll get a chance to show off those world-class legs, that's for sure. He'll also open himself to injury.
The Colts release of Peyton Manning this week is a huge wild-card in what the Browns are able to do in the draft. Once that domino falls, others will follow and the path will become clear. Here's what Joe Cleveland believes will happen:
Heckart said that the Browns have no interest in entering the Manning sweepstakes, and smartly did so. The Browns don't need to throw a ton of money on a 35-year-old guy coming off three neck surgeries, even if he is one of the best to ever play the position. Besides, I think Manning wants to go to a team that is close to making a deep playoff and Super Bowl run. Also, after playing his entire career in a dome, I think Manning would want to play his home games either for a warm-weather team or a team playing in a climate-controlled facility. The Browns are neither.
Browns fans pining after Griffin are hoping that the Redskins sign Manning. The Redskins seem to be the Browns' top competition in the RG3 sweepstakes, and seem willing to give up as much as possible to draft him. If they sign Manning, suddenly, they may not need to be involved in the Griffin hoopla. That could also allow the Browns to not give up as much to the Rams, since they'd suddenly be (presumably) bidding against themselves.
Not going to happen. Manning doesn't want to play in the same division as his brother, Eli, even if Washington will give him the farm. It also seems like Manning is eager to remain in the AFC, which puts Miami (where Manning lives during the offseason) as the leading contender. However, I could see a team like Kansas City (AFC West), Arizona or Seattle (NFC West) signing him. Everyone knows that the West Divisions in the NFL are the weakest and are the most wide-open each year. The path to the Super Bowl would be a lot clearer coming out of the West. Denver is suddenly an intriguiging option as well, considering they got to the Divisional Round with a guy like Tim Tebow under center.
The other top QB free agent is Matt Flynn, Aaron Rodgers' backup at Green Bay. Flynn put himself squarely on the radar when he broke all the single-season Packer passing records in a wild season-finale win over Detroit, and Green Bay elected not to slap the franchise tag on him. Flynn, who has only started two games in his career (both starts were outstanding), is intriguing because of the system he comes from. Plus, he won a national championship as a college QB at LSU (Buckeye fans remember that one). Any team running a WCO would be interested in Flynn, which is where the Browns come in.
However, Heckart seemed to put the kibosh on signing Flynn with his statement that the Browns weren't going to go "crazy" in free agency this year. If Miami loses out on Manning, they become the top spot for Flynn, since Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is now their head coach, and he'd be running the exact same offense he learned the last 3-4 seasons in Green Bay.
I predict Manning will sign with a West team (Denver, Kansas City or Arizona), Flynn will sign with Miami, Washington will give up the farm for the No. 2 pick and draft Griffin, and the Browns ...
Well, I can see the Browns staying put at No. 4 and taking someone like receiver Justin Blackmon, running back Trent Richardson or cornerback Morris Claiborne. At No. 22, if he's still there, the Browns may target Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who played in a WCO system in college. If Tannehill is gone, the Browns may gamble and see if Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden tumbles to the second round because of his age (28). I really believe Weeden would be a great fit for the Browns and could easily start immediately. And, by the way, Weeden's team beat Griffin's team and played in a BCS bowl, where they beat Andrew Luck's Stanford team.
Joe Cleveland says that expect either Tannehill or Weeden to be in a Browns uniform next season and competing with incumbant Colt McCoy for the starting job. And, receiver will be addressed in this draft. Can you imagine Blackmon and Weeden renewing their college chemistry in the NFL together in Cleveland?
While Heckart won't go "crazy" in free agency, that doesn't mean they won't sign anybody. I can see them making a play for receivers such as Warren product Mario Manningham, Mount Union grad Pierre Garcon or former Saints first-rounder Robert Meachem. All three wouldn't command exhorbitant bucks to sign. All three would immediately become the top receiving target on the Browns and would allow promising second-year player Greg Little to play more in the slot and for Josh Cribbs to continue to serve as the utilityman. The Browns won't go into next year with just Little, Cribbs and Muhammed Massoquoi as their main receivers again, that's for sure.
While the Browns are willing to draft a QB, I honestly don't think they're ready to give up on Colt McCoy just yet. That's why I think a guy like Weeden, because of his age, becomes a realistic target. Weeden is almost like signing a quarterback in free agency. Weeden can start immediately, but Colt is still young enough that he can be a backup for a year or two and still be in his prime when the time comes for him to start.
I can see the Browns signing a veteran to serve as a sounding board for both McCoy and Weeden/Tannehill, someone like Donavan McNabb. Heckart, Shurmur and Childress are all familiar with McNabb, and McNabb is familiar with their offense. McNabb knows he's done, but who wouldn't turn down some money to serve as mentor and emergency quarterback? McCoy played a lot better when he had Jake Delhomme on the roster helping him out, and regressed when he had just Seneca Wallace, who clearly had his own agenda in mind, playing with him.
The Browns are more than a quarterback away from becoming a contender, which is why I can see Heckart trading down from No. 4 and acquiring more picks, or keeping what they already have. They have holes, plural, and the addition of someone like Robert Griffin III won't suddenly fill all those holes. Sure, he'll be exciting to watch, but I think Browns fans would rather see wins.
We watched how Cam Newton dazzled the highlight reels for the Carolina Panthers last year, but they only won 5 or 6 games last year. Just because Newton rushed for 12 touchdowns and was a terriffic fantasy football quarterback doesn't mean that the Panthers are any closer to the promised land. Griffin can be like Newton was, but that won't translate into wins.
The Steelers appear to be on the decline, and the Ravens aren't getting any younger either. The Browns and the Bengals have a chance to flip the AFC North on its ear and become the two dominant forces that those other two teams were for years based on their young nucleuses and their draft picks. Now's the time to be smart with the cap room and the draft picks and not be greedy. A trade for Robert Griffin III would be greedy.
Give it up, sports-yakkers. Your fantasies of RG3 appear to be over, unless he somehow slips down to No. 4. Time to get on board the realistic train, captained by Joe Cleveland, and get ready for Brandon Weeden or Ryan Tannehill.
***
Quick takes on the other team teams in this town:
<> Joe Cleveland wasn't shy about believing the Cavs' should have went Derrick Williams-Brandon Knight at 1-4 in last year's draft. I admit that I was wrong there, although Tristan Thompson still has a way to go.
However, Kyrie Irving was the correct choice at No. 1 and can become a star in the NBA. He's a top-notch point guard and seems to rise up in the clutch (unlike that other self-centered "King Nothing" that the Cavs had for seven years). He's playing not like a 19-year-old kid who only had 13 college games under his belt, but like a seasoned veteran. Unlike King Nothing, who was anointed the Chosen One before he pulled on his Cavs jersey for the first time, Irving had to earn his standing with the fans. He's just fun to watch, which makes the Cavs fun to watch.
The Cavs probably won't make the playoffs, and the lottery may not go their way this year because they're not one of the worst teams in the league. However, they are in a great position to make more strides in the next few years because of what Irving brings to the table.
<> The news just keeps getting worse for the Indians. Grady Sizemore reported to spring training with an injured back that will keep him out a few more months, and he appears content to collect his $5 million when he said he wouldn't "rush himself back." Nice knowing you, Grady.
Then, closer Chris Perez suffered an injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks. Vinny Pestano suddenly becomes the frontrunner to become the new closer until Perez gets healthy, which puts more strain on the Indians' top strength, its bullpen.
The season hasn't even begun yet, and I'm already dreading it for the Indians. At this rate, 81-81 would be successful.
Joe Cleveland still thinks there's something to the fact that no one is under contract following this year. I can only hope that means Paul and Larry Dolan are ready to cash in their chips and find a new buyer. That might be the light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Thanks, LeBron, but no thanks
So, LeBron James made his lone appearance of the regular season back to the place he stabbed in the back almost two years ago this past week, and had to put himself back in the spotlight and open up some old wounds in the process.
LeBron, the attention whore that he is (thanks, Kendrick Perkins), couldn't stand turning on ESPN -- you know, the network that televised his "Decision" special and then created a special Web page devoted to his new "super team" called the "Heat Index" -- and seeing some undrafted guard named Jeremy Lin dominate SportsCenter. So, he decided -- in typical LeBron fashion -- to put himself squarely in the spotlight again, simply by opening his mouth.
Rumors of LeBron having an interest in opting out of his Heat contract after 2014 and potentially showing an interest in returning to Cleveland have been circulating since the lockout. Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico quoted several sources on this subject a month ago for a blog. So, naturally, in his first meeting with Cleveland reporters the day before his Miami individuals met the Cavs, it was asked if it was true.
LeBron responded by saying that he would like to eventually return to Cleveland, that he had fond memories of playing at Quicken Loans Arena and playing in front of the fans, that he was hurt by the reaction but understood the passion of Cleveland fans, that he doesn't hold a grudge against Cavs owner Dan Gilbert anymore for his remarks, admitted his "Decision" was the wrong move and apologized for it, and said that it wouldn't bother him to play for a Gilbert-owned team again and that "Dan's not the coach, and I can play for any coach."
His quote was: "I think it would be great. It would be fun to play in front of these fans again. I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. … I’m here as a Miami Heat player, and I’m happy where I am now, but I don’t rule that out in no sense.
“And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me.”
Sports talk stations blew up with this little announcement, and every Cleveland news station led with this little nugget of information. And yes, ESPN made it one of their top stories, temporarily shelving their "Lin-sanity," if only for one day.
Twitter and Facebook blew up with the fans weighing in on whether or not they'd welcome him back. People imagined a lineup of LeBron with Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and whoever they draft in next year's draft, if they were to get a lottery pick again, and how that team should be an instant championship contender.
Blah, blah, blah ...
That next night, LeBron -- playing in front of mostly boos but also some scattered cheers from the sold-out crowd at The Q -- had a game like he did the first time he came back here last season, and his Heat blew out the Cavs in a lackluster effort eerily reminiscent of that one back on Dec. 5, 2010.
Whether or not LeBron was serious, his comments did their job. It temporarily disarmed the Cavs and Cavs fans, and the Heat finshed their series with the Cavs at 3-0, after two close wins at home earlier this year.
Joe Cleveland certainly doesn't speak for all Cleveland sports fans, but he likes to think that his opinions are the ones that most Cleveland sports fans have. At any rate, he has two words for LeBron James:
HELL NO!!
Do you think that I would welcome you back with open arms should you decided to waltz back into our lives, after the way you spit on Cleveland with your "Decision?" The way you embarassed us? The way you added another Cleveland punchline to the many, many Cleveland punchlines that are out there? We're lucky Johnny Carson is dead, or else he would have had a field day with that one.
LeBron didn't make his decision based on money. The Cavs could have guaranteed him more money and more years, even with the sign-and-trade agreement they came to with Miami after the fact. He made his decision because he didn't want to play for Cleveland, simple as that.
All LeBron did was make excuses. The Cavs were one of the best regular season teams in both 2009 and 2010. Both times, they suffered colossal chokes in the playoffs and didn't even get to the NBA Finals like they did in 2007.
In 2010, the Cavs didn't even get the chance to play in the Eastern Conference Finals. That's because LeBron quit on his team during the series with the Celtics.
Even with the obvious tank job, Cleveland was willing to take you back. We came up with stupid, sappy song parodies to lure you back. Gilbert commissioned a Family Guy-esque cartoon made about you in their pitch to keep you aboard. Gilbert hired members of your entourage to the front office, and no move the Cavs made from 2006-2010 wasn't made without your consent.
The signing of Larry Hughes? LeBron stamp of approval.
The trade for Delonte West, Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak? LeBron stamp of approval.
The trade for Mo Williams? LeBron stamp of approval.
The trade for Shaquille O'Neal? LeBron stamp of approval.
The trade of Zydrunas Ilgauskas for Antawn Jamison, and the subsequent re-signing of 'Z'? LeBron stamp of approval.
LeBron claims he couldn't win a title all by himself. That's great. But you signed off on all the help that Gilbert and Danny Ferry tried to give you.
You had a coach in Mike Brown you used like a puppet. You loved him when things went well, but then blasted him and turned on him in the playoffs when he dared try to stand up to you. Now, you have a similar coach in Erik Spoelstra, except he's got a boss with a backbone behind him in Pat Riley. Riley is nobody's puppet. You don't like that very much.
You said you couldn't win a title all by yourself, so you teamed up with your superstar friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to try to win, oh, how did you put it, "Not one ... not two ... not three ... not four ... not five ..." You get the picture.
How many did you win last season? Wasn't it ZERO?!?
It was LeBron's cronie, Brian Windhorst, who went on to Cleveland radio and opened up this Pandora's Box by discussing LeBron's wish to return to Cleveland at some point. Windhorst, who began covering LeBron when he played in high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary and then followed him as Cavs beat reporter for two of the largest newspapers in Northeast Ohio before following him down to Miami with ESPN's "Heat Index," claimed that Cleveland would embrace him when, and if, he returned.
"The Cleveland fans gave Jim Thome a standing ovation when he came back," he said, presumably believing that they'd do the same thing for his old buddy LeBron.
There's a big difference between Jim Thome and LeBron James. In fact, there's a big difference between every free agent the Indians lost from those 1990s powerhouse teams and LeBron James.
Jim Thome, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez all left because of the money. The Indians wouldn't break the bank for any of them, so they left for greener pastures. Perhaps Belle would have left anyway because he was sullen and just a complete jerk. But Thome and Manny left because there were teams that were willing to give them exhorbitant amounts of money -- money that the tight-fisted Indians could not afford.
Sure, fan reaction from Cleveland was anti-Thome and anti-Manny for many years. However, most fans realized that there no such thing as a "hometown discount," and, had the Dolans ponied up an additional year or two, perhaps both players would have stayed put. Both made it known they wanted to return. When Thome did, fans were ready to embrace him.
When Manny decided he wanted to come back to baseball this season, SportsTime Ohio (the Dolans' own network) polled callers on whether or not they'd welcome him back to the Indians. Overwhelmingly, there was support among Cleveland fans to have Manny Ramirez back in a Tribe uniform, even with a steroid suspension looming.
Cleveland fans (and Joe Cleveland is one of them) are great at holding grudges. We booed Carlos Boozer every time he came back, although that has softened since LeBron did what he did. We booed Gerard Warren at a Patriots game last year, even though he hadn't played for the Browns in almost six years. Heck, some of us still boo Bill Belichick, even though he hasn't coached in Cleveland since 1995.
But, LeBron's act of betrayal only ranks him below Art Modell on the Cleveland public enemy scale. All Modell did was move the Cleveland Browns out of town and lie about it every step of the way. He hasn't returned to Northeast Ohio since 1995, and that's because he fears for his life.
LeBron still returns to Akron, but I believe he's starting to realize just how good he had it in Cleveland. He was the undisputed "King James" in these parts. Ownership and coahces cow-towed to him. His under-tipping became a stuff of urban legend around these parts, but people accepted it. Fans bought his jersies in droves. They believed he would bring a championship to Cleveland.
But he didn't, and he left when he couldn't do it. And the fans responded with anger, hurt, vitrol ... all things that have supposedly stunned and hurt LeBron.
Yahoo! Sports has added fuel to this fire when they quoted various sources as saying that LeBron sent emissaries to Dan Gilbert during the summer proclaiming his desire to return to Cleveland and that he would be open to it. Gilbert never responded, and has not responded publicly to LeBron's recent comments that all but confirm this notion.
Nor will he, due to NBA tampering rules. Sure, that didn't stop Pat Riley from doing the same thing in 2009, but whatever.
Speaking of Riley, he is livid that LeBron would openly flirt back with Cleveland like he has, especially in the middle of a season. They stood by him through his struggles last season to fit in and through his collapse in the NBA Finals with Dallas. LeBron has two-and-a-half more years left in Miami, and they are incredulous that he's already plotting his escape.
Sounds a little familiar, no? Didn't we, as Cleveland fans and the Cavs organizaion, go through that same song and dance for the three seasons after LeBron signed his contract extension? The same exact contract extention that Wade and Bosh agreed to shortly after LeBron agreed to his?
Would Gilbert stick by his principles, or would he put things aside for the betterment of his business? Sure, there would be a reaction from either side of the fense if LeBron were to re-sign with the Cavs for 2014-15. Or, would he sell his team before he would even think of bringing him back?
If the shoe were on the other foot, wouldn't Gilbert enjoy telling LeBron what LeBron essentially told the world back in July of 2010?
Instead of Cleveland not being worthy of LeBron, perhaps it would be LeBron who is not worthy for Cleveland.
Mrs. Joe Cleveland (yes, there is a Mrs.) came up with a list of things that LeBron should have to do if he wanted to come back. One of those was that he had to sit in every single seat in The Q -- all 20,562 of them -- for a minute each to put himself in the shoes of the fans he betrayed. Another was to take a bottle of his VitaminWater, dump it out, refill it with water straight from the Cuyahoga River, and drink it, so that he could physically feel what the fans felt like when he said he was "taking his talents to South Beach."
What would it take for you to welcome him back? Or, are you like Joe Cleveland and have this response for him?
Thanks, LeBron, but no thanks.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
LeBron, the attention whore that he is (thanks, Kendrick Perkins), couldn't stand turning on ESPN -- you know, the network that televised his "Decision" special and then created a special Web page devoted to his new "super team" called the "Heat Index" -- and seeing some undrafted guard named Jeremy Lin dominate SportsCenter. So, he decided -- in typical LeBron fashion -- to put himself squarely in the spotlight again, simply by opening his mouth.
Rumors of LeBron having an interest in opting out of his Heat contract after 2014 and potentially showing an interest in returning to Cleveland have been circulating since the lockout. Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico quoted several sources on this subject a month ago for a blog. So, naturally, in his first meeting with Cleveland reporters the day before his Miami individuals met the Cavs, it was asked if it was true.
LeBron responded by saying that he would like to eventually return to Cleveland, that he had fond memories of playing at Quicken Loans Arena and playing in front of the fans, that he was hurt by the reaction but understood the passion of Cleveland fans, that he doesn't hold a grudge against Cavs owner Dan Gilbert anymore for his remarks, admitted his "Decision" was the wrong move and apologized for it, and said that it wouldn't bother him to play for a Gilbert-owned team again and that "Dan's not the coach, and I can play for any coach."
His quote was: "I think it would be great. It would be fun to play in front of these fans again. I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. … I’m here as a Miami Heat player, and I’m happy where I am now, but I don’t rule that out in no sense.
“And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me.”
Sports talk stations blew up with this little announcement, and every Cleveland news station led with this little nugget of information. And yes, ESPN made it one of their top stories, temporarily shelving their "Lin-sanity," if only for one day.
Twitter and Facebook blew up with the fans weighing in on whether or not they'd welcome him back. People imagined a lineup of LeBron with Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and whoever they draft in next year's draft, if they were to get a lottery pick again, and how that team should be an instant championship contender.
Blah, blah, blah ...
That next night, LeBron -- playing in front of mostly boos but also some scattered cheers from the sold-out crowd at The Q -- had a game like he did the first time he came back here last season, and his Heat blew out the Cavs in a lackluster effort eerily reminiscent of that one back on Dec. 5, 2010.
Whether or not LeBron was serious, his comments did their job. It temporarily disarmed the Cavs and Cavs fans, and the Heat finshed their series with the Cavs at 3-0, after two close wins at home earlier this year.
Joe Cleveland certainly doesn't speak for all Cleveland sports fans, but he likes to think that his opinions are the ones that most Cleveland sports fans have. At any rate, he has two words for LeBron James:
HELL NO!!
Do you think that I would welcome you back with open arms should you decided to waltz back into our lives, after the way you spit on Cleveland with your "Decision?" The way you embarassed us? The way you added another Cleveland punchline to the many, many Cleveland punchlines that are out there? We're lucky Johnny Carson is dead, or else he would have had a field day with that one.
LeBron didn't make his decision based on money. The Cavs could have guaranteed him more money and more years, even with the sign-and-trade agreement they came to with Miami after the fact. He made his decision because he didn't want to play for Cleveland, simple as that.
All LeBron did was make excuses. The Cavs were one of the best regular season teams in both 2009 and 2010. Both times, they suffered colossal chokes in the playoffs and didn't even get to the NBA Finals like they did in 2007.
In 2010, the Cavs didn't even get the chance to play in the Eastern Conference Finals. That's because LeBron quit on his team during the series with the Celtics.
Even with the obvious tank job, Cleveland was willing to take you back. We came up with stupid, sappy song parodies to lure you back. Gilbert commissioned a Family Guy-esque cartoon made about you in their pitch to keep you aboard. Gilbert hired members of your entourage to the front office, and no move the Cavs made from 2006-2010 wasn't made without your consent.
The signing of Larry Hughes? LeBron stamp of approval.
The trade for Delonte West, Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak? LeBron stamp of approval.
The trade for Mo Williams? LeBron stamp of approval.
The trade for Shaquille O'Neal? LeBron stamp of approval.
The trade of Zydrunas Ilgauskas for Antawn Jamison, and the subsequent re-signing of 'Z'? LeBron stamp of approval.
LeBron claims he couldn't win a title all by himself. That's great. But you signed off on all the help that Gilbert and Danny Ferry tried to give you.
You had a coach in Mike Brown you used like a puppet. You loved him when things went well, but then blasted him and turned on him in the playoffs when he dared try to stand up to you. Now, you have a similar coach in Erik Spoelstra, except he's got a boss with a backbone behind him in Pat Riley. Riley is nobody's puppet. You don't like that very much.
You said you couldn't win a title all by yourself, so you teamed up with your superstar friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to try to win, oh, how did you put it, "Not one ... not two ... not three ... not four ... not five ..." You get the picture.
How many did you win last season? Wasn't it ZERO?!?
It was LeBron's cronie, Brian Windhorst, who went on to Cleveland radio and opened up this Pandora's Box by discussing LeBron's wish to return to Cleveland at some point. Windhorst, who began covering LeBron when he played in high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary and then followed him as Cavs beat reporter for two of the largest newspapers in Northeast Ohio before following him down to Miami with ESPN's "Heat Index," claimed that Cleveland would embrace him when, and if, he returned.
"The Cleveland fans gave Jim Thome a standing ovation when he came back," he said, presumably believing that they'd do the same thing for his old buddy LeBron.
There's a big difference between Jim Thome and LeBron James. In fact, there's a big difference between every free agent the Indians lost from those 1990s powerhouse teams and LeBron James.
Jim Thome, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez all left because of the money. The Indians wouldn't break the bank for any of them, so they left for greener pastures. Perhaps Belle would have left anyway because he was sullen and just a complete jerk. But Thome and Manny left because there were teams that were willing to give them exhorbitant amounts of money -- money that the tight-fisted Indians could not afford.
Sure, fan reaction from Cleveland was anti-Thome and anti-Manny for many years. However, most fans realized that there no such thing as a "hometown discount," and, had the Dolans ponied up an additional year or two, perhaps both players would have stayed put. Both made it known they wanted to return. When Thome did, fans were ready to embrace him.
When Manny decided he wanted to come back to baseball this season, SportsTime Ohio (the Dolans' own network) polled callers on whether or not they'd welcome him back to the Indians. Overwhelmingly, there was support among Cleveland fans to have Manny Ramirez back in a Tribe uniform, even with a steroid suspension looming.
Cleveland fans (and Joe Cleveland is one of them) are great at holding grudges. We booed Carlos Boozer every time he came back, although that has softened since LeBron did what he did. We booed Gerard Warren at a Patriots game last year, even though he hadn't played for the Browns in almost six years. Heck, some of us still boo Bill Belichick, even though he hasn't coached in Cleveland since 1995.
But, LeBron's act of betrayal only ranks him below Art Modell on the Cleveland public enemy scale. All Modell did was move the Cleveland Browns out of town and lie about it every step of the way. He hasn't returned to Northeast Ohio since 1995, and that's because he fears for his life.
LeBron still returns to Akron, but I believe he's starting to realize just how good he had it in Cleveland. He was the undisputed "King James" in these parts. Ownership and coahces cow-towed to him. His under-tipping became a stuff of urban legend around these parts, but people accepted it. Fans bought his jersies in droves. They believed he would bring a championship to Cleveland.
But he didn't, and he left when he couldn't do it. And the fans responded with anger, hurt, vitrol ... all things that have supposedly stunned and hurt LeBron.
Yahoo! Sports has added fuel to this fire when they quoted various sources as saying that LeBron sent emissaries to Dan Gilbert during the summer proclaiming his desire to return to Cleveland and that he would be open to it. Gilbert never responded, and has not responded publicly to LeBron's recent comments that all but confirm this notion.
Nor will he, due to NBA tampering rules. Sure, that didn't stop Pat Riley from doing the same thing in 2009, but whatever.
Speaking of Riley, he is livid that LeBron would openly flirt back with Cleveland like he has, especially in the middle of a season. They stood by him through his struggles last season to fit in and through his collapse in the NBA Finals with Dallas. LeBron has two-and-a-half more years left in Miami, and they are incredulous that he's already plotting his escape.
Sounds a little familiar, no? Didn't we, as Cleveland fans and the Cavs organizaion, go through that same song and dance for the three seasons after LeBron signed his contract extension? The same exact contract extention that Wade and Bosh agreed to shortly after LeBron agreed to his?
Would Gilbert stick by his principles, or would he put things aside for the betterment of his business? Sure, there would be a reaction from either side of the fense if LeBron were to re-sign with the Cavs for 2014-15. Or, would he sell his team before he would even think of bringing him back?
If the shoe were on the other foot, wouldn't Gilbert enjoy telling LeBron what LeBron essentially told the world back in July of 2010?
Instead of Cleveland not being worthy of LeBron, perhaps it would be LeBron who is not worthy for Cleveland.
Mrs. Joe Cleveland (yes, there is a Mrs.) came up with a list of things that LeBron should have to do if he wanted to come back. One of those was that he had to sit in every single seat in The Q -- all 20,562 of them -- for a minute each to put himself in the shoes of the fans he betrayed. Another was to take a bottle of his VitaminWater, dump it out, refill it with water straight from the Cuyahoga River, and drink it, so that he could physically feel what the fans felt like when he said he was "taking his talents to South Beach."
What would it take for you to welcome him back? Or, are you like Joe Cleveland and have this response for him?
Thanks, LeBron, but no thanks.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Super Blog II
Another Super Bowl, and another year that Joe Cleveland won't see his favorite team participating in it.
Normally, though, there's always a reason to root against a certain team that's playing in the Super Bowl. This year, that team is the New England Patriots.
Why root against the Patriots? Well, here's a few reasons for you.
For starters, the Patriots are considered a Boston team. Boston has been everything that Cleveland isn't over the last 10 years when it comes to sports, and networks like ESPN (based in nearby Bristol, Conn.) are always ever-so-happy to heap the love onto the Beaneaters. The supposedly cursed Red Sox have won two World Series titles (and knocked off the Indians to win the last one back in 2007-08). The Celtics won their 17th NBA title back in 07 and have also been a thorn in the Cavs' side when the Cavs were in the playoffs. The Bruins won the Stanley Cup last season. And, of course, the Patriots won three Super Bowls in a four-year span in the early 2000s and took an undefeated record into the 2007 Super Bowl before the New York Giants pulled off a huge 17-14 upset.
The Patriots are coached by fellow named Bill Belichick. You might remember Belichick as the coach of the Cleveland Browns before Judas Modell decided to move the franchise to Baltimore. Belichick went 37-45 as the coach of the Browns, with one winning season (and one playoff season) during his tenure. He cut Bernie Kosar in 1993, even though his desired starter (Vinny Testaverde) was out for several weeks and the Browns were 5-3 and in contention for a division title (that team wound up 7-9 and Kosar wound up playing in the Super Bowl that year with the Dallas Cowboys). During the playoff season, the Browns were beaten three times by the Steelers (including in the divisonal round of the playoffs). And, his team slumped from 11-5 in 1994 to 5-11 in 1995 as rumors and talk of a move to Baltimore demoralized the team.
No one figured Belichick would become the next great NFL coach after Modell fired him on Valentine's Day 1996 -- the first official act of the "Baltimore NFL Franchise" (they weren't named the Ravens yet). Heck, no one figured he'd even get another head coaching gig. But things lined up well for Belichick when he went to the Patriots in 2000. Drew Bledsoe's injury gave Tom Brady the job. The Patriots went to three Super Bowls in four seasons and won all three by three points apiece (the first two on field goals on the final play from scrimmage). Of course, there was allegations of cheating with Spygate, which included those first three Super Bowl wins, and then there was the chance for 19-0 in the wake of Spygate that came crashing down as an unknown receiver named David Tyree pinned a football to his helmet.
I think most Browns fans are over Belichick and the disappointment. However, there is something deep down inside of every Browns fan, I believe, that loves to see the so-called "genius" get his. I think that's why you'll see a lot of Giants fans in these parts today.
Let's not forget former Browns bust and the "nicest man Pittsburgh police have ever arrested" Gerard Warren, who is a backup defensive lineman for New England. Warren is the poster child for everything that went wrong with the Butch Davis Era of the Browns, especially since Davis took "Big Money" with the third-overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft, passing up LaDainian Tomlinson and Richard Seymour, among others. Warren turned off fans with his lacksadaisical efforts on the field and his big bluster off the field, and many weren't sad to see him go four seasons later when he was dealt to the Denver Broncos for a fourth-round draft pick. Since then, Warren bounced from the Broncos to the Raiders to the Patriots, even getting cut after training camp this year. He claims that he was "misunderstood" in Cleveland and that the problem was everyone else around him. Sorry, Big Money, but the buck stops with you. It sickens me that a lazy (bleep) like you could slack your way into a 10-plus year NFL career and wind up in a Super Bowl. I hope to hell you don't get a ring out of it, either.
How about Chad Johnson, or Ochocinco? Forgot that he was a member of the Patriots? I think the Patriots forgot he was a member of their organization until he showed up on Media Day of the Super Bowl. Another poster child for the spoiled, pretentious diva NFL athlete, Johnson/Ochocinco preened and talked trash for his entire career with the Bengals. He was more concerned about touchdown dances than he was actually getting those touchdowns and helping his team win. He was a distraction that fueled opponents and angered his coach. The Bengals only went to the playoffs twice during his career with them, and never won a game. In New England, he couldn't grasp the offense, dropped passes during his few chances, and quickly disappeared from the gameplan. He had to check his attitude at the door or he would have been shown it very quickly. He'll be lucky to even play today. But, like Gerard Warren, it bothers me that a guy who slacked his way through an NFL career and put himself above his team all the time has a chance to win a Super Bowl ring.
And, don't you think Tom Brady has won enough Super Bowl rings and had enough of a charmed life already?
Yes, there's guys like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman and Twinsburg's Zoltan Mesko that you like to root for. But the negatives outweigh the positives.
No team with seven regular season losses or more has ever won a Super Bowl (there have been a few teams that have had the chance, most recently the Arizona Cardinals of 2008). But, I think that changes after today.
Giants 27, Patriots 24. Joe Cleveland says so.
***
Belichick isn't the only former Browns coach to wind up in a Super Bowl with another team. He's just the first to win one.
Forrest Gregg, who became the Browns head coach from 1975-77, compiling only one winning season during that span, went down to rival Cincinnati two seasons after his firing by Modell and, in his second year with the Bengals, took them to their first Super Bowl. They lost to the 49ers, 26-21, at the Pontiac Silverdome, but the fact that Gregg did it with Paul Brown's team (and Modell and Brown did not like each other at all) surely stuck in Modell's craw.
However, every other head coach employed by the Browns (and there have been 13 total) has never gotten to a Super Bowl or won one after leaving the Browns. Belichick is the only one to become a champion, and even he spent four seasons back with Bill Parcells as an assistant coach with both the Patriots and the Jets before getting his second head coaching chance.
Not even the great Paul Brown could win a championship after Modell fired him. He took the Bengals to the playoffs a couple of times, but never got to a Super Bowl or won one. Even as simply the owner, Brown's Bengals went to two Super Bowls, but lost both times to a fellow named Joe Montana and the 49ers.
Marty Schottenheimer went to the playoffs nine times as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. However, his teams always choked in the playoffs (just like his Browns teams did) and he never reached a Super Bowl.
Bud Carson spent five seasons as a defensive coordinator with the Eagles and the St. Louis Rams after the Browns fired him midway through his second season as head coach, but his teams never made it to the Super Bowl. And, he never was a head coach again.
Chris Palmer spent three seasons as offensive coordinator of the expansion Houston Texans and was the offensive cooordinator last season with the Tennessee Titans. Neither of those teams did much winning.
Butch Davis never coached in the NFL again, spending five seasons as head coach at the University of North Carolina. He was fired this past season after his program was swept up in a few scandals and never got the Tar Heels into a BCS Bowl game, let alone play for a National Championship.
Eric Mangini works for ESPN and hasn't even been considered for an assistants job since the Browns fired him after two dismal seasons.
Romeo Crennel, after two seasons as the Chiefs' defensive coordinator, was promoted to head coach beginning this coming season. He hired Brian Daboll to be his offensive coordinator. Good luck with that.
Even Sam Rutigliano never did anything after the Browns fired him midway through the 1984 season. He spent a few seascons coaching in college, but never again in the pros.
So, Bill Belichick's success post-Cleveland is the exception to the rule, not the norm.
***
If Belichick wins tonight, he'll become just the second NFL head coach to win four Super Bowls. He'll join former Browns player and Cleveland native Chuck Noll, who won four Super Bowls during the 1970s with a certain team in Western Pennsylvania.
If either the Patriots or the Giants win tonight, they will join the four-time Super Bowl club. Currently, Pittsburgh (six), San Francisco and Dallas (five) and Green Bay (four) are the only members.
Both Tom Brady and Eli Manning are former Super Bowl MVPs. Believe it or not, this is the first the Super Bowl has had a matchup of Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks. The second Pittsburgh-Dallas Super Bowl in 1978 had a matchup of MVPs Roger Staubach, Harvey Martin and Randy White for the Cowboys and Franco Harris and Lynn Swann from the Steelers, and Terry Bradshaw won his first of two Super Bowl MVP award for performance in that game.
Also, the Pittsburgh-Arizona Super Bowl had Cardinals QB Kurt Warner (a Super Bowl MVP with the Rams in 1999) against the Steelers' Hines Ward (MVP of Super Bowl XL in 2005). Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes won the MVP from that Super Bowl.
Only one time in the 45-year history of the Super Bowl has a player from the losing team won the MVP Award. That was in Super Bowl V in 1970, when Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley won the award despite the Baltimore Colts winning the game, 16-13.
The Cowboys also have the distinction of having the only co-MVPs from a Super Bowl (Harvey Martin and Randy White, Super Bowl XII in 1977, 27-10 win over the Denver Broncos).
This is New England's seventh Super Bowl. The Patriots are 3-3 going into today's game.
This is the Giants' fifth Super Bowl. They are 3-1 going into today's game, with their only loss coming in 2000 to the Thieving Bastards from Baltimore.
However, if the Giants win, they will match the Browns with eight NFL championships. Only the Chicago Bears (nine) and the Green Bay Packers (13) have more NFL championships, currently, than the Browns do.
New England has no other titles to fall back on. This will be its fourth, and will match them with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts and the Detriot Lions on the all-time list, if it wins.
This is the fifth Super Bowl rematch of all time, joining Miami-Washington (1-1), Pittsburgh-Dallas (2-1), San Francisco-Cincinnati (2-0) and Dallas-Buffalo (2-0). Only the Washington Redskins won the rematch on their first attempt (Dallas beat the Steelers in their third Super Bowl meeting after Pittsburgh won both matchups in the 1970s).
There has only been one former Cleveland Browns player who has went on to win a Super Bowl MVP award -- Kansas City quarterback Len Dawson (Super Bowl IV, 1969).
Currently, there are seven NFL teams that have never won a championship (none of which are Cleveland and Detroit). The unlucky seven are the Houston Texans (no Super Bowls), Atlanta Falcons (one Super Bowl), Carolina Panthers (one Super Bowl), Cincinnati Bengals (two Super Bowls), Jacksonville Jaguars (no Super Bowls), Minnesota Vikings (four Super Bowls) and Seattle Seahawks (one Super Bowl). The Buffalo Bills, who like the Vikings are 0-4 in Super Bowls, are credited with two championships from their AFL days.
There are only four teams that have never played in a Super Bowl -- the Texans, the Jaguars, the Lions and ... sigh ... the Browns. Cleveland is the only NFL city to have not only never played in a Super Bowl, but also have never hosted it.
It may not be next season, but I believe that Cleveland skid will be coming to an end, and sooner than we believe.
Go Giants! And, enjoy your Super Bowl festivities, wherever they are!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Normally, though, there's always a reason to root against a certain team that's playing in the Super Bowl. This year, that team is the New England Patriots.
Why root against the Patriots? Well, here's a few reasons for you.
For starters, the Patriots are considered a Boston team. Boston has been everything that Cleveland isn't over the last 10 years when it comes to sports, and networks like ESPN (based in nearby Bristol, Conn.) are always ever-so-happy to heap the love onto the Beaneaters. The supposedly cursed Red Sox have won two World Series titles (and knocked off the Indians to win the last one back in 2007-08). The Celtics won their 17th NBA title back in 07 and have also been a thorn in the Cavs' side when the Cavs were in the playoffs. The Bruins won the Stanley Cup last season. And, of course, the Patriots won three Super Bowls in a four-year span in the early 2000s and took an undefeated record into the 2007 Super Bowl before the New York Giants pulled off a huge 17-14 upset.
The Patriots are coached by fellow named Bill Belichick. You might remember Belichick as the coach of the Cleveland Browns before Judas Modell decided to move the franchise to Baltimore. Belichick went 37-45 as the coach of the Browns, with one winning season (and one playoff season) during his tenure. He cut Bernie Kosar in 1993, even though his desired starter (Vinny Testaverde) was out for several weeks and the Browns were 5-3 and in contention for a division title (that team wound up 7-9 and Kosar wound up playing in the Super Bowl that year with the Dallas Cowboys). During the playoff season, the Browns were beaten three times by the Steelers (including in the divisonal round of the playoffs). And, his team slumped from 11-5 in 1994 to 5-11 in 1995 as rumors and talk of a move to Baltimore demoralized the team.
No one figured Belichick would become the next great NFL coach after Modell fired him on Valentine's Day 1996 -- the first official act of the "Baltimore NFL Franchise" (they weren't named the Ravens yet). Heck, no one figured he'd even get another head coaching gig. But things lined up well for Belichick when he went to the Patriots in 2000. Drew Bledsoe's injury gave Tom Brady the job. The Patriots went to three Super Bowls in four seasons and won all three by three points apiece (the first two on field goals on the final play from scrimmage). Of course, there was allegations of cheating with Spygate, which included those first three Super Bowl wins, and then there was the chance for 19-0 in the wake of Spygate that came crashing down as an unknown receiver named David Tyree pinned a football to his helmet.
I think most Browns fans are over Belichick and the disappointment. However, there is something deep down inside of every Browns fan, I believe, that loves to see the so-called "genius" get his. I think that's why you'll see a lot of Giants fans in these parts today.
Let's not forget former Browns bust and the "nicest man Pittsburgh police have ever arrested" Gerard Warren, who is a backup defensive lineman for New England. Warren is the poster child for everything that went wrong with the Butch Davis Era of the Browns, especially since Davis took "Big Money" with the third-overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft, passing up LaDainian Tomlinson and Richard Seymour, among others. Warren turned off fans with his lacksadaisical efforts on the field and his big bluster off the field, and many weren't sad to see him go four seasons later when he was dealt to the Denver Broncos for a fourth-round draft pick. Since then, Warren bounced from the Broncos to the Raiders to the Patriots, even getting cut after training camp this year. He claims that he was "misunderstood" in Cleveland and that the problem was everyone else around him. Sorry, Big Money, but the buck stops with you. It sickens me that a lazy (bleep) like you could slack your way into a 10-plus year NFL career and wind up in a Super Bowl. I hope to hell you don't get a ring out of it, either.
How about Chad Johnson, or Ochocinco? Forgot that he was a member of the Patriots? I think the Patriots forgot he was a member of their organization until he showed up on Media Day of the Super Bowl. Another poster child for the spoiled, pretentious diva NFL athlete, Johnson/Ochocinco preened and talked trash for his entire career with the Bengals. He was more concerned about touchdown dances than he was actually getting those touchdowns and helping his team win. He was a distraction that fueled opponents and angered his coach. The Bengals only went to the playoffs twice during his career with them, and never won a game. In New England, he couldn't grasp the offense, dropped passes during his few chances, and quickly disappeared from the gameplan. He had to check his attitude at the door or he would have been shown it very quickly. He'll be lucky to even play today. But, like Gerard Warren, it bothers me that a guy who slacked his way through an NFL career and put himself above his team all the time has a chance to win a Super Bowl ring.
And, don't you think Tom Brady has won enough Super Bowl rings and had enough of a charmed life already?
Yes, there's guys like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman and Twinsburg's Zoltan Mesko that you like to root for. But the negatives outweigh the positives.
No team with seven regular season losses or more has ever won a Super Bowl (there have been a few teams that have had the chance, most recently the Arizona Cardinals of 2008). But, I think that changes after today.
Giants 27, Patriots 24. Joe Cleveland says so.
***
Belichick isn't the only former Browns coach to wind up in a Super Bowl with another team. He's just the first to win one.
Forrest Gregg, who became the Browns head coach from 1975-77, compiling only one winning season during that span, went down to rival Cincinnati two seasons after his firing by Modell and, in his second year with the Bengals, took them to their first Super Bowl. They lost to the 49ers, 26-21, at the Pontiac Silverdome, but the fact that Gregg did it with Paul Brown's team (and Modell and Brown did not like each other at all) surely stuck in Modell's craw.
However, every other head coach employed by the Browns (and there have been 13 total) has never gotten to a Super Bowl or won one after leaving the Browns. Belichick is the only one to become a champion, and even he spent four seasons back with Bill Parcells as an assistant coach with both the Patriots and the Jets before getting his second head coaching chance.
Not even the great Paul Brown could win a championship after Modell fired him. He took the Bengals to the playoffs a couple of times, but never got to a Super Bowl or won one. Even as simply the owner, Brown's Bengals went to two Super Bowls, but lost both times to a fellow named Joe Montana and the 49ers.
Marty Schottenheimer went to the playoffs nine times as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. However, his teams always choked in the playoffs (just like his Browns teams did) and he never reached a Super Bowl.
Bud Carson spent five seasons as a defensive coordinator with the Eagles and the St. Louis Rams after the Browns fired him midway through his second season as head coach, but his teams never made it to the Super Bowl. And, he never was a head coach again.
Chris Palmer spent three seasons as offensive coordinator of the expansion Houston Texans and was the offensive cooordinator last season with the Tennessee Titans. Neither of those teams did much winning.
Butch Davis never coached in the NFL again, spending five seasons as head coach at the University of North Carolina. He was fired this past season after his program was swept up in a few scandals and never got the Tar Heels into a BCS Bowl game, let alone play for a National Championship.
Eric Mangini works for ESPN and hasn't even been considered for an assistants job since the Browns fired him after two dismal seasons.
Romeo Crennel, after two seasons as the Chiefs' defensive coordinator, was promoted to head coach beginning this coming season. He hired Brian Daboll to be his offensive coordinator. Good luck with that.
Even Sam Rutigliano never did anything after the Browns fired him midway through the 1984 season. He spent a few seascons coaching in college, but never again in the pros.
So, Bill Belichick's success post-Cleveland is the exception to the rule, not the norm.
***
If Belichick wins tonight, he'll become just the second NFL head coach to win four Super Bowls. He'll join former Browns player and Cleveland native Chuck Noll, who won four Super Bowls during the 1970s with a certain team in Western Pennsylvania.
If either the Patriots or the Giants win tonight, they will join the four-time Super Bowl club. Currently, Pittsburgh (six), San Francisco and Dallas (five) and Green Bay (four) are the only members.
Both Tom Brady and Eli Manning are former Super Bowl MVPs. Believe it or not, this is the first the Super Bowl has had a matchup of Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks. The second Pittsburgh-Dallas Super Bowl in 1978 had a matchup of MVPs Roger Staubach, Harvey Martin and Randy White for the Cowboys and Franco Harris and Lynn Swann from the Steelers, and Terry Bradshaw won his first of two Super Bowl MVP award for performance in that game.
Also, the Pittsburgh-Arizona Super Bowl had Cardinals QB Kurt Warner (a Super Bowl MVP with the Rams in 1999) against the Steelers' Hines Ward (MVP of Super Bowl XL in 2005). Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes won the MVP from that Super Bowl.
Only one time in the 45-year history of the Super Bowl has a player from the losing team won the MVP Award. That was in Super Bowl V in 1970, when Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley won the award despite the Baltimore Colts winning the game, 16-13.
The Cowboys also have the distinction of having the only co-MVPs from a Super Bowl (Harvey Martin and Randy White, Super Bowl XII in 1977, 27-10 win over the Denver Broncos).
This is New England's seventh Super Bowl. The Patriots are 3-3 going into today's game.
This is the Giants' fifth Super Bowl. They are 3-1 going into today's game, with their only loss coming in 2000 to the Thieving Bastards from Baltimore.
However, if the Giants win, they will match the Browns with eight NFL championships. Only the Chicago Bears (nine) and the Green Bay Packers (13) have more NFL championships, currently, than the Browns do.
New England has no other titles to fall back on. This will be its fourth, and will match them with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts and the Detriot Lions on the all-time list, if it wins.
This is the fifth Super Bowl rematch of all time, joining Miami-Washington (1-1), Pittsburgh-Dallas (2-1), San Francisco-Cincinnati (2-0) and Dallas-Buffalo (2-0). Only the Washington Redskins won the rematch on their first attempt (Dallas beat the Steelers in their third Super Bowl meeting after Pittsburgh won both matchups in the 1970s).
There has only been one former Cleveland Browns player who has went on to win a Super Bowl MVP award -- Kansas City quarterback Len Dawson (Super Bowl IV, 1969).
Currently, there are seven NFL teams that have never won a championship (none of which are Cleveland and Detroit). The unlucky seven are the Houston Texans (no Super Bowls), Atlanta Falcons (one Super Bowl), Carolina Panthers (one Super Bowl), Cincinnati Bengals (two Super Bowls), Jacksonville Jaguars (no Super Bowls), Minnesota Vikings (four Super Bowls) and Seattle Seahawks (one Super Bowl). The Buffalo Bills, who like the Vikings are 0-4 in Super Bowls, are credited with two championships from their AFL days.
There are only four teams that have never played in a Super Bowl -- the Texans, the Jaguars, the Lions and ... sigh ... the Browns. Cleveland is the only NFL city to have not only never played in a Super Bowl, but also have never hosted it.
It may not be next season, but I believe that Cleveland skid will be coming to an end, and sooner than we believe.
Go Giants! And, enjoy your Super Bowl festivities, wherever they are!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Ramblin on ...
Alright ramblers, let's get ramblin ...
Joe Cleveland has some takes to spew out on a few different things going on in the world of Cleveland sports. So, instead of doing a bunch of different blogs, he's only going to do one (if I got paid by the blog, I'd probably put ones with two sentances in it every hour on the hour).
So, here goes:
<> Fausto Carmona is not who is says he is, and he's not as young as he says he is. Gee, what a surprise, a Dominican player who lied about their age to get into the country? What's really surprising is the whole alias thing.
"Fausto Carmona" is apparently really known as Roberto Hernandez Heredia. He was picked up by the Dominican government and charged with identity theft, or something like that. Apparenlty, there really is a Fausto Carmona, and the real Fausto was getting paid by the fake "Fausto" to use his name. When he stopped getting paid, the story goes, Fausto decided to out "Fausto."
It might be a while before "Fausto" comes back to America and pitches for the Tribe. That sigh of relief you heard was from fans not wanting to watch him get torched anymore and lose double-digit ball games each season.
Yes, it's happened to a lot of different teams (Leo Nunez is not who he says he is, either). Heck, it's happened to the Indians in past when Bartolo Colon was revealed to being two years older than he already was in 2002 (he was traded a few months later). But, it's yet another black mark on the Indians and the Dolan-Shapiro-Antonetti leadership chain.
The Indians, who could very easily void the contract because, after all, it's with a player who technically doesn't exist. However, they seem to be holding out hope that he comes back and pitches? Have they not been watching him pitch every year since 2007? He's not a 28-year-old with upside anymore. He's a 31-year-old clearly on the downside of his career.
In typical Tribe fashion, they replaced a loser with another loser, trading for a pitcher who was winless last season and has a last name that doesn't necessarily inspire confidence from a pitching standpoint -- Kevin Slowey. How bad will this rotation be if "Fausto" Hernandez Heredia gets cleared to play -- Slowey, NL-loss leader and over-the-hill guy Derek Lowe AND "Fausto?"
Tribe Fever, got to catch it!
<> Joe Cleveland has a Twitter account, as does the person behind "Joe Cleveland." However, neither of us rarely use Twitter. I think Tony Grossi showed us why it's best to avoid the latest social media fad.
Grossi was one the longest-standing Browns beat reporters in town with the lone Cleveland paper in town. That gives him a lot of clout and a lot of respectability nationally. When the national folks want to confirm something that's going on with the Browns, they'll tend to look to Grossi. When a Cleveland representative is needed to vote on the Hall of Fame, Grossi was the logical choice.
Yesterday, Grossi was removed from the Browns beat for what they're terming an "inadvertant Tweet" concerning Browns owner Randy Lerner.
You see, Lerner -- who rarely meets with the media and prefers a hands-off approach to running his team, unlike the guy in town before him who decided to bolt to land of crabcakes -- decided to give an interview with the Browns' flagship radio station, WTAM 1100-AM, and it's popular afternoon host, Mike Trivisonno.
During Lerner's interview, Grossi sent out a Tweet that was supposed to go to just one of his followers that said, “He is a pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world.” Instead, it went out to all of his followers in Twitter-ville.
Oops.
Grossi and the Plain Dealer apologized about the Tweet the next day, but Grossi remained pretty quiet. His last story, the game story from the AFC Championship game between the Ravens and the Patriots, had a very heavy Ravens slant to it (surprising, considering Grossi has led the charge against keeping a certain Judas owner out of the Hall of Fame ... although, then again, Grossi and Bill Belichick butted heads a lot during Belichick's tenure as Browns coach before the big move).
The Tweet basically confirmed what fans who have been reading his stuff had long believed -- Grossi had a bias against the Browns. He and Modell didn't get along because of some snafu that involved mislabeling Modell's not returning a call to comment into a flat-out no-comment on some story (and cost him the beat for a little while). Grossi had problems with Al Lerner, with Policy, with Butch Davis, with Phil Savage, you name it.
Grossi immediately pounced on Eric Mangini upon his hiring, supposedly saying in front of the entire media that Mangini "wasn't gonna get away with the same shit here that he did in New York." You could tell from the rip that Grossi was trying to get Mangini run out of town.
For whatever reason, Grossi didn't hit it off with Mike Holmgren, either. Holmgren's infamous "you're either with us or against us" quote was in response to Grossi, supposedly.
Grossi was snarky to readers who asked him questions in his "Hey Tony" mailbag. Grossi kept harping on the draft-day trade that allowed the Falcons to draft Julio Jones, even after Jones kept getting injured and dropping passes at inopportune times.
Fans were tired of him. And, a lot of them rejoiced at the news.
As a sportswriter, I respect Tony Grossi for what he brought to the table. I'm very happy he's kept Modell out of the Hall of Fame, and deservedly so. However, the bias was apparent to even the most non-partisan fan out there. It got really old.
There's doing your job, and then there's going above and beyond to show that you're the top dog in this town, and if you're not with him, you're against him.
Hopefully, there will be more objective and fair Browns reporting in the future.
<> Reports have suddenly surfaced (coincidentally, as the Cavs were about to have their first matchup with the Heat) that LeBron isn't happy in Miami -- gee, what a surprise -- and would look to opt out of his contract after three seasons in South Beach.
And, supposedly, if he were to do so, his No. 1 choice to sign with would be ... wait for it ... the Cleveland Cavaliers.
ARE YOU (BLEEPING) SERIOUS?????
It's obvious to me that his LRMR team are probably leaking this info to their confidants in the media. The LRMR team are all from the Akron area and are a giant mess. They are essentially responsible for the debacle that was "The Decision" and turning LeQuitter into one of the most hated players in today's NBA.
The word is LeQuit is not happy that he's become a social pariah in his home region. I guess growing up here didn't clue him in to how Cleveland fans respond when one of their players quits on them and stabs them in the back. Cleveland fans root for the name in the front of the jersey, not the name in the back. Even if that player was a superstar while they were here, the moment that person leaves is the moment that person becomes Public Enemy No. 1.
LeQuitter must have not paid attention to when Carlos Boozer did the same thing on a lesser scale and was reviled every single time he touched the ball during any game here. How about when Brian Grant, who played at Xavier, turned down a chance to play for Cleveland and forced a three-way tride to Miami, and Grant was suddenly always booed here.
How about Albert Belle and how Cleveland fans showered him with Monopoly money the first time he played at The Jake as a member of the Chicago White Sox. Belle didn't help himself by continually flipping off the fans on the Home Run Porch all night and cursing at them.
Perhaps, now that LeQuit is setting down with his Baby Mama after she left Miami and decided to go back to Akron, he wants to come back home and be loved again. If he doesn't win a championship this season with the Heat, you can bet the vultures will be circling around that carcass.
I don't think Dan Gilbert would bring him back. It would be his turn to tell LeBron to shove it after LeBron went on ESPN and essentially told Gilbert the same thing. Even if it meant more money and a chance to light a fire with a young nucleus of Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and whoever the Cavs land in this year's draft.
And, how will the fans react? The fans gave Jim Thome a standing ovation when he returned to the Indians. However, that was about 8 years after he signed with the Phillies in the first place. Eight years is a long time, a long time for bygones to be bygones.
LeBron would only be gone three or four years if he decides to leave South Beach and take his talents back to the North Coast. The question is, would the North Coast allow it?
Joe Cleveland says, I hope to hell not. Let him stay out.
<> We can now say "Rest in Peace" to any chance the Indians had of winning the AL Central Division for the forseeable future, after Prince Fielder signed with his father Cecil's team, the Tigers, for nine years after our old friend Victor Martinez was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
The one saving grace for the Tribe is that MLB will be taking two Wild Card teams in the future. But, with Boston and the Yankees (and even Tampa Bay) emerging every year as a top team, will one of those berths even be out there for the Tribe to take?
Joe Cleveland's been very critical of the Indians' brain trust, especially Larry Dolan, for their inability to "keep up with the Jonses." Yes, MLB isn't set up to promote parity like the NFL is. Yes, there is no salary cap, which allows billioniares in big markets to spend to their hearts content.
However, this is the ocean that the Dolans choose to swim in. Once upon a time, the Indians were one of the winningest organizations in the Major Leagues, playing to a packed house every single night for 455 consecutive nights. That time was only 10-15 years ago.
If the ocean is becoming too deep, it's time for the Dolans to call for the life preserver to take them to shore. In other words, it's time for them to cash out and leave professional sports ownership to true businessmen capable of spending money to better the product, promote the product to the masses and show they are truly committed to winning.
The Dolans are not that description at all, and fans know it. Fans aren't going to spend their hard-earned money on a team that's not committed to winning. Fans aren't going to spend their hard-earned money on an atmosphere that, quite frankly, isn't very entertaining. Fans don't like being accused of being part of the perceived "problem" with decreasing payroll, which both Dolans and Shapiro have done over the course of a few seasons.
Another set of Dolans are running the New York Knicks into the ground as we speak. Two once proud franchises owned by people in the same family. One meddles too much and throws his money at the wrong things. The other overspent for his team and can't afford to spend any more money.
Either way, they both need to be put out to pasture ... and I hate the Knicks.
<> Finally, Joe Cleveland was so ecstatic to see the Thieving Bastards get there cumuppance last weekend with Billy Cundiff's missed chip-shot field goal that would have sent the AFC Championship game into overtime and Lee Evans' dropped TD pass that would have given them the win.
If ever a team and a fan base deserved to be shown how it felt to live thorugh The Drive and The Fumble, it's those crabcake-eating, Modell-apologizing theiving bastards, the Baltimorans ... with the exception of the Steelers.
The Steelers got theirs from Tebow. The Ravens got theirs probably even worse.
Both are at home watching the Super Bowl, just like Joe Cleveland is. And, Joe Cleveland is perfectly fine with that ... for now.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Joe Cleveland has some takes to spew out on a few different things going on in the world of Cleveland sports. So, instead of doing a bunch of different blogs, he's only going to do one (if I got paid by the blog, I'd probably put ones with two sentances in it every hour on the hour).
So, here goes:
<> Fausto Carmona is not who is says he is, and he's not as young as he says he is. Gee, what a surprise, a Dominican player who lied about their age to get into the country? What's really surprising is the whole alias thing.
"Fausto Carmona" is apparently really known as Roberto Hernandez Heredia. He was picked up by the Dominican government and charged with identity theft, or something like that. Apparenlty, there really is a Fausto Carmona, and the real Fausto was getting paid by the fake "Fausto" to use his name. When he stopped getting paid, the story goes, Fausto decided to out "Fausto."
It might be a while before "Fausto" comes back to America and pitches for the Tribe. That sigh of relief you heard was from fans not wanting to watch him get torched anymore and lose double-digit ball games each season.
Yes, it's happened to a lot of different teams (Leo Nunez is not who he says he is, either). Heck, it's happened to the Indians in past when Bartolo Colon was revealed to being two years older than he already was in 2002 (he was traded a few months later). But, it's yet another black mark on the Indians and the Dolan-Shapiro-Antonetti leadership chain.
The Indians, who could very easily void the contract because, after all, it's with a player who technically doesn't exist. However, they seem to be holding out hope that he comes back and pitches? Have they not been watching him pitch every year since 2007? He's not a 28-year-old with upside anymore. He's a 31-year-old clearly on the downside of his career.
In typical Tribe fashion, they replaced a loser with another loser, trading for a pitcher who was winless last season and has a last name that doesn't necessarily inspire confidence from a pitching standpoint -- Kevin Slowey. How bad will this rotation be if "Fausto" Hernandez Heredia gets cleared to play -- Slowey, NL-loss leader and over-the-hill guy Derek Lowe AND "Fausto?"
Tribe Fever, got to catch it!
<> Joe Cleveland has a Twitter account, as does the person behind "Joe Cleveland." However, neither of us rarely use Twitter. I think Tony Grossi showed us why it's best to avoid the latest social media fad.
Grossi was one the longest-standing Browns beat reporters in town with the lone Cleveland paper in town. That gives him a lot of clout and a lot of respectability nationally. When the national folks want to confirm something that's going on with the Browns, they'll tend to look to Grossi. When a Cleveland representative is needed to vote on the Hall of Fame, Grossi was the logical choice.
Yesterday, Grossi was removed from the Browns beat for what they're terming an "inadvertant Tweet" concerning Browns owner Randy Lerner.
You see, Lerner -- who rarely meets with the media and prefers a hands-off approach to running his team, unlike the guy in town before him who decided to bolt to land of crabcakes -- decided to give an interview with the Browns' flagship radio station, WTAM 1100-AM, and it's popular afternoon host, Mike Trivisonno.
During Lerner's interview, Grossi sent out a Tweet that was supposed to go to just one of his followers that said, “He is a pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world.” Instead, it went out to all of his followers in Twitter-ville.
Oops.
Grossi and the Plain Dealer apologized about the Tweet the next day, but Grossi remained pretty quiet. His last story, the game story from the AFC Championship game between the Ravens and the Patriots, had a very heavy Ravens slant to it (surprising, considering Grossi has led the charge against keeping a certain Judas owner out of the Hall of Fame ... although, then again, Grossi and Bill Belichick butted heads a lot during Belichick's tenure as Browns coach before the big move).
The Tweet basically confirmed what fans who have been reading his stuff had long believed -- Grossi had a bias against the Browns. He and Modell didn't get along because of some snafu that involved mislabeling Modell's not returning a call to comment into a flat-out no-comment on some story (and cost him the beat for a little while). Grossi had problems with Al Lerner, with Policy, with Butch Davis, with Phil Savage, you name it.
Grossi immediately pounced on Eric Mangini upon his hiring, supposedly saying in front of the entire media that Mangini "wasn't gonna get away with the same shit here that he did in New York." You could tell from the rip that Grossi was trying to get Mangini run out of town.
For whatever reason, Grossi didn't hit it off with Mike Holmgren, either. Holmgren's infamous "you're either with us or against us" quote was in response to Grossi, supposedly.
Grossi was snarky to readers who asked him questions in his "Hey Tony" mailbag. Grossi kept harping on the draft-day trade that allowed the Falcons to draft Julio Jones, even after Jones kept getting injured and dropping passes at inopportune times.
Fans were tired of him. And, a lot of them rejoiced at the news.
As a sportswriter, I respect Tony Grossi for what he brought to the table. I'm very happy he's kept Modell out of the Hall of Fame, and deservedly so. However, the bias was apparent to even the most non-partisan fan out there. It got really old.
There's doing your job, and then there's going above and beyond to show that you're the top dog in this town, and if you're not with him, you're against him.
Hopefully, there will be more objective and fair Browns reporting in the future.
<> Reports have suddenly surfaced (coincidentally, as the Cavs were about to have their first matchup with the Heat) that LeBron isn't happy in Miami -- gee, what a surprise -- and would look to opt out of his contract after three seasons in South Beach.
And, supposedly, if he were to do so, his No. 1 choice to sign with would be ... wait for it ... the Cleveland Cavaliers.
ARE YOU (BLEEPING) SERIOUS?????
It's obvious to me that his LRMR team are probably leaking this info to their confidants in the media. The LRMR team are all from the Akron area and are a giant mess. They are essentially responsible for the debacle that was "The Decision" and turning LeQuitter into one of the most hated players in today's NBA.
The word is LeQuit is not happy that he's become a social pariah in his home region. I guess growing up here didn't clue him in to how Cleveland fans respond when one of their players quits on them and stabs them in the back. Cleveland fans root for the name in the front of the jersey, not the name in the back. Even if that player was a superstar while they were here, the moment that person leaves is the moment that person becomes Public Enemy No. 1.
LeQuitter must have not paid attention to when Carlos Boozer did the same thing on a lesser scale and was reviled every single time he touched the ball during any game here. How about when Brian Grant, who played at Xavier, turned down a chance to play for Cleveland and forced a three-way tride to Miami, and Grant was suddenly always booed here.
How about Albert Belle and how Cleveland fans showered him with Monopoly money the first time he played at The Jake as a member of the Chicago White Sox. Belle didn't help himself by continually flipping off the fans on the Home Run Porch all night and cursing at them.
Perhaps, now that LeQuit is setting down with his Baby Mama after she left Miami and decided to go back to Akron, he wants to come back home and be loved again. If he doesn't win a championship this season with the Heat, you can bet the vultures will be circling around that carcass.
I don't think Dan Gilbert would bring him back. It would be his turn to tell LeBron to shove it after LeBron went on ESPN and essentially told Gilbert the same thing. Even if it meant more money and a chance to light a fire with a young nucleus of Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and whoever the Cavs land in this year's draft.
And, how will the fans react? The fans gave Jim Thome a standing ovation when he returned to the Indians. However, that was about 8 years after he signed with the Phillies in the first place. Eight years is a long time, a long time for bygones to be bygones.
LeBron would only be gone three or four years if he decides to leave South Beach and take his talents back to the North Coast. The question is, would the North Coast allow it?
Joe Cleveland says, I hope to hell not. Let him stay out.
<> We can now say "Rest in Peace" to any chance the Indians had of winning the AL Central Division for the forseeable future, after Prince Fielder signed with his father Cecil's team, the Tigers, for nine years after our old friend Victor Martinez was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
The one saving grace for the Tribe is that MLB will be taking two Wild Card teams in the future. But, with Boston and the Yankees (and even Tampa Bay) emerging every year as a top team, will one of those berths even be out there for the Tribe to take?
Joe Cleveland's been very critical of the Indians' brain trust, especially Larry Dolan, for their inability to "keep up with the Jonses." Yes, MLB isn't set up to promote parity like the NFL is. Yes, there is no salary cap, which allows billioniares in big markets to spend to their hearts content.
However, this is the ocean that the Dolans choose to swim in. Once upon a time, the Indians were one of the winningest organizations in the Major Leagues, playing to a packed house every single night for 455 consecutive nights. That time was only 10-15 years ago.
If the ocean is becoming too deep, it's time for the Dolans to call for the life preserver to take them to shore. In other words, it's time for them to cash out and leave professional sports ownership to true businessmen capable of spending money to better the product, promote the product to the masses and show they are truly committed to winning.
The Dolans are not that description at all, and fans know it. Fans aren't going to spend their hard-earned money on a team that's not committed to winning. Fans aren't going to spend their hard-earned money on an atmosphere that, quite frankly, isn't very entertaining. Fans don't like being accused of being part of the perceived "problem" with decreasing payroll, which both Dolans and Shapiro have done over the course of a few seasons.
Another set of Dolans are running the New York Knicks into the ground as we speak. Two once proud franchises owned by people in the same family. One meddles too much and throws his money at the wrong things. The other overspent for his team and can't afford to spend any more money.
Either way, they both need to be put out to pasture ... and I hate the Knicks.
<> Finally, Joe Cleveland was so ecstatic to see the Thieving Bastards get there cumuppance last weekend with Billy Cundiff's missed chip-shot field goal that would have sent the AFC Championship game into overtime and Lee Evans' dropped TD pass that would have given them the win.
If ever a team and a fan base deserved to be shown how it felt to live thorugh The Drive and The Fumble, it's those crabcake-eating, Modell-apologizing theiving bastards, the Baltimorans ... with the exception of the Steelers.
The Steelers got theirs from Tebow. The Ravens got theirs probably even worse.
Both are at home watching the Super Bowl, just like Joe Cleveland is. And, Joe Cleveland is perfectly fine with that ... for now.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Drive for 25
As Joe Cleveland celebrated and rejoiced Sunday, watching Tim Tebow shread the "vaunted" Pittspuke Squeelers defense for 316 yards (and a 31.6-yard average per completion, how odd is that), visions of the Broncos from many years ago with a young quarterback danced in my head.
Tebow and Broncos put the final nail in the Stoolers' coffin with a stunning 80-yard touchdown pass to Demariyus Thomas, ending the overtime in just 11 seconds and giving the Broncos a huge 29-23 upset in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Almost immediately, Stooler fans had to attempt to crash Browns fans parties by reminding them about what the Broncos did to our beloved Browns 25 years ago.
Oh sure, you remember, as any tried-and-true, Brown-and-Orange-bleeding Browns fan remembers Jan. 11, 1987. You remember where you were and who you were with when you saw the Browns come, arguably, the closest they've ever come to a Super Bowl berth.
The plastic was over the Browns lockers and the AFC Lamar Hunt Trophy was in the Browns locker room when Bernie Kosar found Brian Brennan for a 48-yard touchdown pass with a little over five minutes remaining in the AFC Championship Game at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Pandamonium Palace was at full-throttle then, and on the subsequent Mark Moseley kickoff, when a guy named Ken Bell misjudged the knuckleball kick and had to fall on it at his own 2-yard line.
98 yards and five minutes seperated the Browns from that elusive Super Bowl berth and a date with the New York Giants at the Rose Bowl in Pasedena. But, we all remember what happened next.
I had just turned 13 years old a few weeks prior to that and I was watching the game in our den with my parents, siblings and other aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. My parents hosted a party, and everyone was invited to watch history be made.
Oh we saw history, just not the history we wanted to see.
While it only took Tebow one play and 11 seconds to cover 80 yards, it took John Elway most of those five minutes and 15 plays to cover the 98 he needed to tie the game and send it into overtime. Marty Schottenheimer's "Prevent" defense, which was supposed to prevent big plays, allowed Elway to dink and dunk and scramble his way methodically down the field, and was capped by a five-yard touchdown pass to Mark Jackson on third-and-2 with 37 seconds left.
I remember being stunned, but I wasn't worried. The Browns OWNED overtime in the 1986 season. They were 3-0 in OT games during a 12-4 regular season (other than a 14-0 year in 1948, this is the most regular season wins the Browns have ever had) and had just won a thrilling 23-20 double overtime playoff game with the Jets one week ago. A game that the Browns trailed by 10 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, and yet somehow tied up and sent into OT. A game that Moseley missed a chip shot OT field goal, but had a second-chance in the double OT and made this one count.
A game that was the Browns' first playoff victory since 1968. A game that had Browns fans believing that 1986 was the season of destiny.
So, the Browns proceeded to go 3-and-out with the first OT possession, and Elway went to work again. This time, Rich Karlis set up for a 37-yard field goal to win the game.
I maintained 25 years ago with my 13-year-old eyes and I still maintain every time I see the replay and from hearing eyewitness accounts that Karlis' kick was wide left. They should still be playing that game.
But, the refs raised their hands and called the kick good, and it was Denver that went to the Super Bowl.
Denver went to the Super Bowl three times in a four-year span -- all with AFC Championship wins over the Browns. All of them were close games in the fourth quarter, but two of them ended in truly heartbreaking fashion for Browns fans like me (the 1989 team just simply ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and lost, 37-21. They were aging and, quite frankly, lucky to be playing in the AFC title game that year. They haven't been back there since).
Stooler fans immediately brought up The Drive as a way to try to take Browns fans down a peg.
Joe Cleveland's response -- Well, at least you know how it feels, doesn't it.
Joe Cleveland's second response -- Elway took 15 plays, Tebow only took one.
Joe Cleveland's third response -- My hatred for the Broncos essentially died with Elway -- who I referred to as a "horse-toothed jackass" during the 1989 AFC title game and did not get grounded for it by my parents -- and his retirement in the late 1990s. However, I found myself rooting for them in the 1998 Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons -- I could not stand that stupid Dirty Bird dance.
My hatred for the Steelers will never die.
Elway and the Broncos broke my heart that day 25 years ago, and broke it two more times. And, I'm sure next year, we'll all be going through this again with the 25th anniversary of The Fumble. But, Joe Cleveland will deal with that next year.
The only thing better than watching the Stoolers lose in the Super Bowl is watching a Super Bowl that doesn't have the Stoolers in it.
Actually, I can think of one thing that would be better, but it's never happened. Joe Cleveland believes that it will happen, and will happen in the near future.
The Steelers literally limped into the playoffs and were banged up, courtesy of the two games against the Browns -- the team that's "not even a rivalry anymore" in the eyes of Steeler fans. Instead of being intimidated by them, the Browns stood up to them, took their best shot, and hit them right back square in the mouth.
They lost both games, but both games were at least close. The last one, as snow swirled in the night-time sky on New Year's Day, came down to the final play of the game, with the Browns possessing the ball on the Pittsburgh 24-yard line. Seneca Wallace's Hail Mary pass fell incomplete, and the Steelers escaped with a 13-9 victory. But, the long-term damage was done.
Mike Holmgren believes the Browns are closing the gap on the AFC North foes, despite going 0-6 for only the second time since the division took its current shape back in 2001. And, I believe him.
The Browns could have concievably won both games with the Bengals. A colossal defensive brain fart back in the season opener cost the Browns that first game, and the Browns squandered a 10-point lead in the second game, giving up a huge pass to A.J. Green on third down that set up the game-winning field goal.
The only truly lop-sided game was the Browns home game against the Thieving Bastards, and that was only 24-10. The Browns rallied by running a healthy Peyton Hillis right down Ray Lewis' throat and lost by six, thanks to another Pat Shurmur coaching blunder in a season that was rife with them.
The Steelers and Ravens aren't getting any younger and have question marks. The Bengals, while also in a good position with some young talent at QB and WR and an extra first-round pick (like the Browns) in next year's draft, also backed into the playoff by beating nine non-playoff teams and were smacked down by a Houston team that was starting a rookie third-string quarterback.
This isn't saying the Browns don't have their own work cut out for them. They certainly do. But this offseason will be a huge one, determining the fate of this franchise for the next few seasons to come.
Will Shurmur find a reliable offensive coordinator to make his job easier? Will a true offseason benefit him, and will he learn from his countless mistakes in a rough rookie year?
Will the Browns go back to Colt McCoy? Will they try to land Matt Flynn or Kevin Kolb via trade or free agency? Or, do they try to acquire Heisman winner Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck in this year's draft?
And, the draft -- the Browns have the fourth and 22nd pick in this year's first round. Do they go offense? Defense? Best available?
Many questions to be answered with this year's Browns. Hopefully, they can answer quite a few of them correctly these next few months and get this franchise back where it belongs -- consistantly winning and in the playoffs and (dare Joe Cleveland says it) a championship.
Once upon a time, the Browns were considered the "New York Yankees of football." In a feat that never happened before and will likely never happen again, the Browns reached 10 consecutive championship games in their first 10 years as a franchise, winning seven of those. They are one of four teams in the curent NFL (although the Browns and Lions are the only two who existed prior to 1995) who have never even played in a Super Bowl, much less won one.
This franchise and these fans deserve a winner. We can bemoan things like The Drive all we want and lament how close we were then. I relish the time when we can truly celebrate a Browns championship or two, and I believe it will happen.
Oh, and Pittsburgh still sucks!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Tebow and Broncos put the final nail in the Stoolers' coffin with a stunning 80-yard touchdown pass to Demariyus Thomas, ending the overtime in just 11 seconds and giving the Broncos a huge 29-23 upset in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Almost immediately, Stooler fans had to attempt to crash Browns fans parties by reminding them about what the Broncos did to our beloved Browns 25 years ago.
Oh sure, you remember, as any tried-and-true, Brown-and-Orange-bleeding Browns fan remembers Jan. 11, 1987. You remember where you were and who you were with when you saw the Browns come, arguably, the closest they've ever come to a Super Bowl berth.
The plastic was over the Browns lockers and the AFC Lamar Hunt Trophy was in the Browns locker room when Bernie Kosar found Brian Brennan for a 48-yard touchdown pass with a little over five minutes remaining in the AFC Championship Game at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Pandamonium Palace was at full-throttle then, and on the subsequent Mark Moseley kickoff, when a guy named Ken Bell misjudged the knuckleball kick and had to fall on it at his own 2-yard line.
98 yards and five minutes seperated the Browns from that elusive Super Bowl berth and a date with the New York Giants at the Rose Bowl in Pasedena. But, we all remember what happened next.
I had just turned 13 years old a few weeks prior to that and I was watching the game in our den with my parents, siblings and other aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. My parents hosted a party, and everyone was invited to watch history be made.
Oh we saw history, just not the history we wanted to see.
While it only took Tebow one play and 11 seconds to cover 80 yards, it took John Elway most of those five minutes and 15 plays to cover the 98 he needed to tie the game and send it into overtime. Marty Schottenheimer's "Prevent" defense, which was supposed to prevent big plays, allowed Elway to dink and dunk and scramble his way methodically down the field, and was capped by a five-yard touchdown pass to Mark Jackson on third-and-2 with 37 seconds left.
I remember being stunned, but I wasn't worried. The Browns OWNED overtime in the 1986 season. They were 3-0 in OT games during a 12-4 regular season (other than a 14-0 year in 1948, this is the most regular season wins the Browns have ever had) and had just won a thrilling 23-20 double overtime playoff game with the Jets one week ago. A game that the Browns trailed by 10 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, and yet somehow tied up and sent into OT. A game that Moseley missed a chip shot OT field goal, but had a second-chance in the double OT and made this one count.
A game that was the Browns' first playoff victory since 1968. A game that had Browns fans believing that 1986 was the season of destiny.
So, the Browns proceeded to go 3-and-out with the first OT possession, and Elway went to work again. This time, Rich Karlis set up for a 37-yard field goal to win the game.
I maintained 25 years ago with my 13-year-old eyes and I still maintain every time I see the replay and from hearing eyewitness accounts that Karlis' kick was wide left. They should still be playing that game.
But, the refs raised their hands and called the kick good, and it was Denver that went to the Super Bowl.
Denver went to the Super Bowl three times in a four-year span -- all with AFC Championship wins over the Browns. All of them were close games in the fourth quarter, but two of them ended in truly heartbreaking fashion for Browns fans like me (the 1989 team just simply ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and lost, 37-21. They were aging and, quite frankly, lucky to be playing in the AFC title game that year. They haven't been back there since).
Stooler fans immediately brought up The Drive as a way to try to take Browns fans down a peg.
Joe Cleveland's response -- Well, at least you know how it feels, doesn't it.
Joe Cleveland's second response -- Elway took 15 plays, Tebow only took one.
Joe Cleveland's third response -- My hatred for the Broncos essentially died with Elway -- who I referred to as a "horse-toothed jackass" during the 1989 AFC title game and did not get grounded for it by my parents -- and his retirement in the late 1990s. However, I found myself rooting for them in the 1998 Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons -- I could not stand that stupid Dirty Bird dance.
My hatred for the Steelers will never die.
Elway and the Broncos broke my heart that day 25 years ago, and broke it two more times. And, I'm sure next year, we'll all be going through this again with the 25th anniversary of The Fumble. But, Joe Cleveland will deal with that next year.
The only thing better than watching the Stoolers lose in the Super Bowl is watching a Super Bowl that doesn't have the Stoolers in it.
Actually, I can think of one thing that would be better, but it's never happened. Joe Cleveland believes that it will happen, and will happen in the near future.
The Steelers literally limped into the playoffs and were banged up, courtesy of the two games against the Browns -- the team that's "not even a rivalry anymore" in the eyes of Steeler fans. Instead of being intimidated by them, the Browns stood up to them, took their best shot, and hit them right back square in the mouth.
They lost both games, but both games were at least close. The last one, as snow swirled in the night-time sky on New Year's Day, came down to the final play of the game, with the Browns possessing the ball on the Pittsburgh 24-yard line. Seneca Wallace's Hail Mary pass fell incomplete, and the Steelers escaped with a 13-9 victory. But, the long-term damage was done.
Mike Holmgren believes the Browns are closing the gap on the AFC North foes, despite going 0-6 for only the second time since the division took its current shape back in 2001. And, I believe him.
The Browns could have concievably won both games with the Bengals. A colossal defensive brain fart back in the season opener cost the Browns that first game, and the Browns squandered a 10-point lead in the second game, giving up a huge pass to A.J. Green on third down that set up the game-winning field goal.
The only truly lop-sided game was the Browns home game against the Thieving Bastards, and that was only 24-10. The Browns rallied by running a healthy Peyton Hillis right down Ray Lewis' throat and lost by six, thanks to another Pat Shurmur coaching blunder in a season that was rife with them.
The Steelers and Ravens aren't getting any younger and have question marks. The Bengals, while also in a good position with some young talent at QB and WR and an extra first-round pick (like the Browns) in next year's draft, also backed into the playoff by beating nine non-playoff teams and were smacked down by a Houston team that was starting a rookie third-string quarterback.
This isn't saying the Browns don't have their own work cut out for them. They certainly do. But this offseason will be a huge one, determining the fate of this franchise for the next few seasons to come.
Will Shurmur find a reliable offensive coordinator to make his job easier? Will a true offseason benefit him, and will he learn from his countless mistakes in a rough rookie year?
Will the Browns go back to Colt McCoy? Will they try to land Matt Flynn or Kevin Kolb via trade or free agency? Or, do they try to acquire Heisman winner Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck in this year's draft?
And, the draft -- the Browns have the fourth and 22nd pick in this year's first round. Do they go offense? Defense? Best available?
Many questions to be answered with this year's Browns. Hopefully, they can answer quite a few of them correctly these next few months and get this franchise back where it belongs -- consistantly winning and in the playoffs and (dare Joe Cleveland says it) a championship.
Once upon a time, the Browns were considered the "New York Yankees of football." In a feat that never happened before and will likely never happen again, the Browns reached 10 consecutive championship games in their first 10 years as a franchise, winning seven of those. They are one of four teams in the curent NFL (although the Browns and Lions are the only two who existed prior to 1995) who have never even played in a Super Bowl, much less won one.
This franchise and these fans deserve a winner. We can bemoan things like The Drive all we want and lament how close we were then. I relish the time when we can truly celebrate a Browns championship or two, and I believe it will happen.
Oh, and Pittsburgh still sucks!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Bring on 2012
Well, it's safe to say that 2011 has turned out to be, by and large, a very miserable and forgettable sports year for Cleveland.
When your two best moments are LeQuit Shames and his Miami (C)Heats choking away the NBA Finals to Dallas and the Pittspuke Squeelers losing to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, that's when you know you've had a pretty terrible year.
Even, by and large, the best thing to happen to area sports -- Ohio State hiring Urban Meyer as its new football coach -- occurred because of some terrible news. That is, Jim Tressel's ouster due to his attempted coverup of Tattoo-Gate, which paved the way for ringleader Terrelle Pryor leaving via the NFL's supplemental draft, the 6-6 season under interim coach Luke Fickell and the bowl ban for the 2012 season -- Meyer's first as a Buckeye.
The Indians teased us with a 30-15 start, which was good enough for first place in the American League Central Division. But, in typical Tribe fashion, they melted down over the course of the season, were lapped by Detroit and wound up 80-82. They gave up, arguably, their two best pitching prospects for Ubaldo Jimenez, who was inconsistant to say the least during his two months with the Wahoo Warriors, and -- while it certainly helped the gate during the month of September -- the reacquision of Jim Thome provided great feelings but not much else.
The Cavs, without LeQuitter, lost a sports-record 26 straight games, en route to a 19-63 season. They went from the best record in the NBA to a tie for the worst. At the very least, a shrewed trade by Chris Grant gave the Cavs the Los Angeles Clippers' first round pick, and the lottery turned that pick and the Cavs' own first rounder into the No. 1 and No. 4 picks overall. Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, come on down!
The Browns finally had a uniform philosophy from the top of the organizaiton all the way to the bottom with the triumverate of Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert and Pat Shurmur. That gave fans a reason for some optimism heading into the season. But, like it has 10 out of the 12 years since the Browns returned from the abyss, that optimism was stomped on and turned into mush by another terrible season, a season where questions didn't get answered and more questions popped up. Shurmur has shown he's not quite ready to be an NFL head coach -- at the very least, not one ready to serve in the dual role of head coach and offensive coordinator -- and Colt McCoy hasn't given fans enough of a reason to believe he'll be the long-term answer at quarterback.
Let's just press down on the plunger now and blow 2011 to smithereens. Time to put it in the past and look forward.
What's in store for 2012? Unfortunately, it may be more rebuilding by all three teams. However, there are reasons to see the glass as being half-full on all of them (here Joe Cleveland goes again with his damn optimism).
I'll start with the Browns. What better way for a new year to begin by upsetting the hated Stillers (and sending those Black and Yellow frontrunners who will probably make up half of Cleveland Browns Stadium home angry). OK, that may not happen. But Consentlessberger's status is still uncertain thanks to that high ankle sprain he suffered against the Browns a few weeks ago, so that's a ray of hope. Also, the Browns were very competitive in their earlier game with the Stillers, and also nearly upset the Cardinals and the Thieving Bastards (the Ravens, for those not familar with the vernacular) on the road.
Even if they don't win (a distinct possibility), the Browns will end up with a top-five pick in the NFL draft and will have two first rounders. Heckert has promised to be more active in free agency (this is what happens when you have an offseason). And Holmgren may force Shurmur to hire an offensive coordinator to ease the stress. The Browns have had two very good drafts under Heckert thus far, but this one is a key. If the Browns fail to show any improvement (and 5-11 will not be improvement from 4-12), it's time to seriously look at the coach and also time to look at the Big Show in charge as well.
The Cavs will take their lumps this season with a rookie point guard in Irving running the show. However, they should be better than they were last year. They ended the season on an upswing (a lot of that is due to veteran Baron Davis, who was injured and released before the season began), which is positive momentum. They will likely be in the NBA lottery again, and this draft appears to be very deep, especially if Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger and Perry Jones all declare for it. Plus, I firmly believe Dan Gilbert wants to win, and will do whatever it takes to win.
The Indians have a nice young nucleus in place. However, thus far, the Tribe has been relatively quiet during the "Hot Stove" season. A team that is sorely needing at least one big bat shouldn't be quiet during the offseason, and minor league signings of guys like Felix Pie does not guarantee a parade down Euclid Ave. Once again, the Tribe brass appears to be all talk but little action. Remember when Chris Antonetti and Mark Shapiro said that the Dolans were prepared to spend more this offseason, and then recall that the big acquisions have been an over-the-hill Derek Lowe and the damaged goods that is Grady Sizemore. Antonetti exclaimed to beat reporters during the Winter Meetings that he was getting "phenomenal" trade offers, but then never pulled the trigger on those offers (in which he's never revealed what names were being bandied about). The window of opportunity is about to slam in the Indians' faces once again, which is a shame.
Of the three, the Indians are probably the closest to winning "right now." However, they seem content to see if they can get lightning in a bottle like last season and hope for an 82-82 season. Shame on them!
Ohio State fans have every reason to be optimistic about their future. Meyer has already beefed up the recruiting class and run out a lot of Tressel's cronies that were dragging the playcalling down. The bowl ban hurts. However, that should give Meyer a "grace year" where there will be little pressure on him to win and win now. A win over Michigan will probably as good as a bowl berth, especially after losing to them this season, and Meyer should have the Buckeyes in contention for both Big Ten and national title conversations by 2013.
The 47th anniversary of Cleveland's last major professional sports championship (the Browns beating the Baltmore Colts, 27-0, in the 1964 NFL Championship Game) came and went the other day. I would hope that that drought doesn't go to 48 years. From 1920-1964, the Indians won twoWorld Series titles, the Cleveland Panthers won one NFL title, the Cleveland Rams won one NFL title and the Cleveland Browns won eight football titles (four AAFC, four NFL) for a grand total of 12 major championships during that span.
Perhaps 2012 will be the year we finally land No. 13. Or, at the very least, 2012 will give fans of all three teams hope that No. 13 isn't too far around the corner, and that drought gets snuffed out before it reaches 50 and beyond.
Joe Cleveland certainly hopes so.
I'll be at the Browns game New Year's Day, ready to see if a new year can bring some new positive energy to our three professional franchises. And, hopefully, not getting any fights with front-running Stiller fans. We shall see.
Thanks for reading Joe Cleveland all throughout 2011. I hope it was as entertaining to read as it was to write. Here's wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year and Go Browns, Go Cavs and Go Tribe!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
When your two best moments are LeQuit Shames and his Miami (C)Heats choking away the NBA Finals to Dallas and the Pittspuke Squeelers losing to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, that's when you know you've had a pretty terrible year.
Even, by and large, the best thing to happen to area sports -- Ohio State hiring Urban Meyer as its new football coach -- occurred because of some terrible news. That is, Jim Tressel's ouster due to his attempted coverup of Tattoo-Gate, which paved the way for ringleader Terrelle Pryor leaving via the NFL's supplemental draft, the 6-6 season under interim coach Luke Fickell and the bowl ban for the 2012 season -- Meyer's first as a Buckeye.
The Indians teased us with a 30-15 start, which was good enough for first place in the American League Central Division. But, in typical Tribe fashion, they melted down over the course of the season, were lapped by Detroit and wound up 80-82. They gave up, arguably, their two best pitching prospects for Ubaldo Jimenez, who was inconsistant to say the least during his two months with the Wahoo Warriors, and -- while it certainly helped the gate during the month of September -- the reacquision of Jim Thome provided great feelings but not much else.
The Cavs, without LeQuitter, lost a sports-record 26 straight games, en route to a 19-63 season. They went from the best record in the NBA to a tie for the worst. At the very least, a shrewed trade by Chris Grant gave the Cavs the Los Angeles Clippers' first round pick, and the lottery turned that pick and the Cavs' own first rounder into the No. 1 and No. 4 picks overall. Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, come on down!
The Browns finally had a uniform philosophy from the top of the organizaiton all the way to the bottom with the triumverate of Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert and Pat Shurmur. That gave fans a reason for some optimism heading into the season. But, like it has 10 out of the 12 years since the Browns returned from the abyss, that optimism was stomped on and turned into mush by another terrible season, a season where questions didn't get answered and more questions popped up. Shurmur has shown he's not quite ready to be an NFL head coach -- at the very least, not one ready to serve in the dual role of head coach and offensive coordinator -- and Colt McCoy hasn't given fans enough of a reason to believe he'll be the long-term answer at quarterback.
Let's just press down on the plunger now and blow 2011 to smithereens. Time to put it in the past and look forward.
What's in store for 2012? Unfortunately, it may be more rebuilding by all three teams. However, there are reasons to see the glass as being half-full on all of them (here Joe Cleveland goes again with his damn optimism).
I'll start with the Browns. What better way for a new year to begin by upsetting the hated Stillers (and sending those Black and Yellow frontrunners who will probably make up half of Cleveland Browns Stadium home angry). OK, that may not happen. But Consentlessberger's status is still uncertain thanks to that high ankle sprain he suffered against the Browns a few weeks ago, so that's a ray of hope. Also, the Browns were very competitive in their earlier game with the Stillers, and also nearly upset the Cardinals and the Thieving Bastards (the Ravens, for those not familar with the vernacular) on the road.
Even if they don't win (a distinct possibility), the Browns will end up with a top-five pick in the NFL draft and will have two first rounders. Heckert has promised to be more active in free agency (this is what happens when you have an offseason). And Holmgren may force Shurmur to hire an offensive coordinator to ease the stress. The Browns have had two very good drafts under Heckert thus far, but this one is a key. If the Browns fail to show any improvement (and 5-11 will not be improvement from 4-12), it's time to seriously look at the coach and also time to look at the Big Show in charge as well.
The Cavs will take their lumps this season with a rookie point guard in Irving running the show. However, they should be better than they were last year. They ended the season on an upswing (a lot of that is due to veteran Baron Davis, who was injured and released before the season began), which is positive momentum. They will likely be in the NBA lottery again, and this draft appears to be very deep, especially if Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger and Perry Jones all declare for it. Plus, I firmly believe Dan Gilbert wants to win, and will do whatever it takes to win.
The Indians have a nice young nucleus in place. However, thus far, the Tribe has been relatively quiet during the "Hot Stove" season. A team that is sorely needing at least one big bat shouldn't be quiet during the offseason, and minor league signings of guys like Felix Pie does not guarantee a parade down Euclid Ave. Once again, the Tribe brass appears to be all talk but little action. Remember when Chris Antonetti and Mark Shapiro said that the Dolans were prepared to spend more this offseason, and then recall that the big acquisions have been an over-the-hill Derek Lowe and the damaged goods that is Grady Sizemore. Antonetti exclaimed to beat reporters during the Winter Meetings that he was getting "phenomenal" trade offers, but then never pulled the trigger on those offers (in which he's never revealed what names were being bandied about). The window of opportunity is about to slam in the Indians' faces once again, which is a shame.
Of the three, the Indians are probably the closest to winning "right now." However, they seem content to see if they can get lightning in a bottle like last season and hope for an 82-82 season. Shame on them!
Ohio State fans have every reason to be optimistic about their future. Meyer has already beefed up the recruiting class and run out a lot of Tressel's cronies that were dragging the playcalling down. The bowl ban hurts. However, that should give Meyer a "grace year" where there will be little pressure on him to win and win now. A win over Michigan will probably as good as a bowl berth, especially after losing to them this season, and Meyer should have the Buckeyes in contention for both Big Ten and national title conversations by 2013.
The 47th anniversary of Cleveland's last major professional sports championship (the Browns beating the Baltmore Colts, 27-0, in the 1964 NFL Championship Game) came and went the other day. I would hope that that drought doesn't go to 48 years. From 1920-1964, the Indians won twoWorld Series titles, the Cleveland Panthers won one NFL title, the Cleveland Rams won one NFL title and the Cleveland Browns won eight football titles (four AAFC, four NFL) for a grand total of 12 major championships during that span.
Perhaps 2012 will be the year we finally land No. 13. Or, at the very least, 2012 will give fans of all three teams hope that No. 13 isn't too far around the corner, and that drought gets snuffed out before it reaches 50 and beyond.
Joe Cleveland certainly hopes so.
I'll be at the Browns game New Year's Day, ready to see if a new year can bring some new positive energy to our three professional franchises. And, hopefully, not getting any fights with front-running Stiller fans. We shall see.
Thanks for reading Joe Cleveland all throughout 2011. I hope it was as entertaining to read as it was to write. Here's wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year and Go Browns, Go Cavs and Go Tribe!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
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