Ace Davis' Weblog

September 2006 - Posts

• UPON FURTHER REVIEW

  Wow, it's been well over a week and I've had nothing at all to post here -- the longest in-season gap in this blog's four-year history. The reasons are several, but since no one has asked, I won't bore you with the full litany. Suffice it to say that, while my passion for the Browns remains unabated, I cannot fail to maintain perspective on what really matters most in life: the direct connections we have with those closest to us, and the pursuit of our true purpose. Browns fans constitute some sense of community, but that varies for each of us depending on our social circle and perhaps our proximity to Cleveland. This blog also serves as an outlet for expression, with the team as its subject, but my interests, talents, and responsibilities are much broader, and I need to honor those as well.   Truth is, something happened. Something very bad and sad. I'm not going to elaborate here except to say that sometimes it takes a profound, visceral shock to put our life's priorities into their rightful order. Dropped passes, poor strategy, nicks and dings, "good" and "bad" losses, mouthy millionaires -- well, I'm paying attention, but that stuff just doesn't get me all worked up right now, despite the hyperbole that often describes it.   All you really need to know is that I'm OK, and that this blog, this site, the Browns, and sports fandom in general are escapism. Not that there isn't some value in that. It's good entertainment. It can work as sublimation. It can foster conversations, even true friendships. For a very few, opened wide enough to the opportunity, an income may drop by or stream forth. But really, it all is of very little consequence, much as it delights us to act as if it were otherwise. Posted Sep 27 2006, 10:33 AM by Anonymous with 7 comment(s) Filed under: Fan Focus

• TRIVIA CONTEST #4

  Chew on this one for a while:   Which great fullback did Paul Brown sign for the Browns and later draft for the Bengals, but never played a game for either team?     The rules: Leave the correct answer as a comment below. (Optional, but interesting: tell us how you knew or derived your answer.) You should be signed in to The Muni Lot to leave a comment (see this page for instructions). I will acknowledge the first person to answer correctly as a comment below. This feature will run throughout the season on an irregular schedule, concluding on December 31. The person with the most wins will be eligible to choose a prize: either the two-DVD set "Bleeding Orange & Brown" or a selection of 35 Browns football cards to be determined later. The person with second-most wins will be eligible for the remaining prize.   The fine print: Contest is not sponsored or endorsed by The OBR or Scout.com. I am is solely responsible for all trivia content, and my judgments as to the answers and the winners are final. I will attempt to contact the winners via their ezInbox to arrange delivery of prizes. Inability to make such arrangements may result in the forfeiture of prize eligibility. No purchase is necessary to register, play, or claim prizes. I reserve the right to amend the rules or cancel the contest at any time for any reason. Posted Sep 17 2006, 10:46 AM by Anonymous with 7 comment(s) Filed under: Trivia Contest

• TRIVIA CONTEST #3

  Heeeeeeeeere's the latest:   In which regular season did the Browns sport a winning percentage of .833 against playoff teams but just a .444 mark against teams that failed to make the playoffs?   The rules: Leave the correct answer as a comment below. (Optional, but interesting: tell us how you knew or derived your answer.) You should be signed in to The Muni Lot to leave a comment (see this page for instructions). I will acknowledge the first person to answer correctly as a comment below. This feature will run throughout the season on an irregular schedule, concluding on December 31. The person with the most wins will be eligible to choose a prize: either the two-DVD set "Bleeding Orange & Brown" or a selection of 35 Browns football cards to be determined later. The person with second-most wins will be eligible for the remaining prize.   The fine print: Contest is not sponsored or endorsed by The OBR or Scout.com. I am is solely responsible for all trivia content, and my judgments as to the answers and the winners are final. I will attempt to contact the winners via their ezInbox to arrange delivery of prizes. Inability to make such arrangements may result in the forfeiture of prize eligibility. No purchase is necessary to register, play, or claim prizes. I reserve the right to amend the rules or cancel the contest at any time for any reason. Posted Sep 15 2006, 10:15 AM by Anonymous with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Trivia Contest

• DETRITUS FROM A DOWNER

  Just as it's nice to hang on to the afterglow of a victory, it's tough to let go of a loss. The anticlimax is especially pronounced for an Opening Day home game that resulted in such lackluster play. While the last thing we need is another full-fledged autopsy of last Sunday's corpse, here are a few stray strands of thought that still leave me fit to be tied.   Kevin Shaffer's holding penalty did not cost us a touchdown. Let's make this clear. The left tackle got beat on the play. He held to protect his quarterback. Without that hold, Frye does not get that ball downfield to Braylon. So you can blame Shaffer for not withstanding the pass rush, but it is absolutely vital -- for this edition of the Browns especially -- that the quarterback survive to run another play.   Each of the other three penalties was more costly than Shaffer's: D'Qwell being downfield early on punt coverage netted 40 yards of difference in field position and, more importantly, muted a momentum-changing, gang-tackling negative return for Reggie Bush. Cosey Coleman's hold on the fourth-down conversion to JJ directly caused a change of possession because the Browns were then forced to punt. Northcutt's hold downfield spoiled the Browns' longest run of the day. After this 19-yard Droughns carry was negated in the third quarter, the Browns called exactly one running play the rest of the game. With just over ten minutes left in the game and the Saints up by two, the officials ruled that Joe Horn completed a 20-yard catch for a first down at the Browns' 40. I wish I had a replay, but as I recall, it was a twisting, one-armed effort that appeared to hit the turf. Granted, the Browns had already burned a timeout, but this was certainly a more than worthy challenge. Keeping the ball at the NO 40 rather than the Browns 40 is a huge swing in field position at that point in the game. Plus, even if the play were upheld, the Browns' defense would have had the benefit of resting and regrouping during the timeout. Instead, the play turned out to be the longest gain in an 11-play drive that ended in a field goal, requiring the Browns to score a late touchdown, rather than field goal, to rally to victory. The two early pitchouts to Vickers were baffling, but this (in)decision drove me nuts.   There have been some pretty forgettable players named Brown to suit up in brown and orange since The Return -- Bobby, Dee, James, and of course Lomas, Orlando, and Courtney, but this Ralph fellow? He makes me want to ... well ... it's too easy. Just Lord help us. Anyone else want to underestimate the importance of Daylon McCutcheon?   Just how much of a deflating downer was this game? Two facts. Neither team gained more than 20 yards on any offensive play. Both of the Browns' two-minute drives ended in turnovers. Enough said. Posted Sep 14 2006, 08:17 AM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: The Team Today

• TRIVIA CONTEST #2

  I hope this is not a loaded question: Name all of the Browns head coaches who were replaced -- never again to lead another NFL team (to date) -- directly following losses to the Cincinnati Bengals.   The rules: Leave the correct answer as a comment below. (Optional, but interesting: tell us how you knew or derived your answer.) You should be signed in to The Muni Lot to leave a comment (see this page for instructions). I will acknowledge the first person to answer correctly as a comment below. This feature will run throughout the season on an irregular schedule, concluding on December 31. The person with the most wins will be eligible to choose a prize: either the two-DVD set "Bleeding Orange & Brown" or a selection of 35 Browns football cards to be determined later. The person with second-most wins will be eligible for the remaining prize.   The fine print: Contest is not sponsored or endorsed by The OBR or Scout.com. I am is solely responsible for all trivia content, and my judgments as to the answers and the winners are final. I will attempt to contact the winners via their ezInbox to arrange delivery of prizes. Inability to make such arrangements may result in the forfeiture of prize eligibility. No purchase is necessary to register, play, or claim prizes. I reserve the right to amend the rules or cancel the contest at any time for any reason. Posted Sep 13 2006, 09:17 AM by Anonymous with 6 comment(s) Filed under: Trivia Contest

• FAMILIAR FALL FEELING

  Here's the kind of sophisticated Browns fan that I am. Just before the long-awaited opening kickoff, the waitress had set before me a tall glass of amber ale. Inexplicably, during Josh Cribbs' return, a party of four deserted a large round table with the best angle to the biggest TV airing the Browns game. A few other fans and I seized the opening. During the transfer across the room, I was able to remain fixed on the long Frye-to-Edwards touchdown, remark upon it to my fellow fans, realize it would be nullified by a penalty, and casually settle in to my new seat. All without spilling a single drop of beer.   Yes, I am a veteran Browns watcher.   I know better than to cheer madly before the next play (or two) has been run. I also know better than to remove my eyes from the game, because a scarce highlight will surely occur at that moment. So I looked, and whetted my whistle between plays, and looked some more.   A hour later, around the time the Browns offense finally moved the chains, the manager brought me my forgotten jacket.   I took it as a help, not a hint, so -- devoted dawg that I am -- I stayed until the bitter end. The familiar cold comfort of another football season had embraced me. I zipped up the windbreaker and tugged the bill of my Browns hat to better secure it to my head, lest it tumble across the parking lot.   These things happen.  Posted Sep 11 2006, 08:09 AM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: Fan Focus

• ROSTER RESHAPEN

  Back on July 11, I set forth a baseline lineup -- not a prediction of the eventual roster, but rather "what might happen if everything goes according to form." With the 53-man roster and practice squad now set for opening day, here's the follow-up, so we can see how much and how little changed in eight-and-a-half weeks. The original projection is reposted here, with strikethroughs and italics providing correction to what ultimately transpired. In several cases (i.e. ILB, S), the starter/backup remains unclear, so I've left those alone.   QB Starter: Charlie Frye    Backups: Ken Dorsey or veteran FA (e.g. Vinnie Testaverde), Derek Anderson Practice squad: Darrell Hackney    Cut: Lang Campbell, Dorsey (if veteran is signed), Darrell Hackney   RB/FB Starters: Reuben Droughns, Terrelle Smith Backups: Jerome Harrison, William Green, Lawrence Vickers, Jason Wright Practice squad: Chris Barclay Cut: Corey McIntyre, Lee Suggs, Jason Wright, William Green   TE Starter: Kellen Winslow Backups: Steve Heiden, Darnell Dinkens Practice squad: Buck Ortega Cut: John Owens, Paul Irons   OL Starters: Kevin Shaffer, Joe Andruzzi, LeCharles Bentley, Hank Fraley, Cosey Coleman, Ryan Tucker Backups: Nat Dorsey, Bob Hallen, Lennie Friedman, Isaac Sowells, one more T (most likely Jon Dunn, Kirk Chambers, or Pete McMahon Kelly Butler) Practice squad: Walter Stith, Dunn and/or McMahon Rob Smith, Andrew Hoffman Cut: Dave Yovanovits (unless a starting G/C is injured), Ben Brielmaier, Atlas Herrion, Rob Smith, possibly Chambers, Jon Dunn, Pete McMahon, Walter Stith IR: LeCharles Bentley Suspended list: Alonzo Ephraim   WR Starters: Joe Jurevicius, Dennis Northcutt Backups: Travis Wilson, Josh Cribbs, Braylon Edwards, Frisman Jackson PUP list: Braylon Edwards Practice squad: Steve Sanders, Kendrick Mosley Cut: Brandon Rideau, Carlton Brewster (traded, actually), Brent Little, Frisman Jackson, Kendrick Mosley   DL Starters: Orpheus Roye, Ted Washington, Alvin McKinley Backups: Nick Eason, Simon Fraser, Ethan Kelley, Babatunde Oshinowo, Jovan Haye Practice squad: J'vonne Parker(signed by Dallas first), Babatunde Oshinowo, Ulrich Winkler Cut: Darrell Campbell, Andrew Hoffman(see OL), Ja'Waren Blair   OLB Starters: Willie McGinest, Matt Stewart Backups: Kamerion Wimbley, David McMillan Cut: Nick Speegle, Jermial Ashley   ILB Starters: Andra Davis, Chaun Thompson Backups: D'Qwell Jackson, Leon Williams, Mason Unck Cut: Kenny Kern, Justin Kurpeikis, Clifton Smith   CB Starters: Gary Baxter, Leigh Bodden Backups: Daylon McCutcheon; Ralph Brown; two of these three: Pete Hunter, Antonio Perkins, Chris Thompson IR(PUP): DeMario Minter Practice squad: Blake Farris or Andrew Pace; Jereme Perry, Therrian Fontenot Cut: Willie Hughley; Jereme Perry; James Thornton; Farris or Pace; Hunter, Perkins, or Thompson Suspended list: Daven Holly IR: Jeremy LeSueur S Starters: Brian Russell, Brodney Pool Backups: Sean Jones; Shawn Mayer or Justin Hamilton Practice squad: possibly Hamilton Cut: possibly Mayer   Specialists K Phil Dawson P Dave Zastudil LS Ryan Pontbriand Cut: Jeff Chandler, Kyle Basler.   So, in summary, the biggest surprises of camp were the tumult at center (folks like Todd Washington and Ross Tucker came and went in the interim), Braylon's early return to health, Wright beating out both Green and Suggs, and the linebacker situation playing out precisely as I thought it might. A less-surprising but still unusual spin-off from this is that five players on the active roster (9%) were not even on the team at the outset of training camp, including three who arrived after the final exhibition game.   Players who showed more or developed faster than expected, and thus qualify as mild but pleasant surprises: Kamerion Wimbley, Justin Hamilton, Jereme Perry, Derek Anderson, Kendrick Mosley.   In terms of positional strength and depth as we stand right now, it's probably stating the obvious, but here goes: Above average -- TE, DL, Specialists Average -- WR, RB/FB, CB, OL, OLB, ILB Below average -- QB, S Posted Sep 09 2006, 06:30 AM by Anonymous with 1 comment(s) Filed under: The Team Today

• TRIVIA CONTEST #1

  Now introducing the first installment of a new gimmick feature: a Browns trivia contest!   Today's question (a pretty easy one, but they'll get tougher, trust me):   Who is the only current Browns player who shares his name with a university?     The rules: Leave the correct answer as a comment below. (Optional, but interesting: tell us how you knew or derived your answer.) You must be signed in to The Muni Lot to leave a comment (see this page for instructions). I will acknowledge the first person to answer correctly as a comment below. This feature will run throughout the season on an irregular schedule, concluding on December 31. The person with the most wins will be eligible to choose a prize: either the two-DVD set "Bleeding Orange & Brown" or a selection of 35 Browns football cards to be determined later. The person with second-most wins will be eligible for the remaining prize.   The fine print: Contest is not sponsored or endorsed by The OBR or Scout.com. I am is solely responsible for all trivia content, and my judgments as to the answers and the winners are final. I will attempt to contact the winners via their ezInbox to arrange delivery of prizes. Inability to make such arrangements may result in the forfeiture of prize eligibility. No purchase is necessary to register, play, or claim prizes. I reserve the right to amend the rules or cancel the contest at any time for any reason. Posted Sep 08 2006, 09:21 AM by Anonymous with 7 comment(s) Filed under: Trivia Contest

• SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO...

  Browse the Browns' weekly media release long enough, and you too might realize these strange things: In all four of the Browns' exhibition games, the winner scored 20 points. The Browns have opened their season with the Saints twice before. Each time (1968 and 1987), Cleveland ended up winning 10 games and going deep into the playoffs. Not only do the Browns have to compete with strong Steeler and Bengal teams to have any playoff hopes this year, they actually risk losing their edge in the all-time head-to-head records against each of them. Of the 22 Browns who started the last Saints game in 2002, only two will suit up for the Browns on Sunday (Tucker and Roye). Charlie Frye already has the best winning percentage (.400) of the nine Browns starting quarterbacks since 1999.  The front office is making a great point to emphasize the Browns "successful roots," yet among retro uniform changes they list, the helmet's color change is not acknowledged. Three members of the secondary ('Cutch, Russell, and Ralph Brown) were also teammates at the same high school. Another member of the secondary, Antonio Perkins, earned a master's degree in the off-season. The Browns netted exactly 1,000 yards in the preseason. Posted Sep 06 2006, 09:06 PM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: Browns History, The Team Today

• NO PASSING FANCY

  Interesting statistical analysis here of the worst 50 quarterbacks since 1970. Of course, if they were that bad, they wouldn't have had a chance to play at all. But what fun is that? I noticed that none of the 50 worst seasons for quarterbacks were played for the "benefit" of the Cleveland Browns, but of the 50 worst career QBs, six of them spent at least some time on the lakeshore. Special bonus for those who click through: my take on the #2 guy, Mike Phipps.   Posted Sep 06 2006, 11:02 AM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: General, Browns History

• EX-BROWNS OUT AND ABOUT

  Not that they'll make any difference for your fantasy football team, but now that rosters and practice squads have been established, here's a quick look around the league at where some former Cleveland Browns have landed, or fallen. The biggest surprise: Chad Mustard made the Broncos' 53-man roster, and he's not even a defensive lineman!   Recent signings: DT J'Vonne Parker, by Dallas RB Lee Suggs, by Miami TE Keith Heinrich, to Miami practice squad DT Amon Gordon, to Denver practice squad OT Clint Stickdorn, to Detroit practice squad   Retentions: K Matt Stover, Baltimore WR Andre Davis, Buffalo C Melvin Fowler, Buffalo QB Kelly Holcomb, Buffalo QB Doug Johnson, Cincinnati DE Courtney Brown, Denver DE Ebenezer Ekuban, Denver DE Kenard Lang, Denver TE Chad Mustard, Denver DT Michael Myers, Denver DT Gerard Warren, Denver CB Lewis Sanders, Houston RB Dee Brown, Kansas City CB Michael Lehan, Miami T L.J. Shelton, Miami P Chris Gardocki, Pittsburgh WR Keenan McCardell, San Diego T Roman Oben, San Diego (PUP) TE Aaron Shea, San Diego S Chris Crocker, Atlanta DL Antonio Garay, Chicago DL Israel Idonije, Chicago CB Anthony Henry, Dallas OL Barry Stokes, Detroit OL Ross Verba, Detroit LB Ben Taylor, Green Bay TE Mark Campbell, New Orleans C Jeff Faine, New Orleans WR Lance Moore, New Orleans QB Jamie Martin, New Orleans LS Ryan Kuehl, New York Giants C Shaun O'Hara, New York Giants QB Jeff Garcia, Philadelphia WR Antonio Bryant, San Francisco QB Trent Dilfer, San Francisco LB Kevin Bentley, Seattle DL Jason Fisk, St. Louis QB Luke McCown, Tampa Bay (PUP) DE Greg Spires, Tampa Bay P Derrick Frost, Washington LB Warrick Holdman, Washington WR David Patten, Washington C Mike Pucillo, Washington FB Mike Sellers, Washington   Cuts: CB Dyshod Carter, by Arizona OL Chad Beasley, by Carolina TE Darnell Sanders, by Cincinnati WR Carlton Brewster, by Green Bay S Jeremy Modkins, by Green Bay CB Chris Thompson, by Miami CB Ray Mickens, by New York Jets G Kelvin Garmon, by Oakland WR Quincy Morgan, by Pittsburgh WR C.J. Jones, by Seattle DL Corey Jackson, by Denver T Brad Bedell, Houston   Injured reserve: LB Barry Gardner, New England TE O.J. Santiago, Oakland MLB Wali Rainer, Houston   Who else did I overlook? Posted Sep 05 2006, 10:42 AM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: General