Dawghouse Blog

February 2006 - Posts

• Roye Back!

  Roye will be back. This is awesome news. As I mentioned a few days ago (and a couple commenters disagreed with me), I really didn’t get the feeling Savage was high on Roye and didn’t think he’d be back. I was obvioisly (and thankfully) quite wrong and Roye has resigned with a three-year deal. Roye has easily been the best defensive lineman of the "new era" and should be able to perform at a high level for at least a couple more years. I haven’t seen financials for this year, but the fact that the Browns were able to sign him before the start of free agency suggests both sides were happy with the numbers. Of course, keeping Roye doesn’t really solve many problems along the defensive line. The Browns desperately need a presence at nosetackle and could stand an upgrade at the other end too. Also in the above article was mention that the Browns are talking with LJ Shelton about coming back. This too would be great news, especially if it happens in the next two days. Reading Peter King’s latest column, it sounds like if there is not an agreement on a new CBA before March 3rd and free agency opens, the Browns would be in a nice position since they have a lot of cap space. Also worth considering is that they may have lessened competition for linebackers and defensive linemen agreeable to the 3-4. But even if free agency opens with a new CBA (as still seems more likely) the Browns ought to have little trouble signing 2-3 defensive starters. With free agency mere days away, expect the Browns to move quickly on a nosetackle, an offensive lineman (LeCharles Bentley?), and a wide receiver (Jurevicous, Givens?). You could throw linebacker in there too, but other than bilking the Ravens out of a player or two it’s a little hard to tell who the Browns might be targeting there. Anyway, at OL and WR I am rooting hard for a 1992 Ignatius vs. Lake Catholic reunion on the Browns offense. The Vince Young slide appears to be beginning. There’s no way IMO he slips out of the top 10, but some of the quesstion marks being thrown up do seem valid -- if he has never played from under center and never had to go through his progressions, well, you can see how that might be a problem in the NFL. And the latest criticism -- that he’s just not very smart -- is the most damning. But I don’t buy others like the fact that his throwing motion is weird (who cares if he completes passes?) or that his elusiveness won’t play so well on the NFL level (that’s BS -- I think Lou Holtz said that faster players are great, but they also get further out of position...). The guy has a lot of holes, but he’s a great football player. We’re not talking about Aaron Rodgers here, we’re talking about a guy with unique talent. Maybe he’s dumb as a rock and maybe I wouldn’t choose him on my team, but there’s no way 10 teams take a pass on a guy with his physical talent. Why would the Redskins pursue Antwaan Randle El? He’s a good player, but don’t they need a bigger, more physical guy to play opposite Santana Moss? If the Cardinals really don’t pursue an established running back, the market for guys is going to be very favorable to NFL teams. I wonder at what point the Browns decide they can do better than Droughns or, at least, that Droughns price ought not to be too high. I feel bad for Ruben though -- he could be on the verge of being the best NFL running back for the money. Which isn’t the best deal for him. Posted Feb 24 2006, 08:20 PM by MikeB with no comments

• Who to Keep? Who to Let Go?

  Of the potential players on the chopping block, who should the Browns keep? Who should they let go? Antonio Bryant - I like Bryant, but he’s aggravating to watch. I like the fact that he obviously competes hard and is markedly better at getting separation than some of the guys we’ve had at WR the past few years. But he catches the ball like he’s still in college. And, frankly, that is really holding him back from being one of the better receivers in the NFL. Given that 2005 was the last year of his contract I would have expected Bryant to perform better and prove to GMs that he can consistently catch the ball with his hands. But he didn’t. While I’d happily take him back for a year or two, I think Bryant has enough talent to attract a better offer elsewhere. Verdict: GONE. Dennis Northcutt - Northcutt had a terribly dissappointing season. He was barely seen as a receiver and struggled returning punts. But there were contributing factors. For whatever reason, Maurice Carthon just couldn’t figure out how to use Northcutt effectively -- by putting him in motion, lining him up in the slot or in the backfield, trying to match him up against a linebacker, safety or nickel back. It seems relatively simple... maybe I’m missing something? But I know that over the last few years whenever the Browns offense seemed to click (and that hasn’t been often, so it’s easy to remember) Northcutt got the ball a lot on plays that seemed designed to take advantage of his skillset. And on punt returns, well, Northcutt did all right, it seems, while the unit as a whole was routinely called for penalties. Unless those penalties were somehow due to Northcutt not using his blockers properly, I find it hard to fault him too much for that either. My vote -- keep him and use him right. He’ll make some money in 2006 but not an exhorbinant amount, and Northcutt could certainly outplay his value if used properly. Vedict: KEEP. Ben Taylor - Maybe he can become the next Brant Boyer. But really, Taylor has been undistinguished in the NFL and the image of Jerome Bettis completely flattening him late in the season will forever remain in my mind. Perhaps if the cost is low (which is probably will be) Taylor will stick around. But odds are the Browns plan on acquiring a couple linebackers in the draft and free agency, leaving little room for a guy like Taylor. Verdict: GONE. Kenard Lang - Lang admirably tried to switch to LB and he should be commended, and rewarded. But he wasn’t really good enough at LB and apparently doesn’t fit in at DE in the 3-4. Hopefully Lang gets a nice deal from a 4-3 team cause from all I see he’s a good player and a good dude. Verdict: GONE. LJ Shelton - Played very well in 2005, better than Verba and cheaper. Shelton will be in line for a nice bump in pay. Unless Savage snaps up another LT quickly in free agency the Browns will need Mr. Shelton. Verdict: KEEP. Kyle Richardson - Richardson didn’t have a great season, but he didn’t suck as bad as you might think. Compare his numbers to some other punters and you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between him and a host of other guys. We have enough problems on this team, and the punter just isn’t one of them right now. It’s hard to care too much, but... Verdict: KEEP. Orpheus Roye - It seems like Savage wasn’t thrilled with Roye’s 2005 performance. I think he did pretty well, though something tells me Savage really wants bigger guys at DE. It comes down to a question of value -- do the Browns value Orpheus more than another team might? I don’t think they do, though losing Roye would create another big hole to fill. Verdict: GONE. [Update: I think the commenter below is right -- Roye is a pretty big. It’s just that Savage seems kind of reserved when talking about Roye, and I’m wondering if Savage really wants a bigger, two-gap guy to play end, or at least a different sort of player than Roye. I love the guy though -- he’s been nothing but solid these past few years.] Aaron Shea - Got hurt and suddenly, along with Winslow’s self-infliction, the tight end position was hurting. Well, Shea is a decent player and he can catch the ball well. The question is whether the Browns can get enough blocking from the trio Winslow/Heiden/Shea. Winslow isn’t going anywhere (except perhaps the IR) and Heiden seems to be better overall. Again, it will come down to money. Verdict: KEEP. If Drew Brees is really granted free agency, the Detroit Lions should snap him up ASAP. They would benefit immensely. In fact, I’d love to see him in Cleveland if circumstances were a little different, and frankly it still might be a good idea to go after Brees. It will be interesting to see how hard Baltimore goes after him. UPDATE: Since I wrote the above the Browns have waived Kenard Lang and Michael Lehan. I don’t have much else to say about Lang (except good luck, again), but Lehan is a bit interesting. I think he’s a pretty decent nickel back and at times I thought he played very well in a Browns uniform. But even Lehan himself appears to understand why he was cut, and it had less to do with his performance than his health. The guy just seemed to get hurt all the time. And he’s not good enough to keep around if he can’t say healthy. I;m sure he’ll get a shot with another team or perhaps the Browns sometime during the 2006 preseason or regular season. But his story is one that is common to lots of NFL players -- decent but not outstanding ability and injuries <> steady job. CAVS NOTE: You have to like Ferry’s dealing for Ronald Murray. He did two things that are commendable: 1) Got a potentially useful player to help replace Larry Hughes, and 2) gave up little in return. And of course in the process he showed Cavs fans that he is walking the right line between competing this year and competing in the next few years. Cool. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Crisp Deal Well-Done

  The more you think about the Tribe’s deals with Coco Crisp and others, the better they look. Really. Seriously. A couple things to consider: The Indians potentially got a future star in Marte. This is not news. But go with me for a second and just imagine having a real player at third base. He’ll play in 2007, and he’ll be in the majors by June 2006 if Aaron Boone struggles. In that sense, it gives the Tribe a much better chance at having an offensive weapon at third base in 2006. If Boone sucks then Marte gets his chance. Swapping Bard for Shoppach is key. Shoppach is every bit the catcher Bard is, except he really can hit. Scratch Shoppach on your lineup card for at least 60 games, and maybe (and hopefully) much more. Shoppach is what makes this deal a potentially positive one for the 2006 season. The Indians have to be hoping Shoppach becomes a near-everyday player. Half the problems are first base may also be solved. Because the more Shoppach can catch, the more Victor Martinez may play first base. And Ben Broussard plays a little less. The trade clearly helps the bullpen. Riske was dead weight to this team after Wedge lost all confidence in him down the 2005 stretch. Mota is an obvious upgrade even if he isn’t the force he was a couple years ago, which isn’t out of the question. None of this quite replaces Howry, but it’s a viable plan. And without this deal the Indians are clearly in worse shape in the bullpen. Jason Michaels is probably a decent player. A .380 on base percentage is not bad, and is much better than Crisp’s. In fact, I’d say the odds are very good that Michaels gives the Indians comperable production in left field. He’s the equal of Crisp in the outfield, and he gets on base. Maybe he doesn’t have the decent power that Crisp has been developing, but I think swapping Shoppach for the offensively-challenged Bard about makes up for that. And I think if Michaels can hit around .290 and play good defense that ought to be good enough for a year or two, and if he outperformans that all the better. Consider Aaron Boone, Ben Broussard, and Casey Blake. None had good years in 2005, and no one is counting on much. But at least one of these guys ought to bounce back and make a contribution. Blake is a decent player and is my pick to play well. If he can get his average back up he coule really improve the offensive punch of this lineup. Broussard seemed pretty lost to me most of last season and probably has the least amount of time to prove himself. Boone is a good defender and a battler, but his offensive ability is somewhat limited even if he plays well. Best case scenario: Blake rediscovers his stroke at the plate, Boone holds it together to be decent for a year, and Broussard develops into more of a platoon player with the unspectacular Eduardo Perez. Give me a pleasant suprise from one of these guys and I’ll be happy. I feel horrible for the residents of Eastlake, who are getting buried in stadium debt. I remember a few years ago I was working nearby at Lubrizol in Wickliffe and the new stadium was all the rage. If I remember correctly, the stadium even had then-mayor Dan DiLiberto’s name on it. Wow, it didn’t take long for things to take a turn for the worse. It’s really too bad too because the Lake County Captains have generally been a good draw and the park looks really nice while driving by. There’s got to be a way out of this mess, right? Maybe the Indians can indirectly assist by supporting some of Eastlake’s ancillary services that may suffer due to the ballpark. It’s not the Indians responsibility, but it would be a nice gesture. The Captains, afterall, are an Indians farm team and the proximity to Cleveland is a boon to both teams. Julio Franco is 47 years old, and he just signed a two-year contract. This is a dude that played with Corey Snyder and Mel Hall at Municipal Stadium. Amazing. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with no comments Filed under: Indians

• NFL Notes

  From one of Peter King’s recent columns: Worst NFL Records Since 2003 1 Oakland 13-35 1 San Francisco 13-35 3 Houston 14-34 4 Arizona 15-33 4 Cleveland 15-33 Ouch. What really sucks is that in 2002 there was a sense that the Browns, though far from perfect, were back to being a competitive team. If Jamal Lewis is not resigned by the Ravens (and really, why would they overpay for him as Lewis seems to expect), you think Phil Savage will make some noise about potentially signing him? The Former Raven Factor is the trickiest thing about having Savage as GM. All I can say is I hope Lewis does not play for the Browns at any price. But I wouldn’t mind it if Savage convinced the Ravens FO he might take a run at him. In any event, it looks like another bad year to be a free agent running back. And you know, the other Lewis, Ray, is making some noise too. If he gets released (which seems unlikely to me) you’d have to think Savage would be interested in him as a player. I don’t know though. He hasn’t been a big impact player for a couple years. And I can not stand the guy. But it’s not like Ray Lewis back in a 3-4 is going to suck. The Houston Texans have are stayiing the course by keeping Carr -- but is it to victory or disaster? What’s the better 1-2 punch -- David Carr and Reggie Bush? Or Vince Young and Domanick Davis? I’m probably wrong, but I view Reggie Bush as a high-risk prospect. I see Eric Metcalf much more than I see LaDanian Tomlinson. And if I were the Texans I probably would dump Carr, pick Young, keep Davis, and sign a veteran QB. But not without first looking hard to trade down 4-5 spots. As it stands, Texans opponents are still going to stack the line unless Bush becomes a big threat when split out wide like, uh, Eric Metcalf. Check out this Football Outsider’s review of the AFC North. It’s a pretty accurate representation. ESPN is trying to make Koren Robinson’s trip to Hawaii a feel good story. While I do in fact feel good for the guy, the fact that he made the team as a kick returner means he’s not really a Pro-Bowl WR. And is the big story of the Pro Bowl, providing further proof where no further proof was required -- the Pro Bowl is beyond meaningless. If free agency is pushed back due to snags in negotiating a new CBA, there is going to be a truly insane flurry of activity just prior to the draft. Not sure if this is good or bad as far as the Browns are concerned, but I do feel like Savage will at least be more prepared than the previous regime. Everytime I read about how Randle El is likely to sign with a team other than Pittsburgh, I wonder who the Steelers will replace him with. As a starting WR he’s only adequate and is pretty replaceable. But not if you factor in how the Steelers use him on option plays. Plus he’s a pretty good punt returner. The Steelers will remain a very good team, but the offense might be more conventional without Randle El in 2006. Of course, I doubt the people in Pittsburgh are too troubled by this right now. I hadn’t heard before that the Cardinals are opening a new stadium this fall. When did this happen? Apparently Culpepper is now on the trade block. Forget about that guy. Besides the fact that he is hurt and probably won’t do much of anything in 2006, he’s just not that good. And it’s stupid to trade for and invest big money in a player who’s not that good. Maybe the Ravens will get him. Better yet, maybe the Ravens will give up some draft picks and pay him a lot of money. It’s about time for a Ross Verba sighting, isn’t it? I can just feel it coming. Best guess on the context: Las Vegas, tax evasion, a criminal investigation? Or a possible return to the NFL? Hehe. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with no comments Filed under: Browns

• Super Bowl is Over, You Can Open Your Eyes Now

  Yep, the Steelers won the Super Bowl, much to the chagrin of many Browns fans (but not this one, not really). It was not a pretty game, and frankly the Seahawks looked like they could have emerged victorious were it not for a few weird calls and a few plays where they didn’t execute. The Steelers, on the other hand, made the big plays whent hey needed them and came out on top. There’s no reason as a die-hard Browns fans to be too upset about the Steelers winning the big one. The AFC North is better and perhaps the best division in football in 2006 if the Browns hold up their end of the bargain. And that is the best thing for the Browns if they want to win a Super Bowl themselves. Think about the old NFC East -- you think those teams benefited from playing one another during the heyday of that division? Or the NCAA tourney -- there is a reason why even mediocre ACC teams continually make runs in March. Because their level of play is heightened by playing tough teams all the time. Since the Browns already couldn’t beat the Steelers in 2005, I have no problem with the Steelers being the best team in the NFL. Maybe next year (or the year after, etc) the Browns won’t suffer that indignity, but if they can’t be the best team in the AFC North then let the best team in the AFC North be the best in the NFL. Unless it’s the Ravens, who still don’t deserve to win anything for at least another 30 years. Kudos to Bettis for capping off a great career. He didn’t have a great game, but then again this wasn’t a Super Bowl full of sterling performances. Bettis had a few tough runs but was otherwise swarmed by a surprisingly stout Seahawks defense. I left with the impression that the Seahawks defensive line won the battles in the trenches most of the time. But Pittsburgh took advantage of three huge plays. Roethlisberger completed one long pass all night but it set up the first Steeler TD. On a broken play he hit Hines Ward inside the five just before half-time. Roethlisberger had a bad game, and even this pass was a little ugly as it should have gone for a TD if he hadn’t hung it up. But it was good enough because Ward managed to get wide open. A few plays later Roethlisberger took it into the end zone (yes, he was in). Willie Parker had a poor game too -- save for a killer 75-yard td run. Parker had pretty much sucked in recent months and this game didn’t change my mind. But he has speed and he got a chance to show it. And since that was the only big play on the ground all night, it was plenty enough. Finally, the gadget play of Randle El to Ward for the TD was a back-breaker. This was the same play the Steelers burned the Browns on, and it worked just as well here. You can’t really blame the Seahawks though -- they needed to play aggressively defensively at this point in the game and just got burnt. I guess it helps to have a couple former-QBs at WR. And it makes me wonder why the Browns can’t seem to occasionally execute this sort of play with Frisman Jackson or Josh Cribbs. Sigh. All in all I still have to hand it to Hasselbeck. The guy is a good QB. He was basically the entire offense for Seattle and other than one bad pick he had a great game. He basically made 3 TD throws (1 to Stevens, another called back on penalty, another that was dropped) and nearly another one that Stevens took inside the five yard-line before being overturned. Shaun Alexander, on the other hand, didn’t quite look the part of a game breaking RB but I’m not exactly sure what to make of that. I thought he looked pretty good running the ball in the first half. He wasn’t gaining a ton of yards but was certainly effective and you could tell the Steelers defense respected him. But it seemed like the Seattle gameplan didn’t include him as much as it should have. And frankly that’s pretty shocking for a guy who was the NFL MVP. In this Super Bowl he wasn’t even the best offensive weapon on his own team. It will be interesting to see what will happen with Alexander on the free agent market. If Holmgren wasn’t confident leaning on Alexander in the Super Bowl it’s hard to imagine the Seahawks shelling out mad money for the guy. And if he doesn’t stay in Seattle he could wind up in any of a number of intriguing places. A word about Roethlisberger’s bad game. I think of all the players in this game he was the most affected by the weird pace of a Super Bowl because Roethlisberger is still the sort of QB who takes advantage of whatever the defense gives him as opposed to being a QB who dictates the way the offense will play. But the difference between Roethlisberger 2004/5 and Roethlisberger 2005/6 was still obvious. At no time did he have that fatigued look he had in last year’s playoffs. And that little flip pass to Randle El was evidence he was playing with the right mix of reckless abandon and conservativness. Officiating. In a word, bad. There were crappy calls all over, but the two biggest were ticky-tacky holding and offensive interference calls on the Seahawks. Both took points off the board. I can see the offensive interference, but the holding was very bad. Did it cost the game? Maybe. They certainly cost the Seahawks a lot of momentum. And that holding call probably cost them the lead in the second half. But what the Seahawks didn’t do was overcome those penalties. In fact, they did the exact opposite and and melted down after the bad call. In fact, the interception after the holding call is what really killed them as a field goal in that situation would still have tied the game and the Seahawks would have had all the momentum in the world. More than the officials, however, the Seahawks wide receivers did not take advantage of some golden opportunities. Darrell Jackson could/should have caught two TDs if he had remained in bounds, Stevens flat out dropped another TD pass, and another wide out dropped a tough but definitely catchable ball in the end zone. You have to make some of those plays if you want to win a Super Bowl. I think in the end the Seahawks proved themselves to be quite dangerous but just not quite good enough. I’m really sick of people saying, "At least this Super Bowl wasn’t a blow out." Cause, you know, it’s been a while since the Super Bowl was a blowout. Joe Montana can suck it. Missing the Super Bowl MVP thing cause he wan’t getting paid enough is one pathetic thing. But subjecting us to that pathetic FedEx commercial is a felony. How can a winner be such a loser? You know what I think of when I think of Joe Montana? John Candy. If you now pay actual money for tickets to a Rolling Stones concert, well you just have no excuse now. What a terrible performance! And why the hell do the Stones need an extra guitar player to play "Satisfaction?" You don’t even need five fingers let alone an extra guitarist. Pretty lame. Or was that the replacement bassist? I don’t even care enough to know for sure... Even lamer was how the broadcast edited out "bad words" in Rolling Stones songs. That fact that those same songs are played thousands of times a day on radio stations all over the country apparently doesn’t matter to the paranoid NFL Halftime Entertainment Committee, or whoever. Personally, I thought a Detroit-themed halftime would have been pretty cool since it would at least make some sense. You could have started with some Motown performers, then have Kiss and Madonna do a duet, then a rap-rock interlude with Kid Rock and Eminem, and finally the White Stripes can come along and show Keith Richards how to play guitar. The days of big Super Bowl commercials are over. The whole way products and services are marketed has changed too much for the Super Bowl to matter like it used to. I can’t think of even one very good Super Bowl ad this year, let along a great one. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Super Bowl Predictions

  Steelers win. They deserve it (I’d say begrudgingly, but I came to terms with this a few years ago). They have the momentum. Although so did Carolina going into the NFC Championship. It will be a close game. The Seahawks are for real. Their defense is sort of feast-or-famine, but I think it will match-up pretty well. But their offense is competent all the way around starting with a great o-line. And the way to beat the Steelers is to run it up the gut on one play, then spread the field on the next, which the Hawks can do. I think Hassellbeck has some success as long as he’s patient, and I think Alexander can have a very good game if he runs downhill a little more than usual. But the Steelers defense will take a toll. The Seahawks have not faced them and haven’t even played many 3-4 defenses, which means eventually Pittsburgh will make some impact plays on defense. And moreover unless the Seahawks get out to a quick 14-0 lead, the Steelers can be relatively patient on offense. I think it will pay off once the game gets into a rhythym. But the irregular flow of the Super Bowl game, with long commercial breaks and an even longer halftime, should be cause for concern for both teams. The winner will keep its focus longer than the loser (i know, obvious...) and that could create some interesting opportunities for both offenses. MVP: Hines Ward. He’s been sort of quiet, but integral, in the post-season. Final Score: 33-20, Steelers. Number of times I will ever again want to see Jerome Bettis’ mug again: 0. Joey Porter will still be a punk. He’s playing awesome, but man is he annoying. So be it. Troy Polamalu will get too much praise to ever live up to again. But he’s a good guy. Have you seen or heard interviews with that guy? Seems like a cool guy. Why the hell is he on the Steelers? Matt Hassellbeck -- not sure if he’ll play that great, but I hope he does. He reminds me of numerous class clowns from my own high school days. Willie Parker better show up. He really has been pedestrian since the first half of the season. Number of cuss words emanating from average Browns fan’s lips as Steelers win the Super Bowl: 100+. It’s sad, really, but seriously since 1995 John Elway and the Broncos won the Super Bowl (twice), Art M*dell and the Ravens won the Super Bowl, and Bill Bellichek has won the Super Bowl (and astounding 3 out of 4 years). So what the hell, does it really matter if the Steelers complete the cycle? Is it really going to make the dilemna of the Cleveland Browns any worse than it already is? I say no. So hoist a Burning River and toast the AFC Central, toast the Cleveland Browns who will without-a-doubt be winning a Super Bowl within the next 4 seasons, toast a 2006 Browns TV schedule that will allow the Browns to beat two teams sure to be considered Super Bowl contenders, and toast the fact that it is almost Spring Training. Number of Burning Rivers I will drink: 9. Has anyone ever seen Grady Sizemore and Sasha Pavlovic in the same room? A while back I was thinking how much the Cavs really needed to get another defensive presence. Then Anderson Verajo was back on the scene. Boom, the Cavs have won seven straight and have it going again even without Larry Hughes. If they stay healthy this could be a really cool stretch-run and postseason. One thing at a time though... Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with 16 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Non-Super NFL Notes

  Brett Favre: I don’t care what you do. Just please don’t give any interviews when you have nothing to say. Stay or go, either one is fine. Just don’t take me on a nightly trip inside your decision making process. I don’t care. And frankly I don’t think anyone in Green Bay should be appreciating you dragging your feet. There will be games on the NFL Network in 2006. Hmmmm. Besides the fact that I vaguely recall the NFL suggesting it wasn’t starting a cable station to compete with the the Big4+ESPN, you have to wonder if this is even in the best interests of the NFL. They are a football league, not a broadcasting network. Isn’t easier and more profitable to cash huge checks from FOX Sports while focusing on keeping football the most competitive and entertaining pro sport in the land (and beyond)? And given the already relative success of the NFL Network, might it not be better to keep that station focused on analysis, stats, and features that supplement the NFL’s cash-cow TV contracts? Just wondering... The Bengals horrific offseason continues as Bengals WR Chris Henry is toast after getting busted on weapons charges. It sure sounds like he will do time. What a loser. So now it looks like the Bengals will want to have a good Plan B at QB and WR. And that is assuming that everything with Chad Johnson is cool. Interesting note: Henry was apparently packing a Lugar of all guns. A lugar? What is up with that? If the Ravens really do pursue Kerry Collins as a replacement for Kyle Boller then I think we can officially do away with the whole "Ozzie Newsome is a great GM" thing. I mean, c’mon, did Ozzie see Collins in Oakland this past season? With Randy-freaking-Moss he still couldn’t put up points. While I think Collins isn’t a horrible option in the right system, this just seems like a pathetic attempt at salvaging the 2006 season when the Ravens ought to be getting a younger guy. Heck, why not trade for Matt Schaub? That would at least make a little sense? Even if you are dreading seeing the Steelers in the SB, take comfort that Bill Belichek will be part of the pre-game show. Maybe they can have Art M*dell on too? Seriously, I’m kind of looking forward to hearing Bill talk in a studio setup. I wouldn’t have thought it were possible in 1994. Chris Plamer is the QB coach in Dallas. Man, this guy’s career has taken a huge dive. Does he get toe coach Drew Bledsoe now? At least that job is easy -- at this point in his career there is no way Bledsoe is going to change much. He’ll still suck under pressure, he’ll still start the season well then look abysmal later in the year, and he’ll still be somehow considered a good QB. Who is Jay Cutler? I’ve read he might get drafted ahead of Vince Young. Give me a break. Though after a little reading he does seem like an interesting prospect. I actually kind of like Matt Leinhart. He seems like a good dude considering his (former) rock star status at USC. I hope he does good things in the NFL, but more than that I hope he’s drafted in the top 3 picks and is rewarded for finishing his college career and trying to win another title. Every time I read about how he might slide or even that people question his competitiveness for not entering the draft last season I just shake my head. Even if they are right, I want them to be wrong. Even though there are a million questins about Lienhart in the pro game, I’d like to think a guy like that would succeed. I’m probably in the minority here. Gerard Warren is a free agent this year. Anyone want to take a stab at how much money he’ll get? The Broncos local newspaper call him a "key" free agent. "In 2004, the city condemned 861 structures but had only enough money to tear down 302. Last year, the city condemned 565 structures but bulldozed only 195. " Think about that for a second. Then figure that the city has probably condemned similar numbers of buildings each year for the past 5 or 10 years. Then imagine how many condemned buildinds must still be standing. Then imagine all the run-down structures that aren’t condemned. Then imagine all the one-time and current mortgage holders of those properties and what must have gone on with each of them. That’s a lot of bad stuff. It’s hard to even comprehend. It makes me wonder -- if the city could raze all those structures, and if buy up every property that could be bought cheaply (say <$5000) and raze those, what kind of impact would that have? Would it hurt the city by creating too much empty space? Or would it help the city by opening up thousands of properties for new development? I tend to think the latter. At the very least, a razed house can’t be a crack house or whatever. The abaove article mentions some council memebers pointed to how Phildelphia boerrowed money to finance getting rid of many condemned properties. I’d like to hear more about it. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Steelers To Detroit, Coco to Boston

  Steelers Vs. Seahawks. Cool, this should be a good Super Bowl. Both teams won convincingly, and you’d be hard pressed to make a case for any other teams being in the championship. The Seahawks were the top seed (perhaps thanks to a weak schedule but...) and proved they were easily the best in a down NFC. The Steelers were a bit of an afterthought in midseason, but clearly outplayed all the contenders down the stretch and in the playoffs beat all three other AFC contenders in impressive fashion. And so I’d like to offer my reasons that a Browns fan shouldn’t feel too bad about the Steelers’ post-season success. Bill Cowher is a former Brown. Cowher was a Browns coach during two of the Browns losses to Denver in AFC Champioship games. I’d like to think that at least one person was able to return to Denver in that same game and come out on top. It puts the Browns’ losses to the Steelers during the regular season in perspective, particularly that 41-0 drilling when, it turns out, the Steelers were starting their Super Bowl run. Roethlisberger played in the MAC, which is Cleveland-based. And since the Browns now have a former MAC QB it’s nice to believe that maybe Frye will be able to work out too. That’s not an endorsement of Frye, but Roehtlisberger’s success sort of keeps the dream alive. More than anything else, root for the Steelers because their fans were so supportive of Cleveland during the whole 1995-1999 debacle. The Browns might suck now and yoru average Steeler fan has no sympathy in that regard, but don’t forget the late 90’s and the fact that the Rooney’s were loyal to Cleveland. Next year when the Browns beat the Steelers it will be nice to say we beat the defending champion of the AFC/NFL. The reality is that Cleveland will not be winning a Super Bowl for some time. If someone else has to win it, let it be the team we measure ourselves by. It looks like Coco Crisp is going to the Red Sox. I’m a little dismayed because I like Coco’s hustle (and his name, which is among the best baseball names in the last 20 years). But it really makes sense for the Tribe. In some ways this move is simply acknowledging what has been a tough and dissappointing offseason. The Tribe needed a big right-handed bat, a new closer, a new late-inning reliever, and two good starting pitchers. The didn’t get a bat, will keep their old closer, will go with a cast of characters in the bullpen, and restocked the starting pitching with pitchers who are unlikely to duplicate the performances of the guys they have replaced. This move seeks to address a number of these things. The only problem is whether the prospects the Tribe will gain will be able to contribute in 2006, and how long can the team afford to wait. Getting Andy Marte sounds fantastic -- the guy has hit very well in the minors while being on a fast track, and he plays third base. It’s not everyday that you can get one of the top hitting prospects in the game, and it’s even better that he plays a corner infield position. And let’s be honest about Coco -- he’s a very good player to have, but he’s not a star and he’s not a particularly good leadoff guy. While he covers good ground in the outfield, he doesn’t have much of an arm. Don’t get me wrong -- I love the guy and he’s gonna have a nice career and we will probaby never hear the end of what a great player he is in Boston. But giving him up for the promise of a big bat and bullpen depth is in the Tribe’s best long-term interests. Getting Guillermo Mota isn’t bad either -- he’s a power pitcher who would be a nice guy to have in the pen. I’ve read the Tribe is likely to deal Riske and/or Rhodes if this deal goes through. Fair enough, though Rhodes I think still is a good guy to have. The Tribe will need to have a very effective bullpen this season because there is no way all five starters stay healthy they way they did in 2005. This trade makes it a little more likely. The downside to this deal is that it may not pay off in 2006. Let’s hope it does, but the Tribe is going to be reliant on the continued improvement of their still young players if they hope to make the postseason. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with 9 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Weekend Predictions

  This exercise is doomed to fail, I know. Any team could win this weekend. But What the heck I’ll do it anyway. Steelers @ Broncos. Plummer, Anderson, R Smith & Lelie vs. the Steelers defense. Actually, that’s not exactly true cause the Broncos offensive line is the key factor here. I have a hard time seeing the Steelers defense getting beaten too many times unless they’ve just exhausted their bag of tricks to get this far. That seems unlikely. On the other side of things, I’m really impressed by Roethlisberger. He’s gotten really good since coming back from injury, which coincidentally has coincided with the Steelers winning streak. But the Broncos defense is very good and has perhaps the best secondary they’ve faced with Lynch and Bailey. It won’t be easy. I just can’t pick against the Steelers the way their defense is playing, and I freaking hate the Broncos more than the Steelers. Pick: Steelers. Panthers @ Seahawks I think Nick Goings wil have a great game, so losing Foster won’t hurt Carolina. And there’s no reason to think the Panthers won’t put up a lot of points. This game will hinge on Shaun Alexander. Can he come back and play? And if he does can he prove he’s not a pretender? I like the ’hawks, but not unless Alexander plays well, and that is not certain. Pick: Panthers. Be back next week to comment on how I really did, deep down, know what was going to happen despite what I just wrote above.... Have a good weekend. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Morning M*dell

  I’ve been getting increasingly annoyed with Mike Trivasano (like everyone else, I think) about his whining and moaning about the Browns (mostly because he’s not buddy-buddy with the front office like he used to be), but today’s interview with Art M*dell is impossibly interesting. I’ll be listening at 5:20, that’s for sure. Last night 1100 had a discussion about how, apparently, in 1994-95 Al Lerner had been loaning M*dell money that Art could not repay. When Lerner eventually demanded repayment and couldn’’t get it, Lerner was going to go after M*dell’s interest in the Browns. It was then that M*dell had to desperately pick up and move the Browns. I guess no one knows if this is true, but it’s interesting if it is. And it kind of casts Lerner’s involvement in the Browns in a different light. It doesn’t, however, change the fact that M*dell continually botched the business side of the Browns. As 1100 this morning replayed an interview Mike Snyder did with M*dell the day the moving story broke in 1995, I was struck by the sheer stupidity for M*dell to: Rely so heavily on revenue from the Stadium Corporation in order to keep the Browns afloat. Think about it. For well over a decade the Indians were rumoured to be leaving Cleveland, and that would have been disastrous for the Browns. Had the Tribe bolted town in the 80’s (to no one’s surprise), it may not have been long until the Browns followed them out of town. Not embrace the Gateway project, or similar proposals that were considered in the late 80’s/early 90’s. I know Dick Jacobs insisted on a baseball-only stadium, but the Browns were really the ones with the most leverage early on. Instead M*dell repeatedly refused a dual-purpose stadium, perhaps because he needed the Stadium Corp (or similar) revenue. But, c’mon, M*dell had to know that the Indians couldn’t keep him afloat forever. I find it impossible to believe that M*dell couldn’t have been the more important stakeholder in a Gateway project that included both the Browns and the Indians. Instead there was only stupid talk about how the Browns needed a domed stadium or whatever. Listening to that interview today, M*dell really sounded like a man who had been caught offguard. A man who had for years been able to put off planning for the Browns to be self-sufficient. A man who, when that day came, was so unprepared he was forced to make a fateful decision: move the team, or sell the team. It all came down to who really owned the Browns -- Art M*dell or the citizens of Northeast Ohio. And we all know how that worked out as M*dell left for greener pastures (though not green enough to keep the team), and Cleveland was left with the "team history" and a pile of sympathy. So today, Tuesday January 19, 2006, I can’t help but still bemoan the loss of the 1995 Browns. Had things worked out differently, namely with M*dell selling the team in 1995 or the Browns getting a new stadium in the years prior, the last decade of Browns football would have no doubt been much different. If yyou listen to KDKA in Pittsburgh today you can hear all about the Steelers visiting Denver this Sunday for the AFC Championship. And if you listen to WTAM this evening you get to relive the pathetic events that blew the Browns to smithereens for the last decade. That this broadcast eill be interesting is as undeniable as is the fact that it flat-out sucks sometimes to be a Browns fan. It’s time to move on, isn’t it? UPDATE: What a Sh!tty a$$ interview! Triv, you suck more than words could describe. Have you no backbone? All you tried to do was cvozy up to the dude instead of asking him the hard questions. Will you believe anything? After Triv allowed M*dell to talk freely and unchallenged, George Voinovich called in to deny he ever told M*dell to move. I’m not a big Voino fan, but I believe him. But, really, it doesn’t matter. It wasn’t Voinovich’s job to look out for the Browns, it was M*dell’s. And he sucked at it by his own admission for taking over the Stadium, living with it for such a long time, and then for believing less-than-handshake agreements from county commishioners and the like. And that is just Art’s side of the story. Trivasanno, you suck so hard it ain’t funny. I spent the whole interview shouting obvious follow-up questions at the radio. You didn’t ask a single one. What a disgrace. Don’t even try to cover the Browns anymore, ok? This might have been great for ratings, but it sure took a toll on your credibility. How embarassing. More later if I can muster it, tomorrow maybe. And, oh yeah, I’m not just yet ready to jump aboard the Bernie-for-Pres bandwagon. I like this little column. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Lerner Talks, Alarms

  Lerner talks to Grossi: Lerner said it was a mistake to have Savage and coach Romeo Crennel report directly to "a non-football guy" in the new organizational flow chart drawn up last year. Lerner said he would assume Collins’ responsibilities and he has no immediate plans to reinstitute or redefine the position of club president. Um, maybe I am missing something, but don’t Savage and Crennel both still report to a non-football guy? It’s good that Lerner says, "We have continuity in our football program and nothing’s more important than that." But the general impression is still that the organization is unstable, at least on the ownership/business front. Actually, Lerner sounds a lot like some of the managers and executives I’ve came across over the years in how he sates an obvious truth only to follow it with a statement that contrdicts it or a conclusion that doesn’t add up. Like this: "This was obviously a moment of instability. Was it resolved? I would like to think so. I think if there were a far deeper problem, wouldn’t more people have left? It was a personality conflict and one of the two guys left." First off, the instability clearly continues because 1) there is no president, and 2) the interim president (Lerner) is only going to be a part-timer, and 3) the COO (Merletti) is apparently back on the job but only after he had announced he was leaving. There are obviously more changes to come. Maybe that doesn’t seem like "instability" to the owner of a company, but that definitely does to anyone who works there. Secondly, Lerner is forgetting that MANY "people have left." There’s been an endless string of people coming and going in Berea of which Savage and Collins are just part of. Thirdly, and somewhat alarmingly, Lerner mentioned that Collins is still involved in some business matters that were unresolved when he left. WTF? How does that not qualify as instability, not to mention dysfunctional? Lerner seems like a nice guy but his stewardship as an owner is very much an open question. This interview isn’t going to make anyone feel better. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Weekend Playoff Crow Eating

  Boy, New England played poorly -- the turnovers were shocking and when Vinatieri missed a kick you knew it was over. That the Broncos didn’t play that well and still won comfortably was telling. I was dead wrong on that game. I didn’t pick the Steelers but felt like they had a good shot. I wrote, "I think the real opportunity for the Steelers is for Roethlisberger to show he’s a big-time QB by coming out and throwing the ball well" and that’s pretty much what happened. In fact, Roethlisberger looked very sharp and would have elevated his status to a Pro-Bowl caliber QB had the Steelers not sat on the ball and tried to milk the clock throughout the entire second half. Although it took an act of god for the Steelers to win, it’s more accurate to say that it took a few acts of god to keep Indy in this game. The Steelers had few calls go their way, from pass interferecen no-calls to replayed near-INTs, and Bettis’ fumble at the end was jaw-dropping. But their is no doubt the Steelers deserved this game. Carolina had their way with Chicago. I really thought the Bears defense would be more effective getting to Delhomme and keeping Smith from making huge plays. Neither happened, and Carolina ran the ball pretty well to boot. Grossman sucked on top of it all. That the Bears stayed in this game was a little amazing, but clearly the better team won. The run that Steve Smith has been on this season has been flat out incredible; it’s almost like the rumored "no contact" rules of 2004 suddenly allow Steve Smith to be unstoppable. Seattle didn’t play that well but won pretty handily over an unbalanced Redskins squad. Even losing Alexander wasn’t enough help to Washington. Hasselbeck played well -- I think the word gutsy applies since he didn’t always look great doing it and his stats were unremarkable. But he led the team and wouldn’t let them lose this one. The Championship games are great matchups. I don’t think any team should be favored by more than a couple points. And even though I want to see the Steelers lose badly to the Browns two (or three) times a year, I’d say that any final four that contains Pittsburgh and Carolina is a good one because both teams play aggressive defense and are solid on the lines. I still think Seattle is for real and I still think Denver sort of sucks (even if they keep winning). The Colts/Steelers broadcast showed the "fantasy spotlight" during the game and the announcers commented on the QBs’ stats. Um, apparently no one in network television realizes that fantasy football is a creature of the _regular_ season, not the post-season. In the playoffs it’s all about winning the actual game... What is up with Jake Plummers hair? Why don’t announcers quiz him more on this? I can’t even think about his football playing skills until he explains the hair. I hope if Denver wins the Super Bowl Jake Plummer thanks the Lord for the victory and suggests his visual emulation of Jesus somehow contributed to victory. It would be the dumbest thing ever. ESPN Radio played a few radio snippets from various NFL broadcasts. Holy crap are most annoucners terrible. The Indy broadcast team totally missed the call on the game-losing field goal attempt ("And they’ll attempt a kick and, oh, uh, man, he missed it."), the Pittburgh team sounded like a bunch oafish meatheads cheering wildly without quite explaining what the hell they were cheering about, and the Seattle crew deftly pointed out that the QB had ran in for a TD without describing that the QB had rolled out of the pocket. I often have this feeling when catching other MLB teams broadcasts and apparently the same is true in NFL football. Perhaps we in Cleveland are more fortunate than we realize with Jim Donovan and Tom Hamilton. You never think they are that great until you hear some alternatives. I haven’t heard a call as good as Donovan’s "Run William Run" since in terms of perfectly describing the action, capturing the moment, and rooting for the home team without sounding like a moron. The FOX pregame and halftime shows are unwatchable. It’s a joke, except when they try to be funny and then it’s not even a joke. I love it when they do post-game analysis too and Howie Long talks so somberly it looks like he’s apologizing to his wife. So is anyone blaming Nick Harper’s wife for losing the game for the Colts? I mean, seriously, what the hell is up with that? Accidentally stabbing the dude in the knee on the eve of the game, then the guy getting caught by the QB when he’s home-freaking-free for the game winning TD? You could not make this stuff up. Of course, had Harper just stayed to the outside there is no way Roethlisberger can catch him. I’m glad he didn’t though, cause the Colts really didn’t deserve the win. What was the deal with Peyton Manning waving off the punting team? The guy is starting to look a little too much like Dan Marino for my taste. "I don’t want to be a bad teammate. Let’s just say we had some problems in protection.’’ C’mon you loser!!! And watching Manning on the sideline before Vanderjagt attempted the game winning kick I couldn’t help but wonder what Manning was thinking of his fate being so tightly intertwined with his "idiot kicker" making a pressure kick. Whatever Manning thought, he looked like he knew the outcome was going to be bad. Karma. Even though he is usually a great player, Joey Porter is an a$$. The easiest way to spot one: even when he is right he seems like a jerk. It is really, really annoying watching Courtney Brown on the Broncos. I don’t care about Warren, Ekuban, or Myers. Brown, however, was taailor-made to be a long-term presence for the Cleveland Browns. I’m still bummed he didn’t work out here. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:43 PM by MikeB with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Weekend Playoff Preview

  Redskins @ Seahawks I think I’m one of the few people who really think the Seahawks are for real. In fact, two years ago I thought they were pretty good and became a big Hassellbeck fan when they lost and OT playoff game after Hasselbeck won the coin toss and said, "We want the ball and we’re gonna win." The team has been plagued by inconsistency for a while now but I think the dropping of Koren Robinson for Joe Jurevicious is emblematic of how much better this team is playing than in years past. They will show up for this game. I expect the Seahawks to score. Shaun Alexander has been too good this season to not be a huge factor. The Skins, on the other hand, will have to get a huge game from Portis, who’s a good running back but not quite a "take over the game" type of guy. Santana Moss, who had a statistically impressive season, makes his biggest plays when the defense forgets about him -- and it’s hard to imagine the Seahawks getting burnt that much (though if any defense could do it....). I think the Seahawks win this one by a couple scores. Pick: Seahawks. Panthers @ Bears The Panthers were a popular Super Bowl pick in August, and they have a lot of momentum after dominating the Giants last week. They have experience, good skill players, and a tough defense. In fact, it’s kind of hard to pick against them here. But I am going with the Bears simply because the Bears have proven themselves over an entire season to have a winning formula. Although they finished the season unimpressively, they’ve consistently won this year and the defense has been phenomenal. I think this game will illustrate how they wound up with such a good record. Having last week off will help. And any team who blows out an opponent in the playoffs like Carolina just did is sure to be overestimated the following week. Or course, Rex Grossman is a huge question mark. But I don’t think Thomas Jones is, and I don’t think Musin Muhammed is; the offense won’t be as bad as you’ve been led to believe. While Steve Smith presents a huge challenge to the defense, Deshaun Foster has teased everyone for too long to be sure he’ll have a good game. And while everyone is doubting Grossman, I’d point out that Delhomme has himself gone through some really bad stretches this season where he’s made some bad decisions. I think the Bears have a very winnable game. And I’m looking forward to watching this one. Pick: Bears. Steelers @ Colts From the opening wire this season I thought the Colts were the AFC favorite, and they still are. But there are enough question marks around them that a victory here is not certain. Basically it comes down to two things -- 1) Can the Colts turn it back on and play in midseason form after finishing the season with a very difficult month? 2) How much better are the Steelers playing than their meeting a while back on Monday Night? The Steelers closed out the season in very impressive fashion. The defense has been awesome, and Roethlisberger is playing extremely efficiently. But the running game has been a bit slow in the first half of games -- they don’t seem to get it going until sitting on a lead in the second half. And that will be the key here. While the conventional wisdom is that the Steelers have to play more physical than their regular season meeting, I think the real opportunity for the Steelers is for Roethlisberger to show he’s a big-time QB by coming out and throwing the ball well. In the first meeting the Colts secondary was very aggressive coming up to support the run defense so there should be some big playaction opportunities. If Roethlisberger can carry the team for a little while, this will be a great game. I won’t be surprised if the Steelers win, perhaps even in impressive fashion. But it’s more likely the Roethlisberger struggles in the clutch and throws a pick or two, the Colts find a way to be effective offensively and take a lead they don’t relinquish. Pick: Colts. Patriots @ Broncos I have to admit: I don’t understand how the Broncos won so many games. I guess it’s the fact they run the ball so well. But Jake Plummer? And all those Ex-Browns on the D-Line? There’s just no way I can pick them against the Pats. My thinking is the Patriots will find a way to slow the Broncos running game and Plummer won’t be able to pick up the slack. Really, I think all the Pats need to do is counter Mike Anderson and put Denver in enough 3rd and long situations that Plummer eventually has to press. And on the other side of the ball, Brady is playing superbly (this was one of my few correct preseason predictions -- that Brady and the Pats would morph in a throw-first offense and Brady would have a huge year), and Kevin Faulk has really been playing well. Champ Bailey and John Lynch will make for some good matchups, but Brady knows how to find the open guy. No way the Pats lose this one. Pick: Patriots. Is Carson Palmers knee inury _that_ serious? That really sucks. The Bengals season sure ended badly with Palmer hurt and Chad Johnson perhaps on the way out the door. This could have a big effect on the 2006 season in the AFC North. The Browns won’t be challenging for a division crown, but they will hopefully do a lot better than 1-5 in division play. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:42 PM by MikeB with no comments Filed under: Browns

• Notes, Monster Edition

  Did you hear Phil Savage’s press conference yesterday? It was great. For a number of reasons. In general, Phil Savage sounded like the guy we all hope he is: focused on getting good players and strong in his convictions. And you get the sense why, despite all of John Collins’ maneuvering, Savage’s approach won the day last week in Berea. A couple main points Savage made: He comes from a scouting background, and scouting will be the backbone of the player acquisition philosophy. I’ve never been so happy to hear someone state what should be obvious. Negotiating player contracts is a key part of player acquisition. It’s funny -- if you have listened to sports talk radio for the last 10 years it would be obvious that how a contract is structured is vitally important and a huge factor in even being able to pursue certain players. Savage matter-of-factly pointed out that a GM who does not have responsibility for this is not actually a GM. He made some comments about specific players and whether the Browns would resign them. In talking about Antonio Bryant he made clear the Browns have some interest but only at the right price, and alluded to waiting to see how the market played out. In doing so I think he gave everyone some evidence that he’s not a novice when it comes to negotiations and contracts. Another example would be how the Browns tried to extend Orpheus Roye before the end of the season but when it became clear they could not agree to terms they quickly moved to get Leigh Bodden wrapped up instead. He never got into any conflict with Collins. Instead he talked about how he continued to do his job. That was probably a bit of spin, but it also sounded like a bit of his philosophy on how to be effective in the madcap world of the NFL. Even though he avoided details, he never described things like the doing Braylon Edwards contract as being some otherworldy, unbelievably complicated accomplishment. His attitude was more, "yeah, it’s not always easy to do these deals but that’s the way it goes." Contrast that with all those self-satisfied press conferences we got over the years from Butch and Policy. While I was listening to the press conference on WTAM, Mike Trivasano talked over the broadcast and some something like, "You know we could keep broadcasting this but frankly I find this pretty boring, don’t you?" and then went to break. So I, like thousands of other listeners, promptly switched over the WKNR for the rest of the press conference. Later on I tuned back to WTAM to hear Triv go on and on about how Savage was not saying anything of value and how Savage and Lerner don’t have the balls to come on his program and "set the record straight" and how Jim Brown had no problem doing that. Hey Triv -- you are a freaking idiot. First off, listening to Jim Brown on Friday Dec 30th it was OBVIOUS Jim Brown had no idea what was happening within the Browns as he hadn’t even heard about reports of Savage’s imminent firing. Despite that, you let him talk aimlessly on the air for a solid hour without advancing the story one bit. it was comically bad radio. And you wallowed in it like a pig in mud. Is there anything you won’t do for access? It was pathetic. Last week you were all over the place saying you "broke" the story that Savage would stay despite the fact the word was all over the internet many hours before you went on air with it. Despite that, WTAM continued to lead with "As reported earlier by Mike Trivasano..." PATHETIC. And since when did you start calling yourself a reporter? The press conference was anything but boring. In fact, it was extremely interesting and refreshing. Perhaps you should consider that Lerner and Savage don’t want to come on your show. Why would they? There are plenty of media outlets to get the company line out on. So maybe they don’t want to talk to you because they don’t want to be subjected to continually dumb-ass questions about what the "real story" is. Or maybe they are repulsed by your attempted saddling up next to them to get the "inside scoop." Or maybe there just isn’t an "inside scoop" to get because they don’t want to operate that way. Or maybe they see you as a relic from the Carmen Policy days where you shoveled what ever he crapped out on your doorstep? Or maybe they see PatMac or even Grossi and realize they are far better messengers if they want to talk to the media? Or maybe you are a freaking cry baby? Grow up! Hey I have an idea, maybe you could get together a bunch of former Browns and just ask them what’s going on in Berea. That way you get get gossippy info and it can’t be any less accurate that what Jim Brown tells you! The fact that Maurice Carthon is being interviewed for head coaching vacancies is kind of ridiculous, isn’t it? While the intent of the "Rooney Rule" is good, how does interviewing candidates who are clearly not yet qualified help anyone? Personally, I am really split on the value of this. It’s cool that guys are getting interviews. But it’s insulting to minority candidates if they to have to go through a couple years of you-have-no-chance interviews before they are really going to be taken seriously. The whole thing seems like a hoop to make guys jump through. Grossi says that "Carthon’s exposure to the interview process is an example of the Rooney Rule working," but I wonder what "working" means in this case if NFL GMs and owners aren’t actually viewing Carthon as a legitimate candidate. I’m not quite saying that the rule should be changed, but I wouldn’t blame minority coaches if they approached suck Rooney-interviews with a certain degree of cynicism. It sounds like Roye resigning with the Browns is probable. That’d be cool. Then we’d need only 2 more defensive linemen. Hopefully we can get at least one legit guy this offseason. Let me go on the record to say that Herman Edwards being "traded" to the Chiefs is just not a very big deal, unless you are part of Herm’s immediate family in which case you can expect a giant windfall of cash. Edwards is a good head coach, but he’s never really won much of anything. The Chiefs are a great organization but still have some issues to work out on the field, particularly at quarterback. And the whining of New York media types about how horrible it is for the NFL to allow head coaches to orchestrate their own trades is kind of stupid since 1) it’s only now a problem now that it happens to a New York team, 2) it’s only now a problem when a New York team only gets a 4th round pick in return, and 3) the NFL is a SPORTS LEAGUE where there’s nothing wrong with trading any damn thing that teams want to. Someone needs to tell Peter King ("What has happened here is an outrage.") to chill out and remember that Herm Edwards, today, has merely been the coach of five mediocre teams, not a bona fide Super Bowl winning coach. Troy Polamalu is a moron. I realize some players get jacked up for the game and that helps them play better, but c’mon. You can be fiercely competitive, but being a jerk on top of it is your choice Troy. Sean Taylor is an a$$hole. I’d rather have Kellen Winslow than Taylor. What a jerk, and it didn’t start this past weekend. I can’t for the life of me why anyone would draft Marcus Vick. Heck, if you could draft _Mike_ Vick now, where would you pick him? Would he even go in the first round? I don’t think there is any guarantee that he would go that high, and I personally wouldn’t want him unless he fell into the late rounds. Athleticism is a great thing to have for a QB. But you absolutely must have a degree of discipline. And without that you can’t win on a regular basis. Mike Vick is getting better, but still has a ways to go. Marcus Vick hasn’t shown anything that should give NFL teams reason to hope. ...that said, I hope the Ravens select him. Speaking of QBs, it will be very interesting to see how much interest Chris Simms garners on the free agent market. He is not a worldbeater, but a team can win with him. And it is rare that a young QB like that becomes a free agent. Suddenly the Bengals seem to be in trouble. Besides the fact that Carson Palmer will still be rehabbing when next season starts, PFT reports that Chad Johnson had an altertaction with his WR coach at halftime the other day, then took a swing at Marvin Lewis. You’d think that might buy Johnson a ticket out of town. The Bengals aren’t good enough yet to overcome losing their two best offensive weapons, and it’s an open question how well a rehabbing Palmer would fair without his playmaking wide receiver. Last year I was all for hiring Russ Grimm as Browns head coach, or at least giving him a serious look. I’m thrilled with Romeo now, but interested to see if Grimm gets a shot. Supposedly the Lions are interested. Note to Russ: Stay away. Not only are the Lions a mess personnel-wise, it is a situation where fans have unrealistic expectations of short-term success. And it will take time to turn that team into a squad where the linemen dominate. Tim Couch got a look from the Dolphins. Isn’t it time for someone to take a shot again on Couch? I mean, he’d reportedly been working out and ready to roll this past season and no one bit. I think that has to do with the fact that he’s just not that smart of a player and teams can’t count on him learning a system fast enough. But this offseason I’d think he gets back in the league and gets his last best shot. National Championship notes: Is there something I’m not seeing about Reggie Bush? He’s explosive, sure, but he seems kind of small and doesn’t even look durable. I can’t see him being an every down back in the NFL, and I can’t see him being as effective going up against faster, more athletic defenders. He might be the Michael Vick of NFL running backs, or perhaps the Desmond Howard of running backs, and that doesn’t seem worth the #1 overall pick. Not unless he can really get stronger. If I were Houston I’d pick Vince Young in a second. He’s the best player -- he’s big, durable, athletic and could get a lot better. He’s not a great passer yet, but he’s pretty good, even with a funky delivery. The only thing I’d worry about is whether he’s ready to take on the challenge of reading NFL defenses. He wasn’t exactly the type of college QB who would make a blitzing defense pay by throwing to the hot receiver, and he really relied on his legs to pick up chunks of yardage while under pressure. In the NFL I can see him continuing to use his legs -- to buy time and to shake off tacklers. He won’t be the next Tom Brady, but he reminds me a little of Steve McNair in that he is so big and strong that one guy can rarely take him down. Except young is much speedier and more nimble. Matt Leinart will be a decent pro, though he’s not going to blow anyone away physically. But that isn’t necessarily a handicap if it means he needs to focus on the mental aspects of the game. If I were a GM I’d really do my homework on him to see whether he’s the type of guy who will committ to a system; you can’t count on the superior talent level of your playmakers in the NFL. Not a sure thing, but still a good bet for a club that needs a QB. And he ought not to have a problem being in the spotlight, that’s for sure. If there was one player in the national championship game I’d like to have on my team it’s LenDale White. What a monster! He ran with power and speed. And the guy looked like he was ready to play THIS Sunday. I know the Browns don’t need a running back, but you couldn’t complain if they selected him. He certainly seems to me to be a better NFL prospect than Bush, even if he specializes in great straight-ahead running instead of drool-inducing highlights. I don’t know where, but somewhere on that Texas defensive line is a 2006 NFL starter. Although USC seemed to have their way running the ball for much of the game, Texas really stuffed them when it was clear USC had to gain half a yard. That was the difference in the game. Overall, a great game. A lot like last year’s Rose Bowl between Texas and Michigan where you just knew the Michigan defense couldn’t handle Vince Young. Except Young was noticeably more accurate throwing the ball. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:42 PM by MikeB with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Browns

• Nothing Official

  What a weird Browns weekend. Phil Savage is still the GM. And no one knows what is really happening or if he’ll remain so. It sure seems like he was about to be shown the door when Lerner/Collins saw the immediate and angry fan reaction and thought better of it. They were correct to reconsider. But I’m more interested in whether Phil Savage learned anything from this. He should have realized that he is the guy who weilds the most power when it comes to the Browns fanbase. While he shouldn’t overplay his hand, I don’t see any reason why he should do anything he doesn’t feel is right when it comes to his own arrangement. Collins ought to know that, at this point, Phil Savage could bury Collins’ career as an NFL executive merely by talking as he leaves the organization. Lerner ought to see that there is a whole generation of fans 25 and under who haven’t experienced winning teams, and an ugly resolution to this impasse would have real negative effects on the fanbase and the value of the organization. Believe me, I’m in my early 30’s and there just aren’t huge numbers of high schoolers and college age kids coming up behind me who are die hard fans. And if all they see is the Browns organization piss all over they guy who supposedly knows football, then the Browns will be another dysfunctional pro sports organization with shallow roots. Once you go Arizona Cardinals there is no coming back. I’m hoping there is a sea change occurring right now in the Browns organization and John Collins is realizing he screwed up. Lerner too. If I am the Bengals, I am not happy about facing the Steelers in the first round. But as it is, it’s funny the way New England set themselves up. I would not be shocked to see the Patriots and the Steelers both advance, maybe even to the AFC Championship. And does anyone give the Jaguars a chance? They have the quietest 12 wins in some years. Please let this be the last season for: Parcells. Favre. Marshall Faulk. Bettis, though he can still play well. Remember when Tampa Bay let John Lynch go and we kept hearing how he didn’t have much left in the tank? Um, guess they were wrong. I wonder if HOU kicker Kris Brown is a big Reggie Bush fan. I read that SI’s Peter King selected "C -- Shaun O’Hara, New York Giants" as his Pro-Bowl center. What? C’mon, nothing against the guy, but please tell me this is a figment of King’s New York imagination and the Browns really didn’t let go of a Pro-Bowl center. Is it just me, or did the latest criminal snafu around Michael Irvin get totally ignored? If you watch ESPN it sure did. In fact, they seem to be hyping Irving. Is he really that popular with viewers? I find it hard to believe very many fans car what he thinks about much of anything, except maybe for tips on how to roll your own. Ohio State vs. Notre Dame. This is a cool bowl game. I’m not a huge fan of either team, but am looking forward to watching. The title of this post refers to John Collins. Posted Feb 27 2006, 05:42 PM by MikeB with no comments Filed under: Browns