A BLOG POST

Browns still suck. Can we please throw the ball downfield. I'm sick of this 5 yard passing crap. I've seen Quinn throw downfield. He does it nicely. Why isn't he? Perhaps the receivers aren't getting open? That certainly wouldn't stop shit-for-brains DA from throwing downfield.

Certainly I don't want Quinn to force passes. But, seriously, this inability to throw downfield has to change. Now. Read the rest of this article

A Guide to the Josh Cribbs Contract Saga

Time to take on the Josh Cribbs contract situation through some Q&A:

Another selfish athlete who just can't seem to live on a million bucks a year. Don't we deserve to be outraged?!

Well, you can be outraged if you'd like but don't be mad at Cribbs. Think about this: He may make $1 million a year but he's an NFL kick and punt returner who also serves as a special-teams gunner on the kick coverage teams. Basically, aside from kamikaze pilot, he's got about the most dangerous and physically destructive job you can think of. He'll turn 26 next month which means he has maybe three or four more good years left in him. Basically, the money he makes over the next few years is going to have to last him for about the next 50. Yes, I understand he has a Kent State degree but without sounding too . . . I don't know, condescending, I have my doubts about Cribbs' ability to add substantially to his fortune in any post-football business endeavors (unless of course one of the major networks decides to syndicate "Josh's Cribbs," which is highly likely). So, while you may bitch about your 40k a year, remember that you can probably continue to earn that for the rest of your life. Cribbs, on the other hand, has to make bank now or deal with the very real possibility that the money is going to run out some day. $1 million a year is a lot of money but when you can only make it for a few years and then you have to live on it and support your family on it for decades, it isn't quite as much as it seems.

But Cribbs willfully signed his contract! Nobody forced him to sign for six years!

A fair point, and in any other sport, that would be the end of the argument. In football, however, it isn't quite that simple. For the most part, football deals are what the law calls "illusory" contracts. They contain virtually no mutuality of obligation. Most NFL players, aside from the select few that get gobs in signing bonuses and guaranteed money, are at-will employees. The franchises, on the other hand, can control players' rights for years without really promising anything other than a set salary contingent upon the individual team's desire to have the particular player on the roster for that year. It's a very one-sided way of negotiating which is why you don't see it in the other major sports.

So then we should feel bad for Cribbs for being forced to sign this contract of adhesion?

Nope. NFL players have nobody to blame but themselves for being stuck in situations like this. If they don't like the way the current system works, then they need to get a better union. Everything that happens to a player like Cribbs is a product of the collective bargaining efforts of the NFL Players Union. Unfortunately for Cribbs and many others like him, the NFLPA is by far the worst union of any of the three major professional sports. That's why even though football players subject themselves to the most occupational danger, they're the only ones without guaranteed contracts. It's also why rookies make 100x more than valuable veterans and aging players don't have adequate health coverage or decent pensions. For years, the Union was run by guys like Gene Upshaw, who cared more about backroom handshake agreements with player-agents than about protecting the interests of the players who really make the game special. If NFL players don't like their current predicament . . . if they're tired of a system that pays Matthew Stafford about $41 million more in guaranteed money than a pro-bowl player like Josh Cribbs, then they need to get off of their asses and elect better Union leadership.

Ok, I get it: The NFLPA is horrible. But with that aside, didn't Randy Lerner promise Cribbs more money?

Who knows, but it certainly sounds like a very convenient thing to say when you're trying to get gain the public's support to put pressure on the owner. Randy Lerner throws around millions of dollar on free agents every year without even batting an eye. He knows he's already on thin ice with the fans and media in Cleveland so do you really think that now of all times, he would decide to renege on a promise to one of his best and most liked players for the sake of saving a little cash? It's not out of the question but I highly doubt it. And I also doubt that Mangini and Kokinis showed up and told Lerner not to pay the man. Again, it's not out of the question but it certainly sounds farfetched.

So what should the Browns do to resolve the situation?

Well, there are two competing forces that deserve consideration here. Force 1 - Leverage: Simply put, the Browns have all of it. As stated, the clock is ticking on Cribbs as a valuable NFL player. Once his speed goes or his body starts to break down, it's over. He can't afford to sit on the sideline all year and miss 16 game checks. What's more, unlike a player on the cusp of free agency, he can't just hold out for 10 games and then play the last six to get credit for the year. Basically, he's stuck. The Browns hold all of the cards. Now, I know some of you are probably thinking, "Well sure, the Browns can turn this into a standoff but then they'll risk being without one of their best and most popular players." I understand this argument, but unfortunately, it doesn't really matter. The Browns are going to be bad with Cribbs or worse without him. What exactly are they risking by having him hold out? Going 5-11 as opposed to 6-10? It's not exactly like we're gearing up for a Super Bowl run this year. As for Cribbs' popularity with the fan base, if you haven't figured it out by now, Randy Lerner could go around taking dumps on the front stoops of the homes of every single Browns fan and it wouldn't deter them from spending money to support the team. Demand for the Browns, as insane as it seems, is completely inelastic. They'll sell tickets and merchandise with or without Cribbs.

Force 2 - Goodwill: NFL teams don't usually get very far by alienating their own players. As an organization, you have to strike a delicate balance between holding players to the letters of their contracts and taking care of your own. Cribbs' market value is certainly more than what he's getting paid and god knows the Browns waste tens of millions of dollars every year on carpetbagging manslaughterers like Donte' Stallworth. Would it really kill them to take care of Cribbs? No, it wouldn't. It would make Cribbs happy, it would make the fans happy, it would improve the team's image, and it would preserve the peace within the organization.

I'll ask again: What should the Browns do to resolve the situation?

Well when you weigh the two aforementioned forces against each other, I think the answer becomes that the Browns should seek a middle ground with Cribbs. He's going to show up and ask for Devin Hester money at the very least: 4 years, $40 million, $15 million guaranteed. The Browns, rightfully, should laugh at the demand given that they have ALL of the bargaining power. At the same time, an olive branch in the neighborhood of a couple million dollars a year in extra base compensation would probably be appropriate. Cribbs and his agent may put on a tough face and continue to hold out, but in the end, he has no choice but to accept the offer. He can either have a year in the prime of his career where he makes $0 or he can show up for work and make 2 or 3 times what he initially thought he would be earning. He wouldn't be completely satisfied, but at the very least, he could return to the team without completely losing face. In the end, I think this is probably the best solution for all parties involved.

So now that we know what the Browns should do, what do you think they will do?

Based on the front office's response today, it seems like they're going to go the route of publicly calling Cribbs a liar, refusing to negotiate with him, and making the organization look completely foolish yet again. They wouldn't be the Browns if they didn't turn ever morsal of discontent into a full blown public relations debacle. Hopefully, they'll come to their senses and reach a compromise with Cribbs, but for some reason, and by some reason I mean everything I've come to know about the Browns, I just don't see them resolving this one peacefully.
Read the rest of this article

Biff's Draft Reactions

You all know that my default position regarding the Browns and the new regime is one of complete skepticism. I'm not sure I really understand what they've been trying to do and I don't necessarily appreciate the attitude with which they've done it. That said, I approached this draft having disposed of most of my animosity toward the franchise and put to rest the majority of my personal grudges against its owner and head coach. I was ready to give the new regime the fresh start that they probably deserve. With that little preamble, allow me to give you my thoughts on the Browns 2009 draft.


1. Trading down from the #5 pick was a godsend. Truthfully, I don't even need to know anything about the players we acquired from the Jets. It was the right move. It would have been completely absurd for the Browns to pay #5 money to any of the guys that were on the board when they were picking. Not a single player in the top 10 of this year's draft is the type of sure thing pro-bowler that would warrant the type of money they're going to get. It's not worth butchering your cap situation to roll the dice on virtually the same calliber of player that you can get for a third of the money a handful of slots later. As you can tell, I absolutely loved the move back, even though I think based on traditional value charts, it should've cost the Jets a little bit more to move up twelve spots in round 1 (but maybe that's just because as a Browns fan, I'm used to paying high second rounders to move up one spot). Either way, it was a GREAT move.

2. I loved that the Browns kept moving back. It didn't matter that they were only getting 6th rounders in return; they were going to get the same quality of player for less money and pick up additional opportunities to take shots in the dark with late picks. No brainer.

3. With the 21st pick, the Browns select Alex Mack, C, California: Ok, I didn't see that one coming and I didn't necessarily love it. But, my reasoning is probably different than it is for a lot of other people out there. I don't have a problem with the Browns drafting a center in the first round. Truthfully, I think the importance of the center position is underestimated by most fans. Not only are you anchoring the point of attack, nowadays usually against a mammoth two gap tackle, but you're also making the line calls. I like the idea of having a massive, intelligent guy manning the middle of the Browns line. That said, here's what bothers me about Mack: He's not a great run blocker. If there's such a thing, it sounds like he's more of a finesse center. Now, when we're talking about our left tackle, the guy protecting our quarterback's blind side, I'll take agility and finesse at the expense of some run blocking power. At center though . . . I want a road grader. I'm not sure that Mack fits that bill. I love drafting offensive linemen in the first round but I would've rather seen them take Michael Oher. To me, getting a top flight right tackle would've given them a little bit more than a top flight center. I know Fraley is done but the same could be said of whichever miscellaneous journeyman we're going to have manning the right tackle position this year. I think the upgrade would've been more significant at RT, but, I realize that that's just a matter of opinion. Overall, I don't think any of us should have a real beef with the Mack pick.

4. With the 36th pick, the Browns select Brian Robiskie, WR, OSU: Inexcusable. Flat out inexcusable. I understand that with or without Braylon, we needed a receiver. That said, there were a lot of great players left on the board. Even if the Browns had decided they weren't going to take Maulagua (a decision with which I now agree with after reading scout after scout say he is an out of control alcoholic maniac), there were other players available there that offered more than Robiskie. This is especially true if the Browns knew they had another receiver on their board for the second round that they liked in Massaquoi. Why not take, say, Lesean McCoy (you realize our starting RB is finished, right?) or even a D-lineman or defensive back to bolster the defense? As for Robiskie himself, I have two thoughts: 1) People love to tout the fact that he was the most NFL ready receiver in the draft. Well, to me, that's code for the fact that he probably has the least room for growth of any receiver in the draft. He's going to remain exactly what he is right now: A smart receiver with good size and route running ability who is just too slow to get good separation. I don't see him filling a slot role because of his lack of speed and I'm not sure he will ever be effective on the outside because he can't get separation. 2) Say what you want about Robiskie's hands but I'll always remember him for dropping the biggest pass of his college career. I don't care what anybody else says: if he catches that TD pass in the Superdome, that game would've played out totally differently. This was just a really bad pick. I hated it.

5. With the 50th pick, the Browns select Mohammed Massaquoi: Massaquoi was a good college receiver and should make a solid #2/3 receiver in the pros. Plus, he has a fantastic reciever name that I sincerly enjoy saying out loud for no reason. This pick would've made a ton of sense had they not just taken a crappier version of the same guy 14 slots earlier. After taking Robiskie at 36, this pick made NO SENSE. With all of the holes on the roster, you're taking TWO possession receivers in the second round? That's maximizing the value of the picks? I'm sorry but I just don't get it. The Browns should've gone defense or running back with one of those two picks and I think down the line, this will prove to be a costly mistake. Second rounders are hard to obtain. You can't just keep burning them up by making redundant picks of "safe" players at a position that is far less important than others at which your team has gaping holes. Overall, a good player but a head-scratching pick given the circumstances.

6. With the 52nd pick, the Browns select David Veikune, DE, Hawaii: I'll be honest and say that I don't know the first thing about this guy. I know he was projected as about a 3rd rounder and it never makes me feel wonderful when the pundits are calling the pick a reach. I'll give the new regime the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe they're just smarter than we think and they know how to find guys to fit their system. Still, I just can't help but think that this is another case of a front office thinking they're smarter than everyone else. Then again, I've also lived through a regime that came to a consensus on using a second rounder on a guy that nobody had ever heard of who played on a winless college team called West Texas A&M. Excuse me for being skeptical on the whole idea of the small school diamond in the rough. Still, it's not fair to criticize a pick I know nothing about. We certainly needed a "hybrid" DE/LB (which essentially means you end up spending a high pick on a guy without knowing if he has any ability to play the position for which he's just been drafted) so I'll take a wait and see approach.

7. With the 104st pick, the Browns select Kaluke Maiave: The Browns add yet another Polynesian defender to take the sting out of the Maulaga miss! Seriously though, there is nothing wrong with this pick . . . other than the fact that between Maiave and Veikune, I'm not sure we found a single linebacker who is big and physical enough to play every down in the NFL. I have nothing against Maiave, but a 229 lb linebacker probably isn't the cure for what ails our run defense. Perhaps maybe we should've taken a linebacker with a bit better size instead of a crappy possession receiver at 36. Editor's note: My buddy DC started referring to this guy as "the third tenor," a nickname which I find to be very appropriate even though, truthfully, Clay Matthews Jr. is really the third USC tenor and this guy is . . . I don't know, the guy who served as Carreras's backup. Who knows, maybe he'll add some bulk to his frame and end up being a contributor. But hey, on the bright side for Maiave, he'll have virtually no competition at his position on the roster, so that's a positive!

8. I'll lump all of the sixth rounders together:

177 - Carey: Scouting report says he has tight hips. I have no idea what that means but if I had a scouting to english dictionary, it would probably say that "tight hips" translates to "nickel at best." I might've gone with Cedrick Peerman at this spot, the RB out of Virginia. Obviously it's a shot in the dark with anyone this late in the draft but Peerman graded out significantly higher than James Davis, who we ended up drafting later on.

191 - Coye Francies: The scouts like him and after all of the yawnworthy picks that came before him, I like the fact that he's a bit of a risk/reward pick . . . and by risk, I mean he was once brought up on weapons charges and kicked out of Oregon State. I'm glad we carried the "high character" theme all the way through the draft.

195 - James Davis: Well, we certainly needed a running back. Unfortunately, I'm not sure we needed one with all the explosiveness of a 30 year old Jamal Lewis. I'm doubtful Davis will be on the roster by this time next year. I really would've like to have seen this position addressed in round 2 with LeSean McCoy.

Overall Grade (because grades mean so much and are not in any way arbitrary): C+

If nothing else, the Browns were smart enough to trade out of the 5th spot and prevent the inevitable contract holdout/money hemmorhage that goes with it. In addition, between the trade with the Jets and the picks, the team probably added 4 starters. Unfortunately, the starters they added are probably the quality of players that you would expect to be starting for a 5-11 or 6-10 team. I guess you have to take baby steps when you're rebuilding and get your hands on as many solid guys as possible, but I'm still a little concerned that we came out of this draft without a single player that projects to be a major impact guy at any point in his career. They all seem to be solid but unspectacular . . . which is probably the way I'll remember this draft in general. Read the rest of this article

Meanwhile, in Berea . . .

Does anyone understand what on God's Earth the Browns are doing right now? I've purposely been ignoring them for the last month or so but now I'm just so baffled that I feel like I need to talk about it.

Lets quickly recap the last couple of months for our fine organization:

1. Our only non-atrocious defensive player locked horns with our new coach and tried to piss and moan his way out of town.


2. Our only talented (albeit a complete turd) offensive skill position player, fresh of his own campaign to get himself traded, is currently at the center of trade talks that reportedly have him going to New York for, among other things, a second round pick (hey now, we once got Quincy Morgan and Chaun Thompson in the second round!).


3. Our gigantic bust (although can you really call someone a bust if the only person who didn't expect him to be terrible was the guy who signed him?) of a receiver got drunk in Miami and mowed down a pedestrian in his car...shortly after receiving his big fat bonus check from the team.


4. We've let several sub-par young players leave in free agency . . . and replaced them with much older players of the same, or perhaps even lesser ability.


5. We cut a beloved 34 year-old receiver who, in all fairness, was completely finished . . . and replaced him with a not beloved 34 year-old receiver who, in all fairness, is completely finished.


6. We paid a boatload of bonus money to retain bad players because 1) we didn't have any better options, and 2) unbeknownst to us, the guy we've had managing our salary cap for the last four years didn't know anything about, well, the salary cap.


7. We traded a former first round pick for a second round pick after several memorable years of motorcycle accidents, staph infections, and public throwdowns with the organization.


8. We learned that we don't have a receivers coach, which really isn't a big deal because we don't really have any receivers either.


9. Our director of pro player personnel stabbed a fan on a press tour after the fan questioned the direction of the organization.

Ok, I made that last one up but come on: You didn't even realize it there for a second. I just...I don't even know what to say. I'm speechless. I have absolutely no idea what the plan is for this organization. I mean, there is a plan, I presume. It seems foolish to think that those in charge of the Browns are just haphazardly making moves, but at the same time, I just can't see how any of this fits together and makes any sense.

I have 100% confidence in the fact that the Browns are going to be completely horrid this year....and the year after....and most likely, the year after that. If you look at this roster and the team's cap situation, how could you possibly envision them being successful at any time within the next 3 years? But that's not even the worst part. Teams get bad on purpose all the time. They cut unproductive veterans and replace them with younger guys knowing fully that they're going to experience years of growing pains before becoming competitive again. But that's not what the Browns are doing. They're cutting unproductive guys and replacing them with older, equally unproductive guys. I'm not even being smug when I ask all of you out there to help explain this to me. WHAT ARE THEY DOING!?

And let's not forget, people are actually going to pay thousands of dollars for season tickets to watch this team play next year. I can't imagine what it must feel like to write that check these days. The economy is in the tank, everyone is feeling the pinch, and yet this team is going out of its way to antagonize the poor fans that are still loyal/naive enough to care about it. I looked over and starred at Browns stadium on my way in to work this morning; except today, for the first time ever in an offseason, I didn't feel sad that it wasn't September and the stadium wasn't filled to capacity. I felt sad that we couldn't knock it down and build a casino and hotels there instead. Right now, Browns stadium is just a hulking corpse, peering out from its perch on the lake to taunt us and remind us of how horrible our greatest love has turned out to be.

Come on Cavs. We need you.

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Winslow Trade Thoughts

From my recent trip across the internet message boards it looks like Browns fans are split on the Kellen Winslow trade. Now that the previously undisclosed draft picks have been disclosed to be a 2009 second rounder and a 2010 5th rounder, I'll give my take on the first big move of the new era. And that take is overwhelming support of the move.

Honestly, I think anyone who is against this trade is letting there emotions get in the way of reason. There are two main concerns about this trade. One is that people feel Winslow is our best player and trading him is a sure sign of rebuilding. Two is that Brady Quinn is a young "dink and dunk" passer who needs a great tight end like Winslow to be effective. Let me explain why both of these opinions are incorrect.

First, trading Winslow does NOT mean we are rebuilding. Sure he is the best receiving tight end on the planet. Yet he still managed to drop Quinn's 4th down, game ending pass versus Denver just as if he was any other Browns receiver. Come to think of it, he also dropped a touchdown pass from Quinn against San Francisco in 2007. Winslow's one great ability, to catch passes, is therefore not perfect. And for every drive that Winslow does extend with a great grab, he repeatedly stalls another one with mental errors. I can't count the number of times I lost my voice screaming at the television following a personal foul or false start on Winslow. Not to mention his little problems blocking and staying healthy.

Then there is the depth at tight end on this roster. Steve Heiden could be starting almost anywhere in the league. He seemed more than adequate against the New York Football Giants last season when Winslow was in the hospital. Also, last season we drafted arguably the top receiving tight end in college, Martin Rucker. The drop in talent at tight end will not be noticed in the win-loss column next year.

And for those who think Quinn can only dink and dunk, I say to you that you only think that because you watch DA play, and the only thing he could do was heave it long. If the deep ball is there, Quinn will throw it up and give our guy a chance to make the play. But a qb has to be able to move the chains with long drives to give a defense the chance to rest. Just because Quinn can do something DA couldn't, throw with touch and accuracy to a receiver, doesn't mean it's a bad thing. But I digress. The point of this paragraph was supposed to be that Quinn doesn't need Winslow. As stated above, Heiden is a very gifted tight end and I am fully confident that he will be more than able to fill Winslow's shoes.

This team has too many holes. To trade from a position of strength to acquire assets to fill the weaknesses is exactly what a good GM should do. Winslow's trade value is higher than it will ever be. Obviously ManKok learned from the mistake of the Savage regime when it failed to get value for DA when it had the chance.  On the Tampa Bay message boards, many posts indicated there would be hell to pay if the Bucs gave up more than a 3rd or a 4th rounder.  To get a second and a fifth rounder for this injury prone, penalty prone, malcontent is a steal. The move does not represent a complete rebuild. It is a way to fill the holes on this roster by getting rid of a guy who is injured half his career and is replaceable on the roster.

Now the daunting task of convincing Mr. Rogers to shut up and play ball lies ahead...



PS: I am stunned by the results of the current CMCR poll. The results should have been 100% for trading LeBron for Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum. These are two legit all-star centers and the man LeBron refers to as the best player on the planet. Please, loyal readers, explain to me how you could vote for anything else.

Until next time this is Barry Lakin sayin all the world is schlach.

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The Man On The Street Quiz

Shaun Rogers requested to be released from the Browns. It appears that this request is largely based on two concerns. The first is that new Browns head coach Eric Mangini has on multiple occasions failed to acknowledge him with a hello.  Terrrrific.  That sounds like a Seinfeld episode. The other concern is that Mangini asked Rogers to watch his weight. Now I ask you, are these two people having sex ... or playing football?

Terrrrrrific. This has been your man on the street quiz. Until next time this is Barry Lakin sayin all the world is schlach. Read the rest of this article

A Guide To The Power Rankings

You may have noticed a new feature displayed on the CMCR main page: The Cleveland Athlete Power Rankings. This is something that I often think about on my own so I thought it might be fun to keep a running list of the most prominent athletes on the Cleveland sports scene. Just so there is no confusion as to what these rankings mean, I'll set forth the criteria used to make the list.

1. Only players who are still active in their respective sport and still playing in Cleveland

are eligible.

2. Talent, ability, and performance are only derivatively important. This poll is based more on fan notoriety and adoration. For example, Cliff Lee is coming off probably the greatest season by an Indians pitcher in history. Yet, he's ranked below Josh Cribbs, a very solid Browns

special teamer. Why? Well, I would guess that there are more people in Northeast Ohio that would call themselves Josh Cribbs fans than there are people who are particularly fond of Cliff Lee. This also explains why Brady Quinn, a player who has yet to accomplish anything in this city, is ranked 3rd ahead of more successful players like Victor Martinez and Z.

3. The season doesn't really matter. Obviously, in February, people are going to be fixated

on the Cavs. The same could be said of the Indians in July or the Browns in September. For the most part, the rankings attempt to ignore the obvious bias in favor of athletes whose sport is in season.

4. While season doesn't matter, sport does. This is a Browns town first and foremost and no matter how many dumps the team takes on its fans, they'll always be number one in the hearts of the majority of Northeast Ohioans. Thus, Browns players have a distinct advantage over the rest of the field. Fortunately, however, given that the Browns only have a few players who aren't despicable, the list has a good mix of the 3 major

Cleveland sports.

5. Ohio State counts as Cleveland for the purposes of these rankings. So, if and when Terrelle Pryor wins the heisman and/or a National Championship, he's eligible for the list.

So, there you have it. We'll try to update these rankings every couple of weeks or so. And, because the poll is supposed to be a measure of fan sentiment, we encourage you to comment in the discussions section under any posting to express your views on the rankings. If there is enough momentum for or against a particular decision that we've

made, I assure you that we'll change it. The purpose here is just to have a little fun and generate some good discussion.

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What's Bugging Me Today?

Greetings all,

This being my first post I decided to keep it simple and throw out a few thoughts on things that have been bugging me lately. I am not an accredited journalist, I don't hold any advanced degrees in sports journalism or media studies. I'm simply an enthusiastic young man with a 6th grade education and an abiding love for all things cleveland sports related.

• Nice to see Mo Williams get the All-Star nod after being passed over twice. When Mo was initially passed, Lebron called it a slap in the face and disrespect to Cleveland and the Cavs. I'm glad Lebron took that stance, but was surprised seeing how as he wore a Yankees cap to a playoff game a few years back.

• I found A-Roid's apology to be a complete slap in the face to the fans of baseball. When he said he was trying to live up to the pressures of being the highest paid player he was essentially blaming the fans. Furthermore, he passed it off as the thing to do during the time and claimed he was young a naive. He was roughly 27 at the time and when you are that age you have passed the point of being "young and naive". A-Roid you are never going to be anything but a giant stat-monger in the history of baseball. Oh and by the way, your pink lipstick and orange skin are ridiculous looking.

• Mike Brown's rotations are starting to bewilder me. I understand the need to rest LBJ now while you can, but try to make an adjustment from your mapped out time sequences on your note card. You don't have to sit Lebron the start of every 4th quarter. Why not just try using some of the moment from the 3rd quarter to put the opposition away early in the 4th? I'm a firm believer of crushing the spirits of the opposing team as soon as you can, probably because I've seen it happen to our teams so often. That said, I loved his rant after the Pacer's game last night. Anytime a coach trashes Joey Crawford I'm all for it.

• Are the Brown's still an organization? The last time Berea was so quiet this time of year Modell was setting up shop in Baltimore and shopping for the ex-con's who would form the face of the franchise.

• I HATE Roethlisberger and can't believe he won a 2nd Super Bowl. How the officiating crew managed to miss crucial calls is beyond me. This is twice the team with the mustached female fan base (seriously look at the ladies they have at their games) has benefited from poor officiating.

• I hope the Cavs regroup over the All-Star break and come back focused on using some their anger towards finishing strong. The only person I would trade for would be Marcus Camby, otherwise I would sit tight and see what this roster can do. When healthy I think they can compete with anybody and would take them in any seven game series.

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Dead Weight Cut

The Browns today cut seven players off the roster (probably about 20 players too few), releasing the dynamic quarterbacking duo of Ken Dorsey or Bruce Gradkowski, along with linebacker Antwan Peek, cornerback Terry Cousin, and three players any diehard fan would be hard pressed to remember, punter Mike Dragosavich (who is reportedly going back to Russia to prepare for his upcoming boxing match with Rocky), kicker Jason Reda, and offensive lineman Eric Young.

None of these moves are anything to get worked up about one way or the other, as it's doubtful that any of these players will make an impact around the league next year. At the end of each season, teams make these transactions as a way of clearing room to sign free agents and draft picks. As the title of this article suggests, now is the time for the trimming of the fat.

As for Dorsey, at least Eric Mangini and George Kokinis have shown that being best friends with Brady Quinn is no longer enough to qualify for a roster spot and a paycheck with the Brownies. I just wonder who's going to braid Quinn's hair during team slumber parties now. For those of you who enjoy self-inflicted pain, Dorsey threw for a big fat ZERO touchdown passes on the season, and had a 26.5 passer rating on 43 of 91 passing for 374 yards with seven interceptions. Oh, I'm sorry, did I say Dorsey threw no touchdown passes on the year? I must have forgotten the one he threw to Asante Samuel for a 50-yard pick-six. Oh yeah, and the other 50-yard interception returned for a touchdown which he threw to Leon Hall. That's right, Dorsey threw two touchdowns this season, to opposing teams. As a quarterback in the NFL, how the hell do you throw for NO TOUCHDOWNS TO YOUR OWN TEAM AND TWO TO YOUR OPPONENTS? I really hope Dorsey enjoys his future career at Fed Ex (though he'll probably spend his days delivering UPS packages).

Additionally, with Terry Cousin no longer on the roster, perhaps the Browns can consider bringing back former Brown, Ralph Brown (who I wish still had his website up - as it played the most hypnotic elevator music I have ever heard. Instead, it looks like he's turned his attention to sprucing up his Wikipedia page). However, I'm sure the Browns will have their pick of a number of players who can admirably watch as the receiver they're covering catches the ball ten-yards downfield.

I am a little disappointed to see Peek cut off the squad, seeing how weak the Browns are at linebacker already. Peek was signed in 2007 to a three-year, $8 million dollar deal, to provide the Browns with a much needed pass rush. Peek did show potential during his first year, with four sacks despite several injuries. Unfortunately, Peek suffered a torn patellar tendon in September and didn't step foot on the field this season. Obviously there has to been concerns over his ability to recover from this injury and to be as effective as he was previously. The new braintrust must have decided that the gamble wasn't going to be worth the money owed to him next season.

I know that Mangini and Kokinis have to start clearing house somewhere and the basement makes as much sense as anywhere with this team based on the horrendous completion of last year. I just hope that these cuts are a few of several waves to come, bringing in a new attitude for 2009.

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Some More Random Thoughts

* When I turned ESPN on this morning, the title at the bottom of the screen was "Reed looks for early interception" This to me was huge news, as I didn't think Ed Reed had any discretion towards when he intercepted passes. Possibly ESPN's best reporting since "Brett Favre has boarded a plane in Mississippi" I was very happy I caught that headline last summer.

* I just caught the Lebron commercial where he's doing it all for the Browns. Typically I don't read anything into this, but it was nice to see Lebron rocking another Cleveland team's gear... Even if he is getting paid millions to advertise this or that.

* Has there ever been a more underappreciated player than Donovan McNabb? The guy has been to 5 conference championship games. That is ridiculous. And he gets shit on all the time (I will say that I have ragged him to my Eagle fan friends for throwing up on the field). Give the guy some props though.

* I don't typically like to copy and paste other works in this column, but this excerpt from Baseball America excited me tremendously...

Adam Miller, rhp, Indians: While pitching may be down in the Dominican, it wasn’t when Miller was on the mound apparently.

The oft-injured righthander, the top pitching prospect in the Indians’ chain the past four seasons and again this year, sizzled with a fastball that an NL scout said roamed in the 96-98 mph range.

"I mean, he was carving these guys up," the scout said. "A nasty slider, too. Attacked hitters. Threw strikes. If he stays healthy, he’s going to be something to reckon with down the road."

Miller strained his elbow in 2005 and has suffered elbow and finger injuries in 2007, then missed most of 2008. But he was 3-1, 4.34 in 29 innings in the Dominican. Even better, the separation in his strikeout-to-walk ratio ought to be music to the Indians’ ears — 27 to 6, suggesting his command came back in a hurry despite missing so much time. He also held batters to a .268 average and yielded only one home run.

Miller is expected to be used in a relief role in 2009, though he did make five starts for Aguilas this winter.

That is from their Dominican Winter League notebook, where pitching has been treated like low income housing this year. The possibilities are endless with Miller. Can he be a flamethrower in the rotation? Can he set up for, and possibly take over for Wood? Hopefully he stays healthy and we will be able to see.

*As a rabid baseball fan, there is nothing better than the brand new MLB channel. They debuted on New Years, during the offseason, presumably to work out all the glitches and everything. Right now the programming is kinda crappy, playing games from the 05 and 07 World Series', a bunch of hot stove reports, and some Prime 9's in which they do a top 9 countdown of stuff. Nothing spectacular, but they did a very nice piece on the 1995 season, the year after the strike. That year holds a special place in every Indians fan's heart as the Tribe was nothing short of spectacular. While watching the highlights, and lowlights, from the World Series last year I started to ponder(and this may just be sour grapes)... how wide were the corners of the plate in the National League that year? It seemed like every pitch Maddux and Glavine threw were a solid 4-8 inches off the plate yet they were getting strike calls. Its ashame Questech hadn't been invented yet.

* It was nice to see the Buckeyes beat Michigan yet again, this time in basketball, on Michigan's home court, while they were celebrating something that happened 2 decades ago. Like BJ Mullens articulated so nicely "It feels good to know they had a parade and we won.”

*Pitchers and Catchers report in 25 days. That should coincide with the Cavs getting healthy, and possibly adding another piece for the stretch run. It's nice to think about that stuff while your cleaning off your car again after another awesome snowstorm.

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Tony Grossi is Retarded

It amazes me that someone over at the Plain Dealer looks at Tony Grossi's paycheck every week and and thinks it's a good idea to keep signing it. Obviously, whoever that person is, he or she doesn't read the paper.

This morning, Grossi decided to treat Browns fans to two well-constructed pieces. The first, an overview of the situation facing Mangini, included statements such as:

"Lerner interviewed Kokinis on Sunday and a mutual positive feeling emerged."

Now that, my friends, is some hard hitting reporting. But that's not even the best part. By far, the most interesting read in this morning's PD was Grossi's rankings of Browns players' performance this season. Allow me to give you some of the highlights. Keep in mind, according to Grossi, these rankings "are not based on potential, athletic ability or draft status, but on actual production versus opportunity and role, with some consideration given to past performance and to intangibles." I have no idea what that means but let's take a look anyway.

The first five in order are: Rogers, Cribbs, Dawson, Pontbriand, and Joe Thomas. Hard to argue there. But at 6, things start to get really interesting. In that spot, we find our old friend Jamal Lewis. Grossi must've really been impressed by Lewis's "actual production" (3.6 ypc) given his limited "opportunity" (only 279 carries!).

A few more fun tidbits from these rankings:

• Brandon McDonald is 11th while Eric Wright is 23rd. Am I missing something here?


• Kamerion Wimbley is 12th while Steve Heiden is 19th and Lawrence Vickers is 25th. In all fairness to Wimbley though, even for a first round pick, he does have a great wingspan!


• Braylon Edwards is 15th! He must've scored really high on those intangibles. Apparently, Grossi views Braylon's complaining, destroying team chemistry, and telling the fans to blow him as positives.


• At 46th, Donte' Stallworth was not dead last. If I were Shantee Orr, Gerard Lawson, or Travis Daniels, I would be a little curious as to what I did to get ranked below this legendary bust.

You can see the complete rankings for yourself here

Special thanks to Tony Grossi for being terrible at his job and thus, unintentionally funny.

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I Think Someone Owes Randy Lerner an Apology

As a (faux) journalist of the highest moral fiber, one of the things in which I take a great deal of pride is my ability to be humble and admit when I'm wrong. Well CMCR nation, this is one of those times.

Only a week ago, on this very forum, I was openly chastizing Randy Lerner for hastily signing a head coach before first naming a GM. At the time, it seemed apparent that the only viable GM candidate left on the market that would fit with the Mangini regime was George Kokinis, a man of whom I had never heard and whom Randy Lerner had never interviewed. I know it sounds ridiculous in hindsight, but at the time, I actually thought it was a risky move. Boy do I feel sheepish.

You see, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer (an unimpeachable source if there ever was one), Mr. Lerner completed his interview of Kokinis this past weekend...and you'll never guess what happened. IT WENT AWESOME!!!! Lerner, that legendary evaluator of front office talent, was very impressed!

Being the notorious skeptic that I am, I was totally bracing myself for some bad news. I was genuinely expecting Lerner to return to Cleveland only to report that he'd made a huge mistake and that the GM search was back to square one because Kokinis was terrible. But this.....I mean given our luck....wow. That's all I can say is wow. Bravo Mr. Lerner. Bravo.

Shame on me for ever doubting Randy Lerner. And if there are any others out there like me who questioned this entire process, let this be a lesson to all of us: When Randy Lerner rolls the dice, you'd better believe he knows what he's doing.

Let me say it one more time, just to let it sink in: GEORGE KOKINIS WAS AWESOME! The only prospective GM that is still a viable option for the Browns given that they just handed out a four-year contract to a head coach that nobody wants to manage just nailed his interview! Other NFL organizations, you are officially on notice.

This is just the kind of break this organization needed. No more stories about this Lebron fellow and his Cavs juggernaut. I'm ready to start fixating on the Browns' draft possibilities!

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Random Thoughts from a Random Day

*The poll to the right of this column asks "what is the biggest reason that OSU lost the Fiesta Bowl?" Of the six options, none of them have anything to do with Texas being very good, Colt Mccoy and a pair of thousand yard receivers cutting up the Buckeye defense like they did to everyone this year, or the Texas coordinators mixing up their game plan just enough to keep the Buckeyes slightly off balance. While I agree that there were many things OSU could have done better (and by many I mean maaaaaany), credit is due to the Longhorn squad, so let us give it to them.

*This Texas team has been lauded by some as being the best in the land. National Championship quality. If football games were 58 minutes long, the Buckeyes would have beat them, no question. I know I know there is a reason they are 60, great teams come from behind to win big games (a la Brett Favre... or maybe that was because he put himself in a situation to come from behind so many times...), and so on and so on. But Ohio State played them much much better than anyone else this season. Better than theoretical national runner-up Oklahoma. There are going to many holes to fill for next season, but Tressel's recruiting classes are top notch. One of the differences I see in the way OSU recruits compared to USC is the number of "5 Star" players. OSU seems to get 3 and 4 star guys and turn them into NFL prospects, college stars, etc, while sprinkling in a Terrelle Pryor, Beanie Wells, or Ted Ginn five star type (AJ Hawk was only a 3 star guy), while USC rakes in the 4 and 5 stars and throws them out there. I am not saying either is wrong or right, I am just saying it's a little bit different in my eyes. And I am also saying, I am very excited for next season.

*With a history of getting beaten like a red headed step child (popular insult circa 1996), Alex Boone's name was not called all that much for anything negative, which I can remember at least. If you were to put together a survey of why OSU lost the previous two national championship games, one of the choices undoubtedly would have been "Alex Boone shrinks from big games like the Indians shrink from signing big name free agents." But on the night of the Fiesta Bowl Boone did not openly try to sabotage the Buckeyes like he has in the past. Perhaps that has something to do with Pryor being able to move around, unlike an anchor-footed Todd Boeckman, or a weighed-down-by-the-banquet-circuit Troy Smith... but the world may never know.

*I am a little surprised about the outcome of the "nAtional cHampionship gAme" and I will write it like that just once to express my displeasure about the fraud that this game has become. However, Oklahoma kept it much closer than I thought they would. Injuries + coming from an inferior conference + Bob Stoops + no Superman = 41-14 type drubbing from Urban Meyer's squad in my opinion. Florida -4 seemed like the lock of the century. Not the NY Giants +400 Super Bowl money line in which case it was a 'hey lets throw some cash on them because it's a good value bet.' No this seemed like an enormous sucker's bet. And it almost turned out that way. Luckily, for my bank account's sake, Tebow really is the man.

*Mangenius, Mangina, Ball Boy, Coffee Boy, Caucasian Crennel, Whistle Blower... All the various nicknames for the new Browns head coach. While this hiring has been covered by anyone and everyone with ties to Cleveland Sports, please allow me a short take on this from the perspective of living 20 minutes from where Mangini last worked, the decrepit waste land known as the Meadowlands. There is no way to properly evaluate his time as an NFL head coach. He took over a 4 win team in 2005 and led them to a bitter first round exit of the 2006 playoffs to the bitter rival NE Patriots. In 2007 he didn't have a healthy quarterback, and in 2008 he was held hostage by Brett Favre. There are potential flaws about Mangini, most notably his lust for the 3-4 defense, which probably scares every Browns fan to the high heavens, but for better or worse he has come through adversity already. That means that when the sh*t hits the fan here, and it inevitably will as the Browns hired him with NO GM IN PLACE(another thousand word essay all together), hopefully he won't have the let's go for a field goal down by 3 touchdowns with under ten minutes remaining deer in headlights look on his face.

*Bart Scott was on PTI the other day and was asked about Albert Haynesworth shooting off at the mouth. Scott brushed it off saying he has Haloti Ngata on his side and therefore he is not scared of anyone. Do you think if you asked D'Qwell Jackson that same question he would have the same answer regarding Kam Wimbley? It was nice trading down to make the Ngata Wimbley exchange.

*From the time it was clear that Carl Pavano was healthy at the end of last season, and knowing that the Yankees would not sign him, I was secretly hoping the Indians would give him a shot. The Yankees gave him a 40million dollar contract that he certainly did not earn. But they also gave Jaret Wright a 25million dollar contract that he certainly did not earn. And we can go on all day about the Yankees giving out unearned money, but the fact is that Pavano had a good season, and a little bit of potential working for him. He ran into an unfortunate string of events that you can't really make up. He had baseball related injuries. He had non-baseball related injuries. He lied about it. He played in New York, which made everything worse. And he was shunned by the evil empire. Part of me wants him to succeed for the sole reason of sticking it to my Yankee loving friends out here. The contract that the Indians gave him is great. Realistically, he is only really blocking David Huff at this point from the rotation. He has a World Series ring. And if he has any marbles, he should have an enormous chip on his shoulder.

*One of the few things that the Captain could not erase from my New Year's memories was the Indians trading for Mark Derosa. Another solid move in my opinion, as he routinely made it on Baseball Tonight for coming through in clutch situations. May not put up gaudy numbers, but I do believe CSP (clutch situation performance) is immeasurable statistically. There is a school of thought that there is no such thing as CSP, and that statistics always revert to the mean, no matter what. I can tell you that as a former professional baseball players, offspring of a psychologist and psychiatric social worker, and reader of long statistical studies, that there are definitely players who have an affinity for coming through in clutch situations. What defines clutch? When the game is on the line, RBI situations, or starting a rally are a few of the examples, but everyones definition of that word varies. I believe, though, through experience, that there are clutch players and there are non-clutch players. And having a guy like Derosa in the lineup is an upgrade over having Andy Marte.

*The Cavs are great. Mike Brown is great. Mo Williams is great. Wallace and Varajeo are great. Lebron singing Time After Time is great. Lebron playing basketball is otherworldly. Lebron is 24 years old. The best player on the planet is not even close to his prime. That is fun. There are teams in the NBA that are unwatchable. Just the nature of the beast in the NBA. The Nets? Unwatchable. Bucks? Bulls? Bobcats? No chance. ESPN had Dick Vitale and the college crew doing the NBA game the other night and constantly were disgusted by the lack of rotational defense, etc. That is one of the reasons why the NBA is unwatchable, not many play passionately on defense. The Cavs certainly do. Lebron has decided that he wants to be the best defensive player on the planet. And that my friends is great. Read the rest of this article

Browns Fans Celebrate: Everything is fixed now!

If you want to hear a glowing report about how the Browns have turned the corner and finally appear to be on the right track, please stop reading now.

I have no problem with Eric Mangini being hired as the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Absolutely none. He's young, he's had two out of three winning seasons, and I thought he got a raw deal in New York. To be truthful, I think on paper he makes more sense than just about any other head coaching candidate, including Mike Shanahan.

The substance of this hire is not the problem. The process culminating in the hire, however, is indicative of everything that is wrong with and dysfunctional about the Browns. The problems with the process have been well documented elsewhere so I'll just boil then down to a few lingering questions. 1) Why did Lerner hire a coach before a GM? 2) Why haven't we heard any explanation as to why no other franchise wanted this seemingly desirable coach? 3) Did Lerner have any assistance from football people when making this decision? 4) Why didn't Lerner interview Shanahan? 5) Why wasn't the owner of the organization up on the podium next to the new head coach when he was introduced?

To this point, Lerner has not offered anything in the way of competent answers to any of these questions. Consider a few blurbs from a recent profootballtalk.com article:

“When you are going out to hire a head coach and a General Manager, it
seemed to me that the head coach hire is the more urgent one,” Lerner
said. “The longer you wait, the less people are available.”

The problem with that logic? Of the four other head-coaching
vacancies with teams other than Mangini’s former employer (Rams, Lions, Broncos, Raiders), Mangini had generated no interest.

Nothing. No interviews, no rumors, no speculation. Nothing.

. . .

So, as it now stands, whoever gets the G.M. job in Cleveland will be stuck with a head coach for the first four years of his tenure. And this means that, if George Kokinis doesn’t take the job, Lerner will be in the unveniable position of having to persuade a G.M. to work with a man who might not have been the G.M.’s first choice in a head coach.

Or his second choice.

Or his tenth choice.

I'm not trying to say that Florio and profootballtalk.com are the gospel when it comes to the NFL. That being said, at the very least, this adds credence to my belief that for one reason or another, the other owners and GMs around the league are all secretly laughing and pointing at the Browns...again.

I have defended Randy Lerner since the day he inherited the Browns. I thought he made a defensible decision when he hired Savage and retained him over Collins and that it was simply unforseeable bad luck that Savage turned out to be such a disaster. While it concerned me that Lerner continued to allow the organization to butcher its media relations, I still blamed Savage first and foremost.

With regard to this hiring process, however, whether you wish to view it as puzzling, a bit of a head scratcher, or just completely embarassing, I place the blame squarely on Lerner's shoulders. It is my sincere hope that Lerner lands Kokinis as planned and the Browns begin to get things turned around for good. With that said, however, as one CMCR commenter recently suggested, if this thing gets turned around, it will be because of dumb luck rather than shrewd, calculated, and thoughtful action on the part of the owner.

Sadly, thus far, it appears that the winds of change have only blown more of the same old incompetence into Berea.

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Mangina!

Per Jay Glazer of Foxsports.com, Eric Mangini is the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. We'll have a full story on this in the next day or so but allow me to give you my initial reactions:

1. Hiring a head coach in the NFL seems like a complete crapshoot. There does not appear to be any rhyme or reason as to why some hires work out well and others don't. Actually, wait; I do remember seeing one study hypothesizing that roster talent or a lack thereof is actually the the most important factor underlying coaching success and/or failure. I think we need more research on this possible correlation before we jump to any hasty conclusions.

2. Glad to see the Browns went the logical route and let their new GM pick the head coach. Or not.

3. Apparently our new GM is going to be George Kokinis. I'd use an exclamation point here but I don't want to mislead you. I have no idea who the hell this guy is. The fact that I'd never heard of him before a week ago is not a good sign in my book.

4. I can't wait to hear Randy Lerner tell us how great he is for managing to wrangle a coach that nobody else seemed to want to touch with a 10 foot pole. And way to do your due dilligence and interview everyone before making a rash decision Randy. God forbid we don't have a coach in place for the Super Bowl.

5. I'm thrilled that we've hired another coach with no media skills to keep the tradition of Belichick, Davis, and Crennel alive. Get ready for a few more years of being talked down to at awesome press conferences Cleveland fans and media.

6. Sadly, my dream of Kirk Ferentz becomming our new coach has been shattered. How does a struggling NFL franchise just ignore a perfectly medoicore big-ten coach!? Your guess is as good as mine. I thought the move had Browns written all over it.

If you couldn't tell, I'm bitter today. You better not lose tonight Cavs. Read the rest of this article

What They Are Saying

Looking for articles about Cleveland sports. Surf no further. Here is a summary of what the national news pundits are saying about Cleveland so that together we may praise them or deride them as elitist assholes

J.A. Adande thinks Dwyane Wade may be the best in the world after Tuesday's defeat of the Cavs. While I do not agree with him, I do not have a problem with his assertion. However, one of J.A.'s points is that Wade is the only one of the current greats who has single-handedly won a championship. Yeah, that Shaq guy never has been an impact player, and Kobe's second fiddle must have been Derek Fisher. The last time I checked Lebron was the only one who had to score 25 straight points just to make it to the finals. Basically, my point is that Adande is on Around the Horn and therefore is wrong.

Would the Celtics sabotage their chances of winning back to back titles? Apparently, it is a possibility.

A Clevelander writing for SI dreams of the unthinkable: a Cleveland championship. He discusses his hope that the Cavs will bring Cleveland a championship. It contains an brief history of the Cavs lack of success since their inception.

Tim Kurkijian thinks the Tribe might bounce back this season after a disappointing 2008. With an improved bullpen and the return of Victor Martinez and a hopefully rejuvenated Travis Hafner, he may be right. The starters look shaky, but since the days of John Hart, the Indians have always been strong when their bullpen is strong. Also, I can't say that I dislike their possible starting lineup. They could score a lot of runs, especially if Pronk has truly recovered.

SI thinks Scott Pioli will end up being the Browns GM.

What is the best head coaching position open in the NFL? Pete Prisco at cbs.sportsline.com thinks it is the Cleveland job. He thinks that the Browns could get good quickly with talent like Brady Quinn, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Joe Thomas, and Eric Wright. I gotta disagree, but everyone has a right to his opinion (<=this is not actually true. I am just trying to be nice.) Also, I doubt any head coach wants to coach the Browns because of Eric Wright.

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Browns, Cavs Thoughts

1.  So Bill Cowher said no huh.  Honestly, I'm not so sure that's such a bad thing.  As much as I think Cowher is a very solid football coach, if you look at recent history, the whole coach/gm thing doesn't usually work out too well.  

2.  I don't profess to know the first thing about Scott Pioli.  However, I will say this:  I would much rather a guy coming from an NFL front office pick the next head coach than an owner who knows nothing about football and hasn't exactly shown any great ability to evaluate coaching or management talent (and yes, I'm well aware that Savage picked the last coach but Savage was also an evil villain sent here to destroy the Browns).

3.  I'm not in favor of keeping Chuds on as OC.  If you bring in a new GM, you have to let him pick his coach.  By the same token, if you hire a new coach, he has to be able to pick his staff.  It just isn't fair to handicap a new regime with leftovers from the one that just failed.  

3a.  By the way, if Chudzinski is fired, that's another $9 million that Lerner will be spending to pay a guy to go away.  Let this be a lesson to you Mr. Lerner and all other owners out there:  There is NO reason to give guys extensions when they're already under contract, especially when such extensions are based on one good year.  Nothing in sports makes less sense than the unspoken rule that coaches can't be asked to coach through the final year of their contracts before getting a new one.  I'm pretty sure making a guy coach for a new contract isn't going to scare off any recruits.

4.  Don't be surprised if the Cavs lose tomorrow night.  They're just in a rut right now with no offensive ball movement.  It's hard to watch but it happens.  They will snap out of it eventually but probably not before at least one more loss before Boston.  

5.  I laughed a little bit when I saw that the Celtics blew a lead to a Golden State team playing with about half of its already terrible roster, but then I realized that the Cavs just eeked out a victory at home over the Wiz.  Moreover, they are bound to lose a couple of road games to terrible teams this year.  The season is just too long to make it through all the cupcake games unscathed.  

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Savage Fired: Browns Fans Rejoice

Adios Phil,

The horrible reign of Phil Savage has finally come to an end according to the Plain Dealer and profootballtalk.com. For the Browns, it's the first positive step the organization has taken in over a year. Tomorrow, we can expect the second domino to fall when Romeo gets his walking papers.

Credit Randy Lerner for putting friendship and money aside and doing what had to be done. You can't instill leadership or accountability in an organization when the man at the top of it displays neither.

The final grades on Savage are:

Draft: C-

Free Agency: C+

Coaching Hires: F

Media Relations: F

Player Management: F

He leaves quite the legacy.

I'm currently taking bets on whether or not the Browns will botch the Rooney Rules during the new coaching search process.

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Heads Will Roll ... But How Far?

As the Browns close out yet another sickening display of offensive ineptitude in a game which I'm admittedly only half watching because a) I value my time and b) I value my happiness, everyone knows that changes are coming - both at the head coaching position and possibly at GM. However, before Browns fans can sit back and delude themselves with the familiar comfort of "hope", this report has surfaced from ESPN and the Plain Dealer, indicating that both Crennel and Savage might return to the Browns next season in differing capacities.

According to varying reports, it's possible that Crennel may return next season as the defensive coordinator, whereas Savage might return in a scouting capacity. The fact that either could possibly return in any capacity evidences the problem with current Brown leadership. Cleaning house requires removing the "dirt." Hiding our dust under the rug doesn't solve anything - the problems caused by their lack of capabilities remain.

I know Crennel was supposedly a defensive mastermind while with the Patriots. But look at the Browns defense under his leadership:

• In 2005, the Browns were 16th in yds allowed per game and 11th in pts allowed.

• In 2006, the Browns were 27th in yds allowed per game and 22nd in pts allowed.
  

• In 2007, the Browns were 30th in yds allowed per game and 21st in pts allowed.
  

• This season, before the Steelers game, the Browns were 26th in yds allowed per game and 14t in pts allowed.
  

So Crennel, our defensive genius of a head football coach, has actually made our defense progressively worse, while being given better talent in his time here. And this is the individual we want to put in charge as defensive coordinator? Look, by all accounts Crennel is a nice guy, but he has obviously failed as a head coach and I don't want him around this Browns team in any capacity next season. I severely question his decision-making (running a 3-4 defense when we clearly lack the linebackers to do so), his clock management, and his ability to control the large personalities on this team.

Now, moving Savage into a scouting position would make some sense if I thought for a moment that he would accept such a reduced role. Let's face it, GMs all have egos - large ones. They control a team's destiny, and in the end, believe that they know what's the best course for success. As stated in the ESPN article, "Savage has said that power is the reason he came to Cleveland three years ago from Baltimore, where he was the Ravens' director of player personnel." I don't think Savage would be able or willing to swallow his pride, sit back, and allow someone else to take this team where he couldn't get it.

That, coupled with some questionable decisions made by Savage himself this season (the Winslow debacle, the e-mail debacle, and the failure to address a 3rd WR) would lead me to believe that Savage will be shown the door as well in the coming weeks. While Savage has made some shrewd moves in bringing in Shaun Rogers and improving the offensive line, he has also mortgaged some of our future draft picks to acquire the likes of Beau Bell and Martin Rucker, neither of who even saw meaningful playing time this season (though I hold out hope for both them). Savage appears on the cusp of being a capable GM, but I'm tired of suffering through the learning pains with him.

While I don't fault Randy Lerner for considering all his options, the writing has been on the wall for awhile here. Both Crennel and Savage failed in their jobs to bring a winner to Cleveland. Last January, Lerner gave Crennel an extension through the 2011 season, worth nearly $12 million, to reward him for the team's surprise performance of last season. Crennel promptly showed us that the turn around happened in spite of him, not because him. It's time for the Browns to cut their losses, admit their mistake and move on in a new direction. Browns fans, say it in unison with me now, "There's always next year." Read the rest of this article

Knowing When to Cash In

Earlier this week on Mike and Mike, there was a discussion about knowing when to "cash in" on a player - trading him when his value was highest in the eyes of other teams, but right before his performance falls off the proverbial cliff. The discussion focused on the San Diego Chargers' decision to allow RB Michael Turner to leave as a free agent and sign with the Atlanta Falcons this season, in light of his superior performance to LaDainian Tomlinson. Also addressed was the New England Patriot's upcoming decision with super-sub Matt Cassel and the pending return of All-American dreamboat, Tom Brady.

While I detest the concept of dealing in hypotheticals, what-ifs and revisionary history, in light of the Browns Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn decision last year (rinse and repeat this offseason) and the Kellen Winslow/Martin Rucker situation brewing, I felt that this was something worth examining.


Initially, any argument that could have been made in keeping Turner and moving LT seems laughable at best. LaDainian had over 1900 total yds last season, averaged more than a touchdown per game, and was the consensus number one fantasy pick in almost every neighborhood draft. Turner, on the other hand, rushed for only a little more than 300 yds and 1 Td last year, mostly against defenses in the 4th quarter worn out from missing tackles against Tomlinson earlier in the game. To guess that Turner would do well this season wouldn't have been a stretch, but to predict that Turner would out-LT LT this season would have required Marty McFly's Gray's Sports Almanac from Back to the Future II. Not to mention that had Chargers GM A.J. Smith even entertained an idea of trading LaDainian prior to the season, he would have been torn to shreds by both the fans and the media. Though it has now become the trend, rather than the exception, for star running backs to start breaking down as soon as they hit 30, keeping LT and letting Turner walk was the right decision.

The Brady/Cassel situation is not so clear cut. The Patriots mantra to this point has been that no one player is bigger than the team. Gone are Deion Branch, Asante Samuel and Ty Law, all replaced with cheaper alternatives. But now that Tom Brady, face and leader of the Patriots, has been forced to the sidelines for the season with his knee injury, Matt Cassel has emerged from the shadows in a Bradyesque fashion. In fact, Cassel in his first season starting (3,615 yds, 21 tds and 11 ints through 15 games) has outperformed Brady in his first season (2,843 yds, 18 tds and 12 ints in 15 games). Granted, Brady did not have the benefit of throwing to Randy Moss and was taking over a vastly different team. But the question remains, would it make sense to try to move Brady for "hypothetically" two number first round draft picks, while signing Cassel to a contract at a much reduced rate than what Brady is currently getting?

Knowing that the same people who would chastise a GM for trading LT would be about ten times more upset for trading Brady, the idea of clearing cap space and filling several holes at once has
to appeal to a coach like Bill Belichick (who seems to believe he put any player into any role and have it succeed). While it's just as likely that Cassel is a product of the Patriots system (a la any Denver Broncos running back), and is more likely to turn out to be the next Scott Mitchell than Brady - GMs are paid to pull the trigger and make decisions in the best interest of the team winning both presently and in the future, even when potentially unpopular. Mark Shapiro knew this when he made the widely hated move to trade Bartolo Colon for Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips - now considered to be the pinnacle acquisition of his career.

Phil Savage had the opportunity to make such a splash and cash in on Derek Anderson's success last season - trading him after his surprising performance and handing over the reigns to Brady Quinn. While the difference between Anderson and Quinn is not nearly as big as the difference between Brady and Cassel - Savage had the chance to move Anderson when his value was as high as it ever was going to be - filing several holes at once. Instead, Savage made the decision to keep Anderson (which I agreed with at the time - and still do to some extent - perhaps why I'm not the GM) forcing the Browns into uncomfortable situation of having gone from a team with two potential solid quarterbacks, to a team unaware of the full capabilities of either at the position.

Even worse, it has become almost impossible to move Anderson during this offseason unless the team is willing to receive 50 cents on the dollar, accepting a far inferior pick than what they would have received for Anderson last year. Essentially, Savage has taken his giant stack of chips, cut it an half and now has to decide if he's willing to go all-in and pick up Anderson's pricey $5 million dollar option in March.

Ironically, Savage has the opportunity to learn from his past mistake and move Kellen Winslow during the offseason (assuming Savage remains as GM). Despite playing below his Pro Bowl level of last season, Kellen remains an attractive option to other teams looking for a play maker at tight end. His value remains nearly as high as it ever has been. When healthy, Kellen has shown that he is among the leagues elite at the tight end position. Teams see the strife that has arisen between Winslow and the Browns and know that they have the potential to "steal" a quality player from us.

However, these teams might be blinded to the fact the Winslow might have already fallen off the cliff. With the combined effects of the motorcycle accident, the broken leg and this year's staph scare, one has to wonder how much longer Kellen has in him. Added with Kellen's desire to get a new contract - moving Winslow now might be the best thing for the team for the long term. Even if Kellen has one or two more standout years in him - the tight end position remains among the deepest on the Browns, with Heiden, Rucker and Dinkins. Turning Winslow's perceived value into several other valuable players benefits in the Browns more so in the long run. Especially if Rucker turns out to be the pass catching tight end he is advertised to be. (I also don't think the drop between Heiden and Winslow would be as drastic as some might think).

While, trading Winslow would not be as unpopular move as trading LT or Brady would be, it obviously could result in fan backlash (like during the Colon trade). Winslow plays hard whenever he's actually out on the field and he makes big receptions. However, if a team were willing to give us a second and a fifth rounder for Winslow, like the Saints gave up to acquire Shockey, I'd have to think long and hard about making such a move. While it might not be Sizemore and Lee - the Browns need to think about filing some holes on the defensive side of the ball.

In a league like an NFL, when stars turn into veterans who cannot latch on to a team in the span of a season (Shaun Alexander) and nobodies step up to become MVPs (Kurt Warner) - pulling the trigger at the right point can be the difference between a 10 win season and a 4 win season. Savage, or whoever is the GM of the Browns next season needs to maximize our stack - multiply our chips and make the moves to get us to the top. Read the rest of this article