Forever A Dawg-Cleveland Browns Blog

Browns-Titans Connection

2010-02-12T03:58:00.000-08:00

In Erie, PA I have a unique view of NFL football.

As you've read in a previous blog, Erie is pretty equidistant from Cleveland, Buffalo and Pittsburgh so we have fans of all teams wandering around.

The Steelers are the evil empire to both Browns and (to a lesser extent) Bills fans and we've always shared a common bond. Both of our teams are from cold weather towns that are struggling economically and their respective teams are the center of their sports universe.

I know Cleveland has the Indians and Cavaliers and Buffalo has the Sabres but having visited both cities extensively, I can tell you that Browns/Bills football to their respective fan bases is EVERYTHING.

So, there's always been a kindred spirit there.

Lately I've been talking to a RABID Titans fan named Ellen and she knows her stuff. I've been very impressed by her sports knowledge and she loves the Titans as much as I love the Browns. She went into great detail about how she showed up at every Tennessee playoff game during their last Super Bowl run starting with "The Music City Miracle."

I could feel her pain as she was talking about how the Titans came up just short in the big game and it reminded me of how the Browns have been close but no cigar in my time as a fan.

When you think about it, both franchises have been equally star crossed (although the Titans have a tad more success since they've actually gotten to a Super Bowl).

Similarities?

-If Ellen is any indication neither fan base has any love for the Steelers. I suppose that goes back to the Luv Ya Blue Houston Oilers days when they regularly fell just short in AFC Title games to Pittsburgh. Even to this day a Titans/Steelers game is a heated affair.

-Both franchises were moved. Cleveland went to Baltimore and then was replaced with an expansion team. Houston was a gypsy for many years before settling in Tennessee.

-The 2 organizations just can't seem to find a QB lately. They get good play for a little while (Kerry Collins 2008 for Tennessee and Derek Anderson 2007 for the Browns) but mainly the position is in flux.

-Their best years always seem to be behind them. Tennessee had it's best chance to win a title with Steve McNair (R.I.P.) and Eddie George and Cleveland with Bernie Kosar and Kevin Mack/Ernest Byner.

-Both of them are usually the bridesmaid and not the bride in their own divisions. Tennessee always seems to be looking up at Indianapolis and Cleveland continually chases Pittsburgh.

I'm sure you could come up with more on your own. Maybe we as Browns fans have some more kindred spirit friends than we originally thought.

To the state of Tennessee, let me speak for Browns Nation when I say:

"WE FEEL YOUR PAIN."

The Conversation I Want To Have With My Child One Day....

2010-02-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

Let's suspend reality for a moment and assume that I had a child born this year. I'm not going to say boy or girl because rabid Browns fans come in both genders. Since I am not married, engaged or currently dating a woman that is pregnant, I'm not going to have a child born this year but please go with me on this one.

The year is 2020. My child and I are watching Browns football. They are enjoying the game as usual. Because the Browns are winning as usual. They've really never known a time when the Browns weren't good. Kind of like a child born in the 40's or 50's. They really didn't know that Browns football was anything but stellar (that is until they grew up and then experienced the 70's and beyond).

But I digress.....

My child tells me that "Wow, I just love the Browns. They're awesome. The best team ever."

Me: "Yes but I remember a time when it was painful to watch a game. They were nearly unwatchable. The offense couldn't run or pass. The defense couldn't stop anyone. They kept making bad draft choice after draft choice. Their free agents didn't usually work out and they changed management teams as often as I change socks."

Child: "No way. Coach Mangini is the best coach in the league and with Tom Heckert drafting and picking free agents, they are awesome. Plus Mr. Holmgren always keeps everyone in line."

Me: "Yeah, I remember when they were all hired. I didn't like Coach Mangini at first but I came to realize he was a good coach but just too overwhelmed when he began in 2009. He needed help from people that really knew what they were doing and Tom Heckert and Mr. Holmgren really gave him a lot of support and what he needed. The team used to struggle to win 4 or 5 games a year and they rarely beat Pittsburgh back then."

Child: "They had trouble beating Pittsburgh? That team is terrible. They never even get that stadium half filled."

Me: "Yeah, it was reversed back then. Pittsburgh was winning championships and going to the playoffs like Cleveland does now."

Child: "I don't believe you. There is NO way that Pittsburgh was any good and that the Browns were that bad. Now Daaaaadddddd.....stop talking. The Super Bowl is about to start and you know I don't like to miss anything the announcers say about the Browns."

Wouldn't that be a nice conversation to have in 2020? I may not have a child to have that conversation with in 2020 but I hope that some father and child are having that exact dialogue 10 years from now.

How sweet would that be?

It Will Be Nice To Be Rid Of Winter.....But

2010-02-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to the Super Bowl but then we don't have a meaningful football game to watch until September.

I used to get really excited for the draft and while I'm still into it, it's just not the same now that they've shifted round 3 into day #2. I used to like to start the draft at noon and then veg out in front of the TV all day on Saturday. The new format is just not the same to me but maybe I'll feel different this year.

Post Super Bowl up until game 1 of the NFL season is the worst sports time for me. I like the Indians and Cavs and I sort of like March Madness when it hits the sweet 16 and beyond, but nothing compares to meaningful Browns games. If I don't have meaningful Browns games to watch then any meaningful NFL game (outside of Steelers games) will do. Ok, if the Steelers come up on the losing end of a game they really needed, I can get into that.

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I can actually get into ANY game the Steelers lose but you get my drift.

I wish I could manufacture the same level of excitement that I get out of the Browns in specific and the NFL in general but nothing compares.

When you think about it, Colts fans have had a pretty damn good run. Playoffs? It's not a matter of whether you're going to see a playoff game as a Colts fan, its a matter of how deep your team will go.

To a certain extent Steeler fan and Patriots fan have had a similar run.

We as Browns fans? We're just hoping to see football in January.

No, our goals are simpler than that.

We want to see a game that means something in NOVEMBER.

And now we wait once again.

As happy as I'll be to get rid of the snow, I still have to navigate the spring with a brief break for the draft, the long summer, and then finally it's Browns season again.

16 games and realistically only about 7 or so have any meaning for us fans with the state of the team. What's that? A little over 2 months of football to be excited about? Throw in random news during the offseason and the draft and maybe, just maybe you can squeeze 3 months of meaning out of a Browns campaign.

It just goes to show.

Being a Browns fan is NOT for wimps.

Joe "Freaking" Thomas

2010-02-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

Ok,

Joe Thomas probably wouldn't appreciate me putting "Freaking" as his new middle name but man, it's how I feel.

Joe

FREAKING

Thomas

Not that I like to listen to Steelers generally, but when OLB James Harrison said that Joe Thomas was the toughest O. lineman he faced then I took notice. After all, Harrison was the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the year.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com does a nice job of talking about Thomas' attributes here so I won't go into anymore for the purposes of this blog but wow, I think the Browns might have at least one building block in place.

And it's a big one.

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Having a guy that is an all-pro and 3x pro bowler in his first 3 years in the league is HUGE, especially at such an important position like LT.

Former GM Phil Savage did do a nice job in not trying to reach for Brady Quinn at that #3 spot in 2007 or even take an Adrian Peterson there.

As nice as Peterson has been for the Vikings, and don't get me wrong, he's been a big part of their success, Minnesota was able to take him because they already had LT locked down with Bryant McKinnie.

I know the Browns have a ton of holes. They likely need another RB, RG/RT, extra DL, TE, OLB, ILB, S, CB and probably QB but at least you can point at LT and say...

DONE.

You at least have hope that the team can turn around at some point when you can look at your offensive line and say "Hey...we have an all-pro and possible future Hall of Famer at LT."

That's something the Browns can build on for sure.

Let's hope that free agency and 11 picks in the 2010 draft starts to yield some of those pieces that the Browns can put around....

JOE "FREAKING" THOMAS.

Wandering Around The Mock Drafts

2010-01-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find yourself wandering around Google (or your favorite search engine) this time of year looking for "NFL mock drafts?" Specifically NFL mock drafts about the Cleveland Browns?

I'm such a geek because I get excited if I find a mock that contains more than one round. Two rounds? Awesome! Three rounds? Brew the coffee and settle in!

Of course, even the first round mocks are a stretch of logic this year. 2nd round and beyond? Guess time!

I guess as a Browns fan, I've become conditioned to get more excited about the offseason than the season itself.

What trades will they make? What free agents will fall to them? How is the team going to improve (on paper) this offseason?

I must admit I was NOT excited over last year's offseason because I felt that the combination of a rushed Mangini/Kokinis band aid following a horrible Crennel/Savage swan song was the recipe for a VERY POOR 2009 season no matter what they did.

Unfortunately, I was right.

But I'm back to my normal level of excitement this offseason.

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Will we see some of Heckert's Philly draft magic come to Cleveland? What will Holmgren do about the QB's? Are there going to be major trades involving Corey Williams, Shaun Rogers or both? Will they install a West Coast Offense? Are they going to package players and picks to move up for a marquee QB or defender? How will the 2011 uncertainty impact what they're planning?

Questions, questions, questions.

When you think about it, football is nothing more than entertainment and it doesn't get any more entertaining for Browns fans than the offseason.

That is, until Holmgren and Heckert can (hopefully) put their mark on the franchise and we end up with some fan excitement DURING the season.

Now, that would be something I haven't experienced for a long time.

Holmgren, Mangini and Cribbs

2010-01-30T04:05:00.000-08:00

"Five Years" is the two words that keep playing in my head.

5 years, of course, is the length of the Mike Holmgren contract. He has 5 years (maybe less) to prove that he is the "serious, credible, leader" that owner Randy Lerner sought after the team was reeling following the Chicago game. Now he's here and Browns Nation largely seems excited because many folks seem to feel that while Holmgren has never been in a "Czar-Type" role like he is here, he still is someone that has been there, done that and is the right man to lead the Browns back to respect. I didn't care whether or not he retained Mangini and I don't care what he does about Cribbs.

Did I have my opinion on Mangini? Do I have one on Cribbs?

Yes.

But I'm taking more of a overall "give Holmgren his 5 years" approach. When you bring an "expert" in of the caliber of Holmgren you just get out of his way and let him implement things as he sees fit. Keep Mangini and his coaching staff? Sure. Play hardball or not with Cribbs? OK. The die was cast on this team being molded in a different way once Randy Lerner uttered the words "serious, credible, leader."

Mike Holmgren obviously saw and heard enough to give Mangini and his coaching staff one more run at it. For whatever reason, at the moment, he doesn't think that Cribbs is worth what Cribbs and his agents think he's worth. That's his call because for all intents and purposes, from a football standpoint, this is HIS team.

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Do I agree with these 2 moves? I'm on the fence about the Mangini decision. The team looked good the last 4 games while looking completely inept the first 12 (yes, I feel that the Buffalo win was still inept). Did the light go on for the coaching staff and team? Or will they revert back to ineptness? We've seen this before. Whenever it looks like the Browns are going to turn the corner and make a serious long term run, they regress. Remember 2003 after the playoff run of 2002? Remember the 2008 season after 2007's 10-6 mark? However, the past doesn't equal the future. I hope not.

As far as Cribbs goes, he's only scratched the surface as to how the team could utilize him. Putting aside his kick returning abilities for the moment (which are the greatest in NFL history), let's talk about how he runs, or specifically how he RUNS OVER people. He is like a freight train when he gets into the open field and there are a lot of ways that Mangini and his staff could use him. In fact, with no Josh Cribbs on the roster, there is no 4 game win streak at the end of the year and Eric Mangini is probably looking around to see if there are any defensive coordinator openings.

I don't have a problem with Cribbs renegotiating his contract. That's his right. Football players are all 1 play away from their career being over. If he feels he's worth more and the team will pay him, then so be it. Teams don't have a problem with getting rid of a guy when he's no longer productive and not paying the non guaranteed portion of his deal, so why shouldn't a player try to get as much as possible if his market value goes up?

I do understand that you are potentially opening up a can of worms whereby other players might want to come in and redo their deals but it is what it is. Josh Cribbs market value has GONE UP whether the team wants to pay it or not. It's up to Mike Holmgren whether or not he wants to pay the additional money it's probably going to take to retain Cribbs.

That brings me back to what I originally said about "5 years."

Holmgren has got several decisions to make in a short amount of time. He's already decided on Mangini. Cribbs will come to a resolution one way or the other soon. There will be many others. Some will sit well with fans. Some won't. Doesn't matter. This is now Holmgren's team. This is now his chance to implement his plan to get the Browns to the Super Bowl. I say, leave him alone to do it. We don't really have a choice anyway, right?

Sorry About The Ads!

2010-01-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

There's a certain team's ads being fed by my ad feed that Browns fans can't stand above any other team.

I'm loathe to mention the name of the team or it's City because then my site will get crawled and I'll get more of those ads!

In my first post of this blog, I mentioned how much I love the Cleveland Browns and how much I can't stand that team (the one the Browns kept out of the playoffs).

Of course since I mentioned my hometown a number of times and since my hometown is in the same state as that team, I think the robot or spider or webbie thingamajig (whatever its tech term is) assumed it was a blog about THAT team.

It is not as you know.

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To be clear...

I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.

Here's hoping the webbie thingamajig gives me Browns, Browns, Browns, Browns ads (I figure if I mention Browns enough it will give me Browns ads because this is a Browns blog for Browns fans and Browns fans can't stand THAT team).

Maybe instead of writing Browns a million times I should get my butt into some webbie thingamajig manuals and find out how to program my ads, which I guess I can do.

Ok, I'll do that.

In the meantime....
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.
I love the Cleveland Browns.

:)

Browns QB Situation

2010-01-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this by saying...

I am not a card carrying member of the Brady Quinn fan club and I fully recognize how pathetic the Browns were at the game's most important position (QB as you well know).

However.

I am not in the "let's get a new QB right NOW" camp as many Browns fans are.

No one will convince me that Quinn is still not a rookie QB. I know he will be entering his 4th season in the league but the guy has appeared in less than a full season of games as a starter.

In 2007 he held out and Derek Anderson lit it up. He was largely on the bench. 2008 saw a back and forth between him and D.A. as the Browns completely collapsed on offense. The season that was just completed? Another mess offensively and it was compounded by a rookie offensive coordinator.

You can point to other rookies such as Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Mark Sanchez and Big Ben as guys that came in as rookies and succeeded but what was the one theme they all had?

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Their teams committed to them FULLY. Flacco and Big Ben because of injuries and Sanchez and Ryan because they were the best options.

Quinn?

Not so much.

I've always gotten the sense that he is put in sometimes more as a PR move for the team as opposed to anyone thinking he can lead the team to victory.

Maybe he can't be the long term solution in Cleveland. Maybe Holmgren, the guru of QB's will see nothing redeeming in him.

I'm willing to accept that.

I'm not willing to call for a new QB on January 28th, 2010 before that process is complete.

I don't say that Quinn is the guy but I do say that I'm not willing to call him finished after less than a season on the field to prove himself in Cleveland.

I think it's more than fair that we wait this out.

Why I love the Cleveland Browns

2010-01-27T03:23:00.001-08:00

I'm 41 (nearly 42) and have been a Browns fan since I can remember. I've suffered through "The Drive," "The Fumble," "Red Right 88," "The Move," "The Carmen Policy Era," "The Butch Davis Era," "Crennel/Savage," and many more heartbreaks and frustrations.

To further complicate my existence as a Browns fan (as if the events above aren't enough to drive anyone crazy) I live in Erie, PA.

To save you the trouble of going to a map, Erie, PA is the in NW corner of Pennsylvania and we are about 1 hour and 20 minutes from downtown Buffalo, 1 hour and 30 minutes from downtown Cleveland and about 2 hours and 15 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh.

Why should any of that matter?

Let me tell you...

The NFL considers us a "Bills market" so ANYTIME the Bills are away the local CBS affiliate is obligated to show Bills games, which are about as exciting to me as watching clothes spin around a dryer.

The NFL insists on this practice even though there are more Browns and Steelers fans in Erie, PA than Bills fans (even though Buffalo is closer this town is a Browns/Steelers town).

I often get forced out to bars to watch Browns games where there usually are plenty of, you guessed it, Steeler fans watching their game.

Steeler fan in Erie, PA can be pretty brutal. I should know. I'm friends with many of them.

They LOVE to wave their Super Bowl rings in my face (even though they don't really own a ring themselves, they talk about it like they do--hmm...wonder if they're hidden in their house somewhere).

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They LOVE to talk about how bad the Browns are compared to the Steelers and they smirk at me anytime they ask me how many playoff games the Browns have won in 20 years.

I was able to get some measure of revenge when the Browns essentially knocked the Steelers out of the playoffs earlier this season.

....didn't get much response. Erie, PA Steeler fan can give it but they can't take it (at least in my circle of friends).

I still had fun.

Lots of fun.

At any rate, that's me. More to come.