It's a Cleveland Thing

My Proposed Changes to Cleveland Browns Stadium

2009-12-08T21:19:00.003-05:00

It's no secret that in the decade that Cleveland Browns Stadium has been in existence, its atmosphere has paled in comparison to the predecessor that stood on the same hallowed, holy grounds near Lake Erie. Much of that is due to the less than spectacular product on the field, but some of it has to do with the way the stadium is operated. I already ranted on security a couple days ago, I'm not

C.J Spiller, Ndamukong Suh or Eric Berry? Decisions, Decisions...

2009-12-07T20:34:00.003-05:00

It's December in Cleveland and that means we're talking about the 2010 NFL Draft (my God that makes me want to get into my liquor cabinet like my dog gets into the trash when I throw out chicken wing bones...p.s. happy 9th birthday Buster!) There are three players I have pegged as my top three on my wish list so far: Eric Berry, Ndamukong (can I just call him Donkey Kong?) Suh and C.J. Spiller.

1984: The Fan Experience of Cleveland Browns Stadium

2009-12-06T20:50:00.005-05:00

Well, I went to the Browns game today. I can't say I was expecting a win, but I never expect to lose so when we do, in fact, lose, I'm still bitter. But, I was already in a sour mood before the opening kickoff due to the crappy policies of Cleveland Browns Stadium security.Let me paint the picture for you: I wasn't drunk and hadn't consumed a drop of alcohol the whole day. I was not unruly.

The Genius of Bruce Drennan

2009-12-03T21:38:00.002-05:00

In lieu of writing about such non-news stories as the Kelly Shoppach trade and Jamal Lewis being put on IR (let's be honest, folks, his career ended in 2007), I figured I'd take a different approach to Cleveland Sports today. Let's talk personalities.In 2004, many thought Bruce Drennan's career was over after he was jailed for not paying taxes on his gambling winnings (or as he calls it, his "

The Life and Times of an ESPN Cleveland Summer Intern

2009-12-01T20:06:00.006-05:00

If you've been reading this blog over summer or following me on Twitter, you'd know that this past summer I interned at ESPN Cleveland WKNR. I had a wonderful experience there over summer and I just wanted to write about it. This is not an "expose of the seedy underbelly of KNR," mainly because there is no seedy underbelly. I've received questions about what it's like to work with the people

What's so bad about Cleveland, anyway?

2009-11-30T13:13:00.003-05:00

As I've been listening to sports talk radio over the past few days, mainly the old place of unpaid employment (ESPN Cleveland), I've been hearing a common theme, mainly from Aaron Goldhammer: There's no way that anyone with any kind of established reputation would want to come be the so-called "Fooball Czar" of the Browns.And I ask this question: "Why?"Honestly, I know the Browns' track record

Off Topic: Joebees Bee Pollen Supplement Review

2009-11-27T15:46:00.004-05:00

Before I begin I want to explain some things: Yes, I was an intern at ESPN 850 WKNR over summer. Yes, Joebees is a major partner (their term for advertising client because they literally try to integrate the product into their programming, so it is a "partnership") of ESPN Cleveland. Yes, I received a free sample while I was at ESPN Cleveland. But in no way have I been compensated for writing

Off Topic: Fall 2009 Macbook Review

2009-11-25T00:54:00.011-05:00

I'm going to move off the sports path for a bit because it's my blog and I can do what I want.For years I've talked about switching to a Mac, and in all honesty I should have two years ago when my loud, hot, monstrosity of an HP desktop decided to generally go haywire. Instead I went the HP laptop route because I was lured in by the extra power for the price, not realizing the absolute disaster

Channel 19 Needs Their FCC License Revoked

2009-11-24T10:09:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have seen the previews on Channel 19, you know exactly which segment I'm referring to here. The segment on Action News called "LeBron: More Than a Mess."Now, I didn't watch this segment because I wasn't about to give Channel 19 the satisfaction of my viewership for higher ratings. But, I did read about it from Brian Windhorst (tied with Terry Pluto as the BEST columnist in

Owning Up to My Mistake

2009-11-23T18:31:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile, so I'll make this post about the most obvious subject that you'd think I'd cover.Before the Browns began their 2009 season, I held a firm belief that our team would be much improved over last season. I wasn't expecting playoffs, but I was expecting a team to play inspired, competent football that just so happened to be hampered by a lack of talent. We would be in every game

Look out, the blog will be back soon!

2009-11-18T01:12:00.002-05:00

I know some people (all two of you) may have been wondering why I mysteriously stopped posting updates to the blog.To be short, this past quarter of college has been my most demanding quarter since I was a sophomore. I couldn't keep updating as much as I wanted to, so I stopped altogether.BUT, starting next week I'll be back. And I have a ton of egg on my face based on the stuff I wrote over

Thoughts about the Browns game.

2009-08-30T12:06:00.001-04:00

I think the Titans beat themselves more than we beat the Titans...but teams will do that in the National Football League, and teams that aren't as talented but are talented/mentally capable enough to take advantage of it will win football games. Last year I don't think we cashed in on those opportunities...this year...who knows?Here's the bottom line: We went up against one of the three most

Don't hit the panic button just yet, but keep it close by.

2009-08-17T19:56:00.004-04:00

It's the preseason.I keep telling myself that -- it's the preseason. There are still kinks that need to be worked out. I keep trying to convince myself that it wasn't as ugly as I thought it was. (Unless you live under a rock, you know I'm talking about the Browns game)And you know what? IT IS THE PRESEASON. I'm not worried yet, but I have to admit there's cause for concern. The optimist in

Dolans to Tribe Fans: "Come see our bad team, maybe we'll get lucky."

2009-08-12T10:20:00.005-04:00

Ok, Dolan didn't say that. But, he might as well have.Paul Dolan granted an interview with Munch that basically opened the floodgates for the "Paul Dolan Cleveland PR Tour 2009" where Dolan is visiting practically every media outlet that will listen to explain his reasoning behind dumping payroll. Among other things, he mentions low attendance as the main reason why the Indians can't compete

Rod Woodson is an ignorant jackass, and thoughts on LeBron and the Indians

2009-08-10T20:19:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Rod Woodson (former Pittsburgh Steeler and Baltimore Raven) said a few words that were sure to rile the fur of the Dawg Pound a few miles north of the Hall. "I hope again, the voters get this right, by putting Art Modell in the Hall of Fame," Woodson said in his prepared speech. "He belongs there. You can boo him because you disagree

Thoughts from Family Day

2009-08-09T18:46:00.003-04:00

You can call me nutty and a tad obsessed, but there were 15,000 more just like me who braved the elements sitting in the sweltering, humid heat of Cleveland Browns Stadium today for the Family Day scrimmage. Honestly, it was like sitting in a sauna. I have several notes that I'd like to share with you.Highlight of the day: blonde in first row in a Browns haltertop. I don't know her but I

The Formula for a Quick Turnaround in the NFL

2009-08-08T11:08:00.002-04:00

Maybe it's the smell of fresh grass at training camp, maybe it's the hours I've spent watching Browns DVD's this week, but I'm starting to get fired up for this season. I do believe we have a chance to be successful and not be a joke like the national media is predicting us to be. Look at the Ravens, Dolphins and Falcons model of quick turnarounds…1) There’s an established base of talent (

The Ignorant Jets Fan

2009-08-07T19:20:00.002-04:00

I'll just link you to the site...I swear New York Sports fans (especially Knicks, Yankees and Jets) are some of the dumbest on the planet. They really believe their opinions are the end-all-be-all. There's a reason why knee-jerk reactions aren't very successful in sports and that's why the Jets haven't had much luck since Namath and the Giants (who retained their coach and were rewarded with a

Thoughts from Training Camp!

2009-08-05T22:40:00.001-04:00

My thoughts for those of you who didn't read my occasionally inane tweets.Anderson was with the first team tonight and he was HORRIFIC. He was holding onto the ball and would have been sacked if it were truly live situations. He missed a receiver who wasn't even being covered.Robiskie had an athletic grab on a deep ball. Then he had a ball bounce off his hands that turned into a pick.Everyone was

It's Called "Undisclosed Injury" for a Reason!

2009-08-04T20:22:00.003-04:00

This is something that bothers me, and I get to see it first hand interning in the media field. For the record, some at KNR agree with my philosophy of letting Coach Mangini run his injury policy as he sees fit. Others, however, seem to make a mini-stink about it every day.I understand why. It's a reporter's job to find out as much information as possible. The reporter wouldn't be doing a

My Heterosexual Mancrush on Coach Mangini and More: Browns Season Preview: Coaches

2009-08-02T20:25:00.003-04:00

Training camp is off and running, and I'm feeling enthusiastic about the 2009 Cleveland Browns. Why? One of the biggest reasons is the coach himself: Eric Mangini.Full disclosure: I wanted Bill Cowher. I froze my ass off at the Browns/Bengals game with a Cowher in '09 sign. I also wanted Josh McDaniels if we couldn't land Cowher due to his youth and seemingly limitless ceiling....boy am I

After Sleeping on it, I'm still angry, and Browns Preview: Secondary

2009-07-30T20:00:00.004-04:00

The Dolan family may honestly be the worst owners in sports. If you want proof outside of Cleveland, look at the New York Knicks organization (owned by the Dolans, well, the brother of the Indians Dolan but the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree...). Why would LeBron want to play for such poor ownership? Think about that one all you LeBron to NY conspiracy theorists. Today Victor

Cleveland, welcome to Minor League Baseball

2009-07-29T20:15:00.004-04:00

Before I start, let me make one thing perfectly clear: I feel horrible for those in the Indians organization who are first-class and are the best in the business at what they do and have no control over the personnel decisions of the incompetent baseball operations side of the company. Needless to say, the ownership, GM, scouting department and manager are NOT part of that group! If you’ve

My Indians Clone is Gone, and Browns Position Preview: Linebackers

2009-07-28T20:47:00.004-04:00

ABOUT THE GARKO TRADE...I'm not happy. And it's not because he was an All-Star or the fact that he was the team party animal (watch the celebrations after winning the Central Division and the Division series in 2007...he was the beer crusher), it was because some people say I resemble him when I wear baseball clothes!Ok, in all seriousness, I liked him in 2007 because it seemed like he always

Browns Position Preview: Defensive Line

2009-07-27T19:43:00.003-04:00

FULL DISCLOSURE: I liked the Browns defensive line going into last season. We all know how that turned out.HOWEVER, there's always an explanation and my explanation is this: We had solid starters and a decent rotational player, but once injuries to Corey Williams (shoulder) and Robaire Smith (achilles) occurred, we were out of luck. Shaun Smith was forced into a starting role, eliminating any