Bleacher Report - Articles by Greg Cooksey

Bucket Full of Buckeyes: The New Breed

Greg Cooksey — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:21:40 -0400

It is just a little more then a week left before Jim Tressel and company hit the practice field for fall practice . With the old faces that you have become familiar with over the past few years now gone, you may wondering who it will be to step up and fill the roles left by others.

So in this very first edition of Bucket Full Of Buckeyes we will give you some names that you can look for came Saturday this fall.

There's A New Breed In Town

This fall there will be no Malcom Jenkins, James Laurinites, Brian Hartline, Marcus Freemen, Brian Robiskie, Todd Boeckmen, Beenie Wells, etc. So will the Buckeyes miss any of the guys in this past group of players? Maybe.

That certainly does not mean that the current team does not have it's own core group of exciting players and difference makers on it. The Buckeyes will have some familiar faces, but for the most part a very new look.

Here are some players to keep an eye on during fall practice and into the regular season.

On Offense

Terrelle Pryor: Yeah he is an obvious pick but the success of the offense really is going to depend on him. The Buckeyes need him to continue to be able to use his abilities to dominate defenses.

He must also show the ability to have a short memory. He needs to learn why he made the mistake and then move forward on the next play or set of downs I am also anxious to see how well he has improved with his throwing has become. He had a phenomenal spring game so hopeful that will continue as the season starts.

Pryor took up the sport of golf to help his confidence this summer and some think that it has really helped him with his improvement. Cleveland Indians fans may remember a saying during the mid-'90s pertaining to Kenny Lofton that, "As Lofton goes, so go the Indians."

In other words, how he started a game usually set a tone for the Indians since he was the lead off hitter. That will also be true for Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes this season. He wants to be a leader for the team, now he will get his chance. Let's see how he can embrace the undertaking.

De Vier Posey: He was some what stuck behind Brian Robiskie and Hartline, last season, how ever when the ball was thrown to him he made an impact. This year he should start for the Buckeyes and is my pick to be a break out candidate. He is fast, can run good routes, stretch the field, and is a deep threat as well.

Dane Sanzenbacher may have a edge on him for the No. 1 receiver job since he was the Buckeyes leading receiver last season. Regardless, listen for Posey's name plenty of times this season.

Jake Ballard: I know that throwing to the tight end is not something that Jim Tressel has done a lot of in the past, however, if a spread offense is going to work then he has to get the tight end involved.

If Tressel does decide to use the tight end more then Jake Ballard will be a difference maker. He is a big target and has playmaking abilities necessary to keep pressure of the wide outs. Look for him on the field this year.

Offensive linemen: While what Terrelle Pryor does is going to set the tone for the team it is the offensive line that is going to determine how effective Pryor is going to be. Micheal Brewster, Mike Adams, JB Shugarts, and in coming transfer Justin Boren are all going to have to provide Pryor with the time and protection.

Staying healthy is going to be a big key for these guys this season because the unit was really banged up last year. Also Brewster, Adams, and Shugarts were all part of a package that was a premiere group of O-linemen they need to play like it.

On Defense

Kurt Colemen: He has been a solid player through out his tenure with the Buckeyes, now he will be looked upon for leadership and will should play the part.

He ran a lot of the team summer workouts and drills since coaches are not allowed to participate until August 10. He did a great job. He is a big playmaker on the field, is he Malcom Jenkins? No, look for big things from him though.

Thadeas Gibson: The guys is a monster. He is huge, strong, and just about everything else you want in a D-lineman. Gibson had a great freshman campaign causing a lot of problems O-linemen and getting into the backfield a lot. An improved version of him is a scary thought but some thing I look forward to seeing.

Tyler Moholler: This kid is very versatile. He is also speedy and can make plays with the best of them. He can really come up with a big hit too!

Devon Torrance: He has played minor league baseball in the past for the Houston Astros organization. This summer committed himself to football only and many feel you will see put up a serious fight for the No. 2 cornerback spot.

Ross Homan: Big linebacker who is quick and strong. One of the things that really impressed me when I saw him at the spring game a few years back is his ability to run down a quarterback and get into the back field.

Cameron Heyward- He is in his junior year and has made plays during his whole career at Ohio State no reason he won't this year either.

I am sure that there are some players that I have left off but these are the one's that came to mind when I sat down to write this. If anyone who thinks someone I left off should be part of this list feel free to add them. I won't be insulted or offended at all.

Spanning Browns Town: The Most Wonderful Time of Browns Fans' Year

Greg Cooksey — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:01:38 -0400

Well Cleveland sports fans, you have been through another tough year for Cleveland sports. There was another playoff disappointment with the Cavs and wash away of a baseball season with the Indians.

Congratz to you! So what is your reward? You get to see some of the most asked questions about the new era of your favorite football team answered.

Cleveland Browns training camp 2009 is upon us. There are many questions to be answered with this team so it promises to be a very interesting one.

Let's take a look at some of the storylines going into this year's camp. Well, the ones I will be paying particular attention to at least.

Derek Anderson vs. Brady Quinn

Towards the end of last season, we were lead to believe by former head coach Romeo Crennel that Brady Quinn would be the starter of this football team. Then, Crennel was given the axe.

Enter new head caoch Eric Mangini who declared open competition for the job. So now all you fans who just could not get enough of the Tim Couch vs. Kelly Holcomb angle, here is a brand new QB controversy just for you. Or something like that at least.

Last season Brady wowed all of us with a terrific performance in week 9. Then, he sustained an injury in his next game in which he looked mediocre at best. He of course then played hurt the next game.

Also do not forget that last season was for the most part Anderson's sophomore year. Not many athletes have great second seasons and Anderson was no exception.

This will be a make-or-break camp for him with this team anyways. That is not to say that he could not catch on somewhere else if he does not make it here. Believe me, he will not be here if he does not win the starting job this camp.

Remember, it was just a couple years ago Anderson made the Pro Bowl as an alternate after throwing for 29 touchdowns in 2007. He should be given every chance to prove he can return to that form and keep his job.

Here are some of my observations about both DA and Brady.

What I have noticed about Brady from exhibition games and the few regular season games is this. Brady seems to look natural at the position. He maintains his cool regardless of how pathetic the guys blocking for him may be.

He also has a good grasp for what an opponent's defense tries to do and has the ability to make appropriate adjustments before the ball is snapped.

He may not have a strongest or the most accurate arm, however, he can move around in the pocket and make things happen with his feet.

His ability to keep calm allows him to make smart decisions and throws. Finally (and this is the biggest difference to me) with Quinn not only does the ball get moved at a smoother pace, the offense scores touchdowns.

As far as Anderson goes, sure he has leadership qualities just not the one's Quinn possesses. He can sustain long drives, and while some of those drives have resulted in touchdowns, most of the them end with field goals, and that's if the offense scores at all.

He does not seem to be able to make adjustments on the fly and he seems to get jumpy which results in poor decision making, and as a result of poor decisions the ball ends up on the ground a lot or in the hands of a defender. He is also not very mobile and cannot aviod sacks on his own.

This battle will be long and will most likely come down to the last practice before a decision is made. The job will go to whoever can show the ability to move the ball down field, can make the best adjustments, and can lead the team on the field. Scoring touchdowns should play a big part in Mangini's evaluation process as well.

For reasons already mentioned, I think Quinn has the edege. but Anderson will have every opportunity to show us why he is still worthy of being the starter of this team.

Wide Receiver Battle

One thing that we do know about this posistion is that desipte Braylon Edwards lack luster season he will still be one of the starters. Braylon had a season to for get last year as he dropped way more then his fair share of passes and had a sour adittude towards the end of the season. He still stands as a source for big play making, he has recommitted himself this season and vows to return to his 2007 form. Only time will tell how that will play out but for now Braylon will get a starting spot.

Gone are Joe Jurevicius and most likely Donte Stallworth. This leaves the question who will start next to Braylon?. This is could be one of the deepiest area's on the team. There are a vast array of options but there are at least two senarios that seem to make the most sense.

One of those senario's would be putting Joshua Cribbs along side Braylon, why not? He has explosive speed and with a few exceptions could out run most cornerbacks and safties in the NFL. He is very athletic. He can catch the football which would make him very useful on third down and other situations in whcih the Browns would really need someone in the game to catch the ball. This may seem basic but if you have watched the Browns at all over the past few years you know that catching the football is something that they are anemic at. No pun intended.

Eric Mangini has said that Cribbs will get a look at reciever during camp, however there has also been talk about him playing other roles as well perhaps at the DB. If that happens then that would open the door for rookie Brian Robiskie to get a look at the 2 reciever spot.

Ohio State Buckeye fans know Robiskie as a very reliable reciever. He is considered the most NFL ready of all the rookie recievers and many where surprised when the Miami Dolphins chose to pass on him even though he was on the board when they picked late in the first round of this years draft. Robiskie is an excellent route runner he also has the size and the speed to make things difficult for opposing teams DB's. He is also a deep threat that can stretch the field. His back ground of having a father that coached the posistion and helped him study it also helps. All of this makes Robiskie my personal favorite to land the job. He has all the tools to be a starter in the NFL, he will have to prove that during camp. I think he will.

Even if Robiskie can not make the roster as a starter still look for him to play a big role in the Browns offense.

Former Georgia stand out Mohamed Massaquoi is also in the mix. He had a excellent career at one of college football's most prestigous programs recently and could figure to have some role to play in the Browns offensive scheme this year.

Then you have the veterans David Patton and Mike Furry. Both are probably on the downs side of thier careeers. Nethier are very flashy. What they can do is catch the football and provide some much needed leadership that the team lacked so much this past season. Patton is in his second tour of duty with the Browns and almost gave football up entierly after last season. He still feels like he can help a team and like he has some gas in the tank though so we will so how things shape up for him.

Furry is coming from a awful Detroit Lions team. He can still be productive and play a big part in this offense. Just don't expect a total revival of his career here. He was one of Detroit's better recivers so he is a good add.

Syndric Steptoe could also get some looks although he will mostly lkely be no more then a special teamer. Guys like Paul Hubbard and Lance Legget who where on the practice squad last season will get a chance but don't expect a lot from them. Jordan Norwood a undrafted rookie signee could play some what of a wild card but will probably be on the practice squad if he makes the team at all.

Linebackers

Another very deep posistion on this team. It looks to start like you will see Kamerion Wimbley and Alex Hall as your outside linebackers while D'Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton start on the inside. Look for a Rob Ryan and Eric Mangini do a lot of shuffeling and moving the players around in order to maximize what this unit can do and play to it's strengths.

This will be a very telling year for Kamerion Whimbley. He really needs to show that he can be consistiant and provide the outside pass rush that the Browns saw when he drafted him. I have heard talk of the moving him around which makes me wonder if the Browns plan on using him the same way that the Steelers use Jerome Harrison. It could be a good idea since he has the speed burst to evade most left tackle's. It will be intresting to see how they can transform him and get him to be the best he was meant to be.

Eric Barton and D'Qwell Jackson have been working out together and have bonded so hopefully that will translate to good things happening from the middle linebacker slot's. Last year Jackson was the unoffical leader in tackles 154 total 95 solo tackles and he helped out with 59.. Eric Barton was also amoung the leaders for tackles last season finishing 14th with 119 all together 93 of which where his own and he assisted with 26 of them. That's a lot of tackels and hopefully they will be able behind a revamped defensive line to get even more, especially behind the line of scrimmage. Their big task will be stoping the running game and working teams into must throw situations. Jackson insists that Barton is making him better at his posistion so I would expect to see a lot of improvement from him.

If Barton and Jackson can stop the run then they will be able to get the most out of Barton's teamate with the Jets David Bowens. Bowens is a pass rusher by trait so that will help Kamrion Wimbley out. He is very versatile and could also be used agianst the run if Jackson or Barton are not getting the job done, or when one of them needs a break. Bowens is already a solid player so I would expect to see good productive things from him.

Leon Williams seems to be forgotten about in all of this as well. He is a fourth year player out of the University of Miami. He is big, fast and strong and if the Browns want to attack like they say they do on defense he could be very valuable. It will also be intresting to see what last years fourth round pick Beau Bell is able to do. He was hurt for most of last year so this will pretty much be his rookie year.

Also look for another one of the Browns second round picks from this year's draft David Veikune to be in the plans of Rob Ryan as well.

Defensive Backs

Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright must continue to show improvement this season. Both of them had highlight real moments for plays that they made, they also had some for the assignments that they blew as well. They should both benefit from having veterans like Corey Ivy, Hank Poteat, and Rod Hood with them. They will have a tough task in the first few weeks of the season though as they will be going up elite recievers such as Chad Ochocinco, Terrel Owens, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royals, Lee Evans, Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward. If they struggle they could be replaced by one of the others.

Don Carey who was a sixth round pick of the Browns looked good in the spring and could get involved some how if McDonald or Wright struggle. Coy Francise who was also taken by the Browns in the sixth round of this years draft has the hieght and athleticisim to be succesful at the CB spot but that will most likely be sometime down the road.

This will be Brodney Poole's second year of starting for at the free saftey . Poole is in his fith year so he should be ready to make a big impact on this unit and be a big leader. Ofcourse like anyone else the key to Poole's succes will be to stay healthy as he did struggle with some injury problems early on in his career, he has been healthy the past two seasons. Last season Poole managed 3 int's and had 65 total tackles 26 of which where for loss. Pretty respectable numbers and it shows that he is making plays.

Gone is Poole's fellow saftey Shaun Jones, but the Browns went out and made a draft day trade that brought them strong saftey Abram Elam. The Browns are very high on Elam. He is a hard noised player that can make plays and is very atlectic. He should help to compliment Poole and should play a big part in the run defense.

Don't forget about Mike Adams who the Browns re-signed. Adams is very valuable to this unit because he brings experience, and has a fire inside of him everytime he goes out on the field. He may be a bit undersized but he makes up for that with his athletic and can contribute in big ways. Nick Sorensen should get some looks on special teams as well as be a reliable back up look for him to be part of the team in some way.

New additions Rod Hood, Hank Potaet and Corey Ivy all bring some experience that the Browns need and as mentioned are more then capable of producing should Brandon McDonald or Eric Wright struggle. In fact Rod Hood played in the super bowl as a starter last year with the Cardinals so the Browns can defenitaly benefit from having a his presence ast this particular unit.

Of course there are many other big story lines that will play out during the camp but these are just a few of the area's that I will be especially looking at and find to be the most intrigued.

This will be a very interesting first year for the Browns and new head coach Eric Mangini. I think they have done a decent job adding talent and depth to this roster but we really need to see what looks good on paper look good on the feild. This season should not be a season reflected on what is the record so much as it is how is the team looking on the feild. Can they answer the questions that have plagued this franchise since it's re-birth? Or will Mangini and Kokinis feel the same headache that others who have run this franchise have after the first year and for many after that?

The journey begins this Friday when the Cleveland Browns being a new chapter in their history on the practice field in Berea.

Spanning Browns Town Season Preview: Week Two Versus the Denver Broncos

Greg Cooksey — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:41:50 -0400

Today in Spanning Browns Town we will continue our examination of the Cleveland Browns 2009 regular season schedule. On Monday We previewed the Browns' opponents for Week One of the season, the Minnesota Vikings, and predicted that the Vikings would win. This week we will look at the Week Two opponent for the Browns.

Denver or the "Mile High City," as it is also known by, has been a house of horror's for the Browns and their fans. Fans who can remember all too well the misfortunes of the Browns during the playoffs in Denver spanning the late 80's. Browns fans are still haunted by those memories that occurred in Mile High Stadium.

In the Browns' last trip to Denver back in December of 2003 they did not fare much better. The Browns lost to the Broncos in overtime 23-20. That ironically was also the final of the 1987 AFC Championship Game, which both Browns and Broncos fans alike remember as "The Fumble."

That time has come and gone. The Broncos, much like the Browns, will have begun a brand new era when the Browns come to visit them once agian in Week Two. How will the Browns match up with the Broncos? Let's find out.

Coaching

Outside of a some outbursts from both Shaun Rogers and Joshua Cribbs, things have been fairly quiet for Eric Mangini as he has taken over the Browns.

Josh McDaniels wishes he had the same type of tranquility. Not long after he arrived on the scene, McDaniels had to deal with a very angry Jay Cutler. Cutler became an angry after he found out about McDaniels plans to deal him and aquire former Patriots QB Matt Cassel. Cutler was eventually dealt, and for a while, things seemed to settle in Denver Players finally seemed to be buying into McDaniels " No one is bigger then the team" motto.

Then, out of nowhere, came the recent incident with Brandon Marshall. How will this end? And how will the season play out for McDaniels and the Broncos? It should be an interesting season in Denver.

Quarterbacks

Kyle Orton, who came along in the deal that sent Cutler to the Chicago Bears, will compete for the starting job with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Chris Simms.

The Broncos like that Kyle Orton brings a winning record to the table; he also has thrown for 18 touchdowns and 2,972 yards in his career and has a 79.6 rating. Pretty promising numbers from a guy who split time with a guy who was either hurt or inconsistent.

However, Orton' biggest flaw is his decision-making; he threw 12 interceptions in limmited playing time. That type of mistake-prone quarterback will struggle in McDaniels's system.

Word is that Orton has shown decent arm strength coming out of mini-camp, but he needs to be able to show that he can get rid of the ball quickly.

Many felt that Chris Simms, in his last months with the Titans, threw the ball like he did in 2004 when he had a very good season. It is said that his shoulder problems are no long an issue, but he still remains an underdog to Orton.

Inevitably, the quarterback who makes fewer mistakes during camp and preseason will likely receive the job.

The Broncos also drafted Fresno State QB Tom Brandstater. Brandstater had an excellent career at Fresno State, however he does not figure to be much of a factor in this year's QB derby unless there is an injury to Orton or Simms. Still, he could be a very viable tool for the Broncos future plans provided that he is with the team that long.

ADVANTAGE: Seems to be even.

Although observers within both teams may have some idea who will emerge as their starter, there does not seem to be clear advantage. At least, if there is, no one is saying anything. We will have to see how things shape out at training camp.

Running Backs

The Broncos seem to have a wide array of choices at their disposal. The backfield is very crowded with first-round pick Knowshon Moreno along with Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, and J.J. Arrington.

Moreno seems to be the front-runner at the position, the Broncos believe that he is the total package, and he has good pass-protection skills. Since the Broncos' quarterbacks could use all the protection they can get, those skills might make Moreno an every-down back.

ADVANTAGE: Browns

The Browns don't have a backfield that will punish you, but they do have one back in Jamal Lewis, who, when healthy, is a home-run threat. Plus, as you will see later on, the Broncos' defensive line is weak, and that is good news for the Browns.

Although crowded and experienced, the Broncos backfield lacks a home-run hitter. LaMont Jordan, Corell Buckhalter, and J.J. Arrington all have their limitations. Jordan is older and may not be able to carry the work load he once did. Buckhalter and Arrington are both battling knee issues. Moreno is probably going to get the balk of work. It will give him a lot of experience, but he will not have much help.

Wide Receivers

For now at least, Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal seem to be the team's duo at WR with Brandon Stokley at the slot.

Royal had a very impressive rookie season last year and was very reliable. Royal had 91 receptions for 980 yards and averaged 10.8 yards per catch with 5 touchdowns. Marshall was not as reliable, but he was still very productive with 104 receptions, 1,256 yards, 12.2 yards per catch, and 6 touchdowns.

Marshall does bring some off-the-field baggage with him, but he is also tough and competitive. He makes up on-the-field production makes up for his misjudgments off the field.

Moreover, Stokley has always proven to be a productive and reliable guy.

Jabar Gaffney was brought in because he has some familiarity with Josh McDaniels and the offense he wants to run.

The Broncos also have two huge tight ends in Daniel Graham and Richard Quinn that will be great targets for the new QB.

ADVANTAGE: Browns

Why? If Brandon Marshall, who has been complaining and saying wants out of Denver, gets his wish, this unit is going to be in big trouble.

Sure, they will have Eddie Royal, but there will not be much else. Jabar Gaffney may be somewhat handy, but he is not elite receiver.

If Marshall does come back, there will be more matchup problems, and the Browns secondary will be in for a long day.

That said, I like what the Browns wide receivers brings to the table. They're younger, and encouraging news has come from the Browns about rookies Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massiqoui. Both look to be capable of playing major roles in this offense.

Steve Heiden has always been a useful at tight end and second-year man Martin Rucker will be given a chance to make a impact at tight end.

Offensive Line

When Mike Shanahan was in charge, he liked to use undersized, athletic lineman. Unfortunately for this unit, those days are over. McDaniels wants to run more of a power game. To do that, the unit will have to include more 300-plus linemen.

McDaniels was not left with much to work with. He does have some starting blockers with right tackles Ryan Harris and Ryan Clady. Other then that there is just not much. McDaniels will have to spend the next couple of drafts and free agency periods trying to upgrade his offensive line.

ADVANTAGE: Browns

What the Browns' running game will not change much. Plus, their left side is solid. and the question marks on the right were addressed, even though there are still problems.

Defensive Line

This position is a mess for the Broncos and could even be worse than the Browns. The defense is transitioning to a 3-4 scheme, but they really do not have someone who can command a double-team in the middle of the field.

The Broncos chose not to address the position during the draft because they did not value the draft's pool of defensive lineman. That will hurt them this season.

It will be interesting to see how this transition works out because there is not much that this unit did well, either defending the pass or run. They did take Robert Ayers, a DE from Tennessee with their second pick in the draft, and that could eventually work out. They still need a lot more though.

ADVANTAGE: Browns

The Browns have more at the defensive line spot, and they have more experience with the 3-4 scheme. In this particular situation, considering the condition of the Broncos' offensive line situation, the Browns defensive line has the best chance of success.

Linebackers

This unit is going to have to make a slew of plays against the run because they do not have much of an answer at the nose tackle position.

Since Elvis Dumervil has a chance to be very effective in the passing game because he is able to get leverage on bigger players due his ability and reach, he will be playing on the outside with Jarvis Moss opposite him.

However, it is said that during mini-camp, Moss struggled, especially when having to be involved with the passing game. That's not good news for the Broncos. They will also give special teamer Darrel Reid a look at outside linebacker. Boss Bailey will also be on the outside, but he had micro-fracture surgery and not much can be expected from him.

As far as inside linebacker, a familiar face for Browns fans will be in the mix for the Broncos, Andra Davis. Davis had his times where he was very productive in a Browns uniform, but he really struggled the last few seasons It will be interesting to see what he can do with a change of scenery. His partner inside will be a man named D.J. Williams.

ADVANTAGE: Browns

The Browns replaced what they lost with players that are familiar with what defensive coordinator Rob Ryan wants to do. Whether they are actually upgrades or not remains to be seen.

If Kamerion Wimbley gets going, he will be a nightmare, and they have a proven productive player with D'Qwell Jackson. The Browns don't have as many question marks as the Broncos do, but they do have their own questions.

Defensive Backs

The Broncos have two Pro-Bowlers in this unit. The first is Champ Bailey. Bailey is the kind of player who, in the past, completely took away a team's ability to throw to one side of the field. Lately, he has had to battle elbow issues. That said, he is still the teams No. 1 corner, and he's still very dangerous.

Dre' Bly is gone, but the team did go out and sign Andre' Goodman to replace him. Goodman could be just as good as Bly.

Brian Dawkins was the second Pro-Bowle add to this unit, and the Broncos think that he is a significant upgrade, which, if he performs like he did in Philadelphia, he will be.

ADVANTAGE: Broncos

Special Teams

Matt Prater has a very powerful leg but needs to work on his accuracy. He struggled to make field goals from 40-49 yards. Many feel that he let the criticism from fans and coaches go to his head. The Broncos could be looking to make a change at some point. His leg strength makes him valuable for kickoffs

The reputation of punter Brett Kern is that he does not have a consistent ball drop, but many feel that he can be in the league for a while.

Look for Eddie Royal to return punts, he has all the tools to be very special and a big factor in that role. Kickoffs could go to J.J. Arrington, but the Broncos say that will not be decided until the preseason.

ADVANTAGE: Browns

Special teams are something that have been the one constant with the Browns. Phil Dawson is as solid as kickers can come. Dave Zastuilds is also solid as they come for a punter.

The Browns have one of the best kick returners in the NFL.

THE LAST WORD

There is no reason why the Browns cannot win this game. Where the Broncos lack ability, the Browns are strong. They will be in a higher altitude, and the weather is likely to be warm, so endurance will be a factor.

If the Mangini regime wants to be known as different than Crennel's regime, they need to win games that are winnable, and this is one of them. They may have to grind it out and play a close, down-to-the-wire game, but I still like their chances. It will be a good win for them and a confidence booster as well as something that they can hang their hats on.

Browns Predicted Record After Week 2: 1-1

In the next Spanning Browns Town Season Preview, we will continue our look at the Browns 2009 Schedule as we look at their opponent for Weeks 3 and 9, the hated Baltimore Ravens.

Greg Cooksey spans Browns Town every Monday and Friday and whenever there is anything Cleveland Browns to talk about.

Confessions Of A Very Angry Tribe Fan

Greg Cooksey — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:21:20 -0400

The picture to this article pretty much sums up what the 2009 Cleveland Indians' season has been like from both the player's and the fan's stand point. Frustration!

How in the world did this team ever get to this point? This was a team that some experts, for the second year in a row, picked to go to the World Series. In a sense who could have blamed someone for thinking that they could at least contend?

This year was very promising to start with. The bullpen problem from last year seemed to be fixed with a little bit of tinkering that they did, but the big solution was supposed to be the arrivals of former Mets reliever Joe Smith and the fact they finally added a closer with Kerry Wood.

The Tribe was going to start the season with Cliff Lee who looked like he may have finally turned the corner after a Cy Young Award winning season and the promise of a healthy Fausto Carmona.

There was even promise in the young starters like Jeremy Sowers, Scott Lewis, and Aaron Laffey being able to solidify that starting rotation until Jake Westbrook could make it back from his Tommy John surgery.

Mark DeRosa was brought in to take Casey Blake's role on the team. Having DeRosa meant Eric Wedge could finally move Jhonny Perhalta over to third base where many felt he belonged anyway. Peralta had been at shortstop since he came to the big leagues and showed a real lack of range.

Finally some stability came with DeRosa. The team could move Asdrubal Cabrera to shortstop, DeRosa at second, and then have Ryan Garko and occasionally Victor Martinez playing first and you would have a much better infield.

All that plus this was supposed to be Shin Su Choo's and even Ben Fransisco's year; and they had all the makings of a team ready to make some noise. So manager Eric Wedge, GM Mark Sahpiro, and owner Larry Dolan all thought.

What they thought they had, turned out to be a nightmare that won't end anytime soon, or at least probably not this season. This nightmare may not have a good ending. Nor should it.

There is no reason in the world for this team to have a record of 30-42. It is unacceptable.

It would be one thing if it was full of kids and was part of a rebuilding process, but Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge would tell you that the rebuilding ended long ago.

So what is this then? It is the direct result of a team that is poorly built and poorly managed. A team that maybe has an owner that should start to think about selling it or start putting money into his investment.

This team has the young talent and veteran leadership to be a fundamentally sound and competitive team, and they are looking like a bunch of little leaguers. It is embarrassing and if the manager cannot solve the problem then perhaps he should not be here.

While I was not a big fan of Mike Hargrove, the big difference with his six or seven years here was that not only had he won, but he also had the complete control and respect of his teams and they had players who where considered hard to handle.

He had to deal with players like Kenny Lofton, Albert Belle, and even Bartolo Colon who seemed to have their own agenda's, but he turned them into winners. Hardgrove took his teams to the World Series twice, won two American League pennants, and five American League Central Division titles.

In seven seasons with the Indians Eric Wedge has gone to the playoff's one time, won one division title, and no American League Pennants or World Series appearances. Other then that the team has pretty much been garbage.

Sure, there have been some exceptions like 2004 when the Indians did make a run at the playoffs but had it cut short in the middle of August when they lost a chance at taking over first place and never recovered.

Then there was 2005 when they recovered from a terrible start and made a run at the playoffs only to choke the last week of the season.

Then came 2007 when the Indians finally made it to the playoffs but experienced fall out in the ALCS.

For as bad as the team has been on the field they have been just as bad, if not worse off of it. Understandably, they felt that they did a better job of going out and getting players that they could plug in and actually be useful this season, but they are still suffering from years of not bringing in the right guys to surround their young kids with.

There are reasons why guys like Luis Vizciano, Jose Hernandez, Ricky Gutierrez, David Delluci, Jason Johnson, Jeff D'Amico, and other are free agents and not highly sought after by other teams. Because they are not that good or very helpful to a team looking to win the World Series.

For far too long Mark Shapiro has settled for bringing in guys like this who are not even second tier options to many teams, yet here they end up in an Indians uniform. Going after veteran free agents to surround the younger players is the way to build a franchise but only if you can find the right players to bring in.

What has been even worse is that the young talent in the minor league system (as evidence of this season) is paying some of the price because they are having to pick up the slack for the mistakes Shapiro has made for bringing in the wrong players.

Jeremy Sowers may still have a lot of talent and upside to him but he may never be what he was intended to be because he is continuously up and down from the minors. He was up here entirely too early to begin with when he made his debut in 2006.

Sowers never should have been up here until September call ups of 2007 or sometime last year at the earliest. Trevor Crowe is in his second stint with the Indians and he still does not look like he belongs up here at times. It is a mess and it is not fair to some of the younger guys.

Let's not even get started with the bullpen. All I am going to say is that it is pathetic when you have a five run lead and almost give it away like what happened last night.

There are a lot of teams that are really bad baseball teams right now, such as the Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates. For the Indians to be among those teams is ridiculous. This is a franchise that for over a decade has been one of the more successful ones for better or for worse. Right now it looks like for the foreseeable future it is worse, and it is sad to see.

This product stinks and I have no shame about saying that either. It makes me sick to my stomach to watch this team play.

I could go to Eastlake, Akron, Columbus, or even drive 15 minutes from my house to see the Lake Erie Crushers who are the new Frontier league team and see what I am seeing from the Indians right now.

If I were Eric Wedge right now I would be very afraid.

I would not expect to be back next season because the play of this team has gotten worse the last month. It is too bad because I met Eric at spring training last year during their last season at Winter Haven and he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, however, being nice won't get you very far when you do a lousy job running your team.

Mark Shapiro is not too far behind. If you or I do lousy work at our jobs, our bosses would fire us. Why should it be any different for Wedge and Shapiro?

In reality while it is still early and yes there is still time to at least finish the season with a sub .500 record, it will be very difficult. The last thing that I or many other fans want to hear is how well the team bounced back and was one of the best teams after the All-Star break. That could be what happens but it is unacceptable from a team that should be one of the best all season long.

In the past I have been criticized by many for being too critical but how can I not be when these teams are nothing but garbage in and garbage out like the Indians have been this season?

This better be a bloody offseason and the right changes better be made. If they are not, the team will be able to play their games in a television studio instead of Progressive field because no one will want to see this team like it is now.

Spanning Browns Town Season Preview: Week One vs. Minnesota Vikings

Greg Cooksey — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:57:11 -0400

Today in Spanning Browns Town we will start our season preview where we will take a look at every opponent on the Cleveland Browns 2009 schedule.

This year the Browns once again open the season at home for what will be the 10th-straight time. This will also be the tenth anniversary of the Browns re-birth, and coming to town to help the celebrate will be Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings, who could also be bringing Brett Farve with them.

Last season the Vikings won 10 games, which was enough to capture the NFC North and make the playoffs. Under head coach Brad Childress they finally seem to be turning things around after the mess that previous head coach Mike Tice left them with.

This year they look to continue their success and should make some noise in not only their division, but also the rest of the NFC.

So just how do the Browns match up? Let's take a closer look.

Quarterback

With or without Brett Farve this is a very promising unit, but they are not terrible without him either. Sure having Farve behind center would take this team from being a contender in their won division, to possibly being a Super Bowl contender.

Even if they fail to land him they have enough offensive fire power to make a run at their division and possibly the conference crown on their own.

Many people feel that Sage Rosenfels is no more then an 8-8 quarterback, however when you look at his supporting cast their is reason for optimism.

He has the best running back in the league lining up behind him, and a pretty good core of receivers as well. Provided the Vikings do not end up with Brett Farve, Rosenfels will finally get an opportunity to be a starter.

His best season seems to have been two years ago with the Houston Texans when he completed 154 passes of 240 for 1,684 yards. He also threw 15 touchdown passes that season and had a 64.2 percent pass completion rating and averaged 7.0 yards per pass.

Last season he saw his numbers take a dip, although he also had less chances than the year before. He threw six TD's, while only completing 116 of 174 passes, and less yards (1,431). His pass completion rating was actually higher then the year before at 66.7 percent as did his average yards—8.2.

The big project is going to be getting him to stay away from throwing interceptions as he has thrown a combined 22 interceptions over the past two season.

Still you can't argue with what Rosenfels has done over the past two seasons. His ratings over the last two seasons where 84.8 in '07 and 79.5 last season. He is deserving of the opportunity that awaits him.

Tavaris Jackson has been viewed as more of a project-type of a player. He did finish the year as the starter and was the starter in the playoffs as well.

The story on this second-round pick from the '06 draft, though, has not been so rosy bright. He is said to have times where he can have all the talent in the world but the moments he shows his talent are few compared to the bad decisions that he makes. He looked awful in the playoff game and many feel he is no more then a career back up. Let's see if he can prove others wrong this summer.

Advantage

If the Vikings land Brett Farve then the advantage clearly goes to them—without Farve their QB situation is not the much different then the Browns. The Vikings won't dominate the Browns without Farve, however I still believe who ever their QB is can get big things done against the Cleveland defense.

Minnesota has more offensive fire power. I give the Vikings the advantage.

Running backs

Many regard Vikings running back Adrian Peterson to be the best football player in the NFL. Few if any can blame those who subscribe to that belief. Really, though, what's not to like about him?

The guy is performing at an alarming rate for opposing defensive coordinators. Last season he won his first rushing title with 1,760 yards, plus he is only the fifth player in history to accumulate 3,000 yards rushing in only two seasons. Peterson also said during the off season that he wanted to add seven to 12 pounds to help him withstand punishment better.

If he can do that and maintain his explosiveness he will be very difficult to keep up with.

To compliment Peterson the Vikings also have Chester Taylor, who may as well be a starter on many other teams. He had a very successful career with the Baltimore Ravens and it has only continued in Minnesota.

A dimension that makes him very dangerous is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Last year Taylor lead all running backs with 25 catches on third down.

Advantage

Any team that has a running back with the capabilities of Adrian Peterson has the clear advantage. Jamal Lewis has a lot to prove after last season and after him there really is not that much in the Browns running back core.

Jerome Harrison had a very good season last year but it remains to be seen if he can do it again and we will have to just wait and see what rookie sixth-round pick James Davis brings to the table—provided he makes the team. I give the advantage to the Vikings.

Wide Receiver

The Vikings posses a very talented group of receivers that will only get better this season. Their big investment was former Bears wide receiver Bernard Berrian.

Last season Berrian finished first among all receivers with 40 catches and averaged 20.1 yard a catch. He is very speedy and the highlight of his season last year was a 99-yard touchdown reception—tied for the longest ever in league history—vs. his former team.

This years Berrian will get some help.

The Vikings wanted more production from this position so they spent the No. 6 overall pick on Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin. True there have been many other receivers to come out of Florida that have not panned out, but there seems to be something special about Harvin.

This 5'11", 195 lb. receiver is a big time playmaker and it is possible that he may play the same type of role that Devin Hester does in Chicago if the Vikings decide to have him return kickoff's and punts as well.

Harvin does bring some character issues, however, and he did suffer an injury that he struggled to come back from in his last year at Florida. If he can overcome those issues he can be exactly what Minnesota was looking for.

Sidney Rice the former South Carolina grad is a big man at 6'4" and he has a chance to do some big things for this group. A very serious knee injury limited his ability last season so health is a question for him.

Their Slot receiver Bobby Wade, who lead the team in catches the past two seasons, is back which should help whoever ends up at quarterback.

One of the big things the Vikings need is for their tight end Visanthe Schiancoe to continue the success he had last season when he caught the most touchdown passes of any tight end in the NFL with seven. It will also be important that he catch balls that are thrown to him over the middle.

The Vikings also brought back the league's top blocking tight end Jim Kleinasser which is terrific news for Adrian Peterson.

Advantage

This group has a lot of talent and a lot of options for whoever the Vikings QB will be. But I am still not sure it is that much better then what the Browns have.

Berrian was one of the best receivers last season but is he part of the elite? Even if he is, the Browns do have their question marks in the secondary so it will be interesting to see what becomes of some of these match ups. There really is no clear advantage and both those teams are even at this position.

Offensive Line

The Vikings have a very strong left side with Steve Hutchinson and Bryant McKinney, but there have also been a lot of disappointments with McKinney to this point. He finally did show that he can live up to his first round status somewhat last season but more will be expected from him this year.

Minnesota lost their center in free agency when Matt Birk went to the Baltimore Ravens. A man that they took last season in the sixth round of the draft, John Sullivan, is the most likely to replace Birk, though it's been suggested the Vikings will look at several other options during training camp.

There are some question marks on the right side of the line. The Vikings starting right tackle Ryan Cook was demoted because the team feels that he is extremely ineffective and prone to penalties. They have tried to remedy the situation by taking Oklahoma right tackle Phil Loadholt who is most likely to take Cook's spot.

A man the team also really likes to play on the right side is Aris Hicks but many say that he is nothing more then a backup.

Advantage

This is another position that there is not real clear advantage for either team. The Vikings O-line seems to be built just like the Browns. Very solid left side but a very questionable right side at best. Both teams are even at this point.

Defensive Line

This position is rock solid for the Vikings. Three of the members of this group went to the Pro Bowl last season (Jared Allen, and the tackles Pat and Kevin Williams).

Jared Allen is a total nightmare for an opposing offensive coordinator and his offensive line. He came to the Vikings by way of a trade with the Chiefs last season the move paid off. He brought a ferocious pass rush to the defense and accumulated 14.5 sacks.

Allen also took some pressure off of Kevin Williams, who was able to come up with 8.5 sacks last season. The other Williams, Pat, was a rock last season and helped establish the Vikings as the a defensive force for the first time since the merger, leading the rushing defense for three consecutive seasons.

It is unclear if Vikings will start the season with either Williams's. However, they could be facing a four-game suspension for using a banned diuretic. You could see Fred Evans, who did a decent job when he replaced Pat Williams when he had a broken right scapula. They could also use Leroy Guion who has played two seasons with the Vikings.

Advantage

The advantage goes to the Vikings by far. Even if the Browns do not have to put up with the Williamses they will have to deal with Jared Allen. That will not be a small task.

Linebackers

After having surgery to repair dislocated toes in week four of last season, EJ Henderson will return to the Vikings lineup. Many felt that had he not been injured he would have had a Pro Bowl-type season. Now that he is healthy he is expected to finish what he started. He is not afraid to hit, and he brings intensity to the Vikings defense.

Former Iowa Hawkeye Chad Greenway also returns to the linebacking core. Greenway lead the team in tackles in '08. He showed some play-making ability as well. He is still a good young talent who should get better this season.

The Vikings also have Ben Leber who is considered a very reliable veteran. He was the glue that held things together for the Vikings after EJ Henderson went down with his injury. Should anything happen to Henderson again it will be Leber who will take over the play calling in the huddle and will be expected to hold this unit together again.

Advantage

Right now the advantage goes to the Vikings. They seem to have good depth in this position and if EJ Henderson can play like he did last year, Minnesota's defense could be a nightmare to deal with.

Linebacker is still a big question mark for the Browns right now. They brought in David Bowens and Eric Barton who are familiar with Mangini's scheme. Neither of them are Pro Bowl-type material right now. I do like David Viekune and Kaluka Maivia, but they are youngsters and who really knows what they will be capable of.

The Browns have to find a way to get Kamerion Wimbley going. He really needs to show that his rookie season was no fluke. Many feel that this system could be just what the doctor ordered but time will tell.

Defensive Backs

At the corner back position the Vikings are solid. They feature former Ohio State Buckeye Antoine Winfield who has had an outstanding career and is one of the top tacklers in the league. Throw to his side of the field if you dare. Last year was his first Pro Bowl, and he can change a game anytime his is involved in a play.

Playing next to him will be Cedric Griffin. His playing style is almost like Winfield's. He is physical and loves to make tackles. It does not hurt him to give up throws underneath because he has an ability to stop big plays and make the tackles when needed.

The third round pick Asher Allen out of Georgia is also going to be in the mix at the corner position.

As far as safeties go, Tyrell Johnson is expected to get some playing time. He played in seven games last season while regular starter Madieu Williams was battling a neck injury. He is said to be physical and athletic. However, it is also part of his rep that he lacks the ability to make plays.

Madiue Williams is scheduled to start with Johnson having recovered from his injury. He has very good cover skills.

Jamarca Sanford was selected in the seventh round and could also be part of the Vikings game plan.

Advantage

The Vikings have a huge advantage here. The defensive back situation, especially in the corner back spot, is less then desirable for the Browns.

I like Eric Wright a lot, but he and Brandon McDonald get embarrassed too often. Hopefully the Browns will be able to find a way to use Coy Francies, who they drafted in the sixth round out of San Jose State. He is athletic and could be very useful. Francies was a guy I took a look at before the draft and really liked coming into the draft.

Unfortunately things do not look much better at safety. They did bring in Abram Elam from the Jets to replace Shaun Jones, who they will more than likely miss more then they may think.

Who really knows with Brodney Poole. There was some excitement about him when he was drafted, but he seems to get hurt a lot and has yet to make huge impact.

Special Teams

Ryan Longwell returns to the Vikings and with the team knowledge he can be relied on when needed. He holds the team record with six field goals from 50 yards or more. He is also 51 of 52 chances from the 45-yard line in three years with the Vikings. If that is not reliable, then I do not know what is.

Chris Kluwe will return at punter. Last season he set a team record with a gross average of 47.6 yards a punt. He also made some not-so-great mistakes. He fumbled a ball in a game against the Bears which lead to a touchdown drive. He also chose to punt to Reggie Bush—twice!—in a game at New Orleans both of which were returned for touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how he rebounds this season.

As mentioned earlier, we could see Percy Harvin returning punts and kickoff's. If Brad Childress chooses not to go that direction, the Vikings also brought in Glenn Holt from the Cincinatti Bengals to do that job. Holt will mostly be used on kickoffs, though.

Advantage

This is one area the Browns should not have any trouble competing in. Phil Dawson is just as reliable as Ryan Longwell. You can count on Dawson to make the long-range field goal as well if he needs to.

Josh Cribbs has proven to be a huge weapon. He seems to make a highlight-reel play every time he touches the football. It will not be good news for the Vikings if Chris Kluwe kicks his way through a tight game.

Overall

This should be a very interesting game, although for Browns fans very disappointing. Do I believe that the Browns are going to be severally out-matched? No. But I do think that Brett Farve or no Brett Farve the Vikings are the better team.

They have to much more fire power coming from their running game and even their passing game has a better chance of presenting match-up problems.

It is going to be very hard for the Browns to contend with the Vikings defensive line. Plus they have lost nine out of their last 10 openers at home. It could end up being close, but I like the Vikings to come away with a win in this one.

Predicted Browns record after week 1: 0-1

In the next Spanning Browns Town Season Preview we will take a look at the Browns opponents for week number 2 the Denver Broncos.

Greg Cooksey Spans Browns Town every Monday and Friday or whenever there is anything Cleveland Browns to talk about.

Spanning Browns Town: Donte's Choice, and The End of OTAs

Greg Cooksey — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:41:57 -0400

We all do dumb things. I suppose that is probably the most basic fact of life as well as a obviously boring beginning, but it bears truth, and for the past three or four months it has been something that Donte' Stallworth's life.

This week Stallworth found out that there are very harsh conseqeunces for making the wrong decisions. Especially when that choice results in life altering changes to someone or someone else's family.

This week after striking a deal with the family of a man who Stallworth struck and killed while driving intoxicated, he received a sentence after pleading guilty of DUI manslaughter that will leave him with plenty of personal problems over the next few years.

Now it appears that his professional career could be in jeopardy. Thursday NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Stallworth indefinitely and sent the following statement to Stallworth.

"The conduct reflected in your guilty plea resulted in the tragic loss of life and was inexcusable. While the criminal justice system has determined the legal consequences of this incident, it is my responsibility as NFL Commissioner to determine the appropriate league discipline for your actions, that have caused irreparable harm to the victim and his family, your club, your fellow players and the NFL.

"The conduct that lead to your conviction plainly violates both the Personal Conduct and Substance of Abuse policies. Either provides me with full authority appropriate disciplinary actions against you, including a fine or suspension without pay, and to impose appropriate conditions on your continued participation in the NFL. In this case there is ample evidence to warrant significant discipline under both policies.

"There is no reasonable dispute that your continued eligibility for participation at this time would undermine the integrity of and public confidence in our league. Accordingly I have decided to suspend you indefinitely, effective immediately."

Godel also told Stallworth that he would schedule a meeting with him and his representatives and himself to make a final determination of discipline, and ended his letter to Stallworth by stating

"Everyone associated with the league derives tremendous benefits from participating in our game from the extraordinary support we receive from the public. With these benefits, comes, among other things, the responsibility to conduct ourselves in a lawful and responsible way, with no entitlement to or expectation of favorable treatment."

This leaves both the Browns and Stallworth with the following question. Where do we go from here, and what next?

From the Browns side of things, if you look at the roster it may not be all to hard to replace Stallworth. They where able to give the WR position a much needed face lift with the additions of Brian Robiskie and Mohammad Massouqi plus there is Josh Cribbs in the fold as well as Syndric Steptoe, if you need him.

Can the Browns really afford to wait and see just what happens with Stallworth's situation? Effectively the answer to that question is no.

What seems to be clear is that it could very well be that Roger Goodell will wait two years—the amount of time that Stallworth will spend under house arrest or "community control" as I read it also referred to—before he even decides to review the case.

Stallworth, who is 28, would only be hitting 30 by the time that two years pass. He still may be able to help a team at that age, but the truth is that the Browns have two years to wait for no one.

This is a team that will have to face harsh consequences if they do not identify their problems and fix them now. No longer can they afford to be dealing with players with off the field issues like they have in the past: Gerard Warren, Mike Sellers, and Reuben Droughns, and Darren Hambrick.

Time is of the essence for this team and unfortunately that is something they just do not have much of right now. They have other options to replace Stallworth with and it is time to give them a look.

From Stallworth's stand point all there is to do is wait hope and pray for another chance. He is going to have to pick up the pieces and get himself back together. He received a big break by only getting a 30-day jail sentence, because if he were an everyday average citizen he would be dealing with a lot more time then that.

Like Goodell said, he had a responsibility to conduct himself in a way that was appropriate and right being a public figure and he chose not to do that.

All of us do things that we know we should not be doing or even that we know are wrong that's just part of human nature. It does not make it anymore right but that is just what the fact is.

The fact also is that when we do those things we all have to face punishment or consequences for those actions when we commit them.

Donte Stallworth made the choice to get behind the wheel of a car while in a state of mind that he had no business being in that position in the first place. Due to him making that decision someone lost his life.

I am sure that no one told him to drive drunk, and I am also sure that if we could go back in time to the night of March 14th we would probably observe someone begging him not drive home. He did it anyway. Now he is reaping the consequences.

I feel for Donte' (as I do the family of the man that he killed) because I hate it when people who have the world at their hands make dumb decisions like this one.

I would not wish that on anyone because I like to see people doing well for themselves and to throw that all away because they cannot make a good choice is heartbreaking to me.

I wish Donte well but I hope that he has learned his lesson. It was Donte Stallworth that made this particular bed, and it is Donte Stallworth he will have to lay in it.

On to happier matters.

THE END OF OTAs

It is great to see how things have shaped up for the Browns as the off season team activities also known as OTAs wrapped up last Saturday.

There has been some complaining from some players Shaun Rogers, Josh Cribbs, and even Phil Dawson had his little pow wow. What's different is that when they have complained, their gripes have been short-lived.

This shows that things are starting to turn the corner with the new coaching staff. Players are being told that if they have something bad to say, Mangini and Kokinis want it brought to the, in hopes of preventing a media circus.

Other positive takeaways are listed below.

The guys who could not participate helping the youngsters

I especially liked hearing that Jamel Lewis was helping fellow running back and rookie James Davis. It has been said that the two have always had a close relationship coming from the same high school in Georgia, but that Lewis took him aside and gave him some pointers is terrific.

Davis, who the Browns selected in the sixth round from Clemson, was once thought to be a first day pick. But the second leading rusher in Clemson history somehow fell to the sixth round.

If he can apply what he is learning from Lewis the Browns continue to get good production out of Jerome Harrison, they could finally have the dominate rushing game they have lacked the past ten seasons.

A new Braylon?

I really feared that we would hear from Braylon Edwards a lot during the off season, especially while all the trade rumors were flying around. What I thought Braylon would have to say would not be good for Browns fans.

Surprisingly enough, Braylon has not done much complaining at all. As a matter of fact he has kept his mouth shut and worked hard, or as hard as he possibly can at least. When he did speak what he had to say was actually very complimentary, and he even said that he did not want to leave a bad taste in the fans' mouths.

Are we witnessing the transformation of Braylon? Or is this just a big act because he knows that this is a contract year? He does know if things do not go well he could just walk and cut his ties here, he seemed all to willing to do that towards the end of last season.

Only time will tell but for now Braylon appears to be tamer. I am sure that is the way Eric Mangini as well as Gorge Kokinis would prefer it as we all would.

Mangini seems to be building the team spirit he promised

I thought that Eric Mangini had a rather unique idea when he told the team he would cancel the afternoon session of OTAs last Saturday if an offensive or defensive lineman caught a punt or a kickoff.

The reception that Rex Hadnot got when he caught Dave Zastuild's punt showed two things to me.

The first things is that Mangini is stressing the importance of hard work, but at the same time enjoying what you do. You cannot have the country club atmosphere that seemed to exist under Romeo Crennel, but you cannot over work guys and make them feel punished either.

It gave them a chance to fantasize a little bit, but it also gave them a chance to laugh and take a load off. Not just have a typical boring day at the office where nothing exciting ever happens.

It also helps bring the team together. The report that I read said that when Hadnot caught Zastuild's punt the team roared and swarmed him. That shows a team spirit and it is getting them to see that no one person is bigger then the other on this team. They will either win or lose as a team and it is starting to show.

I will admit to being very critical of Mangini because I didn't know if he could bring this group of players together. But he's managed to do that so far, while with some mixed results, there's been more good than bad.

The question is if can he do it during the grind of a hot late July and early August training camp and the grind of a 16-game regular season schedule.

That's all for this edition of Spanning Browns Town. In The next edition we will start our season preview in which we will break down each opponent on the Browns schedule this season.

Next time we'll break down their week one opponent the Minnesota Vikings plus my personal analysis on any news that breaks concerning the Browns.

Greg Cooksey Spans Browns Town every Monday and Saturday during the regular season and whenever there is news concerning the Browns.

Mike Brown and the Rumor That Never Should Have Been

Greg Cooksey — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:12:54 -0400

When I woke up to the news that the Cavaliers may actually be ready to fire head coach Mike Brown yesterday morning, I could not believe my ears. This team won 66 games this season. This is also a team that just posted the best home record in franchise history at 40-2.

Plus, he added a Coach of the Year award to his resume this past season. Now, the Cavs front office wants to shove him out the door. That's a nice thank you for someone who has done nothing but work his hardest and been as committed as anyone to the success of the Cavs franchise.

We can argue until we are blue in the face about the job that Brown has done here. These are what the facts are. Since Mike Brown has taken over as head coach, he has averaged 53 wins a season.

In the four seasons he has been the head coach the Cavaliers have reached the postseason and never once lost in the first round. The players have finally bought into his system and his way of doing things.

This may be LeBron James' team, but there finally seems to be a mutual respect for each other and understanding of the role that each of them play on the team.

No longer are you hearing silly rumors of control battles between him and LeBron. Add that to the fact that he was named the Coach of the Year this season, and Mike Brown, for all intents and purposes, is not the problem with this team.

Is a Brown a perfect coach? Certainly not. He still has trouble using the right players in his rotation, he is still yet to find a way to get the offense to move around and get ball rotation so that LeBron is not doing all the work, and he still needs to be able to adopt and make adjustments when other team deviate from their game plan and try something else.

For all of his faults, though, he still wins you 53 games a season and gives you a deep playoff run. Most other teams would be thrilled if they got that from a first-time head coach.

You may say that Mike Brown was out-coached by Stan Van Gundy during the Eastern Conference Finals. Consider this, though: Was he out-coached, or was the roster that he was given exposed for what it truly was?

It would not be to out of reach to say that the hand dealt to him was more of a team that had more older players who may have once been significant NBA superstars, but are now at the end of the road, and young promising players along with one of the best in the game.

The front office was just hoping to get by with this team, and judging by the 3-11 record against the NBA's elite, it was only a matter of time before they were exposed. That is exactly what happened against the Magic.

Making a case to fire Mike Brown could be done, but only if you have the right case to make. The way the season ended is disappointing, but for years, everyone has known how to fix the problem, so we do not have to have the heartbreak that we have experienced the past few years.

Danny Ferry and the Cavs' front office have not done much about it. They have gone and done exactly the opposite looking to fill holes in this roster with second-tier options or players who once were of superstar status, but now are at the end of their careers and barley sufficient at best.

Mo Williams and Delonte West are not bad players, but they are not going to get the Cavaliers to the promised land on their own, either.

Now, the front office wants to find a replacement for the coach that has given more success during his four-year tenure then a lot of others may have with the same type of option. Pat Riley is one of the game's greatest, and to try to undo or discredit anything that he has done would be absolutely foolish.

Riley is legendary, and the thoughts of him coming here and working his magic is intriguing.

Intriguing as it may be, there are some concerns that follow that, such as: Can he really come Cleveland and win a championship? Sure, he won one in Miami, but he is older, and what desire does he really have to rescue desperate franchises?

Is the thought of having a proven legendary coach enough to make LeBron stay, even if the Cavs do not win one under Riley next season? What reason would Riley have for leaving the warm weather and sunny skies of Miami, anyway? These are concerns that deserve consideration.

Mike Brown has a lot to learn still, but let's wait until we see if he was able to use this past postseason to learn and how it translates into next season, provided the front office makes the necessary adjustments, before we try to make a case to fire him. He deserves that much.

The head coach of this team is not the problem; the decisions that are being made by the front office are. The front office of this team has put themselves in a very uncomfortable situation. It will be very interesting how they handle this offseason.

Hopefully, they will not take their mistakes out on the wrong person.

Penguins-Red Wings: Back from the Dead? Game Four Win Gives Pittsburgh Momentum

Greg Cooksey — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:48:24 -0400

Okay, I will admit to it.

Three days ago, I was ready to bury the Penguins—as evidenced by my article "It's Only Game Three, But Five Reasons The Penguins Are Doomed".

At that time, not many people could have blamed me.

The Penguins, while coming home, were faced with a huge mountain to climb. They had been outmatched, outplayed, and outclassed, and for the most part had been dominated in every way one could imagine.

It appeared that there was nothing that looked good about their situation, and there was surely nothing good that could be said about it.

Someone must have given them a copy of the article I wrote, because Tuesday night the Penguins won Game Three. Then on Thursday night, the Pens got started quickly. Evgeni Malkin scored the first goal of the game early in the first period, and Pittsburgh rode both his dominating performance and the hometown crowd's energy to a 4-2 Game Four win over the Detroit Red Wings.

The Stanley Cup Finals are now tied at two games a piece, and now it is Pittsburgh who has stolen all the momentum heading back to Detroit for Game Five, judging by the way a very tired Red Wings team looked when they left the ice at the end of the game.

Let's give the Penguins their due credit though, as they found a different approach and made the adjustments that I had previously said I was not sure that they could.

What did they do differently you might ask? Let's take tonight's Game Four and compare it to Game Four of last years Stanley Cup—a game that one might say lost them the Cup lost year.

First of all, my congratulations to Marc-Andre Fluery. I was very critical of him in my last article, but perhaps he is learning from Chris Osgood as this series goes on. Fluery came up huge for the Penguins when they needed him—diving for pucks, making ridiculous saves, and even putting his body in harm's way to make a play.

The Penguins also found a way to shut down Detroit's scorers and limit their chances at the net, get bodies in front of them, and actually make them have to think whether or not a clean shot was there.

Of course, let's not forget Malkin's efforts, as he was time after time setting up plays and giving his team chances to score.

The Penguins did a great job as a team making plays and doing their part to get a much-needed win. The most important thing they did was match the intensity of the crowd and keep up their own intensity—as well as holding their composure which I also said was crucial if they were going to turn this series around.

Take, for example, the last half of the second period when they scored three goals in five minutes and thirty-seven seconds to put the Red Wings away! It was great to see them actually be able to make the Red Wings chase them, and take advantage of some one-on-one situations with Osgood.

This was unlike Game Four of last year's Stanley Cup Finals, when the Penguins were totally dominated by the Red Wings.

In that game, they had no intensity at all. They gave up some very suspect goals, and they did not take advantage of many of the scoring opportunities that had been given to them. You may remember that they had several five-on-three advantages,. and did nothing with them.

Then, with their backs really against the wall, they had to fight to get a historic Game Five win, only to eventually concede the series to the Red Wings in Game Six.

This year is different. This time they may have Detroit right where they want them. This series is now a best-of-three, and the team that is truly the best will win.

As an NHL fan who at first was not very keen on this series I could not be happier. This is a truly critical Game Five on Saturday night.

The Penguins, based on tonight's win, have most if not all of the momentum on their side, going into a very hostile environment with a chance to steal home-ice advantage. If that happens this series will take an interesting turn.

Can it happen? Certainly. Will it? Doubtful—but based on the last two games, not out of the question.

For the Red Wings, this is nothing to hang their heads about. They simply came into what for them was a hostile environment against a team desperate to get a win. It was not going to be easy—and to be frank about it, they were beaten.

Now they are coming home to their fans with a chance to get everything they lost in the past two games back with a win, in a place where they generally do not lose. However, this creates some pressure, and they must understand what they have to do.

I would fully expect them to play at a dominant level and make things hard for the Penguins. It is just not likely that Detroit is going to lose three games in a row.

Game Five on Saturday night will most likely be the Penguins' best shot of wining the Cup this season. Why? Win, and all of a sudden they have not only the upper hand—plus the advantage of coming home to a place they have not lost in a month, with a Red Wings team not used to having their backs to the wall.

Lose? While yes, a win at home in Game Six would give them a chance to play a tired-out Red Wings team at their home in a Game Seven when all bets are off, it would also bestow a lot of unneeded pressure. The odds would be against them then.

This was a very important win for the Penguins tonight, and they should be proud. With this win they can make a case for why this will be the year that they will hoist the Cup. More then that, it gives them a chance to believe that they can win this series.

It shows that even if they do not win the Stanley Cup this year, it is quite possible that they will next year and very several years after that.

They have opened my eyes! And yours too, f you were a doubter or a nay-sayer like I was about the Penguins after the first two games of this series. They are starting to give us reason to think about changing our tune.

But will they pull it off? Only time will tell.

It's Only Game Three, but Five Reasons the Penguins Are Doomed!

Greg Cooksey — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:26:19 -0400

Not many teams in professional sports these days are able to work their way into their respective sports finals or championship series in lose, then make it back the following season.

Yet here the Pittsburgh Penguins have been given that opportunity—and yet here they again find themselves frustrated and dominated by the Detroit Red Wings.

It is not out of the realm of possibility that the Penguins fortunes could change and even have this series tied by the end of the week it is not likely though.

Here then are five reasons why the Penguins who have their backs to the wall are doomed and on the brink of possible temporary extinction.

Reason One: The Red Wings All Together

That's right! I would hate to say it, but the Red Wings are just so ridiculously better then the Penguins it is not even close.

There is so much they can do that the Penguins cannot. If the Red Wings need a score, they have the personnel to get out and get one. Need a penalty kill? No problem. Whatever they need they get, and most of the time that is all the time.

The Red Wings are like the San Antonio Spurs of the NHL. A great group of guys, talented, but more importantly, they know how to win and can be counted on to do it. They have one of the best scouting staffs in the NHL.

Not only do they have their way of getting the best players in the world, and they develop the ones who aren't into some of the most premier players in the NHL.

Reason Two: The Red Wings Have a More Professional Attitude

The Red Wings go about their business with class. They are the consummate professionals.

When they are behind, they keep their confidence up and their emotions under control. If they are down, you do not see it reflected on the ice—unlike the actions of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin after Games One and Two.

There is a way to handle heat of the moment. The Red Wings know how to handle it and the Penguins do not.

It looks like the Red Wings have the emotional advantage at this point. If the Penguins think they can get this series turned around they have to be able to their emotions under control—among other things.

Reason Three: Chris Osgood and the Red Wings defense

Osgood has been money for the Red Wings this postseason. He was good during last season's Cup run, as he has been in past seasons, but I do not ever remember him being this good before. The most amazing part of it is he is 36 and he is playing like he has a motor that could carry him for the next 20 seasons.

You also have to give credit to his defense, because they have two of the best players in the world on the blue line, and they are flat out shutting down Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and other Penguins.

Osgood is doing a great job by himself, though. Look at some of the one-on-one shots he has turned away or any of the saves he has made period. He and his defense are making plays—unlike what Marc Andre Fluery and the Penguins are doing on their side of the ice.

I am sure that it must be frustrating for Fluery to be giving up some of the goals that he is, because some of them may be off weird bounces and hops—but the fact is he is not getting much help from his offense or defense right now. Plus, let's gives the Wings offense a little bit of credit. Baptism by fire is what Fluery is experiencing right now.

Reason Four: The Difference Between The Two Teams Talents

This goes back to my first point, but it is also showing on the ice as well. The Red Wings players, while they may be aging, still have talent and still are in some of the best years. Most of their players have championship experience—and those who may not have those who do around them.

The Penguins have one of the best players in the world Sidney Crosby, accompanied by one of the best young players in the game Evgeni Malkin, and then some older players that were the some of the better players in the NHL—but who are now at the end of their game.

Take, for example, Bill Guerin, Miroslav Satan, and Sergei Gonchar. They are not bad players, but they are certainly not in the class of the veterans Detroit has. They are old and not able to do much at this point—and it is showing.

You simply cannot take a roster like the Penguins into championship competition against a team like the Red Wings and be successful. It just will not happen!

Reason Five: The Road to a Stanley Cup Championship Comes Through Hockeytown!

Well, at least this year it does. The Red Wings are very good at defending their home ice—as they were in the past as well. Even if the Penguins are able to turn this series around, the best chance they may have at winning the Cup is to send this series the distance.

That, unfortunately for the Penguins, would mean a Game Seven in Detroit. But the chances of that happening are very slight.

Don't think the killer instinct of the Red Wings will allow that to happened. For everything I have seen, these two teams have become very bitter rivals—and the Red Wings would love nothing more then to break the Penguins and their fans hearts by winning the Cup on the ice at Mellon Arena again.

And what better fashion to do that in than a sweep?

Are the Penguins on the verge of a temporary extinction? I would hate to say this, but it looks so! Detroit is the superior team, and I just do not see that there is anything that Penguins can do to create a better matchup. They just do not have the personnel to hang with the Red Wings.

While it would be very frustrating for the Pens and their fans to lose to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals for a second consecutive year—be it by sweep, or a matter of five or six games—it would not be all that bad. Why? It would be learning how to be the best from the best.

It would give the Penguins a chance to evaluate the team from the front office, to the coaching staff, to the players they have. They can look at what the Red Wings have, and develop a system that would be similar.

Baptism by fire is what the Penguins are experiencing. They will be better for it, and in the long run it may even lead them into their own string of consecutive titles.

Look out, Pittsburgh—even in defeat, your future could be so bright, you just might have to wear shades!

No More Excuses, Danny Ferry Must Earn His Paycheck This Summer

Greg Cooksey — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:38:07 -0400

Well, everyone in Cleveland feared the the plug would be prematurely pulled on the Cavaliers' '08-'09 dream season. Saturday night that was exactly what happened.

So now after being broken, battered, out hustled, out coached, and out classed by the Magic the Cavaliers return home for the off season. However, for Danny Ferry and the rest of the Cavaliers front office their just may be no such thing.

This is going to be a very restless, painful summer for Ferry and the rest of the Cavs front office. Not only are they going to once again have to watch the NBA Finals start on Thursday with out them. They also have to get ready for the most important off season in franchise history.

In a perfect world, things would have gone as expected, the Cavs would have won the championship, and LeBron just might have signed that contract extension the Cavs are expected to offer him on July 18 of this year ending any future speculation about his future in Cleveland.

All of that seem to be out the window now. It is time to get to work and figure out just what went wrong, how to fix it, and now!

LeBron may reiterated his feelings that he loves playing in Cleveland when he finally did speak to the media one day after the debacle. However, if this happens next season will he be so generous. Most likely not. He could have, and more then likely should have been a little meaner about the situation.

This team is going to have to be mixed again. I full-heatedly agree with Charles Barkley that this team is old. Zydrunas Illgaluskas who is 34 told the media yesterday that he did not know how many next years he has in him and that he realize how elusive winning a championship is.

Ben Wallace talked about retiring after the game. Anderson Verajo may say that he wants to be back, however he will not be if he continues to ask for a $10 million contract that he is not worth.

When of the things that really bothers me about Danny Ferry is that he comes from a organization that has built championships while he was there in the San Antonio Spurs. He knows what it takes to win a championship and he has seen the way a champion is built first hand.

So where are the results of that?

I agree that this team is much better then it was say six years ago at this time when LeBron first came here. I believe that this team is better then the one that was swept by the Spurs two years ago, although some of you will disagree with me.

Now it is time to be the best because you will have to be, if you expect to win a championship. There is no more laying off or hesitation to bring in free agents to add depth to this team (I have some ideas in a later article I plan to write). There may not be much in this free agent class, but there are some players worth going after.

No more being afraid to pull the trigger on trade that could bring a player to help LeBron in either. Will you have to mortgage your future to make a trade of that kind? Maybe, however the reality is your future is now and that means you pull out all the stops to make your star player happy.

To Ferry's credit he has shown the ability to be creative and aggressive in trying to find that player that can be LeBron's Robin so to say. There is a limit to how much credit that he deserves though, because Antwan Jamison, Shaquille O'Niel, Richard Jefferson, Tyson Chandler, and even Amare Stoudemire (even though he ended up with a serious injury).

Who did he end up with. None of them. He came close to landing Shaq, however, the prospect of losing Wally Szczerbiak was a very uneasy thought for Ferry because he did not want to risk disrupting the team's chemistry.

Sure, Szczerbiak may have been important to the postseason, but was Ferry's worry about breaking up the team's chemistry really worth passing up a player that had he brought in may had the Cavs in the NBA Finals instead of being at home. Given it would have been hard to see it then, but sometimes you have to take a deeper look into the future then that.

Yesterday at his year end wrap up press conference with Mike Brown, Ferry told the press that the evaluation and planing on how to improve this team begins now. Glad to hear that, I hope that means an aggressive attitude because he cannot afford not to have one this time.

There is a lot of work to be done and not much time to do it in. The keys to the future success of this basketball team not just next year, but in the years to come are in the hands of Danny Ferry. I will revise something I said last week about it meaning instant death for the NBA in Cleveland if LeBron leaves.

If that happens, the NBA may exists for a few years here; however, now you have to work even harder to find that right for LeBron should that happen because fans will not accept going back to being one of the worse franchises in the NBA.

Not only that, but you may have to fire both Ferry and Brown, and the Cavaliers might even and up with another cities name such as Nashville or Los Vegas in front of it.

That would be a very far fetched and unlikely scenario, however it is not out the realm of possibility if Ferry does not get the job done properly. There is no longer a room for or margin for error with this organization. To much of th future depends on what Ferry does now.

The clock may night have struck midnight just yet but the hands are moving past 11:30. Ferry must act with desperation because when the clock does strike midnight there will be plenty of consequences for failure.

Dispite LeBron's Big Will, Cavs Still Have a Tall Order of Busniess

Greg Cooksey — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:15:30 -0400

So where has amazing happened during the NBA playoffs? Well, one answer to that question would be in Cleveland or anywhere else that LeBron James has set foot this postseason!

No matter what the situation has been this postseason one thing LeBron knows for sure, if his team does lose or get embarrassed will not be on his watch.

How big is the will of LeBron? Well, if he has anything to say about it, it will be his team playing when the NBA Finals begin next Saturday night. Not the Orlando Magic. No, I am not playing Mo Williams and guaranteeing anything at this point.

I am saying that when you look at LeBron's performance last night landing him self yet another triple-double and scoring 21 points in the second half alone, and at that same time had a hand in 29 of his the Cavaliers 34 points in the final quarter. There is something very eerie about that.

Game five of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals when LeBron scored 25 straight points vs the Detroit Pistons type of eerie. We know what the result of his efforts at that time was.

However, before Cavaliers fans start telling themselves that they have seen this movie before, let's remember that only eight in NBA history have game back from a three-game-to-one deficit to win a series. The odds are against them.

A spin that Cavaliers fans could try to put on this series is a reminder of something they experienced for themselves just two short years earlier.

Although it is an entirely different sport you may remember that the Indians had a 3-1 series lead on the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 American League Championship series and could not get the fourth win they needed to advance to the world series.

However, if the will of the team does not match the will of LeBron and pick up their pace there will be no miracle of that kind for the Cavs.

What was encouraging to see last night was LeBron's supporting cast actually coming out and helping him from the start and still coming through for him Delonte West scored 13 points, Mo Williams came up huge with 24, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas ended up with 16, and even Daniel Gibson showed signs that maybe he will comeback to the form he showed in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals when came off the bench and scored 11 points last night.

What was discouraging was despite all of that, big things that have been issues for the Cavs occurred once again.

The bench was still outscored, they once again blew a big lead, they still have a hard time defending Orlando's offense, and once again when LeBron could have used help it was himself having to be the one to set his team up making big plays. This cannot continue if the Cavaliers are to make a historic comeback.

The Magic are coming home where they have had quite a bit of success against the Cavs. All of the pressure will be on the Magic to close this series out at home and perhaps that is how they would prefer it anyway.

A chance to give your fans that have come out and supported you and gone crazy for you during this playoff run would be a appropriate way for the Magic to end.

However, now they also have tall business because if they continue to give the Cavaliers chances to get back into the game like they did last night, it is back to Cleveland for an all bets are off game seven.

LeBron did restore hope to his team, and the fans by willing and the Cavaliers to a victory last night, however what makes this different from 2007? The Cavs had only one more game to win against a Detroit Piston team that was falling apart at the seams.

This time they are up against a young exuberant Orlando Magic team that will play you straight up for 48 minutes with one of the best head coaches in the NBA, and as a team has a will as big as LeBron's and the same goal that the Cavs do. Plus the Cavs have to win two more games to win the series.

After last night's game LeBron told the media that he is not ready to go home for the summer and play with his kids yet. Great that LeBron has that attitude, but it is up to his team do now have the same, and to example that on the court.

If they do not, it's back home to pack up for the rest of the summer for the team, and a summer full of extreme disappointment for it's fans.

Cavaliers-Magic: Is the Joy Ride Over for Cleveland?

Greg Cooksey — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:36:02 -0400

So this is what it comes down to.

All of the hopes and dreams that Clevelanders have of this year's version of the Cleveland Cavaliers bringing a professional sports championship home for the first time since the Browns did it in 1964 are down to one game.

Right now the Cavaliers are in the position that many feared they would be—down 2-1 to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals and facing what is a must-win Game Four tonight.

Everything that the Cavaliers fought for and worked so hard during the season to achieve is on the line. If they do not win all that they have accomplished—the NBA-best record of 66-16, the home 0ourt advantage in the playoffs, Mike Brown winning Head Coach of the Year—will all mean nothing if the Cavs fall tonight and then go on to lose this series to the Magic.

What will it take for the Cavs to get back into this series? They have to be able to move the ball around on offense and have absolutely no times where they just stand around and make LeBron do everything on offense. Mo Williams and Delonte West have to be able to shoot the ball well.

On defense, they have to be able to find an answer to the Magic's pick and roll. They have to be able to close off the outside shooting game of the Magic and keep bodies on the Magic shooters.

Most of all, they have to be able to keep their composure when things do not go their way—like Sunday night when they had emotional meltdowns. The worst part was that the Magic gave them opportunities to win, but the Cavs failed to take them.

If you are Stan Van Gundy and the Orlando Magic, a loss will not bother you in the least bit because you have been there beofre with the Boston Celtics and the Philadalphia 76ers, prevailing both times. However if you are the Cavaliers, lose and your worse nightmare comes true.

This is a must-win for the Cavs. This is the best look that they will have at winning a championship. A win gives them back the home court that they rightfully had going into this series. Everything has been set up for them—and to lose and blow that will be unacceptable. They may never get back, and there is no guarantee that they will have the same amount of success next season.

So what if the Cavs lose to the Magic? Should that happen, life will go on in Cleveland. We will take our slap in the face again like true adults, and realize that it is just a game, even though sports in Cleveland is somewhat of a form of life.

If the Cavaliers do not win a championship this season or next season we will turn our attention to the Browns and Indians, and place our hopes with them once again. Know this, though—if this franchise goes without a championship within the next two seasons and LeBron James decides to go elsewhere, the Cavs will never be looked at as part of the equation again.

I have often said that the day that LeBron decides to leave will mean death for the NBA in Cleveland because LeBron is the only reason that team is still breathing. Why? Simple.

The order of fandom in this town goes as follows: The Browns are first, the Indians are a close second, and then if there is any room at all left the Cavs. Don't believe me? Just look at the attendance from the Cavs' last run in the late-'80s and early-'90s through 2003 when LeBron arrived. Not even Shawn Kemp was able to attract much attention to the team—although going from being a high-flying superstar in one city to being a 300-pound washup in the next might do that to a struggling franchise trying to keep its head above water.

LeBron is so special to this city because he knows what the city has been through with its sports teams—and wants to do something to change it's fortune. This city will be hard pressed to accept it if the Cavs are in a position where they have to find two or three players that equal his talent or try to replace him with Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh (which is not likely to happen) in the summer of 2010—if they do at all.

So is the Cavs' joy ride over? Not just yet—but it very well could be if they lose tonight. Here in Cleveland we have not given up the ship just yet. However many of us are hanging our heads.

All we can do is hope and pray that the Cavs find a way to have this great ride they have taken Cleveland on end in a stop to the promised land.

Hey Cleveland, in the Words of Bart Simpson, "Cool Your Jets Man!"

Greg Cooksey — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:44:52 -0400

Yes it was frustrating, yes it was very disappointing—it was even down right pathetic, and maybe it would not be to out of line to say disgraceful.

If you happened to be under a rock and do not know what I am referring to, I am talking about the 16 point 63-48 lead the Cleveland Cavaliers had at half time over the Orlando Magic, only to let it slip away in the second half. This left Cavaliers fans to be shocked, frustrated, and down right angry about the 107-106 loss as they made their way out of Quicken Loans arena on Wednesday night.

Those who were not at the game were left to have to go to bed frustrated by the mouth of Charles Barkley (who, after the Magic defeated the Boston Celtics in game seven of their series Sunday night, predicted the Magic to beat the Cavaliers in this series) and his delight that the Magic stole game one and the home court advantage from the Cavaliers.

For all of you Cavaliers fans who may by waking up this morning, not that you have had a chance to sleep—I want you to do just one thing for me, OK? On the count of three let's all take a big breath, ready? 1,2,3...breathe deep! Now on the count of three I want you to exhale. Ready?...1,2,3.

Now don't you feel at least a little bit better? Now, if you did not participate, let me just say, in the words of one of America's most beloved cartoon characters, Bart Simpson, "Cool Your Jets Man!" It is one loss! Given, it was a very frustrating one and one that is hard to swallow, but relax.

This series is not over, and if you think for one second that Coach Mike Brown, LeBron James, and the rest of the Cavaliers are going to walk into their practice facility ready to pack it in and say "Well, we tried, but the Magic were just that much better then us and had more of an answer for us then we did them", then you are very sorrowfully mistaken.

If it was anything at all, it was a dose of reality. What reality am I talking about? The one where if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. The Orlando Magic did not end up here with us because they sleep walked their way through the playoffs.

The Orlando Magic are here in the Eastern Conference Finals because they are truly one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and the NBA. They have a terrific head coach, they have one of the best young players in the NBA, and they have players that are perfect for their style of play.

It is not a joke that they are here. Anyone who thought or had any idea of a sweep or a five game series in their head obviously had no idea or even paid much attention to the Magic-Celtics series or the NBA at all this season.

Simply said, anytime your opponent can shoot 55 percent from the field that is normally not a very good sign for your team. Can you beat a team that shoots 55 percent from the floor? Sure, if your team shoots 56 percent. In fact, it's the only time your team will win in that scenario!

The Cavaliers simply had no answer for the adjustments that the Magic made at halftime of the game. The Magic found away for there big three point shooters in Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, and Mikael Pietrus, as well as took advantage of Zydrunas Illgalskus's slow feet guarding Dwight Howard.

While the Cavs simply went from coming out and hitting the Magic in the mouth offensively and even defensively, they switched after the half to having a hard time knowing what was going on when the played defense, and doing their usual ball watching while LeBron was driving the lane and getting hammered on offense.

By the way, nice offensive rebounding in the second half guys. Let's not forget that the bench did not offer any relief either, only five points at one point? What's worse was they were not there late in the game when you really needed them.

Bottom line here, folks—this was a big wake up call for both the fans and the team. What is encouraging is that with this team, when they get embarrassed once, very seldom do they get embarrassed the next time out. I would expect to see a very big improvement form this team on Friday night, and I think that you will see them play a good four quarters of basketball and even this up, having said that.

This is just a reminder to one and all that no team can win a championship without facing some adversity first. Remember what Stan Van Gundy told his team late in the fourth quarter during one of the timeouts? We have been here before, we know what this is about, they don't. Well now, the Cavaliers, and us the Cavaliers fans know what the grind of a long hard playoff series is about.

This is about us getting the testing in the playoffs that we need. Every team that wins a championship goes through it—Boston did with us on their way to a championship last year, if we are going to win one this year we must go through it also.

This is about us being part of a battled tested playoff series and the one with the most will and desire will survive! This is going to be hard fought series and folks, more frustration is to come, but if we can endure it all the better the team and us as fans will be. Oh, by the way, LeBron is not very happy either which spells bad news for the Magic!

Ladies and gentlemen, this series is a long way from being over. It looks to be a classic and let's be proud to be part of it. If you cannot appreciate or enjoy that then at least be thankful that you are alive and getting to see a run that hopefully will still end in a special way for us Cavaliers fans!

So, to all of you in Cleveland this morning, have a great day and enjoy the beatiful weather we will have this weekend!

Saying Adios, Fairwell, and Goodbye to the NFL...For Now

Greg Cooksey — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:09:50 -0500

I do not know exactly why I feel the way that I do about this, after all I enjoy football at pretty much all the levels.

Maybe it was the outrageously bad season my team the Cleveland Browns put out after it was promised to be an exciting one, or perhaps the fact that I had the perfect strategy at my fantasy draft and then only won one week. Whatever the case was, there where times that I happened to find the NFL season rather long and boring this season as well as frustrating to put up with.

Now that it is over I would be much remiss if I did not send some shout out and hopes to some teams and individuals, so I will take this time to do so.

To the the Detroit Lions: Yes you may have had as pathetic year as they come with a 0-16 season, but look at it this way, you will be much better for it in the years to come. You were finally able to get ride of Matt Millen who just may have been the creator of your pathetic state, and with new leadership and management your future could look to be an exciting one. Good days are ahead for you Detroit. You do have some good talent o your team, let's see if anyone know how to develop it.

To The Arizona Cardinals: Good luck as you look to build upon last night's heartbreaking loss. You had a terrific year and if you would have been able to finish off the Steelers would have been maybe the lease probable super bowl champion yet.

If I were a Cardinals fan I would be very excited about the coming seasons, especially if you are ever able to get the kind of production from Matt Leinart that you did from Kurt Warner. Plus maybe you have given Anquan Boldin a reason to not want to be traded. Having the type of receiving corps you do is scary, I would love to see what you guys would look like if you had a better running game to complement it.

To The Cleveland Browns: Good luck to you as you look for the fourth time to rebuild a broken franchise. Eric Mangini and George Kokinis have a huge mess to clean up. Can they do it? We will see, but God help both the fans and the organization if Randy Lerner has whiffed again with management.

To the Pittsburgh Steelers: Congratulations on your sixth championship and getting another ring for the other thumb or whatever the slogan was. You rose above what a lot of experts thought about you this season and have proven to be a model franchise in that Mike Tomlin was right about you being a 60 minute team. Plus you have one of the most fericous's defense in the NFL and big time play makers on your offense.

What's not to like about you guys? Enjoy your championship, and be ready to defend it next season.

And now for some individual shout outs.

To Brett Farve: Rex Ryan may be sure that if you decide to come back for another season that you will be all in, but please make sure that whatever decision you make ends up being the right and furthermore final decision! You have already made one franchise miserable as well as made life difficult for one coach and cost another one his job all in one season.

Please do not make things any more difficult for yourself and loose anymore respect then you already have, if you are going to retire then do so, if you are going to come back and play do so and keep your mouth shut. Stop making trouble for yourself and everyone else is what I am getting at.

To Plaxico Burress and Adam "Pacman" Jones: I wish for you guys to pull your lives together and to use some common sense in the future. I will not play the role model card because if you want to go the direction of Charles Barkley and the " I don't get paid to be a role model" fine. Is this really the example you want to set for yourselves and what you want to be known for though? I sure would not.

You have both let a lot of people down and disappointed quite a few people. If all you want is for people to see that you can be good individuals and want people to see the good in you, then stop doing things and ending up in places that are only going to have the end result of you getting in trouble. Just because that you can do something or go somewhere does not mean that you should. Especially if there is the prospect of trouble lurking around the corner.

To Chad Johnson and Terrel Owens: Both of your acts are getting old. I would guess that judging by the stats and performances that you two had this season would suggest that this off season you need to just keep your mouth shut, accept where you are, and let your play do the talking for you.

To Braylon Edwards: Get a better head on your shoulders! Like I said in a past article, you have been given a chance to be part of a unique position by playing for some of the best fans in the NFL and one of the most storied franchises in the NFL, don't blow it because of displeasure with the fans. It is something that will haunt you if you do. Know your role and except it.

So with that We say goodbye until next fall to the NFL. Here is to the hope of more great storylines, teams with new coaching regimes, and all of the bone-crushing on-field excitement that is the NFL going into next season.

The State of the Cleveland Cavaliers: Their State is Strong!

Greg Cooksey — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:38:02 -0500

Can you believe it? Most fans thought that this years Cavaliers team would be a very good team but did you really think that just a little past the midway point of the season you would be saying that the Cavaliers are the best team record wise in the NBA?

Well, here they are at 35-8 and standing alone and above some of the best in the NBA including the Lakers 35-9 and the Celtics who have played a few more games then the cavs at this point, but have one more loss then the Cavs at 38-9.

This has been a very healthy thing for Cleveland sports fans who had to suffer through disappointments from both the Indians, and especially the Browns over the past year.

After experiencing what the Cleveland fans did with the Browns, the fans needed and were ready for something that they could believe in, and now in the darkest hour have come LeBron James and the Cavaliers with just that. Hope.

Here now are just a few random thoughts about the Cavaliers as they look to put a historic finish on what has already been a historic season.

What has been the biggest improvement

I think that there are two fronts to the answer to this question. Maybe even three.

1. The offense is finally understanding that it has to move the ball and rotate. No longer are we seeing this horrible offense where LeBron Brings the ball down the court, dribbles it between his legs and then tries to figure out a way to go to the hoop while everyone else just stands and watches. Well, I guess we still see it sometimes, but not nearly as often.

Mostly it is because of Mo Williams running the point, but it is also because guys are finally starting to understand the need to spread the floor as well. Plus, it helps that we have shooters that know their role on this team.

The guys on offense are actually setting picks, fighting for offensive rebounds and looking to get open for high percentage shots. It has been a beautiful thing to watch.

Speaking of beautiful to watch, the defense has been just as inspired as the offense has. We were all quick to get on Mike Brown about his coaching ability and lack of ability to get the team to play defense two years ago, but look at the team now!

I love that guys are all doing their part to get a turn over, or do whatever they can, blocked shots, defensive rebounds, they dive for balls, they are getting up in other peoples faces, it has been refreshing to watch.

Going back to offense, the outside shooting has improved. 37 percent from beyond the three point arc and they are ninth in the league in scoring averaging 101.2 points per game. I

love the way that Delonte West has grown into the shooting guard role where he has been averaging 12.3 points per game, he seems a little more fit for it and it seems like he can always be counted on to make a big shot when they need it.

I have also been very impressed with the play of Sasha Pavlovic in West's absence, and recently Terrence Kinsey has been making a big impact off the bench as well.

What have some of the disapointments been?

I would really hate to say it, but it looks like Daniel Gibson is not having his best season right now. It seems like he is missing some big shots, shots that he would normally make, and it looks like it frustrates him too. He is only averaging 8.6 points per game. Could it be that he is being used in somewhat of a reduced role? Maybe, but he is still playing plenty of minutes, perhaps his injury from the playoffs last season still bothers him.

Hickson proved me wrong

I'll be very honest, I was one that was not to happy with the selection of J J Hickson. I wanted Chris Douglas-Roberts or Mario Chalmers. However, Hickson has by far surpassed any expectation that I ever had. I love the fact that he can be another energy man coming off the bench, and his learning curve seems to be coming along as well.

Very gritty player not afraid to go up and fight for a rebound, and attack the basket. He really seems to learn from his mistakes as well. He has been a pleasant surprise.

What I have been most impressed with

Other then what I mentioned in improvements I have been most impressed with the unity on the team, you can see that these guys have resolve and that while this is clearly LeBron"s team, no one is looked at as being bigger then the other one. They have all come together with on vision in mind, and that is to win the NBA title.

They seem to learn from there mistakes and make adjustments. Sure there have been a couple games like the opener vs Boston, and the game last week against the Lakers, where it looked like they had the other team beat at half time, and then blew it in the second half, but the have done a better job adjustment wise.

This team is finding ways to win as we saw in the grind it out win on Saturday night against Utah, last Wednesday night when they took over in the second half at Portland, and the win on Friday night at Golden State.

The Long Winding Road

The Cavaliers will have a very difficult schedule awaiting them after the all- star break on February 15th. It includes a their first look at the San Antonio Spurs in a game scheduled to be televised on ESPN on Feb 27 after playing in the Rockets in Houston on the 28 of February. They Also have back to back road games in Atlanta and Miami on March 1 and 2, as well as trips to Phoenix, Boston, two trips to Orlando.

As well as home games against the aforementioned teams and a big match up with the Lakers on Feb 8. Not exactly a cake walk but that Cavs are perfectly capable of keeping the intensity up and handling the challenge, but no more injuries. It is good to see that Z wants to comeback and play against Orlando later this evening, but the team is getting banged up at the wrong time.

The Final Verdict

The Cavaliers have the city's fans that had their hearts ripped apart by the Browns this year reeved up and ready again. They are playing at an unprecedented level, and have all the tools that they need to make this a season of dreams so to say for the team and the fans. They have intensity, they have talent, skill, and dis-er.

The road a head of the is going to be a tough and difficult one. If the Cavs stay true to their course, and continue to keep up their pace, look out Cleveland, you just might have the wild celebration you have been waiting 48 years to have!

Heading to Battle: A Pre-Spring Look at the '09 Cleveland Indians

Greg Cooksey — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:52:41 -0500

This week the Indians have been busy traveling over northeast Ohio on their annual winter press tour. In the coming weeks they will be busy packing and getting ready to head to spring training.

It seems hard to believe that in a about three weeks the pitchers and Catcher's will be in Goodyear Arizona as pitchers and catchers report on February 12.

This year will be an interesting season for the Tribe as it will have somewhat of a new look to it. For starters they will return to the Cactus League in Arizona for spring training this year. The last time the Tribe held spent a spring in Arizona was 1992, when they held spring training in Tucson, AZ.

They have spent the better part of the last 14 years playing in Winter Haven, FL. New faces have been brought in, and their has been some shuffling around of old ones.

As we continue to gear up for the new baseball season lets take a look at somethings that will be interesting to watch for in the spring of '09.

How will the "rebuilt" pitching staff fare?

With no disrespect to Cliff Lee, this is the first time in some time that the Indians have entered the season without a true No. 1 ace. That very well could end up being Cliff Lee, especially after winning a Cy Young award last year. The problem is that the Indians have always used Lee as a middle-to-end-of-the-rotation starter because CC Sabathia was the ace.

Now with C.C. gone to the Yankees, the team will need a new No. 1. Lee will rightfully and deservedly so get the first opportunity to take over that role. Can he make the adjustment and handle pitching well against big time pitchers? Last year, as well as seasons past (minus the 2007 season), would suggest that he can, but we'll see.

As far as the rest of the rotation goes spring training should be a very telling one. I think that you can count on Fausto Carmona being solid baring any injuries. The rest will be wait and see. Who knows about Carl Pavano who if (and that is a very big if) he is healthy good be an excellent No. 3 guy, the rest seems a little dicey though.

My most likely thought is that you will see Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffy as the Nos. 4 and 5 starters since they have the most experience at the MLB level.

However, what about the other youngsters like Scott Lewis who came up in September and was impressive, or Adam Miller who most fans want to see up here, or Zac Jackson who proved to be more then a throw in in the deal for Sabathia, or Dave Rush who shows some promise. It should be interesting to see how the situation plays itself out.

What about the catcher and first-base situation?

Not much of a situation I suppose but you could see something happen hear. After the year that Kelley Shoppach had last year it would be very difficult if not unfair to tell him that he has to go back to siting on the bench and be second fiddle to Victor Martinez for another season.

Plus, with the fact that the Indians have always said they would like to spare Matreniz'a knees by playing him at first, someone will have to be willing to give up some playing time right?

Unfortunately that someone looks to be Ryan Garko who struggled mightily through the first half of the season last year, then seemed to find his stride during the second half. It would be difficult to keep Garko out of the lineup because his bat does produce runs and you would like to have it in the mix, however

Martinez and Shoppach seem to swing a better bat, so that counts against Garko.

Last week, it came out that they team will try to give him a look at the outfield, but the team has so many outfielders already that it may not benefit him or the rest of the team for that matter much.

Is Garko an odd-man out? Time will tell, but for right now, all indicators seem to suggest he may be just that!

What can we expect from Kerry Wood?

I would say that we can expect a very solid season from Kerry provided he is healthy, even though he missed sometime last season he had a very good one.

The Cubs were very smart to turn him into a closer because they found a way to use him in a way that is not perhaps as stressful as a regular starter.

He will not have to pitch every fifth day, which means more rest for his arm, plus he has some good young talent in the bullpen that would be more then capable of handling pitching for him if he cannot go.

Plus if the game is either way out of hand, or well with in hand, he most likely will not have to pitch anyway. Of course, the main key will be health, but provided he is healthy he will be an important piece.

Will we finally see the return the Pronk that we all are used to seeing this season?

Hard to say. Last week he told the media that he felt better and that he feels that he is ready to go, we will not be able to make that decision until he actually has some at bats though.

I do see some cause for alarm because if you remember he started to tail off, productivity wise, towards the end of the '07 season, though he did have some big hits during the postseason that year, but again, only time will tell he this season and the rest of his career will shape out.

Overall, I see a over .500 season for the Indians, making a jump into the postseason could be a different story though. The AL Central is not very good, but are they a better team then the Tigers or the White Sox? Time will reveal that answer.

I see about 90 wins if the team stays healthy and consistent. If that can't be, then it will be a long year.

Quick Hits

Looks like Fausto Carmona will most likely not end up pitching for the Dominican Republic during the world baseball classic. Carmona is trying to concentrate on improving upon his '08 season in which he went 8-7 with a 5.44 era and there is though that since a stint in the WBC could last three weeks, there is worry that may serve as a distraction for him.

According to Indians.com Carmona did pitch in the Dominican league and had positive results.

Speaking of the World Baseball Classic, when the final rosters come out next month it looks like 14 Indians will be participating.

Among them will be Grady Siezmore and the newly acquired Mark DeRosa playing for team USA, Rafeal Bentancourt will play for Venezuela, Jhonny Peralta and Rafeal Perez will both play for the Dominican Republic team, Masa Koybayashi will represent Japan, and Shin-Soo Choo will play for Korea.

When asked about it Manager Eric Wedge said that he had no problem with his players playing, but that made it very clear that he thought everyone knew there commitment to the Indians and that if it is a distraction to anyone that they should stay.

Tell Me Why?

Could someone please explain to me why Mark Shapiro has such an infatuation with outfielders? Last week not only did it come that the will give both Josh Barfeild and Ryan Garko a look at the outfield but also that they player that they named from that Paul Byrd deal would be Mickey Hall who is yet another outfielder from the Boston Red Sox.

This team is stocked full of outfielders throughout the system. Was there really need for another one? Why not try to add depth at other positions—say, pitching? Oh well, I guess it is not meant to be understood.

As the Cleveland Browns Turn: Ten Questions on Browns Fans' Minds

Greg Cooksey — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:54:23 -0500

It's been a long week for Randy Lerner. The kind of week he would just assume forget and wishes he would never have again. Randy Lerner spent this holiday week firing both his general manager Phil Savage and his head coach Romeo Crennel, and having to look for the perfect replacement for this wreck that has been the Cleveland Browns.

The franchise is under some of its darkest days right now; a lot of questions loom. Unfortunately, it looks—right now—like there are more questions to be found than there are answers. So while Randy Lerner attempts to answer his franchise's questions, let's try to answer our own.

Here are 10 questions and answers amongst the Browns' fans.

1. What will happen with the general manager situation?

It looks like Scott Pioli is the most likely candidate for the position. I think it is a good choice; he comes from a solid organization with solid leadership, one that has also been a successful one.

Having ties to this area with both Mark Shapiro and Danny Ferry help. I am not enthralled with him wanting to bring in Kirk Ferentz, but if he leaves him to be the x's-and-o's guy while Pioli does the management of the team, it could work.

I also like that they may talk with Rich McKay from Atlanta. The guy who is my pick for who I would love to see get the job, Floyd Reese, looks to either be left out of the equation entirely, or if he is not, he looks to be lost in the shuffle.

I love the job he did putting the Tennessee team together, and I think he would be capable of doing the same here. The fact that there is no talk about him right now is disappointing.

2. What time frame would you expect a head coach to be named?

I would say to look for one to be named by at least mid-late February or even into the first week of March at the very latest, in just enough time for the man to get here, settle, get acclimated with the front-office staff and guys who may be staying in Cleveland to workout for the winter, and get ready for minicamps in March and April, and of course, the draft.

3. Why so long? Why not more like the end of the month?

This team needs to hit a home run with whom it selects if it ever thinks it is going to get off the ground. That means they should exhaust all of their options. This simply takes time, plus not all of the names that they want to talk to about the coaching vacancy are available right now because they are part of a team still in the playoffs and they won't be able to talk to them until their team is eliminated.

Plus, sometimes teams wait to fire coaches until after the Super Bowl on purpose. If a name like a Jack Del Rio became available and they already have a coach, they may not be very happy!

4. Is there any chance Romeo Crennel could come back in any capacity?

It depends. If Scott Pioli becomes the general manager, then he could vouch and make it a requirement for whomever that may be to hire Crennel to be the defensive coordinator.

One question I heard posed on the radio last week I think makes a lot of sense: Is Romeo a good defensive coordinator because it's his talent? Or is it because of the guys he worked for in the past, such as Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells?

You may remember when Chris Palmer brought him in during the 2000 season and the defense was not very good. Just some food for thought.

5. Would you look to the college ranks for a head coach?

Absolutely not! We have been there and done that. That was why I said I was not keen on the thought of Kirk Ferentz coming here. With the recent line of college coaches such as Butch Davis, Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, and Bobby Petrino not having good records, this team cannot afford another miss like this.

The basic problem is the difference between college and pro football makes it to great of a transition. In college, everyone is around the same age and so the skill set is somewhat the same as is the tempo of the game.

In the professional level, the game speeds up. Players get bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter in years, and then there is the maturity issue; boys become men, and it just gets to hard to make the adjustment.

It appears the two coaches worth having the most in Urban Myer and Bob Stoops are not likely to leave where they are now anyway.

6. What is the future of Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow on this team?

I think they will both be here next season. Based on this past year, you are not going to get much interest in Braylon unless you package draft picks, and we all know where that has lead us in the past.

Despite all of Braylon's baggage he is still probably the best receiver we have right now and I think it is in our best interest to let whatever happens play out until his contract is up. He just needs to have someone willing to get in his face when he has his meltdowns and put him in his place.

As far as Kellen goes, he is productive and can be the talent to lead this team for years to come. He really needs to spend this offseason taking better care of himself at both the physical and nutritional aspect of his training.

His team needs him too much and it is time for him to know his place and embrace it. We do not have all that much with out him and having a superstar to go into the mix would make this group all that much better.

7. How do we fix the running game next season?

Jamal Lewis really needs to work hard at what he can do to pick up yards over the offseason. He probably has lost a step, so with that in mind, why not split the carries with Jerome Harrison next season?

Harrison did an exceptional job last year but he was given limited playing time. He has shown significant improvement so let's make him part of our offense more next season.

Run blocking needs to be reintroduced to the offensive line since they do not do so very well. While you're at it, why not teach some downfield blocking to some of the wide receivers and tight ends? If you look at any team in the NFC East, their ground game is so good because everyone on the offense helps block for them!

8. What about the defense; how do we fix it?

It is going to take a lot of patience and time. We need depth everywhere, especially at the linebacker and the defensive line positions if we are going to stay with the 3-4 scheme.

9. What do you think the team's most glaring on-field need will be at draft time and free agency?

Wide receivers and linebackers. Moreover, linebackers because we really need to have a good pass rush and a presence in the other teams backfield. If we are sitting there with the third or fourth pick and either Micheal Crabtree or a guy like a Rey Malaluga or a Brian Cushing, I would go with Malaluga or Cushing because they are always around the ball defensively and they have the fiery intensity this team needs.

Crabtree is an amazing talent, but wide receivers are a dime a dozen and you could probably get value in a later round say a guy like a Brian Robiskie from Ohio State, who has big play potential, and he is also good possession receiver. You could probably also get a good complement for Braylon Edwards through free agency.

It may not be a bad idea to try to pick up a running back in the draft either. Last I checked, the only free agent to be of an substance at the position was Brandon Jacobs (cringe). Jacobs is not horrible, but you could definitely do better.

10. What off-the-field issue would you say needs to be addressed?

There is no leadership on this team.

Not much shined over the last month of the season, but the training-room accident between Shaun Smith and Brady Quinn and the Braylon Edwards tirade after the Eagles game showed this whole team has been lost without someone who has the skills to intervene and tell the guys they can not have those sorts of things happen in the locker room.

Can that come from someone within? Sure, but no one has stepped up and taken the role yet so it looks like they will have to get it from an outside source. Most likely the head coach.

QUICK HITS

It looks like you can cross Mike Shanahan, who was fired from the Broncos last week, off your wish lists of replacements at head coach. He told Peter King he will not coach in 2009 unless he is given the perfect situation.

There may still be a way the Browns could lure Marty Schottenhiemer here—if they hire his son Steven from the New York Jets. This seems unlikely because his name has not been so much as mentioned.

But if the Browns hypothetically did hire him, it would not be surprising if he tried to recruit his dad to be involved with the organization somehow, much like Lane Kiffin did when he recruited his dad Monte to be the defensive coordinator at Tennessee.

In a totally unrelated Browns story, one of my favorite gifts this Christmas from my parents was a copy of Warrick Dunn's book Running For My Life, My Life in the Game of Football and Beyond.

In this book, he describes a beautiful relationship he maintained with his mother until she was fatally shot while on duty as a police officer in Baton Rouge, LA and how it changed his life and relationship with his siblings.

I would recommend this for anyone who is a fan of Warrick Dunn or football in general. If you like inspirational stories it is for you. It will even make you cry; I did.

Ohio State Vs Texas Round III: A Look at The Fiesta Bowl

Greg Cooksey — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:15:08 -0500

There must be a special connection between Glendale, Arizona and the Ohio State Buckeyes. How else can you explain that for five of the past eight years Ohio State has been one of the teams that the Fiesta Bowl has featured?

The Buckeyes will once again return to the desert, two years removed from an embarrassing 41-14 drubbing in the BCS championship game at the hands of Urban Myer and the Florida Gators. This time they hope that they will depart from Glendale in a more triumphant fashion than the night of January 7, 2007.

The Buckeyes seniors, outgoing juniors, and coaching staff alike will come into this game with a chip on their shoulder as they try to shake the burden of not being able to win a big game against an elite team. That is something that they failed to do twice this season vs USC and Penn State.

They are anxious to finally get the respect they deserve. And while a win on Monday night will not completely shut up all of the national media pundits and Buckeye haters across the country, it could silence them for a while. If nothing else, it would be something for them to hang their hat on. It would not be the national title they came back to win, but it would be a great consolation.

They face a very formidable opponent, however, in the Texas Longhorns. This is a Longhorn team that is firing on all cylinders, and has a point to prove to the people who bought into Bob Stoop's hype of his Oklahoma Sooners, left them out of the Big 12 title game and dashed their hopes of another national title. For the Longhorns, the Buckeyes are a very welcoming sight. Finally the "chump" team they need to take out their frustrations on!

National media naysayers and Buckeye haters alike are hoping after this game is over that Buckeye fans will finally settle down, and that the supposed "truth" about their team will be exposed. Not to rain on anyones' parade, but this could actually be a very good game and closer than you think it will be. After all let's not forget what happened the last time a team received 50 days of praise and what they looked like on game day.

Here are my keys to the game:

Ohio State on Offense:

It will all start with Jim Tressel and his coaching staff. How well will they be able to manage this game? One thing is for sure: they must be innovative. They will have to score early and often if they want to keep up with Colt McCoy and the rest of the Texas offense. I am not talking field goals either. The offense will have to find a way to get into the end zone.

No one is expecting the Buckeyes to win this game, or even do well. So why not open up the playbook and have some fun? Whatever they do, they will not be able to let up. Because once the Texas scoring machine gets going they will not let up.

I like the talk about having Terrell Pryor and Todd Boeckman on the field at the same time. It should give the Longhorns D something to think about, and could add some much need extra speed to the offense. It's a creative idea for sure, but will it be effective?

Let's face the facts: it won't be like having the combination of Chris Leak and Tim Tebow that was so effective for Florida in the 2006 title game.

Chris Wells should get his share of looks; he bounced back admirably from his injuries and performed well over the last six weeks to produce another 1,000-yard rushing season. Unfortunately for Beanie, he will have a challenge ahead of him. Texas is strong up front. The Longhorns only gave up 2.8 rushing yards a game. Not encouraging news for Beanie at all. He will have to fight for all the yards that he can get. But if he does break a long run, don't expect it to be until late.

If Ohio State is going to be successful at all, they will need to try to get things done through the air. The good news for the Buckeyes is that Texas will be bringing the 109th ranked pass defense into this game, surrendering an average of 266.3 yards through the air.

Now for the bad news: the Buckeyes wide receivers have seriously underperformed this season. They have trouble getting open, and lack the ability to make big plays. Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie have been big time play makers in the past, but they have been lackluster this season. That will have to change.

If it doesn't, it will put a lot of pressure on guys like Dane Sazenbuagher, Diver Posey, and Defoe Torrence. These are good kids, but they lack experience. Most of Texas' opponents got things done through the air, and the Buckeyes will need to as well.

The Buckeyes' pass attack depends on Terrell Pryor's ability to throw the deep ball. If he can't, the Buckeyes need to give Todd Beockmen a look when they need to move the ball downfield through the air.

They also need to get tight ends Rory Nicole and Jake Ballard into the game. They are both regarded as NFL talent, and they have both made plays for the team in the past. The coaching staff and quarterbacking crew did not look their way much this season, but they could use the extra option in the passing game.

Finally, the offensive line has to stay healthy and be consistent. This unit was banged-up for most of the season, which contributed to the problem on the line because some guys had to play out of position. They need to stay healthy, and make sure they stick to their assignments. As stated before, Texas' defensive front and linebacker corps will be coming, and they will win the war up front if the Buckeyes are not up to the task.

Texas on Offense:

The last time the Buckeyes saw Colt McCoy, he was a young freshmen who had never played in a NCAA Division-1 game of this magnitude. Ohio State was ranked #1, and Texas was ranked #2 in week 2 of the 2006 season. The Buckeyes defeated the Longhorns 24-7.

Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, this is a much different McCoy. This season, he was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, and arguably should have won. He owns a passer rating of 179.2, ranking third in the nation. He also completes 78.1% of his passes. Cameron Heyward and Thaddus Gibson the Buckeyes defensive ends will have to be on top of their game to apply pressure on him, certainly no easy task.

McCoy was also the Longhorns top rusher. He has the ability to be slippery and wiggle his way out of tackles, and avoid defenders completely. James Laurinaitis, along with Marcus Freeman, will have to be stronger and explosively fast to ensure McCoy does not get into the second level, or else it will not fare well for the Buckeyes.

As good of a rusher as McCoy is, I would expect that Texas will use their running backs as much as possible so that McCoy can use his receivers Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley, both of whom caught over 70 passes this season. They will be especially dangerous on third and short or even fourth down situations. You can bet McCoy will test Malcolm Jenkins and company to see if they can actually get themselves off the field in situations where a stop is critical.

How will it shape out?

I would expect Texas to come out and attack the Buckeyes from all angles. I think that they will most likely tire out the Buckeyes defense early, and even get on the board before they can. They will set the tone early on both offense and defense, and it will be up to the Buckeyes to follow suit.

I would expect the Buckeyes to play to their strengths by running the ball their first few possessions. When they have trouble, I would expect that they will try to balance the offense a little more. What will be very critical for them is how they respond if the defense gets them good field position due to a turnover, because they will create some. They will need to be aggressive, especially if the game is within reach.

I think that Ohio State will do their best to capitalize on what is given to them, and even have a chance to win the game with a late drive. Ultimately, though, I think Texas will prevail.

I'm a big Buckeye fan. But I like the Longhorns in this one, 31-24.

Cleveland Browns 2008: A Fan's Evlauation

Greg Cooksey — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:25:55 -0500

Did this really happen? Tell me that the last five months have just been a mirage, and that when we wake up tomorrow, it will actually be July 26 instead of Dec. 26. That the season is actually getting ready to begin, not end.

Those are the thoughts going through most Browns fans right now. As nice a thought as that may be, Browns fans, the reality is that the past five months that were supposed to be great months for the Browns, and of which we all thought by now would be either in the thick of the playoff hunt or already locked up a trip to the playoffs, is what has really been the mirage.

This Sunday, after the Browns walk off the playing field at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, the season of dreams gone bad will finally be over, and the Browns, after five months of playing lousy football, will be going home for the winter.

After Sunday, team owner Randy Lerner will be able to finally do the evaluating that he promised the fans of the Browns that he would do back in November.

Before we pack up all of the pieces of our broken hearts and shattered dreams for the Browns from this season let's do out own evaluation of this team. Why wait for Mr. Lerner to do his? The grades from the 2008 Cleveland Browns are in, and, unfortunately (from this fan's prospective at least) they are anything but good.

In fact, speaking of Randy Lerner, let's start right at the top.

Team Owner Randy Lerner

So let's get this straight, he says that he is a fan and that he is just as frustrated as the rest of the fans, yet it seems like he spends quite a bit of money in his other investments, and perhaps this is a stretch to say, not what he should be spending on the Browns? Even his soccer team is better than his football team.

Randy Lerner needs to decide just where exactly his loyalties are. If he has little time for the Browns and would rather spend time in his other commitments, fine, he should sell the team to someone who can be around the team and be involved with it at all times. He's never around unless there are problems, like there are know.

If he wants to own and be loyal to the Browns, then he needs to show that he actually does care, start spending time around his team, and doing more on a day-to-day basis with this team. It's obvious that this is a team that needs to have the attention of it's owner because the right decisions are not being made by the people that run this team.

I really believe that this is Mr. Lerner's teams most desperate hour and it's put up or shut up time for him.

Randy Lerner's Grade: D -

TEAM GENERAL MANAGER PHIL SAVAGE

Look, he may be a gambler, and the gamble that he made when he traded draft picks for Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, then bringing Daunte Stallworth in made not have worked out the way that everyone would have liked, but at least he did something that he thought was going to help build upon last years success, something that the last time the team had a season in which they finished with a winning record they failed to follow up with.

Most of you, like me, seemed to be on board with what he did, plus the gambling that he did the year before with the draft picks seemed to work. Those are just risks that you take when you are trying to help a struggling franchise out. Sometimes they work sometimes they do not, but you have to at least try, and that is exactly what Savage did.

That said, the moves and gambles he made did not work out and it looks like this time this situation could be more serious if this team is set back any further from losing draft picks it really needed to have. The e-mail that he sent to the fan in Pittsburgh last month does not score many points with to many people either.

Part of his problem could also be that he has to deal with bad football people because that is all that he has at his disposal, because he has to do things that perhaps that the owner should be doing. Bottom line is, I do not think that this should be the end of Savage, because I do not think he has done that terribly bad of a job.

PHIL SAVAGE'S GRADE: C

TEAM HEAD COACH ROMEO CRENNEL

Quack, Quack, Quack! Do you hear that? That is the sound of a lame duck coach. Crennel really blew this last month and there is absolutely no reason for him to be here next year, the players may like him but he is just not a head coach. No need to say anything more. If you followed this team at all this year, you know what we are getting at.

ROMEO CRENNEL'S GRADE: F

THE ENTIRE COACHING STAFF

If I just gave the head a coach a failing grade, how could I give his staff anything else? This coaching staff really blew it this season and it was pretty much seepage from Crennel all the way down to the very lowest coach on the staff. The play of the team was awful, the team did not perform at all, to be honest, guys where not getting along in the locker room, it was a pathetic mess, and if anyone thinks it is funny, then they should be gone tomorrow.

Hard to say what will happen with guys like Mel Tucker and Rob Chudzinski, but telling them to work for work elsewhere, for precautionary reasons, like Hermon Edwards just told his coaching staff to do, might not be a bad idea.

COACHING STAFF GRADE: F

QUARTERBACKS

To say this group was a disappointment would be an understatement. Health issues are one thing and you cannot control those; however, did we maybe find out the real Derek Anderson at the end of last season is more like the real Derek Anderson then the one we saw at the start of the season last year?

It look's like the answer to that question maybe yes. He went all year with terrible ratings, he does not appear to be able to read defenses well enough, he cannot throw the ball with much accuracy, and he cannot move around in the pocket much either, as we found out at the end of the game against the Colts.

The sophomore jinx is a possibility, but it would appear we will never know that answer while he is in a Browns uniform because he made it clear he does not like it here, and it is apparent Brady Quinn will be the starter next season.

Speaking of Brady, he could have been more impressive. Yes, he was injured, but he followed a good performance up with a mediocre one, and then had a very bad performance before he was hurt for the rest of the year. Translation: It is to early to tell what will happen with him.

Bruce Gradikowski and Ken Dorsey are what they are. I do not think either will be here next season, I would expect to see two different if not younger back up's next season. Maybe this is a dumb thought but kind of makes you wonder why they did not go after Byron Leftwich or Daunte Culpepper.

Quarterbacks Grade: C- at best

RUNNING BACKS

I would not be surprised if no one know's what the problem was. Jamal Lewis appears to be more at the end of his road then he would like to admit that he is, he is a great competitor and would be the one leader that I would say that this team has, perhaps the best thing for him to do is put this season behind him, and try to once again prove skeptics wrong next season, because he will have them going into next season.

Why was Jerome Harrison not used more. He showed the more improvement than anyone else did this year. In fact, he was extremely useful WHEN HE WAS IN THE GAME!

He was the only back the got the Browns big chunks of yards and kept the chains moving when no one else did their job. He defiantly made a good case for himself this year for more playing time next season. If anyone notices him on the coaching staff that is.

Jason Wright was good, but like most of the backs on this unit, was nothing special.

Running Backs Grade: B

Wide Receivers

Where should we start with this. How about straightening Braylon Edwards out and making him stay later during mini camp and training camp so he can practice catching the ball. Better yet, why not make the whole unit do the same thing.

Donte Stallworth was brought in to complement Edwards; however, when he was not hurt and playing, he was never even a blip on the radar screen, no one else stepped up and took charge of the position and made plays. Let's not even start with Syndric Steptoe. EVERYONE underperformed. I would expect better next year.

Hopefully, Kellen Winslow will be back next year and healthy. I think that he is too good to just get ride of, although we do not seem to be all that bad off at the tight end position, even with guys like Steve Heiden, Martin Rucker, and Darnell Dinkins.

WIDE RECIEVERS GRADE: C-

Offensive Line

They had a little bit of a drop off from last season, even though they were not awful, but they were not great either. Joe Thomas and Eric Stienbauch seem to be rocks on the left side. Hank Fraley is a big asset at center, but the right side needs some work.

Ryan Tucker needs to stay healthy, and maybe we should look to draft some depth on that side, maybe even replace Kevin Schaffer.

Offensive Lines Grade: B

Defensive Line

Shuan Rogers is about the only one that has any Worth on this unit. Corey Williams may have just been struggling from having to come to a new system, still not much of an excuse though, and Shaun Smith has proved the only thing he can hit right now is a injured quarterback on his team (no pun intended).

This unit has a lot to prove next season, if the Browns stay in a 3-4 scheme. I hate the idea some have of putting Kamerion Wimbley back down on the line, they have spend so much time trying to make him a linebacker that I am not so sure it would help him any. Let's get some depth at the position.

Or at least strike some fear into these guys hearts.

Offensive Lines Grade: F

LINEBACKERS

Can anyone blame anyone else if they cannot wait for Willie McGinest and Andra Davis to be gone? Neither of them did to much. We need to get younger or better, or better yet both at inside line backer because we are not good. I like what we have with D'Qwell Jackson and even Alex Hall, and Leon Williams but the Browns are not to great other then that at this position, Kamerion Wimbley needs to step up and start making plays.

Definitely one of our weakest spots on the team.

LINEBACKERS GRADE: D-

SECONDARY

I really like Eric Wright. He has done a great job proving that he could overcome his adversity, stay out of off the field problems, and let his play do the talking for him. He definitely had a chip on his shoulder and he has done an excellent job.

It was a mistake not to have a veteran brought in to play next to him, they spent to much time trying to get Lito Sheppard from the Eagles, and had to settle for Brandon McDonald. McDonald gets beat and beat badly to much, he could benefit by having a veteran on the team.

Not being able to have Gary Baxter hurt him I think. The rest of the corners leave a lot to be desired.

The combination of Brodney Pool and Shaun Jones is not a bad one, they can both come up with big plays when they are healthy, but having them both healthy is just the thing, their back up's are not real good either.

Secondary's Grade: C+

Special Teams

Well, at least this is one unity we don't have to say anything bad about. Phil Dawson has been the cornerstone of this unit year in and out. Joshua Cribbs is still a threat, and Dave Zastudil is not bad ether.

Special Teams Grade: A

As you can see this team has a lot of work to do—whether it gets a complete makeover or not. Hopefully, the right people will be brought in to fix it.

QUICK HITS

Now that Carl Peterson has resigned as the GM of Kansas City, it looks as if there is a chance Hermon Edwards could be out as well. I was told that if the Browns do fire Crennel, due to rules, they would have to interview a minority head coach.

That would certainly makes Edwards a candidate if he loses his gig with Kansas City. Whether or not the Browns think he is the right fit, or even if he would come, is a different story.

Braylon Edwards vs Cleveland Browns Fans

Greg Cooksey — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:05:02 -0500

Now you've done it, Browns fans! This time there is no getting around or avoiding the issue. You have made the abominable happen, and your villainous offenses have stunk the heavens high! You have hurt Braylon Edwards' feelings.

For all of you Browns fans that have either had to shell out money, or work hard to be able to afford a ticket to a game and have a special time out with your family or friends, only to see it go to waste by the lackluster play of this team...Braylon has a message for you.

He could care less.

That's what he told the media after the Browns' 30-10 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles Monday night. Braylon said: "I could care less about the fans and the media. People are talking about trading me and the (expletive) going on with out team."

Nice gesture, is it not?

To make matters worse, you have even gone so far with your insults of him that he feels like he is "unappreciated" and that he is a marked man just because he went to the University of Michigan. Shame on you, Browns fans. How could you do such a thing to a man of such prestige and power!? It is your tongues, though, that he says are the biggest sword to his heart.

"When things go good there are hecklers. It hurts to hear people talk about getting rid of me. When I hear that I'm like all right, if that's what you guys want."

So with that, Browns fans, Braylon has spoken. He hears you and you have his attention. Now all of you get in line and apologize to him. After all his failures this season, are your faults right? His dropped balls are a product of your booing.

On second thought, let's do a little survey among Browns fans and see what they have to say about the matter. Ready?

Attention all Browns fans: If you think that your No. 1 wide receiver, who for the second year in a row is leading the league in dropped passes and took until Week Three to actually get into the end zone, ought to be calling out you the fans who have actually been behind him up until now—raise your left hand. Interesting...no one.

All right, Browns fans: If you have any intention of taking responsibility or excusing another atrocious season from Braylon, raise your right hand. Let's see...no one again!

Last chance, Browns fans. If you think that Braylon should keep to himself, go out, actually catch a few balls, and score a few touchdowns and make you be quiet—raise both your hands and make some noise. Wow, everyone!

Braylon, do you really want to take the fans and the media in this city on? If the answer to that question is yes, then go right ahead and try. We are more than welcoming and accepting of your challenge. Understand this, though: If you think that you are dealing with a bunch of angry football fans now, you do not even know the half of it. Just wait until the season ends and you are 4-12 or 5-11. Then you will know what a city full of angry football fans is.

Also understand that you are not here because it is your inalienable right to be playing professional football. You were brought here to help a struggling franchise try to get back on the map. The whole reason it made sense to bring you here through the 2005 NFL Draft was because while you did have somewhat of a history of dropping footballs, you were known as the type of player that could change a game and make a big impact at anytime.

You were supposed to bring life to a receiving corps that desperately needed a facelift.

Since you have gotten here, you have been quite the nightmare to put up with at times. You have had a giant holdout. You have called your teammates out in the media. You have had unprofessional explosions on the sideline that were caught by national-television cameras. It is you YOURSELF who has made this experience unpleasant, if that is truly how you feel. IT IS NOT THE FANS' FAULT.

In some NFL cities, the fans who have teams start out with high expectations and then have to watch the season take a turn for the worse may be thrilled to take a 4-12, 5-11 or 6-10 finish because it means a good draft pick.

That, however, does not fly in places like Buffalo, Oakland, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, or here in Cleveland where football is like a religion to some. Especially when the fans have had to endure what we in Cleveland have the last nine seasons.

Take some advice, Braylon. You are in a unique position where you get to play for a team that is one of the most storied franchises in NFL history and has some of the best fans you will ever play for or in front of.

Having a chance to turn this franchise around and being part of it when it does finally turn the corner is the opportunity of a lifetime! You're blowing this by being unprofessional. You are not in college anymore, so start embracing what you have, not where you are at—and act like a professional!

Believe it or not, Braylon, you are loved by the fans here and they want you to be here. Don't blow the opportunity that you have now by disrespecting the fans here, bolting for another team, and then coming back in another team's uniform under bad terms with the fans.

If that is the type of divorce that you choose from this team and city, the fans will never let you forget about it, and it will haunt you for the rest of your career. The ball is in your court now.

Choose, but choose wisely.

Merry Christmas Cleaveland Indian Fans From Larry Dolan and Mark Shapiro

Greg Cooksey — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 16:34:33 -0500

Okay Tribe fans, on Saturday Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan and GM Mark Shapiro made the announcement that they were going to purchase you a very expensive Christmas present. The Indians finally made it official Saturday that they have signed free agent closer Kerry Wood to a two year $20.5 million dollar contract with an option for a third year.

The only thing that they DO NOT want is to hear you complain that they will not spend money to bring in a free agent player anymore! No be thankful that they love you enough to want to be you something nice, big, and expensive. Or maybe they just realized that if they were going to build a successful bullpen, they were going to have to have someone a little more capable of handling the closer's role then what they already have.

Whatever the case, two things were certain for Shapiro and company at the winter meetings:

1. With the options available at the closer position there was no way that they could afford to just talk to players and just leave the bargaining table thinking they had better options within the organization or that they could afford to bring in a second tier type of player to fill the position.

2. If they were going to be serious about being proactive in their pursuit of guys like K- Rod, Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, or make a trade for a guy like a J.J. Putz, or Gorge Sherril. They would have to stay on them, and either be willing to open the pocket books, or be willing to give up some of their future.

So with that in mind the Tribe exec's set out in pursuit of making this team better and came up huge, landing Kerry Wood.

For all the criticism of Wood, or even the thought of the Indians paying as much as they are going to this is actually something that should be beneficial for both sides. Yes his 5-4 record and having a 3.26 ERA is something to be very concerned about. Yes that he has been on the DL 12 times over the past 10 seasons is down right alarming.

However here are some other stats that could sell you on this idea: When the Cubs moved Wood to the bullpen in 2007 he his record was 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 22 appearances. That seemed to impress the Cubs so much so that last year his was thier choice over former Indian Bob Howry, and the Cubs young sensation Carlos Marmmol last season, when he had 34 saves in 65 appearances. He also recorded 84 strike outs and walked 18 batters in 66 1/3 innings, and was named to the National League All-Star team.

This is a good situation for both Wood and the Indians because unlike his days when he was a starter he will not have to go out and pitch all the time. While they are paying him a lot of money to be able to protect leads they can still be able to turn to Jensen Lewis who proved at the end of the season he can be a potential closer with 13 saves, Carlos Perez, or Rafael Bentencourt should their come a time when Wood needs rest.

It's good for the Tribe because it is said that Wood is a great clubhouse guy and can be a good leader for the younger players, something that also scores points with Mark Shapiro.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Indians needed a closer and they were not going to go after K-Rod. It was simply not going to happen. Once K-Rod went off the market most teams where probably go to focus their attention mostly on Wood, although Fuentes would have also been an attractive name.

J.J. Putz is attractive and while Seattle may have been willing to part with him, the price may not have been worth the future we would have had to mortgage, Baltimore may have been willing to give up George Shierril but the thought of him coming here for good prospects made me cringe more then Wood because Sherril seems to be somewhat of a blown save artist.

This was the best way for the Tribe to go, they were able to get what they wanted and need and a change of scenery could be the perfect for Wood because he does not have a young kid breathing down his back.

Let's hope for a healthy Kerry Wood. This could be very exciting!!!

Memo To Ohio State and Fans: Be Thankful For The Pepole at The Fiesta Bowl

Greg Cooksey — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:28:48 -0500

Okay, Buckeye fans, we need to have a talk. A heart to heart if you will. I am not here to play negative Nelly on Ohio State's selection to the Fiesta Bowl because I am a huge Buckeye fan myself, however, I am also not the one to wear scarlet color blinders ether!

I am just as excited about the opportunity to be able to watch the Buckeyes take on the Texas Longhorns on January 5, and I was also not wanting to go to the Capital One bowl and play an SEC team. Been there done that, too many times as a matter of fact.

Before our excitement turns into a case of myopia and we start running our mouths at all ready fired up Texas fans let's be frank with each other about out team shall we? First of all, I would like to thank the people at the Fiesta Bowl for bailing us out because that is exactly what they did.

They could have easily taken Boise State who put on a great show against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl two years, or they also could have gone with another popular pick that much of America wanted to see with a re-match of Texas and Texas Tech.

If they would have chosen one of those two teams to participate who could have blamed them? After all, Texas Tech had a big win vs Texas and another quality win over Oklahoma State (who also finished higher in the rankings then the Buckeyes) Boise State finished the season undefeated for crying out loud!

Instead they decided to go with what for them was the safest play. A team that they where a little more familiar with, a team that three previous times out of the last five seasons has played in their bowl game and done quite well. A team that they knew for sure they could make mad money, because they would bring fans and alumni that would pay unruly amounts of money to come see there team play. Let's see who could that be? Oh yea, the Ohio State Buckeyes!

So with that in mind look out Glendale Arizona because Jim Tressel and the Ohio State Buckeyes are on their way back you town! This time thier just may not be that much to see though!

This year has not exactly been what Buckeye fans have come to now as being typical of this team, and this team is not playing the type of football it has been typically known to play. In fact it has been pretty uninspired most of the year. The offense has been a big detriment to this team whereas in years past it has been their rock so to say.

They have difficulty running the ball at times because Dan Heron and Brandon Saine are not exactly extracting the type of fear into opponents hearts the Buckeyes thought they would while they were trying to recruit them.

The Buckeyes also have trouble moving the ball down field sometimes because Terrell Pryor still just does not have the ability that Troy Smith did to throw the ball down field yet, and when he does the wide receiver are not catching the ball and making plays like they have in the past. Of course it may have bee n different if the offensive line was not playing like garbage or banged up

The Buckeyes defense has actually played very well the last month, but t can only do so much because of the above mentioned reasons. It is hard for a defense to be succesfully when your offense can not compliment it and do it's part by putting points on the board.

Hey Jimmy T as Buckeye fans call you let me give you some advice. You better plan prepare, and do whatever it takes to win this game. If you have to spend endless day's and sleepless nights to put together a winning strategy or a game plan that will not totally embarrass this team or it's fans like it has been the last couple season in the BCS NC game then I suggest that is exactly what you do. I guarantee you that is what Mac Brown and his staff are doing right now.

Could this game be intresting at all? Sure both teams have reasons to have a chip on thier shoulder. Texas is boiling mad about being left out of both the big 12 and National Championship picture and are looking to take it out on someone.

Ohio State was mercifully given another chance to prove it can play with the big boys and try to make a season gone bad up to the seniors who came back with aspirations of winning a national title. That won't happen but they been given an opportunity to have a very big win on a stage in which they have been humiliated in the past two seasons. Nether the Ohio State Fans or national media will accept failure again.

Ohio State has everything on the line for them in this game. If they win the pepole at the Fiesta Bowl look like genius for bailing the Buckeyes out, if they lose I don not want to think about what will happen next. Fans let's hope for the best but not be surprised if we see the worse.

Where, oh Where, Have Cleveland's DAWGS Gone? Where, oh Where Can They Be?

Greg Cooksey — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:30:24 -0500

Have you had it yet? Most fans have. When the Cleveland Browns came back in 1999, Cleveland once again was buzzing with pride. Sure, the sports fans here had the Indians, who were in the midst of an amazing run and there was excitement, but it was not the same.

The Cavs were around, however, no one really cared. It was the pre-LeBron era, in which the team was terrible and you would not have been able to give a ticket away if you tried because if you did, it was considered an insult to the other person's intelligence.

There is a saying that Cleveland's pride has always been reflected by its sports teams, and Clevelanders do love their sports, make no mistake about that. The fans love it when the teams do well, and if you are an outsider who travels there on business or what have you, while one of the teams has done well, you know what the atmosphere is like.

There is one thing, though, that separates all Cleveland fans from the rest- the Cleveland Browns. For years, the Browns have had a special relationship with the fans in Cleveland that neither the Cavaliers or Indians can seem to muster, try as they may. If the Indians or Cavs do poorly, the fans' attitude is, "oh well, if they won't do what it takes to win, then we won't go to the games, maybe then these teams will get players that can win on the team."

This is reverse psychology at its best because for seven out of the last nine seasons since the Browns have returned to the NFL, the team has performed miserably and they have been rewarded for it with a packed house every Sunday!

Yes, the Browns are to Cleveland what the Yankees are to New York or what the Lakers are to LA. The fans' first passion. The one that they love so much that they cannot be apart from them.

If there's church to go to on Sunday, fine, we will just go to an early service so that we can be home well in time for the 1 PM kickoff, if there is a birthday party to go to on game day, it better not be until 5 PM, regardless of it being a school night or not because, I'm booked with the Browns game from 1- 4:30 PM, at least.

That is the attitude of most Browns fans, nothing stands between the fans and the team.

So it stands to reason that these fans are finally getting frustrated and angry about how this franchise is being run and performing right now.

Most fans, young or old, remember the good times the city had with this team. The older crowd has fond memories of the teams from the late '40s, '50s, and '60s that dominated its opponents and either competed for or won the NFL championship every year.

Younger fans have their own exciting memories of teams like the Kardiac Kids or the teams from the mid 80's who also have some of the greatest moments of the franchise's history. Whatever the case is, this city has always been madly in love with its football team, and the football team has always been in first place.

Why is this so, you might ask? One reason could be that this team has always had players that reached out to the fans the way the fans did to them. The teams of the mid-80's especially had a great connection with the team. Hanford Dixon and Frank Minifield started the tradition of the DAWG POUND which was the bleacher end of the old stadium.

They were the ones who introduced the dog barking to the fans; it was their way of connecting with them. While there was some merchandising around it, it was nothing like today. Today, Dixon's and Minifield's ideas have been turned into a marketing identity for the team, not that they mind because I am sure that they don't, but I'm also sure they have not seen a penny out of what they started ether.

This team has, for one reason or another, always represented what a Clevelander is- a blue collar, hard-working town that both lives and dies hard. Just like the football team does on the field, the citizens in Cleveland have to grind for everything that they have.

So, for the fans being able to go the stadium, pack the lake shore area and hang out and have a beer or two and eat a bunch of food outside of the stadium while they listen to or watch the game, or to sit in their own living room on Sunday afternoon and be able to watch a team that did the same thing on the field that they do every day representing them, it was like a reward comparable to none other.

The mid-to-late 80's team understood that. Even though they could not produce a championship for the fans, they gave back the respect admiration, and love to the fans that the fans gave them. They were part of us, and we were part of them.

Today, we have people running this team that just don't get it. We have players like Braylon Edwards who can't catch a ball or does not play to his potential and then wonders why the fans can't just let him be the player that he is.

We have situations like the Kellen Winslow drama that never would have happened with the team prior to them moving to Baltimore. We have general managers that send unprofessional e-mails to fans, we have had hot heads like Carmen Policy who bolted when it looked like things were not going to go his way running the team.

It has been a certified mess and it's not funny to anyone who bleeds orange and brown now or has in the past.

Perhaps that is just the problem. Perhaps we have been sucked into believing and accepting that this is the same franchise that we were connected to in the past when all it really is, is a start-up expansion franchise that was given the history of a team with fans who would not let it die.

This team has turned off some of the former players by not letting them be near the team, and while they have done a better job connecting with the players who bled for this team in the past, they most likely will never be able to have the fellowship they would like and need to have with them because the ones who have been pushed away from the team no longer feel like this is the same franchise they played for.

They feel like the Browns they played for now reside in Baltimore where they have been renamed the Ravens.

Is that they truth? Perhaps that is something that you and I have to decide for ourselves, but you must take this thought into consideration: "does this team really represent and mean what it once did both to me personally and this city as a whole?" Only then will you be able to answer that question.

It's true that Cleveland takes pride in its sports. They represent who the citizens are and what they do. It's time to demand better from its first passion, the Browns. The fans in Cleveland deserve a lot better then what they have gotten out of this team.

The question is, will the owner Randy Lerner finally realize that and start doing what it takes to make this teams now long running failures right with the fans?

He owes them that much.

Phila Savage's Simple Slip of the Tongue Brings Judgement Upon Him

Greg Cooksey — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:44:43 -0500

Imagine this: You are in charge of a team that has struggled mightily for the past nine seasons. You were brought in to try to improve a team that was left in shambles from previous regimes that had people trying to run a team that obviously had no idea how to.

Then, just when you think that you finally have things put together the right way after a season of success, and then spending an offseason making moves trying to build that success you begin mini and training camp with you have such anticipation for finally having a good season to start it almost kills you. Then the season starts and everything that could go wrong does, and right away.

Now imagine, during a season gone unexpectedly bad, siting down to watch your team and among all the other frustrations that you have about the team, you are constantly being egged on by a series of e-mails from a fan who obviously does not know how to do your job as well as you do.

How would you feel? How would you react to it, if you did at all? One thing for certain, if you did, it would most likely be kind.

These are the things that went through Phil Savage's head on Monday night when he received e-mails from a supposed Cleveland Browns fan who was living in Pittsburgh, non the less. Now, I am not saying that it is impossible to live in Pittsburgh and root for the Browns, but I have may doubts that many Browns fans live there.

Phil Savage's response to this fan may have been uncalled for, but it shows that even the someone who hold a high position in sports franchises have a human side to them. That's what Savage showed on Monday night when he sent a fiery e-mail back to this fan who was antagonizing him.

Think of it as the co-worker that is always looking over your shoulder and telling you how to do your job and you finally respond to him with the "If you think that you can do better then you do my job!" response. That is essentially what Savage was trying to tell the fan.

Is Savage to blame for what has been happening with this team? Not entirely, but some of it does fall on him. I am not so sure that trading draft picks is how you build a team. Savage traded most of this year's draft away so that he could make moves that would improve the team this season and in future one's, but does he really understand that the draft plays a major role in how you build a team?

That is just one of the lessons he is now learning. He also does not have the strong support staff as far as evaluating talent goes. In Baltimore, he had Ozzie Newsome; here, he essentially has to do it on his own.

Shaun Rodgers has been a great addition to this team and he has played his heart out here, but was he really worth the draft choice that he gave up for him?

For all of his fault's such as the draft, and failing to bring in a cornerback who is a proven starter to play opposite of Eric Wirght, what Savage did seemed to make sense, however it is the coach's job to get the expected level of play out of them.

He can tell Remo Crennel to play Jerome Harrison more since it looks like Jamal Lewis is regressing in front of everyone's eyes, or he can give orders to go back to playing a 4-3 defense instead of the 3-4 to try and get more out of Kamrion Wimbley (whom I think is starting show is more of a bust any way), but if Crennel won't do it, then other than firing him after the season is over, there is almost nothing that he can do about it.

This season has been a total detriment to all Cleveland Browns fans, they expect better, and they should. The Browns are the pride and soul of Cleveland. Anytime someone goes outside of Cleveland and meets someone, the Browns are the first thing that come into that person's mind when the Clevelander tells them where they are from.

It's easy to do finger pointing at a guy like Savage who has taken a lot of heat for this season.

Phil Savage has done as good of a job as he possibly can. The lack luster play of the team has to eat Phil Savage alive every day as he drives to his office in Berea because he to is passionate about this team and wants the fans to have a team that everyone in this city can be proud of.

He has shown at he press conferences that he is just as passionate about the Cleveland Browns as the fans here are. I would like to see what would happen if he brought the right coach in and they still failed, who would the mess be on then?

Ruining the Browns right now is a seemingly impossible task. Part of the problem could also be that Savage is in a spot where he is still left to clean up the mess left by Carmen Policy, Chris Palmer, and Butch Davis.

Was what Phil Savage did right or even professional? Absolutely not; however, if you were to hear the response of the fan, which we did in Cleveland today, he was not to terribly offended by Savage's response to him. He even apologized himself! An apology that Savage was man enough to accept and offer an apology himself for his actions.

If you are from Cleveland especially or anywhere else where they have football, it bring's out the worst in them. Men especially, because it someone panders to their aggressive nature inside them. Monday night's events were a perfect example of one fan over reacting to a situation and another stooping to the others level.

Change could very well be coming to the Cleveland Browns in the off season. Will it be something that Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel survive? Most likely not Crennel; however, it would be a shame if Savage is let go for a simple slip of the tongue.

Ohio State-Michigan History Lesson: Sharing The Memories!

Greg Cooksey — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:48:54 -0500

From the time it started back in 1897, through the Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler years and even into the Jim Tressel and Lloyd Carr years, the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry has stood the test of time as one of the fiercest, and important rivalries that there is in college football—and perhaps even in all of sports.

Twenty-three times, the Big Ten Championship has been decided by the outcome of this game. An additional 23 times, the Big Ten Championship has been affected by the outcome of this game.

At the beginning of every fall, fire begins to burn within the fans of both teams, so much so that the week leading up to the game usually makes for good radio in both the local and national formats.

One more thing for certain is that this rivalry usually has some great stories for fathers to tell their children and grandfathers to tell their grandchildren about.

So with that in mind, here are some of my most memorable OSU vs Michigan moments. Since I am only 30, I do not have many stories from the Woody Hayes-Bo Schembeckler era to share, but I do have some of my favorites:

1994

It was year six for John Cooper, and he had still failed to produce a win against Ohio State's bitter rival. However, Buckeye fans that crowded the Shoe, as well as some of the players on the team, felt something in the air telling them this day would be different.

ABC, which broadcast the game, even sent their sideline reporter Jack Arute to a fortune teller who predicted more doom and gloom for the Buckeyes that day, and Ohio State did its part by bringing in 300 former Buckeyes to talk to the team about the rivalry the week of the game.

Fortunately for the Buckeyes, the fortune teller was wrong, as the Buckeyes rolled over the Wolverines. The big play on this day was made by Ohio State defensive back Marlon Kemer, who blocked a 33-yard field-goal attempt by Michigan with 14:37 to go in the game, when the Buckeyes up 12-6. The blocked kick was recovered by Buckeyes linebacker Mike Vabrel.

On the ensuing possession, the Buckeyes would go on a drive completed by Josh Jackson's second field goal of the day, making the score 15-6. Then, after Ohio State nose guard Luke Fickell intercepted a Todd Collins pass, the Buckeyes put the game on ice when tailback Eddie George scored on a two-yard run, making the score 22-6 with 8:35 to play. That score held up.

After six years of frustration, John Cooper finally had his first win versus the Wolverines as the Buckeyes' head coach. Fans stormed the field in a celebration which got some of the students in quite a bit of trouble, as riots broke out on campus after the game.

The Buckeyes' bowl game did not end in so much jubilation, though. The Buckeyes ended the season in the Citrus Bowl, and suffered a disappointing loss to an SEC team.

But the victory over the Wolverines made the season special for both the Buckeyes and their fans—and for one day, at least, they had reason to celebrate.

1995

Talk about having a real thorn in your side! This was before the BCS days, when a trip to the Rose Bowl was the important thing on the line, and perhaps the national championship. Ohio State entered the game with quite a chip on their shoulder, seeing as they were shutout 28-0 the last time they were at the Big House.

The Buckeyes also came into the game led by Eddie George, who would later become a Heisman-trophy winner, and two future NFLers in Terry Glenn and Orlando Pace. They were also ranked as the number-two team in the nation, had just won 11-straight games, and dominated most of their opponents. Terry Glenn even went out of his way to say that "Michigan's nothing."

The Wolverines came into the game looking to crush the Buckeyes after suffering devastating losses to teams like Northwestern, Michigan State, and Penn State—and crush the Buckeyes is exactly what the Wolverines did.

Tim Biakabutuka came into the game with an injury and still managed to rack up 313 yards. All the Buckeyes fans could do was sit and star at the television, mouths hung open wide in disbelief, and emotions crushed, as the Buckeyes were upset 31-23.

Even more insulting, perhaps, to Buckeyes fans was their performance in the Citrus Bowl, when they were taken out by Peyton Manning and Peerless Price of the Tennessee Volunteers.

2002

For the Buckeyes, it was a day of both anticipation and reckoning. They entered the day with a record of 10-0. They were ranked-two in the BCS polls and poised for a run at the national championship. Win and they were in. Lose, and they may not have even made the Rose Bowl, as Iowa surprising team had an undefeated record as well.

On this cold, cloudy, and drizzly day, the only thing standing in their way were the Michigan Wolverines. For a while, it did not look good for the Buckeyes. On this day, as had happened all season long, some last-minute heroics were needed to save the Buckeyes if they were to make their way to Arizona and play for the National Championship.

Late in the fourth quarter, Maurice Clarrett, who had one score and rushed for 119 yards, made two big plays, including a huge reception to set up a Maurice Hall touchdown. But an even bigger play came when defensive back Will Allen picked off John Navarre in the end zone to seal the Ohio State victory, 14-9.

The Buckeyes would realize both the players' and the fans' dreams of going to the Fiesta Bowl, where they won the National Championship in what was one of the most exciting championship games in BCS history.

However, that game was not without some controversy, as a late pass-interference call on fourth down gave the Buckeyes another chance to win the game and the title.

Even today, most Hurricanes fans, and some of the national media (Skip Bayless), would tell you that Miami actually won the game.

1992

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and other times you do nether. At least that's the way that this game went. Ohio State's 10-point fourth-quarter rally in that the game finished in a 13-13 tie. My most vibrant memory is Kirk Hierbstreet walking off the field in tears at the end of the game.

Much to the disgust of Ohio State fans, Ohio State University president Gordon Gee would go on to say after the game that "A tie is one of a greatest wins ever. You don't have to read between the lines to figure out that this guy is doing a hell of a job."

Who was he talking about? No one other then John Cooper. It had been reported in the Columbus Dispatch earlier that week Cooper had to win the Michigan game in order to keep his job, despite signing a four-year contract extension earlier that year.

2006

ESPN called it the game of the century, and it did not disappoint. Ohio State and Michigan were the number one and two teams in the nation, and the game was a highlight reel.

What made the game even more special is that it was played at 3:30 pm for the first time ever—which made some elder fans upset. They did not want the normal time of the game (12:00 pm) to be changed, because they said it took away from the tradition of the rivalry.

On this day, Michigan got on the board first, as Mike Hart scored a rushing touchdown. Then Ohio State came back and scored 21 unanswered points—an incredible touchdown run from Chris "Beanie" Wells, as well as two beautiful touchdown passes from Troy Smith to Brian Robiske and Ted Ginn Jr—to give the Buckeyes a suitable lead at halftime.

A notable memory from this game is a frustrated Troy Smith on the bench late in the third quarter with a stone-cold face, as the Buckeyes struggled in the second half and Michigan took advantage.

Despite the Wolverines' best efforts, the Buckeyes would go on to earn the victory 42-39, and for the second time clinch a spot in the National Championship versus their archrival on their home field.

Later that night, by design or not, the winning Ohio Lottery numbers were 4-2-3-9. Coincidence? Maybe.

Ohio State would play Florida, and just never were able to get anything to work, as the Gators dominated the Buckeyes 41-14 to win the national championship.

Of course I could go on for hours with more memories, but these are some of my most vibrant and fondest of the rivalry.

This Saturday, even though we may not have a trip to the national championship game on the line, or some juicy storyline, a new chapter full of new memories will begin, given that Michigan has a new look. Are you ready? I am.

So what are some of your favorite memories of this rivalry if you follow it? Feel free to share them with me!

MLB Holiday Shopping Guide Part 2: The Manny Vs CC Debate

Greg Cooksey — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:06:11 -0500

Your favorite team has the money to spend and is looking to bring in a big-name free agent to help bolster the team. Of course, the two big names this year are Manny Ramirez and CC Sabathia.

Some general managers lick their chops at the thought of trying to get both. But then the owner steps in like a mother who sees her son's expensive Christmas list and tells him "I can only afford one of the big, expensive items you asked for." Disappointed, the GM has to weigh the pros and cons of both Manny and CC, and make the best decision as to who best fits the team. That is, if they can convince either CC or Manny to come play for them at all.

So, in this edition of the Holiday shopping guide, let's see if we can make some cases both for and agianst CC and Manny weighing pros and cons. Then, hopefully you can decide if they are the right guys for you team.

CC Sabathia

The Good

He is a Cy Young award winner who could give you Cy Young award-winning quality starts to your pitching staff. He's a great club house guy who wants to step in and be a leader.

On the field (believe it or not), he is a workhorse. When he is on, he can really eat up innings. And once he starts to strike guys out, opponents should prepare for a long night.

When healthy, he is still going to get you close to 20 wins a season. Not too bad if you are looking for quality starts from an ace. He seems willing to try to elevate his game to a new level to help his team win now more than ever. He brings passion and emotion on the field. He is also a bonus for a national league team in that he can flat out mash a baseball.

The Bad

While he is a Cy Young award winner who gives you quality starts, who really knows if he is a leader in the truest sense of the word? Whether he can be remains to be seen. You would have to ask guys who have been in a club house with him about that first. Teammates really seem to like him, but that does not make him a leader.

There have been times in the past where weight and health issues have come into play. He had problems in the past with reporting to training camp overweight. As a consequence, he missed significant time with injuries, specifically to his pitching shoulder.

Sometimes his emotions get the best of him. You have to consistently bring your A-game to the ballpark. Because if you don't, and your team is prone to making the occasional mistake, he tends to wear his emotions on his sleeve while on the mound.

I remember a game during the '06 season when he became frustrated because his team failed to get a third out and admittedly quit. He may not have had that big of a meltdown since, but you can tell when he is frustrated.

Over-competitiveness is also an issue. It's great he wants to start what he finishes, but he needs to understand he cannot pitch nine innings an outing, the season is just too long for him to do so.

Lastly, he has not taken his game to the next level. Sure, he has pitched in the playoffs before, but has not fared well, having terrible records that last few times he has pitched in a playoff game. Teams at this point (and I stress at this point, since it could change) should not think that they are getting number quality ability in a playoff scenario. That is something Sabathia has to prove he is worthy of first.

The Final Word On CC

He is by far the best option available for a team seeking a big-name pitcher to help shore up their pitching staff for a run at the playoffs, or even to anchor a young team on the brink. However, buyer beware, Sabathia is not going to come cheap, and he definitely has his shortcomings. And come playoff time could, he could become somewhat of a liability. That said, however, he remains a solid buy.

Manny Ramirez

The Good

A power bat that you could plug into your lineup early and reap the benefits of. The guy's a professional hitter. In situations when you really need a hit or a RBI, he is money. Oh yeah, and he can hit the long ball too.

Run production is not a problem with this guy. He genuinely loves to play the game, and is a guy who can be an example for younger players (again, believe it or not). In many of their eyes, he's a a living legend.

He also has a cannon for an arm, something undoubtedly useful in left field. Also, injuries are not generally a problem with him. He also has a couple of rings, so winning is not something he is unfamiliar with.

The Bad

When he is not on the field, it would appear that Manny does not have the most brilliant mind. He has a reputation for doing things that just don't make sense, hence the creation of the phrase "that's just Manny being Manny."

As a team, you better keep him happy, or else he may cause problems (as evidenced by his apparent fallout in Boston). That was not really something that he showed in Cleveland. He just took the money and ran when he left the Indians.

His defense is not like his offense. Manny does do some spectacular things on defense, but appears in SportsCenter highlights for just as many bad mistakes as good plays.

The Final Word On Manny

It's not what he does on the field that is the problem, but rather what he does when he is off it. Signing him to a long term deal could be a mistake because it involves knowing how to make him happy for a long period of time.

If you are a contender and you need power, you will want him in your lineup because he's a surefire offensive spark. Like him or not, his power and experience is something any team can benefit from.

So what do you think? Both guys are great for a team trying to win, they both bring intangibles and experience that a winning team needs, and both just want to win. One thing is for sure; you better have the money to give them they pay day they want. Your team's future could depend on it!

Cleveland's Song to Romeo

Greg Cooksey — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:46:25 -0500

Enough is enough. The final piece of an already collapsing ceiling has fallen. Cleveland is beginning to have a voice that, after this season is over, will almost undoubtedly have to be heard after the Browns' perfectly disgusting 34-30 loss to the Denver Broncos last night.

Romeo Crennel is now on a very short leash, and it's a shame. No, Romeo is not a scapegoat, coaches who are brought in to improve a team and then, three-and-a-half or three-and-a-quarter years later have a record 23-36 are what they are. Not very good head coaches.

Translation: Romeo may be a very good defensive coordinator, but he is not head-coach material. The Browns' poor play is a direct result of his lack of the ability to have the skills needed to be a head coach in the NFL level.

23-36 is not the type of record that general manager Phil Savage and owner Randy Lerner envisioned when they hired Crennel as the coach back in January of 2005. Back then, Crennel sat in front of the media and told them he was the kind of coach that could teach. "I can teach the game of football," Crennel said with enthusiasm and anticipation, ready to prove he was ready to make the jump from defensive coordinator to head coach.

Today if those same sentiment's have not turned into fear and worry that his time and welcome here is a head coach is about to run out, something is wrong.

Of course, after last season, we all thought that this is the time when we finally get to see that the promise of a bright future was finally going to be reality.

However, after loses that could have just as easily been wins, had the team been better coached on the field during that game, we now are thinking twice about just how good of a coach he really is.

The Browns are one of the proudest, most storied franchises in the NFL. Their fans are by far some of the best around, and they are hungry for this team to get back to the glory days of the 1950s, '60s, and the mid-'80s to come back again. This team is the most undisciplined, uninspired, and unmotivated team around right now. Guys like Paul Brown and Otto Grahm, who bled for this franchise, are rolling in their graves after seeing last night's sickening loss, or the others that have been just like it.

After having nine years of the most boring football that can be played—and sometimes just makes you sick to your stomach—you would think something would have to give. Crennel may be a nice enough person, but being a nice person does not do much when you're trying to win a football game.

As I said last week in one of my articles, football is a war, and that means you have to have the heart of a warrior and nail the team on the sideline across from you.

The fans of Cleveland are tired of seeing this team that they have lived and died with, and had their hearts broken by, when they had there team taken away from them, go out and get the stuffing beat out of them.

It is time for someone to be put at the helm that will have a passion of football and has a general knowledge of how to win at the NFL level. The play under Crennel has been no better than it was when Chris Palmer or Butch Davis were in charge. We have talent on this team, let's find someone who can get the players to use it.

We are tired of losing games because of a poorly-coached defense or even whole team falters the way it did last night. Last night, Denver had absolutely no running game at all, and even someone who is the most uninformed of the game could have told you that they would try to throw the football in the fourth quarter, yet here were the Browns, caught off guard and not ready for it.

It happens too much, and if the head coach cannot step up and make a adjustment, that pretty much tells you what you need to know. Yet, all Romeo could say after the game about is that "it's disappointing when you have a lead and the defense can't hold it."

How about calling some players out for it and laying the loss on the defense rather than saying the play was disappointing. If you care anymore, that is.

Enough is enough. 23-36 is embarrassing! This city expects better from its teams; we are not saying that we have to win a championship every year, but it would be nice to actually have a team that we can turn a television set on and look forward to seeing on Sunday or a team that we can watch on Monday nights and be proud of, without hearing people from the national media like Tony Kornheiser either make fun of or try to ignore all together.

I don't think that asking for a team that we can be proud of is all that much to ask for, but most can see the writing on the wall. What does it say? It says that the time has come to realize that it will never happen under Romeo Crennel.

Romeo, I mentioned that you're a nice enough person, but this city is ready to have its team back. You had your chance and did not take it by the horns and meet expectations.

We (as in the fans) are moving on. It's time Phil Savage and Randy Lerner do the same.

It's the Brady Bunch: Cleveland Style

Greg Cooksey — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:35:20 -0500

It's finally going to happen. Ladies and Gentlemen, coming to a television near you tonight at 8:00 PM, it's the premiere of the Brady Quinn era for the Cleveland Browns. Yes, that's right Browns fans, break out the No. 10 jerseys, because tonight your man will be the new signal caller for the Browns when they head out on to the field to take on the Denver Broncos in the first Thursday night game of the year.

Before we get to far ahead of ourselves and start comparing this to the 2001 season, when New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made (what then seemed to be) a very bold move by replacing veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe with Tom Brady. Let's keep some prospective.

1. This is not the 2001 New England Patriots. As a matter of fact, they're far from it. That team did not have the deficiencies that the Browns have this season. What happened that year was miraculous, and that's taking nothing away from Tom Brady for all you Patriots fans that may be reading this.

However, the difference is that while New England was, if memory serves me correct, 3-4 at that point, and the Patriots went on a run in which they would only lose one more game before becoming Super Bowl champions.

2. This team still has a huge uphill battle to fight; well, more like a war, with five games vs. teams who are or over .500: Buffalo, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. That's not a very encouraging sight.

Houston and Cincinnati will be tough enough to deal with; however, the other five games are not likely wins for this team at all. Simply put, the lack of execution, injuries, and untimely distractions have caught up with this team at the wrong times and that will be the demise of it.

And now for the good news, since most of you will want it.

A good game for Brady, and even a win for the Browns is not totally impossible. The Broncos bring one of the worst defenses in the league into this game, and while it looks like Champ Bailey will not play, it's a good time for Brady's first game.

I would expect that he would be able to have a good game with the offense that we have. I am very anxious to see if it gives anyone on the offense an extra boost.

Another bonus for Brady will be that the offensive line has played well. If he can make good reads and he can get players like Braylon Edwards to actually catch the ball when he throws it to them and does not have the jitter bugs, he should have a 100-plus-yard game.

One thing I noticed from attending the last preseason game when he started at quarterback was that the offense seems to move the ball better while he is on the field. They have more confidence, a sign that maybe he is ready to lead an offense at this level.

All in all, this was the right choice. The time for Derek Anderson to prove himself and the window he had to was significantly was starting to close at a rapid pace after the debacle in Washington three weeks ago. He just has not developed the type of consistency needed to help a struggling team win.

Will Quinn be able to be the consistent superstar this team needs that it has never had since it's rebirth? Hard to tell at this point. I would expect that he will for how high he was drafted. I think that if he is as good as his college play, and what little we have seen from him in the preseason with the Browns, that he will.

The simple truth of the matter is that we just do not know right now. I am just as excited as the next person to final see Brady get the shot he deserves; he has been through a lot so far in his young career, and we are just now seeing him pay the dividends owed to him. Let's enjoy this one. However, let's also keep our expectations for Brady and this team reasonable until after this game ends.

Brady Quinn is in a unique position. He could be either the Tom Brady or Bernie Kosar of this team, but then again, he could also be the next Tim Couch. How will it all shape up will begin to unfold tonight. Don't forget, 8:00 PM tonight on the NFL Network. See the Brady Quinn story start to unfold!

Tribe Meltdown 2008: Life after CC

Greg Cooksey — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:14:39 -0400

So it finally happened. Last Sunday I walked in the door from work to the news from my father that CC Sabathia had been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. I was not shocked by this news, however I was rather surprised that the trade happened this soon. I figured the Indians would wait as long as possible to get the best offer.

Having said that, I applaud the team for knowing exactly what they wanted, and going out and getting it. It was better then letting CC go and getting draft picks, then having to settle with a youngster you really did not know if he would pan out or not.

I wanted to write this a little sooner, but my head was swimming with thoughts this week, and I wanted to read up on this trade before hand. My thoughts?

First of all, I really do not see Zach Johnson as being a productive part of this team. Not with his stats at least. When you only win one game and lose five, and have an ERA over 6.00, those are not big league stats.

My best guess is that the Indians taking Johnson of the Brewers hands was part of this conditions of this trade. I do not think he will be able to be a prominant part of this team.

Now, the meat and potatoes of this trade.

Matt LaPorta

Here were his stats at the time of this trade:

.283 batting average 20 home runs, 66 RBI. In addition to that, spanning his last two seasons, he has hit 32 home runs, 97 RBI, and has a .609 slugging percentage.

Now, the overall stats may not seem that impressive to you, but if you take the fact that the minor league season is not as long as the major league season into consideration, a good hard look into those numbers would suggest that he could be very special.

To further what I have said, many scouts believe that he is ready to make an impact on a major league roster right now. It's up to the Tribe to decide when that is. It is also said that he has a very good approach at the plate, and that while he is very good defensively, his keys to the big leagues will be his offense.

The only thing I do happen to find rather alarming about LaPorta (other then his debut this week at Akron when he went 3-6 in a doubleheader) was confirmed by listening to Bruce Drennian this week.

While many chasing a big league career would be thrilled to have his batting average, it suggests to me that he strikes out a lot. He will need to cut down on those, because you cannot expect to be as successful at the major league level and strikeout, and strikeouts are the very last thing this team needs at this point.

Perhaps what attracted the Indians to him is that he may be going to the Olympics with the Olympic team, and several players with solid big league career's have played with the USA national team aka Mark McGwire and a man we know very well around here Charles Nagy.

Rob Bryson

This kid could be the wild card of the trade to me. I am a big fan of solid bullpen pitching, and that's what you get with this guy. While it has been said he could be either a starter or a reliever, it looks like he would be best served to remain a relief pitcher, and it would benefit the Indians to keep him that way.

Here's why. Last season he had eight saves with a 2.67 ERA, and he struck out 70 batters in 54 innings. Hardly overlookable. This season he was used as a starter, and his ERA went up.

At the time of the trade, Bryson had a 4.25 ERA, but again most of that was as a starter. He has struck out 73 in 55 innings, with five saves, and since going to the bullpen, he has a 2.09 against average. They saw that he is all about arm strength.

If he is used properly, he could be a very big part of our bullpen, and it seems like judging by his stats his best work is done in relief.

My only question about this trade is why this team is so big on Tyler Greene, a third base prospect who figures to be the player to be named at a later date. If they are so big on Wes Hodges, who is another third base prospect in the organization, then why do they need him?

My only thoughts are maybe open competition during spring training for the position in the future.

Overall, I give the Indians a B+ on this trade. This is only because I really think they may have been able to get more had they held on, although I will not get ahead of myself and say they could have gotten Philip Hughes or Melky Cabrera, because I think that would have been unrealistic.

I am willing to give this trade it's fair chance, but this club does have a history of mishandling highly touted prospects. I don't think failure with this trade will cost Mark Shapiro his job, because of the love the Dolan's have for him, but failure should put him on the hot seat.

MLB 2008: First Half Highs and Lows

Greg Cooksey — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:51:03 -0400

So here we are at the mid way point of the MLB season and just as always there has been plenty to talk about. I have broken some of the bigger stories of this season so far down into three different categories, The Good, The Disappointing , and The Ugly.

Without further delay, here is the first half the way that I have seen it.

The Good

1. Josh Hamilton

Just an amazing story. Anyone who read the Sports Illustrated article knows what he went through during some scary times in his life.

Now, after he has overcome his adversity, he has established himself as one of the best players in the game, and could be running down a Triple Crown. Can you say MVP? There is an entire half of the season to be played, however, it could be a matter of time before Hamilton is.

2. The Tampa Bay Rays

Let me guess, you saw this one coming back when training camp opened, right? If you truly did, then congrats to you, because none of the rest of us did.

However, it looks like the Rays are for real, and not looking back this time. Sure, they have had seasons in the past where they were out of the race by this time.

But now with youngsters like Evan Longoria, James Shields, Scott Kazmir, and Dioner Navarro playing well, along with Carl Crawford and even Erik Hinske playing well, they have gone from being the red headed step child in the AL East, to possibly making the playoffs this year.

Plus, they believe. Get used to seeing them. The fact that they have the number one rated farm system entering this season bodes well for them for the future too.

If you are looking for a feel good story in baseball this season look no further then Hamilton and the Rays.

Chipper Jones flirting with a .400 batting average, Lance Berkman with the All-Star season he is having in Houston, and Cliff Lee, who last year looked like he was just as lost as anyone, coming back to be one of the bright spots for the Indians with his 11-2 record and Cy Young award candidate talks, are also good noteworhty stories.

The Disappointing

1. Willie Randolph and the Mets

Yes, I know the team has recently gotten themselves back into the NL East race, but are you really that big of a believer in this team? This is a team that spent the first month or so not playing well, the pitcher they were relying the most on was hurt in his first start, they were tearing each other down in the media, and looking terrible on the field.

On top of all that, they go and fire their manager at the worse of times, and make a poor excuse for it. I agree that a change had to be made, but I also believe that the Willie Randolph situation was handled poorly and very unprofessionally by the team.

Jerry Manuel may be just starting to get the team back together, but I will not be on the bandwagon. I still think it's the Marlins or Phillies the race will come down to. Then again, if any team through out the history of baseball has shown the capability to comeback from adversity it's the Mets. I hope I am wrong about this take, but if I am a Mets fan, I'm not going to be very optimistic.

2. The Detroit Tigers

They were supposed to have the most prolific offense in baseball, to this point they have had anything but that. Jim Leyland has had to do some tinkering around with the lineup, but is finally starting to see what he and the rest of the front office envisoned when they made the trade that brought them Miguel Cabrera, and Dontrelle Willis.

I would expect them to make a run at the division title, but it will be a uphill battle with the Twins and White Sox. A wild card is probably more attainable.

The Ugly

1. The Cleveland Indians

What on earth happened? This was supposed to be a very promising season after a sickening ending to last year. It has been the direct opposite for this team. Their ace C.C Sabathia is gone to the Brewers with more moves possibly coming. The team and it's fans are now looking to next year.

2. The Seattle Mariners

Again, another team that was supposed to compete this season and went downward immediately. Their big acquisition Eric Bedard has had all kinds of problems, both their manager and general manager have bitten the dust. The fans are now forced to look towards next season.

So there you have it, the first half of the 2008 Major League Baseball season the way I see it. I look forward to would should be an excellent all-star game and on to the playoffs and World Series.