K2, Roger & Cavs

I hope you missed me. I've been busy. You wouldn't believe it I told you.

K2

First a disclaimer – I felt K2 would be a potential Hall of Fame player coming out of college if he stayed healthy. He hasn’t been healthy, but I wasn’t far off. Eight more years like the last two and you can put him in a convertible and wheel him down Cleveland Avenue in the parade come late July in my hometown of Canton, Ohio.

Having said all that, he should get paid – but quietly. Yes, he was the 12th highest paid tight end in the NFL, and yes, he wasn’t even the highest paid tight end on his team in 2007 - Eric Heiden was according to published reports. However, Winslow's contract improves dramatically over the course of the next couple years.

Regardless, the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately league.” The contracts, as everyone knows, are not guaranteed like they are in the other major sports. Players are asked, and do take pay cuts all the time. Can you imagine a MLB player taking a cut after putting up subpar numbers? Never. Different league, different rules in place.

Therefore, the Browns should privately work it out with K2 and his people so everyone wins. Strike a deal that both sides can live with. This team should have one of the most potent offensive units in the league for several years to come. The line is solid – especially the crucial left side (the QBs blind side). The receivers, including K2, are tall, athletic and play with an edge. And the running game should continue to flourish behind that line and with those receivers spreading the field like they do.

Note that I referred to Winslow as a wide receiver. He’s a hybrid – not really a true tight end and not a wide receiver in the classic sense. In my mind, that makes him even more valuable because he’s too big for corners and safeties to cover, and too fast for linebackers. But the only thing that truly matters is that he plays hard, plays hurt and he performs.

The Browns have an identity on offense for the first time since the Kosar Era of the late 80s. They know their talent, know what they can do offensively, and on most Sundays, do it pretty well.

Pay the man.

Roger Clemens

Why would his trainer lie? That’s the question I keep asking myself. What’s in it for him? At this point, it doesn’t seem like money is the motivator. I doubt he wanted all this media scrutiny and his life turned upside down. And no one in their right mind wants to stand in front of Congress, let alone be there and be threatened with federal jail time if they commit perjury.

Secondly, I found humorous seeing Clemens meeting individually with Congressmen and women who would be asking the questions. I actually saw him sign autographs in one news clip.

The politician will remind you this is not a trial. It doesn't matter. This is serious business with people's lives and reputations at stake. Try to stay somewhat neutral, please.

If I were the trainer’s attorneys, I would be screaming foul to the heavens right now. Perhaps when some of these politicians get done throwing softball questions at Roger, they’ll ask him to come over to the house and teach their little-leaguers how he grips that nasty sinker of his.

I may be biased, but Clemens looks simply like an arrogant athlete who figures he can do and say as he pleases and get away with it.

Deadline Looms
We stated months ago we were on the Danny Ferry Watch – expecting him to make a significant acquisition to help 23 prior to the playoff run. Don’t think we are going to let him off the hook like everyone else just because they have injuries to deal with.

That’s too bad.

He’s had several years to improve the roster and the end-result is 23 – courtesy of a ping pong ball landing the team’s way, and only two other marketable players – B. Gibson and Andy V. - both on the DL.

You’ve got one week Danny. Get to work. The world is finally on you to improve the roster while we have been riding that horse for years. And we ain't gettin off!

Larry Hughes
Hughes went off the other night with a 40+ night and led the Cavaliers to a quality road win. Good. He gets paid a lot of money to play well. What I would rather see is Hughes average 16-18 a night and play excellent defense - what they are paying him all that money to do.

Going off for 40+ one night and letting Manu G. torch you the next night doesn't impress me. It's always been about consistency or the lack there of. Let's hope Ferry can unload Hughes' contract and get quality in return prior to the deadline.

For me, it's not so much he hasn't lived up to expectations. It's that he's whined about it - quietly blaming the offense he's in, the fact that he's out of position, not getting to do what he wants with the ball, etc... etc...

One time, I would like to have an underachieving pro athlete, who got a big payday, simply admit he hasn't performed as expected.

Maybe in the next lifetime.