Mid Week Thoughts

Browns at Titans Pick
First thing first.

What do you expect? Titans to cover and I have no idea what the line is.

It will be interesting to see who packs it in and who doesn’t. That is if I can stay awake watching this mess.

Quinn is on the IR, so I can’t watch to see if he’s improving with each outing and RC probably won’t play the kids.

Give me one good reason to watch? I probably will anyway – at least for a while.

DA & Injury
An article in one of the local papers the other day had a sub heading titled “Quarterback’s Career Might Be Over.” Yet, the article did not focus on the severity of the injury.

For those who just skim such pieces, as many do, they might come away with the belief that Anderson’s pro career may be over. This is a clear example of a headline writer misrepresenting the writer’s intention, and more importantly, it was unfair to Anderson.

This isn’t even inappropriate speculation. That would be the case if the reporter focused his article on Anderson’s odds for returning to full health. To write such a piece just days after the injury speaks of bad taste & poor timing to me.

That wasn’t the issue here. This is just someone (editor/headline writer) sticking in a sub-head for attention sake and not thinking about the consequences.

This is a why some folks dislike the media so much. You want to write about Anderson’s drop-off in performance - fine. But this is simply wrong.

You are talking about someone’s livelihood. Even hinting this early in the process this might be career threatening is poor journalism.

Gradkowski Pick Up
The Browns signed quarterback Bruce Gradkowski this week to replace DA and Brady Quinn – both out for the year with injuries. Here’s my take on Gradkowski, who I have actually seen play on several occasions, so I feel confident enough to form an opinion on the 2006 University of Toledo product.

Gradkowski is a legitimate NFL signal-caller. The fact that he wasn’t on anyone’s current active roster doesn’t bother me in the least. You know my opinion of the experts that pick and evaluate players. This guy is a good athlete who has an NFL arm and tools to go with it.

He has made several starts (11) and has held his own, and on occasion bought time to finish plays that were not there initially. I like him and with good coaching should be able to, at minimum, be a quality #2.

The fact that he set an NCAA record for completion percentage (.682) while at Toledo, including two seasons where he was over 70%, should not be overlooked. The most important aspect of being a quarterback is the ability to complete passes (accuracy). Everything else is secondary. Good pickup.

O Line
You know my view of the Browns “O” line play in 2007. I felt it was the main reason DA had such a good year. When you get that kind of protection, if you are any kind of NFL quarterback, you should have at minimum a 2-1 TD to INT ratio and complete 60%of your passes or more. You know this because I have stated this before - this is a simple reminder.

The guys up front in 2007 were the best I have seen as a group in Cleveland since I began following this bunch back in the early 70s.

That said, the fact that two quarterbacks have gone down this year is another indication of how the line play has slipped dramatically in 2008. It hasn’t been horrible, jut mediocre at best – including the play of second-year left tackle Joe Thomas.

Now, I would be the first to tell you I am not an expert on determining line play, but my eyes don’t lie either. There have not been as many huge gaps in the running game on the left side as their were a year ago.

As a unit, they have also had real problems picking up the blitz.

For example, the Quinn injury, I believe, came on a blitz up the gut against the Bills where he was hit while releasing the football.

Bottom line – this needs to be addressed.

Also, the Browns must determine in the off-season if the lack of a 100 yard running back in any single game this year goes mostly on Jamaal Lewis for losing a step, the “O” line, or both.

Whatever answer they come up with is not good.

QB Adjustment
Whoever is in charge next season MUST take into account Quinn’s mobility ad get him out of the pocket more to avoid the rush, especially the blitz up the gut, which has been effective against Cleveland this season.

Suspensions
The NFL suspended six more players for using banned substances this week – including Minnesota’s twin-towers on the defensive line, Kevin Williams & at Williams. I stated in the past that common sense dictates this is a likely rampant problem throughout the league based on the fact that football is the most physically demanding of all team sports.

I have no proof, but when being big and strong is a prerequisite for playing, you can bet many individuals will cut any corner to achieve that goal and then some.

Somehow, NFL players have done a better job of hiding it than their baseball counterparts. Or perhaps the league-wide testing in the NFL is not as stringent – because they don’t really want it to be.

I don’t have the answer to that question, but I truly believe this is a smoldering scandal that hasn’t reached the surface – yet.

Fan Behavior
Much has been made the past few days of Browns’ fans either booing or cheering when Anderson was helped into the locker room following his season-ending injury. Many have complained, and some even claimed being shocked at such behavior by the “great fans of Cleveland.”

Give me a break.

Fans are the same everywhere. Many football fans go to the game tanked or get tanked once they are on site. They act like fools all day long, including using profanity, throwing objects, get involved in fights, and yes, even boo their own players.

To be stunned those morons, which is what stoned football fans are, would boo an injured player, is naïve beyond description.

Hell, that’s one of the main reasons I don’t go to athletic events unless they pay me or someone with my DNA (family member) is performing. I don’t like crowds, especially inebriated ones, and I don't like morons either.

Actually, I don't like people in general, even though I worked nearly 20 years in PR. But again, if you pay me to do it, I will bust my $#@! for you and be good at it.

Plaxico Burress
Enough already!

ESPN is treating the Plaxico Burress shooting like he’s the president-elect about to take over. It’s wall to wall coverage. They actually had a reporter on site break in and tell us at exactly what time Burress showed up at the Giants’ team complex Tuesday morning.

“Breaking news - Plaxico Burress showed up at Giants’ Headquarters at exactly 9:17 a.m. this morning.” Later in the day, they changed it to 9:20 a.m.

Who give s a $#@ when he showed up.

If he were playing for the Houston Texans, you would barely get a follow up story. And don’t tell me it’s because the Giants won the Super Bowl last year. I repeat, if the Texans had won the Super Bowl, and Andre Johnson were in Burress’ shoes, it wouldn’t get anywhere near the attention.

Andre Johnson
Speaking of Andre Johnson, the sixth-year wide receiver out of Miami (FLA), is arguably the NFL’s best kept secret. He’s having another Pro-Bowl season and is on pace to shatter his single-season best reception campaign of 2006, when he posted a league-best 103 grabs.

There Is No Curse
So you still think the Browns are cursed? Right. They would not be losing so many games if they knew what they were doing on draft day – something we have pointed out over and over again.

Here’s a great example – every time I see the Steelers’ James Harrison turning the corner on some poor tackle on his way to mauling yet another opposing quarterback, I think of how the Browns let this guy get away.

How many more wins would they have if they had him in uniform the past couple years?

It’s not like he played in Midland, Texas. Kent State is right down the road from Berea.

Did they even scout him, and if they did, what did the report say?

Perhaps something like this - “He’s a project at best and in my professional opinion don’t believe he will ever beat out Ben Taylor or Kevin Bentley.”

It’s not like they need a pass rusher. They’ve only been searching for one for some 40 years - since I got off the plane from Europe back in September of ’68. I kid you not.

Hey, at least they got Cribbs out of KSU – right?

NBA Dream Finals
In the 1980s, the NBA got its “Dream Finals” often when Magic’s Lakers and Bird’s Celtics squared off numerous times. We may be seeing a repeat this spring with LeBron’s Cavaliers and Kobe’s Lakers headed don a collision course.

With the addition of Mo Williams, the Cavaliers are clearly better than they were a year ago when they took the Celtics to seven games – mostly on 23’s back.

I don’t believe the Celtics are better than a year ago, regardless how may wins they accumulate during the regular season. Williams gives Cleveland – something they did not have last season – a clear advantage at the point.

Now the tough part – he (Williams) has to play like it when it counts most – come May and June. If he plays big, they probably reach the Finals and may win it.

That's right, they are that close this time around.

Browns & Jenkins
If the season ended today and the Browns had to make a pick immediately, the player I believe is most ready to play at a high level in the NFL right away is OSU's Malcolm Jenkins.

He would start at any of the four secondary position for the Browns right now and be a clear upgrade.

Overtime
Every time I see the silly overtime period in the NFL, I cringe. The don't do "first to score wins" in MLB and the NBA when those games end in a tie. Explain why they do in football?

Just play the extra 15 minute period and see who is ahead at that point. If there is no clear winner, then call it a tie.

What's so difficult to understand here? Morons.