Learn & Enjoy, J'01, '10

Happy New Year you freaks.

I have several issues to cover. So learn and enjoy.


The Walrus & Mangini
The same people (local fans & media) who wanted Eric Mangini run out of town six weeks ago now lean toward wanting "the Walrus" to bring him back next year following three straight Browns’ wins late in the season.

This is a classic case of “sports short-term memory” at work – being influenced mainly by what you just recently witnessed and having amnesia to past events.

I teach this in class and it's front and center in Cleveland as we speak.

One last time – Why the hell would the Walrus retain the one individual most responsible for him (MH) being hired in the first place?

Add the fact that Mangini doesn’t run the West Coast offense or the 4-3 defense, both favored by the Walrus, and you have ample evidence Mangini won’t be back, regardless of a few late season wins.

Again, that's why 95% of fans and 75% of the media have no clue what is going on beyond what's currently in front of their eyes. You, of course, are in that small company that "gets it" or you wouldn't be reading this.

Think of the Browns as having cancer. How do you cure the disease without treating the main cause? Just taking Mangini's GM and player personnel responsibilities away is not treating the disease, it's treating most of the symptoms.

His current supporters, most of which are only on board after a handful of wins over poor teams, want you to believe he might be a sub-par GM and talent evaluator, but he's a good coach. Really?

So 5-11 or 4-12 with potentially just one win over a +.500 team is empirical evidence he's worth keeping?

Please - I'm not in that 98%/75% grouping. Look - if you are going to blow it up - BLOW IT UP!

Jerome Harrison
Let me get this right – Jerome Harrison was not good enough to even make the dress list earlier this season, but now some are giving Mangini credit for discovering him. Right.

This is clearly another example of the poor talent evaluation skills of this current regime.

If you want more, just remember the mess that is the trio of 2009 Browns’ second round picks. One looks like a potential average #2 NFL WR at best (MM) and the other two were inactive most of the season. That type of draft day disaster sets you back ions.

Let’s hope the Walrus has as much better batting average in the draft.

Patience at QB
The Jets' and Lions' young starting quarterbacks have received more than passing grades in their first year of work from those that comment on NFL signal-callers.

However, when you look at Sanchez and Stafford’s first year numbers, you notice a ton more interceptions than touchdowns.

That’s not to saw both won’t eventually become good at what they do, but it’s a reminder that young QBs need time to develop.

Hopefully, the Walrus wil have that same attitude with Brady Quinn - who, by the way, has a much better TD to INT ratio in 2009, throwing to clearly inferior talent, than the players mentioned above.

By the way, I wonder where all the Sanchez ass kissers are today? Remember when most of the national media gave this guy the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in September and proclaimed him a "franchise QB" before he took one NFL snap?

Again, that's not to say Sanchez won't be a very good NFL QB someday, but you have to wait and GIVE IT TIME, instead of jumping to conclusions or the bandwagon based on MINIMAL EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE.

Quality Back-Up
Look for the Walrus to bring in a quality veteran to be a good #2. Then if BQ falls on his face in 2010, you have a plan B. That's what I would do if in charge.

Cavaliers Figure It Out
The Cavs have found their groove recently. It’s a combination of better play at the defensive end and improved individual play by Mo Williams.

Look- if Mo gets 20 & 6 or better, the Cavaliers can beat anyone – as they showed on their recent West Coast trip. Period.

The team is longer on the wings and more physical inside with Shaq. Those are both good things, but Mo is the key. He played poorly against Orlando in the playoffs and the Cavs lost.

Williams needs to play well throughout the playoffs to establish himself as a top-shelf guard and for this team to reach the Finals and win it.

Mike Leach
There are morons out there who are defending Mike Leach following his recent firing at Texas Tech. They point to his winning percentage and Bowl record at Tech. Nice.

I have no idea what took place, but obviously, the Tech administration’s initial investigation gave them enough cause for dismissal. If you want to defend Leach, fine, but don’t point to wins as a reason to cut the guy some slack for potential off-the-field offenses.

That’s called "enabling" and it occurs way too much in the business that is big-time sports.

Pats
Before the season started we picked the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. So we’ll stay with that pick even though some teams are playing better.

We’ll root for Indy because we love watching Peyton Manning – and that’s saying something since I don’t go there often. Bottom line – he’s one of the few athletes I would pay to watch play.

Pay To See Play
In football, here are the only others in my lifetime – Dan Fouts, Lawrence Taylor, Barry Sanders and Champ Bailey. In baseball, my list includes Gaylord Perry, Ricky Henderson, Nolan Ryan and Manny Ramirez (at the plate only). In basketball, it’s George Gervin, Larry Bird, MJ and AI. Steve Nash is on the bubble in my book.

Indy
Speaking of the Colts, you know my thoughts on not trying to go 19-0 – terrible move. All that can happen is bad - you lose your edge and it’s hard to flick the switch back on after several weeks off. Secondly, it goes against the most basic tenant of sports – you play to win the game! Indy did not do that last week.

This organization cheated its players and fans, cheated the concept of true competition and turned its back on potential history. And NO, if the Colts win it all, that won’t justify sitting Manning and company. There would be no empirical evidence a championship wouldn’t have been achieved had they played their starters throughout.

Shame on you Indy for turning your back on potential history. And yes, I blame the whole organization. When potential history is within reach, the head coach does not make this decision alone. It is too important. I can't imagine the GM and owner not being in on the decision-making process.

DI Bowl Season
The idea of waiting for as long as six to eight weeks to play your most important game of the season has always been the one yearly sports events that makes me laugh the most. It borders on the criminal if it weren't so ridiculous.

How the hell do you stay sharp when you don't play regularly?

It’s not done in any other team sport at no other level of play. Yet that’s the system in place. That continues to amaze me. That's another reason I dont take the current system seriously, regardless of who some alphabet organization (NCAA or BCS) tells me is #1 when the smoke clears.

Nick Saban
The nation's #1 "coaching gypsy" is back. He's special isn't he?

Nick Saban recently chastised the media for asking questions of his players about playing for a National Championship. Amazing.

And I'm sure when he goes into negotiating his next deal, he won't use winning national championships as leverage.

He's a great coach, but I root against him every chance I get. Why? Because it's always been ONLY about Nick Saban and it always will be.

Juts ask the countless players he lectures daily about commitment to each other and program, then bolts to the next job when he gets "Larry Brownitus."

T. Pryor
Congratulations to T. Pryor for playing his finest game on the big stage to lead OSU over Oregon. We've been on his case, noting he was far from a finished product while others were singing his praises before he earned it, then criticizing him unmercifully when he didn't live up to their expectations immediately.

Regardless, he was huge against the Ducks - good for him.

Does that make him a leading candidate for next year's Heisman? Of course not. The question of consistency still remains even though many "experts" will now sing his praises heading into '10 based on one performance. But at least, he stepped up and weathered the storm. That's the first sign of maturity and growth.

Now, hopefully, he'll continue to mature in other areas - like not honoring dog killers with eye black.

Eagles/Vick
Speaking of Michael Vick - What the hell were the Eagles doing naming him their most "courageous player on '09" or something to that effect. What's courageous about what Vick did?

When athletes do something stupid like this - like honoring Vick - it shows their tin ear to reality and reinforces society's view they are spoiled, pampered children in huge bodies.

Till next time. Stay well.