Another Lo-Def Browns Game

 

Ahh, HDTV.  Probably the greatest invention of the 21st century so far.  You’ve spent thousands on your HD setup.  An HDTV, paying your cable company or satellite provider ripoff prices to get the programming, buying expensive wiring to get the best picture, and now you’re ready to watch.  Everything looks amazing in HD.  TV Shows, the nightly news,  Ping Pong tournaments on ESPN,  Crickets mating, etc.  But NFL Football–probably the single sporting event that benefits most from HDTV?  NO!

Well, at least if you are trying to watch the  Browns on CBS.  Courtesy the indespensible NFL Distribution Maps it is apparent that for the second week in a row the Browns will play in the only NFL game not in HD (again, thanks to CBS).  The kicker?  The Browns-Ravens game next week will also not be in HD!  That means for 3 straight weeks watching the Browns on your giant HDTV that you paid good money for, and probably pay over $1oo to your cable company each month will not get you the nation’s most popular sport in HD. 

The irony here is that the very same day you can tune in to the Cleveland Indians at 1pm and watch them play a random sunday afternoon game (1 of 162) in HD!  That’s right, some 2 year-old tiny cable network who’s only real programming is Indians games somehow has gotten their hands on the advanced technology to make it possible to see every Indians home game in HD, but the mega-giant that is CBS can’t afford to put all of their games in HD. (I’m sure there are some animals mating in HD on Discovery Channel as well, but I didn’t have access to a TV guide prior to writing this)

This is the third year that Fox will broadcast all of their games in HD. Espn/ABC broadcast all of theirs in the preferred format as well.  But somehow CBS, one of the “Big Three” networks can’t manage to roll-out more than 5 or 6 games in HD per week.  Not only do they not put all of their games in HD, but they still haven’t figured out what it takes to make a broadcast look good either.  When you do get a Browns game in HD on CBS, you’ll notice that the images aren’t nearly as detailed as those on Fox or ESPN/ABC.  Even NBC, which barely has sports at all these days, still puts out a great looking HD picture ( you can almost see the grimmace on TD Jesus as he overlooks those putrid ND games).

What amazes me most is that the NFL, which is pretty much dominating the world theses days, allows CBS to present their product with such a low production value.  Almost every aspect of the game presentation on CBS (Broadcast quality, announcers, graphics, number of cameras, pre/post game shows, etc) pales in comparision to that of the other networks that broadcast NFL games–and it’s not even close.

The good news?  CBS does plan on presenting all of their games in “stunning” HD by next year.  CBS should really just call their HD product “motion sickness” instead.  But congrats on stepping into the 21 Century CBS–you’re only about 5 years behind.

Calling Out Big Dawg

 

(Photo Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)    

 Incredible game yesterday, and i’m sure you can find dozens of people breaking down the game elsewhere.  What I want to know is how Chad Johnson gets into the Dawg Poung–the Freaking DAWG POUND– and gets away with his gold teeth and helmet intact?  It appears that Big Dawg and his company were perfectly fine with this, they were even hugging and conversing with Ocho Stinko before the game.  I would even go as far as to call it an ‘embrace’ that they gave him when he lept into the pound after scoring his second TD.

Now, the fans in the above picture clearly have the right idea, as does the guy who made the perfect beer pour on 85’s back.  In fact, that guy is now my new favorite Browns fan.  But c’mon Big Dawg, you were a big part of what made the pound a special place, and one that gained recognition around the NFL.  You even testified in front on congress as a representative of the Browns fans.  I’m pretty sure I don’t want you to represent us anymore if you’re going to welcome the opposing team into our pound. 

I suppose after a win like that my first post shouldn’t be negative, but does it bother anyone else that he was able to get away cleanly?  Anyone who sat there in the 80’s have a problem with this?

On a brighter note, football was actually fun on a Sunday in Cleveland for once, and there is reason to believe that the season is not lost–which is the best news we could have recieved after last week.

A Laughing Stock

I can guarantee that is probably what 90% of people in the league think of the Browns right now after learning that we just traded away Charlie Frye after 1.5 quarters of football in 2007. Let’s get this straight: this was the guy that they put all of their faith in last year by cutting Dilfer and having no experienced back-up, then named him the starter after mini-camp, OTA’s, and a full training camp of QB competition, only to cut him after less than a half?

I’m not arguing that we should have kept him, but something is seriously wrong there. That the powers that be (Savage, Crennel) would bad this guy for 2 seasons, declare him the winner of the competition after all that evaluation time only to cut him after 1 quarter of bad football? Either they are extremely terrible at judging talent and evaluating their roster, or they are terrible decision makers. Frye can not shoulder all of the blame for this fiasco. If he was that bad, so bad that he warranted being traded so early, it should have been plainly obvious to all involved that this was the case a long time ago.

Situations like these don’t happen on other NFL teams. Other NFL teams have management in place to make sure that sound decisions are made–the Browns simply don’t. It’s quite possible that the entire brain-trust of the Cleveland Browns (Crennel, Savage, and Lerner) are all in over their heads. In business it’s called the Peter Principle–that in an organization employees tend to rise to one level above their own competence. At this point it’s appears that Romeo is a much better D Coordinator than a Head Coach, Savage is a very good scout or player personnel director, and that Mr. Lerner is good at inheriting his father’s fortunes.

No offense to any of them. I would give a ton to be an NFL scout, D coordinator, or billionaire, but they are clearly not cut for the positions that they are in. And if they can’t deliver something respectable to such a loyal fan base with such a great tradition something needs to give. It’s one thing to deliver a losing team–that is at least acceptable for a while. It’s quite another to deliver something that is totally inept, dysfunctional, and brings shame to the organization, city, and fans associated with it.

This was once a very proud franchise, and with every humiliation it gets harder to say that you are proud to be a Browns fan. For a team built on the pillars of such legends as Otto Graham, Jim Brown, Paul Brown and the like, this is a complete disgrace. Everyone can handle losing to a certain extent, but nobody–especially a fan base that has given so much to the organization–deservers to be continually embarrassed publicly in the worst possible ways. It would be hard to write a script as disheartening as what the Browns have delivered to their fans for the last 15 years.

Oh yeah, and while they continue to embarrass you they will be charging you insane amounts for tickets, make you purchase a ‘license’ to buy said tickets, rip you off on merchandise, lie to you continually, and make sure you don’t have fun while you’re at the game. This is our reward for being so loyal that the NFL decided we deserved another franchise after having the first one ripped from us? The joke is on us.

The bottom line is that it starts at the top, and if Randy Lerner can’t devote himself to running an organization then he needs to step aside. Clearly lacks the understanding of what it takes to run a football team, why the Browns are special to Cleveland, and why the Browns once had a great tradition. Unless he can surround himself with people that can do right with the fans, the city, and the tradition of the Cleveland Browns then he needs to do what Art Modell promised us he would do-sell the Browns and get out of Cleveland.

An Open Plea To The Cleveland Browns

I don’t write here anymore.  I’ve made about 3 posts this year.  But there’s a topic that desperately needs to be addressed.  It’s not which QB is going to lead us to a mediocre season this year, it’s not if Romeo is on the hot-seat, or if Brady likes women…no, the thing i’m most concerned about is the Brown’s socks.  The socks, and the uniforms that they are a part of have sunk to a disgraceful low.  (What follows will be a complete rip-off of the sublime Uni-Watch Blog form, only because i’m not that creative)

I’ve mentioned this on this site before, and I’m certainly not the only one who has commented on the issue.  However, the Browns apparently haven’t gotten the message.  THIS UNIFORM looks hideous.  I say that the uniform looks hideous only because the disgusting solid-colored socks ruin the whole thing.  It’s all I can look at.  And it’s frankly driving me crazy.  Any human with retinas can see that this look is much more pleasing to the eye than this look.  But why the change at all?

For those of you who don’t follow things of this nature so closely, here’s a brief review: 

First 55 years of existence:  The Browns wear striped socks almost exclusively.

Next 5 years (2002-now):  The Browns mix in, or wear exclusively solid colored socks.

This disturbing trend began as far as I can tell in the 2003 season.  However, at that time it was simply sprinkled in with the other uniform tinkerings that were park of the Butch Davis era.  Then, in the offseason prior to the 2006 season Randy Lerner made a comment about the Browns “returning” to their uniforms of the championship days.  They then rolled out modified uni’s that included a gray face mask, black shoes, and the dreaded solid socks. 

The problem with this?  AT NO POINT IN THE BROWNS HISTORY DID THEY EVER WEAR THIS UNIFORM!  Check for yourself.  Google it.  You won’t see Jim Freaking Brown ever wearing a uniform that had black shoes and sold brown socks (nor will you ever see any human with this hideous combination)!   Want more proof?  Check out this random google image search of various Browns Hall of Famers:

Otto Graham

Lou Groza

Dante Lavelli

Paul Warfield

Gene Hickerson

Marion Motley

You see the trend?  Orange and Brown?  Check. Grey facemask?  Sure. Black shoes?  Yes.  Solid Brown socks?  An complete and total UNCHECK!

 Memo to the Browns:  For the love of Eric Metcalf (who wore striped socks), don’t screw with the uniforms.  The Browns uniform is a study in the simple and understated.  No logo, nothing flashy, and that’s why we love the way it looks.  There was no reason to tinker in the first place, but now you’ve gone and created a frankenstein of a costume for our beloved team to wear.  And you’ve done so in the name of getting “back to” what the uni’s looked like?!?!

Please come to your senses and return the socks ot their natural state this year.  You did it for the first pre-season game.  Of course, you dashed my hopes in the second.  You’ve taken so much of what was Cleveland out of the “Cleveland Browns”, charged us for the right to purchase tickets, lie to us about injuries, lose twice a year to the Steelers, have given us losing season after losing season, and overall have given us 8 years of football that couldn’t be more fundamentally opposite to what Cleveland Browns Football is all about. 

Can’t we at least have the striped socks?

Is This Me?

    

It very well could be.  I’m  pretty sure many Browns fans had the same thoughts when ESPN kept flashing that picture of Brady Quinn on the screen against the backdrop of him falling through round 1.  Like many Browns fans I probably have a dozen or so pictures of me donned in Browns garb from an early age, and now our QB is no different.  Everytime they showed that picture I kinda wished that we could have drafted him too…and then we did!

    I hate to sound like the pessimist, but I can’t help get the feeling that all of our celebration is a bit premature.  This is Cleveland, high draft picks and free agents don’t do so well–and now we have 2 more to worry about.  This was the only thought that could temper my otherwise incredible glow on Saturday as the Browns took centerstage and pulled off a draft day blockbuster.  Something is not right here, good things don’t happen like this to the Browns on draft day.  I’ll put those thoughts on the back-burner now, but being from Cleveland one can only wonder if we’re being set up for one collossal letdown.  Until then i’m off to buy my newest Browns jersey–two of them!

For The Love of Turkey Jones

    

                                         

If my calculations are correct, and they usually aren’t, the Browns need to win this week in order to keep their lead over the Steelers in the all-time series.  The Browns desperately need to win this game.  The fact that they hold the all-time series lead is the only comeback I ever have to the obnoxious Steeler’s fan who like to trash talk.  Well, that and the fact that the person doing the trash-talking usually has 3 teeth.  But, it’s gotten this bad–just 3 years ago we had a 6-game lead , and now we need to avoid getting swept for the 3rd straight season to avoid being all knotted at 55 each.  Disgusting.

Hopefully, the Browns can channel the spirit of Turkey Jones this week a find a way to keep embarrising their city against their beauty-deficient rivals.   I don’t know why Browns fans continue to get up off the mat everyweek and tune-in or go to the Stadium, but a win this week would certainly go a long way in restoring some of the pride that the Browns as an organization once had.  Just a reminder, these are the people who root for the Steelers:

Help us Turkey Jones!

Central To Success

    

     After a weekend where I think all but 3 players on the Browns current roster were either cut, dropped, signed, re-signed, released, signed to the practice squad, placed on IR, placed on the PUP list, waived-injured, had their contracts terminated, or sent to NFL Europe one position is still undergoing changes–and of course it’s the Center.

     If you think the Browns have it bad, you have no idea.  Take a look at the flip side of the Center situation where the Steelers have started (escept for a few games) just 3 Centers since 1974!  The Browns have had 3 starting Centers in the last 3 weeks!  Granted, pre-season games don’t count in the Steelers stat, but it’s still amazing that they have only had 3 regular centers in 32 years, and the Browns have had about 4 in the past month. 

     The situation at Center is really a microchosm of the two teams’ entire franchises.  On one hand you have the Steelers–reliable, winning, 6 Super Bowl appearances, Really Ugly Women.  Ok, so the last one I just threw in there.  But, contrast that with the Browns Center situation and it’s very indicative of their franchise as a whole–in disarray, no continuity, moving around a bit, having no direction.  It’s funny how one position can really represent an entire franchise, but in the case of these two it’s dead on.  Just for the record, here is the history of the Steeler’s starting Center’s of the past 32 years, and the Brown’s Centers of the past 32 days.

Steelers:

1974-1988:  Mike Webster.  That’s it.  Guy wins 4 Super Bowls and is in the Hall of Fame. 

1988-2000:  Dermontti Dawson.  12 years, 1 guy.  I guess it is 2 less than Webster, though.  He went to 7 straight Pro Bowls, and will probably end up in Canton as well.

2001-Present:  Jeff Hartings.  Pro Bowler, has started for 5 straight years.  Pretty Solid.

Now the Browns of the past 32 Days:

1. LeCharles Bentley.  Hometown heroe goes down for the season on the second day of practice.

2. Bob Hallen.  Retires two days after seeing what happened to Bentley.  I mean, he just up and retired.

3. Rob Smith.  Was originally the third stringer, but was hurt for most of training camp.  Is now on the Practice Squad.

4.  Alonzo Ephraim.  Was signed because the first 3 guys went down.  Then the Browns found out he still had to serve a four-game suspension from when he was with the Dolphins.

5.  Todd Washington.  Little known guy.  He signed with the Browns and pulled a Bob Hallen a few days later.

6.  Ross Tucker.  Signed in early August and looked to be the starter for a while.  He’s since been released.

7.  Mike Mabry.  He was signed and released somewhere in all of this. 

8.  Lennie Friedman.  Signed later to compete with Tucker, now looks to be the back-up.

9.  Hank Fraley.  Signed over the weekend after losing a position battle in Philly.  He’s actually a solid Center, so all isn’t lost here, but it only took the Browns 9 attempts to get a starting Center.

     Now, for the record, I will say that the Browns have officially only had 4 startingCenters in the past 32 days but I don’t think that matters very much at this point.  What does matter is that football season is only 2 days away, and Ben Roethlisberger will be sitting out the NFL opener because his appendix burst!

And also for the record, that will be the last positive post I will ever write that involves the Steelers.

Why Tim Couch Didn’t Suck

As we’re rapidly approaching the Browns September 10^th date with the Saints (and starting a 6^th different QB in their 8 years back) I wanted to take a look back at how the QB situation has evolved since the Browns revival in 1999. The problem with that is I can’t shake everyone’s feeling that Tim Couch was one of the biggest busts of all time.

     This seems to be the prevailing thought in Browns circles.  So much so, that if you even mention Couch you’re bound to get chuckles and comments of how awful he was.  But was he really?  There is no easy answer, but if you take a look back at his career, year-by-year, I think you’ll see that he wasn’t the flop that fans make him out to be. 

So let’s do that.  Below is the Evolution of Tim Couch:

1999:  1^st overall draft pick, groomed by Ty Detmer to be the future of the franchise—EVENTUALLY.  Enter 41-0 vs. the Steelers on opening night, and Couch is thrust into the start role.  Here is what he had to work with:

O-Line:  Poor. 

Running Game:  Terry Kirby.  Enough said really…just abysmal.

Best Receiver:  Rookie Kevin Johnson.

He really had absolutely nothing to work with, and he had a decent season, throwing 15 TD’s to 13 INT’s (two of those INT’s came on hail Mary’s at the end of the half).  Seemed like he was poised for success.  Just upgrade the O-Line, get decent RB, maybe some other WR’s and in a couple of years we’d be playoff contenders.

2000:  Incomplete.  The Browns actually started the year 2-1, and through 3 weeks Couch had the highest QB rating in the AFC.  Throw in a bad start against the Raiders, and his Rating was down to 77 through 7 games—which is all he played this season due to hitting his thumb on a lineman’s helmet during practice.  The team took a nosedive after he left, and finished the season 3-13.  Couch gets an incomplete.

2001:  Butch Davis arrives, the team adds Quincy Morgan to the receiving corps, Dave Wahlabaugh at Center, and suddenly the Browns look like a team.  However, the team was still very incomplete:

O-Line:  REALLY BAD.

Running Game:  Top RB’s include Jamel White and James Jackson.  Worst in the NFL.

Top WR:  Continues to be Johnson, but even he is really a #2 at best.  Quincy Morgan is added, but drops as many as he catches in his rookie season.

Couch did struggle somewhat this year, throwing just 17 TD’s to his 21 INTS.  But, given that he probably had the worst 10 guys around of any QB in the league winning 7 games is an accomplishment, especially considering they won only 3 the year before.  If the Browns win the game against the Jags where the refs review a play two plays later, they would have been in the playoff hunt.  Given what he had around him, he did about as good a job as anyone could have.  Football is 11 on 11, and when only 2 or 3 guys are #1 caliber, the results aren’t going to be good no matter who you have behind center.

2002:  The Browns actually address some needs.  They draft Willie Green to help the run game, and add Ryan Tucker to the O-line.  However, the O-line is still in the bottom 10 in the league, and their best runner is a rookie.  Andre Davis the WR is drafted in the second round, and actually looks like he’ll be an impact guy.  Team looks poised for a playoff run.

O-Line:  Still very bad, but slightly better.  Ross Verba misses much of the season which doesn’t help either.

Running Game:  A little better, but Green doesn’t come on until game 7.  Even then, he‘s still a rookie runner and shows a ton of hesitancy.  At worst he prevents defenses from completely ignoring the run as in years past.

Receivers:  The Browns essentially have 4 #2 receivers at this point.  Johnson, Morgan, Northcutt, and Davis are all very decent, but none of them are game breakers.  Certainly the best they’ve had since they were back.

Couch:  This was the watershed season.  Kelly Holcomb started the first two games because Couch had elbow tendanitus (which would ultimately be his downfall).  Holcomb puts up impressive numbers, but the team goes 1-1.  Couch comes in and has a few decent games.  Then there is the debacle on Sunday night against the Ravens where the fans boo Couch while he is hurt, and chant “Kelly, Kelly”.  The seed has already been planted that Holcomb was better, and from this point forward Couch really never had the fans backing.

Couch actually leads the team to an 8-6 record in games he starts, and to their first playoff birth in 8 years.  However he is injured for their playoff loss to the Steelers where Holcomb throws for over 400 yards, and essentially plants himself in the starting role.  His QB rating for the season is mediocre, but again, he still doesn’t have much to work with. 

2003:  In a surprising move, Butch names Kelly Holcomb the starter, and thus essentially ends the Couch era in
Cleveland—a year removed from a playoff berth.  However, the defense was dismantled and a team that looked to be a serious SB contender fizzles with both Holcomb and Couch at the helm.  While he actually puts up his best numbers for the season (and roughs up
Pittsburgh on a Sunday night), the writing was probably already on the wall for Couch.  The fans had already made up their mind, and apparently so had Butch as he followed his ‘gut feeling’ all the way to the end by dumping Couch and bringing in Jeff Garcia.

     So at what point did Couch go wrong?  Really at no point did he have anything around him that resembled an offensive line, or an offense for that matter.  This is why I still contend that we never got a chance to see him with a full compliment of weapons.  Ultimately it was his elbow problems (and not his talent) that cut his career short.

     However, my conclusion is that football is a team game and you can’t judge Couch’s career in a vacuum.  Had we drafted McNabb in 1999 instead of couch, I doubt we would have been much better off.  McNabb went to a team with a great offensive line and defense, and was able to mature slowly into a great QB.  Couch was never afforded such luxury as he was thrown to the wolves from day 1 (actually, day 2).  Had he gone to the Eagles, it very well could have been him leading them to the SB in 2005.

      If you want to see a bust, then take a look at Akili Smith.  Couch at least gave us 4 years of starts, and took us to the playoffs—Smith faded away after just 1 year.  The point is playing QB is different from team to team, year to year, and I’d like to think that Couch’s career is still more of an unknown rather than a complete bust, as many rush to conclude.  It doesn’t change anything, but we’re so quick to tear down our own athletes in this town that I think he deserves at least a second thought, and not a snap judgment.