The 2008 Season Has Begun!!

The Browns opened up last night at a very rainy, thundery, Cleveland Browns Stadium. They lost 24-20, but that's not the important part. The important part is that they looked good. From what I have read at least, they looked good!

DA was 4-5 for 20 yards, 1 TD. A timing throw to Braylon who made a spectacular 1-handed catch was the TD. It seems like the 2 of them are just on the same page. And you can't teach that.

The first team D, and the O, for that matter, played well in their 1 series before the weather decided to halt things. The D held the Jets scoreless, and the O marched down for a TD. I'm not getting real excited, this is the the quarterbackless Jets they held. But at the same time, they're not playing the Little Sisters of the Blind either. So I'm thinking this is good!

Brady played well. He threw one pick. And I've read that it should have been caught, and I've read that it was a bad throw that Syndric Steptoe was able to get a hand on. The game is on the NFL network this weekend, and I have the TiVo already set up to record. But I will make my own decision when I see it..

Overall, it looks like things were positive. No QB sacks. So the O-Line is playing well. And the mcuh improved D-Line played well, without Cory Williams getting much PT coming off the injury.

I like it!! I like it!!! Where's the Super Bowl this season???

Super Bowl Aspirations?

Training camp in Berea opened on Wednesday. And this is the season. This is the season for the Browns. This was supposed to be the season for the Indians. But we're not going to talk about that. And we're going to focus on the positive. And the positive is playing in Cleveland Browns stadium this fall!

The defense is going to be much improved. With the additions of Shawn Rogers and Cory Williams on the D-Line, which was the weakest part of the '07 Browns, may be the strength of the '08 version. The reviews on Rogers have been real good so far. He's very quickly becoming a leader on the D.

And so far all I've read are great things about Kellen Winslow. He wants a new contract, but he vows to not be a distraction... Again, positive thoughts, so we're not going there. But it really sounds like he's dedicated to being the best player out on the field.

Not to change the subject abruptly, but I'm watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network. I do believe this guy has the best job in the world. He goes all over the place eating good food. Not the gourmet crap that most food reviewers go to. He's at a BBQ place in Memphis right now, and I'm seriously considering hopping into the car and heading down there...

Anyhow, all of the things I've read so far about the first 3 days of training camp are good. And of course the debate is who is goign to play QB for this team. I hate this debate, and I'll never understand why having 2 capable QBs is a bad thing?? I don't know what the stat is, but very few QBs made it through last season unscathed. Also, do we forget the DA has only been a starter for one year? He started 3 games in the lost '06 season after Charlie Frye was nearly decapitated because he enjoyed holding onto the ball and making poor, slow, decisions? DA didn't even start the first game last season? And for the majority of last season, he play fantastic football. So well that both Braylon and Winslow made the pro bowl. Along with rookie left tackle Joe Thomas. You don't think that had anything to do with the way Anderson played?? Yes, he played horribly against Cincinnati. That was painful to watch, very. But if you are going to crucify the guy for 1 or 2 bad games, in his first season as a starter, you're crazy.

It's frustrating to listen to. The blogs that I read from the Plain Dealer talked about the first couple days of Training Camp, talked about how DA threw 3 interceptions on Thursday. And there were already talking about how horrible he is and how he should be the backup, and how Brady is such the better QB, and how... Just annoying. Braylon even came out and said that it was a huge distraction last season not knowing who the QB is going to be.

DA is the guy, he's going to stay the guy. So stop all of the Brady Quinn talk for a while. I'm already tired of it. Again, what's the problem with having 2 quality QBs?? Exactly.

Looking forward to signing up for the NFL Sunday ticket! Can't wait for the season to get going! Can't wait to see the excitement in Cleveland!

Browns Get A MNF Date!

They're getting 3 MNF games to be exact! This is 3 more than they have had since the Browns came back to Cleveland in 1999. This is great news for a franchise on the upswing!

Although they didn't make the playoffs last season, because they should have won when they had the chance, and Indianapolis decided to send it in against the Titans, but their future is looking real bright. Derek Anderson developed into an excellent Quarterback. Braylon Edwards is emerging as one of the top 5 wideouts in the league. And this includes getting his ego under wraps. Winslow is working to become the TE he was supposed to be before he tried out for the motorcycle circus. The O-Line came together in a big way last season.

The only question mark is going to be the defense. If they come together this season like the Offense did last year. They can be a very dangerous team! They are going to be a very exciting team to watch!

So, they've got their limit 5 nationally televised games this season. They've got week 2 at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday night against the Steelers. Week 6 Monday night against the defending Champion Giants, again at home. A Thursday night meeting with Denver in week 10, in Cleveland. Then they travel to Buffalo for a week 11 meeting on Monday night. And their last nationally televised game will be in Philly for a Monday night matchup in week 15.

This is huge news for this organization. Look at where they were last season at this time. All of the question marks?? Is Braylon going to get his head screwed on straight? Can Winslow play with his surgically repaired knee? What's going to happen to the O-Line?? Who's going to play QB? Are we going to be able to put a Defense on the field. I believe my prediction for the Browns last August was 4 victories.

So the fact that the NFL is putting quite a bit of stock in the Browns is saying alot for what Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel have done over the past 2 years. Very exciting outlook on the shores of Lake Erie!!

Oh Man!!

The Boilers blew a golden opportunity last night losing to the Buckeyes last night. Of all the people to really pee down their leg in the face of adversity, I didn't think it would be Chris Kramer. I still can't believe he made such a horrible pass. But anyhow...

Purdue played a pretty solid game last night. After a slow start, being down 0-7, they came storming, actually there really wasn't a "they" it was more "E'Tuan", back. They played pretty well until the last couple of minutes of regulation, when the spirited Buckeyes stepped it up a notch and took a win from the face of defeat.

The Buckeyes were looking right into not making the tourney with a loss. And considering they made it to the Championship game last season, that would be quite a turnaround. Sure, they don't have Oden and Conley, but they still have Butler, who caught fire last night, and the rest of the team still in tact. So getting to the Championship is probably a stretch, but at least they should have enough left in the tank to make the NCAAs.

E'Tuan had another solid game. He's really turning into a special player. Scott Martin finally showed some of his potential by having a great game shooting from the field. He was 5-10 from the field including a 4 point play at the end of the first half. If the Boilers could have pulled it out, that shot would probably be talked about as the straw that broke the Bucks season, but it wasn't to be. He also added 6 rebounds. Just wish he could get a little more consistent from the line. He almost threw up an airball and then canned the 2nd on one trip to the stripe.

Marcus Green played horribly. He hit a 3 in the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half, and then decided he didn't have to play anymore. Offense, defense, apparently he thought his 3 was enough. Mercifully he fouled out before the end of the game, but he was just painful to watch try and move around the court.

Speaking of painful. The 2nd half of that game was just painful. If I was not a Purdue fan, there is no way that I could have watched it. I think from about the 17 minute mark to about the 4 minute mark there was a foul called on every trip down the court. There was no flow, no pace, no nothing. And this is what really did the Boilers in. The trademark of this season is being able to put up 10-14 point runs in about a 3 minute stretch, while forcing about 4 turnovers, no offensive rebounds, and hitting a couple of clutch 3s. Well, they could never get into rhythm in the 2nd half, and this really hurt them. Yes, some of them were fouls, but they really were calling it tight. And after a 20 minute delay starting the 2nd half, it was just horrible...

So, looks like the Boilers are headed for a 3 seed in the Big 10 tourney. They win in Columbus, they win in Ann Arbor this weekend, they have a 1 seed, but they didn't come to play last night. Although, now that I think about it, IU is in shambles right now, not playing good basketball. IU loses one of the next 2, and Purdue takes care of business at Michigan, they get a 2 seed. Sort of disappointing considering they controlled their own destiny going into last night's game.

If you would told me 3 months ago that the Boilers would be a 3 seed in the Big 10 tourney I would have been thrilled! Funny how things change! Not to mention this is a team of Freshman and Sophs. The future is looking really bright in West Lafayette!!

On another note, the Browns signed Shaun Rogers to a 6-year $42 mil deal!! This will be the first Browns season I'm really excited for since about '86. Things are looking bright in Cleveland too!! Except for the housing market, that still sucks. But the Browns, Cavs, and Indians!! Nice!

February is FINALLY over!

Well, the worst month for sports if finally over, and we can start getting on to some things that really matter. Spring Training baseball, Fantasy Baseball drafts, and the NFL free-agent signing period! Wooo-Hooo!!!

Let's start at Cleveland Browns Stadium, or Berea, or wherever Phil Savage calls home these days. In the last week the Browns have signed Shaun Rogers, Corey Williams, and Donte Stallworth, and re-signed Derek Anderson.

We'll begin at QB with the re-sign of Anderson. I think this was essential. The Browns have assembled a team that can do some damage this year! Not in 3-5 years, THIS YEAR. Anderson will hopefully build on the Pro Bowl season he had last and get himself into a consistent groove. With the talent the Browns have, the don't need Anderson to have a 100+ passer rating every game. They need consistent play, and this is what Anderson is going to give you.

So you say that Brady Quinn needs to be either starting or traded?? Well, I don't see the problem with having 2 capable QBs on the team? Look at how many QBs the NFL went through last season. I don't know the exact number, but I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 QBs took a snap. If Anderson gets hurt, and you've traded Brady, who do we have playing QB??? Ken Dorsey?? Josh Cribbs??? What's the problem with a little insurance policy??? I'm not going to hide the fact that I do not like Brady Quinn. I don't think he's that great of a QB, when he was at ND, all he did was beat mediocre teams and throw the ball to Jeff Smardjtizmarta. But with the way the Browns have gone through QBs in the last 9 years, I see nothing wrong with leaving Brady on the sidelines to learn another year.

Sticking with the O, we signed New England Patriot Donte Stallworth. Donte will be the new #2 target for Anderson this year. I love this signing! I love anybody that comes from the Pats. I hate the Pats, but I think they learn that they need to win as a team. Look at what they turned Randy Moss into??? Anyhow, when Anderson drops back he's going to have #1 Braylon, #2 Stallworth, #3 Winslow, #4 Jurevicius. Or he can turn around and hand the ball off to a resurgent Jamal Lewis running behind one of the best front 5s in football. You tell me how a team is going to stop all those weapons???

Now to the D, where the real help was needed. They acquired Shaun Rogers from the Lions for this season's 3rd round pick and Leigh Bodden. I haven't read a whole bunch about Rogers, but I guess he's having some problems fitting in with the coaching staff in Detroit, and hasn't been playing quite as well. He was a Pro Bowler in 04-05 and has been nothing more than a big, fat, distraction since. All I can hope for is that he decides to get back into shape and help a good team get to the playoffs. I can understand how being on a losing team can break down you morale, and a change of scenery is generally a good thing. Let's hope that this revitalizes the 28 year old Rogers into good things! The Browns gave up a 3rd round pick and Leigh Bodden to bring Rogers into camp. I wish I could say that they got good value for that trade, but only time is going to be able to give the answer for this one.

And the last acquisition is DE Corey Williams from the Packers for this years' 2nd round pick. I don't' know much about Williams other than the stats I can find on ESPN.com. 7 sacks last season, that's probably more than the Browns have had in the last 2 years. He's definitely going to be an improvement over what they had.

Now, the Browns do not have a pick in the first 3 rounds of this years' draft? If you would like to look at it this way, their first round pick was Brady, the 2nd round pick was Corey Williams, and the 3rd round was Shaun Rogers. The situation they are in now, the fact that they are a good team NOW, and they desperately need help on the D-Line, they made good decisions. The only college D-linemen who could have a decent shot at making an impact in their rookie season will be picked in the first 20 slots. I think Savage did the right thing. Williams and Rogers are going to be inserted into the D-Line and are an instant upgrade from the guys they had last season, plus, it adds depth which they really need running a 3-4.

On another note, former Boilermaker Niko Koudivides signed a 3 year deal with the Broncos. I would love to see the Browns sign Roosevelt Colvin, who was released by the Pats earlier this week to play some OLB. Partly because he's a Boilermaker, partly because he's good, and partly because he threw down a nasty dunk on me at the co-rec during an intramural game. It wasn't quite the Roy Hariston, behind the back, off the glass, elevate from one side of the lane and throw it down on the other, but it was pretty nasty, especially for a guy who's only 6-3.

Stirring Up Some Bad Memories

So I just got finished reading this article from ESPN.com, and if I wasn't having a bad day before reading it, I am now. Just thinking about what that scumbag Art Modell did to the City of Cleveland and the Browns Fans makes me want to get sick.

It starts out talking about Bill Belichick and how he learned a lot from being a miserable coach in Cleveland and then gets talking about Art. So we'll start from the beginning.

Belichick benched and later released Bernie Kosar. I really do not think much more needs to be said about that. Kosar was the savior of Cleveland in the mid-80's. Had remarkable performance after remarkable performance on the great Browns teams that went to the AFC Championships. Threw for almost 500 yards against the Jets in the first round of the playoffs in 86. The Monday night game against Miami. I can go on. Belichick had problems with Bernie because Bernie was very hard-headed, liked to change play calls, liked to audible, and liked to speak his mind. And if I remember correctly, Bernie's last play as a Cleveland Brown was a touchdown pass on an audible, in which he got benched for Vinny Testaverde. 2 years later, Testaverde was benched for Eric Zeier. Yep, Eric Zeier...

Yes, it's frustrating to watch the success of the Patriots with Belichick at the helm. It's really amazing how great of a job he's done, particularly how well he's done since both Crennel and Weis have left him. I think Crennel is a great coach for the Browns, and I think Weis is a fat moron that thinks he's much smarter than he really is. What he has done at ND is really amazing! But that's for another day.

I'm already a little worked up about Coach Bill, but then we get to Modell. I really don't even know where to start?? In the process of running the team into the ground, the decided that Andre Rison was the one who was going to lead the Browns the the promised land. Yes, the same Andre Rison who had his house burned down by his girlfriend. Apparently Modell had to go all over the greater Cleveland area to find money to sign him. Rison ended up with career lows in every statistical category. And there's also this little nugget after a disappointing home loss to the Packers and after the move to Baltimore was announced. Rison was booed by the fans throughout the game, lashed out, stating, "We didn't make the fucking move. So, for all the booers, fuck you too. I'll be glad when we get to Baltimore, if that's the case. We don't have any home-field advantage. I've never been booed at home. Baltimore's our home. Baltimore, here we come." Great signing Art!!!

Then we get to the move. It was purely financial. Art was a mental midget when it came to business and ran one of the most successful franchises into the mud. He wanted to give the team to his equally mentally challenged son and didn't want him to have to pay the inheritance tax, Baltimore gave him a deal that he couldn't refuse, and say good-bye to the Browns in Cleveland.

I don't know for sure if this was the reason, but it's the reason I want to believe, so there it is..

And for the most ludicrous comment of the article. "...if Modell had it to do all over again, he would have likely offered the Browns job in 1991 not to Belichick, but to former Browns player and assistant coach Bill Cowher..." Oh really??? No kidding??? And if I had listened to the news this morning I would have brought my umbrella to work with me. And if I had known that cop was sitting in the middle of the highway, I wouldn't have tried to see exactly how fast my car can go. Or even, "...if I knew Tim Couch was going to blow, I probably wouldn't have drafted him with the first pick in 99..." How did this guy run a professional football franchise for this long??? Seriously?

But on a happy note, he had to sell his majority share of the Ravens and he's probably senile by now and hopefully nobody listens to him. He's been kept out of the Football Hall of Fame. First of all, he doesn't deserve to be in it after he did this to Cleveland, and second, some crazed Browns fan would probably take a shot at him when he was in Canton for the induction ceremony.

Ahhh, I feel a little better now.

A lot of Heartache..but a bright future

To be a Purdue and Cleveland fan, is like some sort of sick joke if you are a sports fan. So many memories of hope for a championship, and then just dashed away in the blink of an eye. Don't believe me, take a look:

-Willie Mays over the shoulder catch in '54. Granted, my mom wasn't even born yet, but I still see replays once a year. But, my grandma was 36, and she remembered it vividly.

- Right Red 88. Oakland, we lost to Oakland?? At home, to a warm weather team in the ice and snow off Lake Erie? I was 5 at this time, and I remember clearly being in a restaurant with my parents when this happened, only to have my dad yell at me to "quit acting up." My emotions were getting the best of me, at age 5.

- Put in Mike Jackson! That's what I remember screaming to Hargrove 800 miles away from Indiana, while he was sitting in South Florida. But sure enough, "Joe Table," a.k.a Jose Mesa comes trotting out of the bullpen. Then he somehow survives a terrible 9th, and Craig Counsell's missle is caught in right field by David Justice. Granted, that was just delaying the inevitable, when a Edgar Renteria single up the middle sealed the fate of the Fighting Wahoo's in '97.

- The Drive, The Fumble-- I don't even want to get into this. We all knows how this turns out. Elway in '86, and Byner in '87. Byner's huge game was overshadowed by one fumble that Dennis Smith didn't even know he caused at the goal line.

- The C.C/Fausto Meltdown in the '07 ALCS. Two potential Cy Young award winners, failing to show up for the ALCS. If they pitch just one game like they can in game 5 or 6, the Tribe goes to the World Series, and probably beat the Rockies who woke up from a coma after winning 50 straight games.

That's enough negativity, let me look toward the future now:

-The Browns, 10-6, but missed the playoffs. Yes, the Colts probably should have played their starters, look at their past performances on rest. But, the Browns should have beat the Bengals too. With a little help at D line next year, and one more receiver to compliment Braylon along with JJ, the Browns should contend for the division in '08. DA with another year under his belt, and an O Line that dominates, could make for a fun '08.

-The Tribe in '08: Same team, same good starting staff, another year of experience for young players. Look for guys like Asdrubal Cabrera, Garko, Gutierrez, Carmona, and an improving Jhonny Peralta to have strong years in '08. I know the Tigers beefed up their lineup, but I'll still take the Tribe's pitching over the Tigers pitching all day. Yes they got Dontrelle, but he's a very average pitcher, who had an ERA over 5.00 last year...in the NL. Welcome to the AL Dontrelle.

- Cavs: Get LeBron help, before he leaves. Last year was a fluke, get the man some help, before he leaves. I can't state that enough.

-Purdue- BBall looking strong for a young team. I love Matt Painter and what he's done, and also because he bought me a pitcher of Killians's at Hooters, simply because I had a Purdue hoody on. I fully expect a Big Ten title or two, over the next four years with this team. As far as football goes, we should be fine with Danny Hope. He had a high powered offense at E Kentucky, and apparantly he can recruit his butt off. Recruiting is something that has hampered the program, with the likes of Michigan, OSU, and Wisconsin in the Big Ten. I have a good feeling about Hope.

Now call me the eternal optimist, because I am. I don't forget the past and all the heartache, but I certainly look toward the future, when one of my teams is hoisted up that championship trophy.

Boiler Dawg Blog Open For Business!

So Pikus and I have been friends since we met in Tarkington Hall at Purde University in the fall of 95, shortly after, we realized we were both Cleveland Fans. We've been friends since.

So we've been through Jose Mesa's Blown save, the departure of the Browns from Cleveland, The Jim Colletto years, the loss to the Braves in 97, the Boilers losing the Rose Bowl in 2001, the Browns losing just about every weekend from 99-06 and the Ravens winning the Super Bowl, the Cavs getting swept, and the Titans playing against the Lawrence North JV team to keep our Browns out of the playoffs in 07... All kinds of good stuff!

So hopefully we'll keep updated on our favorite teams actually winning something for a change and give everyone our 2 cents, and some fun stuff we may come across along the way.