So your already dreaming of all the Super Bowl rings Mike Holmgren is going to bring us, right? Check out this excellent peice by some dude named Cliff Olsen. It will blow your mind.
After reading that do we still want this guy?
Let the debate begin.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Mike Holmgren? In Cleveland?
Well, the rumors are swirling that former Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay packers head coach Mike "Big Show" Holmgren is being wined and dined in the city that rocks by Randy "Randy Baby" Lerner for the position of "Football Pimp".
Toni Grossi claims he left Berea today without a deal. He knows this because no announcement has been made as of yet.
He did not know however whether the former Super Bowl Champion was on his way to the airport or downtown to sample Cleveland's awesome night life (Too bad the casino's aren't up yet. Are you telling me this guy doesn't look the Blackjack-all-night-hit-free-buffet-three-times-to-make-back-my-money kind a guy?).
Holmgren would instantly give the Browns credibility and much needed direction. Not to say that the current squad hasn't shown progress of late, but Holmgrens been involved in football for more years than Mangini has been alive. (By the way, my current favorite nickname for Mangini? Linguini.)
Not to say there aren't question marks, like the fact that Holmgren had his General Manager responsibilities taken away from him by the Seahawks, not that he would be G.M. here, just that he definetly will have a strong say organizationally. Let's hope the reason he floundered in that role was that he already had a twenty-hour-a-day job, namely being head coach and all.
Also, what of Mangini? Sources say he's going to get canned, victory over a flat Steelers team that quit notwithstanding. Hey, I'm one of Mangini's biggest critics and even I admit to seeing progress over the last month.
But let's not get carried away here. They came back against a Chargers team that was cruising in prevent mode and beat a Pittsburgh team that was already beaten by K.C. and Oakland.
Plus, you can't forget that the roster is pretty bare, resulting in a lot of players who wouldn't get a lick of playing time on any other roster seeing significant snaps. They know there is a new sheriff coming to town and they are auditioning for next year already. Naturally they are going to bust tail.
Bottom line, things continue to be interesting in Cleveland. Look for it to become more so as the offseason approaches.
And thank God Holmgren is no Bill Parcells. He would never be in Cleveland just to drive up the price for Seattle, right?
So what do you think Browns fans? Is this our man? Finally?
Stay tuned.
"Information" (if you could call it that) from the Cleveland Plain Dealer was used in this "report".
Toni Grossi claims he left Berea today without a deal. He knows this because no announcement has been made as of yet.
He did not know however whether the former Super Bowl Champion was on his way to the airport or downtown to sample Cleveland's awesome night life (Too bad the casino's aren't up yet. Are you telling me this guy doesn't look the Blackjack-all-night-hit-free-buffet-three-times-to-make-back-my-money kind a guy?).
Holmgren would instantly give the Browns credibility and much needed direction. Not to say that the current squad hasn't shown progress of late, but Holmgrens been involved in football for more years than Mangini has been alive. (By the way, my current favorite nickname for Mangini? Linguini.)
Not to say there aren't question marks, like the fact that Holmgren had his General Manager responsibilities taken away from him by the Seahawks, not that he would be G.M. here, just that he definetly will have a strong say organizationally. Let's hope the reason he floundered in that role was that he already had a twenty-hour-a-day job, namely being head coach and all.
Also, what of Mangini? Sources say he's going to get canned, victory over a flat Steelers team that quit notwithstanding. Hey, I'm one of Mangini's biggest critics and even I admit to seeing progress over the last month.
But let's not get carried away here. They came back against a Chargers team that was cruising in prevent mode and beat a Pittsburgh team that was already beaten by K.C. and Oakland.
Plus, you can't forget that the roster is pretty bare, resulting in a lot of players who wouldn't get a lick of playing time on any other roster seeing significant snaps. They know there is a new sheriff coming to town and they are auditioning for next year already. Naturally they are going to bust tail.
Bottom line, things continue to be interesting in Cleveland. Look for it to become more so as the offseason approaches.
And thank God Holmgren is no Bill Parcells. He would never be in Cleveland just to drive up the price for Seattle, right?
So what do you think Browns fans? Is this our man? Finally?
Stay tuned.
"Information" (if you could call it that) from the Cleveland Plain Dealer was used in this "report".
Monday, November 16, 2009
BROWNS-RAVENS MNF
It will be interesting to see if the Browns will "BRING IT" (I hate Michael Reghi) tonight. Here are the different looks the Browns might give the Ravens:
Either......
A) Flatter than Helen Hunt. Always a distinct possibility with the Brownies, especially due to the hard practice conditions. Thank you Jamal Lewis for all your "leadership".
B) Half-ass it like Braylon. "Yes Rex, we knew he drops passes that cost games. What? No, you can't have your draft picks back. You want to speak to Kokinis? Sorry, he doesn't work her anymore."
C) Concerted effort but totally over matched like the Rams every week. Win or lose, "Spags" has them playing hard every week. Think the Giants don't miss him? Ask Tom Coughlin.
D) Total domination like the Browns-Giants game from last season. Just threw in this option because I needed a D). Chances are not good. All we can do is pray.
Other things to watch tonight: if Daboll (re:Mangini) finally switches up his approach by throwing screens and using Cribbs, if there is any hope for Brady Quinn, how many times the announcers use the word "protest" and the patronizing/sympathizing line that the "Browns fans deserve a winner", if any of Mangini's faces can top the Peyton Manning interception faces from last night.
Either......
A) Flatter than Helen Hunt. Always a distinct possibility with the Brownies, especially due to the hard practice conditions. Thank you Jamal Lewis for all your "leadership".
B) Half-ass it like Braylon. "Yes Rex, we knew he drops passes that cost games. What? No, you can't have your draft picks back. You want to speak to Kokinis? Sorry, he doesn't work her anymore."
C) Concerted effort but totally over matched like the Rams every week. Win or lose, "Spags" has them playing hard every week. Think the Giants don't miss him? Ask Tom Coughlin.
D) Total domination like the Browns-Giants game from last season. Just threw in this option because I needed a D). Chances are not good. All we can do is pray.
Other things to watch tonight: if Daboll (re:Mangini) finally switches up his approach by throwing screens and using Cribbs, if there is any hope for Brady Quinn, how many times the announcers use the word "protest" and the patronizing/sympathizing line that the "Browns fans deserve a winner", if any of Mangini's faces can top the Peyton Manning interception faces from last night.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
The Eric Mangini Project Revisited
There is nothing in life that I hate more than a hypocrite. As this crazy season keeps on spinning further and further out of control there appears to be many of them.
It's confession time on two accounts.
1) I have failed to live up to my commitment to my readers over the past month, and for this I apologize. There was some serious turmoil in my life and it has been time consuming and harrowing, but hopefully the worst is over. Thank you to all who have reached out to me during this time; to say I was touched is an understatement.
2) Not long after the Browns hired Eric Mangini I went against my gut feeling that hiring Mangini was huge mistake and penned a article by the name off "The Eric Mangini Project" opining why, after much deliberation, I felt Mangini might turn out to be a good coach.
I wish I can at least pretend that I was under the guise of "The Almighty Blogger", that like so many of my fellow bloggers I thought I supposedly new better than the average dude rocking a Lee Suggs jersey.
Unfortunately, in my case it was sheer stupid Cleveland sports fan bias. I knew Mangini was a terrible coach after closely following his exploits with the Jets. He was unimaginative, egotistical and pathetic.
My warped Cleveland mind came up with some crap that he was "struggling to reconcile his aggressiveness with his fundamentalistic approach to the game" to explain why he had previously been unsuccessful. I also "brilliantly" pointed out the similarities in character traits and career paths that Eric Mangini and Bill Belichik had.
My fellow bloggers have other rationalizations. Some operate under the presumption that the average dude rocking a Lee Suggs jersey is so stupid he is obviously terribly wrong on everything that has to do with Browns football. The more simple it seems to be the more complicated they have to make it.
Eric Mangini is the male mixture of Hillary Clinton and Roseanne?
"Nonsense", they claim . "He is a misunderstood football genius/idiot savant who lacks social pleasantries".
The Browns look three times as worse under Mangini than they did under Crennel? "Don't be silly", they'll tell you. "Your out of your league. Don't you know that since I know how to use Blogger or Wordpress that makes me a football guru?"
They plead for patience. "We need to give him at least two or three years to see if he can get the job done."
This is true. There is no chance he will succeed if he is not given time. The problem is we cannot afford the time.
Here is a guy that no team had any interest in and that all previous signs point to his failing. His G.M. was a hoax, best spelled out in this mind boggling article written by Jack Bechta for NFP. Players can't stand him, agents won't let their players play for him and his assistant coaches are a joke.
(Brian Daboll is approaching Maurice Carthon stature. Well almost. I still remember seriously contemplating that Carthon used to confuse Vickers and Winslow, which would explain why he repeatedly tried to portray Vickers as our premier offensive weapon. But I digress.)
All the things he preaches we have become worse at. Can we really afford to give him more time if things don't improve?
But lets say Jim Schwartz decided that from here on out the Lions should start punting on first down. Would you still say we should give him more time to see if this is a viable strategy to win football games?
Of course not.
Now we can make a strong case that Mangini has fallen into this category just based on his performance in Cleveland alone and therefore is no longer privy to "more time." One can also argue (incorrectly) that Mangini has not fallen into this category.
It's a moot point.
Someone who you thought wasn't qualified in the first place(to the point where the only two coaches I could say that I would not have rather had than Mangini were Art Shell and Herm Edwards. And yes, I left off RAC and Denny Green on purpose) and has done absolutely nothing to show you why your gut was wrong surely doesn't deserve more time.
We made a mistake.
Now lets fix it.
It's confession time on two accounts.
1) I have failed to live up to my commitment to my readers over the past month, and for this I apologize. There was some serious turmoil in my life and it has been time consuming and harrowing, but hopefully the worst is over. Thank you to all who have reached out to me during this time; to say I was touched is an understatement.
2) Not long after the Browns hired Eric Mangini I went against my gut feeling that hiring Mangini was huge mistake and penned a article by the name off "The Eric Mangini Project" opining why, after much deliberation, I felt Mangini might turn out to be a good coach.
I wish I can at least pretend that I was under the guise of "The Almighty Blogger", that like so many of my fellow bloggers I thought I supposedly new better than the average dude rocking a Lee Suggs jersey.
Unfortunately, in my case it was sheer stupid Cleveland sports fan bias. I knew Mangini was a terrible coach after closely following his exploits with the Jets. He was unimaginative, egotistical and pathetic.
My warped Cleveland mind came up with some crap that he was "struggling to reconcile his aggressiveness with his fundamentalistic approach to the game" to explain why he had previously been unsuccessful. I also "brilliantly" pointed out the similarities in character traits and career paths that Eric Mangini and Bill Belichik had.
My fellow bloggers have other rationalizations. Some operate under the presumption that the average dude rocking a Lee Suggs jersey is so stupid he is obviously terribly wrong on everything that has to do with Browns football. The more simple it seems to be the more complicated they have to make it.
Eric Mangini is the male mixture of Hillary Clinton and Roseanne?
"Nonsense", they claim . "He is a misunderstood football genius/idiot savant who lacks social pleasantries".
The Browns look three times as worse under Mangini than they did under Crennel? "Don't be silly", they'll tell you. "Your out of your league. Don't you know that since I know how to use Blogger or Wordpress that makes me a football guru?"
They plead for patience. "We need to give him at least two or three years to see if he can get the job done."
This is true. There is no chance he will succeed if he is not given time. The problem is we cannot afford the time.
Here is a guy that no team had any interest in and that all previous signs point to his failing. His G.M. was a hoax, best spelled out in this mind boggling article written by Jack Bechta for NFP. Players can't stand him, agents won't let their players play for him and his assistant coaches are a joke.
(Brian Daboll is approaching Maurice Carthon stature. Well almost. I still remember seriously contemplating that Carthon used to confuse Vickers and Winslow, which would explain why he repeatedly tried to portray Vickers as our premier offensive weapon. But I digress.)
All the things he preaches we have become worse at. Can we really afford to give him more time if things don't improve?
Just because a man who uses the term "football" in a extremely profane and obscene way and whose actions have inspired this song to be written about him decided that Mangini was the right guy doesn't mean we should sacrifice common sense and beer-fueled football I.Q. on the altar of continuity and patience, especially when it seems the very same American football challenged man who thought it was a good idea in the first place might have already changed his mind!One can only use "The Time Argument" if the only thing lacking is time. If after this year the Detroit media lambasted Lions head coach Jim Schwartz for his performance you can use "The Time Argument". We would not be able to accurately judge him based on his teams performance this year, thus he merits more time to make his case so we can truly see what he is made of.
But lets say Jim Schwartz decided that from here on out the Lions should start punting on first down. Would you still say we should give him more time to see if this is a viable strategy to win football games?
Of course not.
Now we can make a strong case that Mangini has fallen into this category just based on his performance in Cleveland alone and therefore is no longer privy to "more time." One can also argue (incorrectly) that Mangini has not fallen into this category.
It's a moot point.
Someone who you thought wasn't qualified in the first place(to the point where the only two coaches I could say that I would not have rather had than Mangini were Art Shell and Herm Edwards. And yes, I left off RAC and Denny Green on purpose) and has done absolutely nothing to show you why your gut was wrong surely doesn't deserve more time.
We made a mistake.
Now lets fix it.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Braylon Edwards Traded To N.Y. Jets: Fool Me Twice.... Jets fleece Browns. Again.
Unless you've been living under a rock you probably have heard that the Cleveland Browns have traded Braylon Edwards to the Jets for Chansi Stuckey, a decent wideout, and Jason Trusnick, a special teams ace, and draft picks(a third and a fifth-rounder to be exact but when they are not higher they aren't considered the centerpiece of the deal). There is no question that the timing of the trade indicates that Mangini is trying to make a statement. Unfortunately, the statement of, "If you misbehave than we will trade you to a contender for less on the dollar than Morgan Stanley paid for Bear Stearns" is not one that Browns fans want to hear.
Even with the statement aspect the timing is horrendous. Remember the eight catch, one hundred fourty eight yard game "Eminem" had this weekend? You could forget about those for a while without Braylon drawing safety help over the top. That should impede his development, and as the only 2009 draft pick that's actually contributing, something the Browns can't afford.
Another consideration is that the Jets essentially get something for nothing. They get to "rent" Braylon for at least the rest of the season, test drive him and then decide if he is worth a long term commitment. If it works out, great; if not they can "franchise" him and "flip" Braylon in the offseason to the highest bidder, probably for more than they paid considering he's bound to put up better numbers with a team that actually scores some points. To offset this discrepancy the Browns should have charged the Jets a premium instead of giving them a discount.
As far as what they got for Braylon, at first glance it seems as the Browns got too little from the Jets. Again. Don't get me wrong. Chansi is a nice player and it's great to get another special teams contributor( I wonder if Mangini factored Quinn's abilities on special teams when deciding he would be the starter)and who doesn't like some more draft picks, but the key in any trade negotiation is getting the other party to pay for what they think they are getting, not to what the player is worth to you. Granted Braylon drops more balls than Paris Hilton, but if the Jets think they are getting a franchise wide receiver; you've got to make them pay for one.
So I ask you Browns fans. Did we get fleeced? Let me hear what you have to say.
Even with the statement aspect the timing is horrendous. Remember the eight catch, one hundred fourty eight yard game "Eminem" had this weekend? You could forget about those for a while without Braylon drawing safety help over the top. That should impede his development, and as the only 2009 draft pick that's actually contributing, something the Browns can't afford.
Another consideration is that the Jets essentially get something for nothing. They get to "rent" Braylon for at least the rest of the season, test drive him and then decide if he is worth a long term commitment. If it works out, great; if not they can "franchise" him and "flip" Braylon in the offseason to the highest bidder, probably for more than they paid considering he's bound to put up better numbers with a team that actually scores some points. To offset this discrepancy the Browns should have charged the Jets a premium instead of giving them a discount.
As far as what they got for Braylon, at first glance it seems as the Browns got too little from the Jets. Again. Don't get me wrong. Chansi is a nice player and it's great to get another special teams contributor( I wonder if Mangini factored Quinn's abilities on special teams when deciding he would be the starter)and who doesn't like some more draft picks, but the key in any trade negotiation is getting the other party to pay for what they think they are getting, not to what the player is worth to you. Granted Braylon drops more balls than Paris Hilton, but if the Jets think they are getting a franchise wide receiver; you've got to make them pay for one.
So I ask you Browns fans. Did we get fleeced? Let me hear what you have to say.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Do You Think You Know Browns Football? Enter The "Kings Of Rant" Contest Today!
Are you a rabid Browns fan who has a take with a edge? Are you sick of all the vanilla blogs that basically regurgitate the stats and Toni Grossi's "analysis"? Do you think you are a talented writer who can express himself/herself with wit and humor? Now is your shot, as Browns Rant is having it's first annual "King of Rant" contest. The winner gets a spot on the staff of one of the fastest growing Browns blogs(hold the applause). For details on how to enter, please email us at brownsrant@aol.com with your name and a short bio telling us a little bit about yourself, your man-love for the Browns(even if your a girl your love for the Browns is considered man-love) and why you don't suck(I hate Jim Rome). Anti-Steeler rhetoric is a must. We look forward to hearing from you and Go Browns!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Rants from the Dawg Pound: Browns-Ravens Preview Edition
* Before training camp we at Browns Rant lauded Kokinis(though I'm sure Mangini has a little to do with it) for his plan to build the Browns from the ground up and bolster the depth at cornerback and along the offensive line, two places which it has been sorely lacking the last few seasons. Too long had we seen Phil Savage treat the nickelback position like it was his red-headed stepchild.
The Browns added three very respected veterans with eighty four career starts between them and two rookies to take their shot at it. That worked out as well as Brian Daboll's game plan the last couple weeks. Ivy and Hood got chopped, Carey got stolen by the Jaguars, Hank Poteat "won" the competition and gets the bulk of the reps at nickel and is as embarrassing as the new season of "The Office". Coye Francies, the sixth rounder who showed flashes in the preseason, is inexplicably glued to the bench(maybe Mangini doesn't like guys who can't take a joke).
As far as the offensive line is concerned, consider the following sequence from the Browns-Broncos game. John St. Clair, the prize OL free agent pickup, had a false start and gave up two sacks-in consecutive plays. That could very well be the worst three play stretch by a Browns offensive lineman ever.
* The Keystone Beer keys to the game are:
Blitzing: You probably thought I was talking about Rex Ryan's defense, right? Wrong. Want to see me predict the future? OK, here goes. The Ravens are going to blitz early and often. And this is good for us. Do you think I'm crazy yet?
The truth is that Brady Quinn actually hasn't been half bad when the other team has blitzed; he usually gets it to the right guy and recognizes when Braylon is getting single coverage. Couple that with fact that Ravens secondary has not looked to pretty thus far,except for Mr.Reed. Quinns problems arise when he has to stare at seven defenders in coverage while worrying if John St Clair fell asleep again. If the Browns take advantage they might actually be able to hit on some big plays(read: longer that fifteen yards)for a change.
Nickelback: Hank Poteat has been absolutely atrocious in both games. It's time for Francies to start stealing playing time except Mangini feels that that would send a terrible message to the young impressionable teenagers of Northeast Ohio after the stunt he pulled on Friday. The bottom line is we need improved play from this position if we want any hope of getting off the field on third downs.
These are obviously besides for the usual cliche keys to the game: The Browns getting a run game going; substituting for the run game with misdirections and screens; Brady Quinn not sucking; stopping the run and might personal favorite: setting up the passing the game with the run game. I leave those for tomorrows announcers. Wouldn't want to steal their thunder.
The Browns added three very respected veterans with eighty four career starts between them and two rookies to take their shot at it. That worked out as well as Brian Daboll's game plan the last couple weeks. Ivy and Hood got chopped, Carey got stolen by the Jaguars, Hank Poteat "won" the competition and gets the bulk of the reps at nickel and is as embarrassing as the new season of "The Office". Coye Francies, the sixth rounder who showed flashes in the preseason, is inexplicably glued to the bench(maybe Mangini doesn't like guys who can't take a joke).
As far as the offensive line is concerned, consider the following sequence from the Browns-Broncos game. John St. Clair, the prize OL free agent pickup, had a false start and gave up two sacks-in consecutive plays. That could very well be the worst three play stretch by a Browns offensive lineman ever.
* The Keystone Beer keys to the game are:
Blitzing: You probably thought I was talking about Rex Ryan's defense, right? Wrong. Want to see me predict the future? OK, here goes. The Ravens are going to blitz early and often. And this is good for us. Do you think I'm crazy yet?
The truth is that Brady Quinn actually hasn't been half bad when the other team has blitzed; he usually gets it to the right guy and recognizes when Braylon is getting single coverage. Couple that with fact that Ravens secondary has not looked to pretty thus far,except for Mr.Reed. Quinns problems arise when he has to stare at seven defenders in coverage while worrying if John St Clair fell asleep again. If the Browns take advantage they might actually be able to hit on some big plays(read: longer that fifteen yards)for a change.
Nickelback: Hank Poteat has been absolutely atrocious in both games. It's time for Francies to start stealing playing time except Mangini feels that that would send a terrible message to the young impressionable teenagers of Northeast Ohio after the stunt he pulled on Friday. The bottom line is we need improved play from this position if we want any hope of getting off the field on third downs.
These are obviously besides for the usual cliche keys to the game: The Browns getting a run game going; substituting for the run game with misdirections and screens; Brady Quinn not sucking; stopping the run and might personal favorite: setting up the passing the game with the run game. I leave those for tomorrows announcers. Wouldn't want to steal their thunder.
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