Comments on: Browns Banter: Uninspired Loss to Eagles on Monday Night Football http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2008/12/browns-banter-uninspired-loss-to-eagles-on-monday-night-football/ A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:34:05 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Midnight Writer http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2008/12/browns-banter-uninspired-loss-to-eagles-on-monday-night-football/comment-page-1/#comment-2766 Midnight Writer Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:13:32 +0000 http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2008/12/browns-banter-uninspired-loss-to-eagles-on-monday-night-football/#comment-2766 Paul Brown spins in grave as disappointing, beat-up Browns host the bumbling, bungling Bengals By MidnightWriter How ironic is it that Paul Brown, one of the most innovative and toughest coaches in football history, spawned the likes of the Cleveland Browns and in 1963, after being fired by Browns owner Art Modell, created the now struggling Cincinnati Bengals. Both of these once-proud legacies live in the basement of the AFC. As these two quarterback-challenged, running back-less, Red Zone-aphobic defeated teams face off on Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium in the Browns final 2008 home game, what can fans look forward to? How about the match between Ken Dorsey and Ryan Fitzpatrick? Fans can always bet on which quarterback gets closest to his intended receivers; who throws the most picks – and who eludes the most sacks? I suppose the last quarterback standing, wins. To be fair, Cleveland has lost most of its receivers to injuries – both mental and physical. With wide receiver Braylon Edwards suffering from full-blown paranoia and delusions of grandeur, how can he possibly remember his route when he is concentrating on catching the ball? And if Cleveland fans, start to boo, Edwards may just collapse and leave the game to get his head together. Note to Braylon: Browns fans do not hate you for playing for the University of Michigan. We hate it when you drop passes in Cleveland – and everywhere else. But Dorsey also has tight end Kellen Winslow – no wait, he will be out due to a high ankle sprain. How about tight end Steve Heiden? No, he is out until next year with a knee injury. Tight end Joe Jurevicius? No, he is still recuperating from a seventh knee surgery to clean up an 11-month staph infection. No, this Sunday it will have to be Dorsey to wide receiver Darnell Dinkins who dropped a pass on the five-yard line last week. Or Dorsey to Rucker (no, not Reggie. That would be Martin.). What a difference a year makes! In 2007 the Browns needed a win in Cincinnati to control their own destiny and go on to the play-offs. Cleveland lost that game due to the ineffective and frankly, sucky play of Derek Anderson in a game that proved Anderson can’s win the games that count, and caves under pressure. In fact, Anderson’s mediocre passing game in the Browns last five games of 2007, should have been a red flag. He should have been dealt before the start of this season while he still had trade value, and the Browns could have started this season with Brady Quinn (a man, if you can believe Jrod’s report, can fly.) Failure to acknowledge Anderson’s shortcomings and use him as trade bait, instead, is just one poor decision in the Browns season of errors. Head Coach Romeo Crennel proclaimed his loyalty to Anderson, then declared Quinn the starter against the Denver Broncoes late in the season. On Nov. 17 Quinn was injured against the Buffalo Bills and the following Sunday at home was benched after throwing two picks. Quinn had surgery to repair his fractured finger and Crennel named Quinn the starting quarterback of 2009. But Crennel may be coaching his last game on the Cleveland sidelines. Then again, maybe not. The latest rumor is that Crennel will stay one more year at the helm simply because Browns first choice is still Bill Cowher – and he won’t be available to coach until the 2010 season. The job of Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis doesn’t seem in jeopardy, but the Browns may want to lure him to Cleveland to take the defensive coordinator position from rookie Browns defensive coordinator Melvin Tucker. Meanwhile, security guards scheduled to work Sunday’s game have been warned about alcohol-charged fans who may want to tip a beer or two on an opponent or spit an f-word toward the Product on the field or a visiting Bengals fan. The Browns warn that fans entering the stadium will be checked thoroughly for contraband and unruly drunks will be tossed into a makeshift drunk tank where they will not be able to see or listen to the game. This is punishment? My guess is, if the Browns don’t pass that Red Zone fast, the fans will misbehave more and become obnoxious. Mark “Munch” Bishop, sports jock at ESPN WKNR-AM 850, has suggested one way to make the fans feel better: “Randy Lerner should give each fan a 10-spot as they leave the stadium,” Bishop said. But an additional ten dollars in their pockets might cause even more Browns loyalists to hit the nearest pub and drown their sorrows after the final home game of the season that wasn’t.. Paul Brown spins in grave as disappointing, beat-up Browns host the bumbling, bungling Bengals

By MidnightWriter

How ironic is it that Paul Brown, one of the most innovative and toughest coaches in football history, spawned the likes of the Cleveland Browns and in 1963, after being fired by Browns owner Art Modell, created the now struggling Cincinnati Bengals. Both of these once-proud legacies live in the basement of the AFC.

As these two quarterback-challenged, running back-less, Red Zone-aphobic defeated teams face off on Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium in the Browns final 2008 home game, what can fans look forward to?

How about the match between Ken Dorsey and Ryan Fitzpatrick? Fans can always bet on which quarterback gets closest to his intended receivers; who throws the most picks – and who eludes the most sacks? I suppose the last quarterback standing, wins.

To be fair, Cleveland has lost most of its receivers to injuries – both mental and physical.

With wide receiver Braylon Edwards suffering from full-blown paranoia and delusions of grandeur, how can he possibly remember his route when he is concentrating on catching the ball? And if Cleveland fans, start to boo, Edwards may just collapse and leave the game to get his head together.

Note to Braylon: Browns fans do not hate you for playing for the University of Michigan. We hate it when you drop passes in Cleveland – and everywhere else.

But Dorsey also has tight end Kellen Winslow – no wait, he will be out due to a high ankle sprain. How about tight end Steve Heiden? No, he is out until next year with a knee injury. Tight end Joe Jurevicius? No, he is still recuperating from a seventh knee surgery to clean up an 11-month staph infection.

No, this Sunday it will have to be Dorsey to wide receiver Darnell Dinkins who dropped a pass on the five-yard line last week. Or Dorsey to Rucker (no, not Reggie. That would be Martin.).

What a difference a year makes!

In 2007 the Browns needed a win in Cincinnati to control their own destiny and go on to the play-offs. Cleveland lost that game due to the ineffective and frankly, sucky play of Derek Anderson in a game that proved Anderson can’s win the games that count, and caves under pressure.

In fact, Anderson’s mediocre passing game in the Browns last five games of 2007, should have been a red flag. He should have been dealt before the start of this season while he still had trade value, and the Browns could have started this season with Brady Quinn (a man, if you can believe Jrod’s report, can fly.)

Failure to acknowledge Anderson’s shortcomings and use him as trade bait, instead, is just one poor decision in the Browns season of errors.

Head Coach Romeo Crennel proclaimed his loyalty to Anderson, then declared Quinn the starter against the Denver Broncoes late in the season. On Nov. 17 Quinn was injured against the Buffalo Bills and the following Sunday at home was benched after throwing two picks. Quinn had surgery to repair his fractured finger and Crennel named Quinn the starting quarterback of 2009.

But Crennel may be coaching his last game on the Cleveland sidelines. Then again, maybe not. The latest rumor is that Crennel will stay one more year at the helm simply because Browns first choice is still Bill Cowher – and he won’t be available to coach until the 2010 season.

The job of Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis doesn’t seem in jeopardy, but the Browns may want to lure him to Cleveland to take the defensive coordinator position from rookie Browns defensive coordinator Melvin Tucker.

Meanwhile, security guards scheduled to work Sunday’s game have been warned about alcohol-charged fans who may want to tip a beer or two on an opponent or spit an f-word toward the Product on the field or a visiting Bengals fan.

The Browns warn that fans entering the stadium will be checked thoroughly for contraband and unruly drunks will be tossed into a makeshift drunk tank where they will not be able to see or listen to the game. This is punishment?

My guess is, if the Browns don’t pass that Red Zone fast, the fans will misbehave more and become obnoxious.

Mark “Munch” Bishop, sports jock at ESPN WKNR-AM 850, has suggested one way to make the fans feel better:

“Randy Lerner should give each fan a 10-spot as they leave the stadium,” Bishop said.

But an additional ten dollars in their pockets might cause even more Browns loyalists to hit the nearest pub and drown their sorrows after the final home game of the season that wasn’t..

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