Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering how long it will be until the New York dailies begin to put some heat on Brian Cashman, here is what's on my mind:
* The Yankees dropped an 8-2 decision yesterday at Yankee Stadium to the Boston Red Sox in the season opener for both clubs. CC Sabathia is a slow starter so I am not worried about his performance. What was interesting was the fact that there were a couple of times when Robinson Cano had a chance to come up with a big hit to pull the Yankees close before the game was blown open in the top of the ninth. There will be plenty of pressure on Cano, particularly in the months of April and May and the Yankees will get a good look at who will be the face of the franchise if they elect to re-sign him to what will be a 6 to 8 year deal.
* http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/KfwXrexIN1.GpriNFvWdsQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusmlbexperts/yankeescover040113.jpg
Maybe this should be the cover of the 2013 New York Yankee Yearbook.
* I usually enjoy listening to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman but if Sterling performs like he did Monday afternoon I'm not sure how much I will be able to take of him this year. The nicknames for players was borderline annoying. He incessantly referred to Eduardo Nunez as "Nunie" and David Phelps was "Phelpsie". It didn't stop with Yankees as Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was referred to as "Salty". C'mon John give it a break.
* Couldn't help to think that there was more hope for Red Sox fans in their line up with outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (22 yrs old), Jose Iglesias at shortstop (23 years old) and Wil Middlebrooks at third base (24 years old). Throw in pitchers Jon Lester (29 yrs old), Clay Bucholz (28 years old) and Felix Doubront (25 years old) and you have something to be hopeful about. Wish I could say the same thing about the Yankees.
* Don't understand the Cleveland media's love affair with Jason Campbell. Saw this guy last year when Jay Cutler was injured and he was terrible. Might as well have been Caleb Hanie. He couldn't cut it with Washington or Oakland and I'm suppose to buy that he is going to vie for the starting job over Brandon Weeden?? Once again, just be honest. This should be the year that they decide if Weeden is the guy, if not you are looking for a franchise QB next year. Campbell is nothing more than a back up and if you think anything else you're drinking the Joe Banner Kool-Aid.
* Best of luck to Colt McCoy who was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. The kid is a gamer and he gave his all to this team including playing with a concussion against the Steelers. It was that situation where I lost all respect for Mike Holmgren.
* The Maple Leafs continue on their run to a playoff berth as they finished off a very successful week with a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. Nazem Kadri has really turned into a star and I must admit I didn't see this coming. In spite of what Don Cherry and others had to say, the Leafs were right in keeping him in the AHL for as long as they did.
* With the trade deadline approaching, there is plenty of talk of the Leafs being interested in a veteran goaltender and according to Darren Dreger they have had conversations with Calgary about Miikka Kiprusoff. I'm not sure what the Flames would want for the veteran goalie but I don't think that the Leafs need him. I would much rather they try to get a veteran defense man who can help shoulder the load with Dion Phaneuf.
* I am tired of all of the criticism of Phaneuf, Phil Kessel and Brian Burke. Phaneuf has shown his ability to come up with some big goals this year and he logs an incredible amount of ice time against the other team's top line. Phil Kessel has improved his all around game tremendously this year and as Randy Carlyle said Monday morning, despite his low goal total he still has 34 points. As far as Brian Burke goes, enough already. If you can't admit that this is Burke's team that has captivated Leaf Nation then you are blind.
* By the way, what more can you say about Joffrey Lupul other than he is unbelievable.
* The New York Knicks will try to make it 9 in a row when they take on the Miami Heat. You really have to give credit to Knicks coach Mike Woodson who has weathered the storm with so many players being felled by injuries. I am really impressed with the play of Kenyon Martin as he has really brought an old school defensive game to the Knicks which has become infectious for the whole team. Hopefully, he will be able to play along with Tyson Chandler against the Heat.
* JR Smith has really picked things up with his game on both ends of the floor. His drives to the basket make him a more effective player as opposed to just launching three bombs. I also hope that we continue to see more of Chris Copeland. This kid can play and hopefully he is out of Coach Woodson's doghouse.
* What a terrible injury to Louisville's sophomore guard Kevin Ware. Here's hoping that the kid has a good recovery.
* Speaking of Louisville, love the way they play defense. I don't see how this team doesn't win the NCAA Title this year. I really love Gorgui Dieng's game.
* Kudos to Niagara and Canisius for their outstanding hockey seasons this year as both teams represented Western New York well in the Frozen Four tournament. Here's hoping that both programs can build on this success and we can have WNY be a college hockey hotbed. With that said, can someone please tell me why the University of Buffalo doesn't have a Division I hockey team?
* If the Buffalo Sabres trade Ryan Miller who plays goal?? Jonas Enroth?? David Leggio?? Please!!! The Miller bashing is disgusting and would serve them right when he goes to a team that has an average defense and they win the Stanley Cup.
* Kevin Kolb because the new QB savior for the Buffalo Bills. Good luck with that.
* And finally, the World Series will be between the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Nationals with the Nats winning in 6. And here's a tip, don't bet the mortgage on it.
NHL Is Back & What’s Up With Kelly
I was going to write a post on the Yankees situation but obviously with the news overnight I will put that off for sometime this week. Let's start out with the news that the NHL & NHLPA have come to a tentative agreement which would ensure a 48 game season for this year. There is no bigger hockey fan than me. I love the game. It may be my favorite sport. However, while I'm happy they are going to play, for some reason my enthusiasm is dampened.
In my opinion, Commissioner Gary Bettman is an absolute failure. There is no doubt in my mind that he and the owners believed that they would break the union. Unfortunately, they ran into someone who is just as forceful (or stubborn) as they are and that person is Donald Fehr. Fehr is an expert in professional sports labor negotiations. He had plenty of experience representing the Major League Baseball Players Association. In the end, Bettman realized that he had to compromise to keep his job because another lost season would mean the end of his 20 year reign. In my opinion, this whole debacle should be cause for his dismissal but I'm sure it won't.
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It seems that Friday reports of Chip Kelly being the Cleveland Browns next head coach were grossly overstated. It seems that Kelly is mulling over an offer from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles, who supposedly were focusing their attention elsewhere, met with Kelly for nine hours yesterday while the Browns and their attorneys sat and waited.
I'm beginning to wonder if Kelly and his agent haven't used the Browns to get a better deal from the Eagles or get something more from the University of Oregon. Quite frankly, if the Eagles keep Michael Vick then Kelly has his Quack Attack QB. Even if they don't have Vick, I would rather have Nick Foles than Brandon Weeden or Colt McCoy. Not to mention Jeremy Macklin, LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek. It has been reported by Chris Mortensen that Kelly knows that he will need another QB if he goes to Cleveland.
That leaves the Browns holding the bag. It will be interesting to see what the Dynamic Duo of Haslam & Banner will do if Kelly signs with Philadelphia. If they want to make a big splash they need to go to Jon Gruden and back up the same Brinks Truck they had for Kelly and give him what he wants. Otherwise, hire Ken Whisenhunt and lets move on. The next 24 hours will be interesting
Kelly To Browns & Why I’m Concerned
There were reports throughout the evening that Chip Kelly was going to be the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Bills fans here in Western New York were disappointed as they were hoping that their team would get him. Then late last night, Chris Mortensen reported that Kelly was going to meet with the Bills and then on Saturday meet with the Eagles. This after meeting seven hours with the Browns, including dinner.
While Philadelphia and Buffalo were continuing to interview other candidates, the Browns still seem to be the favorites to get the offensive guru from Oregon. I have been trying to get excited about this move. I was thinking about how there would be an improvement in the red zone as the Browns wouldn't be settling for field goals anymore. I wanted to be excited because everyone else was telling me I should be excited but for some reason I couldn't.
Kelly has never coached in the NFL. There are restrictions on the number of players you can have on the roster. You can't go out and recruit players for a specific system or position, you need to be able to draft them. You need to be able to manage a salary cap. You have to deal with teams week in and week out who have as many talented players as you do. But what really makes me nervous is whether or not the current roster will fit Chip Kelly's offense. And the key to running an offense is at quarterback and I'm not sure if the Browns have the right one for the Quack Attack.
There are those that say that Kelly is smart enough to know that he is not going to carbon copy his Oregon offense in Cleveland. They point to the adaptation of the Oregon offense in New England with Bill Belichik. Brandon Weeden did operate out of a shotgun style spread offense at Oklahoma State. Could that be the direction Kelly takes?? None of us know. But my concern is that if there is the need for another quarterback we are at square one again and that's something I'm not sure any Browns fan can deal with. We've been dealing with it since 1999.
So, unless the Eagles or Bills can rock Chip Kelly's world, it looks like he's headed to Cleveland and I'll be holding my breathe. I've been excited before only to be let down and for some reason I just have a bad feeling about this hire. Here's hoping I'm wrong.
2012 Ends, With Uncertainty For Yanks, Browns & Leafs
As 2012 ends, all 3 of my teams face the New Year with many questions. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Toronto Maple Leafs will actually begin playing in January. As the two sides are supposed to meet today, it will be interesting to see where the Leafs will be from a salary cap standpoint once the new CBA is agreed upon. There had been plenty of rumors that Roberto Luongo would be heading to Toronto. If that doesn't happen, the Leafs will head into a shortened season with James Reimer and Ben Scrivens in goal.
If the season is saved, a shortened training camp would seem to hinder Leaf Head Coach Randy Carlyle in trying to fully institute his system. The big questions facing the Leafs: Will Luongo be in the Blue and White?, will Tyler Bozak be the center for Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul?, will Nikolai Kulemin have a bounce back season?, and will Nazem Kadri finally exhibit the skills that made him the Leafs first round pick a couple of years ago? Oh, and the biggest question: will the Leafs make the playoffs?
The New York Yankees will head into the 2013 Major League Baseball season as one of the oldest teams in the sport. Hal Steinbrenner's edict to get under the salary cap in 2014 has left open many questions particularly since the Yankee farm system is no where near ready to fill the team's major league roster. The big questions facing the Yankees: Who will be the Yankees' starting catcher come April?, who will be the right-handed hitting outfielder?, will Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter be able to bounce back from injuries?, will ARod be playing in 2013 and at what level?, will Andy Pettite, Hiroki Kuroda and CC Sabathia remain healthy for the entire season and will Kevin Youkilis fit in as a Yankee? The biggest question: Will the Yankees make the playoffs?
Today is probably the day that the Cleveland Browns relieve Tom Heckert and Pat Shurmur of their duties as General Manager and Head Coach respectively. New Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has vowed to return this once proud franchise back to NFL prominence. The big questions facing the Browns: Who will be the new head coach?, will it be someone with NFL experience or will it be a hot shot college coach?, will the new management structure with Joe Banner being in charge really work?, who will be the Browns' starting quarterback next season?, and will Joshua Cribbs and Phil Dawson be back with the team next season? The biggest question: Will the Browns go 8-8 in 2013?
Well, it looks like it will be an interesting year for all three teams. Fortunately, due to the NHL lockout, I have been re-connected to the New York Knicks who seem to have a real shot to make some noise in the NBA. Otherwise, 2013 could be another year of sports agony for me. Oh well, Happy 2013 and be safe this evening.
Tomorrow, the first 2013 Tuesdays Thoughts will be posted. Make sure you check it out.
Who Will Be The Next Browns’ Head Coach?
It has been reported that Head Coach Pat Shurmur and GM Tom Heckert will no longer be with the Cleveland Browns after the game in Pittsburgh today. While I believe that Heckert has done a good job in bringing young talent in, I have never been sold on Pat Shurmur. His reputation as an offensive-minded coach was never exhibited in my mind. Even with the hiring of Brad Childress this year, the Browns offense was anemic especially in the red zone.
The key question is now what?? In looking at the available coaching candidates, I think that the Browns need to look for a head coach who has a reputation for developing quarterbacks. If they don't have that pedigree then he needs to be able to bring someone onto their staff who does. My ideal candidate would be Jon Gruden. It's time that the Browns have a proven winning NFL head coach to lead them. If Gruden is not available, then maybe they should look at his brother, Jay. Just look at the development of Andy Dalton.
Since 1999, the Browns have had 6 head coaches. The next one will make it seven. In the same period of time the Steelers have had two head coaches, the Ravens have had 2 head coaches and the Bengals have had three head coaches. This might explain why the Browns consistently are at the bottom of the AFC North.
When Mike Holmgren was hired as President of the Browns, it was hoped that having a football man in charge would turn things around. While the Holmgren regime brought in some good young players (Haden, Richardson, Ward, Sheard, Taylor, Gordon, etc.), it failed on its selection of Pat Shurmur as head coach and the jury is still out on the drafting of Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden. The Haslam/Banner regime needs to get both spots right if this storied franchise is going to become relevant again. If the new regime wants to improve the fan experience they need to develop a team that will be competitive and win in the AFC North. New uniforms and stadium improvements won't cut it. Just Win Baby!!
It’s Been 48 Years Since A Browns Championship
December 27, 1964 the Cleveland Browns hosted the favored Baltimore Colts at Municipal Stadium for the NFL Championship. I was 7 years old and remember watching the game as the Browns shut out the Colts 27-0. This was the Johnny Unitas-led Colts, the highest scoring team in the NFL in 1964 being held off the scoreboard. My team were champions of the NFL. Little did I realize that it would be the last time I could say that.
Oh they certainly came close. The following year, the Browns were once again the Eastern Division Champions and faced the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field for the NFL title. This game had more significance as the winner would represent the NFL in the first Super Bowl game. On a muddy field, the Browns fell to the Packers in what was Jim Brown's last game.
In 1968, the Browns once again would face the Colts in the NFL Championship game but this time they lost badly at home 34-0. The following year, they traveled to Minneapolis to take on the Joe Kapp-led Vikings. Once again they came up short.
They wouldn't make it to a championship game again until the 1986 season when they were minutes away from heading to the Super Bowl only to have John Elway steal the game away. I actually think the 1987 team was much better and once again they found themselves facing the Broncos only this time in Denver. Karl Mecklenberg, the Bronco All-Pro linebacker, said that in the second half of that game the Broncos knew that they couldn't stop the Browns and he was right. I actually took that loss worse than the one the year before as the Browns were an Earnest Byner fumble away from going to the Super Bowl. I'm convinced they would have defeated the Redskins in the Super Bowl.
The Browns would make it to the AFC Championship Game one last time in the 1989 season, where they would once again lose to the Broncos. I haven't mentioned non-championship playoff game heart breakers like: the 1972 Miami game (could have spoiled Dolphins undefeated season), the 1980 Oakland game (Red Right 88), the 1988 Houston game (pass interference call not made), and the 2002 Pittsburgh game (where the Browns blew a 3rd Qtr. 24-7 lead).
All of those losses were tough to take. But I would love to experience those tough losses again because at least there was a chance to win it all. Ah the good old days. What a sad state of affairs.
Storm Clouds Brewing In Believeland??
After last Sunday's disappointing loss to the Washington Redskins, the Cleveland Browns will play out the schedule as they head into an off season that once again will be filled with changes. There is no question that Jimmy Haslam's purchase of the team from Randy Lerner certainly was viewed as a positive as we were finally going to have an owner who cared about football. But my enthusiasm for Haslam has been tempered by the hiring of Joe Banner as President & CEO.
Banner has structured the organization in a way that the General Manager will report directly to him as opposed to Haslam. It is clear that Tom Heckert is out as GM and numerous sources are reporting that Mike Lombardi will be named the new GM. Lombardi's track record is horrible and would appear to be the perfect yes man for Bean Counter Banner. With Lombardi as GM, one has to wonder who will be the next head coach. I don't have a problem with Pat Shurmur being let go. Shurmur is not ready to be a head coach and Brad Childress has been a failure as Offensive Coordinator. But questions still remain: who will be the next head coach, will we still have a 4-3 defense, will the West Coast offense be tossed out and will Phil Dawson & Josh Cribbs be back? And probably most importantly, who will be the team's starting quarterback??
Since 1999, this franchise has seen numerous organizational structures, head coaches, general managers and starting quarterbacks. The one constant has been terrible football. Haslam and Company keep on talking about improving the fan experience at the Stadium. Instead of looking at changing the team's iconic uniform, the best way to improve the fan experience is to play winning football. For some reason I have a bad feeling. Storm clouds are on the horizon and how much more can we take in Believeland??
Browns On The Right Track
Had the opportunity to be at Cleveland Browns Stadium yesterday to watch the Browns roll over the Kansas City Chiefs 30-7 and what I couldn't help notice was the optimism that Browns fans had for this 5-8 team. This is a fan base that has suffered from The Drive to The Fumble to Art Modell's hijacking the team to Baltimore and leaving this proud city without an NFL team from 1996 to 1999. But for the first time in a number of years, these fans sense that their young team may finally be moving in the right direction.
A team in the AFC North needs to have 2 constants: a solid defense and the ability to put the game away with a running game. But for the brief time when Jamal Lewis still had some legs, the Browns have never had a strong running game since they have been back in the league until now. Trent Richardson is the real deal. This kid is tough as nails and has a nose for the end zone. Montario Hardesty is the perfect change of pace back and is finally showing why Tom Heckert made a move to draft the young back from Tennessee a couple of years ago.
Since the team has been back, the Browns defense has been putrid at best. How many times would they be destroyed by an opposing team's running back. There was never a solid pass rush and it seems they were never able to come up with a big turnover or stop to change a game. This has all changed as this year's defensive unit has been solid. The front seven has really improved, applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks and holding running backs in check. Joe Haden and TJ Ward lead a secondary that can only get better.
The beauty here is the fact that this team is one of the youngest in the league. They seem to be gaining confidence week in and week out. After giving up an 80 yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, the Browns put the clamps down on Kansas City and took charge of a game that they should win. All of this optimism makes it hard for me to understand all of the rumors about Mike Lombardi becoming the team's General Manager. To me, this would be a huge mistake.
Tom Heckert has done a tremendous job in acquiring young talent. What an unbelievable move in picking up Josh Gordon in the supplemental draft. Gordon has become a game breaker for the Browns. You can tell that this kid is the real deal. It should also be pointed out that Mike Lombardi ripped the Browns for giving up a second round pick in 2013 to select Gordon. I guess you were wrong Mike.
In my mind, Heckert deserves to remain as GM. Unfortunately, his remaining with the team will be dependent on what his relationship was in Philly with Joe Banner. I'm getting a bad feeling about Banner. The only hope is that new owner Jimmy Haslam will see what's going on with his newly acquired team and make sure that Banner does the right thing. In my mind, the right thing would be to retain Heckert as GM.
Since 1999, the Browns management team has been in constant flux, changing GM's and head coaches like I change socks. While the jury may still be out on Coach Pat Shurmur, there should be no doubt that Tom Heckert has put this team on the right track. Replacing him will be a huge mistake. It all seems to rest in Joe Banner's hands and I have to say that scares me.
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