Actually, now that I think about it, I am back in black as I have mostly black on today. Whatever.
It's been almost two weeks since I last posted and quite a bit has happened. The first thing I want to talk about is the fact that I got to participate in the annual tradition that is the Lions playing on Thanksgiving Day. I was mostly excited because they were playing the Packers, my second favorite NFL team. Let me tell you, I did not have any thoughts that Ford Field would be just as amazing as it is. That building is a site to behold. I expected it to be a sanitized, watered down version of an NFL stadium, mostly because I think domes are stupid. I couldn't have been more wrong. That place was FILLED with character. Each side of the stadium was different. On the visitor's side it was a very "industrial" feel with a cement walkway that was very well lit. On the home side of the stadium, the walkway was a brick road with cast-iron fences in front of the seating sections. The lighting was not nearly as bright as the visitor's side of the stadium. It was a really nice contrast and gave it a feeling like they really want the home team to feel at home. All in all, it was a great trip as I got to see the Packers lay the wood to the Lions. Making it doubly sweet was the fact that I have Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's Defense on my Fantasy Team (They both got me 23 Fantasy points).
Also, the Browns have had two games and lost both of them. One in heart-breaking fashion on an untimed down after a pass interference call on a "Hail Mary" by the defense. That was against the Lions...yes, the Browns lost to the Lions. Did I mention that the Browns were WINNING 24-3 in the FIRST QUARTER? They had the game in the palm of their hand and the Defense let it all go away. They made Matthew Stafford look like Peyton Manning leading a comeback like that. At first I was extremely pissed that the pass interference was even called...and then I saw the replay. The defender didn't really give the refs a choice. They HAD to make that call.
Then they lost to the Bengals. The Defense played a great game in this one, in my opinion. Some will say that offenses play conservative against the Browns because they know they will win. Well, I don't think that the Bengals purposely won by just nine points. The Bengals didn't let the Browns stick around like that. The defense earned it and the offense couldn't capitalize. Had it not been for Shaun Rogers' horse collar penalty at the end of the first half, the Browns are looking at needing a Touchdown to win the game. The Browns have now given up 10 points on untimed downs this season.
Tiger Woods wrecked his car. I don't care why, I don't care how, please stop talking about it. It's not news.
The Indians hired Sandy Alomar Jr. to be the first base coach and catcher's coach. This is a great PR move by the Tribe and I think it will pay off to some degree. First.....
This just in, Charlie Weis was fired.
...he'll be working with the Indians catchers VERY closely. Sandy was a great defensive catcher and under his tutelage I think the Indians' catchers will be some of the best at picking off potential base stealers. Second, there are some fans that will come just to see him in an Indians uniform again. Nevermind that Wyatt Torregas currently has number 15 on his back. That should change soon. Unfortunately, the Indians missed out on bringing back Omar Vizquel, another fan favorite from the '90's. He's going to the hated White Sox. Hey Omar, you're dead to me until you're out of that nasty city, ESPECIALLY since Shapiro actually did something smart and offered you a comeback.
I think that's all for now. Hall of Fame ballots are out and maybe I'll take a look at that next time.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
What? Basketball Season Started???
Well, I totally missed the boat on doing an NBA Preview. I'll tell you what, the NBA Season really does sneak-up on the world. You've got the NFL in it's Mid-Season, the NHL starting, Baseball finishing up and the NBA just gets lost in the shuffle sometimes. The Cleveland Cavaliers, for instance, have already played 10 games, winning seven of them. Surprising is that two of their losses have come at home, where they only lost two games all of last season.
The Cavaliers started out slow, learning how to play with each other and getting a feel for the way the new guys pass, shoot, play defense and move without the ball. Things weren't looking too good but the team has really started to gel and they are definitely heading in the right direction. LeBron is off to another great start, Shaq is finding his place in the offense and Z is having trouble adjusting to coming off the bench.
Cleveland had a great back-to-back in Florida last week, taking down the Magic and the Heat with great ease. Both teams were able to hang around for awhile but neither final score was telling of the game. The Cavs dominated both teams from the opening tip and were able to do all the right things to win. This included getting Dwight Howard into foul trouble early, in Orlando, and playing with extreme aggressiveness in Miami.
Mo Williams has been shooting out of his mind recently and I hope that is a trend that continues. Delonte West is having off the court issues and hopefully we'll see the signing of Antonio Daniels soon to take his spot. In all honesty, they should just sign him already and dump Coby Karl. The kid has played three minutes, in one game, and didn't attempt a shot. Why is he here? Daniels is a guy that can come in and contribute, especially with West sidelined for who knows how long.
In my opinion, this Cavaliers team is great. They definitely have a chance to win the NBA Title this year. They have to beat Boston though. I really thought that the Celtics made some mistakes in the off-season but all the changes they made are paying off. I did not expect Rasheed Wallace to do what he's doing, but the Cavs have Leon Powe coming back later in the season and he will be very helpful in a title run!
The Cavaliers started out slow, learning how to play with each other and getting a feel for the way the new guys pass, shoot, play defense and move without the ball. Things weren't looking too good but the team has really started to gel and they are definitely heading in the right direction. LeBron is off to another great start, Shaq is finding his place in the offense and Z is having trouble adjusting to coming off the bench.
Cleveland had a great back-to-back in Florida last week, taking down the Magic and the Heat with great ease. Both teams were able to hang around for awhile but neither final score was telling of the game. The Cavs dominated both teams from the opening tip and were able to do all the right things to win. This included getting Dwight Howard into foul trouble early, in Orlando, and playing with extreme aggressiveness in Miami.
Mo Williams has been shooting out of his mind recently and I hope that is a trend that continues. Delonte West is having off the court issues and hopefully we'll see the signing of Antonio Daniels soon to take his spot. In all honesty, they should just sign him already and dump Coby Karl. The kid has played three minutes, in one game, and didn't attempt a shot. Why is he here? Daniels is a guy that can come in and contribute, especially with West sidelined for who knows how long.
In my opinion, this Cavaliers team is great. They definitely have a chance to win the NBA Title this year. They have to beat Boston though. I really thought that the Celtics made some mistakes in the off-season but all the changes they made are paying off. I did not expect Rasheed Wallace to do what he's doing, but the Cavs have Leon Powe coming back later in the season and he will be very helpful in a title run!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Finally!?!?
All I keep hearing about is how "long" it has been since the Yankees won a World Series. I was actually rooting for the Yankees to win this year. I love C.C. Sabathia and really felt like he deserved to get a ring. But as soon as the final out was made all anyone kept talking about was how long it had been since the Yankees actually won it all. You know what? Bite me. Seriously.
The last time the Yankees won it all was 2000. Nine freaking years. That's it. Here in Cleveland, you know, the real world, we haven't sniffed a title since 1964. Sure, the Cavs went to the Finals a couple years back but did anyone really think we had a shot against Tim Duncan's Spurs? Not a chance. The Giants won the Super Bowl two years ago. It's not like the city of New York was aching for a championship win.
Let's put some things in perspective. The Yankees have now won 27 World Championships. That's one more than the Cardinals (11), Athletics (8) and Red Sox (7) combined. The Knicks have two titles, the Islanders, Rangers and Devils have combined for 11 Stanley Cups and the Giants have three Super Bowl victories. The Browns have never even been to the Super Bowl.
The last time the Indians were even in the World Series was 1997. The Yankees lost it in 2001 and 2003. Also, the Yankees have been to the World Series six times since the Indians last made a trip to the Fall Classic. I guess my point in all of these numbers and ramblings is SHUT THE HELL UP!!! I understand that many Yankee fans, including their former owner, consider anything other than a championship a failure. Well, that's just not the case. Be thankful for your 40 American League Pennants. Be grateful for your plethora of championships, not just in baseball, but in all four major sports. Yeah, the Knicks suck right now. But that's just God's way of evening things out. So quit your freaking whining and be thankful for the winning ways that you've (bought) had!
The last time the Yankees won it all was 2000. Nine freaking years. That's it. Here in Cleveland, you know, the real world, we haven't sniffed a title since 1964. Sure, the Cavs went to the Finals a couple years back but did anyone really think we had a shot against Tim Duncan's Spurs? Not a chance. The Giants won the Super Bowl two years ago. It's not like the city of New York was aching for a championship win.
Let's put some things in perspective. The Yankees have now won 27 World Championships. That's one more than the Cardinals (11), Athletics (8) and Red Sox (7) combined. The Knicks have two titles, the Islanders, Rangers and Devils have combined for 11 Stanley Cups and the Giants have three Super Bowl victories. The Browns have never even been to the Super Bowl.
The last time the Indians were even in the World Series was 1997. The Yankees lost it in 2001 and 2003. Also, the Yankees have been to the World Series six times since the Indians last made a trip to the Fall Classic. I guess my point in all of these numbers and ramblings is SHUT THE HELL UP!!! I understand that many Yankee fans, including their former owner, consider anything other than a championship a failure. Well, that's just not the case. Be thankful for your 40 American League Pennants. Be grateful for your plethora of championships, not just in baseball, but in all four major sports. Yeah, the Knicks suck right now. But that's just God's way of evening things out. So quit your freaking whining and be thankful for the winning ways that you've (bought) had!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Jason Kaminski Responds
Starting tomorrow, I will be participating in a new blog. I will also continue writing this one. The new blog, to be titled "Heads or Tails," will be a back-and-forth blog by Jason and I. We will discuss sports, movies, music and life in general. To get ready for that, Jason has written a blog in response to my most recent blog. Here it is...
It is a common theme these days to be hard on the Browns and Indians due to their lack of success. I thought this topic was a good one to discuss since it hits close to home for us both. Though I share a lot of the same sentiment that Matt does I have some differing opinions on a few things. First the Indians. We both grew up during a time when we just barely remember the bad days of the 80's and vividly remember the excitement of the 90's glory days. I do think it's sad when people "dismiss" teams as "their" teams because lets face it that is the definition of fair weather fandom. I feel I can never blindly follow a team and act like all is right with the world. Here's what I expect. Do what you can to win and don't lie to the fans who fund your paycheck. I believe the Indians SHOULD be questioned for their moves. I feel the Indians SHOULD take responsibility for bad moves instead of building up their GM like he's the second coming of Jesus. Other than the Colon for prospects deal, Shapiro has made bad move after bad move. I think that people who desert the team are weak but those who question it are passionate. We deal with "rebuilding" far too often.
Second the Browns. Here's where I differ greatly. I LOVE...repeat...LOVE the organized stayout and here is why. I have been a Browns fan my whole life and it was a very traumatic experience getting the team taken away from us. When the Browns came back people were just happy to have a team back in town. Fast forward to 10 years later. Our team is the laughing stock of the NFL and we were once the gold standard. Fans are tired of excuses. Fans are tired of the runaround. They are tired of losing. Embarrassed at what we've become. I have close friends of the family that have stuck by this team through thick and thin. They spend their hard earned paycheck on season tickets. It seems this team makes the same mistakes over and over and over. Bravo to fans who have the guts to stand up and say, "Look, enough is enough! We love our team so we will continue to buy tickets but we must do something in unison to show our disappointment." I actually wish they could do more because the Browns make some of the highest profits in the NFL and they have lost more than the majority of franchises in the last 10 years. ONE playoff appearance since returning and that was a fluke.
It is in my humble opinion that these things Lerner is trying to do to become more visible is directly related to the fans publicly displaying their displeasure. It's sad that we can not find competent front office people to stabilize this organization. What Matt views as fair weathered and sad I view to be some of the most passionate fan moves you will see. It's not that these fans are "deserting" the Browns. They paid their money for a product they are dissatisfied with. Season tickets are a big purchase for the blue collared, average worker. If you bought a car that performed like the Browns would you remain loyal to it? We love our teams but we expect more out of them than what we've been given. I don't want to hear "we should just be happy we have a team" because that train has left the station years ago. Now it's time we look like a real NFL team and not just a pity party gift from Paul Tagliabue.
So there you have it. Check out tomorow for the new "Heads or Tails" blog!!!
It is a common theme these days to be hard on the Browns and Indians due to their lack of success. I thought this topic was a good one to discuss since it hits close to home for us both. Though I share a lot of the same sentiment that Matt does I have some differing opinions on a few things. First the Indians. We both grew up during a time when we just barely remember the bad days of the 80's and vividly remember the excitement of the 90's glory days. I do think it's sad when people "dismiss" teams as "their" teams because lets face it that is the definition of fair weather fandom. I feel I can never blindly follow a team and act like all is right with the world. Here's what I expect. Do what you can to win and don't lie to the fans who fund your paycheck. I believe the Indians SHOULD be questioned for their moves. I feel the Indians SHOULD take responsibility for bad moves instead of building up their GM like he's the second coming of Jesus. Other than the Colon for prospects deal, Shapiro has made bad move after bad move. I think that people who desert the team are weak but those who question it are passionate. We deal with "rebuilding" far too often.
Second the Browns. Here's where I differ greatly. I LOVE...repeat...LOVE the organized stayout and here is why. I have been a Browns fan my whole life and it was a very traumatic experience getting the team taken away from us. When the Browns came back people were just happy to have a team back in town. Fast forward to 10 years later. Our team is the laughing stock of the NFL and we were once the gold standard. Fans are tired of excuses. Fans are tired of the runaround. They are tired of losing. Embarrassed at what we've become. I have close friends of the family that have stuck by this team through thick and thin. They spend their hard earned paycheck on season tickets. It seems this team makes the same mistakes over and over and over. Bravo to fans who have the guts to stand up and say, "Look, enough is enough! We love our team so we will continue to buy tickets but we must do something in unison to show our disappointment." I actually wish they could do more because the Browns make some of the highest profits in the NFL and they have lost more than the majority of franchises in the last 10 years. ONE playoff appearance since returning and that was a fluke.
It is in my humble opinion that these things Lerner is trying to do to become more visible is directly related to the fans publicly displaying their displeasure. It's sad that we can not find competent front office people to stabilize this organization. What Matt views as fair weathered and sad I view to be some of the most passionate fan moves you will see. It's not that these fans are "deserting" the Browns. They paid their money for a product they are dissatisfied with. Season tickets are a big purchase for the blue collared, average worker. If you bought a car that performed like the Browns would you remain loyal to it? We love our teams but we expect more out of them than what we've been given. I don't want to hear "we should just be happy we have a team" because that train has left the station years ago. Now it's time we look like a real NFL team and not just a pity party gift from Paul Tagliabue.
So there you have it. Check out tomorow for the new "Heads or Tails" blog!!!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Time to Vent
I know that I have been very critical of front office moves by both the Indians and Browns ever since I started writing this blog. I have questioned 99% of the things that each team has done. Some of it I have agreed with. Much of it has been the opposite. But you know what? I love these teams. I love the Indians. I love the Browns. They are MY teams. Always have been, always will be. As much as I have talked about boycotting the Indians if they do this or that, I could never do it. I love the team way too damn much. The same thing goes for the Browns. I hate how they are playing right now but when Sunday comes around I put on my jersey, sit in front of the television and scream my head off as I try to will them to the right decisions. It hasn't worked much but, hey, they won't go win-less. I love the city of Cleveland and I love the sports teams.
Now, the venting part. Why are there so many fair-weather fans in this world? Last Friday, at work, we had costume day. I dressed up as a Cleveland Indians baseball player. I must have received ten or 20 comments on how "scary" my costume was. What a load of crap! Many of these people are the same people that would've done the same thing 12 years ago when the Indians were playoff contenders every season. But now, just because we hit a rough patch, they don't want to associate with the team and call a costume representing a ballplayer as "scary." You know what I say to people like that? Go away. We don't need you. If you're going to be a fan, be a fan. If you're not, then fine. You know what though? Don't come back when that magical day comes and the Indians win the World Series. Don't show your face at the parade down Superior.
It makes me sick that Dawg Pound Mike would try to organize a "Stay Out" until the opening kickoff to make a point that the fans are unhappy. You know who else is unhappy? Randy Lerner. I know the man has been a very private person for most of his ownership period but he made two moves that I love. First, he stood in the Visitor's tunnel Sunday at Soldier Field as the Browns came off the field so they had to look him in the eye. They deserve it too. They are NOT earning the money they are being paid, well, most of them. Joe Thomas, Josh Cribbs, Kamerion Wimbley, these guys are earning their paychecks. They give their all on every play. Second, Randy Lerner decided to fire George Kokinis, less than a year after he was hired. Unfortunately, it was due to Lerner's own negligence that he was put in the position of needing to fire Kokinis. Lerner ignored the chain of command that should have taken place. He should have hired a GM, whoever he wanted, and then let that GM hire a coach. Instead, he let the coach pick his GM. Bad move. It looks like he is really taking the time to try and fix his mistakes.
As much as this team might make you angry, organizing a protest against them, after fighting tooth and nail to get them back after Satan took them to Baltimore, is absolutely ludicrous. This is OUR team. They will always be OUR team unless you turn your back. When you do that, you have no more rights to this team and I don't want to see you associated with them in any way, shape or form. When you do that, they are no longer YOUR team. So either be a fan or don't. No matter what, there will be fans and they will love this team...because they are OURS and no one can take that away from us....again.
Now, the venting part. Why are there so many fair-weather fans in this world? Last Friday, at work, we had costume day. I dressed up as a Cleveland Indians baseball player. I must have received ten or 20 comments on how "scary" my costume was. What a load of crap! Many of these people are the same people that would've done the same thing 12 years ago when the Indians were playoff contenders every season. But now, just because we hit a rough patch, they don't want to associate with the team and call a costume representing a ballplayer as "scary." You know what I say to people like that? Go away. We don't need you. If you're going to be a fan, be a fan. If you're not, then fine. You know what though? Don't come back when that magical day comes and the Indians win the World Series. Don't show your face at the parade down Superior.
It makes me sick that Dawg Pound Mike would try to organize a "Stay Out" until the opening kickoff to make a point that the fans are unhappy. You know who else is unhappy? Randy Lerner. I know the man has been a very private person for most of his ownership period but he made two moves that I love. First, he stood in the Visitor's tunnel Sunday at Soldier Field as the Browns came off the field so they had to look him in the eye. They deserve it too. They are NOT earning the money they are being paid, well, most of them. Joe Thomas, Josh Cribbs, Kamerion Wimbley, these guys are earning their paychecks. They give their all on every play. Second, Randy Lerner decided to fire George Kokinis, less than a year after he was hired. Unfortunately, it was due to Lerner's own negligence that he was put in the position of needing to fire Kokinis. Lerner ignored the chain of command that should have taken place. He should have hired a GM, whoever he wanted, and then let that GM hire a coach. Instead, he let the coach pick his GM. Bad move. It looks like he is really taking the time to try and fix his mistakes.
As much as this team might make you angry, organizing a protest against them, after fighting tooth and nail to get them back after Satan took them to Baltimore, is absolutely ludicrous. This is OUR team. They will always be OUR team unless you turn your back. When you do that, you have no more rights to this team and I don't want to see you associated with them in any way, shape or form. When you do that, they are no longer YOUR team. So either be a fan or don't. No matter what, there will be fans and they will love this team...because they are OURS and no one can take that away from us....again.
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