Suck it, Matt Stover!

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Ravens and kicker Matt Stover have parted ways and Stover will not be returning to Baltimore in 2009.

Matt Stover is a great guy (I actually hope he hooks on somewhere) and a good kicker but pardon me when I say, "Suck it, Matt Stover!"

Why the angst? Why the excitement over a 41 year old kicker being released? Well, for the educated Browns fan it is simple.

Stover was the last Ravens player on their roster to play for the original incarnation of the Cleveland Browns in 1995. The last one. For what seems like the last five years.

Annoyingly every CBS Sports announcer, I am looking squarely at you Dick Enberg, loved to bring up this fact once a game, if not more, whenever Stover took the field to kick-off, attempt a field goal or extra point. It's been thirteen seasons since the transgression took place but it seemed like every time I turned on a game, that fact was brought up.

No longer. And it is refreshing. Vinny Interceptaverde moved on years ago. Earnest Byner was forgiven and was inducted into the Cleveland Browns Legends Hall of Fame. Many other has long since left the Eastern Shore. Yes, Benedict Ozzie is still in Baltimore but I will give him props for only signing Browns gear despite working for the Ratbirds.

But the last on the field connection is gone. The franchises have their own separate lineage and history. Sorry Matt Stover but suck it long and suck it hard. I don't know of anything else that could make me happier right now...

... unless YOU KNOW WHO were to bite it.

Browns Deploy the Soldier to Tampa Bay

The first act of the Cleveland Browns Eric Mangini / George Kokinis regime wasn’t a peace summit with Shaun Rogers. It wasn’t a declaration of a starting quarterback named Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson. It was a minor surprise, the shipping out of Kellen Winslow II to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for undisclosed draft choices.

The common consensus has the Browns receiving a 2009 2nd Round draft choice and a 2010 5th Round draft choice from Tampa Bay for Winslow. If this information is accurate it would be almost identical to what the New Orleans Saints traded to the New York Giants for Jeremy Shockey last off-season. Anything less in return for Winslow would be a disappointing proposition.

Winslow, when healthy, can be one of the premier receiving tight ends in the NFL. Back to back seasons of 89 catches in 2006 and 2007 are not easily attained by a tight end. He also would seem to be a perfect fit for a young quarterback, especially Quinn, who will be running the New England Patriots style offense that offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is rumored to run in 2009.

No one can question Winslow’s intensity and effort between the lines on each Sunday. Love him or hate him the guys busts his ass for 60 plus minutes each and every game he plays in.

However, Winslow does have his detriments as well. The number of injuries he has sustained over his short career has left him with a shorter shelf life for his career. He struggles in 2008 with getting separation from opposing defenders and has often been criticized for poor route running.

He can also show up a teammate from time to time on the field as well. No matter what he says he also wanted another huge payday, because of his shortened career, which is the only reason players switch to agent Drew Rosenhaus mid-contract.

But the revelation is not that Winslow was traded, what he was traded for or if the trade is a good or bad move. The revelation is what the move signifies.

Right now, no matter whom the Browns draft with the choices they received, the Browns are not as good of a team as they were with Winslow. Whether the move was made because of Winslow’s attitude, his desire for more money or to maximize his trade value the Browns lose one of their main offensive weapons plain and simple.

The only reason this move is made is with the future of the team in mind. It says that the Mangini / Kokinis regime is looking past the 2009 season for long term stability and success. It also says that they do not feel that their chances for success in the 2009 season itself are great as the team is weaker without the presence of Winslow. It may be addition by subtraction off the field but on the field the Browns are not as good of a football team today as they were yesterday.

Whether the move is the right move will not be known until after the 2009 season, or beyond. But it is the first tip of the hand by Mangini and Kokinis. They are looking toward the long term success of the franchise and to build the core of the team via the draft. Whether or not they can actually do it will depend on the strategy they deploy next.

No Trade News is Good Trade News

The NBA Trading Deadline passed on Thursday without the Cavs making a move. While many are disappointed in GM Danny Ferry’s failure to make any sort of a trade with the rumored offers out there Ferry made the right move by standing pat.

While there will not be any new blood entering the equation the eminent return of Delonte West can provide the spark that a trade might have otherwise brought. West has missed the last 16 games and counting, including both losses to the Lakers, and was playing the best basketball of his career before injury.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas has also missed 16 games this season and is still being bothered by a sore ankle and foot at times. Reserve guard Tarence Kinsey was finally starting to get some quality minutes before he missed seven games with an ankle sprain.

Sasha Pavlovic is also out indefinitely with a sprained ankle and Daniel Gibson has had what can only be referred to as a horrible season and that is being kind. Ben Wallace’s touch football injury that may keep him out for a few games is the latest injury issue to befall the Cavs.

Despite all the injury issues the Cavs still sit at 42-11 with a 15 game lead in the Central Division over the Pistons. They are one half game behind the Celtics for the best record in the East and 2 ½ games in front of the Magic. While the Cavs are getting healthy the Celtics and Magic have been dealt injuries to Kevin Garnett and Jameer Nelson, respectively. The opportunity to seize the number one seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs has presented itself.

Yes, Wally Szczerbiak’s expiring contract was a big chip they had to play, but would the cost have been worth it?

If they would have shipped him off to Phoenix for Shaquille O’Neal it would have left them with a dearth of big men and short in the backcourt, especially with the aforementioned injuries. It also would have put them in a salary cap conundrum for the next two years with Anderson Varejao up for free agency after this season. LeBron James is eligible in 2010… in case you didn’t know that.

Everyone cried about not trading Szczerbiak for Marcus Camby, but the Clippers did not make him available. The same goes for the Suns’ Amare Stoudamire. He was taking off the trading block after Terry Porter was fired as head coach. Richard Jefferson may have been a nice fit, but Milwaukee already did the Cavs a huge favor by delivering Mo Williams on a silver platter in the off-season.

Szczerbiak may be a role player but his presence has been valuable especially with the injuries that occurred in the first half of the season. He may not be winning games for the Cavs on a nightly basis but he is contributing and the Cavs do benefit from his expiring contract after this season.

For what was being offered by other teams, Danny Ferry made the right move by standing pat and not taking a deal that would handcuff the team. It may not be the most popular or glamorous move but if the Cavs seize the opportunities laid of in front of them everyone will forget the lack of activity in February.

Cuts, Cuts, Cuts... Browns Release Seven

Cuts, cuts, cuts. I love cuts. The Cleveland Browns trimmed some dead weigh yesterday releasing seven players on the first day permissible by NFL rules. No one of real consequence but some familiar names nonetheless.

The unfamiliar names were punter Mike Dragosavich, kicker Jason Reda and offensive lineman Eric Young. Young spent the entire year on the non-football injury list after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee.

Dragosavich and Reda have the misfortune of playing positions manned by two of the toughest players on the football team. The Browns have the misfortune of having those positions being punter and kicker, respectively. Sad but true for the Brown and Orange.

Linebacker Antwan Peek was also jettisoned after two injury plagued season in Cleveland. Peek missed the entire 2008 season with a torn patellar tendon he suffered right before the season began.

He had four sacks in an injury plagued 2007 and hopes were high that he and Kamerion Wimbley could provided the pass rush the Browns have been lacking since Wimbley’s rookie year in 2006. We all know how that turned out in 2008.

Cornerback Terry Cousin was also jettisoned to the chagrin of Browns opponents everywhere. He may be a crafty veteran but the Browns were torched over the middle of the field in almost every game this season. That falls right on the nickel cornerback and anyone who watched the Browns at all this season saw Cousin get abused over the middle on a weekly basis.

But the two big names, if you can call them that, were signal callers Ken Dorsey and Bruce Gradkowski. The zero offensive touchdowns might have something to do with the decision. Dorsey’s 0 to 7 touchdowns to interceptions ratio and Gradkowski’s 2.8 QB rating might also have something to do with it. I am not a stat guy but those numbers can not be ignored.

Dorsey was only around to mentor Brady Quinn plain and simple. People forget he was released before the 2007 season and was only resigned after the Browns traded away Charlie Frye after less than one half of football. Once Dorsey actually had to play significant time his lack of arm strength and NFL ability were exposed.

His release signifies that the new regime values his roster spot for someone who can actually play and not a glorified coach in waiting. This no knock on Dorsey, I am sure he brought a good mind to the table, but we all know the beating that quarterbacks take in the league and all too often a third stringer is required to take some significant snaps in the NFL. 2008 was proof positive that you can not afford to have Ken Dorsey take significant snaps in the NFL.

Gradkowski comes as no surprise either. The Browns picked him up in the last quarter of the season. The fact that no other team picked him up on a flier prior to that is telling in itself. The previous regime signed him to a two year deal in hopes he could back up in the future but his performance, even with him being pressed into duty quickly, showed he could not.

The moves tell me that if, and they should, the Browns trade Derek Anderson they will be in the market for a reliable, proven back-up quarterback. Someone who will fill the mentor role to Brady Quinn that Dorsey had while at the same time being a legitimate option to play should Quinn get hurt.

So nothing of great note but news nonetheless. Now when Anderson or Kellen Winslow get traded things might perk up a little bit. But until then… Dorsey, Gradkowski… CUT!

Thank God it's Over...

Thank the lord. The NFL season is over, finally.

Not only did the Browns devolve from 10-6 to 4-12 but we had to witness the Steelers take home NFL Championship number six and an AFC Championship Game where they faced off against the Ravens. We should be thanking our lucky stars that we at least have the Bengals… what’s that? We finished behind them, too? F@#$.

The only thing we can really hang our hats on is that many are asking questions about the Appalachian Inbred title once again. Where was the clipping call on James Harrison’s Pick Six to end the first half? Did he even get into the endzone? Why didn’t Santonio Holmes get a personal foul for using the ball as a prop after his tippy toe TD? Why wasn’t the last play reviewed? It looked like a fumble but why not make sure? Was James Farrior’s 15 yard penalty for his Dwayne Rudd impersonation part of it?

I’ll channel by inner Lt. Frank Drebin one more time just for shits and grins [time stamp 6:30 to 7:07]…

“The attempt on Nordberg's life left me shaken and disturbed, and all the questions kept coming up over and over again, like bubbles in a case of club soda. Who was this character in the hospital? And why was he trying to kill Nordberg? And for whom? Did Ludwig lie to me? I didn't have any proof, but somehow, I didn't entirely trust him either. Why was the 'I Luv You' not listed in Ludwig's records? And if it was, did he know about it? And if he didn't, who did? And where the hell was I?”

Bottom line they still won the game and made plays when they had to. But after number five was shrouded with some referee controversy in of itself and numbers one through four have always had a steroid cloud around them, number six doesn’t seem totally clean either. But they should be saluted. Being a Browns fan the proper way to salute them is to extend your right arm and extend your middle finger. To paraphrase Ron Burgundy, “GO F@#$ yourself, Pittsburgh.”

So now we can worry about the more important things like the painting over of murals, the lack of any witty repartee from the head coach and soccer in England. These are what are really important in the NFL. Not the need for an impact draft with only four selections. Not the fact that the owner hired the head coach before the GM. Not the fact that we have no President of Football Operations. We painted a wall. “We can build on this!” as Herm Edwards would say.

No offense to Joe Thomas, Shaun Rogers or Ryan Pontbriand but it’s over. Have fun in Hawaii boys, don’t get injured but thank God this stink pickle of a 2008 NFL season is complete.

I can now relax and focus on the fun prospects for the spring. First off, the Cavs’ quest for an NBA Title and LeBron’s drive for an MVP trophy. The way the team actually enjoys playing together is magnificent to watch and they are all very likable characters unlike that Appalachian Inbred team (and fanbase). If they can lock up home court over the Celtics and Magic their odds of making our dreams come true in June and July are increased dramatically. The excitement builds with each game the Wine and Gold tip off.

The Tribe breaks camp with just as many questions as there are about Super Bowl XLIII. Is Travis Hafner going to be anywhere near to himself, circa 2004-2006? Can Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona anchor a shaky starting rotation? Can Masa Kobayashi be effective in his second MLB season? By effective I mean not appear in any alternative lifestyle Japanese adult films again.

Will Asdrubal Cabrera give me reason to text people with “AS-MAN! AS-MAN! AS-MAN!” on a routine basis? How the hell is this whole first base/catcher/designated hitter platoon thing going to work out? Will Kerry Wood, Mark DeRosa, Joe Smith and (gulp) Carl Pavano be key pieces to the Indians’ puzzle?

I have a very weird feeling about the Indians in 2009. Like a good weird. I can’t explain it. It isn’t like in 2007 when I thought they had a shot or in 2008 when I thought they’d win it all. It’s different, but I can’t put my finger on it. But I do know on thing, it’s a hell of a lot better than I felt 24 hours ago when it was still the NFL season. Thank the heavens that it is over.

Fear and Loathing in Cleveland

Its mid-January in Cleveland and the Cavs are off to their best start in franchise history, pushing towards a potential first seed in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James is looking like the clear cut NBA MVP due to an elevated intensity on the defensive end and a willingness to play offense without controlling the basketball. Mike Browns has opened up the offense, without sacrificing his trademark defense first philosophy, by turning over some of it to assistant John Kuester.

Across the country, he Indians are just under a month from taking the field at their new spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona hoping that the namesake of their new home is an understatement of what they will accomplish in 2009. For the maybe first time ever the Dolan Family opened their pocketbooks despite a crumbling economy. Mark Shapiro took advantage by being aggressive and creative after an off-season of sitting on his hands in 2008 blew up in his face.

While I love the rosy prospects for both the Cavs and the Tribe in 2009 I find myself fearing and loathing the Browns at so many levels it shrouds my excitement for everything else Cleveland sports related. Right or wrong, the Browns are the team that is associated with and defines the city. LeBron may be able to chance that in the very near future, but for now when one thinks Cleveland, the Browns come to mind.

I love the fact that Randy Lerner does not want to sell the Browns and I appreciate that he does not want to be the face of the franchise. However, it scares me to death that he is so introverted that he can not even speak in front of a camera for ten minutes to explain his rational behind hiring a head coach. It is embarrassing when Team President Mike Keenan, who has been around for about a year, has to introduce himself at a press conference before he introduces the head coach.

I appreciate that Lerner seemingly found “his guy” in Eric Mangini and that he values a coach more than a General Manager even though it is an ass backwards approach to me. But I wonder what Lerner would have done if Mangini had not come available after Bill Cowher and Scott Pioli became unviable options.

And what if the Ravens’ George Kokinis decides to stay in Baltimore? I have no faith that Lerner has even considered that situation. It looks like the Browns only fallback options are Shack Harris who resigned from the Jacksonville Jaguars GM post after free agent signings of Jerry Porter and Drayton Florence blew up in his face and he was unable to get first round draft choice Derrick Harvey into camp on time. Former Broncos GM Ted Sundquist is begging Lerner for an interview which does nothing to sooth my fears.

I even have concerns about Eric Mangini, who I actually am intrigued by, as the head coach of the Browns. I may not like they way that Lerner went about selecting Mangini but I do think the scrutiny of the New York market and three years of actual head coaching experience will benefit him.

It does scare me that while coaches in their second go round do experience success many of them, like Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin, either took time off from football or went back to the coordinator ranks before their next head coaching gig. The 14 days off that Mangini had between being fired by the Jets and hired by the Browns makes me worry how much he could really learn from his mistakes in that short time.

So instead of celebrating the success of the Cavs or analyzing the potential of the Indians I find myself worrying about the Browns when they should be an afterthought in my mind. Fearing that an organization has failed to learn from its worst decade of football in franchise history and loathing the fact that we may be looking at another decade of the same.