Color me confused

*Sorry for the distraction, but going back to the post on March of '93, I forgot to include something that I hadn't realized. I doubt that at the time it even registered, following Thome catching the final out while straddling the 3rd base line (3rd base!) everything's blurry.

Well, the song that came on the Jacob's Field PA system? That song was "The Dance," by Garth Brooks. And "anybody on that team," said Maroon (John, PR Director), "knows what that means. That was Steve's song." Still, the question remains, as it does for my father, why did Steve Olin's wife never throw out a first pitch before an opening day or World Series game? I'm not claiming it'd erase the horrific loss of her love, but would there have been a dry eye in the house? I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Onto the post...

When a coworker first told me the final score of the Browns game (I had to go to work at halftime), I figured, "Yea, well that's what you get for asking a girl to find the score online." It's amazing women can stand me. But seriously, 51 points? Impressive.

And for shame, the week before, numerous Browns fans were calling for Brady Quinn. I doubt those cheers were silenced in week 2, but hopefully they lessened. The kid isn't ready. While I fully admit that it will take me a while to buy into the legend that already is, don't try to sell me on the idea of this kid being ready for the L. As fans, we'd better hope that Anderson stays healthy and productive enough to keep his starting job at least 9-10 more weeks. The team (and it's not just Cleveland, but other franchises as well) has been guilty of rushing unprepared QBs onto the field. Let's take our time here, ok?

While you're sitting there chanting "Bra-dy, Bra-dy", are you really thinking what him playing entails? He's got to read defenses, deal with the speed of the league, handle the pressure of earning his money, handle the pressure of earning money and praise for his teammates, deal with expectations that have already crowned him a success and most of all win. Actually, those are just the short, pretty, cliche phrases. He'd better take the team places we've never seen them or he's screwed.

No one worth their weight in Ground Round free meals would expect week 2's performance to be the norm, but seriously, give the team time to grow and improve. Mistakes will happen, games will be lost, but in the long run, it may be worth it. Do you see this squad making the playoffs this year, even if Quinn were QB? You do? See? That's why I hate the kid... Let's see what we get in the first second round next year before we get too excited.

Update

First off,

I enjoyed Ryan's recent post about the 1993 tragedy. I agree with a lot of the things that Ryan mentioned about how this team has not experienced what the team in the 1990's did. However, I sure hope that the fans of Cleveland can truly appreciate what this team is doing in what was coined as the toughest division in baseball before the year began. If they avoide some kind of colossal collapse, they'll be headed to the post-season for the first time in a while.

It appears as though they'll get a tough draw in round one, playing the Red Sox, but with Carmona and Slobathia at the top of the rotation, they'll give the Red Sox all they can handle and that should be the most intriguing first round matchup. I really hope the fans enjoy that, because there isnt much else to get excited about. If you dont believe me, then watch the Browns tape from last Sunday against the Steelers, thats all you have to look forward to until the Cavs pick up again.

Check out my recent post on my other site www.blogginwithbull.blogspot.com.

--AB

Looking back on the Tribe

Remember March 23, 1993? You should, it may have been the most important date for the Indians' success in the '90s. It's the day the team came together and created a bond so strong, so significant, that the feeling was almost palpable. Unfortunately, such a bond couldn't be created through on field success or accomplishment, rather it was rooted in incredible tragedy.

The night before, March 22, newcomers Tim Crews and Bob Ojeda and fan favorite Steve Olin were out fishing on Crews' boat past dark on Lake Nellie in Florida. Responding to a signal to come in and join their friends and families, the boaters sped towards the parking area, never seeing an unlit dock lurking ahead. In an instant, lives were lost and 6 children were left without fathers.

Olin died on impact, as the boat slammed into, and raced under, the dock. Crews survived the initial crash, only to succumb to his injuries at the hospital, while Bobby Ojeda would be the only survivor. Fernando Montes, who should have been on the boat but went back to Crews' house to get something, was among the first to reach the boat.

The press conferences over the next couple days would be as painful as any sports related moment imaginable. Players and coaches openely wept and lamented the loss of their friends. Team VP Bob DiBiasio tried his best to execute his role in wake of the accident, exhausted and teary, he dutifully spoke when he could. Kevin Wickander, Olin's best friend was as devastated as anyone - his face red with anger and distraught, it was obvious he was deeply affected as he slumped in the arms of teammates, crying. Even Carlos Baerga couldn't contain himself. To me, it was a day when professional athletes seemed more human than ever before.

During the following season, the team kept lockers for Olin and Crews, even on the road, and hung their jerseys in the dugout. Wickander wore a shirt of Olin beneath his jersey and the team wore commemorative patches for the year. More than empty PR handlings, the displays were genuine and heartfelt, one needs only look at the faces of teammates and front office members in the days after the accident for proof.

So why the ties between this occasion and the team's later success? Nearly 20 players (including the major corps - Nagy, Lofton, Belle, Baerga, Thome, Ramirez and Alomar), plus much of the coaching staff & the trainer, Montes, from the '93 squad were still around when the team clinched the AL Central in 1995. These players had been through such a traumatic situation and were there for each other when life truly called for it, they knew who they could count on. Did Jason Grimsley hesitate to switch Belle's bats for him, when it looked like he'd been caught corking? The celebrations following the many comeback wins were incredibly joyous and lacked a pretentiousness now present among many teams.

When many fans complain that the current team just doesn't feel like the ones in the 90's, well, there may very well be reasons for it. Everything has changed; these players haven't had the experiences that the others did, the kinship forming through real life troubles, the support of each other, etc. But really, would they want to sacrifice what it would take to achieve this?

It's a new era in Cleveland Browns football!

Holy crap. That was a joke, right? Seriously, that performance wasn't scripted, the team is really that bad? Well shit, at least we've got a chance at the top pick next year. What?!?! Aw, shit!

Seriously, what can I say after yesterday's game? Hell, I didn't even head down to the Browns Backers bar when I saw the score at 17-0 at 1:30. The only positive to come out of it was that Brady Quinn didn't play. Imagine the kid who always buckles under the weight of expectations coming in during a blowout against his team's fiercest rival only to get absolutely destroyed. Think his confidence would still be sky high? Not a chance, that kid would go crying on the shoulder of Tim Couch.

I'll never back down from my argument that the Browns should have taken Roethlisberger over Kellen Winslow. Had they done so, they'd have solved the QB problem, thus leaving them to address other issues, grabbing, gee, I don't know, Vernand Morency, Marion Barber or Brandon Jacobs, all who went in the same round, after Frye (as did Kevin Everett - I happened to be watching that game as the hit happened, was one of those moments where you immediately knew the guy was in trouble).

I really don't have enough to say about yesterday's game, except to express my dismay at how this team prepares for an Opening Day, home game, against Pittsburgh. That's how well they want to perform against that damned team? Where's Cowher?

2007 NFL PREVIEW

Yes, I'm still alive. The WV Power are up 1-0 in the best of three series against the Hickory Crawdads. They have a chance to wrap up the series on Friday night at Appalachian Power Park. If they win, they'll get to the Championship round for the first time in 15 years.

Anyways, I've posted my 2007 NFL Preview on my other blog. www.blogginwithbull.blogspot.com. To avoid posting it twice, head to the other site and check it out for yourself. Its bound to piss you off and make you scratch your head SEVERAL TIMES.

Holla.

--AB

You Can't Spell Lloyd without Two A's??!??!??

Biggest upset of all time, or victim of hyperbole?

Look, Michigan lost, ok? Go ahead and call it the biggest upset of all time, just to save the time and effort thinking of bigger ones, but what's the big deal? Many detractors who claim that preseason polls (me) are the same ones who repeatedly point out that the #5 team in the country went down to a 1-AA school (not me). Well, yea, I guess that's true, but a bit misleading with the facts.

-Appalachian State is the two time defending D1-AA champion. Sure, it's not 1A, but looks like they've got a pretty good thing going there. By the way, former 1AA teams who've recently made the leap to 1A: Marshall and Boise St.
-This is a Michigan team that got destroyed by USC in the most recent Rose Bowl. Just absolutely pounded. Don't tell me that they were out to prove something this past weekend, baloney, they're more concerned with next week's Oregon , which brings me to my next point:
-Lloyd Carr. What am I going to add that hasn't been said already? Why does he still have a job? Way to get the team ready to play. At least there's a bye week after Oregon. Oh nevermind, it's Notre Dame. Same thing.
-Chad Henne does, has, and will suck. His passing yards and TDs have gone down every year while his INT/pass ratio has gotten worse. Ooh, another year under his belt, he'll be good, right? Wrong, the few highlights of the game continue to show the same thing - he can't throw the deep ball. Try leading your receivers a bit instead of forcing them to slow down and even stop.

Yea, the Wolverines lost, but it was a losable game. One of those where the teams weren't as uneven as they looked. Hey, at least Michigan accepted the challenge from a champion, instead of settling for their coach's former team, a pushover. I don't understand the anger so many non-Blue fans have for Michigan now, it's like all D1 fans are taking out their insecurities on 'em.
If the polls have meant anything, then how does one loss drop a team all the way from #5 out of the Top 25? Calling voters "asinine" (Dan Shanoff) for voting Michigan 16th? Doesn't make sense. This team will do what they always do, win 7-8 games and go to a bowl. They'll finish the season in the Top 25, what's wrong with figuring that they didn't play their best, but that they'll come back? College football polls often lack sense and purpose, there's really no need for them until week 6 or so.