I was the runner-up last year for the coveted water logged baseball. It was brutal because I actually had a great week in the championship, but Bluez took it from me anyway! *SORRY* lol! This year, I gotta finish the deal.....No doubt it won't be easy in the junkyard. I'm sure of that, but I like my chances coming off one of my best weeks of the season....
My mistake . it was the Goat that won the waterlogged baseball trophy . how the hell did I confuse you two ? Good luck to the both of you *DRINK*
I note a few conspicuous absences from the jovial celebrations. Like vultures in the rafters waiting for the slightest negativity so they can swoop down and crap on everything.
I don't think even Stopper can say much negatively about Cleveland after Sunday... but I'm sure he'll try!
The Morning Kickoff ? Nothing is given, everything is earned: Remember the Great Quarterback Competitions of 2014? Yes, I said competitions -- plural. There was Johnny Manziel v. the Browns? playbook. And there was Brian Hoyer v. his repaired ACL ? Hoyer v. the Kyle Shanahan offense ? Hoyer v. Johnny Football -- the man, the myth, the legend. Now for an update. Manziel, understandably, is still engaged in his competition, and will be for the forseeable future. Playbook is winning that one. Hoyer, on the hand, has hurdled the mental barrier imposed by an ACL surgery. He has conquered the Shanahan offense; the Browns are fifth in total points after two weeks (thanks in part to a Tashaun Gipson Pick 6). And as for Johnny Football, Hoyer didn?t even watch the three plays on which Manziel appeared against the New Orleans Saints. Hoyer was too busy preparing for his next play on third down ? the money down. Not every quarterback could swallow the task of leaving the field to make way for a rookie phenom project so gracefully. And then to come back and do what Hoyer did ? move his team from the 4-yard line 85 yards in the final 2 ? minutes for a field goal to pull out the Browns? first win in a season home opener in 10 years ? that takes a pretty good dose of mental toughness. ?We talk about, ?If you?re going to be a great player, you need to make great plays when your best is needed,?? coach Mike Pettine said on Monday. ?He certainly did that for us. That?s when you gain respect. Respect can?t be manufactured that way. It can?t be artificial. It just has to be earned, and it has to be earned through his play, through his actions. I thought he handled himself real well (on Sunday).? Mentally tough: There?s a clich? about a football team taking on the personality of its coach. But in the case of these Browns, they are also taking on the best characteristics of their quarterback. When Pettine talks about ?play like a Brown,? you might as well substitute ?play like Hoyer.? He embodies the mental toughness the Browns have lacked at the quarterback position for a long time. ?Dealing with the adversity throughout the game, the ups and downs,? Hoyer said. ?And really playing till the clock says zero. That?s what we were able to do.? For the whole game, Hoyer was without the team?s only Pro Bowl playmakers on offense ? receiver Josh Gordon (suspended) and tight end Jordan Cameron (injured). And the Browns outscored the vaunted Saints (again, thanks to Gipson?s TD). On that 85-yard winning drive, Hoyer completed passes to Miles Austin, Taylor Gabriel, Gary Barnidge and Andrew Hawkins. Undrafted, undrafted, fifth-round draft pick, undrafted. ?I trust those guys with all my heart,? Hoyer said. ?For me as a quarterback, I will go with a group of guys that works their butt off, knows exactly what they?re supposed to do, gives everything they have, over a group of guys that are super-talented any day. ?Because I think guys like that ? like Hawk, like Gabriel, like Travis (Benjamin), like Miles ? we?ve all been overlooked, myself included. And when you have that mentality, you put the extra effort in and you make sure you?re on top of everything. And I think sometimes that overcomes talent.? ?Overlooked? is an understatement when it comes to Hoyer. The national networks consider him a speed bump in the way of their round-the-clock obsession with Manziel. When Pettine officially named Hoyer the season starter, CBS pulled its No. 1 announcing crew of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms off the Browns-Steelers game. In the Heinz Field press lounge prior to that game, I conversed with ESPN reporter Sal Paolantonio about the prospects of Manziel appearing in that game. ?He better,? Sal Pal opined. ?I mean, why are we here?? As Hoyer sputtered throughout the first half of that contest, CBS cameras gave Manziel on the sideline more air time than a presidential candidate. ?I understand the skepticism,? Hoyer said. ?I?m a guy who was cut three times. I played a little bit last year, had some success, but when you come off a major knee surgery, I think a lot of people doubt even the greatest coming back from that. I understand. To me, I don?t concern myself with it. All I?m really concerned about is this building, this locker room and then when we go out and play on Sundays.? It?s his team: Sometimes it takes an opponent to state the obvious. In Baltimore on Monday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of Hoyer, ?He?s the best quarterback they?ve had in a number of years. He?s playing great.? Hoyer now has started five games in a Browns uniform. In his first start in Game 3 last year, he overcame three interceptions and conducted a winning drive at the end to defeat the Minnesota Vikings in the din of the Metrodome. That was the week the locker room was rocked by the stunning trade of Trent Richardson and thought the old front office had thrown in the towel to stock up in the draft for the next season. In Hoyer?s second start, he engineered touchdown drives of 95 and 91 yards to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in his first-ever start in his hometown stadium. In his third start, he tore his ACL early in the home game against the Buffalo Bills. After that game, Hoyer received a letter from then-Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine commiserating his injury and commending him for being such an under-rated quarterback. In Hoyer?s fourth start, the opener this season in Pittsburgh, Hoyer battled from a 27-3 halftime deficit to tie the game, only to lose, 30-27. And in his fifth start, Hoyer led his hometown team to its first win in a home opener in 10 years. So Hoyer has yet to lose a game in FirstEnergy Stadium in a Browns uniform. As a visitor, he lost here with the New England Patriots in 2010 and with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012. But those weren?t really his teams, were they?
Josh Gordon pled guilty (via his attorney) to DWI in Raleigh on Tuesday, the Wake County Clerk of Court confirmed to CBSSports.com. Gordon received 12 months unsupervised probation as a result of the guilty plea and verdict and will have to pay $290 in court costs as well as a $100 fine. The Browns wide receiver is currently serving a year-long suspension from the NFL. It's believed Gordon's suspension will be reduced to 10 games once a final agreement on a new drug-testing policy is in place. However, the DWI guilty plea could potentially complicate things, as it's believed a convinction of a DWI under the new policy would result in a two-game suspension. Gordon was arrested for speeding and DWI in Raleigh over July 4th weekend while driving a car owned by Hornets forward P.J. Hairston. His initial court date was set for August 26, but he had the case continued until November. Gordon's speeding charge was voluntarily dismissed.
A major NFL sponsor has had enough with the misbehavior of NFL players and the response of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners he works for. Anheuser-Busch, the beer maker that spends a fortune on NFL advertising and sponsorship, has released a strongly worded statement in response to the controversies that have unfolded over the last week regarding Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald. ?We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season. We are not yet satisfied with the league?s handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league,? the statement said. Previous statements from the NFL?s corporate partners have generally shown confidence in the NFL?s ability to get a handle on the events that have contributed to the ugliest week in NFL history. The statement from Anheuser-Busch shows no such confidence. If the NFL can?t satisfy Anheuser-Busch, the NFL is at risk losing one of its most lucrative partners. Which means Roger Goodell is at risk of losing his job. Make no mistake, the reason the NFL?s owners are supportive of Goodell is that the NFL?s owners have made a lot of money while Goodell has run the league. The day Goodell?s mismanagement of this issue costs the owners money is the day Goodell loses the support of the owners. Goodell has already mismanaged the Rice case. He had better figure out the right way to handle the cases of Peterson, Hardy and McDonald. If Goodell can?t get the job done, the owners will find a commissioner who can.
After the data mining excursion I went on to complete my "Anatomy of a Dynasty" series, I thought something a little lighter would be in order. Then I thought . . . what would be easier to research than "Eye Candy". So I offer up to the DPL first - http://live4sportnetwork.com/frontend/author/lyman/ Enjoy (Yes. Bluez, there are pictures.)
Josh Gordon has pled guilty to DWI charges in Wake County, North Carolina, and been sentenced to 12 months of unsupervised probation. He must also pay a $390 fine. The league's new drug policy mandates a two-game suspension for players who are convicted or plead out in drunk-driving cases, but Gordon's arrest occurred under the old policy. Per Profootballtalk, he'll only be subject to a fine, and won't have his current 10-game ban lengthened. NFL.com's Albert Breer reports Gordon has been "assured" that's the case. It means he's still on track to return in Week 12, and no longer has any outstanding legal issues. Now hopefully Gordon can stay on the straight and narrow.
The NFL and its union announced agreement Wednesday on "improvements" to the policy on performance-enhancing drugs that includes testing for human growth hormone, neutral arbitration for appeals and will make three previously suspended players eligible to play this weekend. The NFL announced that HGH testing would be implemented by the end of this month. Information on the testing procedures will be sent to teams this week. Testing for HGH was originally agreed upon in 2011, but the players had balked at the science in the testing and the appeals process for positive tests. In addition, the NFL and NFLPA are near agreement on changes to the substance abuse policy, which will be announced when it is completed. Denver Broncos receiver Wes Welker, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick and St. Louis Rams receiver Stedman Bailey are now eligible to return for Week 3 as a result of the new policy. All three players had received four-game suspensions for testing positive for substances that now will be covered under the substance abuse policy. Appeals of positive tests under the PED policy, including HGH, will be heard by a third-party arbitrator that will be jointly chosen by league and union officials. The statement promises that appeals will be heard more expeditiously due to improved procedures under the policy. A first violation of the PED policy will result in a suspension without pay for up to six games depending on violation: ? Positive tests for diuretics or masking agents will result in a two-game ban; ? Positive tests for a steroid, stimulant or HGH will result in a four-game ban; ? Evidence that an attempt was made to manipulate a test result will result in a six-game suspension. Players will receive a 10-game suspension for a second violation of the policy while a third positive test will result in a suspension of at least two years. Positive tests for banned stimulants in the offseason will no longer result in suspensions, however. In these cases, players will be referred to the substance abuse program. Positive test for stimulants during the season will be considered a violation of the PED policy and result in a four-game ban. While a neutral third party will hear appeals of PED violations, commissioner Roger Goodell will retain his authority under the personal conduct policy, the statement said. Appeals of punishment under the personal conduct policy will be heard by a member of the CBA Appeals Panel.
Here it is Wednesday and I'm still in awe over the Browns win. I'm working in Avon and every trade that I'm working with is talking Browns. It feels different this year so far. I'm not only talking about my Browns loving friends but almost everyone I talk to. The word that is always coming up is respectable. After all we almost beat Pukesburg and beat the playoff Saints. That means on any givin Sunday we can hang with most teams. The scaring thing about that is we are young. Lets for once in a long time with the Browns, enjoy the moment! We are 1-1 and looked pretty good in losing that one game. When I was a kid in the Slavic Village my family would get together every Sunday to eat dinner and watch our beloved Cleveland Browns. I remember one time asking my dad why we have such boring uniforms. Brown & Orange with the White. His answer to me was...... We live in Cleveland Ohio. Football is played in the fall. Around here the tree leaves turn from green to brown and orange. That means its football season. That means its time for our Cleveland Browns. He told me the Browns dont need an emblem on their helmet. They are known simply by their colors........ Brown and Orange. GO BROWNIES!!!!!
BEREA, Ohio?Brian Hoyer has a big fan in Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Whether he?s just trying to build him up prior to this week?s game or not remains to be seen. ?He?s played great,? Harbaugh said in a conference call on Wednesday. ?Winning quarterback, done a great job for them. I think I said in our press conferences, the best quarterback ? I?ve been a Browns fan for a long time growing up and everything. He?s played great for them. He?s just a great quarterback, just put it that way.? Through two games, Hoyer has some pretty good statistics to back up Harbaugh?s words. Hoyer is tied for second in the AFC in the fourth quarter passing statistic. He is tied with Ravens? QB Joe Flacco with a 95.8 rating in the fourth quarter. Hoyer is 17-of-25 for 142 yards in the final period, with a completion percentage of 68 percent. In the two games Hoyer played the entire game in 2013 and the two games thus far in 2014, Hoyer has led successful game-winning or game-clinching drives late in the game on three of four occasions, including last week against the Saints. Overall, Hoyer is 6th in the AFC with a rating of 87.4, while Flacco is 8th with a 83.2 rating. Harbaugh said Hoyer has shown his mettle with the adversity he has overcome, namely coming back from a torn ACL and fending off first-round draft pick Johnny Manziel. ?That?s a good point, he really has (overcome adversity),? Harbaugh said. ?I?m sure he?s a very confident guy. He?s done nothing but win since he?s taken over the reins in Cleveland, even last year. ?He played so well in the last two games, especially against the Saints under pressure,? he said. ?That last drive was just about as good as it gets in the NFL. It seems like he?s got a great relationship with Johnny Manziel and they support each other. It just seems from the outside looking in like a really good situation.? The Browns have been looking for a quarterback for quite some time and at least, Harbaugh thinks the Browns have one in Hoyer. ?I mean, the most important thing probably in this league is to have a quarterback who can win for you,? he said. ?That entails a lot. It?s not just being able to throw the ball ? but you?ve got to be able to throw it ? it?s what you do under pressure, leadership; it?s managing the offense; it?s being able to make tight throws down the field or get the ball out under pressure or get you in the right run versus the right look. ?Whatever it might be, it all adds up to getting your team in a position to win. It may be the most complicated, most challenging position to play in all sports,? he said. ?I happen to think it is. It?s a must. It?s necessary. It?s an absolute must if you want to have success as a football team. It?s made the difference for them potentially whenever he?s been in there in the last two years. Obviously he?s 4-2, right? He?s done great. I don?t know how he would have fared in previous years. It?s pretty hard to speculate on that, but he?s done great since he?s been in there. That?s for sure.? Hoyer was told about Harbaugh?s comments after practice, but he downplayed them. ?I haven?t heard about that,? Hoyer said. ?It?s a nice compliment, but I?ve got a long way to go.? EXTRA POINTS Tate Likely Out; Cameron, Mingo Questionable: RB Ben Tate (knee), LB Barkevious Mingo (shoulder) and TE Jordan Cameron (shoulder) were limited at practice. Pettine said Wednesday that he was the least optimistic about Tate playing this week. With a bye after this week, it is possible the Browns will hold all three players out this week. ?I don?t see Tate going this week,? Pettine said. During the portion of practice that was open to the media, Tate was on the stationary bike, while Mingo and Cameron were doing the individual drills with their position coaches. DL John Hughes (hamstring) was also practicing. ?It felt great to get back out there with my teammates,? Cameron said after practice. He was asked if he had thought he would play this week. ?I have no hunches.? Cameron said he was excited to see the Browns drive the field for the win, especially fellow TE Gary Barnidge making a huge fourth down catch for a first down. ?I was so happy for the team,? he said. ?Gary made a great play and I was happy for him.? Three Rookie Starters: The most recent Browns depth chart lists three rookies as starters on offense in LG Joel Bitonio, FB Ray Agnew and RB Terrance West in place of the injured RB Ben Tate. The Big Trade: Pettine was with the Ravens as a defensive coach in 2006 when the Browns flipped draft choices with the Ravens in order to take LB Kamerion Wimbley. The Ravens then took DL Haloti Ngata. The Browns traded the 12th pick to the Ravens for the 13th pick and a sixth-round pick (181st). With the 13th pick, the Browns took Wimbley and DL Babatunde Oshinowo. ?Haloti, we were thrilled to get,? Pettine said. ?We felt it was a steal to get him where we did.? Ngata has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times since 2006.
We all need a feel-good story about football players right now, and what better way than for family to matter more than the regional rivalries, and for something more than the game to overcome. Former Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu, who had to retire from the game because of kidney problems, got the gift of life from his brother, former Ravens defensive tackle Ma?ake in the form of a kidney donation. ?Everyone jokes about me having a Ravens? kidney,? Chris said, via Mike Klingaman of the Baltimore Sun. ?But hey, I can live with that.? It beats the alternative. Ma?ake joked that his little brother (relative) ?owes me a lot of steak dinners,? but their sheer size made the surgery more complicated than most. Chris had to have a heart surgery beforehand to make the procedure possible, and both men checked into the hospital weighing 345 pounds. ?It was the largest normal kidney I?ve ever seen in my life,? said Dr. Stephen Bartlett, the hospital?s surgeon-in-chief. ?I felt like somebody had thrown me a small football.? But this story is far beyond football, about the lengths a family will go to look after one another. ?I?m the oldest of seven kids and it?s my responsibility to take care of the rest,? Ma?ake said. ?If my siblings need blood, it will be my blood. If they need a kidney, it will be my kidney. We both stopped our careers for this, but I?d have done it even if I was a rookie with the Ravens. I have to lead by example.? Hopefully, more people in his old line of work will take on that same challenge.
Even though Johnny Manziel made a guest appearance in the Browns? dramatic last-second victory Sunday over the New Orleans Saints, Brian Hoyer is firmly entrenched as the club?s starting quarterback. Why Manziel was inserted into the game on the first series of the third quarter is puzzling since the Browns, for the most part, had everything under control. They led, 16-10, at the time and Hoyer was playing mistake-free football. Perhaps it was Mike Pettine?s way of warning the rest of the National Football League that he has another weapon in his offensive gun belt and isn?t afraid to use it. You know, give the opposition something to think about. ?Just as a change-up, we had that package ready to go,? Pettine said after the game. ?It?s something we had worked on. . . . I thought we had stalled a little bit on offense and just wanted to see if we could catch them off guard and get a spark. To their credit, they defended it well.? Coaches oftentimes think too much. To call Manziel?s contributions a package is a bit of a misnomer. A package consists of more than one or two plays at a time. This ?package? was pedestrian at best. Manziel?s contributions were, at best, brief and unspectacular. He entered the game about a minute into the third quarter shortly after a Hoyer incompletion on first down. Isaiah Crowell gained three yards on a freeze-option handoff from Manziel, who was lined up in the pistol. And just like that, he was gone, back on the sidelines. He appeared again for a couple of plays on the next possession, Crowell was dropped for a three-yard losss on virtually the same play, same formation. Manziel then hit Ray Agnew on simple out in the left flat near the sideline, but the rookie fullback dropped the ball when hit. And then Manziel was gone again, this time for good. If this is the kind of package to which Pettine was referring when alerting the media ?and, of course the opposition ? that there was a possibility Manziel might play, time to go back to the well-used drawing board. All that does is threaten to destroy whatever timing and rhythm Hoyer builds up during the course of a game. For all the cleverness offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan dreams up, it is counterproductive to the end goal of the Cleveland offense. It wasn?t as though Hoyer, who admitted he was upset when informed of Pettine?s plan to use Manziel, was struggling against the Saints. They didn?t need to see a new look. The way the Saints reacted to Manziel?s sudden appearance, it was as though they expected it and were ready for it. Right now, Manziel is not nearly ready to run this offense. He might some day improve to the point where he can be trusted to come in and run a series. Not just a play here or two there. A whole series from start too finish. It?s unfair to both quarterbacks to take this tack. It begs the hackneyed sports term ? if it ain?t broke, don?t fix it. Hoyer did not need any help against the Saints. He was in control. Sure he made a few bad throws, but they did not hurt. Sometimes ? no, make that too many times ? a head coach or coordinator tries to get cute and drop the unexpected on the opposition. Too often, they get too cute and outsmart themselves. That?s when negatives things take place. Fortunately for the Browns, Manziel?s contributions turned out to be benign. Before Shanahan thinks about pulling that same stunt down the road, it behooves him to make certain Manziel is ready to perform. He wasn?t this time. * * * For those of you still missing D?Qwell Jackson, take a close look at how his position should be played because his successor so far is putting on a clinic. Take a real close look at Karlos Dansby. The strong side inside linebacker is the oldest and easily craftiest man on the roster. He is the glue of a defense that, at times, can be extremely stingy. He?s the captain of that defense and calls the signals, making sure everyone is where he needs to be. At the same time, he seems to be everywhere. If he is not policing the line of scrimmage, he?s either dropping back into a zone in pass coverage or blitzing from just about anywhere. And his tackling is superb. Last season, he was the glue on an Arizona defense that surprised a lot of people around the NFL and the main reason the Cardinals came awfully close to qualifying for the postseason. Many observers thought he should have been elected to the Pro Bowl. Dansby, who will be 33 in November, is picking up where he left off in the desert. He led the Browns in tackles with 12 against the Saints, eight solo, was credited with two tackles for loss, a quarterback hit and a sack of Drew Brees in one of the key plays in Sunday?s victory. * * * Fellow linebacker Paul Kruger looks like a different player this season. Maybe it?s the Pettine style of aggressive defense. Whatever, the linebacker is making plays and justifying the nice contract the Browns rewarded him with last season. He was relentless from the strong side all afternoon, registering a sack, three quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and a pass defensed. His harassment of Brees caused the New Orleans quarterback to throw what turned into a Tashaun Gipson pick 6 in the second quarter. He?s finally looking a lot like the linebacker who helped the Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. * * * Nice to see Miles Austin contribute to the cause. No telling how the Saints game would have turned out had the veteran wide receiver not helped Hoyer and made himself available on the final drive for a 13-yard reception that moved the ball to the Cleveland 48 and ultimately led to the play that set up the winning field goal. Austin broke off his route down the left sideline when he saw Hoyer in trouble and scrambling. Instead of just staying put, he maneuvered back toward Hoyer, giving his quarterback a target. The completion survived replay. Two plays later, Hoyer hooked up with Andrew Hawkins. If Austin does not make the play, the Browns are second and 10 at their 38 with just 19 seconds left. * * * So how did the Saints blow up the Cleveland defense after a slow start? By forcing the Browns? secondary into mismatches with tight end Jimmy Graham, tightening up the pass protection and setting the edge for running backs Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson. Graham, a wide receiver in a tight end?s body, was unstoppable. But for some reason, the Saints used him sparingly on their final possession and holding a one-point lead. They took a shade more than six minutes off the clock, but Graham saw the ball just once, an 11-yard completion on the third play of the drive. They believed he was more valuable as a blocker. * * * Notebook: The Browns were penalized twice for having 12 men in the huddle, once on offense and once on defense. Inexcusable. It?s only a five-yard penalty, but it shows confusion by the coaching staff. . . . Speaking of penalties, the Browns were flagged just four times for 30 yards. A distinct improvement. The worst was a 10-yard holding penalty on Joe Thomas following a 23-yard completion to Andrew Hawkins on third down on the first possession of the second half . . . The Browns are now 2-14 in home openers since 1999. The only other victory was the season-opening 20-3 triumph over the Baltimore Ravens in 2004. The Browns finished 4-12 in Butch Davis? last season. . . . The victory improved the Browns? all-time record against New Orleans to 13-4. They won the first eight and now five of the last six. . . . Hawkins leads the Browns with 14 receptions in the first two games for 157 yards, but has yet to score. Posted by Rich Passan
I don;t care who you are, that's pretty funny ^^^^^^ Does that add to his suspension time or will they overlook it. They did completely threw out their old and new policy in Rice's case went for broke. Unlike Rice, Gordon is a repeat offender and has an ongoing problem. It's hard to tell what the NFL will do these days. And for the recortd I hope Gordon is back sooner than later...he's still sitting on my big-money fantasy league's waiver wire. I've liked Hoyer for the Browns too. Success is hard to deny and his ACL injury was a damn shame. Humble guy too considering he got his start with the Belichick-bunch, but 4 seasons there will teach anyone to be a great system QB. I've been telling Steelers fans to what out as the Browns have been getting their shit together for a few seasons now and is a QB away from making a Division title run. Even without key players they've been impressive overcoming their loss. Maybe this is the year...or at least a wildcard berth? Tough division though..and I'm not looking forward to a cream-puff match this week.
