LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Fans strolling down the Pocono Raceway garage had to look twice. Sure, Richard Petty standing outside his hauler is a common scene on race day. Throw in Jim Brown and it was a Hall of Fame twin bill tough to top. Brown was Petty's guest for Sunday's NASCAR race at Pocono. The two legends -- perhaps the greatest in their respective sports -- chatted privately before they were swarmed by fans wanting pictures of The King and the former Cleveland Brown great. "I'm a fan of NASCAR, in a certain kind of way," Brown said. "I recognize a legend like this." Brown also recognized the NFL could learn a few things in athlete safety from NASCAR. "In the National Football League, we're way behind," Brown said. "I think NASCAR, out of the fact that you can really get hurt, stepped up their safety concepts. So, I think most of the drivers would feel like they've done everything that can pretty much be done without taking away from the sport." Standing to Brown's right, Petty nodded in agreement. "We have a ways to go," Brown said. "This is the first time we've ever really taken the safety situation seriously because of the lawsuits. When we come out of this, I think we'll have a much safer game and we won't take away from the safety of the game." NASCAR has made serious upgrades since the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500. The head-and-neck restraint device became mandatory that same season. Additional safety features -- soft wall technology, stronger cockpits, automatic engine kill switches -- were added the next few years. The NFL recently approved a rule that banned ball carriers from using the crown of their helmets to make forcible contact with a defender in the open field. "I think they're making an honest effort to make the game safer," Brown said. "Maybe it's been forced upon them because of the lawsuits and this whole concussion deal. I don't quite like that one because I don't think it gets to the point. A running back lowering his head is going to knock himself out. "They're giving a great effort in trying to make it safer. But some of the rules are made by people who didn't play the game." Wearing a black, button-down Cleveland Browns shirt, the 77-year-old Brown hobbled around Pocono, but said his health was otherwise fine. "I feel very fortunate," Brown said. "All them concussions ain't caught up with you," Petty asked, laughing. "They haven't caught up with me," Brown said. Brown said because he doesn't suffer from any lingering symptoms of concussions he may have sustained over his career, he isn't among the group of players to have filed lawsuits that accuse the NFL hiding known concussion risks. "I know that there are players that have had problems and those things should be taken care of," Brown said. "But on a personal level I would be dishonest to say I was suffering from anything." Brown's only previous NASCAR trip was to Daytona International Speedway a few years ago. Richard Petty Motorsports co-owner Andrew Murstein also co-owns a New York-based lacrosse team with Brown and invited him to Pocono. Brown also attended the pre-race drivers' meeting. Brown has recently rejoined the Browns after his estrangement for years from the team where he starred in the 1950s and 1960s. His previous role was eliminated by former president Mike Holmgren. Brown said he will meet with new owner Jimmy Haslam in the next week or so to decide his exact job duties. It likely will focus on community work, interacting with fans and helping mentor players. Brown's wife, his 9-year-old son, Morgan, and 11-year-old daughter, Aris, toured the track with him. His kids had one request -- they wanted to meet Danica Patrick, of course. His family walked down pit road to Patrick's No. 10 car and they all posed for pictures. Patrick asked Aris if she liked soccer and complimented her sneakers. They were all smiles for the cameras that suddenly mobbed them. Everyone warmed to Brown, even Petty. He said he was a huge Washington Redskins fan, "but my wife thought he was the greatest thing since popcorn."
Thanks for the music video bluez, love racing because it is pure balls to the wall from the 1/4 mile track in your hometown to the giant speedways. I grew up in the pits at the Orange Show's 1/2 mile asphalt in San Bernardino watching my grandpa and dad put guts under the hood. I was in diapers when I first went and smelled the extra boost and 60 years later if a NASCAR race is within 4 hours of me, I'm there. We have that little 1/4 mile asphalt track here at home and every Saturday night during the winter it is on. Arizona summers are the vacation time for racing.
Everyone have a round on me today *DRINK* Hell... the rest of the day is on me!!!! *DRINK* *DRINK* *DRINK* So drink up!!! I'm in a good mood, I'm is heading back to the Buckeye State for a week to spend some much needed time with Family and friends... been TOOOOOOO LONG since I've been back home! 2 Years!!! Leaving tonight after work for the loooooong drive! But I'll leave you all with this (found it on FB and thought it to be funny): HOW TO SHOWER LIKE A WOMAN: Take off clothing and place it in sectioned laundry hamper according to lights and darks. Walk to bathroom wearing long robe. If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas. Look at your womanly physique in the mirror -- make mental note to do more sit-ups/leg-lifts, etc. Get ...in the shower. Use wash cloth , long loofah, wide loofah and pumice stone...... Wash your hair once with cucumber and sage shampoo with 43 added vitamins. Wash your hair again to make sure it's clean. Condition your hair with grapefruit mint conditioner. Wash your face with crushed apricot facial scrub for 10 minutes until red. Wash entire rest of body with ginger nut and jaffa cake body wash. Rinse conditioner off hair. Shave armpits and legs. Rinse off. Turn off shower. Squeegee off all wet surfaces in shower. Spray mold spots with Tilex.. Get out of shower. Dry with towel the size of a small country. Wrap hair in super absorb ent towel. Return to bedroom wearing long robe and towel on head. If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas. HOW TO SHOWER LIKE A MAN: Take off clothes while sitting on the edge of the bed and leave them in a pile. Walk naked to the bathroom. If you see wife along the way, shake wiener at her making the woo-woo sound. Look at your manly physique in the mirror. Admire the size of your wiener and scratch your butt. Get in the shower. Wash your face. Wash your armpits. Blow your nose in your hands and let the water rinse them off. Fart and laugh at how loud it sounds in the shower. Spend majority of time washing privates and surrounding area. Wash your butt, leaving those coarse butt hairs stuck on the soap. Wash your hair. Make a Shampoo Mohawk. Pee. Rinse off and get out of shower. Partially dry off. Fail to notice the water on floor because curtain was hanging out of tub the whole time. Admire wiener size in mirror again. Leave shower curtain open, wet mat on floor, and light and fan on. Return to bedroom with towel around waist. If you pass wife, pull off towel, shake wiener at her and make the woo-woo sound again. Throw wet towel on bed.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Browns have announced their 2013 training camp schedule, which features later practices than fans may be accustomed to. Most practices where fans will be welcome run from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The later start is what new head coach Rob Chudzinski wanted for camp. Family night will be Saturday, Aug. 3 at FirstEnergy Stadium. Here is more camp information from the Browns as provided on their release today: Admission to all practice sessions held at the team's Berea training facility is free. Fans can enter the facility through the Beech Street entrance. Parking is available on the campus of Baldwin-Wallace University near the intersection of Beech Street and Bagley Road. Gates open one prior to the start of all practice sessions. In all, 15 practices will be open to the public in 2013, a total which includes a Family Night practice at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday, August 3 starting at 6:30 p.m. In addition to practice, Family Night will also feature fireworks and a laser show. Admission for Family Night is free as well. Fans can call the Browns Training Camp Hotline at 877-6BROWNS (877-627-6967) for the latest information on practice times. Fans can also get the most up to date information at www.ClevelandBrowns.com, and on Facebook and Twitter. Cleveland Browns Training Camp is presented by your Northeast Ohio Ford Dealers, in association with Cleveland Clinic Date Time Thurs., July 25............. 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Fri., July 26.................. 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Sat., July 27................. 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Sun., July 28................ 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Mon., July 29............... 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Tues., July 30............... NO PRACTICE Wed., July 31............... 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Thurs., Aug. 1.............. 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Fri., Aug. 2................... 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Sat., Aug. 3.................. Family Night at FirstEnergy Stadium -- 6:30 ? 9:00 p.m. Sun., Aug. 4................. NO PRACTICE Mon., Aug. 5................ 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Tues., Aug. 6................ 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Wed., Aug. 7................ PRACTICE CLOSED TO GENERAL PUBLIC Thurs., Aug. 8.............. Browns vs. St. Louis -- 8:00 p.m. Fri., Aug. 9................... NO PRACTICE Sat., Aug. 10................ 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Sun., Aug. 11............... 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Mon. Aug. 12............... 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. Tues., Aug 13............... 4:00 ? 6:30 p.m. ALL PRACTICE DATES AND TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. ALL PUBLIC PRACTICES ARE SUBJECT TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. PRACTICES MOVED INTO THE FIELD HOUSE WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. PROHIBITED/ALLOWED ITEMS Smoking is prohibited. Weapons, noisemakers, animals, and aerosol cans are prohibited. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Plastic bottles and boxed liquids are permitted. Cans and glass are prohibited. Soft case coolers are permitted. Hard plastic coolers are prohibited. Cameras are permitted but must not interfere with another fan's enjoyment of practice. The images reproduced may not be used commercially. Commercial video equipment is prohibited. Umbrellas, strollers, purses, fanny packs, backpacks, and diaper bags are permitted but are subject to inspection. Portable folding chairs and lawn chairs are permitted but are subject to inspection. DIRECTIONS FOR FAN PARKING From the North to Cleveland Browns Training Facility Take I-71 South (Columbus) to Bagley Road exit #235 Turn right onto Bagley Road Continue on Bagley Road to Beech Street on your right Parking available at Baldwin-Wallace From the South to Cleveland Browns Training Facility Take I-71 North (Cleveland) to Bagley Road exit #235 Turn left onto Bagley Road Continue on Bagley Road to Beech Street on your right Parking available at Baldwin-Wallace From the East to Cleveland Browns Training Facility Take I-480 West (Toledo) to I-71 South (Columbus) Continue on I-71 South to Bagley Road exit #235 Turn right onto Bagley Road Continue on Bagley Road to Beech Street on your right Parking available at Baldwin-Wallace From the West to Cleveland Browns Training Facility Take I-480 East (Youngstown) to I-71 South (Columbus) Continue on I-71 South to Bagley Road exit #235 Turn right onto Bagley Road Continue on Bagley Road to Beech Street on your right Parking available at Baldwin-Wallace Handicap Parking: Handicap parking is available on Front Street at the Berea Recreation Center. A free shuttle to training camp will be available in front of the parking lot at the Berea Recreation Center.
By Zac Jackson Fox Sports Ohio Posted Jun 13, 2013 Given Gordon?s college troubles and his latest issue ? and that the symposium is now held in Cleveland ? maybe someone inside the Browns? organization could give Gordon a nudge or a whisper about voluntarily attending? 0 Comments Because he missed it last year due to being a supplemental draft selection, I thought Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon would have to attend this year?s NFL Rookie Symposium. Turns out I was incorrect. That?s happened once before, maybe twice. It wouldn?t be a terrible idea though, right? Gordon, who will miss the first two games of the 2013 season due to violating the NFL?s substance abuse policy, will not be attending the 2013 symposium later this month. That was confirmed earlier this week by NFL spokesperson Corry Rush, who checked with the powers that be and responded to my inquiries. The NFL considers the rookie symposium a big deal. It devotes a ton of money and resources to making sure its messages about money, decision-making, career management and substance abuse reach the 200+ drafted rookies who attend. It brings back former problem children to address the next generation. Seems like Gordon would be, in some ways, the symposium?s absolute target audience, no? When then-Vikings receiver Percy Harvin missed the 2009 symposium due to sickness, there was some dicussion that he?d have to attend the following year. When the time came, the NFL did not require Harvin to attend because ?he received the appropriate training during the season at the club level through the Vikings? player development department.? Presumably, the NFL thinks the same of Gordon. During the lockout year of 2011, the NFL Players? Association held its own symposium-like event even though no league-sanctioned event could be held. More than 100 players didn?t show for that, but Terrelle Pryor ? who was in that year?s supplemental draft ? did. The symposium is usually held in late June. The Browns selected Gordon in the supplemental draft in mid-July last year so, like Harvin and Pryor, he did not attend. Given Gordon?s college troubles and his latest issue ? and that the symposium is now held in Cleveland ? maybe someone inside the Browns? organization could give Gordon a nudge or a whisper about voluntarily attending? Per the CBA, it probably can?t be more than a nudge. There is precedent. Another talented but troubled player, Nick Fairley of the Detroit Lions, showed up at last year?s symposium after being drafted during the lockout in 2011. If Gordon showed up, he might win some goodwill and some PR points. More importantly, something there might stick with him. And he might learn from past offenders that it?s best to straighten up before it?s too late. Zac Jackson appears courtesy of FoxSportsOhio
BEREA ? The Browns know what it is like to plow through a stretch of games without two of their most valuable players. What if they have to again? Before the 2012 season, the defense got slugged in the mouth when former first-round picks Joe Haden (suspension) and Phil Taylor (injury) coped with the prospect of missing a fat chunk of go time. The team got off to an 0-5 start. In turn, the 2013 offense took a hit last weekend when Josh Gordon, the team?s No. 1 wideout in waiting, got suspended for two games. That left everyone holding their breath as to what is up with No. 1 back Trent Richardson. What if a series of injuries last year and a new one that knocked him out of minicamp leave him unavailable or ineffective to start the season? Could the team avoid another doomed September? A lot would ride on Montario Hardesty. Given a little work last year, he was very good at times. During a four-game stretch in the second half of 2012 in which the Browns? only loss was in overtime at Dallas, Hardesty ran 21 times for 130 yards ? a crisp 6.2 yards per carry. Flash forward to minicamp 2013. Mentally and physically, Hardesty appeared to be more ready than he has ever been. He really is preparing as if he will be the starter. Ask him if he has thought of what he must do if anything happens to Richardson and he says, with meaningful eye contact and tangible conviction, ?I?ll be ready. Regardless. I?m ready to play.? He always has come off as a running back who loves to play. There is an added motivation to have the season of his life. Ask him to refresh the memory and clarify whether he is in a contract year and his eyes flash again. ?Oh yeah,? he says. Hardesty felt Richardson?s pain last year. Hardesty missed his rookie year after blowing out a knee in a preseason game. He finally showed in 2012 glimpses of what Tom Heckert saw when he traded up to draft him. He averaged 4.2 yards a carry on 65 chances, compared to Richardson?s 3.6 on 267 tries. ?This is my fourth season in the league,? Hardesty said. ?It?s my third season playing. I?ve wanted to get better each year. ?I?m excited. I?m going to take it and have fun. I want to have fun with football this year.? The Browns know what it is like to plow through a stretch of games without two of their most valuable players. What if they have to again? Before the 2012 season, the defense got slugged in the mouth when former first-round picks Joe Haden (suspension) and Phil Taylor (injury) coped with the prospect of missing a fat chunk of go time. The team got off to an 0-5 start. In turn, the 2013 offense took a hit last weekend when Josh Gordon, the team?s No. 1 wideout in waiting, got suspended for two games. That left everyone holding their breath as to what is up with No. 1 back Trent Richardson. What if a series of injuries last year and a new one that knocked him out of minicamp leave him unavailable or ineffective to start the season? Could the team avoid another doomed September? A lot would ride on Montario Hardesty. Given a little work last year, he was very good at times. During a four-game stretch in the second half of 2012 in which the Browns? only loss was in overtime at Dallas, Hardesty ran 21 times for 130 yards ? a crisp 6.2 yards per carry. Flash forward to minicamp 2013. Mentally and physically, Hardesty appeared to be more ready than he has ever been. He really is preparing as if he will be the starter. Ask him if he has thought of what he must do if anything happens to Richardson and he says, with meaningful eye contact and tangible conviction, ?I?ll be ready. Regardless. I?m ready to play.? He always has come off as a running back who loves to play. There is an added motivation to have the season of his life. Ask him to refresh the memory and clarify whether he is in a contract year and his eyes flash again. ?Oh yeah,? he says. Hardesty felt Richardson?s pain last year. Hardesty missed his rookie year after blowing out a knee in a preseason game. He finally showed in 2012 glimpses of what Tom Heckert saw when he traded up to draft him. He averaged 4.2 yards a carry on 65 chances, compared to Richardson?s 3.6 on 267 tries. ?This is my fourth season in the league,? Hardesty said. ?It?s my third season playing. I?ve wanted to get better each year. ?I?m excited. I?m going to take it and have fun. I want to have fun with football this year.? Unlike Richardson, Hardesty got a full spring on the field, gaining a real feel for the latest brand of Browns football. Hardesty is on his fourth Brown coordinator, going from Brian Daboll to Pat Shurmur to Brad Childress and now Norv Turner. ?Norv has an aggressive style of play, whether it?s running inside, running outside or throwing the ball downfield,? Hardesty said. ?(New running backs coach) John Settles is a good coach. He was an NFL player. He has me doing individual things I?ve never done before that are very helpful. He coached with Rob Chudzinski in this system at Carolina. He?s been in the system. ?The thing about Norv is, whatever you?re good at, he?s going to make sure you get to do that. The more things you?re good at, the more ways you?re going to fit.? Chudzinski raved about Hardesty?s offseason conditioning and attention to detail. He seemed surprised by how well the former Tennessee Volunteer was catching the ball. It is a forgotten fact that in a close 2009 loss to Alabama, Hardesty caught four passes for 66 yards. Last year?s coordinator, Childress, became a Hardesty fan during the 2012 team?s late hot streak. ?I like the fact that he?s been able to come in and explode and just give us a different pace,? Childress said in mid-December. Soon it will be time for summer camp. At this stage of the game, how does Hardesty view himself as a back? ?I feel like I can see the holes,? he said. ?I can run inside and outside. I can make people miss and run with power. As far as running the ball, I feel I can do anything you want out of a back. I can run with speed. I can hit it north and south and get a long run quick. Whatever you want. ?Catching the ball was one of the things I didn?t do as well. I always work on running things, but I worked a lot this offseason as a receiver.? Maybe it will all help the team a little in a role that would help Richardson stay fresh during games. But you never know. What if Hardesty needs to do a lot?
Might as well get that Hardesty av picked out Bluez....This guy is making the team. if you want, you can go ahead and get the Hardesty week out of the way now.
I hope he does help out . bout time dont ya think if he does indeed look like a true RB and not some pitter patter behind the LOS . drop passes miss blocks & fumble *WALL* i will eat crow no problem if he pans out . i hope he does we need all the help we can get . he will make good this year since it is a " contract year " for him ..go figure ! i still have doubts about him after three years of NOTHING !
A lot of guys had disappointing starts to their respective careers, but then went on to be great. Hardesty could be one of them. I know this much. When the new coach is raving about the "diligent work ethic" in the offseason, and the new OC is going on about how impressed he has been with his "all around game", that's a pretty sure sign that the young man in not only going to make the team, but play a prominent role as well....I'm rooting for Monterio Hardesty! He and T Rich should be a helluva 1-2 punch for ANY defense to deal with.
A little old lady is walking down the street, dragging two large plastic garbage bags with her, one in each hand. Unfortunately, there's a rip in one of the bags, and every once in a while a ?20 note falls out onto the pavement. Noticing this, a policeman stops her. "Madam, there are ?20 notes falling out of your bag."... "Oh, really? Darn!" says the little old lady. "I'd better go back and see if I can collect them. Thanks for the warning!" "Well, now, not so fast," says the cop. "How did you get all that money? You didn't steal it, did you?" "Oh, no," says the little old lady. "You see, my backyard is right next to the parking lot of the football stadium. Each time there's a game, a lot of fans come and pee through the bushes, right into my flower beds! So, I go and stand behind the bushes with a big hedge clipper, and each time someone sticks his little thingy through the bushes, I say, '?20 or off it comes'!" "Well, that seems only fair." laughs the cop. "OK, good luck! By the way, what's in the other bag?" "Well", says the little old lady, "not everybody pays."
1) There?s nothing like the unbridled optimism of a Cleveland Browns offseason. Just like there?s nothing like a Browns minicamp to spike said optimism. In the world of a team that has won 22 games in five years, the offseason spike in interest pushes every envelope. Average players are targeted for stardom, retreads become Pro Bowlers and the team suddenly will win 22 games in one season alone. During the draft, somebody actually tweeted after the first round ?who better to train Barkevious Mingo than Ray Horton?? Who indeed? This is the time of year the Browns always win. It?s quite a phenomenon. 2) Trent Richardson did not take part in some OTA activity due to a shin problem. Count me among those who say it?s not really an issue until training camp. Richardson played 15 games in 2012 and ran for 950 yards. He scored 11 touchdowns. He played with broken ribs (which might not have been the wisest decision). Clearly he?s willing to lay it on the line for the team when it matters. He missed minicamp. He missed some OTAs. Yawn. 3) Richardson does need to understand something Irving Fryar told me a long time ago in a different life. When Fryar played for the Dolphins, he said some of the best advice he received on playing NFL receiver came from Raymond Berry. It makes sense the advice was good; Berry was a Hall of Fame player for the Colts for years. Said Fryar: ?Raymond told me, ?Know when your journey is over.?? In other words, get the yards you can, but don?t be struggling for a half-yard when it?s evident it will at best a half-yard. Know when the journey is over, get to the ground and avoid unnecessary shots. NFL guys are simply too big and too fast to take extra hits. Richardson didn?t do that as a rookie. Often, he?d be in the grasp of someone and would try to fight for another half-yard with four guys bearing down on him. That?s how he broke his ribs ? fighting for yards while being swarmed near the sidelines in Cincinnati. It?s to Richardson?s credit that he wants to get what he can. But he also has to know when the journey is over. 4) When they give offseason rankings for OTAs and minicamps, you?ve got to think the Browns have to be top three. Almost every year. 5) Norv Turner is an excellent coaching hire, and the Browns are to be commended because they hired him. The guy knows what he?s doing. But it?s really been interesting to hear him deified this offseason as if he's capable of transforming the Browns merely by his presence. Norv Turner will make Brandon Weeden never throw an interception. Norv Turner will increase the rushing average over 7. Norv Turner will wash the uniforms, paint the halls and then have breakfast ready for the owner every day. At this point, I?d expect Turner to balance the federal budget by Tuesday. Had he been present, Helen Keller wouldn?t have needed Anne Sullivan. Turner is a good coach, and throwing down the field more is welcome. But let?s not forget that the Browns had former head coaches as coordinators last year too. Brad Childress took his team to the NFC Championship Game, and Dick Jauron is as respected a coach as there is in the league. Turner is a good hire; perhaps he?ll help. But his mere presence does not guarantee anything. 6) Three things the Browns do really well in minicamp that go unnoticed: Their coaches meander through the players as they stretch with a purpose unseen in other cities. Linemen look really good as they trot out of the huddle. Their mental reps are among the league?s best. 7) Brandon Weeden threw the ball well, and seems to be carrying himself as the starter, which is right and proper. The Jason Campbell signing was a good one because it upgraded the backup position. But the Browns want Weeden to start, and are planning for him to start. Campbell is there if Weeden, as they say in the vernacular, wets the bed. Weeden said he feels good about himself, knows he has to improve and plans to keep the starting job. All good. The former regime took Weeden a year ago with an eye on the meager group of quarterbacks in this year?s draft. The newest regime showed what they thought of this year?s quarterbacks in the draft by not taking one. At this point, Weeden remains on a one-year tryout to prove he should be the Browns quarterback for the next few years. 8) Change remains the constant in Berea. Change this, change that. The new regime swept out all the old and brought in the new to run football. With that change comes the requisite adjustment and growth on the field, and as the Browns have proved over the years, that adjustment and growth is not simple. Meanwhile, in the front office, the team is also making changes. The new front office is following the pattern of every other one in that it comes in by trying prove it is smarter than the people there before. The few folks left who were hired by Al Lerner are being ushered out. New hires are touting doing things the way they did it with their former teams. Which means upheaval in every facet, and which means starting over and yada yada yada, as Seinfeld might say. The same thing happened with John Collins, with Mike Holmgren, with YouNameIt taking over the team?s operations. An old phrase is never more applicable than it is in Berea: The more things change, the more they stay the same. 9) Maybe the Browns and Cavs should get together in the offseason and have a joint fan gala, a combined Draft Lottery Victory/Successful MiniCamp party. 10) Guys who were noticed on the field, in shorts, in the offseason: It is striking how big Josh Gordon is and how well he moves. If he can keep himself on the straight and narrow, he could wind up being a player. ? Joe Haden continues to show that he has skills. If he concentrates on achieving first rather than accepting being a celebrity before achieving, he can be a solid NFL corner. ? Johnson Bademosi is an interesting player. Smart, good size, Stanford guy. One of the league?s best special teams coaches told me years ago that any player who stands out on special teams should eventually be a very good regular-down player. Bademosi fits that profile, though having said that at this point it seems like Tashaun Gipson is targeted to start at safety. ? In other areas of interest, Craig Robertson seems to be ahead at inside linebacker next to D?Qwell Jackson, and Buster Skrine has the edge at cornerback opposite Haden. Training camp starts July 26.
Coming this year, fans will be permitted to bring less stuff into the stadium and players will be required to wear more stuff onto the field. Neither are happy. Browns receiver Greg Little says he won?t comply with the requirement that players were thigh and knee pads, a mandate that returns in 2013 after a 19-year hiatus. ?I?m definitely not wearing pads,? Little tells Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. ?It?s just a swag thing. If you don?t feel good, you?re not gonna play good.? For many players, it?s less about vanity than speed. Wearing pads encumbers the right-leg-left-leg process, diminishing the ability to get from point A to point B ASAFP. But paying the fines and not wearing the pads won?t be an option. Players will be removed from play if they refuse to comply. Some think the league is simply trying to create the impression that it cares about player safety, at a time when more than 4,000 former players have filed concussion lawsuits. Others think the league wants to promote the use of distinctive Nike compression shorts that are equipped with pads ? which in turn will prompt players at lower levels of the sport to clamor for the same gear.
Too many blows to the head? Sometimes I wonder if some football players are just naturally dumb or they work hard at it. Take, for example, the reaction of one member of the Browns when the National Football League announced that thigh pads and knee pads are now a mandatory part of a player?s uniform except for punters and placekickers. To be honest, I didn?t know the NFL Players Association had negotiated to make that equipment optional about 20 years ago. When Browns wide receiver Greg Little found out the new rule, he adamantly declared, ?I?m definitely not wearing pads. It?s just a swag thing. If you don?t feel good, you?re not going to play good.? Oh, so it?s all about how you feel. All this time I thought it was all about how you played, not felt. I had no idea the two were connected. I?m not certain how the addition of four fairly lightweight pads can affect how one feels. Besides, how does Little know how he?ll feel with pads if he?s never used them before? The notion that about of pound and a half of extra equipment will make that much of a difference is preposterous. Before 1994, it didn?t seem to affect the quality of play in the league. Why now all of a sudden? The notion that pads will restrict or slow down a player or players and give the opponent a competitive edge is nonsense if everyone is required to wear them. All that does is balance the scales. The new mandate, handed down in yet another effort by the NFL to cut down on potential major injuries, is being met with some degree of resistance by players. According to some reports, many players cite that legs are rarely struck with most of the contact coming above the waist. OK, so add hip pads to the equipment, too. How many times have we seen a player?s padless knee or thigh struck by a helmet during a tackle? Not many, but certainly enough times to know that such a tackle can cause major damage such as a blown ligament or deep thigh bruise. Injuries like those can be the cause of anywhere from a trip to the sidelines for a few games to a season on injured reserve. Players are at least smart enough to realize that football is no longer a contact sport. It is a collision sport and if players are not protected properly, those collisions are capable of ending careers. Leave it to a former player to inject some common sense into the latest flare-up. Frank Minnifield, one of the original Dawgs when he played cornerback for the Browns opposite Hanford Dixon from 1984 to 1992, doesn?t understand what the big deal is. ?Ask some of these players if they?re quicker when they are injured,? he told the Plain Dealer. ?Imagine taking a helmet or the heel to the kneecap. . . . It can happen at any time. Somebody?s heel swings around and catches you like a sledgehammer. You are rolling the dice.? Entering this season, roughly 30% of players in the NFL protect their knees and thighs with pads. A 2010 survey conducted by Fox Sports revealed that a vast majority of those who eschewed the pads played on the defensive side of the ball. According to a league spokesman, uniform inspectors (some call them the uniform police) assigned to the games by the NFL will be given the authority to administer the new rule. Non-compliance could lead to possible disqualification. So if Little maintains his stance -- if he?s smart, he?ll concentrate more on becoming a better wide receiver ? and thumbs his nose at the latest equipment dictum, we?ll see how long that ?swag thing? lasts. The Browns don?t need these kinds of distractions. What they need to do is have someone sit down with Little, and anyone else on the club with a problem here, and inform them there are many more important issues with which to deal. Posted by Rich Passan at 5:07 PM 2 comments:
Grin and bear it, if you can Now comes the hard part. No football to speak of for roughly the next seven weeks. The Browns are officially off the clock with regard to training. From an operational standpoint, the front office still has some contract work to do with a few draft choices. Other than that, the silence that emanates from 76 Lou Groza Blvd. will be deafening. Fans will continue chirp and carp, however, because offseasons in professional football do not exist in their world. That?s just the nature of being a pro football fan. There is always something to be discussed, to be argued. For Browns fans, it?s whether Brandon Weeden?s strong minicamp and OTA performances will carry over into training camp late next month and beyond. It?s whether Josh Gordon will finally take his career seriously after piling up his second strike with the National Football League drug abuse program. One more strike could mean a season?s suspension. It?s whether Trent Richardson knows what it?s like to be completely healthy. Same with Jordan Cameron, whose ability to stay healthy (problematical at best) hinges on what Norv Turner is able to do with the team?s offense this season. Then there?s the fresh-scrubbed look of the new head coach. It?s always a risk to hire someone who has never been a big boss previously. It?s not nearly the same as being a coordinator. The key is coaching the coaches, letting them coach the players. We won?t know for the next 47 days whether Ray Horton?s multi-front, high-blitz scheme on defense is more risk than rewarding. And we won?t know whether there will be such a thing as a three-down outside linebacker this season. All signs point to a thunderous NO. We?ll have to wait for what will seem an eternity to find out whether Joshua Cribbs is, indeed, irreplaceable. We became so spoiled by his outstanding success, his absence might seem palpable at first and unfair to those who will try to make you forget him. And what about the defensive line? With all the high profile free-agent signings emphasizing the pass rush from the outside, the plug uglies up front have been relegated to second billing. The offensive line, too, remains a mystery with the slots located on either side of center Alex Mack in the spotlight. Most effective running games rely on the strength of the interior line, i.e. the guards. And what about the secondary? Lots of unanswered questions in Cleveland's defensive backfield. With Horton dialing up blitz after blitz after blitz, that part of the field might be the most fun to watch in training camp. On and on the rhetoric will rage until then. Arguments will be won in some minds, lost in others. That?s the beauty of being a Browns fan. Then before you know it, July 26 will be here, coaches? air horns will blast, footballs will fill the air and everything will return to normal. Whatever normal is in Browns Nation. Posted by Rich Passan at 11:30 AM
Morning BPP ..Someone somewhere will screw up between now & camp openings .just hope it's non of our guys .
Hello Bluez! The Dawg Pound Lounge will live forever. I'm just poking around MnC and getting a feel for it. Baby and I will be running the pickems game again, and of course everyone here is cordially invited.
As the Browns try to reverse a decade filled mainly with bad performances, they need to get out of their own way. It?s apparently harder than it looks. Sure, the federal Pilot Flying J investigation has no direct impact on the football team. For now. If, however, owner Jimmy Haslam gets indicted for customer rebate fraud occurring at the billion-dollar truck-stop company founded by his father, turmoil will quickly return to what had appeared to be a settled ownership situation. The cancellation of the Bon Jovi concert at FirstEnergy Stadium a/k/a the Factory of Sadness likewise has no direct impact on the football team. But for the fact that the football team teased and hyped and promoted the thing as the unofficial kickoff to the 2013 season. It?s still not entirely clear why the Browns punted on the July 14 event. As explained by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the team referred questions on the reasons for the plug-pulling to Bon Jovi?s publicist, Ken Sunshine. (God, I hope his middle name starts with a C.) That seems like a fancy way of saying, ?It?s not our fault.? Still, at a certain level, it is. If, as it appears based on recent media reports, the ongoing feud between Jon Bon Jovi and guitarist Richie Sambora contributed to the cancellation, the Browns should have realized that the problems could prevent the band from honoring its commitment to play ? and in turn hired someone else. Like KISS. And, yes, this whole blurb was written because I wanted to once again pitch KISS for an NFL gig. Hey, Browns. It?s not too late to pick up the phone and call Dr. Love.
Pregnant Prostitute Doctor asks pregnant prostitute, "do you know who the father is?" "For cryin' out loud! If you ate a tin of beans would you know which one made you fart? *DONT_KNOW*
