Enjoying Life

either we're doing good or there's a rump roast in front of the podium

I don't know about you, but these past 13 weeks have been awesome. Food tastes better. Work is more enjoyable. Getting up and facing the day is something I look forward to. Sleep is more refreshing. My 2 year old son isn't as fussy. DC traffic is more bearable. Ben Toothlessberger isn't as ugly. Pittsburgh doesn't suck as much (it still sucks, mind you). The last two are completely false, but I just can't bring myself to be angry about the inbred valley surrounded by 3 rivers.

Anyways, I haven't been posting lately for a wide variety of reasons, but mainly because I'm not angry. This blog was an outlet for my frustrations in being a Cleveland sports fan. What do I have to complain about? Absolutely nothing. 3 of the teams I root for have made it to the top of their respective sports. They haven't won, but I'll take being close over what we've been experiencing. If the Browns make the playoffs, one could argue that this is the greating sporting year ever for the city of Cleveland. I am so proud of these Browns and what they've accomplished, I'm not even that angry about losing twice to you know who (we can't get everything we want all at once, can we?).

I had a chance to go home and see a game in person for the first time in 7 years last month against the Seahawks (my buddy was doing the coin toss for Veteran's Day, a fair trade for losing your leg to an IED). What an awesome game to be at...that Stadium was as loud as the old one and people were in such a good mood. It made me miss home in the worst way. One of these days, I will be back in God's country and be better for it. Enjoy this, Browns fans. This team certainly doesn't look like they've been put together as a flash in the pan (a la the Saints) and betters days surely lie ahead.

The Browns are back! No they're not!

Romeo's view after the Cincinnati game

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, especially in light of the results of the past few weeks. All I can say is putting food on the table takes precedence, unfortunately. The roller coaster ride that is the Cleveland Browns has officially begun (I'm sure someone else has already used this analogy)! However, the drops on this ride are usually much steeper and last longer than any hills that it does get to the top of. First, we’ll detail the Bengals’ game briefly. This game was exactly like the Chiefs’ game of last year. No expectations were on the team, so what to do they do? Go out and play like gangbusters and take it to a superior team (supposedly). This only pertains to the offense, but holy smokes, that was awesome. Every single thing you expect from this team in terms of effort and execution came to fruition in one beautiful 60 minute display. Our playmakers made plays, our line blocked effectively in both the run and pass, our running back ran like it was 2003, and our coach showed some semblance of emotion. Our defense? Well, that’s another topic for another novel (a horror story, with multiple grisly killings and missed assignments in the secondary).

Anyways, games like this gives us fans a glimmer of hope and we start thinking, maybe, just maybe, this team is starting to turn the corner and put it together. And then the first car in the roller coaster clears the top of the hill, and you know what happens after that. Another kick in the nuts. Seriously, that is exactly what the Raiders game and every other game following a victory has been since 2003. The effort they put forward last Sunday was a kick in the collective groins of everyone that roots for the Brown and Orange. Maybe not giving a crap or overconfidence or whatever you want to call that display of effort is part of the growing process (which I've heard suggested). But if it is, the Browns should be about 50 feet tall with 60 inch pipes from all the “growing” that’s been going on since I can remember. I say this based on only the hearsay and 2nd hand accounts I’ve read and here’s why: I didn’t watch the game this weekend. Before you get on my case, I have a very good reason. I was in Chicago visiting family and actually trying to enjoy my Sunday in the Windy City. I was planning on watching the game when I got home and had it DVR’d and ready to go for when I got back to DC. I refused to even watch the Sunday night Bears game (Rex Grossman has to be Chuck Frye’s brother from another mother) until they had put tape over the scoreboard ticker on the late afternoon games before I sat down in front of the TV. Just as I had sat down, though, CBS cut into a game breaking moment and it was none other than our Browns getting ready to kick the game winning field goal over the Raiders. “Turn it!!!” I shrieked to my brother-in-law and he obliged. But, after thinking for a split second, I said, “to hell with it, turn it back.” I then saw a field goal attempt that had all the effort and intensity of Rosie O’Donnell resisting a second trip to the buffet line or Ben Roethlisberger not trying to look ugly. Seriously, the blocking looked like a no-contact run-through for a high school team the night before the big game. And then I saw some d0u#he with a single bar facemask in a Brown's uniform give a pathetic attempt at scooping it up and running (I know who he is). Piss poor. And you know what? I am so glad I did. Just by seeing that one play, I saved myself wasting 4 hours of my life when I got back home to see that horrible ending. I don’t know what it is, but how is it that we are usually the only team on the field that takes at least a quarter to “get it” and get competitive? Is this coaching? Is this the players? I don’t know but somebody needs to figure this out and fast.

I know I promised myself I wouldn’t go into any more games after that first one with any expectations. After that Cincy game, I couldn’t help but to have just a small amount of hope and excitement like everyone else, but once again, that is officially out the door. On a side note, Chicago is fast becoming my second favorite city. I had one of the best Saturday afternoons I can remember sporting-wise. I started the day off at an Ohio State Bakery and followed that up with a trip to an Ohio State Bar for brunch and to hang out with some fellow Buckeyes before the game that afternoon. After downing a few adult beverages, including my first Old Style, I then went to my first Cubs game. Wow is all I can say about it. We had seats 3 rows behind the bullpen for the Cubs and the interaction that Wrigley Field provides to the players is awesome. You can seriously reach out and grab them. I love the Jake and have nothing but awesome memories of the 90’s and the sellouts that made those games awesome, but being in Wrigley during a Pennant race with a packed house was just breath-taking. You could just feel the collective will of everyone in that place take the Cubs’ play to another level. And to top it all off, they wailed on that Inbred Valley surrounded by 3 Rivers. Beautiful. After that, we made our way back to the Buckeye Bar and then watched with about 100 OSU fans the butt-whipping of a lifetime given to the unfortunate Northwestern Wildcats. It was also funny to see Appalachian State T-shirts everywhere and even on sale in the Big-Ten Store in the OSU section. At least one of the football teams I root for doesn’t suck out loud. Even my wife and brother and sister in-law , all yinzers, can sit through those games. Now before anyone starts calling me a turncoat or anything, I love Cleveland and I am certain if our city ever got its act together, we could transform our Lakefront and surrounding area into what Chicago has (hasn’t this been suggested for about 20 years now? Our city government continues to suck).

Congratulations to the Indians and the AL Central Pennant! I, like just about everyone else from our beloved city, devotes way too much time and attention to the loser that is masquerading as our Browns and way too little time to this team that has come together and has one of the best starting rotations in the majors and a 2 deep bullpen that is lights out (I’m leaving Joe Borowski out of the “lights out” description). Even sub-par years from Grady and Hafner didn’t prevent this team from coming together, getting timely hitting when it had to and winning. I am very proud of them and I wish them the best. I know I had said before that I was tired of watching this team because I know what’s going to happen, but a post-season disappointment is much better than a total disappointment (I’m talking to you, Romeo).

For this upcoming game against the Ravens, here's my original prediction :

September 30

BALTIMORE RAVENS

W, 35-3

Matt Stover holds off shutout, Brian Billick acts smug

I am definitely sticking to this one. Chalk up another big day for Derek Anderson and the Brownies!

I’m going to end this rambling post with one side note. I predicted the Browns would put up 56 vs Cincinnati. I should have bet that and given 5 points in Vegas. Darn it.

Goodbye, Charlie!

Just read this on si.com. Charlie never lived up to expectations here and even though I am all for sticking through a rough patch in hopes of positive returns, it didn't look like it was going to happen with him. Best of luck to you, but it needed to be done.

This is a joke, right?

I just found this article on the Cleveland Brown's site. Seriously, who approved an article like this?

IS BYRON LEFTWICH STILL AVAILABLE?

WE SUCK AGAIN!

Seriously, what the h&ll was that? In my heart of hearts, I didn't expect a win, but I did expect a competitive game where we came out and pretended like we cared. There were tons of things wrong with this game, but the thing that stood out the most in my mind and I think is the most troubling was the quarterback play. It seemed like Charlie had ample time on at least 3 of the sacks and just held on to the stupid ball too long. Maybe the synapses just don't fire quickly enough up there to be a starting quarterback in this league. Also, I know a lot of people are hanging Sean Jones out there to dry because he showed up Brodney Pool on that ridiculously easy 40 yd completion for a TD, but I am glad he did it. At least someone back there cares. There is no freakin way a slot receiver should be that wide open when you are running cover 2. It looked to me like Mr Pool had his sights set on blowing up somebody on a running play and forgot his most important responsibility. When you screw up that bad, someone should be pissed. Mr. Wright, soft coverage probably works on Mountain West receivers almost all the time, but against NFL receivers, if that's all you're comfortable with, well, nice knowing ya (I know it's his first game, but I'm annoyed at everyone this morning).

I blame myself for believing the hype that this would be an improved team and things are looking up for the future. I'm not saying we would have won, but with a competent QB in there, our receivers aren't turning around to try to catch passes and maybe we can keep a drive alive. Also, 4 penalties on one play? I have never seen that in all my years of playing or watching football. That is a testament to bringing in a special teams coach whose squad was near the bottom last year. Romeo, the rest is on you. Cook, clean, do something, anything!! There were 2 players who played like they gave a poop, Kellen Winslow and Antwan Peek. Thanks to you 2, and everyone else can get bent. It made me sick to my stomach seeing ugly Ben on the sidelines in the 4th quarter laughing it up like he just found out they finally legalized inner-family marriage in Allegheny County.

wait a second, getting sacked is a bad thing?

Finally, I guess it's a good thing this happened so quickly this year, so I have absolutely no more expectations for the rest of the year and save myself countless kicks of my son's toys across the family room. I wonder if the Browns will give me a refund for the 250.00 I waste every year to watch them 3 states away? I take that back, they should have given refunds first to everyone at the door. Seriously, I think every fan that made the effort to get down there put more effort into being there than the players did.

Addendum: Just read the Munilot and one of the posts jogged my memory on this one too: Lawrence Vickers, you are a grade A jackass. When Kellen Winslow is coming over to you and gesturing, "Okay, Okay, get moving..." that is probably a good cue to stop. Butthead.

Time to start caring again

coach...Starting coach.

Hi Everyone,

Well, the preseason has come and gone and I seriously tried to pay as little attention to it as possible. Sure, I watched the games on the NFL Network and got to hear a drunk Bernie Kosar make some really good points and and provide some spot-on analysis, but aside from that, I tried to stay away from it. I want to go into this season with no or low expectations so when the losing does start, I won't kick too many of my son's toys across the living room. I do think we'll be better, but that's like saying you're the tallest midget. Big deal. Seriously, how many of us will be ready to call the season a total loss after week 1 if we get our taints handed to us by the Stee___ (I can't bring myself to write it). Please just be competitive this week, Brownies. Is that too much to ask?

One more thing, Leigh Bodden, you are an idiot. I don't care who you're picking up. The response by the police may have been a little excessive, but you are still an idiot. I can't stand it when people at an airport think the rules don't apply to them.

Anyways, after the draft, I did a quick game by game analysis of this upcoming season with my predictios for each game. It's right here . As promised, I will review each of my predictions and also add any additional insight I can for every game. Some of the predictions won't come true, obviously, so I will address these and issue new ones.

Here was the prediction for the first game:



September 9 PITTSBURGH STEELERS

W, 42-0 - Quinn throws for 450 yds in debut



I am still sticking to my score prediction. However, I may have to change the side note on this one unless Charlie Frye goes down on the first drive.



So here's my new prediction:



As of kickoff at 1:05 pm on Sunday, September 9th, Pittsburgh will still suck.



Addendum:



Ben Roethlishoofer will still have a bulbous nose.



Stay tuned next week for some post-game analysis!



By the way, wasn't it a great to be an Ohio football fan last week? We more than held our own against the entire country in Kirk Hirbstreit's Ohio vs. USA High School Football Challenge, Ohio State won, Mount Union set a college record for most points scored in a quarter (as a former D3er, please believe me when I say every school prays that these guys don't end up on your non-conference schedule, I'd love to see them matched up against a 1-AA team some time).



But the piece-de-resistance of last weekend was seeing the team up north get some Deliverance treatment by a 1 - AA TEAM!!!!! It doesn't get any better than that. All I can say to the administration up there is this (and everyone who loves the Bucks repeat after me):



KEEP LLOYD CARR! KEEP LLOYD CARR!

The Plain Dealer is about to get a million times better

I'm in trouble

Just read this from the Akron Beacon Journal's website:

Akron Beacon Journal sports columnist Terry Pluto announced Tuesday that he is resigning from the newspaper after 22 years.
He has accepted a similar position with the Plain Dealer in Cleveland.

I guess this means that Bud, Paul and Tony will have to start trying now. I am glad this market isn't losing this guy. He's definitely my favorite read of any Cleveland sports columnist and seems like a genuine and decent guy to boot. Congrats on the move up, Terry. I hope the pessimism of the aforementioned doesn't rub off on you.

Jaguars are in for a big suprise

Let me tell you about the time I almost caught the ball in traffic!

Just for old time's sake, I did a quick search on google news and found this. Glowing review after glowing review of one Dennis Northcutt. Apparently, he's been named the number one receiver during this year's training camp and has been catching everything in site. While he did have his moments here and there as a Brown, I'm certain it's only a matter of time before he's alligator clapping all of the balls that are thrown his way. Be verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry careful, Jacksonville, about putting too much hope in this guy.

What, Vinny Del Negro wasn't available?

Allan makes his annual visit to Pittsburgh

Danny Ferry has had all offseason to make improvements to our up-and-coming, yet flawed roster, and as of right now, the only news that's headline worthy is this?



From Brian Windhorst:

Team sources said the Cavs have interest in former New York Knicks star Allan Houston, who is planning a comeback two years after being forced to retire because of knee problems. Houston, 36, was one of the best shooting guards in the game in his prime. He told ESPN.com last week that his knee is feeling better and he hopes to play this season.

Mr. Houston personifies the term "one-dimensional". I guess this is a good thing?!

VALIDATION

I've got something in my pocket for youuuu....

The Hornless Rhino from the blog Vinny and the Hornless Rhino has this excellent take on why I gave my blog this name. It's a beautiful thing when wild speculation and blind loathing lead to validation.

Exlusive Company

Just saw a report on ESPNews about the last two quarterbacks that were drafted 22nd besides Quinn. This guy and this guy . Here's to hoping past performance is not indicative of future results.

Hooray! Brady will save the day!

Brady, you no hold out




Here's the latest from the PD: Brady Quinn has signed a contract with the Browns and will be heading to camp soon. Just what we need, another quarterback to throw erratic passes to our receivers!

Bandwagon Fans

I haven't had too much to post about lately. I know training camp is in full swing and there are all kinds of stories coming out of Berea, but what can I add to the reports that people that are actually there are giving you? That is the worst part about being out of state...I only have to go off of what other people tell me. I promise you once I actually get to use my NFL DirectTicket package, I'll have something useful to add to the Browns' blogging world.

I did get to see the HOF induction ceremonies, and this one seemed to be one of the more emotional affairs I have seen in a long time. I actually felt something other than hatred for Michael Irvin watching him give his acceptance speech. You could tell he knew he messed up and was now paying the price that his short-sightedness and addictions cost him. Seriously, what is he going to tell his sons when they are older and want to get into trouble? Don't do it? Why? Because you'll end up in the most revered sports hall of fame like me? Ouch. By far the most bittersweet moment of this year's induction ceremony Was seeing Bobby Mitchell, LeRoy Kelly and Jim Brown roll out the newest Brown to get in, Gene Hickerson. Reading his story and how he was so long overdue and the onset of dementia was heart breaking. Here's to hoping you were able to to at least enjoy this moment in your mind, Gene. This was also another reminder of what used to be and it makes our present situation with this team all the more frustrating. It's hard to believe that with atrocious play of these new Browns that we actually have 16 players in the Hall of Fame...and I was alive for only one of their careers.

As far as the Browns training camp goes, my biggest concern by far is the QBs. I definitely believe it when I read and see that neither one of these guys has done anything to stand out. Just for continuity's sake and to get some finality on whether or not he has what it takes to be a starter in this league, I want Chuck in there as the starter on September 9th. From what we've seen so far, it looks like that's going to happen. I am totally indifferent on the Quinn issue and here's why: the longer this goes on, the less likely he is to see the field this year. That is the best possible scenario for everyone involved. I think the Browns know and Tom Condon knows it.

If the Ryan Tucker debacle ends up being the worst thing that happens at training camp, consider me a happy man.

Here's my new favorite Steeler (replacing Kordell Stewart).

My grandfather in law just about had an aneuryism this weekend when the in-laws came to visit. He's a great guy and I love him, but he's a Steeler fan in every sense of the word. I thought it would be funny to cover his bed entirely with my Browns' blanket when he came up to go to bed, but we needed tranquilizers to calm him down after he saw that beautiful brown and orange festooning the place he was supposed to lay his head.

Apparently, people from Pittsburgh don't like it when you tell them, "Oh, I'm so sorry! That must have been just awful." When you meet them for the first time and they proudly tell you where they're from.

There's been a topic on my mind that has been bothering me for quite some time. There are a good number of Steelers fans down here in DC, but a ton of them aren't even from that little slice of hell on earth. Most of these "fans" grew up during the 70's and due to geographic restrictions or just plain idiocy, decided to jump on the bandwagon of whatever team was winning at the time of their formative years. I've ran into more than a few of these guys and the conversation usually goes like this...

Me: Yeah, I'm not too thrilled about how the Browns are looking this year, we are probably going to suck again. As long as we beat Pittsburgh, though, I'll be happy.

Idiot: Really? I'm a Steeler's fan!

Me: No kidding? I'm sorry to hear that. Are you from Pittsburgh?

Idiot: No.

Me: Do you have family from Pittsburgh?

Idiot: No...

Me: Do you have in any way, shape or form, any connection to that horrible place besides the fact that you liked a good, yet roided-up, football team when you were a little idiot and have been on their bandwagon ever since?

Idiot: Uhhh, No...

Me: I hate you.

Seriously, I don't know whether to punch these guys in the face when I meet them, or just pretend like I didn't hear the stupidity that just came out of their mouth. These guys drive me even more crazy than regular yinzers because they voluntarily became yinzers by association and then act like they did something braver than just rooting for whatever team was winning when they started to get hair in their bathing suit areas. That is one thing I can appreciate and love about Browns' fans, you don't choose to become one and there are definitely no fair weather ones.

The Fruitiest Cars Ever Made

Since absolutely nothing is going on in the world of sports right now (except baseball), I figured I would do another list that's been running through my head for quite some time: Fruity cars. There's a ton of them out there and every time I see one I think to myself, "What exactly is the thought process that leads to someone purchasing this car?" I dont want to hear the argument that finances has anything to do with it. For every Dodge Neon, there's a perfectly fine Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic that you can purchase in its place. I honestly don't know what the reasoning is, but in any case, it provides me a brief amount of enjoyment to see a dude cruising through his neighborhood in any one of the ones I'm going to mention below. Here it goes:


9. Scion xB - Still not quite sure what Toyota's designers were thinking with this one...it's basically a box with wheels. A fruity box with wheels. I know you can customize it Gand add all kinds of neat trinkets, graphics and gadgets, but at the end of the day, it's still a box with wheels plus trinkets, graphics and gadgets. Special mention goes to Honda for their Element, that is basically a box with wheels designed to go camping as well.





8. Audi TT - This thing looks like an ovary with wheels.

7. Geo (Chevy) Tracker - I want to go off-roading. I want to hit the dirt trails blazing with a 4WD that doesn't take crap from the road. I want a tough vehicle that tells the road "Who's you're daddy?" I also want to take the top down and feel the cool breeze blowing in my face and all around me as I conquer the unpaved wilderness foot by foot. What am I going to choose? Definitely not a Geo Tracker. If it was possible for a car to talk, this one would scream "estrogen".








6. Hyundai Tiburon - the designers at Hyundai were thinking that making a car look like a bananna with wheels would attract the heavily coveted driving monkey segment of the population. I put this one on my list because a friend of mine drives this one and we agreed it should be on here.
















5. Chrysler PT Cruiser - originally when this came out, everyone thought this was a throwback car to the 40's and was a fun and silly little vehicle. I even remember my dad saying that he liked the design because it reminded him of cars from his childhood. Not anymore. This car has so many effeminate connotations that should only make it in purple and sell it in Lakewood, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco. It looks like a fruity thation wagon with curveth. A special kick in the crotch goes out to Chevy for making the copycat in the HHR even after knowing that its design was on a destination to fruitcake city.









4. Mazda Miata - I've heard the argument time and time again that it's a fun little driving machine that handles like a dream and is fun for both men and women and blah blah blah. This thing is girly as girly gets. The Miata is like a go-cart that has been injected with mommy parts.















3. Dodge Neon - If that isn't the girliest name for a car outside of "Plymouth Breeze", I don't know what is. I know a lot of kids like to soup this car up so it looks a little less girly, but it's like putting lipstick on a pig. At the end of the day, your call is still called a "Dodge Neon".















2. Hummer H2 - Let me ask you this? How many total bada$$es do you actually see driving a car like this? None? One? That's about right. This car is usually driven by soccer moms or guys who have something to prove (you know what the say about guys with big cars). I think the average height of H2 drivers is around 4'8".

















and the number one girliest car is......................



1. Volkswagen Beetle - This was way too easy. Not a single straight line on the entire body of this car. This car is one big bundle of curves. The most stylish accessory for this ride is a flower in the cup holder. Let me repeat that: The most stylish accessory for this ride is a flower in the cup holder. There is no reason for a male to ever be driving this car at any time. Ever.



There it is folks. If I forgot any, please let me know. And if you drive any of these, I'm sorry. But not really.

I'm back from vacation

Trying hard now...Gonna Fly now...

Hi All,

Sorry again for the lack of postings, but I've been on vacation for a few weeks and sick or travelling for the others. I promise I will try to do this on a more regular basis. Here are some random thoughts over the last few weeks:

1. Will the All Star Game ever be as exciting as it once was? Maybe it's always been this boring, but I distinctly remember when it was at the Jake being as excited as I can remember for any sporting event (especially when Sandy Alomar hit that bomb). It just seems like no one cares anymore. I think the only memorable thing I can think of besides Ichiro's and Victor's HRs was when Paula Cole (?!) came out to sing God Bless America and couldn't get her keyboard started and it sounded like there was some booing going on. Since it was San Fran, they were probably booing the song choice or the smug lifting.

2. All the reports I've been hearing are saying the Derek Anderson has the clear leg up on the other 2 in camp for the starting QB spot. I don't know what to make of this. All offseason I've been reading that Chud's gameplan is to have a lot of rollouts and bootlegs and that would seem to fit perfectly into Chucky Frye's wheelhouse. I know this is all speculation and we'll see for sure once the pads are on, but I felt like it was my duty to weigh in on this pointless topic.

3. I also saw that LeChuck is trying to make a comeback for this year. How can every single report before this announcement be so way off-base? I'm actually impressed that Bentley managed to fool anyone and everyone by laying so low and not having one source leak out his intentions until he was ready to do so. Comebacks like this aren't supposed to happen in Cleveland, so although I wish him the best, I'll believe it when I see it.

4. I don't get why the Tribe is still having problems drawing huge crowds to their games. They have dominant pitching, an excellent lineup with 4 stars (Grady, Victor, Hafner, and Ja-honny) and are true contenders for the AL Central crown. I know I said before that they are probably just going to let us down again, but that didn't stop me from trying to get out to see them every opportunity I had anyways. Besides, what else is there to do right now, go to the Flats?

5. I had the bright idea of taking my 20 month old son to Disneyland. Big mistake. I don't know if I was spoiled to death by summer after summer of Cedar Point, but every other amusement park just disappoints me. All I really wanted was for my kid to see Mickey Mouse and they make you wait 40 minutes in a stupid line and when we finally got to see him for 10 seconds, it was the Old-School Steamboat Willie Version, not the new one my son sees on their cable extension of their evil conglomerate. I wanted to kick Mickey right in the crotchal region but my better judgement told me not to. What did my son do when he saw this version of Mickey? Try to take his nose off. I couldn't of been prouder of him. Anyways, he caught a virus while we were there and had to go to the Doctor's the rest of the time we were on vacation. He was screaming his head off in 94 degree heat and direct sunlight while on loudspeakers everywhere a song was blaring that had the lyrics "This is the happiest place I've ever been" - I kid you not.

6. Is there a more beautiful place in the continental US than San Diego? Every time I go there to visit family I don't want to come back. Beautiful beaches on one side, beautiful mountains on the other, and a climate that varies between 65 and 90 year round. Drink it in, because it definitely goes down smooth. Seriously, anyone who complains about living there deserves to be punched.

7. My college friends and I had our yearly weekend get-together this past Saturday at a cabin in Berkely Springs, WV. Three things about this:

A) You know you're getting old when you and everyone else is in bed by 11:3o.

B) You couldn't pay me enough money to live in Berkely Springs. We walked into a restaurant and everyone in the place was not talking or eating, just looking at us. I dont' look down on people living in small towns, but man, was that place depressing. It just boggles my mind that someone would want to and enjoys living there.

C) When your stomach is used to eating turkey burgers and 97/3 burgers, 70/30 burgers, while initially tasting good, lead to many, many potty breaks.

Cleveland Browns, Come on Down!

Slap Hands!

With this year's improbable run to the Championships and the probable ending that all of those so-called "experts" predicted, it's time to start looking again at the lifeblood of this town, the Brown and Orange. Before I do that though, here's a few of my thoughts (since you asked) on the first 3 games so far:





"Deve ser o herói, deve fazer exame do tiro para o glory do basketball"


- This is what was going through Anderson Varejao's mind as he inexplicably took a nice entry pass from His Highness and spun wildly into the paint and put up a flailing semi-hook, semi-layup, semi-total brick with time winding down in Game 3. Roughly translated from Portugese to English, it states, "must be hero, must take basketball shot for glory". I don't know how it works in Brazil, Anderson, but in America, if you aren't completely wide open and have no discernible go-to post up moves to speak of, you pass the basketball to the best player in the world (sort of) to take that final shot. Criminy.

-I've been trying to figure out who Sasha Pavlovic reminded me of and on Tuesday night it hit me:

-Boobie Gibson, I ain't mad at ya, but welcome to pressure. Here's to hoping you handle it better the next time around.

-The first two losses were easier to take than this last one. In the first two games, we definitely didn't deserve to win and had the deer-in-headlights look except for the 4th quarter in both games, but on Tuesday: ouch, that one stung. We were the better defensive team, the more aggressive, the more dominant in the paint, and we basically shut down 2 of their big 3, and still lost. I don't know what we can do except shoot, shoot, shoot in the offseason to improve our offensive game. There were plenty of nice drives and open looks, but no finishes.


-Whatever happens this last game, I'm still proud of this team and glad I got to at least experience what it felt like to be playing for something important again.


On to the Browns:

-I've read on a few of the sites I have links to that we are located at or near the bottom of the power rankings on a few major publications. Good. I don't want any expectations or victory predictions by anyone (Braylon, this means you) for this upcoming season. If you go into this season expecting the very worse, you won't come away disappointed if it happens (easier said than done).

- I think I like the fact that Rob Chudzinski and Romeo are taking this approach to installing the new offense: drinking from the firehose. Throw it all out there, see what sticks and then see what areas need to be improved on. No more hand-holding, coddling or gradually introducing anything. These guys are all professionals making a lot more money than the average schlub and can at least be expected to grasp a plan for playing a game. I also think it's good for the QB competition. All of them are now on a level playing field and whoever can grasp this offense and its nuances the fastest and most accurately will be the starter. For this season, I honestly do hope it's Frye because I want to see him succeed, Quinn's not ready by all appearances and supposedly this offense involves more rollouts, which is Charlie's forte.


- When K2's knee status makes national headlines (I just saw it on the NFL Network), not good. We need this guy in the worst way (not in a Pittsburgh kind of wanting, but nonetheless).

- Just saw an article on how Joe Thomas and Chase Pittman got into a fight during minicamp. I'm sure RAC was thrilled that the 3rd overall pick in the draft was getting into it with someone who probably won't even be on the roster.

San Antonio tries to be mean, but fails miserably

ooooooooooohhhhhh, come on CAVS!

Here's an interesting (for the Plain Dealer) article I found on Cleveland.com: San Antonio tries to be mean, and basically comes off looking like a bunch of second graders in the insult department. Here's a couple of gems:

"The Cuyahoga River caught on fire"


"We haven't won a title in over 40 years"


"The Cleveland Browns stink"


"We've lost games with names like The Drive, The Fumble and The Shot"


"Anderson Varejao looks like Sideshow Bob"

People in Texas like cowboys, right?

Ouch, guys, make it stop. Those insults sound like something that was said at a taping of "Wild'n Out" in Salt Lake City. I have nothing to say about San Antonio, and here's why: San Antonio doesn't matter. San Antonio has no bearing on anything. San Antonio is not relevant to anything. Bascially, San Antonio is just there. That being said, they do have a good basketball team. That's all I can come up with. Is that good or bad? I don't know, but it's the truth. I can't think of a single mean thing to say about San Antonio or a single nice thing to say. If that city didn't have a basketball team, there would be absolutely no reason for me or anyone outside of that general vicinity to even acknowledge its existence.



I think this series will be closer than most of these "experts" think. You can't discount the fact that Lebron played two excellent games against them and we beat them twice already this year. I know this is the Finals and we don't know what to expect and blah, blah, blah, but I am tired of being negative about this team so I will actually make a prediction that I enjoy writing: Cavs in 7. Lebron will not be denied!!!! Enjoy these games, folks, we are so close!!!!

WOW.

I'll admit it. I got choked up last night. My wife came down into the basement as the game was ending and asked me an incredulous, "Are you crying?". All I said was a quiet "It's been so long".

I got choked up seeing the thousands upon thousands of people downtown watching the game outside after the Tribe had let out. I got choked up seeing a Cleveland sporting arena alive and shaking like I've never seen before. I got choked up seeing Lebron and Z embrace in a hug that for Z, seemed to give him a brief respite from the sorrow and agony of losing two unborn children this year. I got choked up thinking that the undisputed best young player in the league is one of us and knew, like only someone who has experienced the Cleveland sporting experience can, what was riding on this series and played liked the hopes and dreams of the region were resting on his broad shoulders. I got choked up as all of the years of frustration, anger and disappointment of being a Cleveland sports fan completely left my mind, if only for that night. For that night, and maybe only for that night, Cleveland was on top of the sports world. Cleveland had what everyone wanted to see. Cleveland, yes CLEVELAND, was the place to be. I know we still haven't won anything, but like I stated above, for that one moment in time, I couldn't have been prouder of a team from Cleveland. I wish so badly that I could have been there to be a part of this and to share it with everyone else who has experienced what I've experienced as a sports fan. My brother and sister were down at the Jake and described to me the atmosphere that was downtown and the electricity and excitement of what was going on. I know we are still a long shot, but I can tell you this: if we do win the title, a 7 hour car ride will have never seemed so short.

I won't get into too much analysis about the game because if you're reading this, there's probably a 99.9% chance that you cared enough about the game to actually watch it. It was nice to see the Pistons strategy of double and triple teaming Lebron completely backfire due to the one factor that this strategy relied on, no other player being able to step up and fill LBJ's shoes, fail miserably. Boobie Gibson was ice cold and buried dagger after dagger after dagger after dagger in the 4th in the Pistons' collective hearts. It's shocking that a second round draft pick that was barely a factor in the regular season is now the wild card that gives the Cavs a fighting chance against the Spurs. Things like that aren't supposed to happen in Cleveland. It was also nice to see some offensive strategy being put into play, especially when Detroit went to a trap and we spaced out everyone around the perimeter and then flashed a big man to the top of the key for an entry pass. Drew Gooden did this a couple of times. He was so wide open on one of them, he didn't know what to do.

Sorry to be so melodramatic, but to win 4 straight games after losing the first 2 and to do so in such a convincing fashion is the stuff of legends. For the generations of you who bleed the brown and orange, the wine and gold and the red, white and blue, enjoy this. Enjoy like it may never happen again, because everyone from Cleveland surely knows that moments like this are never promised and definitely rarely ever given.

That was sick

Just got done watching this Double OT thriller that Lebron just took into his own hands. He was playing with a will and drive that I have never, ever ever ever seen from a Cleveland sports figure. That was freakin awesome. Thank you Lebron for making me proud to say I'm a Cavs fan. Detroit played equally well and Chauncey Billups is straight gangsta when it comes to taking big shots. More on this later.

Mike Brown showed me his Boobie and I liked them too!

Wow, my lack of posts lately has been unacceptable. What can I say besides the fact that having a real job is not so much fun. Anyways, I have been thoroughly enjoying this last week. Sweeping the Tigers and taking 2 straight from the Pistons? No offense Detroit, but when was the last time Cleveland could say they owned another city, if even for a weekend?

Never? That sounds about right.

Boobie, you say? How does one get this nickname?

The Cavs have completely outplayed the Pistons in all 4 games and this should have been over or at least 3-1 right now. I know it and Detroit knows it. Anyways, nothing has been more encouraging (besides Lebron's deciding to start caring again) than the emergence of one Daniel "Boobie" Gibson. This guy is doing what we've been harping on Larry Hughes for not doing time and time again: TAKING IT TO THE HOLE. He is playing much bigger than his 6' frame is reflecting. How hard is it to think "drive first, shoot second"? Maybe it is his youth and naivete that is letting him play free of any hesitancy, but whatever it is, he needs to explain to Larry that this is how it's done. This may be a moot point now that Larry is in all likelihood, out for the rest of the series, but I seriously can't wait to turn the TV on tonight and then off for the third quarter, and then back on again.



On a side note, I was able to ask Rasheed Wallace after game 3 how Lebron's armpit tasted. He let me know that the hairs were a little wiry, but the sweat and Right Guard gave them a very nice and light taste, almost like a refreshing spritzer sprinkled over angel hair pasta. It was nice to see him finally lose it in game 4 and pout like the ugly, skilled and rangy baby he is. I was almost expecting Scut Farkus to run onto the court and ask him if he was going to cry. Anyways, it's nice to see that Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton realize that I hate them and that they are doing their best to make sure we win.

Conference Runners Up, Here We Come!!!!

nothing funny about this picture...at all.

Well, well, well…look’s who’s in the conference Finals. After some of the most unimpressive playoff basketball I can remember seeing in recent history, the Cavs managed to not suck nearly as bad as the Nets and are standing in front of the beast of the East once again, the Detroit Pistons. I hate the Pistons. I hate the fact that their best player has a name from the 1920’s (Chauncey Billups), I hate the fact that Rasheed Wallace has a skunk patch and that he is going to complain like he just found out that smoking weed is illegal, I hate the fact that a member of the Fab Five is now playing for them and he’s still pretty good, I hate the fact that Detroit is just as ugly, if not uglier, a city than Pittsburgh, I hate the fact that Tayshaun Prince looks like Gollum’s and Morgan Freeman’s love child, I hate the fact that Rip Hamilton looks like a Junior Varsity d-bag and has a silky smooth jumper, I hate the fact that Carlos Arroyo is Carlos Arroyo and I hate the fact that we are probably going to lose.

The parallels between Lebron James and Michael Jordan are eerily similar in this aspect, both will probably have to lose to a bunch of a-hats from Detroit before achieving any further success in the playoffs. I have no idea why I have such a fatalistic attitude with the Cavs, but it’s easy to pinpoint why with the Indians. They have a good team, a potentially really good team, but I’ve seen this show before and I liked it better when the actors had names like Albert Belle, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez and Carlos Obed Baerga. This team is going to tantalize with good play when it really doesn’t matter and will choke when it comes to crunch time, mark my words.


I waited 5 hours in line for his autograph

Some of my best memories in regards to Cleveland sports were when I was in college and high school and going to the Jake on a warm summer’s night when it was the place to be. It was great seeing people in downtown Cleveland past 5 pm and actually enjoying themselves outside of the Flats. People actually wanted to be there and a ticket was hard to come by. Hanging around Homerun Porch with a cold beverage in your hand, BS’ing with some dude from Wickliffe that under the normal circumstances, I would have mocked mercilessly, about anything and everything Tribe related…it didn’t get any better than that. I remember the excitement of hearing a friend’s dad had a last minute meeting or obligation and those season tickets were now available. Or a cop that I am very good friends with would have us come downtown without tickets, walk around for a while, and bust the very first opposing team’s fans that were drinking outside of the stadium and give us their tickets (the same went for Browns’ games – nothing better than a yinzer spitting up his Iron City all over his Zubaz pants as he realizes he just got screwed ten ways from Tuesday and the only way out of getting arrested was to give a Browns’ fan his tickets – beautiful). Anyways, I feel like Randy Quaid in Major League II. I won’t be convinced we are going to win anything until those final seconds tick off the clock in the deciding game we are winning. Basically, I will never be convinced. The Browns on the other hand, are a different story. They can have a good draft and I’m ready to put RAC’s moobs on my head if I think it will give us a chance to go .500. Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, the Cavs are in the finals. Sweet! Here’s my prediction: Rasheed Wallace is ugly. Prediction #2: I think the Pistons will take this in 6.


ewwwwwwwww.....

Do we have to say they are part of Ohio?

equals

If a certain geographic area has more in common with its surrounding states (ie spousal abuse and drunk driving) is it okay to say they are not part of your state? Here is another Bengal's arrest article . It'd be funny if spousal abuse was a laughing matter.

San Francisco = Pittsburgh West

To the yinzers who contacted their boyfriends and let them know I was in San Francisco:

Do you think that breaking into my rental car and stealing my laptop will stop me from exposing the truth about your backwater city and breeding habits? I will not be silenced!!!!!

Sorry for the lack of recent posts, but my computer was stolen while I was on the West Coast for business. I hope to start posting again regularly, so fear not my loyal readers (who number in the 9s). I have tons of stupid ideas for even stupider articles that I'm sure no one will care about.

On a side note, Cavs basketball, it's craptastic!!!!!

Steeler busted for running a prositution ring

Deadspin.com just posted this nice little story out of Pittsburgh. A Steeler running an underage prostitution ring? Is anyone suprised by this? My only questions are the following: Where was he going to find customers willing to pay to sleep with their cousins? Can you be called a "pimp" if all you have are gigolos in your stable? This also explains why he haven't seen or heard from Kordell Stewart for a while.

Hardaway Hates Pittsburgh Exclusive: An interview with Joe Theismann

So Brady Quinn showed up to the Browns’ Rookie Camp on Friday with a new hairdo. Gone was the wavy, unkempt locks of the latest emo band and in its place was a regular old haircut. While this really isn’t news unless you have a subscription to Tiger Beat, this made headlines because of the reason for the new haircut. On Mike and Mike in the morning a few days before camp opened, Joe Theismann ripped into Brady Quinn because of his “unprofessional appearance” during the draft. This has created headlines (which is exactly what I’m sure Joe T. was hoping for) throughout the sports world. We here at Hardaway Hates Pittsburgh are proud to say we have scored an exclusive interview with the man himself. He agreed to do this interview with us in order to clear up any confusion or speculation over what was said last week. We sat down with him here in DC and the following is a transcript of our chat:

HHP: Joe, can I call you Joe? Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to sit down with us so we can get some clarification on your comments last week.

Joe Theismann: Sure, no problem!

HHP: First question: What do you enjoy more, beating up the homeless or farting in church?

JT: That’s an easy one. Beating up the homel----Wait a second. Where did you say you were from again?

HHP: The New York Times. Where I’m from isn’t important, Joe. Clearing up your good name is and that’s what I’m here for. Just trying to keep it light and loosen up the tension. Relax! Okay, now on to the serious stuff. When you made those comments last week, what were you hoping to come across as? An attention-hungry publicity whore or a cranky old fart?

JT: Neither. I was just stating my opinion that being invited to the draft is serious business and an honor, and should be treated as such.

HHP: So you feel your comments were warranted, even after taking into account that Brady had to sit in the Green Room for over 4 ½ hours and maybe that tie was getting a little too tight considering the embarrassment of not going anywhere near where he was projected to go?

JT: Absolutely. If you had to wait for an interview for 4 ½ hours, you wouldn’t loosen your tie.

HHP: Did it ever occur to you that maybe his hairstyle is what is popular with the kids today and might even be considered an homage to the awful hairstyles that were around in the 70s? I’ve seen some of your hairdos from that time, and Lord knows, you really don’t have a lot of room to talk. Also, it’s a known fact that anyone who perpetuated or partook in any type of fashion statement from the 70’s is not allowed to make any fashion judgements again for the rest of their life.

JT: No it’s not. The 70’s was a great time to be alive and lot of experimentation in all facets of life was going on, including the fashion wor—

HHP: Can you remember another instance of a highly regarded prospect, both in terms of ability and character, being ripped by an alumnus and former player of his own school? Aren’t you supposed to show solidarity and support to those responsible for representing your program, especially since the recent run of Notre Dame quarterbacks in the NFL has been, to put it nicely, piss poor? I mean, Keyshawn Johnson, likable guy that he is, handled the Panthers’ drafting of his replacement, from his own school no less, with more class than the comments you made.

JT: uhhh..

HHP: Moving on, Joe Montana has gone on the record to say that you are a disgrace to every Notre Dame Quarterback who has ever put on the Golden Dome and your mother should have had her tubes tied well before you were born. What do you have to say in response?

JT: Joe Montana didn’t say that. Where did you get that???

HHP: It’s on the records. Check it out for yourself. What Joe Montana did or didn’t say is not relevant to this interview. What is relevant is that the sports world wants to know, do you unequivocally stand by your statements and have no regrets making them?

JT: Yes.

HHP: Boxers or Briefs?

JT: What?? Uh, depends…

HHP: That sounds about right. Joe, you’ve been known to make some pretty interesting comments during your broadcasting career. I wanted to bring out a few of them and get some feedback from you as far as what was going through your head while making them, okay?

JT: Okay.

HHP: First up: In 1996, you stated during a Sunday Night Football telecast that, “The word 'genius' isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein”. Did you notify Norman beforehand that you were going to be using him as an example of a genius?

JT: What are you talking about? Norman Einstein was a scientist during the 30’s and 40’s and has been dead for over 60 years!

HHP: Sorry, my mistake. On a side note, is Norman in any way related to Albert?

JT: Not that I’m aware of. What does that have to do with this interview?

HHP: Nothing, nothing at all. I have a few more comments from this last season of Monday Night Football that I’d like to go over with you. In regards to Brett Favre, you stated, “You are not allowed to go away yet. We want you. We need you.”* Were you on your wife’s cycle when you made this statement? Also, do Brett Favre’s lips taste like a sweet summer’s day?

JT: Where did you say you were from again?

HHP: Better Homes and Gardens. You also made this quote during last season, ”This is a home game. This is where you finally get to play at home”. * Did you ride the short bus when you were growing up?

JT: What is that supposed to mean?

HHP: Just an expression, that’s all…You were recently fired from Monday Night Football. Did this have any bearing in your decision to make those statements about Brady? Were you hoping to get some publicity for other possible openings out there? Also, does it bother you that Jared, the tool from Subway, is getting more interaction with athletes than you currently are?

JT: No.

HHP: True or False: The DC sports media treats you like their drunk uncle. They desperately want to like you, but you do so many things to embarrass yourself that they have to make fun of you behind your back.

JT: False. Everyone likes me.

HHP: Do you have AIDS?

JT: No.

HHP: Are you positive?

JT: Yes.

HHP: hee hee…You have publicly stated that Ron Jaworski looks like a cross between a walrus and Chunk from “The Goonies”. Does it bother you that they selected his mug to replace you on Monday Night Football? Also, did the fact that he actually studies game film to formulate an opinion have any bearing on ESPN’s decision to replace you with him?

JT: I have never said that about Ron. He and I are good friends and I review plenty of game film beforehand.

HHP: Right. Aside from yourself, who is the worst former-athlete turned broadcaster? Sean Salisbury? OJ Simpson?

JT: Number one, I am definitely not the worst. Number two, there are no bad ones, each has their own unique style and skill set.

HHP: Where are you more likely to get a better meal, Chi-Chi’s or Joe Theismann’s?

JT: I’m not familiar with Chi-Chi’s, but at Joe Theismann’s, you can get a great meal at an affordable price any day of the week!

HHP: I’ve been to your restaurant, Joe. Let’s not kid ourselves. As a favor to you, we thought we’d give you the opportunity for an on-air audition for a play-by-play gig. We will give you a play from a past game to call, and we’ll record it and send it out to the stations looking to fill any open positions. What do you think?

JT: Sounds great! What play will I be calling?

HHP: Here it is: A Monday Night Football Game on national TV. It’s going to be a pass play and for the audition’s sake, we’ll call the quarterback “Slow Not-so-wiseman”. He’s dropping back to pass and the coverage around him is breaking down. All of a sudden a hard-hitting linebacker, we’ll call him “Lawrence Taylor”…

JT: This interview is over.




*Thanks to JoeSportsFan for the quotes

The 5 Greasiest Players in this Year's Playoffs

Well, the good news for Cavs’ fans is that we swept a Washington Wizards team that was down its two best players. Is anybody excited yet? I think this might have been the most unimpressive sweep I have ever seen. As I stated before, I don’t think we are a championship caliber team yet. I don’t know what it is, but I definitely can’t put my finger on it. Call me jaded, but I need to see them absolutely demolish the Nets (I'm assuming they win) before I can really get into this year’s playoffs. With that being said, I thought my next article should be one that required a great deal of in-depth analysis and research:

The 5 greasiest players in this year’s NBA playoffs:

Even though these guys are earning millions of dollars, they still come across as greasy. Each one is unique in his own special way, but greasy nonetheless. I’ve ranked them in terms of greasiness and also where I can see these guys being greasy if they weren’t in the NBA. As always, if I forgot someone who is extra greasy, please add them to the comments list.

5. Steve Nash – He just comes across as looking as if he just stepped out of a sauna or spent all night clubbing. He looked even greasier last year when his hair was long, but make no mistake, the haircut only covers up a little bit of the greasiness since it appears to always be matted down. I picture him as a high-powered aerobics or spinning instructor shouting out words of encouragement to a group of over-weight, middle-aged yentas and wearing super tight spandex shorts and a tight Under Armour top with a hip pack around his waist with two water bottles attached to it.

4. Anderson Varejao – I know he is a hometown favorite and I love the guy as a player, but if you’ll take off your wine and gold colored glasses for a second, you’ll see he is greasy. He would be perfect as a stunt double in that Soul-Glo commercial. Can’t you see him with his head down, spraying activator all over his fro/ pube-wig and then whipping his head back and forth as he looks up and winks at the camera? Just let your soooouuuullllllll glo!

3. Etan Thomas – Ugh. He is so greasy, my keyboard got oily just typing his name. Those hideous dreadlocks make him look like a feminine version of Sheryl Swoopes. Seriously, he would average at least 4 more points and 2 more boards a game if he wasn’t using all that energy to lug that hair around. The greasiness that is his hair is a direct result of a lack of shampooing and profusely sweating night in and night out for half the year. I also hear Etan fancies himself a poet of sorts, even publishing a book called “More Than an Athlete: Poems by Etan Thomas”. This might explain why he hasn’t improved his game on the floor in the past 6 years. Anyways, this one is easy. The location: an open mic night at some artsy fartsy bookstore like Politics and Prose or Olsson’s in Dupont Circle (if you’re not familiar with this area of DC, let’s just say Hardaway is not a fan). The scene: Etan comes to the mic wearing a wool turtleneck sweater that was around during the Nixon Administration and probably hasn’t been washed since then and skin-tight bell bottom pants with his hair up in a bun. The disctinctive scent and smoke of cloves and the sticky-icky permeates the dimly lit room and hipsters of all sort are lounging around, waiting to hear what angst and bile spews forth from this unusually tall poet’s mouth. Etan steps to the mike:

Ahem…Milk, Milk, Lemonade
Turn the corner, Fud……Hello?
Is this on?

2. Jorge Garbajosa – Obviously, the top two spots on this list are occupied by foreign players. This Borat look-alike just oozes grease from his pores. He can easily be spotted in the off-season in euro-trash clubs all over Europe, wearing the latest Euro-tight turtleneck with short sleeves and mad gumby gold all over, grinding up behind women and seeing if they want sexy time with Jorge. I hear he pees his shorts before every game so both his shorts and shirt stink to high heaven and nobody will want to D up on him. Not really.

1. Fabricio Oberto – Greasy, thy name is Fabricio. Wow. Just look at those pictures. To say he is greasy is like saying Rosie O’Donnell likes the occasional rump roast. Nappy hair with the mullet highlights? Check. 10 day stubble with all kinds of dirt trapped in the whiskers? Check. Creepy, smoldering glare that looks like he is trying to undress you with his eyes (both men and women)? Check. Stench emanating from all crevices of his body due to an allergy of showers? I’m assuming check. This guy gets his grooming accessories from the bottom of the French Fry pit at McDonalds. I really can’t classify his greasiness since it encompasses such a wide spectrum, but I can see him fitting in easily in any of the scenarios above.

There you have it folks, the greasiest players in this year’s NBA draft. Remember them and their contributions to advancing the greasy cause.