It's tough to predict... especially since the Browns and Steelers have such brutal schedules this year.  I do think the Browns will finish in the top half of the division... Bengals will probably underperform as usual... and the Ravens should be horrible. 

New to the Board's..... so here's an optimistic newb post:

11-5

will definitely play for Div Championship

watch out for Cincy though

New to the Board's..... so here's an optimistic newb post:

11-5

will definitely play for Div Championship

watch out for Cincy though

 

welcome. 

 

ok, whoever posted the 0-16 is crazy!

11-5.  I'm buying the hype.  I should know better living in Cleveland.  First home playoff game since '94, but then lose in a heartbreaker to the Chargers in the Conference Semis.

It's tough to predict... especially since the Browns and Steelers have such brutal schedules this year.  I do think the Browns will finish in the top half of the division... Bengals will probably underperform as usual... and the Ravens should be horrible. 

 

top half, eh? lol! go ahead. say it! say it! second place right?

 

that will depend a lot on if big ben stays on his tricycle so he can keep healthy.  :wink:

 

 

8-8...their schedule is brutal..plus this is their first season of dealing with any sort of expectations, no telling how the team will react

Here's the schedule again

---

 

Week Date Opp Info

1 9/7 vs. Dal

2 9/14 vs. Pit

3 9/21 @ Bal

4 9/28 @ Cin

5 Bye Week

6 10/13 vs. NYG

7 10/19 @ Was

8 10/26 @ Jac

9 11/2 vs. Bal

10 11/6 vs. Den

11 11/17 @ Buf

12 11/23 vs. Hou

13 11/30 vs. Ind

14 12/7 @ Ten

15 12/15 @ Phi

16 12/21 vs. Cin

17 12/28 @ Pit

I say 10-6, they have a tough schedule, but who knows how all those teams will pan out.

I voted 2-10.  Cleveland teams never do well when they are supposed to.  And I have a feeling that the Browns will just completely miss 4 games somehow.

It's tough to predict... especially since the Browns and Steelers have such brutal schedules this year.  I do think the Browns will finish in the top half of the division... Bengals will probably underperform as usual... and the Ravens should be horrible. 

 

top half, eh? lol! go ahead. say it! say it! second place right?

 

that will depend a lot on if big ben stays on his tricycle so he can keep healthy.  :wink:

 

 

 

I can't decide if this will be the year the Browns break through or if the Steelers will remain on top.  The Steelers offensive line play was the worst I have ever seen last year... and then they lost Faneca in the offseason!  So the O-line could be a huge liability.  However, Big Ben had his best year last year despite getting hammered constantly.  If he takes yet another step forward this year... his skill alone could carry the Steelers far.  I think the Steelers are gonna be the most pass-oriented they've ever been this year. 

 

The Browns are also a question mark.  They went from dogpoo early season to one of the most exciting teams in the NFL... and only missed out on the playoffs because the AFC has been so doggone strong in recent years.  Can Derek Anderson and the young Browns continue to excel... or will they pull a Bengals and revert to mediocrity? 

I think the deciding factor will be the two Browns-Steelers games. Who ever wins those games wins the division. If they split the series...it's a toss up.

 

I agree with this 100%

Call me unoriginal but i went with 10-6 based on how much more difficult their schedule is this year. I went down to the practice at the Stadium last Friday night and the offense looked really good, although Andersen still struggles with those short passes over the middle. His short outside passes and medium range looked much improved. The D-line did their drills right in front of us and I was thouroughly impressed with Rodgers. If it all holds  together (read: Pass Defense) they can go 12-4 , 5-1 in the division. Of course 8-8 is always a possibility given how close and how lucky the Browns got last season in some of those games.

Of course 8-8 is always a possibility given how close and how lucky the Browns got last season in some of those games.

 

Unless you're the 1985 Chicago Bears, when don't close games happen and luck play a big difference in them?

Of course the luck involved with the Baltimore game fieldgoal and that ridiculous time out on the fieldgoal at the Raiders probably canceled each other out last year...

 

I am just thankful that they have enough depth at most positions (except possibly running back and d-back ) to be several injuries from melting down. That Stalworth pickup looks like genius now that Joe J. is on the PUP list.

 

Overall I am just excited.

They should have a little more defense this year and an even better running game, which should help the best quarterback we've had in a long time. The offense will be osome, without a doubt. If the defense gives them a little more help than last year, I predict 12-4.

The only thing I'm "worried" about this year is the secondary and if the D-line can stay healthy all year with those big bodies up front. I think those are the areas where we lack depth.

 

And what's up with K2? I see he's not playing in the first exhibition tomorrow and hasn't practiced in a few days. WKNR reports that his knee is acting up again. That always worries me with K2....

 

And what's up with K2? I see he's not playing in the first exhibition tomorrow and hasn't practiced in a few days. WKNR reports that his knee is acting up again. That always worries me with K2....

 

No..No..No...  I need my soldier to hold it down!  Ugh.

NFL announces new code of conduct for fans

Posted by Associated Press August 05, 2008 15:49PM

 

New York --- The NFL implemented a new code of fan conduct Tuesday, warning that spectators who misbehave will be ejected from stadiums and barred from coming back.

 

The policy, first recommended by commissioner Roger Goodell at league meetings in April, is aimed at conduct that the league said "detracts from the gameday experience."

 

More at

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/08/nfl_announces_new_code_of_cond.html

I'm taking my three-year old son to the game tonight. It will be his first. I figure that this is a good time to take him. It is only a pre-season game and we can leave at halftime. We'll be sitting in the ritzy seats, so I won't have to worry about any over-zealous fans. I'm looking forward to it.

Now.. some of the response on the cleveland.com informative message boards:

 

Great! Now when you go to Cleveland Browns Stadium it will be like sitting at Wimbeldon....I do not advocate fighting, drinking until you puke or physically harming opposing fans. However, football is a violent sport. One of the main objects of the game is to blast someone's helmet off their body....It's an aggressive sport and has aggressive fans.....Swearing and razzing opposing fans is part of the experience.....It is not a place to bring your family for a wholesome Sunday Afternoon. If you want that, take them to the Circus or Art Museum....

 

 

Don"t forget to wear your suit and tie, wait I almost forgot a clean pair of underwear too before you show up. You have to be kidding as much as we have to pay to see the overpayed players run up and down a field for an hour, Parking, food and beer I can see some things but you might as well have a tv in church the way there talking...

 

 

The days of sitting next to the steelworkers, drinking beers, cursing at the opposing fans, and cheering on your team are gone. I now can sit next to the yuppie in his polo, pay $10 for a beer and watch as the rival team waves their colors throughout our stadium. This is a gladiator sport folks, it was never meant to be civil.

 

 

Next you will not be allowed to make any noise at the game

 

 

I like beer.

 

 

This isn't Church. It is a football game. Meant to be rowdy and raucous, always was always will be. Genteel folks need to either stay at home or take in the atmosphere just like us heathens do when we have to attend a play, theatrical performance, or Cleveland orchestra with you people.

 

 

I guess Browns stadium will be empty for this upcoming season. What's next serving tea instead of beer, wine and cheese instead of brats.

 

 

I think they forgot the rule of raising your pinky as you drink tea when you're in the stadium. We can't be teaching our youngsters bad table manners!

 

 

Might as well start putting skirts on the players and call it touch football and serve martini's and champagne with crackers at the game

I scream and yell and cheer and curse at Browns games. I do it when the game warrants it. I don't do it because I'm so plastered I have no idea what's going on in the game. I've seen too many people getting so drunk BEFORE the game even starts that they're yelling incoherently at everyone sitting around them and passed out by the third quarter. This has happened at EVERY game I've been to until I finally stopped going a few years ago. I haven't been to a Browns game since 2003 or 2004. I can't even remember it's been so long.

 

What will get me back at Browns games? Sobriety checks at the gate. Or loge seats so I can stay away from those slobbering drunks.

Sobriety checks at the gate.. if that's a criteria.. you won't be at a Browns game anytime soon.

I scream and yell and cheer and curse at Browns games. I do it when the game warrants it. I don't do it because I'm so plastered I have no idea what's going on in the game. I've seen too many people getting so drunk BEFORE the game even starts that they're yelling incoherently at everyone sitting around them and passed out by the third quarter. This has happened at EVERY game I've been to until I finally stopped going a few years ago. I haven't been to a Browns game since 2003 or 2004. I can't even remember it's been so long.

 

What will get me back at Browns games? Sobriety checks at the gate. Or loge seats so I can stay away from those slobbering drunks.

 

It's not THAT bad... or you just had a rotten section.  I've been to every game since they came back. as many of those games were in my early and mid twenties, i probably wasn't always the most sober... but we were never "those guys".  and the people around us are always pretty lively but not idiots.  Typically the only fans that i've ever seen as problems were opposing fans being jerks (and they had lots of opportunities for many years).  Though the guy who sits 3 seats down from our group passes out at least once a year (probably in his mid 40's to early 50's) by the time the 3rd quarter hits.  even he's not obnoxious he's just throwing his money away.

Didn't they make a family friendly section last year where they did not even sell beer? Now granted getting into and out of the stadium without being offended/annoyed/amused by some plastered A-Hole is impossible.

Didn't they make a family friendly section last year where they did not even sell beer? Now granted getting into and out of the stadium without being offended/annoyed/amused by some plastered A-Hole is impossible.

 

Yeah, its in one of the upper level corners (can't remember which one, SE?)

I think part of the problem at the stadium during those 99-06 seasons is the Browns were so painful to watch most of the time. So instead of watcing endless 3 and outs people would continue to drink heavily on top of their tailgating buzz. I definately noticed the fans paying way more attention at the games I was at last year. I also think that 20 somethings (note I am 30 and was 21 for the 99 season) have heard way too many glorified stories about how "crazy" and "wild" Browns games used to be at the old muni stadium and think they have to live up to those stories.

 

GO BROWNS!

^ I'm pretty sure he is.

 

Good, I get to drink a beer every time he slurs his speech.

 

That may be one of the best drinking games ever.

So was anyone else totally unimpressed by the second- and third-stringers, especially the back-up o-lineman and the cornerbacks?

 

The first-string offense, defense, and special teams looked great for that one series, though.

we are currently dangerously thin at corner and linebacker.

Yes, I'm getting ready to suit up - my playing days at CWRU I'm sure will be fine...

 

 

I am not too worried about the O-linemen the quality of the first stringers will bring up the play of any replacements, but the D-backs are definately thin and worriesome. On Monday's Grossi podcast he said the Savage told him to expect some trades for D-backs since we would be 22nd in line to pick up anybody on waivers.

So was anyone else totally unimpressed by the second- and third-stringers, especially the back-up o-lineman and the cornerbacks?

 

Once Tuck gets back, we go a solid 8 deep at Oline.  Thats about as good as you can get in the NFL.

 

Corner is a little more worriesome, but I feel good about our top 3 - Wright, McDonald and Cousins.  I'd feel alot better if a 4th would step up.

^ Cousins got lit up on a few plays.  Hopefully he's making mistakes now instead of during the regular season.

Sobriety checks at the gate.. if that's a criteria.. you won't be at a Browns game anytime soon.

 

Why? I don't drink anymore. Even when I did, I didn't get plastered before the game or at the game (I usually got drunk after the game when I could afford to and to ease the pain of the loss). But I wanted to watch it and remember it. If people just want to get really sh!t-faced, go to a bar. It's a helluva lot cheaper! I don't understand the fascination with getting drunk before going to a place (Browns Stadium) that costs so much to get inside.

 

It's not THAT bad... or you just had a rotten section. 

 

Yes it sure is. And I didn't have season tickets so I sat in different sections and levels. And every time there was usually at least one person people sitting near us that were so drunk they were slurring their shouted words, passed out, dumping their beer on someone, picking fights or all of the above.

 

The worst was the "Bottle Game" against the Jacksonville Jaguars. We sat in the upper deck, northwest corner. I'd never seen so many drunk, unruly people in one place in my life. Throughout the game, a drunken anger was building in the crowd. When "the play" happened, my sister and I made our way down to the opening of the tunnel. If the refs' call went our way, we'd sit back down. But if it didn't, we expected the crowd's reaction to be ugly and we wanted to get out quickly. We didn't think it would get as bad as it did.

 

We got out before the bottles started flying and didn't even know what happened until we got on the bus back to Lakewood. While we waited for the bus on Lakeside, I watched several 20-something women in Browns gear stumble past. One passed out on the sidewalk near the bus stop and the other two kept on going, not even realizing their friend was left behind. Groups of guys nearby were yelling F-bombs at everything and talking about where to go next to keep on drinking.

 

Thanks, but I'll stick with watching games on TV.

 

 

^ Cousins got lit up on a few plays. Hopefully he's making mistakes now instead of during the regular season.

 

I thought he played well when he was covering the slot.  They say that is his forte, so as long as we aren't asking him to play too much outside, I think he'll be fine.

Sobriety checks at the gate.. if that's a criteria.. you won't be at a Browns game anytime soon.

 

Why? I don't drink anymore. Even when I did, I didn't get plastered before the game or at the game (I usually got drunk after the game when I could afford to and to ease the pain of the loss). But I wanted to watch it and remember it. If people just want to get really sh!t-faced, go to a bar. It's a helluva lot cheaper! I don't understand the fascination with getting drunk before going to a place (Browns Stadium) that costs so much to get inside.

 

I think he meant that you'll never see a sobriety checkpoint at a browns game, so you won't want to go anytime soon.

I think this is partly the NFL's fault also. Shorten the games and watch most, not all, of these problems go away. There is no way a game that is 60 minutes long should take 3 to 4 hours to play. Get rid of up to half of the tv timeouts, get the fans in the stadium, play the game without interupting the flow and momentum, and then get the fans out again. Also, stop the beer guys and girls from walking up and down the aisle pretty much throwing the beer in your face. With fewer timeouts and stoppages in play people should not be getting up to get beer every 10 minutes if they are there to watch the game. An extreme solution is do like they did in scotland when I went to a rangers match, don’t sell beer at all in the stadium. If you want to drink, do it outside the stadium. I know it will never happen and im sure ill get a few anti soccer comments, but most games (90 minutes plus stoppage time) are played within an hour and 50 minutes. 

^the NFL tv contract is the bread and butter of the league. The league suffers financially if they have to give up commercial time. My biggest pet peeve is that they go to commercial before and after every kick off.

^the NFL tv contract is the bread and butter of the league. The league suffers financially if they have to give up commercial time. My biggest pet peeve is that they go to commercial before and after every kick off.

 

which is when everyone gets up for... beer.  ;)

^the NFL tv contract is the bread and butter of the league. The league suffers financially if they have to give up commercial time. My biggest pet peeve is that they go to commercial before and after every kick off.

 

which is when everyone gets up for... beer. ;)

 

exactly my point....take those away, do away with the beer ushers, and if these 'fans' really are there to watch the game, they will not be drinking AS MUCH at the game.

I'm sorry, I drink beer because I want to. Not because of TV Timeout Guy, the NFL, the Beer Sales guys, Goodell, or whomever/whatever.

^the NFL tv contract is the bread and butter of the league. The league suffers financially if they have to give up commercial time. My biggest pet peeve is that they go to commercial before and after every kick off.

 

which is when everyone gets up for... beer.  ;)

 

exactly my point....take those away, do away with the beer ushers, and if these 'fans' really are there to watch the game, they will not be drinking AS MUCH at the game.

 

 

What's this "game" thing you speak of?

I was out in the field this morning and was listening to Tony Rizzo.  He didn't say that the secondary played poorly, but he did say that he's pretty sure that Phil Savage is now pursuing another cornerback.

hey, how did the new big fella, Shaun Rogers look?

He made the first tackle of the game. Otherwise, the first-team defense only played one series due to the lightning delay. I believe that the Jets got one first down and then were stopped on a qb sneak on fourth down (right at Rogers).

I was out in the field this morning and was listening to Tony Rizzo. He didn't say that the secondary played poorly, but he did say that he's pretty sure that Phil Savage is now pursuing another cornerback.

 

MacDonald and Wright looked very good. After that, there is a LARGE drop off. Hopefully we can get another guy in here.

Browns Insider: Browns sign pair of safeties

by Mary Kay Cabot [email protected]

Monday August 11, 2008, 6:21 AM

 

The Browns signed two young safeties on Sunday who are familiar with defensive coordinator Mel Tucker's scheme.

 

They're first-year pro Brandon Mitchell, who played for Tucker at Ohio State, and rookie Travis Key, who played in a similar defense at Michigan State. In order to make room, they waived safety Steve Cargile, a Cleveland native.

 

More at

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2008/08/browns_insider_browns_sign_pai.html

Browns' Edwards get stitches in foot, could miss two exhibition games

by Mary Kay Cabot

Sunday August 10, 2008, 12:48 PM

 

 

Browns receiver Braylon Edwards was hospitalized Saturday night at the Cleveland Clinic after having a cut in his right foot repaired with stitches and could miss the next two exhibition games.

 

He was released Sunday, but did not practice in Berea. Edwards will probably be held out of action while the stitches are in, meaning he could miss exhibition games against the Giants on Aug. 18 and at Detroit on Aug. 23.

 

More at

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2008/08/browns_edwards_hospitalized_wi.html

Call me unoriginal but i went with 10-6 based on how much more difficult their schedule is this year. I went down to the practice at the Stadium last Friday night and the offense looked really good, although Andersen still struggles with those short passes over the middle. His short outside passes and medium range looked much improved. The D-line did their drills right in front of us and I was thouroughly impressed with Rodgers. If it all holds together (read: Pass Defense) they can go 12-4 , 5-1 in the division. Of course 8-8 is always a possibility given how close and how lucky the Browns got last season in some of those games.

 

I'm with you on this.  10-6 is mine too based on that brutal schedule and hype.  They could have easily been 12-4 had the Arizona game been ruled differently and they didn't lose the lead in Sh!tsburgh

The secondary scares me to death. They are going to get eaten ALIVE if they face any QBs w/a lick of talent (Roethlisberger shouldn't be a problem) like Carson Palmer. The Browns have not done one thing to replace the talent they lost and this is going to kill them. I didn't know about the lack of O-linemen, I thought they were good there? Dear God, that has been this teams Achilles since the 80s! Will they ever learn?