Why is the AP article on SI.com more informative than the PD article on Cleveland.com?

 

The way this reads he really didn't remember he had a loaded .45 in the bag.

Cleveland Browns president buys in Bratenahl

by Amy Anderson, published April 8, 2010 ShareThis

 

Michael George Holmgren and Kathy Holmgren bought a two-bedroom, two-bath home at 17 Shoreby Dr. in Bratenahl from Robert M. Serpentini, Jr., and Paul A. Serpentini for $653,000 on Feb. 12.

 

http://cleveland.blockshopper.com/news/story/600065074-Cleveland_Browns_president_buys_in_Bratenahl

 

 

^all smoke screens. If the Browns were seriously considering this, they would never come right out and say it.

Unless Berry (UTenn Safety) drops into our laps, I expect us to trade down and pick up a vet or two along the way like we did last year.  It was a good gameplan then and still fits our needs.

DRAFT DAY

Yep, big day today.  I understand the prime time slot but it's not my thing.  It would have been nice to watch it around noon, then I could dedicate the 7:00 time slot solely to the Cavs.

 

Not to mention, I am so sick of ESPN at the moment.... Can't take any more mock drafts!!!!  Don't get me started on their touch screen thing, who thought watching tv on tv was a good idea?

ESPN creates its own drama and then quotes itself when downplaying the drama. 

Welcome to Cleveland Joe Haden!

^^I can't stand Berman...his shtick grew old a long time ago. 

 

I am happy with the pick of Haden, he fills a need and will be a starter from day 1.  My hope is that they can find an explosive edge rushed tonight.

Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen still available.  It will be tempting, but I hope they refrain.  Out of the two, I would want McCoy FWIW.  If he is still there, why not take a roll of the dice on Taylor Mays, who was rated as the best overall prospect by some going into last season.  First two picks could then dramatically impact our secondary next year.  Sergio Kindle, Sean Lee, Terrence Cody, Golden Tate, Arnellius Benn and Everson Griffin should also be considered IMO

We trade up to get Hardesty?????????  Suspect.

I wonder how much McCoy's percieved lack of mental toughness is hurting him after he didn't come back in the National Championship.

I certainly hope not... considering we just picked him up in the 3rd round

GREAT PICK, McCoy didn't play after his injury because the initial prognosis was undecided... why play and risk tearing your shoulder ligaments for life???  He lived to play another down... mental toughness is starting at Texas as a freshman and winning like 45 games or something like that.  WELCOME TO THE 216 COLT!

I like the McCoy selection and the fact that it came when it did.  I am not sure I like the previous two picks that they grabbed in the second round.  I really wish they would have taken Mays at 38th.

I think McCoy will be solid.  I only mentioned his mental toughness because it was hard to understand what other reasons (other than maybe his height) that he dropped so far.  I think it was smart for him to be cautious with his injury against Bama, but I had to wonder if the NFL guys felt the same way.

 

If I had to describe this draft for the Browns in one word: Poise.  Something that seemed to have been lacking in the front office for a while.  Seems like good things to come.

If you like play-action passing, the tackle-to-tackle running and power sweeps of the 1950s/60s, you are going to love this year's Browns! Between feature backs Jerome Harrison and Montario Hardesty, plus blocking backs Peyton Hillis and Lawrence Vickers, there is going to be a lot of ground attack. I suspect the only passing you're going to see is the play-action to Ben Watson, Josh Cribbs, Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi mixed in with some dump-offs to Harrison/Hardesty. But I am a lot more excited about the possibility of our current crop of quarterbacks and I think they will be able to run this ground-based attack better than Anderson/Quinn. In fact, I'll bet Seneca Wallace will be our starting quarterback for much of the season, not Jake Delhomme or Colt McCoy. I can't believe he didn't get more playing time in Seattle with the numbers he put up there. He'll get it here -- and in a low-risk, grind-it-out offense.

 

Now about that defense.... Too bad we won't have a high-powered offense because we'll need to outscore teams for the first half of the year while our new secondary learns the hard way. Perhaps the only solace is that our ground-based attack might keep the opposing team's offense off the field unless Harrison rips off some long gainers like he did in KC last year! But I think this team could stabilize by the middle of the season and regain some respectability.

Joe Haden never gave up a TD reception in 40 starts at UF... :)  Lets hope this Oregon safety is legit... to be honest he wasn't even on my radar and I'm still questioning his selection... but the fact we got McCoy so late (AND CHEAP!) means virtually no cap space was wasted pursuing a good QB.  That and Colt comes from a SOLID family and program... Mack Brown raves about him and Mack Brown is one of the top three classiest college coaches out there (I would add Tressel and Kirk Ferentz to that list).  I am also pleased we got some help at OG... if Thomas can stay healthy we will be set at both OL and secondary... no we need WR, TE, DL.  Next year more DL, LB and the rest we shall see...

I think poise was a good word urbanomics.  I am glad we got McCoy at the point we did, talk about low risk / high reward!  Tebow at 25th on the other hand, that can either make someone look like a genius or get someone fired.

 

I still don't expect even a .500 team, I just want to see us compete! 

A back-up tight end behind Watson would be nice, but TE is the least of my concerns. Get me some fast, explosive linebackers, plus a burner at WR and an underneath possession WR with soft hands.

 

Let me see some exhibition games, then I'll start making some team record predictions.

Just watching some video of our new draft picks.

 

Joe Haden (check out that closing speed!):

Joe Haden excellent pass coverage against Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl January 1, 2010

 

TJ Ward's hits (more on the right after you watch this beheading):

Oregon safety TJ Ward absolutely crushes OSU QB Zac Robinson during the 2008 Holiday Bowl

 

Montario Hardesty (keep in mind this is all from one season because he was hurt in prior years):

Montario Hardesty highlights - 2009

 

Carlton Mitchell (much better muted):

Very happy with the draft. The defensive secondary will be light years ahead of what it was.

Yeah I also am very hopefull this guy from South Carolina can develop into a beast in the next few seasons... 6-7 is big guy on the D-Line.  Especially with Mr. Rogers being in limbo and all.

I'll bet Clinton Geathers gets off the line like a bullet from a gun. OK, bad metaphor, right Mr. Rogers?  :-D

 

I'd like to see what our ILBs Matt Roth, Jason Trusnik and Marcus Benard can do over an entire season. I know that hope springs eternal in the off-season and pre-season, but these did show flashes of brilliance toward the end of last year.

^Roth and Bernard are OLB's.  Trusnik plays both inside and outside.  I agree, though, that they showed great promise toward the end of last season.  Roth fit like a glove right from the day he arrived mid-season.  Bernard is probably the reason mgt was willing to part ways with Wimbley.  And Trusnik is just one of those scrappy, tough kids every team needs.... in the end, however, I don't think he will be much more than a special teams ace and utility LB.

 

I am more interested and concerned to see how the ILB competition pans out.  Bowens played well there when forced to move from outside due to injuries.  Barton and Jackson will be healthy again, but neither of them lights the barn on fire for me.  Fujita brings good experience and toughness, but still does not turn this weakness IMO into a strength.

My bad on Bernard, but I've seen Roth listed both inside and outside. No matter. A safety with good speed and play-reading ability will be able to help plug up the middle. I hope TJ Ward is that guy, though he will get looked-off or play-faked out of position by NFL quarterbacks for a while. We will probably get gashed up the middle by quit-hitting running backs and a bunch of statue of liberty plays. The first half the season could be ugly. I hope Trusnik plays inside because he may be the only thing that keeps us from giving up a bunch of 150-yard rushing performances.

Rumor has it that there is serious concern over having several of the home games locally blacked out.  I see they are offering discounted ticket packages online for 3 game commitments.  Not sure I am buying...although the idea of "getting in on the ground floor" of the team's rebirth during this post-LeBron era in Cleveland is intriguing

Rumor has it that there is serious concern over having several of the home games locally blacked out.  I see they are offering discounted ticket packages online for 3 game commitments.  Not sure I am buying...although the idea of "getting in on the ground floor" of the team's rebirth during this post-LeBron era in Cleveland is intriguing

 

"rumor"?  LOL  Lawd.

I actually think they are going to be just fine with attendance this year.  I don't predict the type of utterly unwatchable football that we saw pretty much week in and week out for the first 12 games last year.  As long as they are competitive, the fans will show... even if they start 2-5 or worse... as long as they go out there and actually compete, we'll fill up that stadium with ease. 

I actually think they are going to be just fine with attendance this year.  I don't predict the type of utterly unwatchable football that we saw pretty much week in and week out for the first 12 games last year.  As long as they are competitive, the fans will show... even if they start 2-5 or worse... as long as they go out there and actually compete, we'll fill up that stadium with ease. 

 

I agree.  Football is King in Cleveland.  IIRC Clevelands home game attendance last year (I may be confusing it with '08) was top 10 in the league. 

We were 15h last year (and one or two games were close to being blacked out, if I recall), but 6th or 7th in the NFL the previous three years. 

Football is King in Cleveland.

 

And it's not even close.

I'm beginning to wonder if we're still big enough to even support three major professional sports franchises.  Of course football is king, but we're very fickle, more so than many other towns I'd say, when it comes to supporting our other teams.  We're the smallest metro area with the Big Three (Pittsburgh and Tampa, the latter of which will probably pass Metro Cleveland in size in the next decade, both have three teams, with an NHL team accounting for one each).

The Pittsburgh Metro area is roughly 2.35 million people. Cleveland-Akron cmsa is roughly 2.8 million. Throw in Canton and you're over three million. You can split Youngstown between Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Yes, Cleveland is probably the smallest market with the Big Three; however, NHL arenas are the same size as NBA arenas and the average ticket prices are the same at about $49. So, I think it's safe to say comparing a city with an NHL franchise versus a NBA franchise is pretty fair.  In my opinion, TV market size is a better determination of a city's fanbase. Cleveland-Akron is the 18th largest TV market with 1,520,750 million TVs. Pittsburgh is the 22nd largest with 1,154,000 million TVs...pretty big difference. Tampa has already surpassed in terms of TV market size. Also, Cleveland is quite a bit larger than St. Louis, another city with three pro teams.

Browns were 25th in attendance last year in terms of % home seats sold - 94%

Browns Stadium is the 9th largest stadium in the NFL  at 73,200. This means the Browns averaged almost 69,000 fans per game in 2009. 14 of the league's 31 stadiums hold less than 69,000.

Browns were 25th in attendance last year in terms of % home seats sold - 94%

 

Which the NFL doesn't use a official attendance.  Actual attendance at the game is used and I just looked and the Browns were 14 in total game attendance in '09.

And those figures were for a year they were god awful starting in the second half of the opener until the last 5 games. Football rules.  Really the problem isn't so much that Cleveland fans are fickle as the Cavs were god awful while the Indians were good (95-07) and the Cavs have been great since Dolan imploded the Indians. Even during the Cavs lean years attendance was middle of the pack except for the year they threw to get LBJ. The teams the Indians have fielded the last two year are unwatchable and it shows in attendance. Anybody want to check the Attendance for 2007? The Indians appeared back on the way up although the city was still holding their breath, Cavs went to the Finals and the Browns were mediocre. I'll bet the browns and cavs were in the top 10 of the league and the Indians were middle of the pack. I think that it shows the region can support 3 teams.

 

The bottom line is Cleveland fans will still attend to watch mediocre to middle of the pack teams, we stay away from unwatchable horrible teams....

 

EDIT : Ticket sales will be fine Lerner bought a lot of goodwill from the fans bringing in Holgren and Heckert.  A good draft help too. Plus due to last years debacle the Browns should have a fairly easy schedule aside from playing Batltimore and Pittsburgh twice.

wouldnt it be perfect if the browns finally made it in for the first cold weather superbowl in 2014?

^yes, but I'd say that any Browns superbowl appearance would be perfect. 

 

How about this: Browns vs. Packers in the 2014 Super Bowl. The media would be falling all over themselves with story lines.

I'm beginning to wonder if we're still big enough to even support three major professional sports franchises.  Of course football is king, but we're very fickle, more so than many other towns I'd say, when it comes to supporting our other teams.  We're the smallest metro area with the Big Three (Pittsburgh and Tampa, the latter of which will probably pass Metro Cleveland in size in the next decade, both have three teams, with an NHL team accounting for one each).

Fickle?  The Browns have been one of, if not the worst NFL franchise (in terms of winning %) over the past 10 years, yet they're holding their own in attendance.  I'd love to see any other NFL teams attendance after suffering through 10 years of abuse like the Browns fanbase has..  The only team that I would say with certain that would be as good, if not better in attendance is Green Bay.

I'm beginning to wonder if we're still big enough to even support three major professional sports franchises. Of course football is king, but we're very fickle, more so than many other towns I'd say, when it comes to supporting our other teams. We're the smallest metro area with the Big Three (Pittsburgh and Tampa, the latter of which will probably pass Metro Cleveland in size in the next decade, both have three teams, with an NHL team accounting for one each).

Fickle? The Browns have been one of, if not the worst NFL franchise (in terms of winning %) over the past 10 years, yet they're holding their own in attendance. I'd love to see any other NFL teams attendance after suffering through 10 years of abuse like the Browns fanbase has.. The only team that I would say with certain that would be as good, if not better in attendance is Green Bay.

 

Re-read my post.  The fickle comment had to do with the other pro teams here.

Hoping to spark season-ticket sales, Cleveland Browns plan 'open house' on June 12

By Bill Lubinger, The Plain Dealer

June 03, 2010, 1:20AM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns fans are being invited to slip into a stadium seat, check out the views and buy into the hope that the losing will finally stop.

 

Browns Stadium becomes an open house Saturday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for a "select-a-seat" event. Fans can choose seats for full or partial season ticket packages for the 2010 season. The best available seats will be tagged.

 

Admission and parking, in the North Port Authority lot, are free. Fans should enter through BrownsTown on the north side of the stadium.

 

Of the stadium's 72,300 seats, the number of season tickets held slipped to about 55,000 last season from 60,000 the year before. When the Browns started 1-11 before winning their last four games in 2009, the team played under the threat of having home games blacked out on local television.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2010/06/hoping_to_spark_season-ticket.html

Enough Cavs/LeBron.

 

Is it training camp yet? :-D

Enough Cavs/LeBron.

 

Is it training camp yet? :-D

Only 18 more days! :clap:

I just got a new Browns Jersey - Brady Quinn, $10 at Dick's, hahahaha.

^ I'll sell you my Courtney Brown one for $9!

I have a Braylon Edwards jersey... anyone?

Ha - I have one too.  I was looking to get another Browns jersey and really didn't want any of the current players, but that's all that was available...at least for what I wanted to pay.  Why they don't just stock the shelves with Kosar or Brown jerseys is beyond me.  I bet those would sell better than any player on the team now!

Ha - I have one too.  I was looking to get another Browns jersey and really didn't want any of the current players, but that's all that was available...at least for what I wanted to pay.  Why they don't just stock the shelves with Kosar or Brown jerseys is beyond me.  I bet those would sell better than any player on the team now!

 

I'm sure a number 82 Jersey would sell like hotcakes!