FilteringCraig

No political commentary here. Jen and I were successfully married this weekend!

Nothing else to say for now. I will have pictures and stories later.

No sooner did I write that I was giving up on the team, Randy Lerner and Phil Savage decided to force the issue with Romeo Crennel and have offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon fired.

WHAT A COINCIDENCE.

Why not leave a comment next time Mr. Savage and Mr. Lerner? I know you are out their lurking at my blog. ADMIT IT!

But seriously sirs, I appreciate the move. The move is still probably way too late to make a difference in this season, but it had to be done. This team has struggled offensively in ways that I can’t even imagine with some of the weapons that seem to be available.

Before someone cries about Carthon being made a scapegoat, I would like to point out how well the defense has done so far this year considering the injuries they have been dealt. The performance of this team can’t be blamed on Crennel and his defensive strategy considering the pure amount of time they have spent on the field when the offense has been anemic with their numerous 3 and out’s.

So, thanks Mr. Savage and Mr. Lerner. I appreciate you hearing me yesterday. And if you ever need an assistant in the front office running the team, I will be able to make myself available. Hell, I will even do it for free, although some of that fat cash would be appreciated if you like my work. You won’t find another guy in the “blogosphere” who understands the state of football with the delicate balance between solid players and the salary cap.

You know where to find me, sirs.

Not that I care or anything, but to further prove my case that I need to concentrate on other sports for a while…

Gary Baxter got injured in yesterday’s game and tore HIS PATELLAR TENDON IN BOTH KNEES ON THE SAME PLAY.

I wonder what the cosmic chances of this injury are in the real world, outside of Cleveland Browns football bizarro world. Even Tedi Bruschi thinks this is an unnecessarily strange and cruel injury.

“That’s good, right?”

That’s what Jen asked me, semi-sarcastically, when Jake Plummer threw an interception to the Browns deep in Denver’s own territory. The Browns mounted a monumental three play 18-yard drive which ended in a 6-yard touchdown pass to Joe Jurevicius.

Having seen the Browns for years, it was time to break the news to Jen.

“No. It isn’t good.”

Yes the Browns were able to cut the lead from 17 - 0 to 17 - 7, but it didn’t really matter. The Cleveland defense had been on the field for what seemed like the entire second half of the game. Even in doing an exceptional job of giving the Browns great offensive field position with the interception, they doomed themselves to only getting a short break from the toothless offense. So, the Browns offense scored and ran off the field, only to send the defense back out onto the field, as if they had even caught their breath yet. And while this put the Browns closer on the scoreboard, it didn’t feel much closer to tying or victory. Unless the defense could hand them three more trips to the red zone, they weren’t going to challenge the Broncos, really.

But Jen doesn’t understand this stuff. How could she? Jen is a Colts fan, and it is really easy to forget bad times. Nowadays, Colts fans get to wonder how long into the season they will be challenging the Miami Dolphins’ perfect season. With a current situation so bright, it is impossible to remember the lean times.

I know it first hand too. It isn’t like I am thinking about Chris Mills, Bobby Phills, Derek Anderson, Vitaly Potapenko and the horrendous Cavs teams that preceded Lebron James. I am thinking about having a player who will challenge for the MVP and hopefully drive this Cavs team deep into the playoffs again.

And thankfully, those Cavs start up on November 1st, because I really need something to take my mind off this Browns team.

I need to stop thinking about them because I really don’t know what’s happening right now with the Browns. I think the team upgraded at almost every single position this year, and yet, they are no better off for any of it right now in the standings. Sure, they have a tough schedule, and sure they get snake-bitten by injuries, but a team with this number of players really should be able to eek out a few more victories than they have so far.

I am beyond conjecture at this point. Is it coaching? Probably. Is it the players? Probably. Is it the schedule? Probably. Who would know for sure? I hear no sense of urgency out of anyone in the Browns organization. They made pretty much zero changes over their bye week. I still haven’t heard a sound from the coaching staff or front office other than “we need to execute.”

Well, what happens when they don’t execute? Historically, in Cleveland, nothing happens when the team doesn’t execute. The Browns continue to sell tickets. Fans continue to get plastered and scream their heads off. Nothing changes, regarless of the (lack of) success of the team.

So what am I going to do now?

Should be the owner and GM’s worst nightmare. It is something I have never done before.

Give up on the Browns and go buy some new Cavs gear.

If they don’t care, why should I?

With the whole “wedding” thing happening, there was some idea that we needed old pictures of me. I figure I will ruin any sort of surprise that could be associated with those pictures and share these with you.

Here is a picture of my siblings and me. I am right up front. The surprising thing about this picture is that I practically have blonde hair.

This picture is from my grandparents house on Sanibel Island. Check out the water muscles.

I must have been really excited about Voltron. That is the same face I make today when I am trying to urge someone into telling me a story and then as they start to tell it thinking I am excited, I shake my head and give them the look of disapproval. By the way, who thought it would be a good idea to make eye glasses that big? Was I getting ready for wood shop or something?

Finally, here is me eating a sandwich. A couple important things to note about this picture. First of all, I am an old-school Browns fan, as you can see. Secondly, I have always taken huge bites when I eat. Thirdly, that plate that you see on the table is part of the set that Jen and I are using right now. (And that Jen wants to replace.)

Finally, I want to know what all those people in the 70’s and early 80’s were thinking. Look at that wallpaper and look at the color of that high chair that my brother is sitting in.

Even though the Detroit Tigers are a division rival, I can’t tell you the amount of elation I felt yesterday watching the $200 million Yankees team lose to their $80 million counterparts. I can’t stand the Yankees with their fans gripping their hands tightly in the stands hoping as hard as they can that their team “might find a way to get it done.” That look should be reserved for fans of teams that don’t have every single advantage in the history of the universe at their disposal. And that look is so much sillier when you are the overpaid favorites in every single series and game you play every single year.

So farewell to the 2006 Yankees. Here’s to A-Rod going to another team next year, resurrecting his career and guiding whatever new team that might be to defeat the Yankees next year.

And before any of you comment, I will have you know that I don’t identify with any of you Red Sox fans out there. Your team may be a distant second with $120 million payroll, but you would be the Yankees too if you could afford it.

T ogether
E veryone
A ccomplishes
M ore

If this is your signoff on your email, I should never have to respond to anything that you have to say except to bash you. In fact I should be allowed to respond with a type-written drubbing of your entire being, along with a follow-up voicemail reiterating the points I made in the e-mail response and making sure that my voice clearly communicates the vitriole with which my message was typed.

BBBBLLLLLEEEECCCCHHHH!

I really don’t even like KISS, but here you go. I should have pounded this guy into oblivion for trying to lick Jen’s ear.