Cleveland Sports Blog

Why Cleveland Sports Are Terrible All The Time

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Those who look at Cleveland sports have a tendency to think that every team in the Cleveland area is terrible all the time. The thing is, though, people relate not winning championships, which they have been good at since 1964, with being “terrible all the time”. The thing is, though, since the Browns hoisted the NFL Championship in 1964, Cleveland sports teams have not been as terrible as you may think.

Starting with the Browns, while they have never been to the Super Bowl (all their championships came before the Super Bowl was born), they did make three Conference Finals in the 1980′s (sorry to remind you about that). The Indians? You typically focus on how they haven’t won a World Series since 1948, and how they went 40 seasons without making the Playoffs from 1954-1994. What you probably don’t talk about is the fact that since 1994 they have gone to the playoffs seven times, with two World Series appearances (though you probably don’t want to think about those either). And sorry to do this to you, but during the LeBron years with the Cavs, they went to the playoffs five times with one finals appearance. Has Cleveland had painful loses? Absolutely. But have they also been more competitive then you might have imagined? Yes.

Cleveland Cannot Field A Winning Team Anymore

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s face it: if you are a sports fan in Cleveland you know nothing but pain. You know it’s bad when your city is on the wrong side of almost every major sports “The” in the last fifty years. Remember “The Drive” when Elway led his Broncos to the Super Bowl on the games final drive? The Browns were on the tail end of that. And of course the less talk of “The Decision” the better. The fact is, everyone who talks about Cleveland being a sports town that is cursed, well, they may have a point. A city that last won a championship in 1964 when the Browns won an NFL Championship knows a few things about losing. Remember 1997 when the Indians lost in seven games to the freaking Florida Marlins. What the heck?

The question needs to be asked can Cleveland ever field a winning team again? The answer is yes. Despite their losing ways the Browns are going in the right direction with Holmgren as GM and a new look coaching staff on the way. The Indians are in a rebuilding stage, and with a few years of growing pains may grow into a contender. And for the Cavaliers? Well, consider this the ultimate rebuilding year. Buy like the pain that comes after ripping off a bandage, it will eventually go away and lead to better times. You may be cursed Cleveland, but better times are coming.

Cleveland Sports Why They Are A Let Down

admin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

With all the heartbreak that Cleveland teams inflict on their fans, it’s amazing that Cleveland fans are still so supportive.

LeBron James defection was just the latest in a long line of Cavs disappointments. From Jordan’s game winning shot over Craig Ehlo, to the miserable seasons that finally brought James to the Cavs, Cleveland basketball fans have endured a lot of pain. This season saw the Cavs set the record for most consecutive losses.

The Browns of the mid eighties were poised to go to the Super Bowl three times. Three times they were denied by John Elway and the Denver Broncos. The first loss was the most painfully, as fans watched Elway march the Broncos 98 yards to a score, in what will forever be known as “The Drive”. If that wasn’t enough, the team was moved to Baltimore, which went on to win a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the expansion Browns have been stuck rebuilding ever since.

The Indians are guilty as well, reaching the World Series twice since 1954, and losing both of them. Once again, the team saw victory snatched away, as Edgar Renteria beat them in game seven against the Marlins. Another shot at the World Series was denied by a work stoppage.

But, through it all, the fans remain some of the most dedicated in all sports.

LeBron Thoughts at Long Last

www.todddery.com — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Having mulled it over a bit more, it’s time to weigh in on the “King James” ordeal, yes, a full 6 months after his “heartfelt” departure. After all, it seems his face appears incessantly on all 150 of my Direct tv stations, not that Nike really has any business running commercials on the Travel Channel other than to ruin my afternoon, so I might as well get it off my chest. To quote the original King James, the book not the basketball player, the departure sounds eerily similar to the following scripture, Ezekiel 16:17, “Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them.”He took from Cleveland, took our hope, took our pride, took advantage of our naivety, all profiting towards his ballooned head and sense of self entitlement. Perhaps the “Witness” shirts finally went to his head; he worships at his own throne. Then again, maybe it’s our fault for worshipping a false idol, to stick with the whole biblical analogy. Not in the sense of the word as those in the clergy might mean in, but LeBron was a false idol to the city of Cleveland in the way we perceived him, as the city’s savior. Looking back now through a unbiased lenses, having been clouded with delusions of loyalty and optimism, LeBron played for Cleveland, but he was never a Cleveland fan. Did he support the Browns or Indians, like so many other superstars who built bridges across the local sporting world? No. LeBron is a fan of the Cowboys and Yankees, just like most immature little kids who opt for bandwagon winning as a means to look cool.Ultimately, the blame is on us; we saw what we wanted to believe. But never again. He didn’t lie to us, we were lying to ourselves. But hey, here’s to hoping for a steroids scandal or equivalent negative karma…

A Can’t-Win Winter

www.todddery.com — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In case you’ve been wondering about the lack of coverage regarding Cleveland‘s biggest sports story since Summer 2010, and no it isn’t related to the Browns, Indians, or any current Cleveland athlete, the silence may be broken an some point. However, considering the uninspired play of the Cavaliers and depressing ineptitude of the roster combined with the collective heartbreak still unmended across the entire state of Ohio, there’s simply nothing worth saying. Citing every bitter ex-girlfriend with whom I’ve shared less-than-pleasantries, there are two options at this point: 1) Cut of all contact and pretend as if said person was never born; or 2) Board a deeply dark and disturbing emotional roller coaster, to play out in fits, tantrums and regrettable mornings over the course of the next half decade. For me, option 1 is in progress so without further ado, how ’bout those Indians?Mired somewhere between a 5-11 Browns showing and the Cavs reassignment to the NBDL, Spring Training offers a slim glimmer of hope. It’s Cleveland, it’s winter, it’s freezing, and yes, Spring Training is still over a month away (February 27 opener, but no one’s counting), but alas, it’s the last straw to grab at as a Cleveland sports fan. It’s probably too soon to venture forth with any projections at such an early juncture, but forgive me for approaching the 2011 Indians with tempered optimism.The first half of 2010 was abysmal, winning at just a .386 clip. After the All-Star Break, however, the Tribe stepped up their efforts to the tune of a 35-39 finish (a .473 winning percentage). Granted, not an awe-inspiring total but substantially improved. Furthermore, the second half featured a 15-12 September, and 7-3 mark to close their final 10 games.With young pieces in place, including the return of 1 and a half month sensation Carlos Santana, and an upward trending trajectory, perhaps the sky isn’t the limit for the 2011 Indians, but, in this opinion, the basement is an equally far-fetched landing point.

How Mangini’s Hot Seat Will Cool McCoy’s Playing Time

admin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:24:16 +0000

Granted, head coach Eric Mangini was opposed to Colt McCoy‘s selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, both in the second round and the third round, when he was overruled by general manager Mike Holmgren, McCoy is perhaps already the qualified field general the Browns could place under center to start the 2010 season. For starters, McCoy is a winner every single way you slice it. The only quarterback to win at least 10 games while starting all 4 years of eligibility, his success is unparalleled on the college level and would be a welcome, albeit decidedly different, mindset in the Browns huddle. In his last two preseason games combined, McCoy went 23 for 27 on his way to completing 85 of his passes. While this astronomical number is unlikely to hold up, over the course of his collegiate career, McCoy established himself as arguably the most accurate passer in the country, setting the NCAA record for Highest Career Completion Percentage with a remarkable 70.9. Accuracy is by far the best case for McCoy to start as the Browns will likely run a conservative, ball-control offense, not relying on numerous shots downfield. After all, it’s not like Delhomme’s cannon has been firing long range in recent memory. In the 5 games the Browns won down the stretch, they relied heavily on the running game, passing less than 40 times in total. To win this way consistently, the team will need who hits his spots and doesn’t make mistakes, a tailor made situation for McCoy. And with such little demand for complex formations, it’s not as if the role is too tall for a rookie quarterback.Will we see it happen? Not a chance. Head coach Eric Mangini knows his job is on the line and needs to win now, even if the team isn’t built for 2010 and Delhome is built for 2007. Throw in the perception that a rookie QB can’t win (especially a 3rd rounder), despite 2008 rookies Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco leading their teams to the playoffs in similar run-first/strong D scenarios, and it seems like we might have to wait until Mangini moves on before McCoy moves up the depth chart.

Browns Sleepers for 2010

mrice — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:18:12 +0000

While the Browns are slim in terms of big name talent headed into the 2010 season, to say the roster on the whole isn’t talented would be mistaken. Here is a look at some players who may be less familiar on a national scale, but could be poised to breakout for the Browns in a big way this coming year.Mohamed Massaquoi In his first year out of the University of Georgia, Massaquoi quietly posted perhaps the most surprising rookie campaign in the NFL. Tallying 624 yards on 34 receptions (both team highs for 2009), the second round pick showed some big play capability, emerging as the Browns top receiving option by season’s end. Were Massaquoi to have had the benefit of a reliable arm throwing the ball his way, who knows how much higher these totals might have been.James Davis A year ago, Davis was all the rage as far as preseason analysts go, expecting major contributions from the rookie out of Clemson. Highlighted by a 12 carry 116 yard outburst against the Lions, Davis averaged 7.75 yards per carry in the 2009 preseason, before an early season injury put him on IR for the remainder of the season. With rookie RB Montario Hardesty already out for the year, Davis could see a significant number of carries in 2010, as starter Jerome Harrison likely can’t handle the entire load of a run-first Browns attack.Benjamin Watson A former first round pick, the fellow former Bulldog has been stuck playing in the Patriots offense for his 7-year career. While in general football terms playing with Tom Brady is widely considered a good thing, for tight ends and running backs any time spent in the Patriots’ system can be a major detriment to individual statistics, not to say many don’t emerge as better all-around football players as a result. Watson may be one of the most athletically and intelligently gifted players in the NFL, and has put up very solid numbers when both healthy and given the opportunity.

3 Free Agent QBs Better Than Delhomme

mrice — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:12:23 +0000

At 35-years old, with a quarterback rating that declined by a full 25 points last season, ladies and gentleman, meet Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Jake Delhomme. It may seem tough to fathom that a quarterback could legitimately drop his rating so heavily in such a short amount of time, but just call Delhomme’s 59.4-rated 2009 unbelievably bad. In 11 games started before a season ending finger injury, Delhome racked up an 8:18 touchdown to interception ratio (no, that’s not an inverted typo). In Cleveland, he won’t even have the benefit of the two-headed monster at running back he enjoyed in Carolina, taking pressure off the passing game. In this opinion, there is no starting quarterback in the league bringing less to the table at this point in his career than Jake Delhomme. To prove a point, here are 3 quarterbacks not even on NFL rosters who would be better suited under center (bear in mind, that’s not saying much):Jeff Garcia Even at 40, Garcia’s return to the Browns offers more upside. Currently playing for the Omaha Nighthawks, the man obviously would welcome a return to the big stage. Consider Garcia the anti-Delhomme, actually improving his play in his last few NFL seasons. Playing with the Lions in 2005, Garcia still never had a year quite as bad as Delhomme’s 2009, though he was surrounded with a far inferior supporting cast. Garcia resurrected his career with stops in Philadelphia and Tampa over the next 3 years.Pat White Sure, he has only thrown 13 passes of which he’s completed just 5 at the NFL level, but bear in mind most of those were trick plays out of the wildcat package in Miami. Under center against the Falcons this preseason, in the only significant playing time he saw, White completed 4 of 4 passes and looked accurate. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but who knows there could be some Willie Beaman (Any Given Sunday) potential there.Matt Gutierrez The guy almost beat out Matt Cassell for his back-up job in New England a few years back, and we all saw what Cassell did when Tom Brady went down. Why not give the kid a shot, after all, he’s 2 for 2 on his career in NFL passes.

Why the Montario Hardesty Injury Matters

admin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:01:05 +0000

Most Cleveland fans probably dismissed the Browns‘ 2^nd round pick in the 2010 draft with a mere shrug. After all, most were hoping for Colt McCoy, the prolific quarterback of the Texas Longhorns who happened to slide all the way down the Browns’ 3^rd round selection. When Cleveland made Montario Hardesty, running back out of the University of Tennessee, the 59^th overall player off the board, the organization knew exactly what they were getting into in terms of injury history. Hardesty was constantly hampered by ailments that kept him off the field during his tenure at Tennessee, however, after careful consideration and evaluation, the Browns elected to select Hardesty despite these concerns. Now, Hardesty has been placed on Injured Reserve, meaning he will miss at least the first 6 games of the season, though the recovery process for the torn ACL he suffered this season will likely cost him the season. Most Cleveland fans figured the team was set at running back after Jerome Harrison rattled off 561 yards and 5 touchdowns in the final 3 games of last season. Considering those gaudy numbers, does it really even matter if Hardesty ever dons the orange helmet in the regular season? In a word, yes.Closer examination would reveal that aside from a week 15 outburst against the lowly Chiefs in which Harrison totaled 286 yards on 34 carries (8.4 YPC), he averaged a much more pedestrian 3.8 YPC on his way to amassing such high totals. While he still managed 148 and 127 yards in weeks 16 and 17 respectively, he needed an average of 36 carries to do so. Most realists don’t expect the Browns to be in a position to run the ball nearly that often, much less for the small statured Harrison (5’9” 205 lbs) to hold up with such a workload over the course of the season. The much bigger Hardesty would have helped to not only keep Harrison fresh, but hopefully add more consistent per carry numbers, leaving the offense less reliant on the big play and in less 3^rd and long situations. Throw in Harrison’s well-documented preseason struggles, and the Browns 2010 backfield is a recipe for disappointment.

Indians highlights and lowlights from 2010

admin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:52:32 +0000

As the final few weeks of the Major League Baseball season wind down, the Cleveland Indians once again look much more like the beginning of the movie Major League than the victorious Tribe squad we see just before the credits. Emerged is beginning to look like an annual AL Central cellar battle against the Kansas City Royals, the Indians are safely out of playoff contention. While fans were dream back to AL-leading 2007 regular season, which seems like much longer than just 3 years ago, the product on the field hasn’t been entirely bad, despite what the record may say. Of course, anytime a team set to finish the year well below .500, it’s not like they did too much terribly right. Here’s a look at the highs and lows of what’s been underwhelming season.Highlights:The Inspired Play of Shin-Soo Choo Choo has been the heart and soul of an anemic Indians offense thus far, leading the team in virtually every major category, including batting average, runs, home runs, RBI, on-base percentage and hits.Chris Perez Out of the Bullpen Perez became the full-time closer for the Tribe following Kerry Wood’s injury and subsequent trade to the Yankees. It was Perez’s strong relief showings throughout the season that made Wood completely expendable. Boasting a miniscule 1.91 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, Perez has had no problems recording outs under pressure, racking up 19 saves on the year. The next step is to compile a team on which Perez will find himself in more save situations.Lowlights Grady Sizemore Once the face of the franchise, Grady Sizemore lost another season to injury, playing in just 33 games. His trip to the Disabled List, however, was less of a crushing blow this go-round. When a player is hitting .211 with no home runs through 128 at-bats, it’s more of a lateral move.The Carlos Santana Injury Catcher Carlos Santana’s mid-season promotion, after being ranked as the top prospect in the organization over the past 2 seasons, gave down in the dumps fans a glimmer of hope. Less than a month after his debut, Santana suffered a season ending knee injury in a home plate collision, hopefully with no lingering effects on his promising future.