You Can't Blame Shurmur For This One

The fans have done it again. I am finally so fed up with this concussion story that I feel like I need to give my opinion on the matter.  

McCoy was injured after his throw to Hardesty when Harrison hit him.  What McCoy injured at the time, was his hand and wrist.  The trainers, two or three of them, were looking at his wrist and taping a few of his fingers together while talking to him.  These same trainers came to the conclusion that he was not showing symptoms of a concussion, therefore, no concussion tests were needed.  A concussion can show up later after a blow to the head and there are numerous examples to support that and it is not even worth going into.  That is simply what happened.

What bothers me the most is the backlash that head coach Pat Shurmur is enduring. People are on their high horses complaining that no way, no how, McCoy should have been put back into the game after that hit.  How could Shurmur have allowed such a thing?  

What people don’t realize, for some reason, is that Shurmur is trying to call plays, get formations together, and figure out what to do with Seneca Wallace.  He isn’t on the sideline to administer McCoy concussion tests or clear him to play, that’s a trainer’s job. His job is to coach the football team.  So when a player comes up to him and says, “I’m ready to roll,” the coach puts him back into the game to play because the doctors have cleared him as such.  That’s all there is to it.

People have been all over Shurmur for his play calling, how he’s handled personnel, and even what his demeanor is like on the sidelines and during press conferences.  Okay, fine.  You have the right to your own opinion (no matter how wrong I think you are for most of it).  But to take your aggravation out on Pat Shurmur for this concussion matter, when really you are just pissed off about another double-digit loss season, is stupid and illogical.

If we are going to continue to call ourselves the best football fans in football, then it’s about time we start becoming the smarter football fans. All I see is angry and bitter people trying to slam a coach for something he isn’t responsible for.  If McCoy came back in and threw the game winning touchdown pass your tunes would be a lot different, and I don’t even want to think about what some of you would’ve said if Wallace came in and threw the same interception that McCoy did.  It’s about time Browns fans pulled their head out of their asses and become informed about the way things work on an NFL sideline before they try to nail Pat Shurmur to a cross.  Pat Shurmur is a football coach, not a neurologist, and it’s about time everyone realizes that.  

The Wrong Time to Leave Your Browns

The Browns sit at 4-8 and are securely planted in the cellar this season in the AFC North.  An echoing sentiment from what I can gather from the radio, social networking, and talking to people in person, is that people are “fed up.”

I can’t help but ask, “Why now?”

Why is this the season that you are done with your Browns? Wasn’t it just a few years ago that we sat at 1-11 and there was no semblance of any playmakers on offense or defense? Mangini offenses make this one look like the Packers.  We couldn’t accidentally run into a touchdown let alone pick up a garbage score in the fourth quarter of games.  

What I really don’t understand is why we aren’t willing to give this front office and coaching staff more than a year to show us what they can really do.  Tom Heckert has given the Browns the two best consecutive drafts since the team returned in 1999.  They drafted Haden, Ward, McCoy, Hardesty, Luavo and ended up finding a great trade for Peyton Hillis in their first season.  Add to those players Taylor, Sheard, Little, Pinkston and Marecic, these are young players getting loads of experience in a season where WE WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO COMPETE. For anything.  This season was about experience, about finding what we DON’T have and then once we finally have an actual offseason, make the changes accordingly.  

And there in lies the real problem.  There were no OTAs this season.  The team wasn’t allowed to give out playbooks or even talk to players during the lockout, making it almost impossible for this team to fully grasp what Pat Shurmur wants to do on offense.  Is that an excuse that should be used in week 12? Probably not, but it definitely doesn’t get this team off to a fast start, a real theme to this season.

On offense our best pass catchers have proved to a rookie 2^nd round pick who didn’t play football last year and undrafted rookie wide receiver from Penn St.  You can say whatever you want about Colt McCoy and much of his criticism is garnered, but when you combine a kick returner, two rookies, and a very average receiver in Massaquoi as your receiving corps you don’t exactly have a recipe for success.  Combine that with the Peyton Hillis drama and how the Browns lead the league with 33 drops, I am not sure how any offense is supposed to survive that.  

McCoy has looked lost at times, has looked like he is staring down his receiver and only throwing short routes, but he can only throw to the plays that are called.  And in Shurmur’s defense, how is he supposed to call a complicated passing game with the pieces that he has? Cribbs still doesn’t know how to run routes and the other receivers have seen this offensive scheme for less than a year.  How can anyone succeed in that environment, quarterback, receiver, and lineman alike?

So why should we stick around and tune in every Sunday to watch the Browns? Seven draft picks in the first four rounds of the upcoming draft certainly is one of them.  This front office has done as well as any in recent Browns history in getting talent and there is no reason why that should stop.  There are proven veterans as well on this team in Joe Thomas, D’Qwell Jackson, Alex Mack, and the much forgotten Eric Steinback.  All I am saying, is that this is not the season to jump ship.  You can say that you have put up with this same thing for 12 years now, but guess what, this front office has been here for only one year and this is Shurmur’s first season as a head coach.  There has been improvement whether people want to see it or not, and if you “fans” really want to be angry enough to leave the Browns, call me in two years, because there is no quick fix in the NFL.  The Browns cannot be built in one day, so if you want the gratification of sticking around, rooting for your team that you grew up with and seeing them succeed, you need to wait.  If not, go root for the Steelers.

The Wrong Time to Leave Your Browns

The Browns sit at 4-8 and are securely planted in the cellar this season in the AFC North.  An echoing sentiment from what I can gather from the radio, social networking, and talking to people in person, is that people are “fed up.”

I can’t help but ask, “Why now?”

Why is this the season that you are done with your Browns? Wasn’t it just a few years ago that we sat at 1-11 and there was no semblance of any playmakers on offense or defense? Mangini offenses make this one look like the Packers.  We couldn’t accidentally run into a touchdown let alone pick up a garbage score in the fourth quarter of games.  

What I really don’t understand is why we aren’t willing to give this front office and coaching staff more than a year to show us what they can really do.  Tom Heckert has given the Browns the two best consecutive drafts since the team returned in 1999.  They drafted Haden, Ward, McCoy, Hardesty, Luavo and ended up finding a great trade for Peyton Hillis in their first season.  Add to those players Taylor, Sheard, Little, Pinkston and Marecic, these are young players getting loads of experience in a season where WE WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO COMPETE. For anything.  This season was about experience, about finding what we DON’T have and then once we finally have an actual offseason, make the changes accordingly.  

And there in lies the real problem.  There were no OTAs this season.  The team wasn’t allowed to give out playbooks or even talk to players during the lockout, making it almost impossible for this team to fully grasp what Pat Shurmur wants to do on offense.  Is that an excuse that should be used in week 12? Probably not, but it definitely doesn’t get this team off to a fast start, a real theme to this season.

On offense our best pass catchers have proved to a rookie 2^nd round pick who didn’t play football last year and undrafted rookie wide receiver from Penn St.  You can say whatever you want about Colt McCoy and much of his criticism is garnered, but when you combine a kick returner, two rookies, and a very average receiver in Massaquoi as your receiving corps you don’t exactly have a recipe for success.  Combine that with the Peyton Hillis drama and how the Browns lead the league with 33 drops, I am not sure how any offense is supposed to survive that.  

McCoy has looked lost at times, has looked like he is staring down his receiver and only throwing short routes, but he can only throw to the plays that are called.  And in Shurmur’s defense, how is he supposed to call a complicated passing game with the pieces that he has? Cribbs still doesn’t know how to run routes and the other receivers have seen this offensive scheme for less than a year.  How can anyone succeed in that environment, quarterback, receiver, and lineman alike?

So why should we stick around and tune in every Sunday to watch the Browns? Seven draft picks in the first four rounds of the upcoming draft certainly is one of them.  This front office has done as well as any in recent Browns history in getting talent and there is no reason why that should stop.  There are proven veterans as well on this team in Joe Thomas, D’Qwell Jackson, Alex Mack, and the much forgotten Eric Steinback.  All I am saying, is that this is not the season to jump ship.  You can say that you have put up with this same thing for 12 years now, but guess what, this front office has been here for only one year and this is Shurmur’s first season as a head coach.  There has been improvement whether people want to see it or not, and if you “fans” really want to be angry enough to leave the Browns, call me in two years, because there is no quick fix in the NFL.  The Browns cannot be built in one day, so if you want the gratification of sticking around, rooting for your team that you grew up with and seeing them succeed, you need to wait.  If not, go root for the Steelers.

The Sky Is Not Falling - NBA Draft 2011

I have to admit, I was at a bar/grille (they don't serve food at Ohio University, the "grille" part is just for show) and I was a bit upset with what transpired during the draft last night, but after waking up this morning with a slight headache, I realized something: We did good.  


Kyrie Irving is the only player in this draft that people think can be an All-Star.  It's that simple. We got the best player in the draft and our best player on the team, Baron Davis, is excited to teach him. Davis is still a top 10 point guard in this league when he wants to be, and I am more than happy to hear that he is on board.  


Irving can shoot it from everywhere and has natural point guard instincts.  He will see time next to Davis in the back court right away, and that is where we will see that he is a much better scorer than advertised at.  He will be a double digit scorer right off the bat if he receives the amount of minutes necessary.


The #4 pick is where things started to get a bit blurry. I had been hearing for most of the last two days that Tristan Thompson was being considered at 4, and after a late push from Dan Gilbert, the Texas power forward was the next selection.  People, let's calm on this.  


No one was all that excited to see Jonas Valanciunas, don't try to give me the b.s. that you wanted him here. The only reason why I was okay with it was the fact that we could suck next year while he got better in Europe. I'd much rather have Thompson.  Besides, I think we all are forgetting our own Euro center, Semih Erdin. I think he's going to start at some point next year and contribute big time. That being said...


The south paw from Toronto does not have a polished inside game, but he seems to do the two things that the Cavaliers could not do at all last year: rebound and protect the rim.  He will rebound right away as well as get garbage dunks and put backs from our bevy of shooters (I didn't say makers).  We needed a guy who will play defense, run the floor, and clean the boards. He's better than Samuels, trust me.  


So let's all calm down a tad, we still have time to make moves, get free agents, and use the TPE. There is time, and it's not like we have a gun to our heads to win the title next year, LeBron is gone, we can do this the right way. In Chris Grant I trust-- because we won this draft the day we traded for Baron Davis and the 1st pick, not last night.  (Do I really need to talk about the 2nd round? No. We can sign everyone's precious David Lighty as a FA. I would.)

2011 NBA Lottery Mock Draft

1	Cleveland	Kyrie Irving PG Duke- The best player in the draft. He can shoot the 3 (46%), free throws (91%) and has the size + feel to really start the franchise over again. Easy choice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3pbLyHCOCo
2	Minnesota	Derrick Williams F Arizona- I don’t think they hold onto him, but taking Williams maximizes their value at this spot whether they trade him or Beasley. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_y-SW_q2E8&feature=fvst
3	Utah	Enes Kanter C/PF Kentucky- The first “surprise” of the draft. I don’t think they hold onto him either, with the Wizards hot for the little-tested Turk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YzbhAQGPqk
4	Cleveland	Jonas Valanciunas C/PF Lithuania- If there was ever a year to stash a player over seas, it’s this one.  With labor issues almost guaranteeing a lockout, he can still develop and allow the Cavs to pick high in the lottery again next year. Trading the pick is a high possibility as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLa5yFCF6Go
5	Toronto	Kemba Walker PG UConn- Toronto needs an identity as well as backcourt help.  Even if he isn’t a true point guard, his scoring will be a welcomed addition next to Bargnani and Derozan.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVNIB8dOkn8
6	Washington	Alec Burks SG Colorado- Washington needs another backcourt mate for Wall, and while Jordan Crawford came on late last season, but his size is probably better suited coming off the bench. Burks’ combo of size and scoring ability will make Washington’s backcourt one to be reckoned with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfxRkrUFRI0
7	Sacramento	Jimmer Fredette PG BYU- This would allow Evans to move to the off guard and have a spot up shooter next to him when he becomes the primary ball handler late in games. Very underrated strength and ability to get to the hoop as well as his leadership qualities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OgKn8VGHas
8	Detroit	Bismack Biyombo PF The Congo- Seems to me like a match made in Heaven.  Wilcox and Maxiell are both tough energy players but neither have the rare combination of size and athleticism that Biyombo garnishes.  Explosive dunker who wants to crush everything. Has time to develop a move or two in the post. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_SB-ZKAhGM
9	Charlotte	Brandon Knight PG Kentucky- There’s really no way that Knight falls this far, someone will most definitely trade up to get him around the 4-6th picks, but if by some magical draft day miracle happens, Jordan will pounce on the big shooter at point guard from Kentucky. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR9x8alen3I
10	Milwaukee	Tristan Thompson PF Texas- Playing next to Bogut will allow Thompson the opportunity to get a good amount of garbage baskets while he develops his offensive game more, and he will continue to solidify Milwaukie’s already stout interior defense.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRskSXbkRSM
11	Golden St.	Marcus Morris F Kansas- With new coach Mark Jackson size and versatility will be at a premium and maybe no player outside the top ten will be ready to make an impact on both sides of the ball like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9GhIQZoa14
12	Utah	Jan Vesely F Czech Republic- Dubbed the “dunking ninja” on YouTube, the Czech forward is as long and athletic as they come with a promising outside game that could allow the 6-11 forward to play some small forward at the next level. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zlB5w08_Es
13	Phoenix	Jordan Hamilton SG/SF Texas- Phoenix tried to bring Josh Childress back to the States along with Pietrus in the trade with the Magic, and neither really took hold of the starting 3 spot.  Hamilton’s offensive game on the wing is one of the most complete in the draft, while his shot selection and defensive effort may be in question, the Suns would be thrilled to see him fall this far. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9J0MgiIh74
14	Houston	Chris Singleton F Florida State- Trading away Shane Battier and not having another guy to guard other small forwards is a problem, and while Singleton showed some offensive ability this season at FSU, his defense will remain his calling card and get him picked in the lottery. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfRDj_HHfFE
15	Indiana	Klay Thompson SG Washington State- This may be a best case scenario for the Pacers as they need scoring and shooting from the off guard position to put next to emerging point guard Darren Collison.  His shot may be as good as anyone’s in the draft and his athleticism is better than first thought.  Can even run the offense with the second team right off the bat for the Pacers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w2ekvQS-Xs

Is Camp Colt Really Worth It?

Camp Colt has been getting a lot of press from the media, as well as all these other little “mini camps” that teams have been putting on.  Even more media attention is paid to the players who don’t show up to these little weekend getaways.  The Cleveland media attacked rookie wide receiver Greg Little for not attending Camp Colt the first time, but he finally found his way to Austin, along with fellow rookie, tight end Jordan Cameron.  What I don’t understand is what can really be gained from running routes on a high school field somewhere when players aren’t “allowed” to even have the playbooks yet.  

I’m not so naive to think that Colt doesn’t have some version of Shurmur’s playbook somewhere tightly tucked into his saddle somewhere, but what I really am unsure of, is whether or not these camps are worth the risk that players are putting out there.  

Greg Little and Jordan Cameron have not signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns.  They are not being paid, they are owed no money, and technically, the only connection they have to the organization is that they were picked by the Browns and have all of their rights in order to negotiate a contract.  What if Little tears his ACL at one of these camps? What leverage does he have to ask for even 3^rd round pick money?  These rookies are getting a lot of pressure from teammates, and especially the media, to risk their first real money as a professional, so they can jog around on a field and catch passes from Colt or Wallace.  

I am also in the wagon of people that thinks these little camps are nothing more than a stick to the NFL, saying, “Hey we don’t need the NFL to get together to run mini camps or OTAs, we can do it on our own.”  These players attending these camps are the same exact players that complain EVERY YEAR those OTAs and mini camps are too long, and that the NFL doesn’t have a long enough offseason.  At least in mini camp and OTAs people are getting paid, players are receiving a salary.  

Which camp has gotten the most plug so far? Oh yeah, that’s right, the Drew Brees camp, doesn’t that make anyone wonder when he is by far the most vocal player in these labor disputes? I for one am surprised he has enough time on his hands to do either these camps or dispute labor problems when at the age of 32 he is still in New Orleans bars starting chants and other weird stuff that he learned to do at Purdue.  

Maybe I am cynical, but I just don’t think these camps are doing much of anything for the players, and that the risk these younger players are putting them through, just really isn’t worth it.  Joe Thomas recently just said he is enjoying his time off, and that the offseason is really way too long in the first place. I’m gonna go ahead and listen to our captain and best football player since the Browns came back in 1999, and not worry about the offseason workouts. 

Why Derrick Williams at #1 Would Be A Mistake

This NBA season allowed my inner draft geek to get off for the Cavs like I haven’t been able to in sometime.  We were terrible, and with a terrible team it allowed me to start looking at players for the Cavs around… well, January.  I am a draft geek. I love watching YouTube videos and I love looking at mock drafts.  This season having two top five selections it has allowed me to look at just about every draft website known to man, scouring many mock drafts, and picking the brains of any scout or reporter that I could.  This year it was very easy for me to realize which sites had any brains in their operations.

How in the world could the Cavs NOT take Kyrie Irving number one overall?  The thought of them passing up on someone who scouts talked about as the best player in college when he was healthy all year, for a guy who snuck into the minds of many draft gurus during the NCAA tournament, blows my mind.  People want to talk about Derrick Williams and how versatile he is, and how he can play the small forward position in the NBA, but I have three major issues with what everyone gushes over him about.  

Number one: If he is a small forward, why didn’t he play it in college? This parallels what my dad hates more than anything in the world, the defensive end you take in college football that’s supposed to stand up and play linebacker in the NFL.  Why would you take a chance on changing a guy’s position at the FIRST PICK in the draft? That doesn’t seem logical to me when there is a point guard who comes from an elite program that will be ready to play meaningful minutes at the position he has played his entire life, not to mention the most important position on the court.  I for one am not picking a project linebacker over the best quarterback in the draft.

Number two: He will take away minutes from the only position the Cavs have decent talent at.  Even if one day Williams can play the 3 spot, he is going to have to play 4 right away in order to get him onto the court and appease fans for taking him number one overall anyways.  The issue? J.J. Hickson grew into his own by the end of the season, averaging almost 17 points and 11 rebounds over his last 23 games.  Why would we want to stifle the growth of what is probably the Cavaliers best young player going into his all-important fourth season? Along with Antawn Jamison and Anderson Varejao, it seems the Cavs could use more help at the center position, not another player to throw into the mix at the 4.  

Number three:  Something about Williams, when I hear him talk or I read his tweets, gets to me.  I can’t put my finger on it, but this #23 has a little bit of a cockiness to him that seems to go a little further than just confidence in his game.  And maybe this is just me, but a guy who supported LeBron vehemently all season until the Cavaliers got the number one pick just doesn’t sit well with me.  Maybe I am just gun shy, but this guy to me looks like he wants a little bit more from his NBA experience than living in Cleveland.  

All of my concerns may change however, if we are able to get the both of them, which is more and more looking like something the Cavaleirs are trying to do.  If we could make this a tandem of Irving and Williams, I think that the Cavs would have taken a very quick first step into rebuilding on the fly.  Together these two would be great building blocks to start the franchise back up with, but I would rather have Irving and then whoever else we can get, instead of Williams and whoever is left at 4. We will find out on June 23^rd just what the Cavs have been up to since they won the lottery.