12 Days: But Why Are They Leaping?
December 17, 2008Cavaliers Preview Game #25
December 17, 2008There comes a time in the life of a sports fan when reality must officially set in. No, I am not talking about the Browns team being bad. I mean, they ARE bad. We know that to be reality. The reality that I am referencing now is that Braylon Edwards might never be able to play for this team ever again after this year. After exploding into the blogosphere with vitriolic comments following Monday night’s latest orange and brown debacle, Braylon decided this hit single needed a b-side. (Let’s hope it doesn’t turn into a maxi-single.)
“I’m not Paul Warfield, Webster Slaughter or Jim Brown. I’ve given my all to this city for four years, and I realize it will never be enough. I went to the Pro Bowl last year and resurrected this team from the darkness, and nobody cared.”
“People in this town believe they are entitled to too much. They have been disrespectful to me and my family. I’ve gone out in public with my family and have had to deal with being called foul names. My parents have been called vulgar things at restaurants.”
“My biggest problem is that I actually give a damn. I’m always rushing back from surgeries and injuries, never missing games or practices. But through this, I’ve learned how to overcome adversity. I’m also proud of how my foundation has taken off. I’ve been doing all this community service in Cleveland … my charity efforts will only be in Detroit from now on.”
To quote Scooby Doo; “Ruh Roh!”
Now, I am going to try not to go off on a rampage against Braylon Edwards even though I think he is wrong to make these comments. I am not even saying that what he says is untrue in terms of fans making comments to him and his family in public. I am going to take the unemotional middle of the road stance and just try to report that this Sunday is going to be U – G – L – Y gruesome at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Braylon took this gasoline-soaked bonfire of a season and without a care, lit the match and tossed it right in the middle. Again, I am not saying he is right or wrong, but there is no reason that he needed to open his mouth and follow up what he said after Monday night.
On top of that, how is it that this Browns’ organization is so out of control that they let press have access to Braylon Edwards again to continue to pour salt in the wounds of Browns fans everywhere? See, that’s the part that Braylon misses with his statements about coming back from injuries quickly and trying his hardest. The fans who are out there booing his poor play this year are spending life-changing amounts of money year-in and year-out to be miserable. Even in their best season as fans since 1999, they didn’t get to watch a playoff game at home. This whole deal is a two-way street and as Rock, Scott and some of my other WFNY colleagues have pointed out Braylon doesn’t take any personal responsibility for his play and how it has contributed to this submarined year.
One thing is for sure, though. A continued relationship between Braylon Edwards and the city of Cleveland is going to be near impossible going forward. I can’t imagine the apology that would be good enough for Browns fans to forgive, forget and move on. And maybe that is Braylon’s goal in all of this. Maybe he is trying to get out of here by making it impossible for Cleveland to keep him like Willis McGahee did with Buffalo. The big difference of course is that even while forcing a trade out of Buffalo McGahee performed on the field.
I have never, in my life, seen a team that had so many situations where I was left wondering, “In a perfect world, how would all this work?” and yet having no idea how to fix it. There is no handbook for this team right now. They defy all logic and reason.
(Oh, I almost forgot. Please keep it clean in the comments, people. This is a family-friendly site!)
69 Comments
Braylon Edwards. Sucks so bad , Matt Millen wouldn’t even draft her.
I find it equally hilarious (beyond this ridiculous commentary) that all Braylon could talk about this off-season was how he wanted to start acting and be in Entourage.
Quick stat folks…NFL says Braylon has dropped 20 plus passes now at an average of 19 yards per pass (we all know the real number is over 30). If you go back in time and give the Brownies those drops back then Derek/Brady would have 400+ more yards this season, 4 more touchdowns and 15 more first downs.
Nice job candyass.
I find it absolutely hysterical to read 17’s comments. First, can anyone tell me that last time you saw any parents of someone you despise and started cursing them? If Craig won’t say it, I will. Edwards is lying through his lying liar teeth. Short of them wandering the city wearing their finest “LeBron’s Mom’esque” gear, who the hell knows who they are, or would even care?
Second, his histrionics over the lack of respect from the Browns fans (paint with a broad brush, Braylon. Nice work.) is laughable at the very best. When I was up in Cleveland for a game this year, I was stunned how many 17 non-Sipe jerseys I saw. If it wasn’t 10-1 in Edwards favor over any other jersey name I’d be surprised. After dropping numerous balls again, I felt the only rational thing for those fans to do was drop them in one large pile out front of the stadium and burn them en masse to to send a message to this piece of excrement.
Man, and I didn’t even get to the point where I trash him for being from UM, even though I’m a Buckeye grad. Why? Because I don’t care, Braylon. If that were the case, I’d hate the unhateable Joe Thomas for being from UW. I fall in the camp who hates them more than UM.
ENTITLED?
How about we are entitled to some respect because we pay your salary chump. You know, that salary that you apparently so graciously decide to use for charity, which is apparently just an ego boost for you.
Cleveland fans feel we have earned better because we have one of the worst football teams in the league for a vast majority of years since the Browns have returned and yet fans still show up. We aren’t your precious Michigan fans who, and rightly so, have given up on their worthless football team.
Braylon Edwards now represents to me the very definition of wasted natural talent.
I believe a previous commenter got it perfectly when they said that football players need to be led. I’m pretty sure there aren’t too many good highschool/college football teams where the coach is seen as anything but a stern authority figure. Why would abandoning this model suddenly become effective in the pro game, when players become even harder to control? I could go on and on, but I’m not going to waste an ounce on energy discussing anything Browns related unless its how different the team is going to look next year.
#26 has it perfectly…..& #53….Great Thoughts as well!! Could’t say it better myself!!!!
I don’t know what you guys are talking about. The people I work with act like BE all the time…of course, they are in the 5th grade…
Boy if Braylon ever reads all these comments he’s sure not going to feel loved anymore…
1. Why has the wide receiver become the default diva position in the nfl? Is anyone else sick of the drama that surrounds so many of the best WR’s? TO, Ocho Cinco, Braylon, Plaxico (inmate #34675), etc.
2. I would rather not have him at all on our team, he clearly doesn’t buy into the team mentality. Get draft picks or whatever for him, no one will respect him after these comments on top of his atrocious on-field performance.
3. Romeo has lost control completely. My understanding is that Romeo is a nice coach, whom the players like because he isn’t too strict or unreasonable. He doesn’t exactly strike fear into a player’s heart for messing up. This can be a good way of coaching, if the team is already proven itself. However, his lack of discipline has allowed for braylon to run his mouth, and let off-the-field problems affect the team’s play. F*CK M*CH*GAN, screw braylon, and lets go browns ’09
Mentally Fragile.
I gotta say though – many Browns fans need to show some class. Demanding a professional organization is one thing – cheering when a good guy (DA) gets injured is about as classless as you can be. I used to think it was bad when a fan base cheered when the OPPOSING team’s player got injured.
Anyway, I’m just glad I’ve always been a die-hard Cavs fan first. Now THERE is an organization – from the top down.
As for Braylon – I remember just 2 months ago him beaming ear to ear on MNF postgame – he actually did a really good job in front of the cameras. He’s going to need those skills because his playing days will be over soon – he’s a HORRIBLE WR and a distraction in the locker room. He’s dropped too many passes for me to believe that it is all mental – don’t get me wrong, he’s got the maturation of a middle-schooler, but I think his talent is greatly exxagerated. He’s a big, warm body – that’s it.
I’m having serious doubts about wearing my Braylon jersey Sunday to the Cincy game. I’ve rooted for you, stuck up for you, and kept cheering for you Braylon. And then you smack me in the face. Maybe I will wear your jersey Sunday. With tape over your name on the back. And on that tape, I’ll write ‘Crybaby’, or ‘Trade Me’, or maybe ‘Butterfingers’. A*****E!!!
@ Tsunami – I think most Browns fans are classy, pretty pissed, but classy. Braylon needs to realize that wherever he goes there’s always going to be a small minority of morons who are going to possibly cross the line with the taunting, ESPECIALLY if he’s playing like garbage.
He’s psychologically fragile allright, but these comments are clearly calculated to piss us all off.
No one wanted Randy because he was getting old, Braylon is still very young for WR’s and if you think that teams wont give us at least a 2nd round pick for him then your crazy. He has the talent to be a great WR but it just wont be here.
Braylon is off-base on so many issues, I don’t even know where to begin.
If he really felt like he was getting ridiculed no matter what, he would’ve said this stuff after his Pro Bowl season. But he didn’t….because everyone had his back until he forgot how to catch a football. It was easy to go out and hit the clubs on West 6th when you were catching 16 TDs in 16 games, wasn’t it Braylon? Now that you crap the bed every Sunday, it’s gettin a little tough to go out in public, huh? It’s clear this clown can’t handle the pressure; that’s why he didn’t even address the media after dropping the potential GW TD pass.
I told myself I was not going to watch the Browns’ next two games. But I’m going to watch on Sunday just so I can see my Cleveland brethren boo this jackass into the ground.
I heard a rumor that Braylon’s been invited to NYC for New Year’s. They figured no one can drop a ball like he can.
lol @ doug
The Jags will take him.
I have a Winslow Canes’ jersey!
Remember these words come from the same guy who demeaned a group of smartly disinterested Cleveland public school kids by telling them that if they worked hard like “Beyonce or Lebron” that they could be successful.(Of course, the only chance they would have in life to accomplish anything is to sing, dance, or develop a jump shot.) While at the same time telling them that he grew up in “the hood” just like them, neglecting the fact he grew up in one of nicest Michigan suburbs. After watching the Fox Under the Helmet of his charity: it is very clear he gives to charity for the tax benefits, it employees his mother (it would be interesting to see exactly how those administrative costs are spent in his charity), & he hopes to use it as currency to get involved in broadcasting.(i.e. Trent Dilfer strategy)
It has been obvious for awhile he wants to go to New York and is trying to talk his way there next year. The sad thing is he had the ability to change this season more than any one player on the team. The only thing lacking is his focus which has only been there on Monday night games & leadership. He has never taken responsibility for his own actions. In typical coward fashion, he will have all pro caliber seasons in NY so he can become an annoying announcer in the Emmitt Smith/ Trent Dilfer mold.
Browns blow and so do there fans!!