While We’re Waiting… So Close.

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

Sure to see plenty of this going around this week- “Gordon is emerging as a very nice player for the Browns, a good find in the supplemental draft this year. He was supposed to be raw coming out of Baylor, but is already the Browns’ best receiver. He caught a touchdown early against the Colts, his fourth in three games.

So who better to have camping under a perfectly thrown ball with a chance to give the Browns the lead than Gordon? He beat his defender and was in perfect position to put Cleveland ahead. Gordon dropped it. Of course he did. Cleveland fans did a collective face palm, something they’ve had practice at.” [Schwab/Shutdown Corner]

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“They just don’t know how to win games like this, and that won’t stop until they start to win games like this. And yes, I understand the contradiction in that statement. That’s why losing can be harder to scrape away than a wad of bubble gum on the bottom of your shoe. It’s why they are 0-4 in games decided by seven or fewer points.

It’s why only a few wins stops losing, but all the losing makes it so hard to know how to win. That’s enough to make fans of the orange helmets turn blue from all the frustration.” [Pluto/Cleveland.com]

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“The punt coverage unit was also victimized, giving up a ballsy fake punt as Purdue punter Cody Webster rolled left for four yards on 4th and 1 from the Boiler 18-yard line. That drive would end with Barnett’s pick in the end zone but what should’ve been a three and out for the defense became a 19-play drive.

Another annoying aspect of the punt coverage yesterday was a little more nuanced. On two different occasions, the OSU gunners got down the field but did a poor job of getting as close to the return man’s halo as possible. This wouldn’t be a big deal except for the fact Josh Johnson was a little shaky on fielding punts. He put two on the ground but both times Devin Smith wasn’t as close to Johnson as he could’ve been, enabling Johnson to easily recover his muffs.” [Lauderback/Eleven Warriors]

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Kind of surprised we haven’t seen more of this kind of thing– [Onward State Twitpic]

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“I’ve intentionally buried the lead of this column. This is a column about performance-enhancing drugs and how we should view them when it comes to professional athletes. I buried the lead because I don’t want my words to be twisted and exploited. I don’t want to unfairly besmirch the names and reputations of the athletes mentioned in this column. Armstrong and A-Rod have been involved in PED controversies. Bryant, Manning and Lewis have not. I’m not accusing Bryant, Manning and Lewis of using PEDs.

I’m saying we’ve set up an athletic world that begs them to. And if that’s the case, maybe we should reconsider how we view PEDs.” [Whitlock/Fox]