Was an Indians usher fired for not wearing an Issue 7 sticker?
April 24, 2014
NFL Draft, music, media, market size, attendance, and stuff – WFNY Podcast – 2014-04-24
April 25, 2014
It’s my second WWW of the week, and I’m ready to send you off to the weekend! Let’s go!
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The Kanicki Reader mock has selected another Browns player, this time at #26. Spoiler alert, but this time it’s Derek Carr. That doesn’t tell the whole story though. There’s a good bit of info over there discussing all the other possibilities other than QB. Inside linebackers, offensive linemen and receivers. Make sure you go check it out. As for the juicy bits about Derek Carr, it doesn’t read like a love letter for the brother of bust.
Truth be told, I made up all sorts of terrible things about Bridgewater, hoping he would fall here, but it didn’t happen. With the biggest three names gone, I am feeling desperate. I don’t know if I can wait until the second or third round and draft that immobile injured SEC guy Mettenberger. The worst part of all is that I just saw this franchise make this type of perceived reach with Brandon Weeden, so I do fear this is a major risk. Nonetheless, we really do like Derek and always have, which is why he was one of our first choices to bring in to Berea and have a private workout with.
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The Indians really do get squeezed. Their market isn’t even big enough in the infographic to take the entire name “Indians.” Market size is important in a game that imposes no salary caps. The Indians have made some of their own issues with regard to attendance and revenues that would help them compete in the majors, but it’s a pretty tough geographic predicament as well. Cleveland doesn’t have a lot of room to breathe compared to its rivals in the central. The Tribe has to split up Ohio with the Reds before they’re encroached upon in all neighboring states by the Tigers and Pirates.
If only they could find a way to use some of that unused territory beneath the Orioles, Phillies and Nationals… Oh wait. That’s not unused territory, is it? Is that a non-contiguous continuation of the New York Yankees’ fan base? How lovely.
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Finally, an NFL mess that the Cleveland Browns have no chance of involvement! NFL Cheerleaders have filed a class action lawsuit against the league claiming that they’re horribly mistreated employees.
In 2014, the cheerleaders revolted. This January, rookie NFL cheerleader Lacy T. kicked things off when she filed a class action lawsuit against the Oakland Raiders, alleging that the team fails to pay its Raiderettes minimum wage, withholds their pay until the end of the season, imposes illegal fines for minor infractions (like gaining 5 pounds), and forces cheerleaders to pay their own business expenses (everything from false eyelashes to monthly salon visits). Within a month, Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader Alexa Brenneman had filed a similar suit against her team, claiming that the Ben-Gals are paid just $2.85 an hour for their work on the sidelines. And Tuesday, five former Buffalo Bills cheerleaders filed suit against their own team, alleging that the Buffalo Jills were required to perform unpaid work for the team for about 20 hours a week.
I’ve always been a proponent of the Browns having cheerleaders. On some occasions since 1999, the Browns have opted to allow high school cheerleaders to do some cheering on their sidelines. I’m guessing that was unpaid, but it felt kind of embarrassing. That’s not to say that the girls weren’t capable or talented, but they weren’t professionals. I never assumed that the pros were so put-upon as their claims make it sound.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how this plays out… in other cities. For once, it’s to the Browns benefit to not have something that other cities do with regard to NFL. Such has not been the case with on-field talents like quarterbacks.
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There was little doubt that I was going to write about the band Mineral today. Embedded below is one of my favorite songs by the band being performed live at their final show in 1997 before they broke up. I didn’t get into the band until the fall of 1997, probably just a couple months before this final show. Well, 2014 is their 20th anniversary and time heals all wounds for broken up bands it would appear.
Thankfully for me, Mineral decided The Grog Shop in Cleveland would be one of the places to hold a 20th anniversary reunion show on a small tour. I’ve got two tickets and while I’m not 18 or 19 years old anymore like I was back when I started listening to the band, I’ll have a chance to see them live. That’s a chance I never thought I’d have and I couldn’t be more excited.
I imagine this is the same feeling that fans of The Pixies had when they got a chance to see the reformed band in the last few years.
And that’s it for this week. Have a great weekend everyone. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… unless it’s something completely safe and fun that I’m just too boring or unimaginative to do.
69 Comments
WLW.
i grew up in columbus and it was reds territory thanks to radio.
ditto that for the cards/KMOX, i think.
I agree, Kanick, that is a very interesting approach. If nothing else, our boy mg is thorough. I’m looking forward to it.
Although it likely won’t be necessary, I’m sure mg understands that we reserve the right to go all Aaron Goldwanker on him.
I’m finishing it up right now. Had to do a deep-dive search to find some good GIFs for the pick. It was a fun dive and I got caught up in it today reliving some past memories. If you want to know the pick, all you have to do is ask (over email).
I not only understand it but I expect no less.
maybe. Do zone blocking skills favor someone with Schwartz’s particular strengths? With FA season over who’s your better right tackle – a rookie draft choice or someone else’s camp cut while Hoyer or a rook QB run for their life? Maybe Ben Tate and throwing less will take the pressure off Schwartz. All I know is there were times last season he was turning his head to see his man blowing by before his feet barely moved. Just have to give your QB a chance to sometimes pick out the secondary receiver, especially when you’ve bought some that might actually get open.
lol.. i dont what schwartz’ strengths are. “mauler” was the most common descriptor on him which i always thought was a guard trait first and foremost.
but i will say this: in 2010 billy yates played guard in that magical stretch of wins and during that time floyd womack was a passable RT. yates went down in the jets game lauvao came in and everything went to hell. thus, ive long been suspicious of how much of the RT’s problems accrue to having to cover for a lauvao at RG and have held on to a hope that inserting gabe jackson (for example) next to schwartz would simultaneously improve both positions.
The NW labor issue for college football also fits into the narrative and keeps the candle burning (page clicks clicking?).
dignified?
and there are no requirements for them to hire local.
the other reason i still have hope for schwartz was that shurmur/homgrum brought him in along with cordy glenn and jonathan martin and mike adams (and i think silatolu also). shumur played and coached o-line for decades.. it’s one thing i thought he’d be qualified to eval. draftniks had schwartz lower than all those others but the browns liked him best after doing (seemingly) good homework. so i still want to give him benefit of doubt.
sigh. Cordy Glenn was one of my favorite prospects ever (for a non-top10 guy). I was angry when we passed him up in the late 1st and downright baffled when we picked Schwartz over him. I don’t think you will find anything back then or now that will suggest that Mitchell is better than Cordy. The best I can come up with is that we were scared that Glenn’s weight issues in college meant he would not work hard and he has put those concerns to rest (and then some).
I did have Schwartz above Martin and Adams (hated him as a Buckeye and wanted nothing to do with him and was happy the Steelers took him) at the time but had all three guys as 3rd rounders.
I will now commence smashing my face into my desk.
Do you not feel being a professional cheerleader can be dignified?
And teams don’t have to hire local groundskeepers, or secretaries, or ushers but I’m guessing they do.
Agreed, fascinating to watch this unfold and opinions change
I do not feel that the profession of NFL cheerleader is dignified, no. Could it be dignified? Yes, if NFL teams start picking the best athletes from teams like Kentucky and have them do actual cheerleading stunts, but I do not feel that most of the patrons nor the teams want to go that approach.
So, even if they went the dignified approach, then I don’t think they’d be pulling local. They could be the first to scout those teams, grab the best (and a coach) and put on a real show. In fact, why don’t teams do that?
welp mistakes can happen. i just took/take solace in the fact that it was a mistake of dumb-ness not laziness or poor-planning-ness.
in the same draft that we traded up for Trent Richardson and took 28yo Brandon Weeden in the 1st round. Where’s my desk? Ah, here we go…
I hesitate to debate about this because I know so little about cheerleading, but we’re in a blog comment section, right? 😉
I was defining “dignified” more in terms of providing a fair wage, benefits, etc rather than the type of activities cheerleaders engage in. Whether they are performing world-class acrobatics or simply cheering in front of an ogling crowd seems immaterial to me; they are still offering their skilled labor to a billion-dollar corporation and should be fairly compensated.
fine. I’m a one-note Charlie – I see Schwartz slow and late with these edge rushers and, as I said earlier, see spackling like setting him wider creating new problems. I see when he’s worried him leaning/cheating at the snap, setting himself up for a countermove. Yes, there are line guys who come in late and sub well for a while at every position but left tackle and center, but that’s less a plan than a prayer, and not a long-term fix. Maybe despite all the drills and pro day measurables it’s really hard to accurately judge a college guy’s lateral movement and trench strength until you actually put him across from these NFL freaks.
ah, fair enough.
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