Jimmy Haslam commits to Ray Farmer and Mike Pettine for 2015
December 28, 2014Jimmy Haslam sends stern message to “irresponsible” players
December 29, 2014Looks like we’ll have to wait at least another nine or so months before our next Victory Monday. We’ll have plenty of Browns-related items over the coming hours, days and weeks as we watch the rest of the AFC North play in to January. But While We’re Waiting…
Who’s to blame!? Scrolling through Twitter Sunday morning as the Justin Gilbert news was broken, plenty of people shared their disappointment in yet another first-round pick failing to live up to expectations. But as the game was still hours away, there was a faction of bloodthirsty types looking to add yet another name to the list of men to have fallen on swords of yesteryear. Rather than looking at the individuals who failed to do what was asked of them—Justin Gilbert, in this case—there were calls for Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine, general manager Ray Farmer and others. You know, as if hitting the reset button (again) solves the maturity-related problems of a select few. Thankfully, for continuity’s sake, Jimmy Haslam said that he’s sticking with both men as the team looks to improve off of what was, despite the way things ended up, their best season in seven years.
With the Cavaliers falling to the woeful Detroit Pistons, the finger pointing was full throttle as some of the leftover LeBron bashers went hard at the four-time MVP and the rest were all in on head coach David Blatt. I mean, we gave this team lofty expectations, ones which they’re largely failing to meet so someone has to pay, right? Sure, when Ric Bucher placed a four-seed on the Cavaliers heading into the season, many of us laughed—a team with three of the best players in the league surely wouldn’t struggle in a woebegone Eastern Conference. But rather than looking in the mirror and wondering if our expectations (some people had this team winning 70 games after all) might be the variable that needed some tweaking, some want to throw shade at James; others want to axe a third head coach in less than three years. Even after they won by 10 in Orlando, the win wasn’t decisive enough for some. It’s mind-blowing, really.
Like Haslam following the Browns loss, LeBron quickly shot down a post-game question from a visiting reporter about Blatt like it was a cheap clay pigeon. When James referenced the team not being very good every game being a learning experience, there was an inquiry about the same being said for Blatt to which he said “Don’t try that.”
Does this happen anywhere outside of Cleveland? Whenever I go all in on jerkoffs wishing ill upon athletes on Twitter, I’m immediately met with “Every fan base does it!”—you know, as if that makes it better. But can anyone really say there’s another fan base that has such a vocal contingent of individuals actively looks to churn through front offices and decision makers? This—this blame culture, second cousin to those who demand apologies at every turn—has to be a product of years (decades—five of them) of futility, right? The perpetual conspiracy theorists are bad enough. I know every city has those types. But I refuse to believe that other sports towns have such a level of bloodthirsty “fans” running rampant across all of their teams spouting nonsense at the first sign of struggle.
I know that winning cures all, but something tells me that this mindset is a lost cause.
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A quick video to lighten the mood:
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If only hot takes would incinerate themselves. Here are 10 of my favorite pieces of #ActualSportswriting for the year 2014:
“Precious Memories” by Tommy Tomlinson (ESPN The Magazine): “Dean Smith doesn’t watch the games anymore. The motion on the screen is too hard to follow. Now he thumbs through golf magazines and picture books. Most of the books are about North Carolina basketball. They seem to make him happy. He turns the pages past photo after photo of himself. Nobody knows if he knows who he is.”
“A Long Journey to Spring” by Chris Jones (ESPN The Magazine): “He is still getting used to the seeming illusions of his new life, the not-so-subtle differences in meal money and the width of seats. A few weeks ago, he went to Macy’s to buy the first three road-swing suits he’s owned; he saw that the Royals will be opening their season in Detroit and bought his first overcoat too. Billy Butler, the $8 million designated hitter, recently asked if he wanted to enter a Daytona 500 pool. It was $100 a throw. Jirschele informed Butler, using slightly different language, that $100 still means quite a lot to him and he would have to decline. A little later, Butler stopped by. ‘Jirsch, you’re in the pool.'”
“I was Tony Gwynn’s Bat Boy” by David Johnson (Deadspin): “Most 10 year-old boys walk through life searching for a hero. I found mine in the form of a chubby singles hitter from San Diego State University. I began to actively idolize Tony Gwynn in 1984, the year the unassuming team in Mission Valley put together something magical and made lifelong fans of a collection of people who mostly thought of the ballpark as somewhere to hang out on Sunday afternoon if you were tired of the beach.”
“Run and Gun” by Flinder Boyd (FOX Sports): “I stand in the center of a busy strip mall parking lot just off Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, wiping the sweat from my brow. It is unseasonably hot for February, and my pulse is racing. How do you address a gang leader?”
“Dinners interrupted, vacations ruined” by Jason Lloyd (ABJ): “I was standing on a golf course when I learned the Cavs were trading J.J. Hickson. I was at Panera trying to have lunch with my wife when Chris Grant was fired. I was standing in a pet store last summer trying to replace the family goldfish when news broke Andrew Bynum would join the Cavs. When I had a story that was critical of Kyrie Irving a few weeks back, my boss edited it from the frozen-food aisle of Giant Eagle.”
“Awakening the Giant” by Seth Wickersham (ESPN The Magazine): “You remember the picture. Y.A. Tittle is on his knees in the end zone after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Swollen hands on his thigh pads, eyes fixed on the grass, he is helmetless and bleeding from the head, one dark stream snaking down his face, another curling near his ear. His shoulder pads make him seem hunched over, resigned, broken down. The black-and-white photo was taken in 1964, the final year of Tittle’s career.”
“An Idiot in Exile” by Pat Jordan (Sports on Earth): “In early March, I met Johnny Damon for breakfast at an IHOP near Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., where Johnny has lived most of his life. The restaurant was packed, yet no one seemed to recognize Damon. He said that was because people in Orlando respect his privacy, but no one even glanced his way.”
“Jerry Football” by Don Van Natta Jr. (ESPN The Magazine): “Up in the darkened owner’s suite, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is dancing with Kate Bosworth, a 31-year-old blond actress and model. Their hands clasped, they shuffle their feet along the suite’s top step, giggling when they momentarily go cheek-to-cheek. What Jones may lack in rhythm, he more than makes up for in enthusiasm.”
“Sea of Crises” by Brian Phillips (Grantland): “When he comes into the ring, Hakuho, the greatest sumotori in the world, perhaps the greatest in the history of the world, dances like a tropical bird, like a bird of paradise.”
“The Faded Smile” by Jonathan Abrams (Grantland): “[Eddie] Griffin died mysteriously in the early morning of August 17, 2007, when his Nissan SUV plowed into the side of a Union Pacific train transporting plastics. He was 25 years old. His death, like so many things in his unusual life, left more questions than answers.”
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And finally, this week’s Brew du Jour: Southern Tier IPA
No, not the 2X IPA or their “Unearthly” version; just the standard IPA from what may very well be my favorite craft brewer in all the land in Lakewood, New York’s Southern Tier. Having a few people over for some Christmas celebrating this past weekend, the fridge was stocked with some 2XMAS, but we also provided some alternatives for the non-winter warmer types, chief of which was this delicious ale.
At 7.3 percent ABV, this one certainly isn’t qualifying as a ‘session’ style, but that certainly didn’t stop me from making a night out of them. Like many of its peers, this one pours a hazy gold with a distinguishable white head that leaves plenty of froth around the glass. Loaded with citrus hops, the nose is greeted with a sour aroma while the mouth gets its fair share of citrusy bitterness with a nice dry aftertaste. It’s not as hoppy as a lot of the west coast IPAs, and errs more on the malt like other east coast versions.
I realize that I write this from an IPA- and Southern Tier-biased standpoint, but this beer is the perfect bridge to get you from the winter warmers into the spring-based ales that are surely to hit stands entirely too soon. If you can take the higher ABV, you could do a lot worse than this brew.
21 Comments
Well said. Time to stop blaming everyone but the players. To be fair, sometimes the problem does lie outside of the on-field talent, but in cases like Manziel, Gilbert & Gordon, they’re clearly the problem.
Fifty years without a title for a city with three pro teams and an inferiority complex to begin with will create this sort of atmosphere. Not saying it’s justified, not defending it…but it’s existence is not difficult to understand.
Every single host over at The Fan seems to be calling for Pettine’s head. Especially guilty parties are Lima, Lull and Spooner. I mean, I am sorry that Manziel-mania fooled them into thinking he was the answer but lashing out against the guy who refused to play him because he recognized his crappy game prep, party first-work never attitude and general IDGAF persona just really makes them look childish and small.
Three things: First, that Crittenton piece was truly outstanding, and well worth the lost productivity at work. I remember reading bits and pieces of him getting into trouble, but never really knew the entire story.
Secondly, I have yet to have a beer from Southern Tier that I didn’t like. Whether it’s the regular IPA, 2X, Live, Pumking or their version of Christmas Ale, I like them all. I spend a decent amount of time across Lake Chautauqua from Lakewood, and the brewery tour is on my list of things to do.
As for the Browns, I’m curious how they’ll spend the next 9 months shuttering the Manziel circus before it flushes every positive step they’ve made down the porcelain bowl. Today though, I’m just happy that it’s over for this season. Mike Freeman (who appears to have blocked most of Cleveland on Twitter) sent out a cryptic tweet yesterday promising veteran opinions of Manziel later this week. I can hardly wait for that.
Scott, welcome to Southern Tier Anonymous…I’m currently rotating between the IPA and PMX to get me through to the release of their Eurotrash Pilz.
Scott- Check out Blizzard of Hopps from Troegs when you get a chance. Smells like a xmas tree. very good IPA.
Have you had Dogfish Head beers? 60 min IPA beats southern tier IMO. I will have to check out XMAS ale
Maybe if the Cavs bothered to show up half the time we wouldn’t be as angry.
Yes, 60 min is good, but more of a session brew. I prefer the 90 minute from them and if you really want to get nuts… the 120 minute is a face melter.
Let the “blame the people who blame” other people/things/objects commence. Just as bad but this is what happens in Cleveland.
And speaking of those Cavaliers…I sure hope Griffin is paying attention and doesn’t do what the Indians do and that is nothing. This team needed another big man before Varejao was lost for another season. They need a scorer off the bench preferably a wing. I see Houston adding Brewer and Smith. The longer Griffin waits to act the harder this season will be and the more pressure LBJ will have to carry this team on his back.
Looks like I called Harbaugh to his alma mater it’s not official yet but sounds like it’s happening. I wish I remember who told me this would never happen but I don’t so I’ll just say “How do ya like dem apples?” Hopefully the big 12 starts stepping up game play.
Skip Bayless on national television: http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/12/29/7461779/skip-bayless-first-take-johnny-manziel-browns-alcoholic-liar
Wake me up when it’s draft day.
That Crittenton piece is easily my favorite of the year—has stuck with me for months, something I can’t say about many others. The reporting and anecdotes are perfect.
I echo your Southern Tier affliction. Let me know if you ever get the tour. Would love to hear your thoughts.
I’ve had their Angry Elf. Never the BoH. Thanks for the recommendation.
Troegs has been one of those hit or miss for me. Some of the beers have a strong taste and are meant to drink one at a time (elf IMO). If you like stouts, JavaHead Stout is worth a try
I took the tour back in August. Your level of interest in the inner workings of a brewery will determine how much you take away from it. The most curious parties will find it somewhat enlightening (even though this was the only brewery tour I’ve taken, I have a feeling there’s more in depth they could have gone into). The least curious can at least say they got to drink all they wanted in a souvenir glass for $15 (the tour was $15, and at the end they give you the glass and 4 drink tickets, but our bartenders never collected so I went through almost the entire lineup they had on draft).
60 min a session?? Even in my college “glory” days I don’t think I had that high of a tolerance…
Agreed all around. Elf = strong tasting. JHS = worth a try. My beer of the year a few years back was Nugget Nectar. I still love it, but it’s just too expensive to drink regularly.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3FsNlzovBIw/UufkAFtk4DI/AAAAAAACMqA/CRt1A_hbtLI/s1600/andy.gif
I am NOT NOT NOT calling for Farmer or Pettine’s heads.
I will say though that in retrospect, I’m pretty annoyed with the first round of the 2014 draft and Farmer needs to answer for that with a better performance this year. To hear Gilbert give quotes that he never had to play with technique in college is completely mind blowing given the level of scouting and months of preparation that go into the draft.
You could go back and cherry pick the results of any draft and the actual selections would probably look bad, but knowing how much of a need WR was at the draft it’s pretty frustrating watching any Odell Beckham or Kelvin Benjamin highlights (not to mention if we would have stayed at 4 and Sammy Watkins or Mike Evans were still on the board).
hadn’t read that Javaris piece until you linked it here. man, it is powerful. not only for his story, but then parallel the national storyline about him that went alongside it and it really shows how easy it is to dehumanize things. great read, thanks.