Video: Loyal (a Lorde “Royals” parody about the Cleveland Browns)
October 26, 2013Braxton and the Bucks hand Penn State record-breaking loss
October 27, 2013Cleveland sports fans are waiting. Thus, while we’re all waiting, the WFNY editors thought you might enjoy reading. Because you never know how long we might be waiting. So here are assorted reading goodies for you to enjoy. Send more good links for tomorrow’s edition to tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Leading off, what can we expect from Jason Campbell today? Pat McManamon takes a stab at it. “In some ways, Campbell seems like the worst possible matchup for Kansas City. He has a long windup when a quick release is important against the league’s best pass-rushing team. He tends to tuck the ball and run if he doesn’t see a receiver, a habit that has led to many quarterback injuries this season. And he’s placid to the point of seeming completely unemotional. Evidently Campbell undergoes a drastic transformation when he goes on the field. None of that means he can’t win, of course. ” [McManamon/ESPN]
Cody Allen, Rookie of the Year? Probably not, but Ryan Pinheiro at It’s Pronounced “Lajaway” does a really good job of stacking him up against past reliever winners, “For the record, I doubt many Tribe fans actually view this as a real possibility. Terry Francona has endorsed his stud reliever for the award, but obviously there is going to be some bias there. However, well-respected baseball columnist and analyst Buster Olney recently said his vote would go to Allen as well. Usually, non-closer relievers are not even considered for the award, but in a year where there is no Mike Trout (aka clear cut winner for the award), I guess anything is possible, right?” [It’s Pronounced Lajaway]
Speaking of relievers, the Indians bullpen could be in for quite a shakeup in 2014. DTTWLN’s Laurel Wilder suggests three replacements, “C.C. Lee, Preston Guilmet, and Scott Barnes are all options for the Tribe bullpen who made their mark on the Indians system throughout their past season. All three have of the pitchers have played at the major league level, demonstrating their abilities to become part of the team on a full-time basis further down the road.” [Did The Tribe Win Last Night?]
The DTTWLN group has been doing a really neat project this fall with #48Replay. Today, in ’48 land, the Tribe could draw 80,000 for a doubleheader against the Yankees, “Tomorrow the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees may make baseball history when the two do battle at Cleveland Stadium. It might be the largest crowd in baseball history to ever witness a game. The Indians are expecting around 80,000 for the Sunday doubleheader.” You can also follow the project by following @didtribewin1948, @Lou_Boudreau, @Bob_Feller19, @Bob_Lemon21 @Ken_Keltner6 and @RChristopher48 on Twitter. [Did The Tribe Win Last Night?]
In the spirit of Tribe upgrades, Steve Orbanek at IBI says the Tribe should take a swing at Brewers outfielder Corey Hart, “There’s plenty of second-tier type free agents out there, but one of the first players that comes to mind is first baseman Corey Hart. Make no mistake about it, this type of signing would have the Indians written all over it. For years, Hart has been a very productive power hitter for the Milwaukee Brewers. The majority of his playing time was spent at right field, but the right-handed hitter then made the move to first base in 2012. As we all know, Hart has unfortunately not played since the 2012 season. He is coming off surgery on both of his knees, so it’s fair to say that there are some serious question marks that surround him.” [Indians Baseball Insider]
Finally, Dawgs By Nature has an in-depth game preview of the Browns-Chiefs this afternoon, “Horton’s results against Smith have been a mixed bag. It’s good to see nine sacks, but with a good 49ers team last year, Smith was able to be incredibly efficient. This year, statistically, Smith is actually having a down season — he is completing 58% of his passes, and his QB rating of 79.3 is his lowest since 2007. He is winning in the game management department, though, and that’s why Andy Reid and the Chiefs went out and got him to be their guy. He also runs the ball a lot more in Kansas City: he has 31 rushes for 218 yards, an average of about 31 yards per game. Considering Cleveland’s struggles with mobile quarterbacks this year, Smith will certainly take advantage of any opening he sees in front of him.” [Dawgs By Nature]