Triple dose of Cribbs in town tomorrow

We were happy to hear that the Browns and Josh Cribbs have stopped squabbling and started negotiating, leaving our favorite kick returner, wide receiver and wildcatter in brighter spirits than when he cleaned out his locker last month.

It's also a relief that he's thinking about someone else getting paid. Cribbs will hold a signing from 3 to 5 p.m. tomorrow at Coventry's newest skate shop, Legndary, to benefit former Browns buddy Steve Sanders' youth outreach program, My H.O.O.D. (Helping Others Organize Dreams). There's no cover, but if you spend $30 on a T-shirt autographed by Cribbs, you'll not only help Sanders' cause, you can let Cribbs know how much you want him in Cleveland, even if you can't personally pay him the big bucks.

Still, his appearance won't be entirely selfless. After all, it's "Pay Josh Cribbs" T-shirts he's signing — how's that for irony?

But if you're tied up and can't make this one, Cribbs will paint the town orange and brown tomorrow night, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Barley House, then from 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. at the Josh Cribbs ProBowl Party at the View Ultra-Lounge and Nightclub. If that's not enough Cribbs for you, then we don't know what is.

Holmgren keeps Mangini as Browns coach

The Browns' four-game winning streak at the season's end has preserved coach Eric Mangini's job. New team president Mike Holmgren says Mangini will stay on as coach in 2010.

Here at the Cleveland Magazine blog, we've been a bit hard on Mangini. But we warmed to Mangini after those Ice Bowl wins, just like much of Cleveland has. He inherited a crazy system that needed some discipline and structure, and a roster that needed some house-cleaning. He provided it. Those league-maximum fines early in the season that seemed so ridiculous paid off. So did shipping troublemaker Braylon Edwards out of town after his fistfight with LeBron's buddy, even if that left Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson with no one left to throw to. Sure, 5-11 is not a stellar record, but here's a clearer sign of improvement: the Browns went from the NFL's second most penalized team to the third least.

The dissenting opinion holds that Mangini's dawdling on naming a starting quarterback was a sign of indecision and weird stoking of media frenzy, and that he hasn't proven his disciplinary and play-calling systems work. In this view, Mangini doesn't matter nearly as much as re-signing Josh Cribbs.

Even the staffers who wanted Mangini to return are agnostic about his long-term fortunes. No one thinks he's proven himself. It's more: OK, you've earned another year.

Our blog's reader's poll in October looks eerily prescient so far. When we asked you about Mangini's future, none of you picked the option, "He'll be gone right after the season's ignominious end." 29% said he'd be fired mid-season. But the real contest is between the 47% of you who picked, "He'll manage to last two seasons, though he'll deserve to be fired after one" (hmm, how many of the 47% still feel that way?), and the forgiving 23% who chose: "His discipline will pay off, and the Browns will improve and earn him several years in the job. Coaches, like quarterbacks, need time to get better." Let's hope so.

Original Dawg Hanford Dixon comments on Browns games at Scorcher's

Can’t make it to the Browns Stadium to watch Cleveland take on Baltimore tonight? Try Scorcher’s at Reserve Square downtown, where the father of the “Dawg Pound,” Hanford Dixon, will be commenting on all things Browns.

Dixon, cornerback for the Browns during the ‘80s, is manning a microphone at Scorcher’s (1701 E. 12th St., 216-696-4649) during every Browns game day this season. His commentary starts tonight at 8, a half-hour before kickoff.

Dixon, who played in three Pro Bowls and is tied for eighth place on the Browns’ all-time career interceptions list, earned his beloved place in Browns history for his habit of barking at opposing quarterbacks and bestowing the Dawg Pound name on the end-zone bleachers in Municipal Stadium. Game night specials at Scorchers include the “Dawg,” named after the cornerback turned commentator: an all-beef hot dog smothered in chili, onions and cheese for $4.95.

Despite the Browns’ 1-7 record, tonight’s game could be dramatic: Brady Quinn gets second shot at starting. (Here’s hoping it goes better than his first one.) Though the Ravens soundly beat the Browns in their last meeting, they’ve lost momentum, with four losses in their past five games. But if it doesn’t go well for the Browns, at least you’ll have an ambassador of a better era in Browns history -- and Scorcher’s Wall of Drafts -- to console you.

Braylon Edwards Part 2 (On LeBron James)

I'm surprised this quote didn't get any play in the local paper today.

When Browns Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards was asked if LeBron hanging out on the Dallas sideline bothered him, he smiled, then said:


"As I've gotten to know LeBron, LeBron isn't a Cleveland guy. LeBron only plays for the Cavaliers, and who knows if he even likes the Cavaliers? He doesn't like the Indians. He doesn't like the Browns. He's a guy from Akron who likes everybody but his hometown. I don't know how that's possible, but it is what it is, and he is who he is. You know, it's LeBron."

For the record, when an extremely intoxicated man asked Edwards who he picks in the Ohio State vs. USC game, he looked at him dismissively. "Come on, man. USC." His Michigan brethren shouldn't be bothered by that response.

Braylon Edwards Part 1 (on Fantasy Football)

Who is at the top of Browns Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards' fantasy football wish list this year? Braylon Edwards.

Last year one of his buddies drafted Fantasy Braylon before Real Braylon had the chance. He couldn't stand it. He offered some big names for fantasy him.

"After week two, I traded Marvin Harrison and Stephen Jackson for me. It worked out," he said Tuesday night, at a news media event sponsored by Yahoo! last night at Lakewood's Harry Buffalo.


Rams Running Back Stephen Jackson was the consensus second overall pick last year in Fantasy drafts — and fantasy football has become a bigger deal every year. Some 11 million people are playing fantasy football this year.

Braylon, however, is considered a borderline first-round draft pick in most fantasy talk online.

Not Even the Worst

So Forbes.com released a list of the top 10 worst cities to be a sports fan. We thought for sure we could win this one. But to our surprise, cities such as Miami (No. 1), San Diego (No. 2) and Indianapolis (No. 3) have taken the title from our cursed city. Umm ... didn't the Colts just win a Super Bowl? Isn't our history a little worse than New York (No. 4), whose Yankees have more champion rings than we do fingers? If you look into it, its just not about games won or lost overall (it's just over the past year), its also about ticket prices and yada-yada ... but hey, at least we still beat Pittsburgh.

Also, see Forbes.com's list of the top 10 most miserable sports cities, too. In true Cleveland style, we did not win that either.
Photo courtesy Imagine24

Correction

Sunday's edition of the Internet misstated that the Browns were a promising team with potential to go deep into the playoffs. That was clearly refuted by a report Monday night. The entire city of Cleveland regrets the error.

Brady's Tights, Football Tonight

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Originally uploaded by skiereast64

Sure, you're laughing now, but just wait until you pull a muscle because you weren't wearing tights like Brady Quinn. (And don't forget to stretch!)

The second-year Browns quarterback has sported a pair of black tights (here) and white tights during training camp in Berea earlier this week.

(Don't knock it until you try it: Joe Namath wore women's pantyhose in a TV commercial and he was pretty good, right. Besides, maybe the rest of us are behind the times. Apparently, they were all the rage in New York last year.)

You can check out Quinn and company tonight at Browns Stadium for Family Night beginning at 7 pm. Tickets are $5. There will be activities for the kids, autographs and giveaways. It's definitely a fun evening for everyone ... tights or not.

Fans: 'D.A., D.A., D.A.!'

In today's Plain Dealer, reporter Tony Grossi says Browns backup QB Brady Quinn is handling his position as backup really well:

Quinn has adopted the perfect attitude about handling his plight as Anderson's backup. He doesn't mope about it, but he doesn't insult anyone's intelligence by denying it hurts.

That honest attitude is refreshing. Athletes tend to follow a script when answering questions. Listen to the occasional extended interview on WKNR, and you can probably guess the quote coming out of just about any athlete's mouth within a word or two.

That's why I like Quinn. Check out our cover story on him and his buddy, Pro Bowl lineman Joe Thomas, from our January issue. You'll see some of the same candor.