Irish thanks . always a good time racing . i dont own one or drive one anymore so i get to watch other people tear there stuff up . i do miss that part of it . i help out a friend of mine with his UMP Dirt Modified .

Mother nature wins for tonight . racing cancelled

 

Looks like baseball will be cancelled tonight to. Raining buckets up this way

Just found out about phantom today (was on an oil rig last three weeks, lose touch a little).

Known him for 5 years on these boards and more recently on facebook. Strange to have someone you consider a pretty good friend and you don't even know what their voice sounds like.

Anyhow, thank you all for the kind words... 

Last year at this time I was writing about the fire that burns inside Cleveland Browns QB Colt McCoy but, boy, have things changed. I couldn’t help but to feel sorry for the 3^rd round pick as I watched him in a press conference addressing the media as the Browns OTA workouts commenced.

Please don’t take my word for it. When you get 8 minutes and 41 seconds you can click here and watch it for yourself. When you do you will see quite a different temperment from the 3^rd year player than you did during his first two years here in Cleveland.

Gone is the confident young QB who spoke with a certain spark and passion and now I can’t help but use the term ‘broken’ when referring to his behavior. Honestly at one point it seems like his voice is so shaky that is going to start weeping. Colt is obviously devastated the organization has given up on him after his first full season of starting but I want to take this opportunity to tell McCoy to shake himself and shake it off.

Get over the devastation and turn that pain into anger. Be angry that the organization gave up on you after one year that consisted of no off season training while you were learning a new offense.

Be angry that the organization gave you two starting WRs that had given no indication they were ready to be legitimate threats to the defense. They were wrong in having confidence in Robiske and Massaquoi and, hell, they even ended up cutting Robiske during the season. That is how wrong they were. And when he was replaced in the lineup it was by a rookie who hadn’t played football in a year and was only in his second year at the position.

Be angry that you had an offensive line that featured two first time starting guards and a RT who was playing on one foot. I saw it just like everyone else. You spent more time running around obstacles than any QB should have to and when I watched the season again a few more times I quickly confirmed that was true.

Go ahead Colt, get ticked off that you played in an offense that was supposed to rely on a big bruising punisher of a RB coming off of a year that earned him the cover of the most popular video game on the planet, and you ended up handing off to the likes of Chris Ogbonnaya.

Be angry that you were being led by a first time head coach who was also serving as your offensive coordinator and was clearly overwhelmed and not thoroughly focused on that offense. I don’t think anyone can argue with you about the fact coach Shurmur wasn’t doing his part to help you after he screwed up the St. Louis game by mismanaging the clock and calling FB dives to TEs inside the ten yard line. On a drive that was needed in order take the lead with less than 2 minutes to go in the contest, no less.

If they did argue coach Shurmur’s merit after that game you should immediately direct them to the Steelers game in which James Harrison practically exploded your helmet off your skull and the coach seemed to not even see it or have a clue that you had no clue.

Be angry that you had a group of players catching balls that led the league in dropped passes and it wasn’t just Greg Little….the Browns had 4 of the top in 11 in the AFC in dropped passes.

Be angry that the after the organization took a 28 year old (29 in October) in the first round and then looked you in the eye and tell you to go out and compete for the starting job. In all honesty this may be the biggest joke/slap in the face of all. No one inside the building or outside the building believes anyone other than Brandon Weeden is going to be the QB of the Cleveland Browns in 2012.

You will hear the coach say things like “we won’t hand him the spot” but in reality everyone understands that this situation is unique because the Browns spent a first round pick on a QB who is much older than the conventional draft pick so he has to play sooner rather than later.

I don’t want to get off on a tangent because this piece isn’t about Brandon Weeded or his age but the Browns know full well that injury is the only way Colt McCoy is the starting QB for them and Colt should be fired up about it.

Regardless of the limitation Colt McCoy has as a QB in the NFL he should be upset that the organization clearly thinks he was a bigger problem than the people they put around him in the offense, as well as the poor situations the coaching staff put him in.

This article isn’t condoning McCoy to be a bad teammate or anything like that. It isn’t about how poorly his father may have handled the situation in the press. It is simply me relaying my opinion to Colt and my opinion is that I think his internal flame should be burning white hot and I don’t want to see him look broken at a press conference……. I want him to be just the opposite.

I want McCoy to keep showing us the grit that won us over because at some point Colt will be needed and I don’t want him to have to flip a switch when that time comes.

This is not a Seneca Wallace situation at all. McCoy isn’t a career backup being thrown to the side for a talented, young signal caller. McCoy is facing a unique situation in which he is being thrown to the wolves for a talented QB who is older than him by 3 years and has yet to take a snap in the NFL, so I think it is O.K. for him to have a bit of an edge to him as he carries a chip on his shoulder.

This talented rookie QB is coming in with a RB most consider to be the most talented to come out of college in many years, a young stud RT, as opposed to a walking injury, an extremely experienced 2^nd year WR who led his team in receptions last year, and Weeden will actually have a full time offensive coordinator.

Regardless what you think about Colt McCoy or Brandon Weeden you have to admit that the situation Weeden is inheriting is a huge upgrade to the one Colt McCoy had last year.

I understand there is probably a fine line between getting angry and using that anger as fuel compared to being bitter and letting that consume you like a disease, and I am not claiming to know where that line is, but being ‘broken’ like I saw McCoy in that press conference is far from either.

I am a fan first and foremost so this isn’t an attack on the organization and I am not trying to talk negatively about the draft or Brandon Weeden, but I want to make sure that Colt McCoy stays motivated and engaged because at some point I think he will be needed and that fire which used to burn hot will be needed if he is going to get past his physical limitations and win some games for us.

Those of you that have taken this article as me attacking the team or Cleveland’s new QB should read it again. I am hoping the backup QB has his mind so when he is called upon Cleveland won’t have to throw in the towel, and if he finds that motivation through his anger then I am all for it.

And Colt, if memory serves me right, that press conference wais the first time I have seen you up at a podium since you got your bell rung, so hopefully the hit had nothing to do with what I perceived as a broken spirit. But understand weI will be watching future interviews in an attempt to gauge where your mind and spirit are.  With that in mind, the last message to Colt McCoy is a saying that used to be on the Romeo Crennel off season training shirts……”Get Your Mind Right”. For your own sake and ours.

that was a very good article IMHO . he really laid it out there .

The greatest Cleveland Browns running back of them all has been critical of the team’s new top running back. But Hall of Famer Jim Brown says he’s open to changing his mind about Trent Richardson.

Brown said on NFL Network’s Total Access that he thinks if you’re going to take a running back with the third overall pick in the draft, you’d better be certain he’s a truly elite runner. And Brown still hasn’t seen anything from Richardson that puts him into elite company.

“When I think of greatness, I think of guys like Earl Campbell and Gale Sayers and Walter Payton, and these individuals who, it’s unanimous they’re going to make a difference — when they’re coming out of college, there’s no doubt,” Brown said. “So at least we have to discuss Richardson from the standpoint of giving him an ordinary label and letting him prove to us that he’s not. And if he does that then I will apologize. But I’m going to look at things, I’m going to stand by things I see, and I think he is an ordinary individual. He has great work ethic and all-around ability. But that special ability that I look for, when I see a Gale Sayers? I don’t see that.”

It’s a little odd how often Brown feels the need to voice his negative opinions about Richardson, and it’s clear that there’s nothing Richardson can do other than wait until the season starts and prove Brown wrong on the field. If he does, he can expect Brown’s apology.

It’s a little odd how often Brown feels the need to voice his negative opinions about Richardson, and it’s clear that there’s nothing Richardson can do other than wait until the season starts and prove Brown wrong on the field. If he does, he can expect Brown’s apology.

Perhaps the great one is trying use a little pyscology here ? just a thought

Perhaps the great one is trying use a little pyscology here ? just a thought

I doubt it...

Perhaps the great one is trying use a little pyscology here ? just a though

No, Brown really just has personality problems and often voices his opinion in a time where it is not needed or productive at all.  His ego is unbelievable and he feels like his words are golden to us.

Has Colt McCoy changed his name?

  A man went with his wife on honeymoon and they were getting undressed together for the first time.

The man took off his shoes and socks and his toes were all twisted and discolored. "What happened to your feet?" his wife asked. "I had a childhood disease called Tolio."

"Don't you mean polio?" ... "No, tolio, it only affects the toes."
...
The man then removed his pants and revealed an awful-looking pair of knees. "What happened to your knees?" she asked.

"Well, I also had Kneesles." "Don't you mean measles?" "No, kneesles, it only affects the knees."

When he removed his shorts, his wife gasped and said, "Don't tell me, you also had Smallcox!"

Browns analysis: There are reasons to back up team's optimism

http://youtu.be/tPZiftqU5xE

Does Jim Brown Still Matter?  

http://youtu.be/tPZiftqU5xE

Seemed to me Otto threw a lot of deep passes from the roll out.. 

I don't think there will ever be another running back like Jim Brown..

The expansion Browns suck

 

Justin Blackmon - aggravated DUI - blew a .24

Good thing Heckert moved up and secured Richardson because it's obvious Blackmon is a frickin' moron. Worth millions of dollars and he can't hire a driver. Oh brother!

Good thing Heckert moved up and secured Richardson because it's obvious Blackmon is a frickin' moron. Worth millions of dollars and he can't hire a driver. Oh brother!

Beach i was thinking the same thing . why do WR or CB who are very talented seem to be the biggest idiots out there ? there are more divas and off the field screw ups from those two postions than any other .

maybe we got lucky the Browns are sure do for some or maybe they did there homework ? either way i am thrilled that Richardson is in Cleveland . there were rumors before the draft that Blackmon had maturity issues . this bone head move proves those right .

looks like i am going squeak one out this week against Bux in baseball . i am on borrowed time . it not if but when i get knocked from the unbeaten ranks .


6 leagues this year .


9-0

4-5

6-3

6-3

7-2

3-6


Baseball is a long season . keep digging . keep plucking the free agents as there are plenty to chose from . pitching is key . more so than offense .

it not if but when i get knocked from the unbeaten ranks . 

---

I know the feeling. Squeaked out a W by 3 pts in my league to go 9-0, so its only a matter of time

As someone who revolutionized the position, it's a safe bet that Hall of Famer Jim Brown doesn't feel that teams should avoid taking running backs in the first round (it's a topic we've beaten into the ground on many occasions). Maybe it's just that he's not particularly impressed with Trent Richardson's playing style. As coincidence would have it, the Browns, where Brown played for nine years, selected Richardson with the third overall in April's NFL Draft.

“When you think of greatness and the great backs, they all had some individual traits that you can identify -- quickness, balance, power, speed,” Brown told ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi Wednesday. “I think the kid is a good working back, and if you've got everything else around him he can play his role. But when it comes to outstanding, I don't see anything outstanding about him. It's not said in a cruel manner. He's very efficient, and that's what you want.”

Brown has long been critical of the only organization for which he played, and that hasn't changed as he's gotten older. In fact, if anything, he's become more vocal. During a Friday appearance on NFL Network's Total Access, Brown shared his thoughts on team owner Randy Lerner.

"I think that the owner, and I have to be very candid with you, is trying to turn all the power over to someone else," Brown told NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano. "I don't think that's possible. I think that the owner is ultimately going to be the leader and I think until Randy takes that position, it's going to be difficult.

"(Team president Mike) Holmgren is a fine executive, but he is not the owner, and I think the players know that. So I think the players feel that they don't have that top dog sitting there in that office so they can feel that they have great leadership from the top. There's always a question mark when your owner is in England."

To be fair, the Browns have a long history of failure that predates the franchise's return to the NFL as an expansion team in 1999. And it's seldom the case that a fanbase complains that the owner isn't meddlesome enough. (Redskins' and Cowboys' fans would happily welcome Lerner's level of involvement in their respect favorite teams.) That said, Brown's general point stands: "You're sitting on a mess."

And if using two first-round picks on Richardson and 28-year-old quarterback Brandon Weeden don't yield immediate results, there's a chance Holmgren and head coach Pat Shurmur will be out of jobs next offseason. It will take more than another losing season, however, to unseat Lerner as owner.

I know the feeling. Squeaked out a W by 3 pts in my league to go 9-0, so its only a matter of time

i won one in your league this week ..bout time


BTW Your welcome


i screwed up royaly and dropped Cardinal pitcher Lynch or Lynn whatever the hell his name is by mistake  .. i tried to pick him back up ..to late you already had him scooped up .

  

now i hope he stinks it up

Happy Monday Lounge Houndz

 Goggles on

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Let's get the week started right with several PINTS of Duffs Kool-Aid...  Filler up Duff and keep my glass filled.

http://youtu.be/tPZiftqU5xE

My all-time favorite play is still Eric Metcalf’s 2^nd TD against the Yinzers 10-24-1993(time stamp 6:20ish) sealing the W for the Orange and Brown.

AAnother on my list is Cribbs’ fumbled catch, 99 yard TD against… yup da Yinzers. (Time stamp 8:50ish)

I hope that Tabor pulls his head outta his arse and gets the special teams back to that level of play.  BLOCKING schemes are so important and last year there WASN’T any

Seemed to me Otto threw a lot of deep passes from the roll out.

Factoid for ya Jake…  The offense directed by Otto Graham was the predecessor of the West Coast offense made famous by Bill Walsh, a protégé of Paul Brown.

Hopefully between Shurmur and Childress the Browns offense can get back to that level of efficiency.  Whether it’s my boy McCoy or TD’s man “Super Weed”  slingin’ the rock. 

IMHO Coaching or the seeming lack thereof, was as much a problem with the offense last year as anything else.  Receivers have to catch and hang onto the ball as well, and the O-line has to give the QB sufficient time to make his reads and throws.

I don't think there will ever be another running back like Jim Brown. 

As great a RB as Jim Brown was his continued bitterness at not being an integral part of the current Browns FO staff has severely lessened my view of him as a person today.  

T-Rich = JB version 2012   I’m sure we won’t be disappointed Jake. 

I’m excited about the Defense this year.  It sucks that Taylor tore his pec.  I’m hoping Hughes and Winn can step in and strengthen the D front.  

As unsexy an addition Rucker appears to be.  He did play well for the Bungles last year and should help stiffen our run defense.

The addition of Hauck to the defensive coaching staff to me is as much of an exciting addition to the Browns as any player added this offseason, in many cases much more. I'm hoping he helps infuse a bit of his tenacity and nastiness to the defensive backfield.


Once again I eagerly await the start of a new season. 


Oh YEah and for the FRIGGIN rain to pick a day other than Thursday AND Friday to water the land.  I WANNA SEE SOME RACING


Cheers fellow HOUNDZ (_)>