Archive for the ‘News’ Category

The National Education Association’s Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss. It’s going on in my school and was an inspiration for this post.

In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents, and others develop NEA’s Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. Governors, mayors, and other elected officials recognize the role reading plays in their communities with proclamations and floor statements. Athletes and actors issue reading challenges to young readers.

National Library Week (April 13 – April 19) is another time many libraries and organizations help celebrate the love of reading. One literacy program from The Cleveland Browns with collaboration from the Public Library of Cuyahoga County was Read with the Browns. From 2007 – 2009 several Browns players sat down and were recorded reading a favorite children’s book. Sadly, I fear this program is over as an ominous “Read with the Browns has concluded” appears on the library’s archival page. I am hopeful that it will resume once the Browns get their franchise up and running in the right direction.

Still, the player’s recitation of their favorite books lives on.

Seems they teach more than just football at Notre Dame. Brady Quinn has read two books for the library. In 2007 he read Chica Chica Boom Boom and in 2008 he read Hooray For Fish! I’m sure the books are entertaining for the kids, but watching these men read them aloud is hilarious. Good thing you stuck with finance and political science, Brady.

To watch Brady Quinn’s telling of Hooray For Fish!, send your browser here.

Finally, if you are reading this, thank a teacher, and give me back that Filet-O-Fish. Give me that fish.

Browns QB Brady Quinn to raise funds on South Beach for mobile medical units bound for Haiti

Two mobile medical treatment units will head for Haiti on Tuesday following a fundraising event Monday on South Beach hosted by Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn.

The vehicles will become outpost where children severely injured by January’s earthquake will receive therapeutic and rehabilitation care.

Dubbed the WishMobiles, the vehicles include the 36-foot Airstream Mobile Medical Treatment Unit and a 22-foot 4×4 mobile medical transport unit.

They were purchased, reconditioned and outfitted for the mission using funds raised by the Granted Wish Foundation of Canton, OH.

Monday night, Quinn will be at the final fundraising event at The Clevelander Hotel, where the mobile units will be parked from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. The hotel is 1020 Ocean Dr.

Funds raised will help stock the vehicles with medical supplies.

In all, the foundation has spent over $100,000. To make a donation to the project, contact The Granted Wish Foundation online at grantedwish.org or by telephone at 1-866-520-9474.

Brady Quinn, South Beach, Piña Coladas, Palm Trees, all for Charity. Could it get any better? BQ is the national spokesman for The Granted Wish Foundation, and given his time off, he is putting it to good use. What else would he be doing before the foot is at 100%?

Check the site out for more Brady goodness and while you are at it, why not chip in a few bucks and help some Haitians?

The first true Brady Quinn rookie cards came out after the rookie premiere May 19, 2007. The rookie premiere is put on by Reebok and is presented by EA Sports. It is held each year in May in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This is a mandatory event for many of the NFL’s top rookies. Not going can cause quite a bit of trouble. Some players skipped the 07 premiere to attend their mini-camps. It’s pretty bad when coaches don’t know their newly acquired players must attend this event per contract and they make the camp schedules conflict. Tony Dungy being one of them. The 2007 event wrapped up Sunday, May 20th after 32 top 2007 rookies gathered for four days of photo shoots, autograph signings and media sessions. This was the time they had their avatars made for the popular Madden football video games as well.

A lot of work goes on at this event. All the major card companies (Topps, Donruss, and Upper Deck, etc.) as well as Beckett Publications and major sportswear and equipment suppliers get the rookies to work. From signing hundreds of cards to million dollar contracts, this event sets the stage for buyers and sellers alike while all of it is covered by the media.

Adrian Peterson said he was honored that he was voted the top rookie to collect by the fans of Beckett Football. Investing in rookie cards is a gamble, but I am glad that collectors of Peterson is bound to pay off. But as for Brady….

Depending on how you look at it, collecting rookie cards is give and take; it can pay off immediately (like Peterson) or it may take awhile. Right now Brady’s rookie cards really are not worth much, but serious investors still caution about putting him at the bottom of the ‘washed up’ pile. I am still holding out for Brady to show his mettle; whether that be with the Browns (if they can get their organization straightened out) or with another team that has the arsenal Brady needs to deliver.

Each card company has their rookie card and, depending upon the popularity of the company itself, each comes with a different degree of desirability. Below is the front of Donruss’s Score 2007 rookie card (#371) of Brady Quinn. It was one of the first to come out followed soon by Topps and Upper Deck.

Looking at the back of the Score card I feel a little glum.

“The question isn’t whether Quinn will start for Cleveland, it’s when will he take the reigns? Once he does, barring injury, he’s expected to remain behind center for many years.”

Seems a little prophetic doesn’t it?

Still the companies would have no idea of Brady’s mismanagement with the Browns and that, to date, he has only started six consecutive games. They also don’t know they’ve used the wrong “reigns”.

I have been collecting Brady Quinn’s football cards since the first professional ones came out in 2007. Today I have spent thousands on my collection and amassed close to 400 cards – all of them different – and counting. Many in my collection are autographed by Brady himself; either personally or by the football card companies. Those are, of course, gems in my collection, but they are not necessarily the best or my favorite.

Football cards have come a long way since the simple ones of cardboard and a stick of hard pink plastic they called bubble gum. Frankly, if you are not a collector you will be amazed at the things card companies do to entice someone to spend a lot of money to own one card. Granted, the value of a card is not static. Brady’s cards fetched a high price when he first entered the professional era of his career, but since then the investment has leveled off; some may say depreciated. Such is the nature of investing. It may take a generation or two when Brady’s cards double or triple  in value, but I have faith in Brady that he will do well and when he does, my Great Great nephew will be sitting pretty.

Speaking of sitting pretty, even if I cannot retire early, many of these cards are works of art (and not just of the muse that inspired them). So, in the off season, when things are slow and you tire of reports of Brady being in Boston with his girlfriend, I’ll post some of the best of the best in my collection.

He may not have achieved football hero status yet; but he certainly has proven that football card companies know a moneymaker when they see one. If you collect Brady’s cards because he’s hot or because he is HOT! there is something about him that is still worth having around.

If Brady has his way, he won’t be happy until he wins a Super Bowl which will only mean plenty more cards and I vow to own them. Stay tuned for postings of some great looking cards,… in all senses of the word.

Somehow I made it to the last Browns game of the season. They played the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, January 3, 2010 when northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania were starting to experience their first big bout of lake effect snow.

I started my trip from eastern PA across the state and up to Cleveland, OH at 4AM. I wanted to be in the stadium at 11AM when they opened. I don’t make games often, but I do have front row seats and I really wanted to meet my friend from Columbus, and #89 tight end, Evan Moore. It was both their birthdays.

Don’t ask me how, but I made it to the stadium at 10:55AM. I never stopped (except for gas) and I was excited.

Before I could go, I had to add more layers of clothing. As you can read, it was very cold, but unlike the Pittsburgh game (which was at night), this was the daytime and there were snow showers.

I got everything I would need including the two tickets, but unfortunately my friend KNEW how bad the lake effect snow could be in Cleveland and did not risk coming up from Columbus. I was disappointed (probably not as much as she) but she made the right call.

I finally made it down to my seat where the usher promptly shooed away people less fortunate not having great seats. I don’t know what they were looking at anyway because as you can see it was empty and cold.

Of course the real reason why I have those tickets and trek 800 miles round trip is to see Brady Quinn.

I know he was at the Raider game the week prior – bad foot and all, but he was no where to be seen. Some people said he may be in a box seat, but that doesn’t sound like Brady. He would be out there encouraging his team. Throughout the entire game no Brady.  Only thing I saw was more snow and no Quinn.

Speaking of Moore…..

I made two signs for the game.

My seats are right next to the tunnel, so it is pretty difficult for the players to miss the posters.

I set up my big “Happy New Year to the CLEVELAND BROWNS” poster and asked players to sign it as they passed by to go back into the locker room. I didn’t have as much luck as I did earlier in the season and chalk that up to the cold.

Immediately, #65 Eric Steinbach signed it and #83 Greg Estandia. I thanked them and we both exchanged New Year’s greetings. A third player came over to sign.

I looked down and saw him sign my New Year’s sign and it started with a big E. Could it be?

I asked. “Evan?”

A very cold player with part of his combo clava in his mouth looked up at me and said, “Yeah?”

“Evan Moore?” I could not believe it.

“Uh huh.”

I took the big white New Year’s sign from him and held up my other sign, the one that says, “Happy 25th Birthday EVAN MOORE!”

“It is your birthday right? Today?” A big smile went across his face and he acknowledged that indeed it was. I asked him to sign his b-day poster and wished him a good birthday and a great game. He was very impressed to see anyone even remembered. Some of us recognize that he is going to be a great asset to the Browns.

We high-fived and that was the last autograph I got. I really wish I could have gotten a picture of him. The one guy I came to see (sans Brady) was right there and yes indeed, I got to meet him.

It appears that spending a year with Green Bay did not acclimatize Evan to the cold.

One thing I did notice about Evan was that he looked skinny. I mean, stand out of the crowd skinny.

I’m 6 feet 5 inches and weigh 197 pounds. Evan is 6 feet 6 inches and I don’t know if he is the official 247 pounds it says on the Browns site.

Not a sellout crowd. Far from it. The paid attendance for the game was 66,935. I can assure you that half did not show up. With the cold and the weather, not even the idea of winning four in a row brought out all of the Brownies.

As it was said during the broadcast of the game, “Only the die-hard fans came out today.”

In fact, this was the lowest home attendance all season. (The highest being the season opener with 70,560.)

Derek Anderson is just not fun.

He didn’t stop and sign for anyone. Not even the children gathered all around. Several of us yelled for his attention and like Yukon Cornelius prospecting for gold or silver…, “Nuttin!”

In his defense, your mind should be on the game, and I know last year Romeo Crennell told players NOT to sign (although several did anyway). Maybe Mangini said something similar?

When Mike Adams left the tunnel he and Derek Anderson showed off for the cameras.

Now HERE is a DA having fun.

Great pic by David, the man I gave my seat too. While I was awestruck and taking other photos, he got some good shots.

Yes, that is Derek Anderson jumping up and down keeping warm, and yes, that is Evan Moore in the background doing what looks like a jig.

I told you it was cold. How they can be sleeveless is beyond me.

I love that Josh is such a humble man, and despite our love of Brady, it is easy to know who is the favorite of Cleveland. When Josh Cribbs was called out onto the field, the crowd went wild!

At the end of the game Josh went around the sides of the stadium where we all got a chance to slap hands, [SPOLIER ALERT] congratulate him on the win, and slap his pads.

I hope that the insult not paying what he deserves is going to stick around even if the Browns DO pay him a decent amount. Time will tell. (But the Browns really aren’t that stupid are they?)

This isn’t my photograph, it is the NFL’s, but I wish it were mine.

Evan Moore was just one yard away from a touchdown RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!

It would have been his first touchdown as a pro player.

What a perfect photo opportunity it would have been if Evan Moore made that catch for a touchdown on his b-day.

I was just above the photographer with my birthday sign whe he commented that it would have been a great shot. Maybe next year.

The game and season was over. I think it was the four in a row that saved Mangini’s job, but people who know more than I can debate that. Seems we are stuck with him.

A very funny thing happened though when the players left the field.

Remember when I said Josh Cribbs went around the stadium high-fiving and congratulating the fans for, I don’t know, being loyal? That was happening around the time this picture was taken by David.

Line backer, Blake Costanzo jumped right on top of me and yelled,

“PULL ME UP!”

That has never happened to me. I was close to getting game balls, but never have I had a player jump up into the crowd and on me! Of course all of us rubbed his head, yelled congratulations, etc.

I am very VERY grateful for David for getting this next shot.

As Evan Moore was coming in off the field he gave me his game glove! You can see it in his hand.

I have been very lucky to have, on three separate occasions, caught players’ gloves and towels, but this one, by far, means the most to me.

On my way out of the stadium, the usher who patrols the same section I sit in came up to me and said, “How cool was it to get Evan’s glove?”

“You saw that?” I replied.

He said he did and added that I got pictures of him, slapped him five, and his autograph a couple of times, all on his birthday.

I couldn’t put it better any other way. It was cool.

To top it all off, the Cleveland Browns put me on their official web page! The link below takes you to the photo player where you can see me and my signs as well as the player autographs.

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/multimedia/gallery_pop.php?gallery_id=370

Maybe next season I can share my seats and meet some of you? Thanks for reading!

This post is a shortened version of a slideshow I made for the Bleacher Report which can be viewed here. You may need to sign up, but it is worth it with more player pictures and explanations. I’m already thinking about next year.

Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn will visit specialist for Lisfranc foot injury

A league source told the Plain Dealer that Browns quarterback Brady Quinn will visit a noted foot specialist Tuesday for a Lisfranc foot injury.

But team president Mike Holmgren said it’s unlikely he’ll require surgery. [WHEW.]

“I met with our training staff today,” said Holmgren. “I don’t believe he’s going to need surgery. He needs some time, clearly. As far as the specifics of the injury, we can talk a little about that tomorrow. Lisfranc, that’s the first thought, yeah.”

The league source told the Plain Dealer that Quinn will travel to Charlotte, N.C. to have the foot examined by specialist Dr. Robert Anderson. The source also said “the likelihood of surgery is remote.”

Quinn suffered the injury in Kansas City Dec. 20 and was placed on injured reserve Dec. 22. Players who do not require surgery for their Lisfranc injuries can expect a full recovery.

(Cleveland.com)

***

Brady will probably go to the Carolinas Medical Center / Carolinas HealthCare.

Carolinas Medical Center
1000 Blythe Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28203

Carolinas Medical Center is the flagship facility of Carolinas HealthCare System. As one of North Carolina’s largest hospitals, it serves as the regional referral center for Western North Carolina and northern South Carolina. The hospital is one of only five facilities in North Carolina designated as an Academic Medical Center Teaching Hospital and a Level I Trauma Center. It operates a number of specialized centers and institutes, bringing together some of the finest medical personnel in the country to treat patients with specific diagnoses.

Naturally, the article left much to be deserved if you really want to know more about this specific type of injury, I suggest you check out American Academy of Family Physicians.

Lisfranc joint fracture dislocations and sprains result from high-energy force such as motor vehicle crashes, falls from heights, industrial accidents and, less commonly, athletic trauma. (Figures Brady would get the “less common” result.)

So, this Dr. Robert ANDERSON, certainly no relation to Derek right? 

No, but he does look good and knows his stuff. Check out the doctor’s marks here.

Found some of this VERY interesting…

Treatment

Early diagnosis of a Lisfranc joint injury is imperative for proper management and the prevention of a poor functional outcome. With a general knowledge of both conservative and operative treatment options, the primary care physician can decide whether to treat the injury nonoperatively or refer the patient to an orthopedist.

Early recognition and treatment lessen the possibility of post-traumatic arthrosis.

Nonoperative Treatment
If the clinical evaluation indicates the probability of a mild or moderate sprain and the radiograph shows no diastasis, immobilization is suggested. [And Brady has been immobilized for quite awhile.] Treatment with a short-leg walking cast, [Yep. Got that.] a removable short-leg orthotic or a non­weight-bearing cast is continued for four to six weeks or until symptoms have resolved. [So far, this has been taken care of textbook style.]

After the period of immobilization, ambulation and rehabilitation exercises should be progressive. [If it is exercise and taking care of your body - I am not at all worried about Brady.]

Nonoperative vs. Operative Treatment
The treatment of Lisfranc joint complex fracture dislocations remains controversial. Some investigators believe that nonoperative management of fractures and fracture-dislocations is ineffective, because the reduction and alignment that occur with casting are lost when soft tissue swelling decreases.

According to some investigators, a displacement of more than 2 mm requires open reduction and internal fixation to avoid a poor outcome, especially in athletes. All studies indicate that timely diagnosis facilitates treatment and decreases long-term disability.

Operative Treatment
If surgical repair is warranted, it should be done within the first 12 to 24 hours after the injury. [Too late for that.] Alternatively, surgery can be performed after seven to 10 days to allow the reduction of swelling.

Update (but nothing major)

Nutshell….  not worried.  Take it easy Brady, but not TOO EASY…  I am hoping you’ll still go to a football convention.

Weird how 2009 started with an injury and how it ended with a different one?  Now there’ll be further uncertainty next season who will be the QB. To me Brady’s ups and downs, is he or isn’t he, will he or won’t he is some disorientating Kafkaesque night terror. For the fans who simply want him to do well it has been infuriatingly senseless in its complexity. Regardless, I try to sort it out: 2009 in review.

January 2009

Two major items this month: Brady had the two stainless steel pins removed from his broken right index finger and the Browns got their new coach, former Jets head coach, Eric Mangini. Who would have thought that the pins being removed would be the less painful of the two?

CHARITY WORK: Teamed up with Pedigree Dog Foods to feed hungry dogs. It’s the other Dawgs who are hungriest though.

February

Quiet month football-wise for Brady, but nevertheless, loathing physical inactivity, he’s found quite a lot of things to do. His physical therapy has his finger “almost there”, and he was found on the cover of a magazine in his hometown.

Brady also went with his brother-in-law, AJ Hawk, to see middleweight, Kelly Pavlik win in Youngstown, Ohio, but there would be another more important fight Brady will have to see through – the fight for the starting quarterback position. Now departed General manager, George Kokinis, said that the Cleveland Browns are in no hurry to get rid of Derek Anderson and were willing to let Anderson battle Brady Quinn for the starting quarterback job. So…

CHARITY WORK: Brady and several other Browns’ players honored some 800 special needs students from Cleveland schools in the training facility in Berea, OH.

March

For four days, Brady was back in the classroom, enrolled in the NFL Business Program, and whisperings [rumors?] begin of trade talks.

Mangini confirms that trades could happen and said to both remaining QBs, Derek and Brady,

“I talked to both of them about that and was very clear. I said if they have any questions they can come and see me. In terms of the competition and their opportunities. That’s what I told them. They understand that.”

CHARITY WORK: Brady was honorary chairman at Hannah and Friends, supporting the organization named after the daughter of his mentor, friend, and former college coach, Charlie Weis.

April

The rumor mill certainly was busy churning trading dreams, scenarios, and allusions. Or should we say illusions? April Fools or not, many of us were with bated breath waiting for that Tweet or RSS feed to come through having Brady traded to the Jets, the Broncos, or anyone in need of a quarterback.

May

Brady enjoyed the Indianapolis 500 and went to the Rhythm Fantasy 500 Celebrity Race Party where he told emcee, Scott Evans, he wanted Danica Patrick to win. (She came in third.) The Browns held four mini-camps, three of them in May. The first was for rookies only, and the next two were voluntary for rookies and veterans. Of course, Brady was there. His status was still under the magnifying glass.

rtmp://cp37421.edgefcs.net/ondemand/flash/5_21_09Brady_Quinn_PC.flv

Brady took over K2’s old spot in the locker room and is no longer near the other roster quarterbacks. Still, the old locker photo on the left reminds us of what is still at stake: who is going to be named starting quarterback for the season?

CHARITY WORK: Brady participated in the 11th “For the Kidz” Golf Classic at Firestone Country Club in Akron, OH. This charity, sponsored by Sheetz, Inc. raises money for underprivileged children during Christmas. More than $350,000 was raised.

June

Someone is enjoying their summer, and most of it all centers around giving back. So all of this really is CHARITY WORK:

Brady went back to the Firestone Country Club to play in another golf classic; this one being the Cleveland Browns Foundation Golf Tournament. Wonder why this specific question was asked? Who is the better golfer, you or Derek Anderson? “Definitely him. Derek plays way more than me. I’m more of weight-room guy and he’s more of a golf guy.”

Next, Brady had a whole day named in honor of him at Cedar Point amusement park/resort in Sandusky, Ohio. Fans were able to get pictures and autographs and several lucky fans joined Quinn on Millennium Force for a couple rides on the roller coaster.

Brady headed up to St. Paul, MN to help out his former Notre Dame teammate, Ryan Harris, run a football camp. The Minnesota Pro Camp took place June 20th at St. Paul Central’s Griffin Field. Other ND teammates besides Brady enlisted to help were: John Sullivan, John Carlson, and Trevor Laws.

Another golf charity?  You’d think with all of this golf playing he would be better at it. This time Brady helped teammate, Mike Furrey, with his foundation, a non-profit organization designed to improve the lives of those that are Hungry, Homeless, Hurting, and/or Hopeful. Mike just signed with the Browns as a free agent little more than a month ago and asked Brady, a fellow suburban Columbus native, to play.

July

Obviously after all of that playing, a man has got to rest. Rest and relaxation?  Not for Brady who’s gearing up for Training Camp 2009, and the exertions that come with it. This month finds Brady doing what defines him best: hard work and commitment to being the best he can be.

Despite the obvious pressure of performing in first-class fashion for the starting quarterback position, Brady and Derek hold no animosity towards each other. [Unlike us who, get a little impudent taunting Mr. Anderson; only because we want Brady to succeed. I once told Brady in a conversation to kick Derek's ass. He and his agent both snickered at that. So it's all in good jest.] Asked about the relationship he has with Derek…

Quinn: It’s definitely grown. When you first get here, we don’t really know each other as much. Obviously, you spend so much time together that you become like a family. We’ve been through a lot of adversity together. People always think that guys like that wouldn’t get along off the field together. But we’re both going through the same struggles and battles here and there. So we’ve been able to kind of share the experience and really be friends through it and enjoy different parts of the competition.

August

One thing dominates this month…

League analysts expected Brady would be the winner of the much touted and hyped quarterback competition. Naturally, Derek and Brady both took the high road and simply worked to the best of their ability. Mangini said his decision would be based on whoever gives the team the best chance to win. Nevertheless, it was a nail-biter this month. When Derek did well, our hearts sank. When Brady did well, our hearts soared. This happened every day the team held camp. When the first preseason game arrived pitting the Browns against the Packers, Brady started. But this meant nothing. As did that game. 0 to 17 Hopefully that would not be a harbinger of the season to come… hindsight is 20/20 (and it pretty much was.)

The second preseason game was at Cleveland where the Browns hosted the Detroit Lions. This game we won: 27 to 10, but with Derek starting and doing a tiny bit better than Brady, we reached for the Kaopectate.

Brady started the third preseason game, August 29th, when the Tennessee Titans lost to the Browns 17-23. This time Brady edged out in front of Derek. Is this anyway to treat professional football players?

Also, during the summer, Brady Quinn became Muscle and Fitness’s coverboy for their October issue. “The Hardest Working QB,” I’m not going to argue with that title – others can AFTER they compare what they do to what Brady does almost everyday. The weight room is a big part of Brady’s workout regime. His hard work and dedication in this area has brought unexpected, but deserved attention and respect. Why is the weight room so important to him?

Brady Quinn: Well, it’s a few things. Looking at my past, it was something that allowed me to propel to start when I was a freshman coming in at Notre Dame, as well as giving me an advantage in high school. Then as I’ve gotten to the NFL I noticed guys become limited by injuries, and a lot of injuries happen because guys don’t take care of their bodies. So I’ve always prided myself on hard work and that’s just extended into the weight room. It’s something where, not only do I enjoy it, but I feel like it gives me an advantage over everyone else, because I work so much harder there and do the little things.

Injuries?  There’s an omen.

September

The last preseason game. Pretty much who ever starts here will be the starter. I mean the regular season starts on the 13th and this game against the Bears was on the 3rd. Who started? Brett Ratliff. So how did Brady and Derek do?

They didn’t play. At all.

Wow. I mean this Mangini really keeps things buttoned-up, tight-lipped, and close-mouthed. I had a gastroenterologist on speed dial up until September 9th when I received Terrell Owens tweet. We’ve been keeping track of this real close and Brady, obviously lying to the press, said he didn’t know. Foiling Mangini’s plans, I thank Mr. Owens. (Never thought I would say that.) That stubborn coach of theirs STILL did not show his hand hours until the first regulation game, at which time we learned officially that Brady would be the starting QB. Our celebration would be short lived.

Week: 1 September 13

The regular season started with the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland. The final score was 34-20, Browns lost with Brady’s uninspiring playing.

Week 2: September 20

Surely this would be the game that would allow Brady to shine. Denver was the place less than a year ago where Brady took the starting QB reins from Derek and played a great 2008 debut game against the Broncos. The Broncos themselves entertained ideas of trading for Brady earlier this year, so how did we do? 6 to 27. Pitiful.

Week 3: September 27

Surely it couldn’t get any worse; but it did. Head coach, Eric Mangini allowed Derek to play after yanking Brady’s leash and sitting him on the bench. You’d think moves like that (which are pretty harsh towards any quarterback) would change the play or the momentum of the game. It didn’t. The final was 3 to 34. I also find the benching unjustified. Brady, not playing well, threw an interception and only 34 yards, while Derek, on the one hand, did throw three times as many yards, he also three more interceptions. I don’t think Mangini would ever admit a mistake. So Brady sits, the Brady Bunch sulks, and the Browns continue to lose.

October

Who knows what Man-Derson have cooked up. So many illogical things in Cleveland that again we couldn’t relax until after the trade deadline. Whew. No one was traded. That NFL Business course must have shed some light on Brady selling his Avon Lakes residence. But it was not trade speculative, “…just downsizing.” We predict he’ll be spending more time in his new Ft. Lauderdale home during the off-season anyway.

Let’s get back to the not-so exciting start to the Browns Football season.

Week 4: October 4

The Browns, with Derek at the helm of this sinking ship, lost to the Bengals [23-20]. Using my crystal ball which predicts the present, we find that the Bengals will win the division, so it wasn’t too bad of a game considering it went into overtime. Derek isn’t inspiring anyone to make www.derek-anderson.org or anything but I do have to say (and I defer this to people who are much better at analyzing the outcomes of games) I don’t see how terribly he played, aside from the fact it wasn’t Brady out there. Derek and Carson Palmer’s stats for this game were pretty much even, except that Carson had one extra touchdown pass. That got me thinking that maybe there were problems other than who throws the ball? Hmm…

Week 5: October 11

Without a doubt the worst game this year and too bad that the Browns had to win it. But as Brady says, “Scores are the only stat that matter.” The final being 6 to 3. I disagree. There are other stats that can tell you how miserable this game was to watch. Trent Edwards attempted 31 throws and 16 were completed. Derek attempted 17 throws and 2 were completed. Both had no TD passes and one interception each. The stat that really stands out: QB rating for Trent, 52.1. Rating for Derek, 15.1. And again, we won.

Week 6: October 18

The Pittsburgh Steelers. Our nemesis. Think we are going to beat them when we haven’t since October 5th, 2003!? Of course not. That QB switcheroo Eric Man-Genius made a couple weeks back has yet to pay off and it is really making him look incompetent. Derek’s interception, with only 4:21 remaining was the nail the closed the coffin, when it was picked off at the 1 yard line by the Steelers, Ryan Clark. Final: 27-14.

Week 7: Ocotber 25

Remember that horrible game 2 weeks ago in Buffalo? Don’t blame you if you forgot already. This game, with a final score of 3 to 31 against Green Bay, was a close second. We would have won if it weren’t for the stylings of Aaron Rodgers that day. Aaron’s three TDs and 246 yards really humbles Derek’s one interception and 99 yards. The key stat, according to NFL.com, are the yards, 460 gained by Green Bay with 139 gained by Cleveland. Lopsided indeed.

Brady did celebrate his 25th birthday on the 27th. Happy Birthday!

November

Surely a new month will change things. When you’re already on the bottom, there’s only one way to go right? To remind you, the only game we won so far this year was that very forgettable one week 5 against the Bills.

Week 8: November 1

Same formulaic retelling here: Browns lost to Chicago, 30 – 6.  What was memorable for us BQ fans was that Eric Mangini FINALLY did say, “You know. I made a mistake in taking Brady out after only playing 2 ½ games. I should not have put Derek Anderson in at all. I should’ve had more faith in my starting quarterback.” Uhm,… no he did not say that, but he did say it symbolically when he benched Derek after he threw his 11th interception and Brady came back in the fourth quarter.

Week 9: Was a Bye week. Players and coaches alike, took this time to pick out which color velvet lining they wanted in their caskets.

Week 10: November 16

Wish I could be rub it in all gloating-like about how great Brady did returning, but I can’t. I’d like to say Brady scared these Ravens off the field in retribution resulting from the last time they met, but he didn’t. No one did. Final was Browns 0, zip, nada, niente, zilch. However you say it, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Browns by 16.

Brady incurred a $10,000 fine for hitting a player below the knees. The way the Ravens tell it, Brady had a chainsaw out on the field mowing them down. In actuality, the hit was completely unintentional and the player was not in his field of vision. Terrell Thugs, sorry, I meant Suggs, (I get mixed up when I read the things Terrell has done off the field, like hitting a woman last month,) was out a few games and Brady apologized more than once.

Week 11: November 22

We won? No, but it was a good game. And I don’t care if it was with the Detroit Lions or my local Pee Wee football team sponsored by the Kiwanis, it was a good game and instilled in us fans a tiny bit of hope, at least for the remaining positive ones. Many fans said they were going to boycott games or the remaining season, but that really was just talk. (Although it did get press and the threat did go all the way up to the highest office. Kudos to grassroots.) Brady did a great job with 4 TDs, 304 yards, a rating of 133.1, but the game ball really should go to Matthew Stafford who had 5 TDs, and threw 422 yards. Yeah he also threw two interceptions which should have made the Browns win [Final 38-37], but for a rookie QB, my hat’s off to you. Brady was nominated for Player of the Week as was Stafford. Favre won. Again.

Week 12: November 29

What a good game giveth, a bad game taketh away. Brady Quinn didn’t turn the ball over to lose the game, but he also didn’t throw the ball either. What are the coaches telling him to do or not do – as the case may be? The Bengals won 16 to 7. Again Carson Palmer and the Browns QB were not so distant from each other stat-wise (like when Derek played Palmer) and again it seems the problem lies else-where. The Bengals gathered up 210 yards which, added with an incomplete pass to Mohamed Massaquoi, allowed the Bengals to win.

December

Week: 13 December 6

Browns lost to San Diego. 30-23. Only highlight for me was in first quarter where POW POW POW Brady had a great play keeping the ball moving down field, and a new tight end that can catch the ball. I’m not going to gush all over Evan Moore again, but this game had promise. Hope we can build on, maybe?

Week 14: December 10

Augh. The Steelers again, and it was a short week coming from that close but failed win against the Chargers. Every time since October 5th, 2003 we have lost to Pittsburgh. That’s a 12 game in a row losing streak. Our other losing streak is a bit more important – we haven’t won a game since week 5. Wouldn’t it just be great to beat the World Champions at a home game nullifying both losing streaks, and with Brady leading the way? Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. We did just that and on nationally televised Thursday Night football to boot. 

Week 15: December 20

Ah, doesn’t everyone feel good after a long rest? The Browns think so with a 41 to 34 win against the Kansas City Chiefs. Brady wasn’t the star at this game and he’d be the first to tell you that. Excellent play work by Jerome Harrison who rushed for 286 yards breaking Jim Brown’s single-game rushing record. And then there’s the ubiquitous Josh Cribbs setting the bar a little higher for the most kickoff returns ever in the NFL with eight. Great job men.

Sadly, Brady sprained his right foot towards the end of the game. Was this play worth the win; which it ultimately did do? No. No one should get hurt for any reason, but this is a very physical game and a cold 15 mph wind making it feel below freezing didn’t help. As Brady told us earlier, he prides himself on working out because he’s seen many men get injured because “guys don’t take care of their bodies.” He NEVER missed a start due to injury at Notre Dame, but the pros are certainly a step up. This sprain ends Brady’s playing for the 2009 season and once again Derek and Brady do a do-si-do off and on the bench.

Week 16: December 27

Coming off the bench, Derek didn’t do too badly. I think once again though other key players coming into their element like Jerome Harrison are doing a fine job giving promise to 2010. Third straight win in a row constitutes a “streak” and we’ll take it. Browns beat the Raiders 23-9. It really was any one’s guess with these two teams. Browns are looking good and the Raiders took down the Steelers and the Bengals. Who knew? The faithful did that’s who.

CHARITY WORK: It’s difficult to do goodwill during the football season, but nevertheless, Brady and the Browns sent the Shaker Heights Jr. Pee Wee football team, the Fire Raiders, on their way in style to the Pop Warner National Championships.

That wraps up 2009. There is still one more game January 3rd of which I will report on in great detail. I’ve reclaimed my front row seats and come hell or high-water (or should I say snow or 3° wind chills) will keep me away. I’m taking the owner of the BQ fansite with me as a birthday present. It’s Evan Moore’s birthday too, and we already have the sign made.

This marks the 3rd year for the site and it’s accompanying message board. We’ve seen over 200,000 people log in and hundreds come daily for accurate (albeit slightly biased) information. We have our own Twitter account @bradyquinn and have full transparency to give it to Brady when he and his camp asks for it. We’ve personally shut down two fake Brady Quinn Twitter accounts of which thousands were conned into believing was Mr. Quinn himself. My special thanks go to the members of Brady’s Bunch for their insightful and droll irreverence; the ladies in head office of the Cleveland Browns in Berea; Ms. Franklin for giving me room to grow; Terry Pluto, The Orange Brown Report, and the Bleacher Report for their support, and finally; to Brady Quinn himself for reminding us not to take the best things in life for granted and that with hard work, determination, and a reverence to a higher power you can succeed in life. We’ll save you a seat at your favorite restaurant after the game Brady. 

“It is required of every man,” the Ghost returned, “that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-players, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in the NFL, it is condemned to do so after retirement. It is doomed to wander through the stadium — oh, woe is me! — and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared in Cleveland, and turned to happiness!”

The time is August 2007. Brady Quinn is at the Athletes’ Performance facility in Tempe, Arizona. He is running in 100° heat, working out and conditioning himself for his rookie year with the Cleveland Browns. His teammates are in Berea, Ohio doing the same thing. In fact, the drills and exercises are studied by everyone, they both go online to watch film and study plays; there is no difference between the two except the 2000+ miles and the fact that the players have a contract. Brady does not.

Brady eventually did sign a five year contract for over 20 million, ending an 11-day holdout and eliminating his chances to begin the 2007 as the Browns’ starting quarterback. He missed the first 10 days of training camp and the team’s four-day rookie orientation. “He’s pretty far behind,” then head coach, Romeo Crennell said. “We’re going to put him at the bottom of the chart and see where he is.”

The Ghost of Cleveland Past turned towards Brady and said, “Why did you do this?”

“The business side of pro football is awful. To sit out that long from playing the game you love is horrible. I left all of that to my agent, Tom Condon.” Brady shook his head not believing what he saw.

“I told you these were shadows of the things that have been,” said the Ghost. “That they are what they are, do not blame me!” And The Ghost of Cleveland Past whisked Brady back for the next spirit’s visitation.

Brady sank into a deep slumber but it was not a restful sleep for the other spirit, The Ghost of Cleveland Present had arrived.

“Look upon me Brady Quinn and see what has currently befallen you,” and with a wave of its translucent hand, The Ghost of Cleveland Present transported them both to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Hovering over the chilly stadium they both watched as Brady ran the bootleg late in the game against the Chiefs. Gaining 24 yards, Brady watched himself get tripped up by Demorrio Williams. “Here is where you injured your left foot. See how you limp going back to the field?”

After the game, Brady watched himself go immediately into the stadium for x-rays. He turned to the apparition and said, “Yes. Football is a physical game.  I’ll miss the rest of the season to heal, but better to rest than to damage my foot permanently. That scramble allowed Jerome Harrison to run for a touchdown securing our 41-34 victory.”

“Yes, Brady Quinn,” the Spirit said, “but at what cost? At what cost?” The sound of a bell tolling twelve slowly compelled The Ghost of Cleveland Present to disappear. Before it was gone entirely, it reminded Brady of the arrival of the last Spirit.

Slowly, gravely, and silently approached the Phantom. It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. Brady felt that it was tall and stately when it came beside him, and that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dread. He knew no more, for the Spirit neither spoke nor moved.

“I am in the presence of The Ghost of Cleveland Yet To Come?” asked Brady. “And you are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will happen in the time before us,” he pursued. “Is that so, Spirit?” The only answer Brady received was the continued hand pointing straight out before them; then the Phantom moved away and Brady followed. “Wait. Show me what is to come. Lead on!”

The unmistakable POP of a champagne cork filled the air. Merriment and lively festivities filled Brady’s view. “What’s this? I know what is to happen. I know this story and it ends with doom and unfulfilled promises, but this is happy. Look at my teammates celebrate a great win!” Indeed, the vision was one of revelry and great pleasure. The Browns rejoice in champagne soaked jerseys and the clamor of hoots and hollers of victory as player after player pass around a great silver trophy topped with a lustrous football.

“Where am I Spirit? I do not see myself anywhere in the locker room?” Brady, there and not there, had the sensation he had experienced this before. “This is… this is more like the movie It’s a Wonderful Life than A Christmas Carol.”

Finally, The Ghost of Cleveland Future turned towards Brady Quinn and spoke in a dry, raspy voice. “You are not here because you are not with the Browns. The path that was laid out before you turned away from Cleveland and ended with another team. A LESSER team.”

Are these the shadows of what will be or what may be? My apologies to Charles Dickens.

Heal quickly Brady.

Say it ain’t so Brady!! I’m supposed to see you play in 11 days!!

UPDATE 2: No word on Brady Quinn and his foot. Mangini said at today’s press conference:  (On if he knows if Brady Quinn will need surgery)- “I don’t think that decision’s going to be made quickly.  We’ll just go through and see where it is and take time on it.”

Seems that Brady is taking it easy… very little mentioned at the press conference and I’d assume that Brady wasn’t at the Wed. practice.  BEst of luck and well wishes your way Brady.

UPDATE: After the Kansas City game, Brady immediately went to get X-rays on his LEFT foot. He was one crutches and wearing a boot on Tuesday. There were no direct press questions to him, but maybe Wednesday with media locker room conferences. Sure DEREK will have something to say. Brady’s season stopping performance occurred near the end of the run, after Quinn was tripped up by linebacker Demorrio Williams. You can see the FOOT-age here (har har).

Quinn placed on IR; Anderson to start

The Browns have placed Brady Quinn on the season-ending injured reserve list.

Browns head coach Eric Mangini said Quinn suffered a foot injury on his final carry of Sunday’s win in Kansas City, an 11-yard run that converted a key first down.

“He won’t be able to play the next two weeks,” Mangini said. “It’s hard to tell exactly what happened. Even Brady isn’t sure exactly what happened.”

Mangini said Derek Anderson will start Sunday’s game with the Raiders. Brett Ratliff will be his backup, and Joshua Cribbs will serve as the emergency quarterback.

Quinn started nine games for the Browns this season, setting career bests with 4 TD passes and 304 yards passing in Detroit in late November.

Anderson has started five games and thrown 2 touchdown passes on the season.

From today’s press conference with head coach, Eric Mangini

(On what Quinn’s injury is)- “A foot.”

(On what happened on the play Quinn got injured)- “He just got injured on that run that he had, the quarterback keep late in the game on the sideline. Looking at it, he wouldn’t be able to play this week, wouldn’t be able to play next week. Really, it’s going to take a little while.”

(On if Quinn will need surgery)- “Don’t know that yet.”

(On if someone stepped on Quinn or if he turned wrong)-“It’s hard to tell on the film. The angle that you have, it’s hard to see exactly what it is. He and I were talking about it last night and even he wasn’t sure exactly how it happened.”

(On Quinn being able to finish the game at Kansas City)- “It was only one more play I think. One or two more plays.”

(On if he was injured on the quarterback sneak for 13 yards)- “No, the bootleg, late [in the game].”

(On which foot Quinn injured)- “I think it’s the right.” left

(On how he would assess Quinn’s season)- “That’s something really I go back and look at after the season. I think he had done a really nice job.  To understand where you can then attack them is important. I thought that he improved with that throughout the course of the season. Even the ball handling on the one that he kept, (Mike) Brown was right there on the edge. I remember looking and thinking, ‘Oh man, this isn’t going to be very good,’ but the way that he sold the run it sucked Brown like a hard edge down the line and there was nobody there. It doesn’t seem like that’s a big deal, but that was the difference between the play working or it getting blown up.”

(On if Quinn has shown enough to be considered as the quarterback of the future)- “I think he’s done a lot of good things, I really do. I think that a lot of things that I was hoping for at the beginning of the season we really started to see in the later part of the season. I think the no huddle helped him quite a bit. His ability to do that as well as he did helped us. We’ve improved in quite a few categories. I’m not saying that’s the only reason. I think that over the course of time we’ve gotten better as a group, but I think that’s been positive for us. We’ll just see where we are.”

(On how much of a concern Quinn’s passing numbers are)-“I think that’s something that we definitely have to improve on. We’re not going to have the running game production that we had last week very often. I mean, I think that’s a pretty unique performance by any stretch. The other thing that I know he’d like to have back from last game, and so would I, were the turnovers. We’ve done a good job of protecting the football and that’s critical. It’s critical.”

(On if Quinn can be fairly judged based on the parts around him)- “I think that you have to look at what the situation is and put it in a context, like you would do any other position. I think the positive is we have a guy that really understands quarterbacks coming in to help out, so I think he’ll be able to shed some like on this as well.”

(On if 13 starts in three years is a fair number to judge a quarterback by)- “Everybody has a different opinion on that. I’ve heard, what is it, 1,000 snaps. I don’t know. I don’t know what the exact number is for that. You see some guys that bounce around, don’t get an opportunity, suddenly get an opportunity and play really well. A guy like Kurt Warner, he was in the arena league for a while and suddenly gets a chance and lights it up.”

Ok, this is just sinking in. You mean the front row tickets I have for January 3rd to see Brady Quinn play means I will not see Brady Quinn play? Well, I certainly hope he is alright, but from the sound of things, no one knows yet. (We’ll keep you up to date. NOT another surgery!!)

I do distinctly remember Brady limping back to the huddle after that conversion. I thought he would just shake it off. But you know,… if there was NO outward sign last year when he broke his finger and played the rest of that game AND another, then this limping must be something. There was so much to celebrate with that win against the Chiefs, maybe this minor injury was overlooked. It wasn’t mentioned at the postgame press conference.

Brady is strong, and sensible. THAT doesn’t worry me. The man knows how to stay fit and take care of himself. What worries me is the other half of that headline ANDERSON TO START. When so many things are undecided, now throw this into the mix.  What do you get?

The Cleveland Browns.

ESPN article

Latest from Plain Dealer.

SHARE IN OUR DESPAIR.

Join the one and only Brady’s Bunch, the Brady Quinn Fan Message Board

Click the BOARD link above or ‘Brady’s Bunch‘, and follow the prompts. Soon there after (usually within 24 hours) you will receive a confirmation email to reply to and then you are all set. The message board members are a friendly bunch, and if you want to share about all things Brady Quinn, Notre Dame, and the Browns, then that is the place for you. This is not your typical board. Your voice is as loud or as quiet as you want, but you have the opportunity to be heard in a safe and supportive environment. Negative, hateful, and unpleasant posts are not tolerated and are never posted, but differing opinions are.

Now that the huge snowstorm in the northeast has moved out of my area dumping over 2 feet of snow around me, I find myself sweating up a storm shoveling it off my sidewalks. That is my sweat story. Here’s Brady Quinn’s Sweat Story from ESPN …

The Brady Bunch is wishing you and the Browns well at the Kansas City game. And seriously, TWO FEET of snow. Any help?

Join the one and only Brady’s Bunch, the Brady Quinn Fan Message Board

Click the BOARD link above or ‘Brady’s Bunch‘, and follow the prompts. Soon there after (usually within 24 hours) you will receive a confirmation email to reply to and then you are all set. The message board members are a friendly bunch, and if you want to share about all things Brady Quinn, Notre Dame, and the Browns, then that is the place for you. This is not your typical board. Your voice is as loud or as quiet as you want, but you have the opportunity to be heard in a safe and supportive environment. Negative, hateful, and unpleasant posts are not tolerated and are never posted, but differing opinions are.

Feel free to browse the posts in the background, but we really encourage you to share your stories and opinions. Currently, we have postings of Brady Quinn trivia, BQ football cards, several thousand photos available (many high quality), editorials revolving around Notre Dame and their new coach, Brian Kelly, the Cleveland Browns football politics, personal anecdotes, and many other topics.

Be there with us as we celebrate Brady’s career as one of the best future quarterbacks in the NFL.