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In Cleveland, hope dies last

Archive for the month “April, 2013”

11 Apr 2013

Browns trade backup linebacker for backup running back

The Cleveland Browns were up to business again on Thursday, trading second-year linebacker Emmanuel Acho to Philadelphia for third-year running back Dion Lewis.

Funny, we thought that Browns CEO Joe Banner was the “arch-nemesis” of the Eagles. Interesting that they would be willing trading partners if that were true.

It’s not hard to figure out why Philadelphia would be a landing spot for Acho, a sixth-round pick in 2012 from the University of Texas. Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis was Acho’s position coach last year in Cleveland, while offensive coordinator Pat Shumur was Acho’s head coach for the Browns.

10 Apr 2013

There is something oddly familiar about the Indians so far

The Cleveland Indians have a familiar look to them through the first eight games of the 2013 season.

It’s not so much the offense,even though the 2-3-4 for part of the lineup (Asdrubal Cabrera, Jason Kipnis and Nick Swisher, the man with the largest free agent contract in franchise history) are hitting a combined .172 with just two home runs and six RBI on the season.

Or that the Tribe has scored one or fewer runs three times in the past six games, helping contribute to the Indians losing five of those games.

No, it’s the starting pitching that is giving Tribe fans flashbacks to 2012, when the Indians had the worst starting rotation in the American League.

09 Apr 2013

Browns sign free agent wide receiver David Nelson

The Cleveland Browns added to their depth at wide receiver on Monday, signing unrestricted free agent David Nelson to a reported one-year contract.

Nelson is a big target (6-foot-5 and 214 pounds) and, more importantly, was second in receptions for the Buffalo Bills in 2010 and 2011. For his NFL career, he has 94 receptions for 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns.

In their rankings of free agent wide receivers, Pro Football Focus wrote that Nelson “possesses the kind of size and talent that plenty of personnel people around the league will think they can exploit. … In 2011, Nelson emerged as one of the leading slot receivers in the league, finishing seventh overall in terms of slot yardage.”

What’s that? You don’t remember seeing Nelson on the field when the Browns took on Buffalo in Week 3?

Posted in Cleveland Browns and tagged Cleveland Browns, David Nelson | Leave a comment

08 Apr 2013

All in all, not a bad opening week for the Tribe

The Cleveland Indians come back to the North Coast for today’s home opener after what, for them, has to be considered a nice road trip to open the season.

Sure, 3-3 on the road doesn’t sound good on the surface, especially since the Tribe won the first two games of the trip in Toronto. But this is a Tribe team that has averaged 89 losses a year for the past five years, has been a collective 77 games under .500 on the road during that time, and was facing Toronto and Tampa Bay – only two of the American League’s better teams. Considering all that and, well, splitting the season’s first road trip isn’t a bad deal at all.

Even though six games is a small sample size, Tribe fans got a glimpse during the first week of what they will see from the team this year – and what the Tribe needs to do to be competitive.

Head over to The Cleveland Fan for the rest of the story.

(Photo by The Associated Press)

Posted in Cleveland Indians and tagged Cleveland Indians | Leave a comment

05 Apr 2013

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Browns should heed mistakes of past drafts

Mohamed Massaquoi, the last of the Cleveland Browns ill-fated second round selections from the 2009 NFL Draft, signed a free-agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday.

The Jaguars reportedly gave Massaquoi a two-year deal worth up to $4.7 million. In four years with the Browns, Massaquoi had 118 receptions for 1,745 yards and seven touchdowns. He never had more than 36 receptions in a single year (his second), 624 receiving yards or three touchdowns (both in his rookie year). By comparison, Josh Gordon, a second-round supplemental pick, had 50 receptions for 805 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season in 2012.

Massaquoi also suffered from knee and hamstring injuries, as well as a concussion delivered by Pittsburgh’s James Harrison, but in the end he just wasn’t very good – especially for someone drafted in the second round.

Posted in Cleveland Browns and tagged Cleveland Browns

03 Apr 2013

It’s not how you start life, but what you do with it, that counts

Taking a rare break from the sports world to share a story that everyone should read.

In our day job we recently had the opportunity to cover a talk by Candace Klein, founder of Bad Girl Ventures and current CEO of SoMoLend. The two companies alone are impressive as they are dedicated to helping female business owners find funding and training for their start-up companies.

Since 2010 Bad Girl Ventures, with offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and soon to have one in Akron, has received more than 400 applicants, educated more than 250 businesses, financed 26 female entrepreneurs with $700,000 and helped create more than 150 jobs statewide.

Posted in Cleveland and tagged Candace Klein, Cleveland | Leave a comment

02 Apr 2013

Browns continue roster purge, release Gocong and Young

The Cleveland Browns continued the roster purge on Tuesday, releasing linebacker Chris Gocong and free safety Usama Young.

With Young’s release, third-year safety Eric Hagg currently sits at the top of the depth chart at free safety (unless you prefer Tashaun Gibson, that is). At Gocong’s position, the team has undrafted free agents Craig Robertson and L.J. Fort.

Luckily, the Browns don’t play a game until September so they have some time to work this all out.

Posted in Cleveland Browns and tagged Chris Gocong, Cleveland Browns, Usama Young | Leave a comment

02 Apr 2013

What does 2013 have in store for the Tribe?

The Cleveland Indians open the 2013 season tonight in Toronto with new faces on the field and in the dugout.

Did the Tribe do enough in the off-season to close the 20-game differential with Detroit in the AL Central standings? Or the 25-game gap for a Wild Card spot?

Will the Indians get the Terry Francona who managed the Red Sox to two World Series titles, or the one who was 78 games under .500 in four seasons in Philadelphia?

Is there any way that Nick Swisher is worth the largest free agent contract in franchise history?

Can anyone in the starting rotation pitch well enough to turn the game over to the bullpen?

We join some other writers from The Cleveland Fan to try and look for answers as to what the 2013 season holds for the Tribe.

Your season opening preview starts now at The Cleveland Fan.

(Photo courtesy of the Western Reserve Historical Society)

Posted in Cleveland Indians and tagged Cleveland Indians | Leave a comment

01 Apr 2013

Browns decide to close the corral on Colt McCoy

The Cleveland Browns severed another link to the Randy Lerner & Mike Holmgren era on Monday, trading third-string quarterback Colt McCoy to the San Francisco 49ers.

Along with McCoy the Browns threw in their sixth-round selection (173rd) in this month’s NFL Draft. In return they get San Francisco’s fifth- and seventh-round draft picks (numbers 164 and 227, for those of you keeping score at home).

Even by Cleveland standards, McCoy’s story was a strange one.

For the full story, head over to The Cleveland Fan.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy and tagged Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy | Leave a comment

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