Red Right 88

In Cleveland, hope dies last

Archive for the category “Cleveland Indians”

15 Feb 2011
2 Comments

How the business world can fix Cleveland sports

A few weeks ago, Forbes ran an article highlighting the most annoying business jargon flowing through American workplaces on a daily basis.

According to the article:

“For people bent on achieving superstar status in the business world, knowing one language is often not enough. Unfortunately the second tongue most popular to many American corporate types isn’t Spanish, German, French, Italian or Chinese. It’s jargon, a heinous amalgamation of terms with unknown origins and delivered with no explanation, irony or even a crumb of guilt. Business clichés have long been allowed to proliferate, multiply and slink around like evil gremlins within the American business establishment.”

After wading into this swamp of nothingness, we found answers to what’s been going on with the local sports teams.

Clearly, the Cavs need to drill down to find more talent.

Mike Holmgren has all his ducks in a row now that he has Pat Shurmur on board as coach.

The Dolans unfortunately put a hard stop on payroll growth as they have reached their predetermined price point.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur is thinking outside the box with his decision to act as his own offensive coordinator.

While the scoreboard may not reflect it, we hope the Browns, Cavs and Indians are all giving 110 percent.

If they are going to turn the Indians around, GM Chris Antonetti and manager Manny Acta need to synergize. (although we’re still not sure how well that worked for Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge).

There’s a whole list of players – Grady Sizemore, Matt LaPorta, Travis Hafner, Mo Williams, JJ Hickson and Colt McCoy, among others, who clearly need to move the needle during the season.

No doubt Dan Gilbert is wondering how long the Cavs plan to boil the ocean before they start winning again.

Cavs coach Byron Scott is praying that the team’s season-long struggles have provided a critical learning for the young players on the roster.

Browns general manager Tom Heckert hopes the upcoming NFL Draft will impact the team’s fortunes in the AFC North.

Randy Lerner is routinely out of pocket when he’s watching Aston Villa play.

It would be nice if Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie would take it to the next level in 2011.

The Browns have a very hard time managing expectations among the fan base.

The Cavs should strive to grab the low-hanging fruit and string two wins together.

By replacing Eric Mangini as coach with Pat Shurmur, Mike Holmgren continues to break down silos in Berea.

Sadly, no matter what they do, the current state of Cleveland sports is what it is.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians
08 Feb 2011

Now What Do We Do?

The NFL season ended Sunday … so now what do we do?

The NFL Draft is still a little more than 11 weeks away. If there is no labor-related work stoppage, the Browns won’t play another meaningful game for almost seven months.

And unless the NFL throws realignment into the new CBA, the Browns are still in the same division as Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

So now what do we do?

The Cavs are currently mired in hell, loser’s of an NBA-record 25 consecutive games. Two more losses and they will own the mark for most consecutive losses by any professional team in any sport.

To their credit, the Cavs are trying hard – they’ve held leads in the fourth quarter of the past three games – but with injuries they are just void of any talent after Antawn Jamison.

Nothing against Jamario Moon, but when he is an option to take a game-tying shot at the end of regulation, that pretty much tells us all we need to know about the Cavs season so far.

So now what do we do?

Spring training is just around the corner for the Indians, but the front office is still trying to figure out a way to compete in a sports where the top teams can spent $6 or $7 for every $1 the Tribe spends.

The Phillies spent $120 million guaranteed on Cliff Lee this winter; the Indians big signing was Austin Kearns for $1.8 million.

So now what do we do?

Luckily the Champions League returns next week with the start of the knockout stage and some exciting matchups in Arsenal vs. Barcelona and AC Milan vs. Tottenham Hotspur, among others.

And while we know it probably won’t last, we’re buying into the magic of King Kenny at Liverpool.

And now that Fernando Torres has turned into a bit of a dandy we don’t feel as bad about him leaving Anfield for Chelsea.

And the Cavs are bound to win a game eventually, maybe even this weekend when Washington – currently 0-25 on the road – comes to town.

And maybe the youngsters actually turn out to be pretty good for the Indians this summer.

And the draft isn’t really that far away for the Browns.

So it may get a little dry here for a while, but we’ll find something to do.

***

According to an article in Sports Business Journal Daily, the four major pro leagues in America are missing out on an estimated $370 million annually by not allowing advertising on jerseys the way they do in Europe.

“We don’t necessarily see this happening soon in the U.S.,” said Michael Neuman, Horizon Media’s managing partner for sports, entertainment and events, said in the article, “but until the revenue potential is clear, it certainly won’t go anywhere, and clearly this shows there is significant opportunity at a time when most of the big leagues are looking for new revenue.”

While this is all speculative – “I don’t think we’re anywhere close to that now,” Phoenix Suns President and CEO Rick Welts said in the article – we’re sure if enough teams found a way to make this a viable revenue option, they would be all over it.

Posted in Champions League, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Fernando Torres, Liverpool | Leave a comment
06 Feb 2011

They used to win titles here, yes?

As we prepare for another Super Bowl without the Browns being an active participant (again), we’re left to our annual wondering (again, some more,) about when we will see a championship in Cleveland.

And it got us to thinking about the 1950s, the only true golden era of Cleveland sports, and wondering if Clevelanders appreciated what they had during that decade.

After joining the NFL in 1950, the Browns went to seven title games over an eight-year stretch, winning in 1950, 1954 & 1955:

For the better part of the decade, Cleveland fans knew to block out time right around Christmas because the Browns would be playing in the title game.

Imagine what it would be like now if Browns fans had the first Sunday in February booked for the Browns in the Super Bowl? And it went on for the better part of a decade?

Once football season ended the Indians did their part to make the decade memorable. Over seven seasons from 1950 to 1956, the Indians averaged 94.5 wins a year, won an AL pennant in 1954 and finished in second place, behind the Yankees, five times.

We can only dream of a Cleveland sports scene where one championship-chasing season blends into another one, year after year after year.

For now, we’re left hoping that Mike Holmgren got it right in his hiring of Pat Shurmur as coach of the Browns; that the Indians young players are good enough to make the team a contender before they inevitably leave in free agency; and that the Cavs, currently stuck in an NBA-record 24-game losing streak that seems like it will never end, can get lucky in the next couple of years in the draft and rebuild the team.

Because in the absence of wins, all we can cling to is hope.

***

As much as the Pro Bowl is a waste of time, imagine if next week we would be watching the Jets and the Bears, losers of their respective conference championship games, competing in the Playoff Bowl?

That’s what happened at the end of the NFL season from 1961 to 1970.

The league matched the two second-place teams in each conference in the game, played every year but one at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Later the game matched the losers of the league’s playoff games.

And in case you’re wondering, the Browns played in three of these games, losing to the Lions in ’61, the Packers in ’64 and the Rams in ’68.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, no championship | Leave a comment
02 Feb 2011

Will the Tribe go young in 2011?

Good news as the Indians prepare for the opening of spring training later this month, as the Tribe may continue to let their numerous prospects get on the field this year.

According to The Plain Dealer, there’s a good chance that first baseman Matt LaPorta, outfielder Michael Brantley and infielder Jason Donald will be in the starting lineup. Justin Masterson and Carlos Carrasco are expected to be in the starting rotation and Lou Marson should be the backup catcher.

“This is a big year for a number of those players to take a step forward in a significant way,” GM Chris Antonetti told the paper.

Those six players, along with pitchers Rob Bryson, Jason Knapp, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price, were all acquired in the trades that sent CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez out of town in the past few years.

Seeing them on the opening day roster will be a plus for fans, as hopefully this means the Indians have realized bringing in the David DeLuccis of the world isn’t worth it. If the team is going to struggle, at least let us watch the young guys who may actually have a future with the team develop.

In the absence of wins, at least give us hope.

For the Indians, the players have so little service time in the majors that the team doesn’t have to worry about free agency for a number of years.

We’re so glad to see the Tribe going young that we’re not bothered that they are pursuing pitcher Jeremy Bonderman, who spent the past eight seasons with the Tigers.

Bonderman was 8-10 with a 5.53 ERA last year in Detroit after missing most of 2008 and 2009 after having surgery for a blood clot in his pitching shoulder.

The economic reality is this is the kind of pitcher the Indians have to go after. And they are probably not going to ask Bonderman to be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.

Obviously they are hoping for another Kevin Millwood, who made 30 starts and led the AL in ERA in 2005, rather than another Jason Johnson, who went 3-8 with a 5.96 ERA in 2006.

More than likely, Bonderman will fall somewhere in the middle. And, for now, we’re OK with that.

***

St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford had some nice things to say about Browns coach Pat Shurmur, who was the Rams offensive coordinator last year.

“… for Pat, I think it’s a great opportunity. I’m excited for him,” Bradford told stltoday.com. “I hope hope he has all the success in the world except for when we play him.”

Bradford credits Shurmur with teaching the rookie quarterback the West Coast offense.

“He really just broke it down for me,” Bradford said. “He taught me how to stay within myself. Taught me how to go through my progressions. Really everything about an offense in the NFL, how it’s supposed to be run.”

Hey, what’s not to like about that?

***

Say what you will about the Dolans, but at least they are smarter than the Wilpon family that owns the Mets.

***

Who needs Fernando Torres when you have Luis Suarez? We know, it’s only one game.

But the Reds have climbed to seventh in the table, and have a chance to close the gap on fourth-place Chelsea this weekend.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Liverpool, stupid owners | Leave a comment
12 Jan 2011

"This, by far, is the bottom."

After losing by a franchise-record 55 points to the Lakers on Tuesday night, Cavs forward Antawn Jamison spoke for Cleveland fans everywhere.

“It can’t get any worse than this,” Jamison said in published reports. “If it is, y’all going to have to help me. I don’t know how much of this I can take. This, by far, is the bottom.”

The loss, and Jamison’s comments, got us thinking about a question we saw posted on Twitter last week asking if this is the worst all three Cleveland teams have been at the same time.

At first we thought that couldn’t be possible. There were some bad Indians, Cavs and Browns teams in the ’70s and ’80s, but after looking into it, this may truly be the darkest time in Cleveland sports in the past 40 years.

While there have been times when two of the three local teams have been bad – 1983 for example, where the Cavs finished up the ’82-’83 season 29-53 and the Tribe lost 92 games that summer – the Browns were respectable, going 9-7 that fall.

We found two examples that rival what we are going through right now:

  • The ’90-’91 Cavs went 33-49, the ’91 Indians lost 105 games and the Browns went 6-10 that fall.
  • That was topped in ’03 when the Cavs were finishing off a 17-65 season, the Indians spent the summer losing 94 games and the Browns went 5-11 in the fall.

But it sure seems worse now. The Indians are coming off a 93-loss season and playing in a league without a salary cap and no hope of competing with teams that can spend $5 or $6 for every $1 the Tribe spends.

The Cavs are injury-riddled and currently are surrounding Jamison and Mo Williams with a roster of D-League bench warmers. In a superstar-driven league, the Cavs don’t have one and their 8-30 record proves it.

The Browns are coming off consecutive 5-11 seasons and are currently searching for their fifth head coach since 1999. (Although they may be closing in on Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur).

We have to believe there is something better out there, that things can’t stay the way they are. After all, we’re not Bengal fans.

But right now it sure is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, futility | Leave a comment
05 Jan 2011

Grading the Browns Quarterbacks

Now that the Browns’ 2010 season is in the books, we thought we’d jump on the grading bandwagon and hand out grades to selected positions on the team.

Today we’ll start with the quarterbacks. Rather than just assign an arbitrary letter grade to Colt McCoy, Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, we’re going to try and see how they match up against what was statistically an average NFL quarterback this season.

Thirty-two quarterbacks played enough this year to qualify for the NFL rankings – from Tom Brady at the top to Jimmy Clausen, who narrowly beat out old friend Derek Anderson as the worst quarterback in the league.

For the 2010 season, the average NFL quarterback completed 61.5 percent of his passes (282-for-458) for 3,265 yards, 7.13 yards per attempt, 21 touchdowns and 12.5 interceptions.

If we project McCoy’s statistics over a full season, he would have completed 60.8 of his passes (270-for-444), with 3,152 yards, 7.1 yards per attempt, 12 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

Those numbers would have put him right in the middle of the pack, although his touchdowns were a bit low and his interceptions a bit high. McCoy’s yardage would have put him ahead of Matt Cassell and Michael Vick, and just right behind Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez. And his yards per attempt were more than a yard better than highly-touted rookie Sam Bradford.

Not bad for a rookie quarterback who was not expected to play this season. A grade of C+ with promise for next year seems right.

Seneca Wallace showed us what he is this year – a capable backup who can fill in on a short-term basis without really harming the team.

Statistically he’s below average when it comes to yards (1,388) and touchdowns (8), but he doesn’t turn the ball over (a projected 4 interceptions) and completes an above-average percentage of his passes (63.4 percent).

We feel OK with giving Wallace a C and are comfortable having him return next year in a back-up role.

That brings us to Delhomme. Again, he came as advertised, completing an above average percentage of his passes (62.4) but was below average in yards (2,790), touchdowns (6) and interceptions (22).

We’ll give Delhomme some extra credit for the work he did helping McCoy this season which brings his grade to a C.

We’re not sure how valid our “analysis” is as they are just numbers; they don’t take into account any intangibles, the support of the running game, play calling or the talent void at the wide receiver position.

But they do confirm what we saw this year on the field: McCoy has shown enough that we want to see more; Wallace is capable as a back-up who won’t kill the team if he has to play in short stretches; and Delhomme is a veteran who is more valuable on the practice field during the week than on the field on Sundays.

The Browns quarterbacks pretty much were what we thought they would be back in July: certainly not Pro Bowlers by any stretch, but far from being the worse collection of quarterbacks in the league (that would be the Arizona Cardinals in case you were wondering).

***

It has apparently been a good NFL season for Las Vegas.

***

No matter how bad it gets in Brownstown, we can always be thankful we’re not in Cincinnati.

***

And speaking of things to be thankful for, the Browns were never in consideration for Jim Harbaugh.

***

Finally, ex-Indians Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame today.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Colt McCoy, Jake Delhomme, Las Vegas, NFL, Seneca Wallace | Leave a comment
31 Dec 2010
1 Comment

A Look Back at 2010

It was certainly interesting around here in 2010.

After earning the top seed in the playoffs for the second consecutive year, the Cavs became the first team in NBA history to post back-to-back 60-win seasons and not win an NBA title.

The early exit led to major changes, as owner Dan Gilbert fired coach Mike Brown and GM Danny Ferry decided not to remain with the team.

The biggest change, of course, was LeBron James’ decision to leave the team in free agency, which left the Cavs scrambling to decide how to rebuild the franchise.

The Indians have become the Indians of the 1970s again, and there seems to be little hope that they will be able to fix things.

The World Cup helped take our mind off the Cavs and filled in the gap until the Browns started training camp. Judging by the TV ratings, we weren’t the only ones entertained.

The U.S. team provided some great moments, starting with its opening tie against England, to its last-minute win on Landon Donovan’s goal against Algeria. The fun came to an end, though, in extra time against Ghana. And Spain came through in the end, just as we predicted.

We learned Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard is the anti-LeBron and finally saw Tom Hicks and George Gillett exit Anfield, leaving the team in pieces.

Then there were the Browns.

Owner Randy Lerner finally put together a qualified management team in president Mike Holmgren, general manager Tom Heckert and coach Eric Mangini. With all three having clearly defined roles, the team is finally set up for success.

After nailing their first draft, the Browns prepared for a season that would ultimately have them playing one of the toughest schedules in the NFL.

That schedule has certainly contributed to the team’s struggles this year, but clear progress has been made as wins against the Saints and Patriots show.

Now we’re just left to wait out stupid time until Holmgren makes the announcement that Mangini is obviously returning next season.

One more thing: we finally learned the real reason Brady Quinn failed as quarterback of the Browns.

Finally, we launched this site in 2010.

While we had to deal with a few bumps at first with some people who think the Internet is run like a playground and they can call “firsties,” things have gone pretty well.

The guys at Waiting for Next Year have been good to us, as has Cleveland Frowns. And we are grateful for that.

We’ve also had the opportunity to meet a few new fans online, including jimkanicki, chris from Two One Six Sports, Malcolm Mathers, Believelander and others who have all helped expand our knowledge base and made us think before we post.

We’re still working to find our voice and figure out exactly what we want to be as a site, but overall it has been a positive experience. We’re looking forward to what 2011 has in store for us and for Cleveland fans everywhere.

Happy New Year everyone.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Liverpool, NFL, World Cup
28 Oct 2010

It’s All Good For One Night

Nice job by the Cavs in beating the Celtics on opening night.

Nine players saw action for at least 15 minutes, the Cavs overcame an 11-point deficit in the third quarter, Boobie Gibson got hot in the second half with 16 points, and they did it without starting guard Mo Williams and with Antawn Jamison only scoring four points.

Now it’s not going to be like this every night. The team will struggle and there will be games where that 11-point deficit turns into a 25-point deficit. But with Toronto, Sacramento, Philadelphia, Washington and New Jersey coming up on the schedule, the Cavs have time to find their rhythm.

But for one night at least, the winning Cavs were back and it was all good.

***

We generally don’t put much stock in conspiracy theories, and don’t buy the argument that local media members – at least the print ones – are trying to run coaches or players out of town.

Nor does any media member in the area have the power to do that – Peter Franklin was the last guy to have that kind of juice in this town.

But that doesn’t mean that media members don’t frame questions or selectively use quotes to build an article to fit their predetermined angle.

Take a look at this piece at Cleveland Frowns, especially the video. You’ll see what we mean.

***

Finally, check out this story at Waiting for Next Year about the Indians and the playoffs of the late ’90s. But be warned, you will be depressed.

We still firmly believe if the Indians had been willing to part with Jaret Wright in a trade for Pedro Martinez, or had been able to convince Curt Schilling to come here in ’97, the Tribe would have won World Series in ’97 & ’98 and would have had a great chance in ’99.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, NBA, NFL | Leave a comment
06 Oct 2010

Ruminations and Ramblings

Thoughts on a October Wednesday:

  • The NFL hit Browns safety T.J. Ward with a $15,000 fine for his hit on Jordan Shipley. As expected, the Bengals are still crying over the hit.”I just want to let it be known that it wasn’t malicious intent to knock him out or to get him hurt,” Ward told The Plain Dealer. “It was just part of the game. I just reacted to what I saw and tried to make a play. The way it happened, I didn’t really try to hit him with everything I had, but still it was a pretty violent hit. I wasn’t trying to aim for his helmet in any way. I just hit what I saw. It all happened so fast.” Something tells us that Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco will have one eye on Ward when the teams meet again in December.
  • It was three years ago yesterday that the Indians and Fausto Carmona beat the Yankees in Game 2 of the Divisional Series in the game where the midges attacked Joba Chamberlain’s fat head. Seems more like 30 years after the way the Indians have played the past few years.
  • Very glad the Browns apparently were not involved in the talks to acquire Randy Moss from the Patriots. While the team does need a major upgrade at wide receiver, it’s hard to see how someone like Moss, while talented, would have fit in with the culture that Eric Mangini is trying to build in the locker room and on the field.
  • Not sure how we feel about the news that Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry wants to buy Liverpool. Certainly getting rid of the current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett is a positive, and the fact that they are opposed to the sale seems like a good sign. But some are urging caution, making the point that Henry wants the team as a business venture, rather than as a passion. But maybe that’s not a bad thing. The Dolans bought the Indians in part because they are fans and that hasn’t work out so well. Maybe someone with deep pockets that stays out of the way – like Randy Lerner at Aston Villa – isn’t all that bad of a scenario.
  • You kind of hate to feel good about another team’s misery, unless it is Pittsburgh, but the news that Max Hall is the new starting quarterback in Arizona gives us a good chuckle. You do have to feel bad for Cardinal fans, though, as they tried to talk themselves into Derek Anderson the way we did in Cleveland for three years. The worse part is betting against Anderson was a nice safety valve to have each week; now that’s gone.
  • Only 11 more days until Pittsburgh. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here a bit.
Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Derek Anderson, Liverpool, T.J. Ward | Leave a comment
17 Aug 2010

Hey, they’re actually pretty good

The Cavs unveiled their new uniforms today and, after thinking about it, they’re not all that bad.

According to the team: “The uniforms feature a deep wine and bright gold that echo the hues from the early 1970s, with a simplistic, yet bold, design and introduce several new and unique design elements. The front of the home white jersey displays a new official team wordmark Cavaliers in wine across the chest, and the front of the road wine jersey the new wordmark reads Cleveland in white.

“On both uniforms, special details make them distinctive. The Cavaliers DNA statement: ‘All for One. One for All’ is printed along the back of the inner-collar of the crew neck jersey, and the Cavaliers secondary logo ‘C-sword’ appears on both sides of the shorts.”

OK, so they’re not really out there, design wise, but they are certainly better than what the team wore a few years ago when they strangely went with a black-and-blue uniform combo.

The uniforms are clean, with a traditional, old-school look that actually fits in nicely with the other pro teams in town. The Browns have one of the best and most iconic uniforms in the NFL, if not all of sports; while the Indians (as long as they stay away from the blue softball tops) also have a nice old-school look, especially when they wear their cream-colored uniforms.

The new uniforms also got the Uni Watch seal of approval. But then Paul Lukas contradicted his own site in a posting today on ESPN.

Now if the Cavs could only come up with their own version of this for their third jersey, they’d really be cooking. That may be the sweetest jersey ever created and it would be fun to see what a Cleveland version would look like. More info on that particular jersey can be found here.

***

We could have used some of that motivation in Game 5, yes? Or perhaps a bit more maturity.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, new uniforms | Leave a comment

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