The Browns are Putrid
After the two touchdown comeback by Baltimore that effectively dismantled the Browns' season, they had the audacity to bench Derek Anderson and start Brady Quinn. Benching Anderson for Quinn isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, it has solidified the hypothesis I've had about the Browns organization for a few seasons now. They are at the mercy of their fanbase and the Cleveland media.
Trent Dilfer lambasted the Browns on Sunday night for their move. I tend to agree with him. The Browns are subject to knee jerk reactions and this was one more. Dilfer made some good points in his rant. The offensive incompetence cannot be entirely attributed to Derek Anderson. Braylon Edwards can make the most ridiculous catch but drop the routine one. He has the most dropped passes in the league. The offensive playcalling lacks any sort of in game adjustment and variety. The only time they have lived up to their potential was during the Giants game. They led a balanced attack that kept the defense on its heels the entire night.
It's completely unfair to blame Derek Anderson for all of these miscues and poor coaching. He's not the one calling the plays or the timeouts during the two minute drill. However, I think this is a move in the right direction. Brady Quinn is obviously the future and it isn't a bad time to take a chance to see if the season could be saved. The Browns weren't going to make any progress taking one step forward and two steps back under Anderson. I wonder, though, how long Romeo has before he is canned. He definitely has to be in the hot seat right now.
C.C. Sabathia Should Go to the Dodgers
I think the Dodgers are the perfect fit for Sabathia. He has had enormous success in the National League this year. In fact, he looked nearly unhittable. Sabathia has made it known that, if not playing in Cleveland, he would gladly move back to the West Coast to be closer to family. The Dodgers play in a weak division and can legitimately win the NL next year with him.
However, I think its important to consider the financial implications of his free agency. In other words, would he be worth the cost to the Dodgers? Especially after Santana's enormous contract? Yes. Santana has had pretty good success with the Mets but hasn't been as dominant as he was with the Twins. His only major weakness is that he is predictable. When teams hit against him often, they tend to figure him out. He has tendencies that he hardly ever sways from. In 2007 the Indians faced Santana about 5 times and beat him every single time. They were the only team he didn't have a win against.
The problem stems from the fact that Santana is a 2 pitch guy. Fastball and changeup. Granted, he throws those two very well, but you can only throw so many combinations with those pitches during a count. He goes to that changeup a little too often and its been blasted out of the park this year by NL teams. They know when its coming. I'm not sure if he has a tell or if he's been scrutinized by scouts, but he's been figured out.
Sabathia, on the other hand, is a smart pitcher who goes on 4 pitches. He's very good when mixing up his fastball and slider. But he's at his best when he gets that changeup involved. Thats what made him so dominant this year with the Brewers. Obviously the garbage hitting in the NL helped out his statistics. I hope he goes to the Dodgers. I'd rather not see him on the Yankees playing against the Indians. However, an opening day with the Cy Young winners from the previous to years at the new Yankee Stadium would be pretty sweet.
Minorities are People Too
You know I had to write about the election. I'm sorry to do this but it is pretty historic. First off, I didn't vote for Barack Obama because he is a black. I voted for him because I agree with his policies and am completely amazed by his intellect and general demeanor. He handled the financial crisis with a steady hand while his opponent was erratic at best. However, President Obama's ethnicity does have an effect on me personally as a minority in the United States.
We have long accepted that there is equal opportunity in this country. However, that wasn't true for government and public office. That was the white man's burden. The question of leadership belonged to the majority. Was this due to racism? Who knows. I am a firm believer in the equality of people in this country, maybe even to a fault. But what this election actually says to me is that it is possible.
Sure we theorized about minority presidents in the past. And, sure we could chalk this up to outside forces. But in an hour of need the American people chose a black man to lead them. We chose based on ideas, personality, intelligence, and the appearance of leadership. We looked past his name and skin color and said, "This is the best candidate for the job at this moment." It was the vindication of the millions of people who put their lives on the line during the civil rights movement of the 60s.
This election gives millions of people in the United States the belief that they can actually make a different regardless of what they look like. More kids in the inner city suffering from socioeconomic distress will believe they can be president and don't have to settle for sports or entertainment. My kids will look at the poster of the presidents and see someone that looks like them on there. At least, for now, the the American dream is finally a reality to everyone.
After the two touchdown comeback by Baltimore that effectively dismantled the Browns' season, they had the audacity to bench Derek Anderson and start Brady Quinn. Benching Anderson for Quinn isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, it has solidified the hypothesis I've had about the Browns organization for a few seasons now. They are at the mercy of their fanbase and the Cleveland media.
Trent Dilfer lambasted the Browns on Sunday night for their move. I tend to agree with him. The Browns are subject to knee jerk reactions and this was one more. Dilfer made some good points in his rant. The offensive incompetence cannot be entirely attributed to Derek Anderson. Braylon Edwards can make the most ridiculous catch but drop the routine one. He has the most dropped passes in the league. The offensive playcalling lacks any sort of in game adjustment and variety. The only time they have lived up to their potential was during the Giants game. They led a balanced attack that kept the defense on its heels the entire night.
It's completely unfair to blame Derek Anderson for all of these miscues and poor coaching. He's not the one calling the plays or the timeouts during the two minute drill. However, I think this is a move in the right direction. Brady Quinn is obviously the future and it isn't a bad time to take a chance to see if the season could be saved. The Browns weren't going to make any progress taking one step forward and two steps back under Anderson. I wonder, though, how long Romeo has before he is canned. He definitely has to be in the hot seat right now.
C.C. Sabathia Should Go to the Dodgers
I think the Dodgers are the perfect fit for Sabathia. He has had enormous success in the National League this year. In fact, he looked nearly unhittable. Sabathia has made it known that, if not playing in Cleveland, he would gladly move back to the West Coast to be closer to family. The Dodgers play in a weak division and can legitimately win the NL next year with him.
However, I think its important to consider the financial implications of his free agency. In other words, would he be worth the cost to the Dodgers? Especially after Santana's enormous contract? Yes. Santana has had pretty good success with the Mets but hasn't been as dominant as he was with the Twins. His only major weakness is that he is predictable. When teams hit against him often, they tend to figure him out. He has tendencies that he hardly ever sways from. In 2007 the Indians faced Santana about 5 times and beat him every single time. They were the only team he didn't have a win against.
The problem stems from the fact that Santana is a 2 pitch guy. Fastball and changeup. Granted, he throws those two very well, but you can only throw so many combinations with those pitches during a count. He goes to that changeup a little too often and its been blasted out of the park this year by NL teams. They know when its coming. I'm not sure if he has a tell or if he's been scrutinized by scouts, but he's been figured out.
Sabathia, on the other hand, is a smart pitcher who goes on 4 pitches. He's very good when mixing up his fastball and slider. But he's at his best when he gets that changeup involved. Thats what made him so dominant this year with the Brewers. Obviously the garbage hitting in the NL helped out his statistics. I hope he goes to the Dodgers. I'd rather not see him on the Yankees playing against the Indians. However, an opening day with the Cy Young winners from the previous to years at the new Yankee Stadium would be pretty sweet.
Minorities are People Too
You know I had to write about the election. I'm sorry to do this but it is pretty historic. First off, I didn't vote for Barack Obama because he is a black. I voted for him because I agree with his policies and am completely amazed by his intellect and general demeanor. He handled the financial crisis with a steady hand while his opponent was erratic at best. However, President Obama's ethnicity does have an effect on me personally as a minority in the United States.
We have long accepted that there is equal opportunity in this country. However, that wasn't true for government and public office. That was the white man's burden. The question of leadership belonged to the majority. Was this due to racism? Who knows. I am a firm believer in the equality of people in this country, maybe even to a fault. But what this election actually says to me is that it is possible.
Sure we theorized about minority presidents in the past. And, sure we could chalk this up to outside forces. But in an hour of need the American people chose a black man to lead them. We chose based on ideas, personality, intelligence, and the appearance of leadership. We looked past his name and skin color and said, "This is the best candidate for the job at this moment." It was the vindication of the millions of people who put their lives on the line during the civil rights movement of the 60s.
This election gives millions of people in the United States the belief that they can actually make a different regardless of what they look like. More kids in the inner city suffering from socioeconomic distress will believe they can be president and don't have to settle for sports or entertainment. My kids will look at the poster of the presidents and see someone that looks like them on there. At least, for now, the the American dream is finally a reality to everyone.
1 comment:
Do you think the Dodgers can afford Sabathia and Manny?
Post a Comment