The Problems with Johnny Manziel.

After guiding the Browns to a win over the 49ers lots of people are thinking that Johnny Manziel may be the QB of the future that the Browns have been looking for since 1999. One thing that has to be considered is that the 49ers could not beat the Sisters of the Perpetually Miserable on a consistent basis. The SF O and D linemen should be bagging groceries at the local Piggly Wiggly.

NOTE: On NNR Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports and I discussed the news of the day, injuries from the previous week, and reviewed all of this week’s games including a detailed analysis of the Browns game.

I am not among the group that feels he is an NFL starting quality player. But unlike most of the others, I am going to tell you why.

Manziel’s footwork is bad and he is not stepping into his throws. Way too often he throws flat footed. It is very hard to be accurate doing that. In addition he does not step into his throws. That also hurts his accuracy.

He is not consistent in his throwing platform. Even at his height he throws side armed. That will get a … Read more at FryingPanSports

Maybe the Browns do listen to NNR!

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NOTE: Today on NNR Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports and I will disect the Browns first round draft picks. Monday we will do a complete review of the draft.

No Johnny Football. No Justin “I don’t want to tackle” Gilbert. The Browns took two solid guys that fill holes on the roster. Teams that are in the playoffs can go “best player available.” But the teams that make the top half of the ranking possible like the Browns need to fill holes with quality guys.

The primary need was someone to stop the run. Defensive tackle Danny Shelton was my top run stuffer inside. And trust me nobody at the draft said anything about him wearing a dress! He is a high energy player that leaves everything he has on the field. He splits the double team consistantly and makes tackles for loss. There is some concern about him being on the field in 3rd and long situations. But because the Browns were 32nd at stopping the run, that did not happen often last year. I have no doubt that he will be a very solid pick.

The 19th pick in my opinion was brilliant. There were … Read more at FryingPanSports

As I predicted, the NCAA is pulling in its horns.

NCAA X

Over 2 years ago here on fryingpansports.com I predicted that the major conferences would put pressure on the NCAA to as Moses said “Let my people go!” Yesterday, which was also the day that the Northwestern players voted on joining a union, the NCAA announced that it was allowing the major conferences “autonomy.” While there are no clear indications exactly how much autonomy the conferences will get, one thing is very certain—the NCAA is admitting it is powerless against these groups.

The fact that the NCAA has had the football playoffs ripped from their dead or dying fingers is an example of money making a difference in the power relationship. The NCAA had no choice. It has overstepped its authority in rule making and issuing punishments. The decisions were inconsistent and caused even supporters to question the process and wisdom of the NCAA’s decision makers.

There is little doubt that the NCAA has lost its way. While it claimed to be looking out for the student-athlete, it was really more interested in covering its own behind and building its power base. It has become known more for its greed than service to those it was designed to help.

So the Read more at FryingPanSports

Tonight A LIVE Browns Draft on NNR

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Tonight I will release my Browns drafts including what I think they should do and what I project what they will do.

Join my host Dactar and me at 6PM EDT at .

You can be part of the show by calling the NNR Hotline at 216-539-0607 with your questions.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits https://fryingpansports.com.  He has also published several novels on and a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/.

He edits .  Listen to the archive of the show 12 hours after the broadcast on https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ .

Read more at FryingPanSports

Special edition of News, Notes and Rumors Thursday at 6PM EST

SBurtonThursday Feb. 28 at 6PM EST join Samantha Bunten, Senior Sports Editor at CineSport, and me as we discuss the Browns coaching staff changes, the team needs, and outlook for free agency.  We might get into a little Indians talk as well.

You can listen to the show live at and listen to the archive of the show the next day at https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits https://fryingpansports.com.  He has also published several novels on and a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/.

He also edits .

Read more at FryingPanSports

Want to know how American Football got started?

How American Football Got Started

Our good friend Evan Weiner of NewJerseyNewsroom.com has written an E-Book entitled America’s Passion: How a Coal Miner’s Game Became the NFL in the 20th Century.  Here is an excerpt:

The National Football League is the premier sport in the United States. But it always wasn’t that way. Author Evan Weiner takes us back to the days when the NFL was a mom and pop store operation with the players and others who witnessed the league’s growth first hand. The game started in the coal mines in western Pennsylvania and is a multi-billion dollar business today.

The NFL started in 1920, teams came and went. That history would repeat itself in the 1930s and the 1940s. Stability finally occurred in the 1950s with the arrival of television. Television transformed North American sports. In 1950, Baseball, Boxing and Horse Racing were among the most popular sporting events in the country. Within 10 years, football, the NFL, would begin its ascent and by 1965 become the country’s most popular sport.

In the old days, you could find Chicago Bears owner and coach George Halas at the Chicago Bears offices in the fall and part of winter, … Read more at FryingPanSports