Can The Browns Breakthrough In The Tough AFC North?

In 2013, the AFC North enters the season as possibly the toughest overall division in the NFL. The division boasts the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the all-time Super Bowl leaders and a popular Super Bowl sleeper pick in 2013. Oh, they also have the Cleveland Browns, who are young and improving, but still waiting for a true breakout season. So can 2013 be the year they start to contend for the playoffs?

Whenever a team is forced to start a rookie quarterback and running back, they are in for a somewhat long season. Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson did a pretty good job in 2012, but they did not have enough help to get them anywhere. With a year under their belt, things could be better for them, with Richardson particularly being seen as someone who can do a job for your team in fantasy football 2013.

After an off-season full of changes at the management and coaching level, the team seems to be quickly adjusting to the new way of doing things. They also have a young core that continues to grow, thanks to quite a few high draft picks in a row. New head coach Rob Chudzinski, along … Read more at FryingPanSports

The Cleveland Browns are cursed!

Browns2 

The first editorial I did on this sight was “God hates the Cleveland Browns.”  Now the NFL Channel admits that the Browns are the “most snake-bit team in the NFL.”  One expert on the show indicated that the team suffered from the “Paul Brown curse.”  But it is not Paul Brown that cursed the team and its fans to perpetual suffering, it was Art Modell!

 

The Modell curse started in 1961 when he bought the team.  (My Dad believed that a fool and his money are soon parted.  The question is how did they get together in the first place?) 

 

On Jan. 9, 1963 Modell began to display his total ignorance of the game and his inability to evaluate talent when he fired long time GM and head coach Paul Brown.  While there were a number of issues between Brown and Modell one thing is clear.  Under Paul Brown the team had won four AAFC championships and three NFL titles.  He had brought together a team that was always in the playoffs before there was a wild card.  And yet Modell fired him.

 

Modell wanted to have control over the football side of the team.  Modell was … Read more at FryingPanSports

I present proof that the world will not end tomorrow.

I present proof that the world will not end tomorrow.

 

Those of us that have survived the Browns debacle since 1999 will not find relief by the world ending tomorrow.  No, that is not going to happen.

 

We are going to suffer more and more until our best hope for the future, new owner Jimmy Haslam finds the right coach to take us out of the desert and into the promise land.  The hope is that Haslam will not screw up like the two previous owners have and bring in someone like Shurmur that is totally unprepared for the job of HC.

 

Having followed the team since 1955 I can tell you exactly when the world will end.  A Super Bowl is in our future.  The Browns will find a way to get the firepower to have an offense to match the D and will win the AFC Championship someday.

 

The world will then end one the day before the Browns first Super Bowl appearance.

 

That’s what I think.  Tell me what you think.

 

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college Read more at FryingPanSports

Mike Holmgren’s legacy has been hurt by his job in Cleveland

Mike Holmgren’s Legacy

When he went to Seattle he insisted on being both the GM and head coach.  In 2002 he was relieved of those powers.

On Dec. 20, 2009 prior to Mike Holmgren being named team president, I wrote an article entitled Is Holmgren the answer to the Browns problems?  I started the article this way:

Discussions of the Cleveland football guru position have reminded me of the movie “Joe and the Volcano.” The boss of a very young Tom Hanks is on the phone discussing a potential hire.

“I know he can get the job, but can he do the job?” I have exactly the same question about Mike Holmgren as the “football guru” of the Browns or any other team for that matter.

I went on to outline the draft picks that GM Holmgren made and how in 2002 he was relieved of his GM duties.  While there were indications that Holmgren might be able to do the GM job for the Seahawks, there were more reasons to relieve him of those duties.

His legacy in Cleveland will be based on the decisions he has made here as well as the results or lack of results that … Read more at FryingPanSports

Brent Sobleski: Tonight on the radio version of News, Notes and Rumors

Brent Sobleski

Tonight NNR begins at 5PM EDT : Brent Sobleski of ESPN

Brent Sobleski of ESPN and Draftinsider.net joins us to begin our weekly College football review by conference.  We start this week with an overview of the top colleges.

Tony Williams Giants and Knicks beat writer for Metro New York Paper joins us to preview week 2 of the preseason and project the top NFL teams in 2012.

Lou Diamond of LouieDiamond.com joins us to talk point spreads on the early games and the odds of the NFL teams going to the Super Bowl.

Zack Pumerantz and Jake Silver of JZ Sports Inc. join us to talk about the NFL.

Monty McMahon, editor for totalpackers.com joins us to preview the Browns Packers game.

NNR at 6PM EDT follows the Moohead show at 5PM on http://mooheadradio.com/2.0/.  Pss the Green arrow at 6 for NNR.

The archive of the show is available the following day at https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/.

Be part of the show by calling our SportSims.com hotline at 216-539-0607.

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 and Read more at FryingPanSports

Betting For The 2012-13 NFL Season Begins

The upcoming National Football League (NFL) appears to be gearing up with intensity. Odds on the 2012-13 conference winners, Super Bowl champion and other match-ups are already being offered by several online Sports-books.

Super Bowl 2012-13 Favorites

The Green Bay Packers have been listed as favorites for Super Bowl champions by several sports betting sites including 888Sports, William Hill and bet365 and their odds range from 6/1 to 11/2. Odds of 7/1 are being offered by Hill on the Patriots, 10/1 on the Texans , 14/1 on the Eagles and 49ers. The other betting sites are pretty much in line with these numbers.

888Sports has odds of 18/1 on the 2012-13 winners, the Giants, while Hill and bet365 have odds of 20/1 hinting that the Giants may not repeat their victory. Therefore, this season offers a great chance to bet on an unlikely winner.

Betting on Conference and Other Matches

The three top online sports books show odds in favor of the Packers for the NFC Conference and the Patriots for the AFC Conference. Their Week 1 placements and spreads show some possible big games between the Cowboys and Giants, 49ers and Packers and Steelers and Broncos.

Several player season … Read more at FryingPanSports