Browns HD-Less

There’s a reason why “gameday” looks not so sharp. In a time when so many sporting events are broadcast in high definition, Browns fans with HDTV’s end up watching the games in standard def. When that happens WOIO runs crawls during each game telling people CBS is not broadcasting today’s Browns game in high definition. Why?

I have to interrupt my rant with a comment on the Browns’ first drive. The team scored on their first possession. Of course, a couple of penalties by Miami helped. Jason Wright rushed in for the touchdown.

I digress. I don’t want to say anything like “Cleveland is getting disrespected” The Browns aren’t by any means the best team in the NFL but how about a little love from CBS? Apparently, the Tiffany network is broadcasting six games each week in high-def. Four times this season, Browns fans didn’t have the chance to see their team in high definition. Next season, all of the games will be broadcast in HD but that does us little good this year when we’re on the wrong end of the HD spectrum. Of course, we don’t have to worry about the SD vs HD situation, the Browns have a bye week. Maybe when we play St. Louis in two weeks, we’ll get to see the stunning clarity of a high definition signal.

Another interruption, Derek Anderson just ran in the ball for a TD. Browns 14, Dolphins 3.

Side note: WOIO is the only Cleveland station still not broadcasting their newscasts in HD. They carry CBS HD on their high def channel. I’ve not heard of what their timeline is for the switch.

Trot & Tribe Trample BoSox

The Indians are coming back to Cleveland tied up with the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. Trot Nixon made the difference in game two. What a game it was all 5 hours, 14 minutes of it.

Now the Indians have the crowd on their side for games three through five. On Monday, Red Sox send Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound. Jake Westbrook pitches for the Indians. Hopefully, Westbrook can best the Indians’ top two starters when he starts game three.

It’s ironic that former Red Sox player Trot Nixon came back to haunt his former team in extra innings. So far during the ALCS, former Indians player Manny Ramirez has been a thorn in the side of his former fans. He hit his 23rd postseason homer last night and is on fire against the Tribe.

Now hopefully, the Browns can do the same thing, pull off a win against the Dolphins today.

Weekend Blahs!

After a busy week of hour-long 11pm newscasts, breaking news, going in early, going to the dentist, and just going crazy, it’s the weekend. I feel blah! I wanna go out and have fun with my friends but I’m just as happy sitting here watching friends in my pajamas on my comfortable sectional.

The Indians play again tonight. We all hope the Tribe will score some runs tonight and not allow the Red Sox to score as many.

The Browns almost have a guaranteed win tomorrow against the Dolphins. I’m tailgating before the game so that should be fun. Go Browns! Go Tribe!

What A Time To Be An Ohio Sports Fan

Let’s start with Ohio State who many predicted not to be that good this season. They are now ranked #3 in the nation in the latest AP Top 25.

1.) LSU
2.) California
3.) Ohio State
4.) Boston College
5.) South Florida

Ohio State plays Kent State this next week. We all know how that game will end. The following week, they face Michigan State.

But how about those Indians? We didn’t see the sweep so many people wanted over the Yankees but I don’t see New York coming back and winning the next two games.

The Cavs are ready to start up again and hopefully we’ll see a slightly different end to the season with the team winning the Finals this year.

The Browns, they are the Browns. Let’s hope for a couple more wins and some good showing on the field.

Schizophrenic Browns

A couple of my friends say the Browns are on one week, off the next. I’d have to agree with them. The Browns pulled off an unbelievable win against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The final score was 27 – 13.

The team wasn’t the group we saw last week during the disappointing loss to Oakland. Some last minute trickery by the Raiders cost the Browns the game. This week’s Browns were focused and ready for the Ravens.

Yesterday’s showing gave Romeo Crennel some job security and most likely means rookie quarterback Brady Quinn’s time on the sidelines will continue for now. Derek Anderson threw two touchdown passes.

Leigh Bodden is not letting his legal trouble cloud up his play. Bodden intercepted a McNair pass then Anderson threw to Braylon Edwards for a 78-yard touchdown.

Which Browns will take the field this weekend against the New England Patriots. As of right now, the Pats are 3-0 but are playing Cincinnati tonight. They should have no problem rolling over the Bengals.

Hoping For The Browns

Every year, Cleveland joins together to root for the team they love so much. Sure, Northern Ohio loves the Indians. They’ll probably end up winning their division. Sure, Northern Ohio loves the Cavs. The team went to the NBA Finals this year. But Northern Ohio loves the Browns. Cleveland didn’t get the nickname “Browns Town” by accident.

A 2006 study conducted by Bizjournal determined that Browns fans are the most loyal in the NFL. The study shows Browns fans filled 99.8% of the seats at Cleveland Browns Stadium during the last seven seasons, despite a combined record of 36 wins and 76 loses over that span. Let’s not forget the Browns Backers that boast having more than 77,000 members. It is considered the largest sports-fan organization in the USA. Fans were largely responsible for bringing the team back to Cleveland after Art Modell took the team to Baltimore in 1995.

Almost as much as their love for the team, Browns fans love to tailgate. People were already setting up camp at the Muni Parking Lot around 6am this morning. You could smell charcoal for miles away from all of the people tailgating and cooking up food. The Muni Parking Lot looked like a campground than a surface parking lot. Police competely shutdown access to the lot before 10am this morning.

Cleveland loves its football team but every season Clevelanders seem to end up saying the same thing “There’s always next year”. The Browns aren’t coming out of the blocks today looking too good. With 4:10 to go in the first half, the Browns have not scored yet, however the Steelers already have 17 points up on the scoreboard. The disapproving crowd has already booed Charlie Frye. Derek Anderson already fumbled the ball. The crowd is already calling for Brady Quinn. There are some bright moments for the defense but remember there were 17 points up on the board when the Browns went to the lockerroom.

Second half wasn’t that much better although Derek Anderson did throw a touchdown pass to Lawrence Vickers to put the Browns up on the board for 7 points. In all, the Browns had five turnovers and allowed six sacks. It wasn’t as bad as 1999 when the Steeler bested the Browns 43-0.

I count myself a Browns fan and each year, I have that hope that my team will have a winning season but I find myself hoping that every year.