Sweating it out Sunday
By Marla RidenourΒΆ
Browns center Hank Fraley doesn't rush home after games at Cleveland Browns Stadium and he doesn't figure this week against San Francisco will be any different.
"I do a little tailgating afterwards, friends and family and teammates," Fraley said. "I host a tailgate after every game, win or lose. It's a better tailgate when we win. I used to do it in Philly and I brought it here."
Fraley said the festivities usually last about two hours, time enough for the traffic to clear. Then if he doesn't go out to dinner, he'll head home to play with his sons before bed, then catch some of the 8 p.m. NFL game.
He'll be watching closely this week. To reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002, the Browns need the Indianapolis Colts to beat the Tennessee Titans in the final game of the regular season.
"I'm sure guys will get together," Fraley said. "I guess we'll go watch that game at 8 o'clock somewhere. It will probably be the first time I've rooted for the Colts."
Fraley has been one of the Browns' unsung heroes since coming to Cleveland in a trade from Philadelphia on Sept. 2, 2006. After free agent center LeCharles Bentley went down in training camp with a torn patellar tendon that year, the Browns tried what seemed like a cast of thousands at the position. Since Fraley took over, the spot has been stabilized.
December 31st, 2007 at 9:52 am
Normally I don't mind your writing, Marla, but your "wish list" you recently published made me ill. So you want to trade Brady Quinn, huh? The most-celebrated QB to come out of college in recent memory. A charismatic, intelligent young leader who gained fans nationwide in leading the highest-profile college offense. The man who brought uncontained jubilation to Cleveland on Draft Day–seriously…do you EVER recall the fans being so excited for one player? A guy who, upon every single snipet of opportunity, has stepped into the huddle and led the Browns right down the field, usually for a TD.
Not to diminish D.A.'s fine interim season, but in preseason most fans and talkshow hosts were saying that neither Derek, Frye or Dorsey would even make another NFL roster, let alone start. So Derek has at least played himself into a career. Good for him. But it needs to be elsewhere. He has some value now, and the Browns are not a finished product.
Brady Quinn is the imminent face of the Browns…and–mark it down–one of the premier faces of the NFL. There's little question that he's possibly the best-looking man in the league, he's well-spoken (unlike D.A.'s mumblings), and HE CAN PLAY! Why would the Browns braintrust ever, ever trade a commodity with such intangible value? Despite D.A.'s great year, the fans here still want BRADY! This is BRADY's TOWN, not Derek's. It's a hard fact to digest for some, I know, but why do you so stubbornly oppose that notion? We've seen all of "good Derek, bad Derek" that we need to. The Quinn star is ready to take over in 2009.
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:22 am
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
January 5th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
This is a reply to Jeff P., are you a Notre Dame alumni? Why else would you be so sure that Brady Quinn is the answer for the Cleveland Browns, a team that had a greatly improved offense last year. The offense was among the best in the league because of Derek Anderson not Brady Quinn who is a non-tested rookie from Notre Dame. I'm sorry I must've missed something, when did he drive right down the field every time he got the ball? I saw him a little bit in preseason after he held out, but this is Derek Anderson's team not Brady Quinn's. Derek Anderson broke almost every record a Cleveland quarterback could break in his first year of starting, (almost) every game. He's only going to get better. You also say that we saw the best and the worst of Anderson. Well, in my opinion, we only saw the worst of Anderson in one game even know that happened to be a very important game which was Cincinnati. Everyone is entitled to a bad game. Derek Anderson played awesome football for 14 games this year and I think that he deserves to be the face of the Cleveland Browns if not the franchise. Congratulations to the Cleveland Browns this year for a great season. I'm sorry if I mumbled.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
W
January 18th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Why the heck can't we keep two quarterbacks and be happy?
Does anybody seriously expect any quarterback to go through two straight seasons with no injuries? The Browns were real lucky in that respect last season,but you have to be prepared for anything next year,and what better way than to have two good players on hand? H
January 18th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Why the heck can't we keep two quarterbacks and be happy?
Does anybody seriously expect any quarterback to go through two straight seasons with no injuries? The Browns were real lucky in that respect last season,but you have to be prepared for anything next year,and what better way than to have two good players on hand? Heck,we are even stronger than most teams with Dorsey as the number three guy,so keep a strenght on hand,don't weaken it.I