Reserve-Injured

OL Lennie Friedman

Waived

TE Brad Cieslak

DB A.J. Davis

WR Efrem Hill

TE Kolomona Kapanui

DB Travis Key

OL James Lee

WR Lance Leggett

LB David McMillan

DB Brandon Mitchell

LB Chase Ortiz

OL Jonathan Palmer

DB Jereme Perry

DL Melila Purcell

K Jason Reda

WR Steve Sanders

WR Travis Wilson

Terminated-Vested Veteran

LB Shantee Orr

Waived-Injured

OL Derrick Morse

OL Marvin Philip

DL Chase Pittman

RB Travis Thomas

A few thoughts on a Browns game that produced very little for thought …

The first-team offense provided enough positives to let everyone breathe a little easier heading into the season. Brady Quinn led the starters to a field goal and touchdown, and the unit was sharp.

Quinn should have hit Kellen Winslow for a touchdown, though. Poor throw.

The offensive line, too, finally played like it’s been expected to play.

Derek Anderson was on the sidelines. He left the locker room without addressing the media, but did give a thumbs-up signal on his way out. Expect him to return to practice next week.

Braylon Edwards got a pretty nasty cut on his foot – nobody has said how many stitches he needed, to my knowledge – but the team expects him back as well. Same with Jamal Lewis, who strained a hamstring.

It was not good to see starting guard Rex Hadnot leave with a strained knee. But if the Browns are to lose anyone up front, at least they have experienced backups in Seth McKinney and Ryan Tucker on the team.

Travis Wilson might have done enough to save his job, especially if Syndric Steptoe’s shoulder injury keeps him out any length of time.

Observers said Steptoe did not seem seriously injured as he left the locker room. The Browns will need either he or Josh Cribbs to be healthy for the opener.

It’s hard to gauge these injuries during games. The team says what is hurt, and gives the chances of return (probable, questionable, doubtful, will not return). Other than that, the media pretty much knows what everyone watching on TV knows. Details on the guys hurt in the finale will be available probably on Saturday when GM Phil Savage discusses the final roster.

The Browns finished preseason 0-4, the second time in team history they went winless in preseason. But as Romeo Crennel said: “We could've been 4-0 and if we lose to Dallas you're going to ask what went wrong."

Someday we will all look back on this date and remember it as the day that Martin Luther King gave the “I Have a Dream” speech, the night that Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination and the night when the Browns concluded the preseason that seemed to drag on forever.

Where is Adriana Lima when you need her?

Click here for a video preview of the Browns preseason finale …

1) I think next year the NFL calendar should just bleep right through this final week of preseason. Let the all-powerful NFL find a way to just warp time so we don't have to endure this full-priced bologna another year.

2) I have no idea what the Browns gain from this week. They have two days of practice, then they play a game on Thursday. They do not have their quarterback, top running back and top receiver. The starters will probably play, at most, one quarter in the preseason finale. How does a team get better in these circumstances?

3) Consider Brady Quinn. The team's backup might (emphasis on might) have to start the season opener against Dallas. That means he needs playing time. But the starters don't get playing time in the preseason finale. Nobody wants to lose a starter to injury in the final game of preseason. So Quinn probably will be yanked after one series, and he probably won't have Lewis to hand to or Edwards to throw to. These are not the most ideal of circumstances for a quarterback to prepare for the start of the season.

4) It's so predictable. A team struggles in this area of the nation and people immediately start yelling for the coach to be fired. The same guy who was a Coach of the Year candidate a year ago now can't coach. The Browns have problems, and I've written about them and discussed them. But it is still preseason, and the coach has proven he can win and he has the respect of the players. Fire the coach? It's just silly to even suggest such a thing.

5) That being said, Romeo Crennel needs to get his players' attention. I don't know the cause for the preseason malaise, whether it's overconfidence, injuries, inattention to detail or if the Browns are overrated, but the team really needs to get its act together. Because if they play in the regular season the way they've played in the preseason, it's going to be a long season.

6) I was marveling during practice on Monday that the Browns were penalized on a kneel-down play at the end of the first half in Detroit. Turns out that the Browns committed two penalties on that play. I am informed by my good friend Andre Knott, an Akron native, that the Browns were flagged for illegal formation and false start. On a kneel-down. This should not happen. This is the kind of attention to detail that has been lacking.

7) A long, long time ago in a previous life I asked a doctor once what caused swelling on the knee. "Usually a tear," he said. "Almost always a tear of some sort. Could be cartilage. But it's usually some kind of tearing in the knee." Which brings us to Sean Jones, the Browns safety. He missed the Detroit game with swelling in his knee. He missed Monday's practice with the same swelling. Crennel said team doctors had found nothing in extensive exams. I have no idea what is wrong with Jones, nor am I really qualified to make a diagnosis because I've not examined Jones for one single second. But when Kellen Winslow had his motorcycle accident, the Browns put out a release that stated he had swelling in his knee. That raised my eyebrows, and I wondered if it meant he had a tear. Well … he did. Now Jones has swelling, and it's fair to wonder the same thing.

8 ) Thanks to Joel for solving my problem with this dude - …As much angst as there is about the Browns locally, it's worth mentioning that the other AFC North teams aren't exactly having great preseasons. Baltimore is unsettled at quarterback and has had injuries, Pittsburgh's offensive line is a mess and Cincinnati is so desperate at receiver (where Chad Johnson has a torn labrum) it brought back Chris Henry after saying it would never bring him back.

9) Health. That's the key for the Browns. Amidst all the problems, real or perceived, the one thing they need to do is get healthy. And right now it's hard to say when that will happen. Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis and Braylon Edwards are just not around while the media watches practices, nor is Joshua Cribbs.

10) Here's my prediction for the 53-man roster, and no, there are not a lot of great surprises:

QB - (3) Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey. You were expecting Brett Favre?

RB - (3) Jamal Lewis, Jason Wright, Jerome Harrison. Rookie Travis Thomas makes the practice squad. I wonder how long the Browns wait on Jerome Harrison.

FB - (2) Lawrence Vickers, Charles Ali.

WR - (6) Braylon Edwards, Donte Stallworth, Joshua Cribbs, Steve Sanders, Syndric Steptoe, Paul Hubbard with Joe Jurevicius going to PUP. The Travis Wilson experiment ends. He just never came through in games. This also could be an area where the Browns sign someone who has been released by another team to be the sixth receiver on the roster.

TE - (3) Kellen Winslow, Steve Heiden, Martin Rucker. The versatility of Winslow and Rucker allow the Browns to (perhaps) keep five receivers.

OL - (9) Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Hank Fraley, Rex Hadnot, Kevin Shaffer, Lennie Friedman, Ryan Tucker, Seth McKinney, Isaac Sowells. Suddenly the depth does not look very deep.

DL - (6) Robaire Smith, Shaun Smith, Corey Williams, Shaun Rogers, Melila Purcell, Chase Pittman. With a three-four, the Browns only need six.

LB - (9) Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson, Andra Davis, Willie McGinest, Antwan Peek, Leon Williams, Kris Griffin, Beau Bell, Alex Hall. Backup linebackers are almost always valuable special teamers

DB - (10) Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, Brodney Pool, Sean Jones, Terry Cousin, Travis Daniels, Nick Sorensen, Mike Adams and Jereme Perry until a guy is found on the waiver wire. Be a shame for Perry, who is a definite good guy. This is clearly the greatest area of concern on the team.

PK - (1) Phil Dawson.

P - (1) Dave Zastudil.

LS - (1) Ryan Pontbriand.

You're an Idiot

For one week I skate. Nobody called me an idiot, or offered a comparable insult.

I figure folks were just busy with their kids going back to school.

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

Maybe they should trade … the starting quarterback to Seattle? That seemed to have a salutary effect last year.

As for a song for the Browns, how about Ray Charles' "Here we go again." It's like an actual anthem for the Browns fan experience:

"I've been there before

"And I'll try it again

"But any fool knows

"That there's no way to win.

"Here we go again

"[They'll] break my heart again

"I'll play the part again

"One more time."

I am not kidding you - I have this song on a mix with the Browns fight song, Randy Newman's "Burn on," and a few other Cleveland faves.

I keep thinking I should get a life, but then I wonder: What would I do with it?

Yours,

Scott Huler

Raleigh, N.C.

Dear Scott,

I've wondered the same thing about my life. It would be nice to get one, but that might entail actual responsibility, and who in the heck wants that?

As for the Browns and theme songs, I suggest you give a listen to "To win just once" by The Saw Doctors.

Dear Pat,

I agree with you. The Browns looked awful. No defense in the secondary. The Browns look flatter than a soft tortilla shell. What is Romeo Crennel running this summer? An NFL workout camp or summer spa vacations for NFL old timers. The Browns were playing in New York like they were afraid of the "G Men". Crennel should cut at least a third of the team and start over.

Best regards,
Mike (in an online comment)

Dear Mike,

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't recall any FBI agents on the field when the Browns played in New York.

Dear Pat,

It's too predictable… unless a Cleveland team runs the table, and apparently that includes meaningless scrimmages now, idiot fans will dive to the nearest message board and call for the head coach to be fired. Totally realistic expectations here in the city of champions.

I'll never understand what goes through some fans' tiny brains. This team has some talent, but they certainly aren't on par with the Patriots yet. How about having a little patience? Or at least wait until the regular season starts?

Josh (in an online comment)

Dear Josh,

Never let it be said that Cleveland fans do not have angst, but keep in mind this is the same town where folks wanted to fire Eric Wedge when the Indians missed the World Series by one game and Mike Brown when the Cavs lost in the Finals.

Frustration at not winning a championship since 1964 can be a terrible thing.

Have a good day everybody … pat

(Want to be in "Three and Out"? Comment here or send an e-mail to pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com, and put "First and 10" in the subject line — and for a video preview of the Browns preseason finale, click here.)

That sure didn't look like much of an improvement to me. Same silly penalties. Same silly mistakes. Same nonexistent pass defense. One team played on Saturday, and it wasn't Cleveland. This preseason has not gone well, and it's hard not to conclude that too many with the team have put expected success ahead of the work needed to achieve that success.

Some random thoughts:

• Crennel was asked if there any bright spots. He said: "Uh, no."
• Since when does Jon Kitna have the ability to elude the rush. The Browns let him outside the pocket twice, and he found receivers both times.
• Check out the penalties, including an illegal formation on a kneel down at the end of the half. That's one I've never seen. How does a team get illegal formation on a stinking kneel down?
• I think the Browns spent too much time in pads during the week.
• Brady Quinn did not look very good. He had some moments, but he also had some not-to-good moments. He wasn't helped by the poor pass protection up front. Quinn's first non-penalty first down came early in the second quarter. The next play Lawrence Vickers was flagged for holding. Figures.
• The protection was not good. That's because the Browns have a large line that was out-quicked by the Lions defensive linemen. Detroit jettisoned Shaun Rogers in part because they wanted quicker guys. He's a massive guy. He also was inconsistent, among other things, in Detroit. "This is a speed team that we were playing," coach Romeo Crennel said. "It's the Tampa philosophy where they have excellent team speed. That showed up. I think with more work hopefully we'll be able to settle some things down." Hopefully.
• Lions fans booed heartily every time Rogers' name was announced. "They're Detroit fans and if they're not rooting for the home team, what are they doing here?" Rogers said. "It's expected."

• Rogers had five tackles, which was impressive. Crennel said Rogers did what he was supposed to do in the game. "I'm never one to throw bouquets at guys when we lose the game," Crennel said.
• There was a Chase Pittman sighting.
• In the first quarter, Quinn was two-for-four for eight yards.
• Dan Orlovsky looked like Tom Brady against the Browns defense. First-team, second-team, no matter. Orlovsky shredded the Browns.
• This was in the Dallas Morning News story about the Cowboys game Friday night: "The Cowboys ripped off four first downs in their first five plays before Tony Romo connected with a crossing Patrick Crayton on a 6-yard score."

You always wonder if you make too much out of preseason. The games don't count, after all, and if the Browns beat Dallas and Pittsburgh it will be forgotten. Too, the Browns were plain awful last year in preseason. That being said, the last two games the Browns haven't exactly given any reason for folks not to be concerned. This is a team that has not looked good.

Some more quotes:

• Crennel on the pressure Quinn faced: "I think you saw the classic NFL approach to a young quarterback. Bring pressure to see if he can handle it, and if he can't handle it keep pressuring."
• Crennel on getting back several injured players who missed the game: "They're going to be a little rusty, so it's going to take some time for those guys to knock the rust off. So it's not just going to automatically happen that we're going to be back to where we want to be."

Quinn on his game:

• "I didn't execute the way I wanted to."
• "They brought a decent amount of pressure, which is to be expected when you're a young quarterback in this league."
• "I definitely was disappointed in my performance."

I'm off to Detroit to see if Brady Quinn can lay any kind of claim to the Browns starting quarterback job. I know … the Browns do not want a quarterback controversy, nor do they have one. But isn't this exactly how these things happen? Guy gets hurt. New guy steps in and does well. Other guy never gets his job back. The length of time Anderson is out with that concussion might have be a large determining factor in how this plays out, too. And … I ask you … what better to do on a beautiful Saturday afternoon than take a leisurely drive to Detroit?

Idle thought: As I see my daughters drag themselves out of bed at 6:30 a.m. and walk out the door at 7:05 to be at school for the 7:45 bell, I wonder who in the world thinks these gawd-awful hours are good for kids. So my queston is this: Why do we think it's wise to make kids begin their days at hours when a great deal of the working world remains idle? Or, to put it another way: Why do we ask more from our kids, who have every right to merely be kids and enjoy being kids, than we do from adults?

OK … I'm cheating … adding another question after four comments have been posted. But I have another school-related question.

My daughter's school, in its infinite wisdom, scheduled her for a first-period study hall. To even have study hall this early seems odd; do they actually want her to skip homework the night before and do it early in the morning? Of course not , the school says, she should "work ahead." Got it. Can't she just sleep in? Noooo. She's got to be there at the crack of dawn for study hall. So her experience this year started with a first period study hall on the first day. Get the picture? She had not had a class yet, but had a study hall to start the day. Administrators get Master's Degrees to make these kind of decisions. It would seem to me that a first-period study hall on day one would be a nice chance to let the kids relax, talk quietly, take it easy before actual class starts. But noooooooooooo. The teacher in charge actually yelled at the entire class because a couple kids were whispering to each other. YELLED at them. They were supposed to sit and not make a peep, which meant sit and be bored to tears for 45 minutes because THEY HAD NOT HAD A CLASS YET. I ask: What is up with that?

Oh … my other daughter. She lucked out. She got second-period study hall.

The acquisition of Travis Daniels via trade kind of shows where the Browns secondary resides at the moment. Daniels does not seem to be the kind of guy who will be a major contributor, but he's probably all that was realistically available at the moment. The trade for Daniels indicates the secondary's struggles are real, and the depth is a concern. Daniels is neither a star, nor a stiff. He was very big with the Dolphins secondary when Nick Saban was coach, probably because Saban coached him at LSU. Bill Parcells didn't want him. Hardly a ringing endorsement, eh? The Browns got a guy Saban liked and Parcells didn't. Parcells can be wrong, though, and Daniels has started in the NFL, and he is a Florida guy, which means he has some credentials. But Deion Sanders, Mike Haynes or Hanford Dixon? Don't think so. Heck, he might not even be Anthony Henry. Daniels will probably fight to be a third or fourth corner. If he unseats Eric Wright or Brandon McDonald, things are not exactly going well in Peoria.

Meanwhile, the injury list for the third preseason game — the one that is supposed to really matter — includes some big names: QB Derek Anderson (concussion), KR Josh Cribbs (ankle), RB Jamal Lewis (hamstring), S Brodney Pool (concussion) and LB Willie McGinest (groin). It is doubtful any will play against Detroit. This is significant only in that the third practice game is supposed to be the last chance for a team to get its act together. It will be tough for a team to get its act together with all those players on the sidelines.

One does not want to be an alarmist after two preseason games. But some of these injuries are concerning, especially Cribbs' ankle sprain and the concussions sufferd by Anderson and Pool. There's no telling how long they will affect the players. It's entirely possible all could be playing by opening day, but if the Browns had a choice I'm sure they would prefer to have them on the field this Saturday in Detroit, and would very much prefer not heading toward the season opener with this kind of uncertainty lingering.

Here's what Romeo Crennel had to say about the injured guys:

"As far as our injuries, D.A. (Derek Anderson), Brodney Pool, Willie McGinest, Jamal Lewis, (Josh) Cribbs were not out here and those guys are resting, taking care of their injuries. Now with D.A. and Brodney it’s concussions and sometimes with concussions you’re a little sensitive to light so we’re going to let them rest for a day or so and then see where they are and when they get their baseline back then they’ll be out and they’ll start practicing again. Cribbs has an ankle that he’s working on, trying to get that right, Jamal has a hamstring and Willie has a groin. So those guys, all of them, I know they want to be out here, they’ll work to get out here and that’s what we’re dealing with there."

On Braylon Edwards:

"Braylon (Edwards) is doing OK. We’re trying to keep Braylon off his feet so that he doesn’t re-open that wound. So he’s making progress, the wound is healing but we’re going to be a little cautious with him to try to get it healed up because at his position where he runs and cuts, the thing that we don’t want to happen is we don’t want him to break it open. And then continually, we have to work through that and probably he’ll have to miss more time if it gets to that point, so we’re going to let it heal and then get him back out here. But he’s in a good frame of mind and he’s doing good.”

Who is the third quarterback?

“We’re auditioning tonight (joking). No, we’ll come up with some kind of plan to take a look at it. We’ve got several guys on the team that have been quarterbacks in high school so we’ll get an emergency plan ready so that if we need it, we have it.”

On if the injured players will play on Saturday

“It will be tough for them to make Saturday because if they missed today, which they did, and they’ll probably miss tomorrow, then they’re probably not going to be ready to play. So they’ll sit out Saturday and we’ll see what happens after that.”

First and 10 with the Browns –

1) Exhibition games aren’t really about results. The fact that the Browns cut a Giant deficit to a 37-34 final doesn’t really matter. These games are about impressions, approach and, for those trying to make the team, the chance to play. The Browns made a terrible impression in their second game. It was a real clunker. One team looked like a Super Bowl team, a champion, a group of professionals. The Browns looked a team of wanna-bes that did not bring a mature approach to the game. They looked, perhaps, like a team that has been given 12 prime-time games despite making the playoffs once since 1999. To me, this approach revealed itself before the game when the Browns talked about how nice it would be to be in New York and playing on Monday night. For crying out loud, it’s a preseason game. I realize the Browns may have been asked the question about going to New York to play in primetime, but it would have been OK for them to say, “Well gee it’s just a preseason game. I don’t care where it is. I do care how we play.” Instead they talked about being in the spotlight and all that kind of stuff. The immature approach then showed in silly penalties and a punch thrown (and missed). It showed in tackling a guy before a punt even got close to him and in almost 100 yards in penalties in the first quarter. Brutal.

2) I’ve been saying for a long time that Joe Jurevicius’ injury ruins the team’s receiving depth. That if Braylon Edwards ever were injured it would mean trouble. Guess what. Edwards didn’t play Monday night, and the offense looked lost. There was no flow, no timing, nothing close to precision. It’s not going to take the other teams long to recognize this fact and pretty much take Edwards away and dare another receiver – like Kellen Winslow, who was pretty much AWOL in this game — to beat them. The offense looked lost without Edwards.

3) How in the world does a team get almost 100 yards in penalties in one quarter? That’s mind-boggling. Same way, I guess, that a team gets a punt blocked by a guy trying to block for the punt, and same way a team allows a punt return for a touchdown following that blocked punt that led to a safety, and the same way a guy fumbles a handoff inside the 5-yard-line to give the Giants a length-of-the-field touchdown run. Double brutal.

4) If this game was any indication, the gulf between a true playoff team and a team that wants to be a playoff team is Grand Canyonesque.

5) Nice to see Domenik Jerry Rice Hixon get some preseason playing time. Hixon is from Akron, and he was better than any Browns receiver on the field.

6) I’m thinking if Terrell Owens was watching Hixon abuse the Browns secondary he was giggling to himself quite a bit about what he might do in the season opener.

7) The Browns pulled out brown pants for the trip to New Jersey. I think it’s time to put them away. The Browns looked like a high school team. Then they played like one.

It's kind of irritating, but here on the log every time I type the "8" for item "8" it comes up with that stupid face. … Memo to self: Write corporate about THAT one. … Brodney Pool’s concussion is a bit scary, given their cumulative effects. Pool has missed time in his career with concussions. … Anyone notice Charlie Frye threw for 209 yards in Seattle? … He also had three interceptions and no touchdowns. … Nice of Eric Wright to style the way he did on that short touchdown gift. … Cripes, the team was getting its you-know-what kicked and he pranced into the end zone, then styled after. … Wright had a brutal game – as Rice-Hixon took advantage of him. … The Browns first-team offensive line was beat pretty regularly by the Giants starters and backups. Not good. … Good to see Phil Dawson kick a 56-yard field goal. The Browns have one of the league’s elite kickers. … Who’d have thought Syndric Steptoe would be this preseason’s “Guy Who Blooms From Nowhere.” … I believe there was a Melila Purcell sighting. … Why in the world do people say that Brady Quinn is from Cleveland? Dublin, Ohio, is as much a part of Cleveland as Dublin, Ireland, is.

9) At this writing, which is 12:58 a.m. on Tuesday morning while some divers go inward-three-and-a-half and over-rotate (don’t you hate when that happens?) and do not allow their feet to separate, nobody really knows much about Derek Anderson’s concussion, except that any time there’s a concussion it’s a bit scary. There’s no telling how long these kinds of things can linger. Brady Quinn will get the chance for more playing time, but I don’t think there’s anyone in Berea who would feel good about Quinn taking the snaps in the season opener against Dallas.

10) I’ve told this story before, but I’m going to tell it again — games like Monday night always remind me of the time Joe Greene was an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins. Greene, the former Steeler, was talking about how bad the Dolphins were in a blowout loss to Atlanta. So I asked: Well does it matter? It was only preseason. And Green flashed some very angry eyes my way. And he said in a very testy voice: “Of course it matters.” Why, I asked? “Because the guys who accept losing in the preseason are the same guys who accept losing in the regular season.” I then offered Mr. Greene a Coke and slinked my way toward the exit, but I’ve never forgotten what he said. “The guys who accept losing in the preseason are the same guys who accept losing in the regular season.”

Three and Out

First, I must point out that many of you were unhappy that First and 10 will no longer be e-mailed and will instead be placed on the blog. I’m not big on changing something that has been successful, but there are financial and other considerations for the decision of the corporate folks to make this a frog item. What can I do? Boycott writing the clog? From here on, First and 10 will be on the dog, and I really hope that it won’t be too difficult for everyone to find. Of course, if you are reading this you already found it. Which makes me like the priest at church whose sermon is about people not attending church. Get it? He’s lecturing those at church about people who do not go to church.

On to the letters …

Dear Pat,

Your Akron Beacon Journal columns on Edwards and Manny (note the insipid self-promotion with the links …) were published in the San Francisco Chronicle this week. Has this made you more famous? Have you gotten e-mails calling you an idiot from West Coast folks who couldn't name one player on the Browns? And, finally, what are the chances of the Browns playing in the Super Bowl in my lifetime? (I turn 61 next week)

Craig Weatherington
Santa Cruz, Calif.

Dear Craig,

Perhaps I should point out that you live in one of the most fabulously pretty areas of this nation, and you have yet to invite me over for a Sierra Nevada. I’m glad the Chronicle printed those stories, but given the rising price of newsprint I’m surprised they used the space. Someone must have been sick.

Craig also refers to one of our favorite features in First and 10, one I am more than willing to revive. It was called “You’re an Idiot” and it featured the most genuinely nasty e-mail I could find that called me an idiot – usually for having a meaningless opinion.

This comment from BMK in Palo Alto, Calif., about my Sunday story in the Beacon Journal discussing the Cavs' acquisition of Mo Williams would certainly qualify — if, that is, it were a letter to First and 10:

"You are without a doubt the worst writer — and most vacuous journalist — that I have ever come across."

Notice the subtlety. He never actually used the word idiot, but the point certainly came across. And he also used the word "vacuous." Any insult letter or comment with the word "vacuous" is certainly worthy of special consideration.

We’ll see how the letters go in preseason and perhaps begin “You’re an Idiot” during the season.

As for the Super Bowl question, stop asking me mathematical questions dealing with the quadratic equation. It’s confusing.

(From the online comments)
Dear Pat,

While we are lambasting John Edwards and President Clinton (for their extramarital affairs), let's not forget John McCain who had an affair while his first wife was in the hospital in critical condition from a car wreck. My how most forget this. Personally none of that is my business. That being said if you are going to smear, you must smear all or none. Distractions such as this to raise the moral outrage of those who like to be pandered to is merely par for the course.

Patrick, you don't like to be pandered to do you?

Eric Lowrey

Dear Eric,

Who likes being pandered to? Verbal insults that demean character are just not right. Dadgum it!

What? That’s not pandered? That’s slandered? OK then.

Never mind.

As to your letter, as I write early in the morning on Tuesday someone on TV is talking about a diver going past vertical. Would that also apply to John McCain, Edwards and Clinton? They went past vertical? Or would it be more appropriate when that same commentator mentioned a diver having trouble with his bottoms? Might that apply better to these politicians – they simply had trouble with their bottoms?

I shall stop.

You raise a good point about considering McCain along with Edwards.

I’d also nominate Newt Gingrich for the Philandering Hall of Hypocrisy.

Dear Pat,

I’m really going to miss the e-mails. I honestly don't know how often I'll go to a blog, but we'll see. RSS? Doohickey (Note from Pat: I refer to an RSS feed button as a “doohickey.” It’s a more technically correct term)? Stop it! You're overloading my head with this technical jargon! You teckie nerds are all alike.

OK so actually I'd already accessed the blog, without the orange doohickey. I just saved the URL into my favorites. I just doubt I'll recall frequently to access it. Whenever I do, I'll share the good news with all your legions of readers in Coshocton and surrounding metropolises.

What's the preoccupation with Adriana Lima? You remind me of a friend, living locally here but originally from Akron, who claims a close personal relationship with Akron supermodel Angie Everhart.

Glenn Mishler
Coshocton, Ohio

Dear Glenn,

Glenn was a loyal First and 10 reader and letter writer.

He’s a nice guy, but kind of confused and bit daffy.

Otherwise he’d never need to ask what he did about Ms. Lima.

If you have a comment or question you’d like addressed next week, e-mail me at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com, and put First and 10 in the subject line.

Until the next politician goes past vertical …

Best,
Pat

Mark Cuban blogged today (someone shoot me for using that word as a verb) that this may be the Olympics that reinvigorated TV. His thinking: Folks with HD TVs really can enjoy the Olympics (it's true!). This is all well and good, except that when the Olympics ends TV will go back to the same old World's-Toughest-Job, Dancing-With-The-Stars drivel it usually shows. With all respect to Cuban, who is a very entertaining and insightful individual, I think these Olympics have reinvigorated the Olympics. Part of it is that the bulk of the competition is live. TV has such control that swimming events were held in the morning in China so it could be shown in primetime in the USA. No matter, Michael Phelps obliterated records. Another part is that NBC is doing such a good job, letting the compelling stories tell themselves without shoving them down our throat (thank you Bob Costas, the best Olympics host this side of Jim McKay). The final element is that there are great stories. Phelps is one. Dara Torres another (anyone see her tell that preliminary race to wait because one of her competitors had a torn suit — she did not have to do that). The gymnastics actually got interesting. The USA basketball team is compelling. Me, I like Usain Bolt best. I don't think anyone has ever run so effortlessly and so fast. Yes, the same thing was said about Ben Johnson. Let's just hope modern testing has not allowed Bolt to cheat. The guy just destroyed the field in the 100. Overall these games have been entertaining, compelling and far more interesting than I'd dreamed possible. China — and people like Phelps and Bolt — may provide the Olympics its greatest boost since the fiasco that was Atlanta.

I would imagine if Adriana Lima could swim, she would be pretty good. But not even she could match the excitement provided by Michael Phelps in these Beijing Olympcs. To win a seventh gold medal by .001 of a second? Are you kidding me? This internet site shows what can take place in various increments of time (proving again that you can find anything on the internet). It states that one-hundredth of a second is the length of time it takes for lightning to strike. So when Phelps won that gold, it was literally lightning striking. Trite, perhaps. But there are times when sports provides moments we all remember, when we see what the Olympics are about. This swim by Phelps was one of them. So, too, was the graciousness and class shown by Mark Spitz in the interview he and Phelps did on NBC. Just think … Phelps won in the strike of a lightning bolt.