The other day Romeo Crennel was asked about Braylon Edwards' postgame comments, the ones when he said fans don't like him because he's from Michigan and he's unappreciated. 
Crennel blamed it on postgame frustration, said if Edwards had time to think he might not say the things he said.
Well guess what, it's not postgame frustration. Because Edwards said the same thing again this week. Twice.
On Tuesday he told a Plain Dealer blog that fans expect too much and he's tired of giving his all for the town and he's done with charity work in Cleveland, that from here on it will only be in Detroit. Finally, he said something about bringing the Browns out of darkness. (This is the time when you roll your eyes.)
Thursday in the locker room, Edwards had the chance to back down from his comments, but he didn't. The guy who will make $5.45 million this season appeared and said he meant it. He also said he wants to be back next year for the final year of his contract.
Wiht all respect to a guy who so generously pledged $1 million to Cleveland school kids, his words may say he wants to be back. But his actions say this is a calculated attempt to be traded — and get a new contract.
Never underestimate the modern-day athlete's desire to be paid more money than he makes. Kellen Winslow's tirade earlier this year was about his contract. Now Edwards is making things uncomfortable for the team regarding his presence. He may say he wants to be back, but saying it and doing what he's doing are far different. Three separate media appearances, two with time to think about things, state this is a contract maneuver.
Weird, too, that it happens after one of his best games of the season. As I watched him Monday, I thought that fans would love him if he played like this. And if he had played like that, he'd be going to Hawaii again.
Instead, here we go again with his comments. Be interesting to see how he's treated Sunday in the home finale.
True confession: Edwards complained that someone asked him about his Bentley the day he was drafted. I believe, if my aging and feeble memory serves correct, that was me who asked. Just thought I'd ask …. Here's the thing about Edwards: He's pretty likeable in some ways, and he does care, but every so often he just can't stop himself. I hear he wore sunglasses as he left the locker room Monday night. After a night game. … Is this what happens when you lead folks "out of darkness"?
And here's another Faith Hill picture. Just to see if Alan can mess up this dream as well. Geez Alan … can't we just have a little fun on this stinking blog? If we can't, we're reduced to discussing Braylon Edwards leading us out of darkness over and over and over. Faith Hill … Braylon Edwards. Adriana Lima … Braylon Edwards. A fun mental image … Alan.
(Addendum: Nice photo of Faith Hill prior to all the photographic enhancements by Alan in the comments … and he also posted a very interesting analysis of the Cleveland schools and the two city stadiums by Roldo Baltimore … nice job Alan! … pat)
(Addendum 2: The name thing, Alan … it was a JOKE. Fact, I think he has done a great service over the years with his column. A great service. For the record to everyone, and so there is no misunderstanding: Roldo Bartimole. Perhaps this was a joke that failed? … pat)
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OK, Pat, fair enough. I will let you keep your fantasies alive. But I think others who share your fantasies do deserve to know what Faith Hill really looks like in the morning without her SWAT team of makeup artists, lighting specialists and the standard plethora of celebrity digital enhancements.
http://littlurl.com/0222w
Speaking of Edwards' charity to Cleveland's schools, I think it is well worth reprinting a column written several years ago by the terrific Roldo Bartimole. Because when it comes to the Browns or any of Cleveland's sports franchises, if Edwards follows through with his pledge, he sure as hell beats Lerner and all of Cleveland's other franchise owners when it comes to giving to Cleveland's schools.
Charity: Smart Guys Take
But Make Believe They're Giving
Perspective from Roldo Bartimole
04.20.05
"The importance of being able to influence public opinion – especially among the young – can’t be overstated. After all, reputation depends on what the public thinks of you.
The Smart Guys have it all figured out. It’s not hard. It’s habit. They’ve been doing it for years. The rest of us live and think in the short term.
The Cleveland Indians Charities gave $250,000 to the fund-depressed Cleveland schools. The money saved the softball and baseball programs from cuts due to scarce school finances. The move won good feelings for the ball team. (The charity usually gives $100,000 a year anyway.)
The gift giving got the Smart Guys priceless exposure from The Plain Dealer, including front-page coverage in the opening game write-up.
The Smart Guys smartly invited two Cleveland school kids to throw out the first balls to highlight their gift and won more accolades.
“They were on the field to thank the Cleveland Indians Charities for a $250,000 donation to the Cleveland School District, a gift that saved the high school baseball and softball seasons this year after budget cuts threatened to eliminate them,” the PD article read.
What can be more uplifting that doing something for deprived kids, especially those in the buffeted Cleveland school system when it’s down?
For the Smart Guys, it is pure hypocrisy.
Here’s why. Jacobs Field, where the team plays, is tax exempt.
That means that the Cleveland Indians owner, Larry Dolan, does not have to pay property taxes. Exempted means NEVER has to pay those taxes.
If Dolan did have to pay, where would most of those taxes go? Surprise, surprise… to the Cleveland school system.
What the Smart Guys gave with the right hand they took many times more with the left. It’s traditional. The schoolchildren of Cleveland who can least afford this revenue theft got taken.
The Cleveland School District LOST $2,908,311 in 1999, $2,591,90l in 2000, and $2,878,641 in 2001, all in taxes exempted on Jacobs Field alone.
The property taxes exempted for Jacobs Field presently account for $4.57 million a year, according to county records. Of that, about 60 percent would belong to the Cleveland schools or about $2.7 million in lost revenue for 2004.
The schools have lost more than $15 million on Jacobs Field since 1999. Therefore, whether the Smart Guys give $100,000 or $250,000 in gifts, the poor kids of Cleveland, the Cleveland teachers and the Cleveland taxpayers, all were taken.
So if there were truth in reporting – which there ain’t – the public would get a very different picture than that of the “charitable” Smart Guys.
This picture is never painted with those sharp distinctions by the news media. A balanced portrayal is never revealed. No one helps set public opinion by mentioning this truer depiction of reality. This, The Plain Dealer conveniently ignores. It would damage the paper’s boosterism.
Is it any wonder that the public rates the trustworthiness of the news media down with politicians and used car dealers?
These are rewards to the wealthy not accidental occurrences.
They were given by pliable politicians who double crossed ordinary citizens. This was done after they promised not to give any tax abatements.
The “credit” for massive tax exemptions for the Smart Guys goes to former Mayor Michael White and current County Commissioner Tim Hagan (pictured). They flew to Columbus in a Smart Guys private corporate jet in 1990, to plead successfully with state legislators for the tax gifts that keep giving.
Indeed, the Indians owners deserve a lot less credit even for the $250,000 gift, as its charity tax return reveals. There are no recorded personal gifts by the Dolan family to the charity. Not a cent.
What you do discover, however, are gifts from players. They can afford it but at least some gave. Jim Thome in his last season contributed $110,000. Ellis Burks in 2002 and 2003 gave $205,000. Bob Wickman in two years donated $101,425. Others with significant gifts include C. C. Sabathia, $50,500 in two years; Charles Nagy, $25,000; and Omar Vizquel, $33,000 in two years.
We should not forget the Cleveland Browns and its billionaire owners, Randy Lerner and his family. Will they finance football for the Cleveland schools this year?
Here’s a laugh…
“The primary purpose of the Cleveland Browns Foundation is to help meet the needs of disadvantaged youth and inner-city youth in the north east Ohio area from childhood through teenage years,” said the foundation’s “prime exempt purpose.”
One has to wonder then why the Browns Foundation, in the last two reported years, gave the largest – by far – donation of $100,000 each year to the Hero Fund for families of firefighter and police who died during the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.
They are not the disadvantaged children of the City of Cleveland, no matter how sad their situations are.
The $100,000 gifts to the Hero Fund so exceeds the next highest amount given by the foundation as to call attention to how the charity operates. The next highest beneficiary at $10,000 is The Littlest Heroes, which helps children who endure cancer. There are a smattering of $5,000 contributions and many for less.
What, however, should not escape notice but does, is how much the Browns save in taxes because of the White-Hagan charity.
The Randy (son of Al) billionaire Lerner family – but enriched further by the onerous Bankruptcy Law passed by Congress last week – saves millions of dollars each year, most of which would go to Cleveland schools.
Cleveland built the Lerner’s a $350-million stadium, charges them only $250,000 a year rent (actually nothing because the city picks up the skyrocketing stadium insurance which now exceeds the rent) with no increase allowed.
In addition, the tax exemption relieves the Lerners of the annoying need to pay annually $7.57 million in property taxes for the Browns Stadium. The Cleveland schools lose about $4.5 million of the $7 million each year.
So it goes with our charitable Smart Guys. Smart Guys take. Smart Guys give little back. Yet, Smart Guys want to be admired as altruistic folk.
The total tax exemptions for Jacobs Field, Gund Arena, the Gateway garage and Browns Stadium exceed $600 million. NO TAXES AT ALL including any new voted taxes, are paid – none, never – on that property. (The Cleveland Cavaliers charity reports as part of another charity making its records unavailable.)
Is there any wonder that our society continues to breakdown? Is it any wonder why people do not want to pay more taxes for schools when they sense that the burden is shifted from the Smart Guys to the ordinary taxpayer by bought-off politicians?"
nice article alan.
braylon is just a very immature guy. i can't say i was any better at his age.
"Roldo Baltimore???" I think that's his porn star name, Pat. "Saving Ryan's Privates" starring Roldo Baltimore. But his name as a Northeast Ohio scribe has always been Roldo Bartimole. Although, if you want to call attention to his fabulous wang in his classic feature films, I suppose he won't mind if you bring back fond memories and call him Roldo Baltimore.
Terje: I see your point about the age/immaturity thing. To an extent. You never saw LeBron James act like a jerk, and he entered the league before he turned 21. Edwards is just a crybaby, not a class act in the least.
Ya know, if I led the entire NFL in dropped passes and idiotic comments, I believe I'd truly SHUT MY FRIGGIN PIEHOLE.
Pat, if you saw Roldo's films, as I did in college some 30 years ago, then you certainly know there can be no joking around concerning that subject matter. That's some major heavy-duty equipment he's carrying around down there. Milton Berle times 100. Roldo Baltimore down the entire East Coast.
Once a scUM-bag, always a scUM-bag. What did any of us expect from a receiver who had yet to accomplish anything in the NFL that had his own reality show, and one who was in ESPN the Magazine this year, not for on-field exploits, but for CASTING CALLS.
allison, lebron has had his own growing up to do. including driving pedal to the metal down i-77. braylon's crying is annoying but it's not going to get anyone killed on the freeway.
Is Edwards actually that DUMB (and that's a kind word for what I *really* think of him) to think that NEO people diss him because of his ties to UM? That borders on delusional. Browns fans could CARE LESS where a guy played college ball, as long as he earns his paycheck on the field. Braylon has done that exactly ONE season he's been here. The rest of his tenure? He's shown the NFL what his "real" reputation is all about: dropping easy balls, whining to the media, and being a team cancer. With Braylon, it's allllllll about Braylon. Always has been, always will be. He's a self-centered, arrogant, egotistical, much overpaid bust.
And, oh, boo-hoo, "I'll show 'dem Cleveland people…I'll take my charity to Detroit. That'll show 'dem what a class act I is." Yeah, you're something special, alright, Braylon. Special Ed, that is.
Please. Who gives a rat's patootie if it's "all about Braylon." If they were winning, nobody would care. Who cares if he has big balls? The problem is he drops the balls.
I just took another look at that 10 pounds of hair and makeup on Faith Hill. What's up with the raccoon eyes and those gigantic Chicklet porcelain veneers? Fortunately, I was able to obtain a "before" photo taken immediately before the procedures. That dentist does some mighty fine work.
http://tinyurl.com/3v9bho
faith hill has ears like dumbo. she covers them up in most pictures.
So much hate Alan T…
no wonder it is such a burden to play on the north shore! The over zealous fans that find attack a means to share emotion sure do miss the great things about professional sports and the memories they bring especially to our kids.
Lighten up Al'
and everyone can find SOMETHING imperfect with anyone. That's why being imperfect is so kewl.
…and for the record, Faith was on the road to becoming a super model before she decided music was her passion.
Passion = a very strong predilection for any pursuit, or object of taste — a kind of enthusiastic fondness for anything (also see: Alan T's desire to make others as miserable as himself)
ah yes, those wonderful professional sports memories. like……the fumble, red right 88, the drive, the shot, jose mesa's vacant stare, joel skinner's stop sign. the mental health professionals in cleveland are making bank off these "great things". exposing kids to these types of memories should be considered child abuse. thankfully, my daughter will only know of cleveland as "that stupid team my dad watches".
netdawg, a supermodel for what, Victoria Secret's new overpriced line of earmuffs?
Speaking of gigantic ears, the largest I've ever personally seen on a broad is on Colleen Dominguez on ESPN. I was in Los Angeles when she was giving those puff interviews before that ESPN awards show. She had her hair pulled back in an evening gown. Not a good look for her. Half of her annual salary must go towards Q-tips.
http://littlurl.com/mio2l
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