Here is Josh Cribbs' schedule today. He's spending the day at ESPN. That would be the entire day. All day long. At ESPN.
9:45 a.m. – Mike & Mike in the Morning (9:40 a.m. ET, ESPN Radio/ESPN2),
11:20 a.m. – First Take (ESPN2)
1:15 p.m. – ESPN.com chat
2:40 p.m. – ESPNEWS
3:40 p.m. - The Scott Van Pelt Show (3:40 p.m. ET, ESPN Radio/ESPNU)
4 p.m. – The Doug Gottlieb Show (ESPN Radio – taped),
4 p.m. – NFL Live (ESPN)
6 p.m. – SportsCenter (ESPN)
Gee … I wonder what he'll discuss there.
I was going to wonder if Cribbs really has that much to say, but then I asked myself: Does any athlete have that much to say? I don't even think Charles Barkley could fill all that time.
I don't suppose his contract demands last week had anything to do with the fact that he had this ESPN day scheduled.
Nah.
That had to be just a coincidence.
What his agent lacks in tact, he definitely makes up for in getting a soap box or seven to speak on.
OR: how much of this has to do with ESPN rubbing Cleveland's nose in something that was a good thing for the city and one of its franchises? Wonder if they'll ask Josh if he's bringing LeBron with him to his new team?
Do you think they are going to film a "This is Sportscenter" commercial with him in it? If so, what uniform do they dress him in? Who knows who he will be playing for by the time that commercial could air….
How can any ordinary hard-working stiff that follows this team still scream about this jerk, "PAY THE MAN!" As if the offer to make him the highest paid special teams player in the entire league isn't paying him. If the Browns really wanted to sway public opinion, the first question the guys on these shows would ask would be, "So, Josh, how's it feel to be a convicted felon? Did you, Jamal Lewis and Abe Elam all sleep in the same cell?"
alan, $1.4 million wouldn't even make Cribbs the highest paid special teamer on the Browns…let alone the entire NFL. Try getting your facts straight for once.
Alan, because most of us have gotten over the fact that life's not fair – in fact, it kinda sucks a lot of the time – and paying Josh Cribbs moolah is like giving CEOs and college presidents seven-figure salaries.
Brian … huh? Holmgren is supposed to just disregard that $2 million signing bonus this chump already got for signing the contract he already has? The highest paid special-teamer in the league. Not bad for a former MAC quarterback that completed about 8% of his passes and rushed for about half a yard per carry. Now he's running back kicks and punts and making a small fortune doing it, that is when he's not both figuratively and literally fumbling his spot duty elsewhere.
Josh Cribbs on espn's first take, "this isn't about money" "I didn't want this to be made public" It's about fair value" How can you sit there and say it's not about money and that you didn't want this to be made public. How can you say the only reason your in Cleveland is because of the fans. Are you delusional? Better question do you think we the fans are delusional? I, quite frankly, think you are. On Mike and Mike you said no way will I be back. On ESPN 1st take when ask the same question you said " Well I wouldn't rule out playing at this point. Do you think this is a big joke. Your not honoring your contract. Your publicly besmirching the organization that gave you a shot when nobody else would. Do you really think these actions are going to enamor you with other organizations. I hope you saw the salaries of other return specialists espn showed. Except for Sproles S.D. the salaries were in the 350 -550 thous dollar range. Don't even bring up Hester because Chicago now knows they made a huge mistake. Mr.Cribbs you are in for a rude awakening because your going to be hard pressed to find a team that will be willing to pay your current salary. The Browns need to get rid of this self serving hypocrite a.s.a.p.. That's if they can find a team that's willing to take him at his current 1mil a year. Browns fans shouldn't be taken in by his high praise for us either. The only reason why he's doing it is because he's banking on you doing what your doing re: grass root effort, Please. Holmgren please stay true to your word and don't dance with this clown. Send him packing we don't need him. We will win next year without him. Don't yield, no one else will pay him any more than what your offering. I would even rescind the current offer since it's perceived as an insult. Breath easy Josh you don't have to worry about getting injured next year you'll probably be sitting home next year. And Josh I hate you I just think it's time for you to go.
Yeah Alan T, don't pay Cribbs… don't pay anyone in the NFL more than minimum… let the owner keep everything… Keep the non-guaranteed contracts that only the player has to honor… Keep the system that keeps increasing costs to the fan (PSLs, Tickets, parking, food, pre-season ticket purchase requirements) but only let the owner enjoy the spoils… I agree with you Alan…everyone else who may want a piece of the enormous pie needs to shut up
And I'm only being partly facetious and joking about that felon thing. I'll bet that 99% of Browns fans have absolutely no idea about this guy's past off the field, with the drugs and especially the domestic violence. If the Browns really want to play dirty, and he's certainly opening that door, they should make like Sinatra and start spreading the news.
Paul, come on, that's just plain dumb. Contracts are negotiated based upon what other players receive. This has squat to do with PSLs or anything else.
alan, you can look at it any way you want to. Base salary, total salary or cap value…if the Brown's gave Cribbs $1.4M/year and you still count the portion of his $2M bonus that counts against the cap each year, Dave Zastudil still would make more than Cribbs.
Paul
the reason why prices keep going up is because of selfish self centered athletes like Josh Cribbs. As far as owners keeping the money for themsellves you should be happy to have an owner who doesn't stick all the profits in his pockets. At least Lerner is willing to spend it. Albeit maybe more wisely.
Well Alan, it appeared that you were not talking about his value as a player, but bringing up old news about him personally. The NFL does not play fair, so why should the players? It is only about money (on both sides). Now, of course, Josh is taking it to ESPN, and he is spouting the same tired old script that every player reads from. The only play Josh has to run is to go public with his appeal.
Now really, if there was an independent arbitrator, do you really think that he would still be making 1.4 mill?
I said special teams player, not punter. Punter is a category unto itself. In fact, on average, the average salary of punters and kickers is even higher than tight ends.
That fat signing bonus Cribbs received, combined with the $1.4 offer he's "insulted" by, makes him king of the mountain. All people bother looking at is Cribbs' base salary, which obfuscates everything. Which is why Cribbs and his agent only mention that while conveniently neglecting to mention the signing bonus.
In answer to your question, Paul, absolutely. Cribbs would lose. 100% chance. Particularly with that $2 million signing bonus. Brendon Ayanbadejo.
Oh, I guess I was confused when the NFL can name a punter "Special Team's Player of the Week".
Sorry Josh what I meant to say was that I don't hate you, but I think it's time for you to go.
I'm talking about negotiating special teams contracts, Brian. Don't hit me over the head with silly semantics. The NFL can also name some guy who was out a year "Comeback Player of the Year" simply because he was rehabbing instead of playing, when it should awarded to a guy who's a stiff one year, and then really good the next.
Cribbs blew his opportunity to be paid like Devin Hester when he showed the world he plays wide receiver more like Uncle Fester. Excellent kick returner. Good punt returner. Can tackle on special teams. Can wear dark shades when attending Cavs games. Those are his abilities.
Alan – some of us know what happened with Josh in his past… and we got over it. I can give anyone the benefit of the doubt, even a person who didn't have all his stuff together as a college student. I wasn't born perfect.
That's okay Elizabeth…we all know the only perfect one here is alan.
Okay Alan, I guess we just disagree on his worth, but must you also disagree with Devin Hester making $5.45 million, Houston's Andre Davis making $4.3 million and Buffalo's Roscoe Parrish making $3.2 million, huh? Sounds like you (and the Browns) might be a little off in your thinking.
Stop reading the Cribbs shills at the PD, Paul. Hester is a full-time wide receiver, Davis signed a four-year contract with the expectation that he would still be an every down wide receiver when the contract concluded, and Parrish was a wide receiver in the three-receiver set at the time he signed his contract extension, and also played alone with Lee Evans. There is no valid comparison.
Cribbs' downfall came when he showed himself to be nothing less than a complete Milk Dud at wide receiver. If he could have taken over Edwards' spot, he'd be onto something instead of demanding special teams and wide receiver pay for keeping the bench warm for Shaun Rogers' 650-pound rear end.
Elizabeth, I personally couldn't care less if Cribbs hung his mother upside-down from a telephone pole. I'm talking about contract negotiations. Portraying Cribbs as a wife-beating drug dealer wouldn't do Cribbs any favors, especially since next to nobody is even aware of it. Are you telling me there weren't millions of folks just incensed that a guy who treated dogs like chickens and cattle was given another contract?
alan,
I am still not sold. While you rhetoric is very good, I still need facts to come to the Browns (and your) side. So I beg of you, who would you present as Cribbs equal when you determined that 1.4 million was too much?
Oops… In the interest of saving any English teacher's time who may be reading, I realize that I should have said "your rhetoric" not "you rhetoric" and I am looking for information not facts… Thanks!
Paul, you keep mentioning that $1.4 million without mentioning that $2 million signing bonus. You can't separate the two. That $2 million was built into the contract, and he received it entirely up front. Cribbs was given a test at wide receiver, and he flunked it.
If all Devin Hester could do is return kickoffs and punts, then for a guy with that limited skill set and performance, he'd be negotiating a $1.4 million a year contract, too. But he's an every down player. Darren Sproles can do it all, and replaced LaDainian Tomlinson when he was hurt and kicked butt. To show you how little actual talent Cribbs has away from special teams, he couldn't even supplant anybody at quarterback, wide receiver or running back ON THE 2008 OR 2009 CLEVELAND BROWNS! I mean, just how pathetic is that? We're not talking about the 1985 Chicago Bears or 1972 Miami Dolphins here.
The very top special teams guys don't deserve a penny more for playing limited spot duty at other positions if required, because at the very least, that is what they are expected and being paid to do. Cribbs is just another diva wanna-be. Can't wait for his next "look at me, I'm wearing sunglasses indoors!" appearance at a Cavs game.
alan t. you are giving people too much credit. Show a picture of a woman with a black eye or arrest a player with drugs and that's just part of the gangster lifestyle that so many pro athletes and rappers want to portray. But show a picture of a puppy and they'll hang someone! Those poor helpless animals and the Arms of an Angel song that is used to describe their awful living conditions! There ought to be a law! If Vick would have only beat his girlfriend and took some drugs he wouldn't have missed a game or maybe only 4 if it was his second time around.
I remember a few years back in Lake County some poor child was playing near train tracks and somehow managed to have his legs cut off by the train. There was some donations made but it topped out at a couple thousand dollars. A few weeks later some animals were abandoned in a park and the donations for the animals were double those for the little boy.
Cribbs is a great special teams player but a less than average every down player. In 2007, the last hurrah for the Browns, how many offensive plays was Cribbs on the field? He had 3 receptions and 9 rushes. That is 12 plays.
In 2008 he had 2 receptions and 29 rushes. 31 plays.
In 2009 he had 20 receptions and 55 rushes. 75 plays.
The only reason why Cribbs was used so much this past year was because we spent most of the year without a legitimate #1, 2 or 3 wide receiver and went through tight ends like dirty socks for the first 12 games. The offense had to try something to cover the fact thay had no playmakers other than running backs and calling Jamal Lewis a playmaker is like calling Hugh Heffner a stud or Joan Rivers hot.
Find a #1 and 2 receiver, have a healthy tight end that can catch, play Harrison along with a big back who can smash up the middle and there is no room for Cribbs on the Browns offense. 2007 proves it.
Hey, wait a minute here … Joan Rivers isn't hot?
Sorry alan, no she's not.
Call me blind, but I thought the 48th facelift did the trick. You can't tell me you're not attracted to somebody made entirely of wax.
#48 messed up what I thought was the magic of #47. Missed it by that much!
Alan, you know-nothing loser. Even factoring the bonus in, Cribbs is making the 35th highest salary on the team, tied with Billy Yates. Look it up crackhead.
Gasp! Breaking news…
Mark McGwire admits to using steroids!
In other similarly jaw dropping news, water has been found to be wet.
When Matt Pacman isn't doing a bad Rickles impression, he's flunking arithmetic school.
Elen, you are denying basic math. Do your homework for once before you spout off your nonsense.