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From the category archives:

Romeo Crennel

First and 10: The frustration grows

October 27, 2009

I'll be at the Cavs opener tonight, so this week's First and 10 arrives a little early.
1)      There were many reactions to my idea that it's time for the Browns to admit they made a mistake with Eric Mangini, that it's best to move on. Almost 90 percent of the e-mails and calls were positive. [...]

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The Browns look awful in Denver

September 20, 2009

I believe this is the moment where I get to say: "Gee, I hate to be negative … but …"
The Browns stunk up the joint in Denver on Sunday. They played a team that many thought they could beat, and they lost by 21. It wasn't even that close. Denver could have had two more [...]

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Taking a look at Akron's win over Miami in the MAC Tournament

March 12, 2009

I wrote about Kent State's afternoon game Thursday for the Beacon Journal, and the story is that they basically picked the wrong day to have an off day. The Golden Flashes missed a lot of easy shots in their loss.
In the evening finale, Akron erased a 12-point first-half deficit and shot Miami back home to [...]

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Romeo Crennel relieved of duties as coach

December 29, 2008

The Browns just announced that Romeo Crennel had been let go as the team's coach. Randy Lerner — and others — are expected to address the media today.
This is not an inexpensive venture on the part of owner Randy Lerner. Crennel and former GM Phil Savage will cost the Browns almost $23 million in salaries [...]

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Phil Savage is let go and the changes start

December 28, 2008

It didn't take long for the Browns to stat overhauling the team. GM Phil Savage was informed prior to the season-ending loss to the Steelers that he would not be back. Details on how the move came down were not available, but Savage knew prior to the game that his time had come to an [...]

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First and 10 — It's become a season that never ends

December 16, 2008

First and 10
1)      Anyone who honestly thought prior to the game that the Browns had a chance to win last night may now step into the cab that will take them to Never Never Land. There, they may join with Tinkerbell in flying to a distant galaxy far far away.
2)      The Browns with no defense [...]

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First and 10: We expected different in Tennessee?

December 9, 2008

First and 10
1)      Maybe I'm stupid … well I am stupid but that's not important right now. I don't get the uproar over the loss to Tennessee. I mean, what did anyone expect?
2)      Tennessee started the game 11-1 with the chance to clinch their division and home field advantage in the playoffs. The Browns started [...]

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The Browns are overrun in Tennessee

December 7, 2008

I was all set to write in tomorrow's Beacon Journal that the Browns lost to Tennesese because they only gave Josh Cribbs the ball seven times at quarterback.
Then I saw the stats. Set aside Cribbs' six runs, and the Browns ran 13 times for 11 yards. The Titans ran for 235 yards. Pitiful. Just pitiful. [...]

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First and 10: Why not Cribbs at QB?

December 2, 2008

First and 10
1)      Derek Anderson asked if we were on crack when someone suggested to him that Josh Cribbs play quarterback for the Browns this Sunday in Tennessee. Ahem. For the record, crack has never once been the drug of choice on my kitchen table. And to be quite frank, anyone who followed Kent State [...]

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Indianapolis does not get a TD and still beats the Browns

November 30, 2008

The Browns lost 10-6 to Indianapolis, making this a season when they have lost when they scored 27 and 30 points and lost when they scored six and six points.
The Browns held the Colts vaunted offense without an offensive touchdown for the first time in more than five years, and lost.
At times it was hard [...]

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First and 10: Where do we start with the Browns?

November 25, 2008

First and 10
1)      I've been thinking and thinking all day about the Browns and I just don't know where to start. Where does one start with this team?
2)      It seems to be a team disintegrating in front of our eyes. The GM sends a completely inappropriate e-mail to a fan. He's taking fans' e-mails while [...]

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Perhaps the most embarrassing Browns loss of the season …

November 23, 2008

Talk about a thud. That loss to Houston was about as bad as any I can remember, and I've been covering the Browns since 1999. It leaves the team in disarray, the front office embarrassed by an e-mail during the week and a team heading to who knows where?
In the lexicon of embarrassing losses, the [...]

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First and 10: Good for Dawson's finish to a not-so-perfect game

November 18, 2008

First and 10
1)      A reporter is supposed to be objective in this job. You know, be fair and balanced, not root … that kind of thing. But there are times when you can't help but be happy for certain individuals. So it is for Phil Dawson, who deserves every bit of praise and respect sent [...]

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First and 10: How much more can the Browns ask of fans?

November 11, 2008

Please excuse this brief interlude …
Somehow today I have a vision of Herb Score, watching all the greats play a pickup game on a real field of dreams. Score has a microphone, of course, and he looks out and says: "Tris Speaker on deck … swinging that bat with the lead donut on it."
Herb just [...]

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First and 10: Brady Quinn to start against Denver

November 4, 2008

First and 10
1)      Good luck Brady Quinn. You get to lead a team that … may or may not have its No. 2 receiver … does have a No. 1 receiver who continually drops passes that can make or break your future … has an offensive line underperforming, especially compared to a year ago … [...]

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Trying to sort through Kellen Winslow's suspension

October 22, 2008

 A very many quick and not-so-quick thoughts on Kellen Winslow:
 –Nobody has been a bigger supporter of Winslow than me, to the point that people asked me why. Here's why: He has rare heart and desire and competitiveness, qualities that win. He played through pain that would have sidelined 98 percent of NFL players.
–His coach knew that. [...]

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First and 10: Might the Browns pull out a win?

October 7, 2008

First and 10
1)      There's no logical reason to say this, but I expect the Giants to get the Browns at their best Monday night. Again, there's no logic to it, except that it's do or die time for the Browns.
2)      The Browns are healthier than they've been in a long time, they're at home, it's [...]

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First and 10: Those friendly and helpful Bengals!

September 29, 2008

First and 10
1)      Perspective is an amazing thing. Driving North on I-71 Sunday night, the Cincinnati talk shows were abuzz about the Bengals falling to 0-4. The feeling: How in the world could they lose to the Browns? One announcer said, "I know we had the backup quarterback playing, but we should have beat that [...]

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The Browns fall to oh-and-three …

September 21, 2008

How do the Browns go from leading in the first half to being blown out of Baltimore in the second? Turnovers and silly penalties. Leading 10-7, Ray Lewis blew up Kellen Winslow on a short reception. Winslow was pretty much set up by Anderson, who led him right into Lewis, whose big hit led to [...]

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The Browns: Decisions, decisions

September 15, 2008

The latest loss to Pittsburgh had barely ended before the e-mails started rolling in.
"I dare you to defend Crennel," one wrote.
"Romeo has got to go," said another.
"When you have the ANNOUNCERS criticizing the coach's decision, it is not good," said a third.
First, announcers make their living criticizing coaching decisions. They can get away with it [...]

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Browns lose the opener, and look bad doing it

September 7, 2008

It's really impossible to fathom losing nine of 10 season openers at home. That's an indication that a team is either a) really not very good or b) really not prepared or c) a really not very good and not very prepared or d) really, really unlucky. This Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys were far and [...]

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A midweek visit to the Browns as they prepare for Dallas

September 3, 2008

Spent Wednesday at the Browns, talking to a lot of players about Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens. It would be a shock, beyond stunning, beyond astounding if TO does not have a huge day Sunday against the Browns secondary. The Browns can win, but they won't stop Owens, who figures to treat the Browns corners like [...]

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Some thoughts on the Browns loss in Detroit …

August 23, 2008

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 [...]

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Browns make a trade, and now Jamal Lewis is hurt too

August 20, 2008

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, [...]

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First and 10 with the Browns

August 13, 2008

Welcome to a new weekly feature on this blog. It’s called First and 10, and truth be told it’s not new at all. It’s really old. For some years now I’ve e-mailed this First and 10 newsletter on the Browns to those who asked. Free! How cool is that. You want it, it arrives once [...]

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