Cleveland Browns - They Love Them! They Really, Really Love Them!
Posted April 15th, 2008 by George Thomas
The NFL schedule is out and the Cleveland Browns saw themselves from starving from lack of respect from TV networks and the schedule making gods last year to gorging on it next season.
The Browns will appear on national television a whopping FIVE times in the 2008 campaign. That's going to make for a lot of late nights in Cleveland.
Here's the rundown:
Pittsburgh Steelers: Sunday, Sept. 14, 8:15 p.m., NBC (WKYC Channel 3)
New York Giants: Monday, Oct. 13, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Denver Broncos: Thursday, Nov. 6, 8:15 p.m., NFL Network
At Buffalo Bills, Monday, Nov., 17, 8:30p.m., ESPN
At Philadelphia Eagles, Monday, Dec. 15, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Additionally, one other game, the home opener against the Dallas Cowboys has a 4:15 starting time which means that more than likely it will be the national game for the FOX Network that week. Three other Sunday games also start after 4 p.m.
Find the entire schedule here.
What should Browns fans make of this? First of all, the league rewarded the Browns entertaining play on the field and their perceived status as an up-and-coming team. It will however, mean nothing should they not win.
And at first glance, this schedule is fair to middlin' with respect to difficulty. The combined winning percentage of every team on it is .535. If the Browns have improved the way everyone believes them to have they should have a successful season.
The toughies: Pittsburgh, the Giants, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts (how many of you want payback for them not playing with any desire in their season closer?) and the Titans. That's not to say the rest of the teams on the schedule will be pushovers. Far from it. But the Browns find themselves in an unenviable position - they either perform on the limelight or they likely won't be invited back as often in the future. Additionally, it's going to be interesting to see how this funky schedule affects this team the following week. Three of those national matchup will cause the team to play on short weeks.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
[...] Behind the Steel Curtain :: A Pittsburgh Steelers Blog wrote an interesting post today on Cleveland Browns - They Love Them! They Really, Really Love Them!Here's a quick excerptThe NFL schedule is out and the Cleveland Browns saw themselves from starving from lack of respect from TV networks and the schedule making gods last… [...]
April 16th, 2008 at 1:52 am
I'm not so sure that anybody should be going nuts by virtue of being featured on three cable games getting ratings of "House of Payne," plus one game on a network that few people even have access to see in the first place. Media folk in Cleveland and Akron sure get easily giddy.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Alan:
I'm surprised you even know what House of Payne is. Do you know who Tyler Perry is also? Impressive. Actually, ESPN's MNF ratings are fairly impressive as are SNF's.
As for the headline on the post. I take credit for that, but it's not a case of adoration. More of an example of facetiousness. Gee, Alan, don't get my humor yet? How are Kermit and Miss Piggy these days?
April 16th, 2008 at 11:08 am
It's an allusion to Sally Field at the Oscars way back in the days of the steroid era, alan.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Larry:
You win the prize… I have a spare FEMA trailer for you.
By the way, Larry how are Kermit and Miss Piggy?
April 16th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I detect some jealousy in these mean-spirited and repetitive attacks, George. Just remember, it's not easy being green.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
LOL…Larry, the trailer offer was legit…I'm funnin' with ya.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
That Sally Field thing has often been mangled and misquoted. Her "Places in the Heart" acceptance speech actually was, "I haven't had an orthodox career, and I've wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!"
And actually, the local media *is* getting all giddy about it, George, even if Big George is containing his contagious enthusiasm. Google around, you'll see what I'm talking about. It's silly.
By the way, George, I think Tyler Perry is an overrated joke. And not in a ha-ha kind of way. I hope you agree. And what's the deal with the guy getting nailed ordering steroids? Did he catch a thyroid condition from Paul Byrd? Aren't there any decent dentists in Atlanta?
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=654817&category=NATIONAL&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=1/13/2008
April 17th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I haven't been a big Tyler Perry fan since "Toys in the Attic."
April 20th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Hey, why does McManamon get a big shiny new fancy schmantzy blog logo, complete with a tasteful color photograph and artsy fartsy Andy Warhol design font, but Big George is left to his own devices? Is it going to take Windhorst and his 2010 post-LeBron ESPN exodus before Thomas gets the Cavs beat and some respect? Or, at the very least, a black-and-white mug photo?
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:05 am
Why does this blog even exist? It's like renting out a synagogue for Terry Pluto's bar mitzvah, it's space that's never being used.
By the way, I rarely buy a regular ink and paper newspaper these days, but I was over by the newspapers section at Kroger, and I happened to notice that the Beacon Journal has given Big George his very own glorious color mugshot.
I've never understood the concept of putting a photo next to a sportswriter's writing. Why does anybody care what a sportswriter looks like? Hell, they had a Polaroid of Ocker and his old perm for nearly 20 years until they finally got around to updating it. Now, if they'd just buy him an electric typewriter to replace his manual Smith Corona.
I'd rather not know what a sportswriter looks like. Like a picture featuring Bud Shaw's 70's porn star mustache makes his stuff any more palatable.
May 4th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
It's always extra nice to have a good or promising team but when you're used to loosing most of the time and it's like part of your make up you tend to forget the long list of great teams that came up short.
I only hope that you Browns Fans remember that you play a game every week and it can be a long season.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Maybe you could use the blog to secretly review movies, George. I'll always remember all the praise you heaped on that boring Cusack political snoozefest, even before you saw the film. Those were the days.
I have tried to look at Heldenfeld's blog from time to time, but he doesn't have much to say unless American Idol's the subject. When he writes about movies, he gets sidetracked on how much the non-media slugs in the audience irritate him. Then he refuses to argue.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
George reviewed something even before he saw it??? Wow. Even people who aren't Jewish would say, "Hey, that's not kosher."
May 7th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Yes, alan.
It was a very edgy film about the damaged psyche of an Iraqi war widower, played by Cusack, if I remember correctly. The name of the movie escapes me, but George loved it. I'm not sure if he ever got to see it–there were budget cuts at the ABJ around that time.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Oh, come on. Are you telling me the Beacon Journal couldn't get George a weekday matinee cinema screening before he imagined his review? Granted, I haven't attended a movie in years, but I'm guessing a weekday matinee ticket must be what, about five bucks? Six, tops? I can understand telling George that he couldn't put Sno-Caps, Goobers and Raisinets on his expense account, but couldn't they pay for his admission before he was forced to make stuff up?
May 8th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I confess.
It was actually just a blog entry. He was gushing about it before it was released because of his political leanings.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:06 am
I've been snookered.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Tomorrow is the 30-day anniversary of George's most recent blog post. In George's honor, I'll be getting a flat tire and sleeping in a Columbus Motel 6.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:49 am
George I see they've put you on 'Making Excuses for Ferry Sitting on his Hands" duty this summer.
FEMA trailers are one thing but if it were me covering for Ferry would be the last straw.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Why did they even give George a sports blog? Time to review movies again, Big G.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Maybe one of the ABJ techies should put one of those "Under Construction" stick figure guys up top. The kind that looks like he's swinging a pickaxe or something.
Those always gave me a chuckle back in the late '90s.
May 31st, 2008 at 6:51 am
http://boulet.info/under_construction.jpg
What's George shoveling?
May 31st, 2008 at 7:46 am
That looks like Pluto's leavings. The ball and chain might signify the ABJ's budget–they seem to be passing one or two laptops around among the sports staff these days.
June 4th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
http://www.cs.utah.edu/~gk/atwork/bellycon.gif
June 6th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Two weeks and a day to the summer solstice. This blog is pregnant with anticipation.
June 13th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Just to keep things moving along as we await George's summer solstice blog entry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8L-ZZSc8JU
June 15th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
This being both Father's Day and the two-month anniversary of George's most recent blog post (I thought a "blitz" is something that moves like a rabid panther on crystal meth, I guess I was wrong), here is something to fondly reflect upon George's career in sports journalism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84llabI_wmw&feature=related
June 16th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
The parrots are great, alan.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:51 am
More to keep the blog moving on. I'm being selfish this time, this has a subversive Jewish slant to it as opposed to the one with the crazy parrots acting like those goofy Bud black guys.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LTWJwToMh3E&feature=related
June 18th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
It was great to see the gameshow host from Joker's Wild again and Regis Philbin never looked so good, alan.
I've been looking for the scene from Sleeper where the future people get high off the silver orb but can't find it on YouTube.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Here ya go. It's like watching Danny Ferry with a green light to rub Jim Paxson's cap space. http://www.jibjab.com/view/137212
June 19th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Or like watching the ABJ sports staff at one of their Danny Ferry bobblehead doll parties.
Thanks alan.
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:49 am
To fill in some more break time during Big George's spring and summer siesta, here's one featuring a tall pale white cancer patient doing some serious grandstanding:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yxshaal1taw
And here's one featuring a young Travis Hafner using an alias and a facial disguise for the cameras:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YfrAukUditk
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Here's more fun stuff for folks during George's lengthy snooze. This gem is strictly for pure Indians fans, folks 45 and older. It's rare video of the infamous at-bat two months before Tony Horton slit his wrists and was committed to the funny farm.http://youtube.com/watch?v=WFvp7kMraAw
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Great, alan. Here's one that makes me wonder how George and Heldenfels get along in the office.
http://www.funnyhub.com/videos/pages/siskel-and-ebert-fight.html
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Hey, why didn't that Tony Horton video do that blue link thing? I'll try again.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WFvp7kMraAw
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Yeah, I do miss "Rich & George and the Movies." Makes me miss Siskel & Ebert even more. Here's a couple more outtakes I found, including a longer version of the one you posted above.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rmnYCSwt2Js
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xUMZjy8rXE4&feature=related
June 24th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I found footage of Rich and George fighting over the entertainment beat last year. Legard watched.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=x6cRYlKrPAU
June 25th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Wow. I never realized that Thomas was so goddamn brutal. Take a close look at that entire footage again, and take particular notice at :52 seconds of that savage beating. Thomas had so viciously brutalized Heldenfels, that Heldenfels actually changed color.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:12 am
It's a joke Heldenfels was given the decision and thus the entertainment beat.
June 25th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I'd have to agree there. A bigger farce than the Roy Jones decision at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
June 26th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Did anybody else know that George is the best in the bloomin' business? A sportswriter/florist. What versatility!
georgethomas.com
June 26th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Hey, the blue link thing didn't work again.
http://www.georgethomas.com
June 28th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Here's some advice that might help George deal with the stress of composing his next blog entry.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sNOX7RbpTe0
June 28th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Jeez, what the hell happened to George since this promo video was made? I know we all start to sag when we get older, but holy moly! He used to be in dynamite shape, what the hell happened to him? If you look at his newspaper headshots pictured next to his stuff, it's obvious that George has really, really let himself go. I mean, it's an utter disgrace. The former George and the current George don't even look like the same guy anymore!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GzSTS6qvUVA
June 29th, 2008 at 8:04 am
It's a shame what fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches will do to a man.