May 19, 2013

While We’re Waiting… Lue to Orlando, Eric Mangini Still Quiet, and a Possible Roadtrip

February 6, 2009 by 23 Comments

While We’re Waiting aims to be the round-up of the recent WFNY-esque information for your morning viewing.  Have something you think we should see?  Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.

Third Quarter Collapse discusses the addition of Tyronn Lue to the Magic.  Sure, Bogans’ contract may have deserved a bit more in a deal, but what they fail to mention is the fact that Lue has been downright lethal at times when facing the Cavaliers.  The Philadelphia 76ers are the only team in the league to allow more points per game to Lue in as many contests as the Cavaliers.  While I doubt Orlando added Lue for this reason, it definitely doesn’t hurt matters for the Magic.  [Ben Q Rock/Third Quarter Collapse]

Terry Pluto weighs in on LeBron James: “A few weeks ago, he defended point guard Chris Paul for part of a game. On Tuesday night, he defended Raptors center Jermaine O’Neal in the fourth quarter. He also defended Allen Iverson for a while in a victory at Detroit. He not only can play every position on the floor, he can defend almost anyone — big or small — in the NBA. No other player comes close to his versatility. ” [Terry Pluto/Plain Dealer]

WFNY’s own Craig got to be the voice of reason over at Razzball’s Tribe Fantasy Baseball preview.  The highlight is easily found in the comparison of “Kerry to Kelly” versus “Sasha to Boobie.”  Do check it out. [Rudy Gamble/Razzball]

“While Mangini may come across as being abrasive and reticent to discuss anything of interest, not many know the coach other than from his tenure in New York or his time as an understudy of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. This head coach is not going to offer up significant information that could jeopardize any scheme or on-field advantage he may believe to exist. Mangini is not an introvert; he can and will be personable, so long as it doesn’t entail him discussing intricacies of his football operation, a player, or any of the inner workings of the organization. I’ve had the opportunity to see, talk with and learn about every Cleveland head coach since Sam Rutigliano; Mangini deserves the opportunity to put his mark on this organization, regardless of whether the media or fans agree with him or not.” [Lane Adkins/The OBR]

Bring your green hat!  While I’ve been pondering making the weekend trip to Chicago, this may have sealed the deal: “Ryan Naufel informed me of regarding the weekend series in Wrigley that many Tribe fans are considering making a trip for. Ryan tells me that Mickey’s Bar and Patio in Chicago (a bar that is a place where Browns’ Backers congregate and where Cavs’ games are highlighted) has reserved a rooftop party for 170 Tribe fans for the Saturday game on June 20th.”  [The DiaTribe]

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  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Scott

    Yea…just realized I’m in a wedding on the 20th. Figures…

  • Alex

    Ahhh the joys of already living in Wrigleyville and having already tickets through friends for two of the games already … now if I can just buy tickets from anyone but the scalpers outside the Addison L stop for the friday game I’ll be set

  • DCBucks

    If LeBron doesn’t make the all-defensive team, I’m officially convinced the voters are on crack.

  • bridgecrosser

    Random thought:
    The whole Mo Williams All-Star snub talk brought me to thinking of Terry Porter – former Trailblazers PG. I was a big fan of those Rip City teams and Porter was always that “snubbed” guy.

    He eventually made 2 Alll-Star games….. Looking back, his stats and overall game (defense, 3-Pt shot, ball-distribution, low-post game and isolation plays) were superior to Mo’s (who in fairness is still younger and has more speed and a better mid-range game).

    I think if Mo could max out as a Terry Porter, we’d all be happy.

  • Les_Fleurs_Du_Mal

    After stints living in SF and now NYC I am ashamed to say that I’ve never been to Chicago but this seems like the perfect opportunity to do so . . . are Cubs tix really tough to get? Like as in trying to get Morrissey tickets for his March appearance at Carnegie Hall?

  • Alex

    They aren’t hard to get if you don’t mind spending the cash on top of the actual ticket price

    If you are interested though… Single Game Tickets go on sale Feb 20th on Cubs.com

  • RandyOSU

    In this era of lowering the bar of expectations, Mangini BETTER win. Why?
    Because he’s got no other redeeming characteristics; aka personality, PR, communication, gravitas, emotion, passion, relationship with fans, et al. Translation: know it all, jerk, arrogant, shallow, lisper…..
    (winning is all that counts right? Heck with having a professional organization).

    Odds of this working given the above: 10%.
    Shouldn’t the city have a widespread enthusiasm towards a new coach?
    (OK…….follow this one up with “as long as he wins”).

    Viva la Mankok
    PS-great to hear Mankok fired the scouting heads after prior announcing they would take the lead from the current scouting staff given the similarities to the Ravens terminology. (is that “change you can believe in”?).

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com DP

    Sigh…

    If I knew how to spell the sound of a train derailing, I would type that right now.

    I won’t retype my earlier plead for some new material, but here’s what I don’t get, Randy: why does Mangini being a “lisper” count against him and his ability to coach a football team? Sheesh.

  • Jeremy

    T- minus 1430 days until the Browns will have a new owner. Hopefully Bernie will just buy the team after Randy “The Phantom” Lerner fails again!

  • RandyOSU

    DP..(snooze)-

    Here’s your answer:

    Lisping is not something I would hold against anyone, personally or professionally. HOWEVER, if it is part of your job description then it can become an issue. A Head Coach of a professional football team (particularly one who self-annoints himself as the VOICE of the team to the public and media) must be able to communicate, it’s a major part of the job. In Mangini’s case, the lisping is part of an overall communication issue with the man.

    There’s your answer…….now you can go back to your usual rhetoric in total lockstep with anything Browns. Sorry to offer a different perspective, I can see it rankles you.

  • RandyOSU

    DP-if you don’t like my posts (or anything in critique of Lerner/Mankok) than don’t read em, ok?

    I’ll feel free to do likewise. Otherwise, this would be nothing but a gladhanded forum with little perspective.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com RockKing

    @Randy: our comments are moderated by our writing staff. DP has no choice but to be subjected to your mandane ramblings.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com DP

    Randy – as I said in my earlier comments from another thread, I respect your opinion, and I think it’s valid in some ways (lisping is not one of them, more on that below). I was just humbly asking you to move on from it and bring something new and constructive to the table. That’s all. Further, I have been very straight-forward in my dislike for the hiring process and the selection of Mangini, and the following repercussions on our GM search. I’m hardly in any kind of “lock-step” as you put it. But, you know what, they’re hired; there’s nothing I can do about it now, and I don’t see how me continually griping about it changes anything. I’m not going to stop rooting for this team. They’re not going anywhere. So, consequently, I’ve moved on and am willing to be more reactive to what happens from here on out as opposed to continually going back to it and harping on the same thing over and over.

    As for the lisping thing, I agree that things relevent to someone’s job description should be considered. For example, if he’s unwilling to answer questions, then yes… that’s a problem. However, I just can’t get to the place that his ability to pronounce an “S” sound without lisping as part of his job description, or some hinderence to his communication.

    Let me put it this way: I’ve known many people in my life who lisp, and it has never prevented me from understanding the words that they say. I may not like what they say, I may not agree with their tone and demeanor, but I’ve always been able to physically understand the words coming from their mouths. Thus, in my opinion, your including that in your criticism of his communication skills is superfluous to the issues you have, and frankly it smacks of being mean for the sake of being mean.

  • bobby

    just saying anyone see who the Chiefs just hired? I firey passionate coach… damn.

  • Cjz

    @ Randy

    I’m kinda with DP on this, I read all the comments here on a daily basis as I enjoy the conversation and insight provided by people here. With that said you’ve been whipping the same argument now since Mangini came into the fold. Not that you don’t have your valid points, but we know, we heard you the first through the 30th time. Why do we have to be subject to the same argument each and every article that references the browns.

    Wether as fans we’re in agreement with Lerner’s choices or not, “Mankok” isn’t going anywhere soon. This is like having to listen to “Lebron to NYC in 2010″. We know the downsides to what may happen. This is Cleveland sports after all. We have lived in the downsides for as long as some of us have been alive.

    We as fans demanded a new coach. Now we have one. Best choice? Probably not. Better choice then the one we had before him? Probably.

    Examples of coaches who were not “personable” with fans and media….
    Bill Belicheck (or something spelled close to that)
    Bill Parcells
    Bobby Knight
    Phil Jackson (for certain periods at least)

    I’m sure there’s quite a few more not jumping into my head right now, but you get the point.

    What do all those guys have in common? Success in coaching their respective fields. Let’s give them some time to let their actions produce some results, then if they fail we can blame his amazing charm for the problems…

  • http://www.twitter.com/dennymayo IRB?

    The Pats just franchised Cassel. Hopefully the Vikings come knockin for DA – we can get some draft picks or something.

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/02/05/cassel.ap/index.html

  • Humboldt

    I agree that some of the Browns organizational arguments have gotten redundant over the past several weeks and that it may be more fruitful to put them aside.

    That said, I feel qualitatively less enthusiastic about the Browns than I ever have in my lifetime, not just b/c of the dearth of talent, but b/c the organization is back to treating the fans like outsiders and insulting our intelligence. As that is the case, I don’t think we should just capitulate to the BS coming out of Berea these days, and that scrutiny must be turned acutely on the franchise (as Randy and others do).

    The team just feels so inaccessible right now b/c of Lerner’s absentee ownership, Mangini’s lack of communication skills, the organizations PR malaise. It’s just not as fun, and I hate that

  • Cjz

    @ Humboldt

    I 100% agree that the team feels inacessable, and that most of us are falling farther and farther away from our logical reasoning to remain fans of this organization.

    I guess my point is right now, it doesn’t matter what we say, nothing will change. I think we should reserve judgement, until at least after the draft and FA. We can’t logically argue that we have a firm grasp on what this new leadership will do with our organization. Screaming “EPIC FAIL” at them before they take any real action makes us look more rediculous then Stephen A Smith stating that he knows where LBJ is going to be in 2010.

    The only way we’re going to force Lerner to realize how bad this organization has become is through finacial means. Are we really at thhe point where the majority of browns fans will walk away? I don’t believe so. Not yet at least, not without any real proof that this is 100% “EPIC FAIL”.

  • Humboldt

    hahah, a Stephen A Smith analogy – I concede by default!

    Fair enough Cjz, I think your point is valid. However I do want to clarify that I’ve not given up on the team and still have hope, just a less muted hope that is owed to the conduct the team leadership has shown thus far.

    Are the first few weeks of the Mangini regime representative? I’m afraid they are (largely b/c of his track record in NY and the excellent interview WFNY posted w/ the Jets bloggers who described how occluded Mangini was) but acknowledge that I can’t extrapolate too much from one month on the job. Thus far, his actions have portended some dark organizational days, but, at the end of the day, I love the TEAM and am willing to give whoever is leading them a chance.

    Agreed that a few shrewd draft picks could reinvigorate the fan base. Let’s see

  • Cjz

    Humboldt,

    I think we’re generally on the same page of thinking here, I don’t trust our new leadership, but I’m not willing to dismiss them yet either. Nor am I willing to give up on the team yet.

    I do, honestly think that the browns leadership is pushing it’s fan base further and further away, and that breaking point isn’t but a season or two of continued futility and dismissal away.

    Then again as you said a few shrewd pick ups could calm down this storm.

  • bobby

    You know what, maybe secrecy in Cleveland is a good thing. We’ve had everything they do out in the open for everyone for a while. maybe taking some of that back is good. Look in KC, they were clueless for a good week or 2 then today they get a nice looking option at HC (at least I would like to see Haley on the sidelines yelling at braylon).

    I am just as optimistic as ever, because i think we do have talent that we can make moves with and get the best Team the browns have had since coming back. A few FAs, and a good draft and we are right back in the playoff talk.

  • Humboldt

    bobby – was secrecy good during the Butch Davis era? (see Kelly Holcomb’s leg injury and other blunders). Was it good during the Crennel/Savage era? (see K2′s staph infection fiasco). Was it good during the Bush administration, etc…

    No one is asking for full transparency, it’s more a matter of achieving a greater degree of accessibility and openness to help assuage a fan base increasingly distrustful and cynical about the Browns franchise.

  • bobby

    well for one, i take your point, but I think there are some things that should remain in house with the browns. If Savage wasn’t such a moron then the K2 thing may have not blown up. I blame that on him because he just didnt show any respect for kellen. I think you can show respect, let someone voice concerns, but you dont have to disclose everything. This more goes towards personnel, trades, etc. for me. Right now, sure i want news about what they are thinking, but so does everyone. If they say “we want out of the #5 spot” then they just descreased its value. They are still figuring out what will happen this offseason, and i would rather have it be a finished product before they come out and look like fools throwing around ideas.