While We’re Waiting is a solid feature here that serves as the collection of spectacular sports information for your early morning sensation. Storing something we should share here tomorrow? Send your stellar story summary to our smashing tips email address on the right sidebar.
What a week in the news for the Cleveland Browns franchise: “Is Browns owner Randy Lerner preparing for another implosion of his team’s football operations? That’s the question people in the NFL are pondering in the wake of the stunning and still-mysterious departure of General Manager George Kokinis on Monday and the team’s 1-7 record under coach Eric Mangini.” [Tony Grossi/Cleveland Plain Dealer]
It seems like there is no difference between a coach, a general manager and a so-called football czar when you are dealing with a team as bad as this: “Browns owner Randy Lerner wants to hire a ‘football czar’ to take control of the franchise’s football operations, NBC’s Peter King reported during halftime of the Notre Dame-Navy game today. King mentioned former Giants and Browns GM Ernie Accorsi, former Packers and Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren and former Packers GM Ron Wolf as potential hires for the position.” [The Trenches/Sporting News.com]
This is a must-read bye week editorial on the state of the franchise, the front office and the idea of the fan-driven MNF protest: “I have not wanted to comment on the proposed protest led by Browns fan Mike Randall for a number of reasons. Among other things, I’ve never liked publicly disagreeing with other Browns fans. I’ve always felt we were part of the same team, and needed to speak with as united a voice as possible. Plus, I and my friends here on the OBR depend on the kindness and support of Browns fans in order to exist.” [Barry McBride/Orange and Brown Report]
The daily article by some national columnist proclaiming that NYC and LBJ are the perfect match: “It felt like a recruiting trip, the one he never had when he bypassed college for the NBA. Only this process involved the world’s most glamorous arena, a 10-story Nike billboard out on Seventh Avenue and a hip-hop mogul like no other, ready to tell LeBron James that New York is a ‘concrete jungle where dreams are made of … there’s nothing you can’t do.’” [Jay Mariotti/AOL Fanhouse]
Thank you John Hollinger! This proposal makes any scenario where LeBron leaves quite strange: “Let me throw out an even crazier proposition — Minnesota. The Wolves will have the cap space to make a run at LeBron, depending on a few variables — or at the very least can get there fairly easily if they know there’s a chance for a player of this caliber” [ESPN Insider via The Big Lead]
Should have included this in yesterday’s WWW, but former Tribe ace CC Sabathia is doing all he can to bring LBJ to the Big Apple. Is he the new enemy No. 1 in Cleveland now? “Asked what he would tell James about what it’s like to play in New York, Sabathia gushed, ‘There’s nothing like winning here. There’s nothing like playing here. The fans and just the whole experience. There’s nothing you can compare it to. And I’m just happy that I made the right decision.’” [Mark Hale/New York Post]
Looking over the state of the Indians front office after the recent hires as well as the players eligible for arbitration this winter: “Kelly Shoppach, Rafael Perez, Anthony Reyes and Jose Veras are the Indians eligible for arbitration. Perez qualified as a super two player with two years and 157 days of service time. Indians who are out of options include Jeremy Sowers, Andy Marte, Carmona, Shin-Soo Choo, Perez, Reyes and Shoppach.” [Paul Hoynes/Cleveland Plain Dealer]
In your random local sports news of the week, congrats to the University of Akron men’s soccer team for finishing the regular season undefeated: “Trailing 2-1 at halftime, the Zips rallied for two goals late in the second half as the No. 1 ranked team in the country completed a perfect season (18-0) on Senior Night before 2,158 at Lee Jackson Field. It is the second time that the soccer program has had a perfect season. The last time was in 1968, when the Zips went 11-0.” [Akron Beacon Journal staff report]
(The above photo of Eric Mangini was found here and is via Chuck Crow/Plain Dealer.)
