A Confiscated Letter from Kanye West to Dan Gilbert
December 30, 2010Cavaliers to Introduce Dunk Team
December 31, 2010While We’re Waiting is your first cup of Cleveland sports coffee for the day. Sip on these WFNYish pieces from around the net while your first our first post finishes cooking. Seen something you think we should feature here? Send it to our tips line- tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Making a case for KEEPING Brian Daboll, or at least defending his Ravens game plan- “While I bash Daboll often, I have to give him credit where it is due. Down 13-7 at the end of the 2nd quarter and in the red zone, Daboll broke several tendencies in a really intelligent way; first, he was aggressive in his approach down in the red zone–really going for a TD, second, he ran a play that surprised the Ravens because it countered off of our version of the Hi/Lo concept.” [Dawgs By Nature]
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Frowns is successful in baiting a media member into advancing his site. This time it’s Scott Raab, and at least he doesn’t waver from his take on Mangini- “I see a Browns team that fails to adjust offensive and defensive strategies within games, that can’t manage the clock or its time-outs with minimal competence, and that has lost close games to teams with less talent. To blame all of that on the players is essentially to say that a coaching staff makes no difference. (And blaming it on Tony Grossi is delusional.) When I look at Eric Mangini, I see a head coach whose won-loss record — in Cleveland and in New Jersey — speaks for itself, and whose tenure as Browns head coach will rightfully reach its end on Sunday afternoon.” [Scott Raab/Cleveland Frowns]
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Yep. This is your team- “Parker, Boobie, Jamison, and Manny Harris combined to go 3-20 from behind the arc. That is not good. Parker was missing open threes and out of rhythm, Manny Harris looked over-caffeinated and under-informed, Andy couldn’t find space to cut through, and Boobie had a game to forget. J.J. Hickson literally forced a mid-range jump shot and committed an obvious charge in one five-second sequence. Alonzo Gee has energy, but wasn’t really helping the offense much.” [Krolik/Cavs the Blog]
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Scary stat from Toni Grossi and Eric Mangini- “This will be, I think, the first time in the two years where we’ve actually had a quarterback face the same division opponent two consecutive games,” Mangini said. Hard to believe, but true.” [Grossi/Twitter]
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Zac Jackson debates himself about keeping/dumping Mangini. [Jackson/FSO]
36 Comments
You raise a good point, Rick. How does Frowns keep tricking people into advancing his site? I’ll be as glad as anyone if you ever manage to figure it out, so please do keep me posted if you can.
Pretty simple Pete. You harass them on twitter until they give you a forum. Whether it’s a radio debate or here with a guest post. It’s a formula that works for you. Except of course with Toni Grossi, who hasn’t taken the bait yet.
@Rick – thanks for calling out Frowns. His manner of conduct is completely abrasive, and am grateful you all operate with more class.
@Frowns – Mangini has become your idee fixe, and the obsession has reached unhealthy thresholds. I would encourage you to use your obvious intelligence and rhetorical flourish not to browbeat people, but rather to stimulate healthy conversation.
Happy new year WFNY and thanks for the great (free) content and all your hard work
Wow… that second to last link is scary indeed. Speaks volumes as to why this organization has gone nowhere thus far.
Right, Rick. It couldn’t possibly be that these folks think I’m worth engaging because I have something to add to the conversation. They must all be morons who can be “baited” into things by “harrassment.”
Okee-doke.
Humboldt! Thanks for reading. If you feel so strongly about this, I hope you might help with a list of top “unhealthiest” Cleveland Frowns posts and at least start to explain what’s unhealthy about them so that maybe I could start to understand where you’re coming from. “Abrasive” really doesn’t cut it. Like, when my mom turned on my bedroom light in the morning to wake me up to go to school when I was a kid, it was as abrasive as anything to me, but it would have been worse if I’d have missed the bus.
Yeah, that Frowns guy is terrible. We need more pitchfork and torch knee-jerk writers who clamor for coaching changes annually and fewer who present a clear case. That’s definitely what we need.
Frowns, did you have to use chloroform to get Raab to attend that Browns game with you?
Amyl nitrite.
Squeakiest wheel gets the grease. Loudest complainer gets his way.
Perhaps it is not deliberate Pete, maybe it’s just your personality. Of course, I don’t know is that is really better.
I am surprised it didn’t work with DSN though. When you attacked them I thought for certain that would lead to a guest spot.
Frowns do you need to read”Before you post” again?
Lighten up, Francis. This site is the polar opposite of the ESPN boards, keep it that way.
Folks read my stuff because it’s loud and squeaky. Alright. Well, it’s a good thing that the bumbling manipulable class like Raab, Posnanski, etc., has you to stick up for them. Keep fighting the good fight, soldier.
I forgot your great need to get the last word in as well.
Oh, see what I did there…
@Frowns – I don’t read your site, but I do check out the links when they’re posted on WFNY. At this stage, you aren’t making any attempt to foster constructive dialogue; the blog has merely become a platform for you to aggressively advance your monomaniacal beliefs about Mangini.
I’m sure in your own mind you are far beyond reproach, but in the spirit of the new year you might briefly reflect on the tone your blog has taken in the past few months and try to understand why it puts people off. If not, perhaps we can convince WFNY to do a Rally to Restore Sanity intervention some time in 2011.
For many of the reasons stated above, I don’t read Frowns. Best way to deal with a person, who is obviously just like the picture next to his name, is to ignore him. Go WFNY.
@Rick: Maybe it would be better if I stood silent while you insult the intelligence of my readers and site contributors? (“They took the bait!”)
@humboldt: We’ve already heard your conclusions, but absent specific examples, it just sounds like you don’t like me very much. Which is your right, just as it’s mine to act on my belief that I’m never going to please everybody (thanks, Frisco!). But you might want to reflect yourself, in the spirit of the new year, on what it does to a person to harbor such animosity.
I have to get back to tricking people into helping me aggressively advancing my monomaniacal beliefs, but I’ll check back later.
You’re just awesome Pete. I believe you were the one insulting Scott Raab. Not me. But good twist there. Way to make it seem like I’m the one insulting people. You must have gotten an A in that class.
@Frowns – I just searched the word “Mangini” on your blog home page and it came up 53 times. For a blog ostensibly about “Cleveland sports” I’d say that’s pretty monomaniacal. As for your tone, just look at the way you’ve interacted w/ Rick (and myself) in this thread. Your default response to those you disagree with is condescension and sarcasm. Again, reflecting on this reflexive tendency would be valuable (I suggest this as unironically as possible; as stated above, you are obviously a smart dude, but your manner of engagement is utterly abrasive).
@Friscohio – good call. I’ve said my last bit about Frowns – it’s not worth going any further. Self-declared moratorium on this end.
I’ll try one last time:
A writer does something nice for one of your fellow Cleveland sports websites. Your reaction to this is to use your own website to say that this writer did this because he was “baited” (i.e., “tricked,” “manipulated”) into doing it, suggesting that he had no other better reason (like say to engage in some spirited thought-provoking debate), and that the better thing to do would have been to ignore me.
I suppose what’s “insulting” or not is subjective, but you might want to try stepping outside of the echo chamber for a minute to consider what it looks like for you to be telling Mr. Raab (and every other Cleveland Frowns reader/contributor) that he’s been tricked here.
@Humboldt: “Writes a lot about his favorite coach of his favorite football team” = “monomaniacal.”
Too bad about this moratorium, because I’d like to hear more about what my website is or should ostensibly be about.
Also understand, again, that I’m responding to something more than mere disagreement here.
Thanks.
“I’m responding to something more than mere disagreement here.”
So you are denying that you attack media members through your site and twitter in an effort to get them to engage you, thus giving you more visibility?
Just so we’re clear.
@Frowns – why can’t it be both? I do think you baited him via twitter but Raab saw some value in coming to your site and explain his view point. It’s a win/win.
Also, I read your site regularly (but rarely comment) but I’m not “insulted” by Rick’s implication. Don’t be so sensitive.
Yes, Rick, I do media criticism at Cleveland Frowns, and people appreciate that element of my work, which helps give me “visibility.” If you’re denying that there’s a place for media criticism, there’s no point in arguing. Which might be just as well since you still haven’t even started to explain why it’s not insulting for you to tell Raab that he’s been “baited.”
Hey Boys,
Here’s a PROtip for the tip line on this increasingly pointless blog and those it attracts:
Bringing together a bunch of uninspired individual bloggers onto one platform doesn’t translate into successful blogging, merely a steaming pile of crap. And you do yourself no favors with your well-off-the-mark ridicule of Cleveland’s best sports blog, ClevelandFrowns, highlighting your inability to read and think critically (a serious problem for someone in your position, looking for any sort of credibility you can come by).
There’s nothing unhealthy about continuing an argument for a head coach that essentially gets to the bottom of the myriad problems that continue to affect Cleveland and its sports teams. It’s an interesting and all-inclusive debate, and Frowns is the only one I read trying to uncover how decisions made by owners, management, players, fans, local government, and the media covering them always have and continue to affect each other positively and negatively. It’s both realistic and holistic and tends to reflect the way the world actually works, so pay attention. The best part of his blog is that he doesn’t need to harass anyone, browbeat the masses, or pretend to be classy while tearing others down (see above) in order to succeed. Instead he puts a lot of time and energy into his work, creates an original argument based on a unique point of view, and lets his readers think for themselves. Maybe you can see why his work continues to attract an array of national sports writers, local broadcasters and others, the latest being Raab.
Scott Raab wasn’t baited, he clearly (read his post, kids) chose to jump in over at Cleveland Frowns for a reason and if Rick, Humboldt and others can’t figure out why or see the difference between the vacuum bag of sucked up detritus published here and the original “stimulating healthy discussion” taking place over there, then stop wasting your time and look for something better to do. Another big difference, Humboldt, between Rick and Frowns is that he doesn’t need any encouragement from the peanut gallery in order to put out a well written, interesting blog. He can get that done all on his own. May just be a key difference now that I think about it. But, hey, smoke em if you got em!
At least Rick got the categorical tag right for a link to a Frowns post, ‘Best of The Web.’
Hey, keep the faith, Rick! Oh, and stay classy, lol. My god.
So now that Raab did a guest post for you he’s ok? No longer just flaming people to sell books? Wait a minute, maybe you are the one who took the bait. Or maybe the two of you decided that you use the same tactic and went after each other in order to cross-promote?
And again, great job framing your response so that I look like the ‘bad guy’. You truly are a wordsmith that way.
“he doesn’t need to harass anyone, browbeat the masses, or pretend to be classy while tearing others down (see above) in order to succeed”
Wow. You read his site right?
“Bringing together a bunch of uninspired individual bloggers onto one platform doesn’t translate into successful blogging, merely a steaming pile of crap”
Hilarious that Frowns actually used that as his logo for a time. Maybe that’s where you got the idea from.
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png
Rick: Two people come from sharp disagreement to some common ground and all it can be is cross-promotion to you. You won’t even consider an alternative explanation. “Baiting” and “cross-baiting” is all. An incredibly bleak view of humanity, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
Yep, Craig, as it would seem we both read his site, I thought I would be try to be inclusive, you know, try to add some perspective to this argument with a proper dialectical reference.
Well played, Mark. Well played.
You sir are the one that called Raab out for flaming and trying to sell books. Am I to understand that you no longer think that way about Scott?
There are plenty of explanations that make sense to me Pete.
And I guess implying that I have “an incredibly bleak view of humanity” by saying “I shouldn’t be surprised” isn’t pretending to be classy while tearing others down.
I enjoy the internet and the blogs due to the fact that everyone has the right of free speech. I am also free to read or ignore posts. I suggest that it is more interesting to post our ideas than it is to post personal criticisms of other bloggers. We can decide for ourselves the motivations of the respective bloggers. Happy New Year to everyone who puts forth thier ideas. I was lucky enough to attend the game the last time we were champions – 64.
I’ve never heard of cleveland frowns, and only recently started coming to wfny. But I have to say that Frowns dude is a real douche. And the fact that Frowns is foaming at the mouth post-after-post is pretty good proof that Rick touched on an issue that Frowns is very sensitive about.
Rick, I did call Raab out for flaming, and questioned his motivation for doing so. Subsequent conversations, including what he wrote at Cleveland Frowns (where he at least gave reasons for his conclusions), have made me feel better about his motivation, yes.
Some people view it as a basic process of reconciliation from a point of honest disagreement, which, to some, is the very definition of progress. You, on the other hand, derisively dub it “baiting” here with only vague generalities in the comments section to substantiate your position. From there, what else am I supposed to conclude (not “implying” here, really) about your view of humanity?
So I question your motive, and my view of humanity is somehow degenerative. You question Toni Grossi’s motives and it is what? journalistic integrity?
Nothing like a pointless pissing contest to end 2k10.
Yes, Rick, because when I question Grossi’s motives, I write columns to explain why, discussing the facts that have led me to my conclusions. I don’t drop inflammatory conclusions like yours above without doing that, or at least making an honest effort. There’s a huge difference.
If you kids don’t stop that noise, I swear I’m gonna turn this car around and THERE WON’T BE ANY VACATION!