WFNY Tickets Has Your Browns Tickets
September 6, 2012Awaiting the Fallout of the Off-Field Fracas
September 7, 2012While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
“I was in Cleveland Stadium — known as Municipal Stadium throughout my childhood — on the last day before the Browns moved to Baltimore. The rage and frustration and sadness in the crowd that day seemed visible to me, like breath turning to steam in the cold, and some people tore out the stadium seats, and some people threw stuff on the field, some people held signs, and some people just tried to root for the Cleveland Browns for the last time. The Browns beat the Bengals 26-10 that day. I walked the field afterward for a long time, seething, crying, wondering how Art Modell — no matter what his problems or issues — could have done this to the city he knew.
Or did he know? A few years after that day, a longtime friend of Modell’s called me and said that Art really wanted to talk to me, really wanted to explain. Of course, this was after the Cleveland Browns had died, after Modell’s Baltimore Ravens had won a Super Bowl, after a new team that called itself the Cleveland Browns had emerged in a brand new stadium with a beautiful owner’s box for an owner who was not Art Modell. The friend said that Modell felt terrible about having to move the Browns, but that he had no choice and that if only I heard it from him, I would understand. We never did connect for various reasons — I’m not sure it would have made much difference.” [Posnanski/Sports on Earth]
—-
“There’s long been a baseball reason to deal Perez: he’s going to get a big bump in salary next season thanks to arbitration’s love of saves, and the bullpen is one area on the club that the Indians have some depth in. With two years of control left, Perez is going to be an attractive option to clubs that lose out in free agency or would rather not pay market price for a free agent. Even with everybody now knowing what type of um…personality they’ll be getting, the Indians should be able to get a decent return.
To me the big issue is what to do with Perez in the meantime. To this point the Indians haven’t punished Perez for any of his antics, but I think if the Indians don’t punish Perez, they’re just encouraging him to spout off further. He’s not going to stop, so doing nothing is not an option. I’d give Perez the Carlos Zambrano treatment: suspend him for the rest of the season, and start listening to trade offers the day after the World Series.
Chris Perez has become a distraction. If he remains on this club, he’s just going to remain a distraction, and the Indians have enough problems to deal with after the season to have to deal with a continuing problem the rest of the season.” [Ryan/Let’s Go Tribe]
—-
“Way back in 1999, the Cleveland Browns had a new team and the Philadelphia Eagles had a new head coach. Fast-forward 14 NFL seasons and the Browns are still essentially a new team, one that has 15 rookies on its roster and possibly five in the starting lineup for Sunday’s season opener vs. the Eagles.
Andy Reid is still the Eagles coach. He’s the longest tenured coach in today’s NFL, a year ahead of Bill Belichick in New England. As a point of comparison, the reborn-in-’99 Browns are now on their fifth full-time head coach. Second-year Browns coach Pat Shurmur is one of four former Reid assistants who are now NFL head coaches.” [Jackson/The OBR]
—-
Awesome. Fan recounts his experience sacking Tom Brady at a fantasy type event– “As I sprinted toward Tom Brady’s blindside, I wondered what would happen if I just decked him. I imagined the fallout. Belichick would have me put away. I’d be ostracized by my friends, become New England’s version of Steve Bartman, and Giselle would hate me. (On the positive side, at least Giselle would know who I was.)” [Cooley/The Postgame]
—-
Finally, be sure to get your WFNY gear for the opener on Sunday! (Yes, a shameless plug but really, did you want to read another Modell piece anyway?) [GV Art and Design]
15 Comments
1. I was at that last Browns game at Muni. Adding to the surreality of it all was a big banner that was draped over the tarp roller by the left field foul pole. It said something like, “Thanks, Art, for 35 Great Years.” Can you believe the gall it took to display that?
2. I’m surprised that the Commissioner didn’t suspend Perez for that episode in Oakland. That was not just an embarrassment to the Indians, but an embarrassment to all of baseball. And yet nobody does anything. Are they afraid of this guy?
3. Those are pretty sharp shirts. I’m gonna git me some.
1. my dad wouldn’t let me go to that last game. i didn’t understand why until they showed the news that night. ridiculous that someone thought to put that sign up or that they found someone in Cleveland to actually put it up.
2. agree on Perez (if not Bud, then the team)
3. waiting for someone to complain about color-option2 on those shirts 🙂
suspending C.Perez the rest of the season does no good. i think the answer is obvious. bring him into the FO and tell him that if he wants to be dealt to a contender, then he needs to shut his trap because he is making it tougher to do so.
then, trade him to the friggin’ Chicago Cubs (i kid, but it’d be funny if they did end up giving us the best package).
I rest my case, your honor. (is that enough of a complaint, or should I open a bottle of whine?)
Seriously tho, curious that those are offers before Cavs and Indians colors…
Trade him to Oakland. That way he can spend lots of quality time with his buddy in the right field stands.
Not really though, given that the Browns and Buckeyes seasons are just starting, while the Cavs are still a little ways off, and the Indians don’t start playing until April.
Objection withdrawn
I got my shirt and wore it the next day. I looked pretty freaking stylish, if I do say so myself.
Oakland would make sense as they can get us a decent package covering our weaknesses: starting pitching and outfield help.
They can’t suspend Perez now it’ll just make the Indians front office look even worse then they already do especially with players. They could have, should have done something earlier in the season when Perez ripped the fans he played for ya know back when this team was actually still playing. Instead Shapiro, Antonetti and DiBiasio all smiled and made excuses. Now you wanna suspend him because he turned his PURE RAGE towards his bosses? Yea, that’ll look real good. Sorry Indians much like your season you made your bed now enjoy your continued sleep. I think they’ve been asleep since last winter!
🙂
but the A`s trade pitching away, they don’t trade for it 🙂
Well trade their scouts or better yet pitching coaches ‘cuz they sure can develop ’em!
That Joe P. article is spot on, and his story is mine as well.
Moment of clarity for me today: of course Art belongs in the pro football HOF. His impact on the modern NFL is central and undeniable. He did not violate a single league rule like a Pete Rose. He didn’t set a precedent by crushing us with the move – Irsay did it, Al Davis did it twice and he’s in the Hall. The reason I don’t want him in is because of his selfishness, attempting to salvage the bequest to his son which he mismanaged by ripping apart this city. But that’s regional pain, that pales in comparison to the vision he helped implement that built this sport into the best one around. It would pain me to see him inducted – it even pains me to write it – but it would be right.
1. Gotta love the “Piss on Art” shirts and hats selling outside the stadium. I picked one up on the way out half price. Was a cold game, but remember all the Modell chants.
2. Why would you walk over to a fan at an opposing stadium that is talking crap if you are Perez, and as a teammate why wouldn’t you try to stop him.
3. Got me a shirt