NFL News: Browns sign K Billy Cundiff
September 3, 2013‘Paint the Town Browns’ website giving away a VIP experience for Sunday’s game
September 4, 2013While We’re Waiting is the daily morning link roundup that WFNY has been serving up for breakfast for the last several years. We hope you enjoy the following recent collection of yummy and nutritious Cleveland sports-related articles. Anything else to add? Email us at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
“It all comes back to the division. The AFC North is the best division in football, bar none. Anyone making an argument for any other division is clueless. The AFC North has the best group of head coaches in the NFL right now with three Super Bowls and another in Marvin Lewis who is a big threat to get one of his own. The fact that the Browns look competent makes things more interesting but there are plenty of people predicting some or all of the other three teams winning this division. It is an incredible grind to see the Browns improve year to year because of they have to deal with these three teams twice per year. If the Browns were in the AFC East or AFC South, they might have a shot to make the playoffs. They could easily end up going 2-4 in the division and be a vastly improved team in the process. It is an absolute grind every year.” [Smith/Dawg Pound Daily]
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“Cleveland is all but out of the American League Central race, but they remain in striking distance of the Wild Card — 3.5 games back entering Monday’s play — despite going just 4-6 over their last 10 games. Jason Giambi has provided some great moments this season, but he’s hitting just .187/.277/.380 and has been serving as the club’s primary DH against right-handed pitching for the past month. Kubel is the potential solution. He hit just .221/.292/.324 for Arizona this year, but in 2012 he slugged 30 home runs and posted an .833 OPS. The Diamondbacks gave Kubel just four starts in August, so Cleveland has little to lose by at least seeing if he can regain his old form with more regular playing time.” [Moore/Sports on Earth]
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“Mack’s performance at Ohio State last weekend was one of the best, anywhere, on college football’s opening weekend. Mack recorded 9 tackles, 7 solo, 2.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
“His stock in the draft just went up a little bit after playing us,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. “He manhandled some guys.” This summer, Mack insisted that most football fans knew nothing about him and that he was fine working in anonymity — even after NFL.com named him the No. 19 best player in college football eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft.” [Jackson/FSO]
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“An obvious take away from Ohio State’s season opener was the disappearing players. Braxton Miller, Ryan Shazier, Evan Spencer and Josh Perry all left the field because of cramps. The humidity chased those Buckeyes away. But in the coming weeks, pass-happy, hurry-up offenses could again hamper the on-field ability.
San Diego State called 67 pass plays, Cal employs Sonny Dykes’ fast-paced, throw often spread and Ohio State’s own offense could at times be a detriment to its own defense, because of how fast they go up and down the field. They had three scoring drives of five plays or less on Saturday.
“The issue of cramping, we can’t have guys leave the game,” Meyer said. “Perry didn’t play that many plays, and all of a sudden he’s out of the game. I’m still trying to figure that one out.” It was evident Meyer wasn’t pleased with Perry on Saturday. The coach tore into the linebacker on the sideline.” [Rowland/Eleven Warriors]
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“There are higher-profile sources of intrigue — DeMarcus Cousins, for one — but I’m not sure any player is generating the same churn of curiosity, confusion, and opportunism around the league. As the no. 2 pick in the 2011 draft, Williams would earn a monster $6.3 million under the terms of his fourth-year option — a $1.3 million raise over his salary for the coming season, and potentially enough to make the difference between the Wolves having easy access to the full midlevel exception or butting past the luxury tax.
And nobody, not even the Wolves, has any clue what position Williams should play. David Kahn, the deposed Minnesota GM, drafted Williams in hopes he could transition to small forward next to Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic. But the lockout robbed Williams of any training camp or real practice time before his rookie year, and Love’s injury issues last season forced the Wolves to play Williams almost exclusively at power forward.” [Lowe/Grantland]
4 Comments
imagine if the Chris Perez news on his fine came out today instead of yesterday? amazing he got out one of his “putrid” performances and we still won the game.
also, the Ubaldo option is becoming tougher and tougher to say no on. He’s been a staple of the rotation since June (though he obviously doesn’t pitch deep enough into games).
Re: Ubaldo – it’s a mutual option, so I think Ubaldo has to say “yes” as well as the Tribe. It’s hard to think that he’d do that – he should get the same $$ per year but for multiple years with another club.
Cot’s had it listed as a club-option. If it’s a mutual option, then, yeah, he’ll get a multi-year offer elsewhere for near the same $$ (or maybe even more — never know).
It became a mutual option when he was traded to the Tribe.