Splinters from the Bench: Analyzing what ails Cavs second squad
December 2, 2014It’s Miller Time! Bucks vs. Cavs Behind the Box Score
December 3, 2014Happy Hump Day My Droogs,
Good to be back pinch hitting for the midweek version of While We’re Waiting. On deck today:
- The Browns are in the middle of playoff race, but could they be getting new helmets next year?
- Johnny Manziel hasn’t been active on Instagram for over two weeks and I’m pretty sad about it.
- The MLS season concludes on Sunday with the MLS Cup Final.
All that and more while we’re waiting…
The Browns reportedly will have new helmets next year according to Uni-Watch. Jimmy Haslam has been on record saying the team will not be changing the helmets as part of next year’s uniform changes, but UniWatch claims “a little bird” told them there will be two slight changes. UniWatch describes the changes as follows:
1. The stripe will have some sort of “new texture.”
2. There will be a new shade of orange, which will be more like Oklahoma State’s or Oregon State’s color.
The report of added texture is a welcome one. I’m assuming texture refers to the Matted finish look that has become popular in recent years. The sides of the helmet would remain shiny while the brown and white stripes would become Matted. Even if the different texture on the helmet is confined to the stripe, the added element could spruce things up.
I can’t say the change to the darker and more chromed-out shade of orange would be a one I’d get behind. I love what Oklahoma State has done combining their orange with a dark grey in their uniforms, but getting away from the bright orange pumpkin helmets is worrisome to me.
The look that blends old and new the best in my opinion is the current bright orange helmets, mixed with gray numbers, and a neon orange trim. I want to see away uniforms that resemble last year’s Pro Bowl uniforms.
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Johnny Manziel has been awful quiet on social media these last few weeks. His most recent post was a full two weeks ago and was with of all people, his sister. Without Johnny’s feed consistently being updated, I’ve found myself to be a bit lost. As we all know by now Johnny’s Instagram is mirror into all of our lives. Johnny is Cleveland and we are him. Without this picture of the Manziel siblings, how else would I have remembered to talk to my own sister and learn I was responsible for the sausage, cheese, and crackers at Thanksgiving?
We go three weeks back for Johnny’s last “destination post”. Here, we’re treated to the Jack and Dianne love story that has filled our hearts since being introduced young Johnathan and Miss Crowley earlier this year. The Texas version of John and Yoko give guys all over the country something to point to and say “See? Colleen Crowley goes to games with Johnny. Why won’t you go see my old high school team play?”. As Johnny and Colleen strolled along the TCU campus in Fort Worth, you can hear Crowley sing to Manziel, “baby, you aint missin’ nothin’. On a personal note, it was good to see Manziel down in Fort Worth for a football Saturday. Having lived in Fort Worth after graduating college, I know John Football was in good hands down in Frog Country on a Saturday night.
Alas, Johnny, can we at least get some more glimpses into the bro familia you’re hanging with these days? It’s been over three weeks since we were treated to this gem of Billy Liucci. Who is Billy Liuccu? I haven’t the slightest idea, but I have buddies who spend too much time on their hair, too much time trying to get tan, and too much time at the gym (no such thing) and seeing your friends reminds me of the lovable idiots in my life.
Johnny may be a little busier these days with his whole “am I or aren’t I the starting quarterback thing”, but for the love of all things millennial can we get more Instagram updates? Leading the Browns to the playoffs would be cool too, though.
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MLS Cup kicks off Sunday at 3 PM EST on ESPN between the L.A. Galaxy and the New England Revolution. The Galaxy eliminated Seattle Sounders FC in the Western Conference Finals, depriving Seattle of being the first team to win the U.S. Open Cup, Supporters Shield, and MLS Cup all in the same year. L.A. will host the final with New England due to their superior regular season record, setting up Hollywood farewell for the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan as he gets set to play his final game.
The Revolution have been MLS’ hottest team since the addition of USMNT World Cup star Jermaine Jones’ arrival late in the summer. The Revs cakewalked their way through Columbus in their first playoff series before edging the new York Red Bulls in a thrilling Eastern Conference final series.
Being that it is championship week, MLS commissioner Don Garber took the microphone for his annual “state of the league address”. In his address, Garber expressed his concern for the league’s finances, claiming collectively the league is losing $100 million annually. This comes as somewhat of a surprise on the heels of MLS signing a new TV deal with ESPN, Fox, and Univision which is set to be worth three times the current deal. All of this finance talk comes as the league gets ready to collectively bargain with their players this off season as the CBA is set to expire.
MLS expansion was once again a hot topic in Garber’s address. The MLS is launching new franchises in Orlando SC and NYCFC next season, Atlanta is scheduled to start play in 2017 alongside a rebranded LAFC, David Beckham’s Miami side continues to be a mystery, and cities like Sacramento, Minneapolis, and Las Vegas are competing for what is believed to be one last expansion slot.
It’s an exciting time to be an MLS fan as the quality of play is drastically increasing, new clubs enter the fold, old clubs get new stadiums (San Jose and possibly D.C. and New England next) and more star power is on it’s way in the form of David Villa, Kaka, and Frank Lampard.
To hear the league is losing $100 million annually is a shocking number, but with all the investing the league is doing for the future it seems hard to believe that this number isn’t one that’s more meant for Garber’s CBA negotiation tool belt instead of resembling the real health of the league.
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What else has been keeping me busy while I’ve been waiting…
C.C. Sabathia, Justin Verlander, and Kate Upton took in Tuesday’s game at the Q. What would make two Cy Young Winners and a super model take in Cavs and Bucks on a rainy, cold Tuesday night is anyone’ guess, but that’s what we’re here for.
Q: What were Kate Upton, CC Sabathia, and Justin Verlander doing in Cleveland on Tuesday?
A) The Indians are recruiting Sabathia and Verlander
B) Cleveland is the next city to be taken over by Kate Upton’s Game of War clan
C) Dan Gilbert is buying the Tigers once “the pizza man” passes away
D) Tuesday Trivia night at Nano Brew in Ohio City
Answer: B. Not only is this the most realistic option, but the one that would allow me to sleep best at night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4F5naFqKEc
Jimmy Fallon and Rashida Jones take pop songs and turn them into Christmas parodies. Fallon on his own can do nearly no wrong. Then, throw in some catchy song parodies with an extremely likable guest and you’ve got gold. Rashida Jones has forever secured a place in my heart with her appearances as Paul Rudd’s fiance in I Love You, Man, nurse Ann Perkins in Parks and Recreation, and of course Karen from The Office. Rashida Jones is a sneaky contender for America’s Sweetheart.
In honor of Ohio State’s Joey Bosa winning the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year award I stumbled upon this Eleven Warrior’s post which takes a deeper look at Bosa’s sack dance.
Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated nominated Untied States Men’s National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard for his sportsman of the year. While Howard’s time in the spotlight only lasted a few weeks in 2014, few made the lasting impact Howard did. I’ll never forget being packed into a bar, surrounded by my closest friends, in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday as Howard made save after save against the Belgians. Belgium and the United States may not have been in the middle of a Cold War, and the United States didn’t end up winning the match, but Howard’s monkeyman act in goal is reminiscent of Jim Craig standing on his head against the Soviets.
5 Comments
The Browns don’t need to change their uniforms any more than the Packers, Yankees, or Crimson Tide do. The difference in perception between “stale” and “classic” is to be found in the W column.
Methinks “new shade” of orange, should actually be “new finish” of orange.
I hope.
I want Jimmy to “unveil” the new uniforms and show the Oregon State atrocities with Browns on them. Then, start laughing as everyone gasps and say that the real update will now look so much better no matter what.
http://poweredbyorange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/football-uniform7.jpg
Here ya go. Ignore the Jawa motif…
http://dailysnark.com/wp-content/gallery/all-32-teams-crossed-with-star-wars/screen-shot-2014-02-04-at-2-52-04-pm.png
love this comment