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While 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 in the sidebar.

This “source” also claims it is only so he will be able to film the new season of emmy award winning Josh’s Cribbs: “A league source tells us that Browns receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs will indeed report for training camp, despite reports suggesting that he might not be there.  The only question is whether he’ll be happy or unhappy.  We’re told that, if the team makes good on past promises to improve his contract, Cribbs will be happy.  If the team doesn’t, he’ll be upset — and he’ll do everything he can to make sure that everyone knows it, short of doing something that gets him suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.” [Mike Florio/ProFootballTalk.com]

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Assessing the return from the Betancourt trade: “While Graham has been a starter in Class A, his 95-mph fastball and size (6-7, 235 pounds) seem to make him a bullpen guy. In his minor-league career, he has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning (including 87 Ks in 80 innings this year), but he also walks nearly five every nine innings. This is the kind of pitcher that former Tribe GM John Hart would put in the bullpen and say, ‘Just throw hard, big fella. Don’t worry about anything else.’ They had success with Jose Mesa, Steve Karsay and Danys Baez doing just that, as all began their careers as starters. Graham, who pitched at Miami (Ohio), has allowed only seven HRs in 247 innings. For now, the Tribe plans to keep him as a starter.” [Terry Pluto/Plain Dealer]

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It was refreshing, as well as historically instructive, to read such a tongue-in-cheek piece from a member of the Tribe beat and mainstream media: “The Indians today teeter on the precipice. They can continue to wallow in mediocrity or stand out from the crowd, separate themselves from the dozens of other Tribe clubs that lost more games than they won.  But their only chance to make history rests on their will to lose consistently, not three of every five games, but a sustained run of defeats that can carry them to the promised land, as embodied by the 1991 club that set the standard for losing in Cleveland.” [Sheldon Ocker/Akron Beacon Journal]

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An optimistic analysis of the Browns schedule with a prediction for each game: “So I have the Browns going 8-8, and if you look at how the schedule stacks up, it looks great for us down the stretch. Now I always seem to drink some of the Browns kool-aid during his time of year, but being 8-8 could put us in the playoff picture. I can hear the sighs already from the naysayers, but hear me out.” [Don Delco/NoLogoNeeded]

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It’s no Clip Show or Double Dose of Double A, but this was a succinct and informative outlook at the long term roster and top prospects, including expected arrival dates, of the Indians: “No matter what the situation is with the big-league club, baseball prospects offer hope for a bright tomorrow.  When might Tribe fans see some of the next generation? Let’s ponder together the arrivals of some of the Indians’ top prospects.” [Josh Weir/Canton Repository]

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Late last night, there were rumblings on Twitter that Drew Gooden would decide on a team today.  It was stated by Chris Mannix of SI that his decision was coming down to Cleveland, Charlotte, and Dallas.  It appears he has chosen Dallas and not the Cavaliers.  Mark Cuban also confirmed it via twitter and Marc Stein reported that the deal was for one year at five million which makes you wonder if Cleveland was ever really a serious consideration.  Choosing Dallas over Cle might be good news or bad news for some Cavs fans depending on your point of view.