Browns News: Not a Trade, but D’Qwell is in the IR
October 20, 2009Rolling Stone Pegs Mangini as Augustus Gloop
October 21, 2009While 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.
“[Jawad] Williams is an exception to this list having already played in NBA games as both a Clipper and Cav, but both were short-lived scenarios and he has yet to play a full, or anything close to a full, NBA season. Part of the famous 2005 North Carolina team, Williams watched five teammates (Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants, David Noel) get drafted while his name went uncalled. Since then, Williams has been invited to preseason camps and D-League rosters, hoping to stick in the NBA once and for all. He currently is averaging 7.2 points in 19 minutes, and at 6’9” has the length to potentially make an impact on a roster this season.” [Brett Callahan/SLAMOnline]
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“As soon as possible – even sooner, if that’s possible – the Browns need to do two things involving Joshua Cribbs. First, tear up his present contract, which is horrible, and give him a new one that pays him what he’s worth, or at least more of what he’s worth.He’s the best player on the team and certainly the most exciting one as well. He’s the best returner in the NFL and the best in team history. Every time he touches the ball, no matter where it’s at on the field, he’s a threat to score a touchdown.” [Steve King/The OBR]
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Bobby V, anyone? “A few years ago, I pitched hard for Bobby Valentine to become the manager of the Kansas City Royals. I felt — and feel to this day — that he would be the PERFECT Royals manager. Here’s a team that has less money and fewer resources. For most people around baseball, the Royals are utterly irrelevant. Bobby V. would make the Royals matter. And, I suspect, he’d help them win too. […] Now, the news: Bobby V is a finalist to be the manager of the Cleveland Indians. Well, that would be good too.” [Joe Posnanski]
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Get your NBA Conference Predictions here! [Empty the Bench] [ESPN] [SI.com] [BallerBlogger]
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DE-FENSE! “The point the Cavaliers were trying to make Tuesday night was driven home at the expense of Matt Carroll. Early in the third quarter of the Cavs’ 96-66 preseason win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Peterson Events Center, Carroll found himself free on what he thought was a breakaway. He should have known by looking at the scoreboard that the Cavs had gotten serious about preparing for next week’s regular-season opener. But, instead, he had to learn it the hard way. As Carroll headed for the rim, LeBron James came soaring in from behind and slammed the ball off the backboard. Carroll did a belly flop on the court, the victim of James’ first “chase down” block of the season. By the time Carroll was back on his feet, Shaquille O’Neal was hanging on the rim at the other end after a dunk.” [Brian Windhorst]
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Catching wind of the creepiest Brady Quinn shirt ever – I was hoping no one outside of Cleveland would ever get to see these. [HHR]
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(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
18 Comments
those shirts were so bad – not gonna lie, I bought a couple and gave them to friends as gag gifts.
Going to the SOLD OUT game tonight at the Schott. So excited.
I’ve pretty much come to grips with the fact that we’re not getting Cribbs back. First of all, he’s wanted a new contract for how long? If you think he’s not PO’d you’re kiddding yourself. So that means we’re going to have to over pay for him (which I think he’s worth it), [WFNY Edit: we’re wise to these nicknames for Mangini and Kokinis, stop using them here pls] however, probably won’t be willing to pay a guy they have “no ties” to. He’s worth way more than Hester but doesn’t get paid anywhere near what he does. All that aside why would he want to come back?
You’re not going to get Bobby Valentine, Don Mattingly, Tony Pena, Willie Randolph, or any other highly qualified managerial candidate that brings a winning persona, credibility, and vision/methodology learned as benefit of that exposure. Those guys would never take the Indians job knowing what they know about how limited they will be in putting their stamp on things.
What you’re going to get is ANOTHER weak young candidate (Manny Acta) who wouldn’t sniff a real managerial job, but who will be happy just to walk the Shapiro/Dolan line where the others wouldn’t. You’ll get another candidate who will bring in a weak, no-name, non-credentialed (cheap) coaching staff. He’l be billed as someone who can deal with “Latina” players, while in reality that role can be filled anywhere on the bench.
I surely hope TD doesn’t begin touting Manny Acta and sticks to his guns that someone with a Tony Pena type profile would be the proper pick. Manny Acta was just quoted in the Houston Chronicle as saying guys like him are relegated to taking the “bottom feeder” managerial positions in order to work their way up the ladder. Is that what you want here in Cleveland? Ask for and demand a proffessional program this time. If not, you’ll get another Shapiro Wedge-like coach and staff that will be more than happy to toe the line.
@ JK – Not getting Cribbs back? He’s under contract for like 4 more seasons. The issue isn’t losing Cribbs, it’s making him happy. I suspect the Browns will give him a slight bump over the offseason, but I don’t fear losing him.
JL-given what you said, why would you support that? Would you then plunk down your money in support?
I meant JK in the prior comment, not JL.
Isis, you’re never going to convince people to stop going to games here, or buy the merchandise, or any of it, so give it a rest.
If you’ve written off the teams, then so be it, ignore any Indian or Browns related items and stop pissing in our pool. Not everything is life or death around here, it’s sports.
You’re not winning any social justice karma by griping about the Cleveland sports team here, either.
What Acta said makes perfect sense. Managerial candidates, much like players, prove themselves on ‘bottom feeder’ teams because getting picked up by the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and Dodgers of MLB. I don’t see how this is 1) a ridiculous comment or 2) would keep him away from Cleveland at this point.
Look at the roster and tell me that they’re “contenders now!!!” – you can’t. The only thing that gives this team a shot at the playoffs is the horrendous division that they play in.
Isis – If I was Kokinis/Mangini/Lerner I would absolutly pay Cribbs. And in a way I already do, seeing as how I’m a season ticket holder and drive from south of Columbus 8 Sundays a year to see them get thumped.
At the risk of putting my head in the lion’s mouth, I have to ask:
If, as you so vehemently state, it’s a foregone conclusion that we are “not going to get Bobby Valentine, Don Mattingly, Tony Pena, Willie Randolph, or any other highly qualified managerial candidate that brings a winning persona” as Tribe manager, then how and why, Isis, should we “(A)sk for and demand a proffessional (sic) program this time”? I mean, ownership is going to do what ownership wants to do (see Lerner, Randy), right? We are supposed to somehow FORCE the Dolans to to a particular candidate? How would that work, exactly? What has all your barking at the moon over the Mangini hiring accomplished as far as the Browns’ organization is concerned?
The fact is that the sole effective recourse a fanbase has when it opposes the actions of a franchise is to withdraw financial support via ticket/merchandise sales and lower tv ratings. And the fact is that this form of recourse is REactive in nature–happening AFTER the fact. Now if you feel as though Browns fans ought to be more REactive to the franchise’s decision-making over the past months/years by withdrawing support then I can at least understand the point, even if I don’t personally agree with your immediate writing off of the current regime. But now you want Indians’ fans to rise up in some sort of rebellion against the organization BEFORE a decision is made on the new manager? Again, you want the fans to FORCE the Dolans to hire a particular candidate or type of candidate? That seems a fool’s errand, to put it nicely. The fans have no PROactive leverage in such a situation, and that’s just the nature of being a fan. We don’t won the team: we can’t FORCE it to do anything before the fact.
That should be “own”, not “won”–I blame the keyboard
I blame Mangini, obviously.
If the Indians hire, say, Bobby Valentine, how many wins do you think the Indians will have next year? If they hire Manny Acta, how many wins do you think the Indians will have next year?
I mean, at the end of the day, does it really matter? The Indians aren’t winning a World Series in the next 5 years regardless of who the manager is. Personally, I watched Acta’s interview with the press yesterday, and I really liked a lot of what I heard. He seems to be a bright individual with a strong understanding of some of the new, more statistical ways of approaching baseball. I think in a lot of ways Acta really makes sense for this team, even though he certainly wouldn’t be my first choice. Out of Valentine, Mattingly, Acta, and Lovullo, the only one I 100% do not want to see get the job is Luvollo.
B-bo – well stated.
Tribe Candidates for Manager:
Tony Pena? Why is this a good idea? If you’re going to hold Acta’s record against him, shouldn’t Pena’s stint with the Royals be held against him? Oh, he’s a Yankee? That means we should hire him, right? It’s not their payroll, it’s their great coaching that gets them to the playoffs, I keep forgetting.
Don Mattingly? No managerial experience? Check. Overly passive guy (like Wedge)? Check. A name that casual fans have heard of? Check. Absolutely no credentials other than being Joe Torre’s friend? Check.
Manny Acta? Young, energetic, understands SABR, has experience working with Latin players as well as young talent, knows about rebuilding and limited resources. He’s not perfect (if he were, wouldn’t he have a job?), but better than anyone else on the list.
Bobby Valentine? Most people have heard of him and his silly mustache trick in NY. Is that honestly why he should be a manager of our team? I like him more than most of the other “big name” candidates, but honestly, what about his managerial style do we like other than his mischevious and funny press conferences. Plus, is $4 million + a good investment for a team that doesn’t spend that on its players?
Torey Lovullo? I like him, but it would be a PR disaster to promote from within, and Shapiro knows it. He’s effectively out of contention.
Mike Hargrove? He won absolutely nothing with one of the best offenses ever assembled. Then he quit on his team in Seattle. Get over the memories. He’s not the guy to build a young core around.
I wish Farrell were open to the idea, but since he’s not, I like this Acta idea as much as anything else that’s been bandied about.
@9 and everyone else: There is no point in getting a manager with a good history or pedigree; without players, you can’t win. Which is why managers DON’T prove themselves and move up, unless they happen to catch the lucky small market once-in-ten-years window.
As the gap widens, we’ll probably see veteran manager-type PLAYERS signing for less money with big-market teams, so they can viably be career managers, rather than getting a two year shot with the Pirates.
I actually have that Brady Quinn Shirt. my brother got it for me a few years ago for my birthday as a joke (i hope). The really sad thing is that there was also a charlie frye shirt just like it that same year.