Monthly Archives: August 2012

What to Expect from the Browns Offense

After 3 preseason games the Cleveland Browns sit at 2-1, and what does that mean? Absolutely nothing! Preseason games are where teams practice situational scenarios that they’ve worked on in practice. This allows them to implement exactly what they practiced for weeks in actual game action.

So what should you expect from a preseason game? You want to see your team have continued success and that varies per team. For the Browns, you want them to show growth and you don’t want them to look like they’re confused or overmatched.

In Friday August 24th’s game against the Philadelphia was the first game was the first time you could their age showed. They looked like a team full of skill players who 4 years or less of experience. Brandon Weeden looked like a rookie who wasn’t ready to face a defense who has already played a year together under their current scheme.

However, all is not lost when it comes to the Browns and what we should expect them to be. First of all, expectations should be low considering your starting quarterback and running back are rookies. A rookie in Josh Gordon who is expected to be a big contributor in the offense along with a rookie right tackle and second year Greg Little. So to expect them to be a core primed to go 10-6 is a little homerish.

What one should look for is consistency from the offense. Do they come out of their breaks hard, is Weeden making good decisions or is it a case of the defense is just making good plays against them? Does Trent Richardson run hard, is he hitting the holes hard, and picking up blitzes? If you can answer yes to the questions more than no, then the Browns will be in every game.

The aspect of the game we should set the bar high is converting in the red zone. Now yes that does require them to get that far down the field, however they should have a enough chances, as Weeden has shown the ability to thrown the ball down field and should give the Browns a much improved vertical passing attack. Nonetheless, with Richardson, Little, Josh Cribbs, Gordon and multiple tight ends who can go up and get the ball against smaller defenders, there shouldn’t be many times they can’t get 6 points once they’re within shouting distance of the goal line.

There will be times the offense will flutter, considering you have Mitchell Schwartz a rookie at right tackle which has been an issue for almost a decade for the Browns. The bright side is, through 3 preseason games Schwartz has improved and has been solid, and as the season progresses he should get better. He’ll have plenty of chances with the Eagles being the first game of the season, along with the Bengals, Ravens and Steelers twice this year.

What you would like to see from the offense this season in the end is an improvement in moving the ball up and down the field, giving themselves more opportunities to score. The Browns ranked 30th in points scored and 29th in yards. The defense is solid, however you defense can’t hold every opponent under 20 points. So if the Browns offense can add some crooked numbers to the scoreboard their record is bound to improve.

Ending on this note, be cautious of bright spots on the offensive side of the ball. There are a lot of rookies and players with minimum experience that will get plenty of playing time. They will show flashes of brilliance, followed up with plays that make you say ‘WHAT WAS HE DOING!’ No need to fret though, as they get deeper into the season they’ll get better, the jitters will soon pass and they’ll play like players who belong in the NFL compared to being in awe of being in the NFL.

 

Weekend Entertainment Wrap Up #12

Did you hear…?

Were you surprised as I was? R&B singer Usher was awarded primary custody and joint legal custody of his two children Usher Raymond V, 4, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, 3, with his ex wife, Tameka Foster Raymond. This custody battle has been put to rest since the couple ended their relationship in 2008. The new arrangements will begin September 1st.

According to LA Times, Usher had petitioned to have an Aug. 13 hearing delayed on the basis that it would be too stressful for all involved so close to Kile’s passing, according to TMZ. He also said Tameka might get an unfair advantage because of sympathy for a mourning mother. Tameka called foul on that, saying in those court docs that Usher was, in her opinion, faking it — that he’d visited the hospital only once while Kile was on life support and didn’t attend the boy’s July 27 funeral.

I was very surprised with the outcome. Typically, a mother is never separated from their children unless deemed to be an unfit parent for the child. I think that she was not given sole custody due to the recent passing of her 11 year old son, Kile. I am no way saying that his death played a role in her parenting, it just seems like the courts felt the kids needed the parent that can give their full 100% to the children and while grieving, she is not able to do so at the moment. It has been reported that Foster Raymond still has some custodial rights. Maybe at some point in time the two will be able to come together and reach an agreement best suited for their children.

It happened again, and this time it’s been confirmed. Shaquille O’Neal and Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander are no longer a couple. Alexander reached out to The Boston Globe last Thursday to let the world know that she and O’Neal decided to end their almost 2 year relationship.

According to MediaTakeOut last week Hoopz and Shaq got INTO IT publicly. Here’s what happened. Shaq and Hoopz were trying to go into Orlando Metro Gymnastics, a popular gym that specializes in teaching woman’s gymnastics in Orlando – where the couple live. ell the gym WOULD NOT ALLOW Hoopz into the gym, because they ONLY train girls under 18, for insurance purposes. Well Hoopz SPAZZED OUT – yelling at the gym owners, using the most VULGAR curse words – all while the little girls being trained looked on. Hoopz claimed that she was trying to “train for the Olympic team.” LOL!! Shaq, to his credit was MORTIFIED. He PULLED Hoopz out of the building and took her back to the car. But then Hoopz turned her RAGE towards him. She claimed that Shaq “wasn’t riding with her” and started calling him a “p*ssy.” But then . . she went THERE. According to an EYEWITNESS, Hoopz allegedly called him a “little d*ck n*gga.” Again . . . to his credit, Shaq didn’t go OCHOCINCO on her. He stayed calm.

This story sounds like a grown woman who was in the midst of having a temper tantrum and the one person that was with her, he decided to take her aggression out on him. She really hit below the belt with that shot she took at O’Neal. One thing you do not do as a woman is talk about a man’s “manhood”.

That is probably the worst thing you can say to a guy. It was mentioned that she wanted to start Gymnastics lessons because she was inspired by Gabby Douglas and her recent accomplishment at the 2012 London Olympics. I can understand the want for lessons; however she is a grown woman and acted like a child for no reason.

 

Mama said knock you out and that is what LL Cool J did. It was reported that on Wednesday August 22, 2012 a man by the name of Jonathan Kirby broke into theL.A.home of LL Cool J and suffered a broken nose, jaw and ribs in the process. It was reported that while the rapper and his family was sleeping in their home, the security alarm sounded at 1 a.m. which made him react to protect his family.

According to CNN, Prosecutors charged Kirby with first degree burglary as a “third striker,” which means he could face 38 years to life in prison if convicted, Gibbons said. They are asking that bail for Kirby be set at $1.1 million. Kirby was previously convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Dallas, Texas, in 1988. He also has auto theft, first degree burglary and a petty theft conviction in Los Angeles on his record, Gibbons said. Arraignment for the suspect is not yet set, because he is still hospitalized for treatment of injuries inflicted by LL Cool J when he “physically detained” him, she said.

It also has been reported that Kirby could get the maximum sentence of 38 years to life if convicted because he violated California’s three strikes law. Arraignment for the suspect has not been set yet due to him still being in the hospital recovering from his injuries.

It was also mentioned that the rapper will not be charged with the injuries inflicted upon Kirby. I wouldn’t understand why that would be a thought. Kirby invaded LL Cool J’s home and privacy with the intent to do some damage and possible harm. There is no reason why charges upon LL Cool J would be considered. He did what any man would do to protect his family and that is very much respected.

 

 

 

Terrell Owens Got Cut, Is his Career Finished?

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Terrell Owens was released by the Seattle Seahawks Sunday after playing in two preseason games. Now the question is will another team give him a shot or is he bound for life as a civilian?

One thing no one will ever question is whether T.O. is in shape. Even after two years off in his first game back he was able to glide by defenders and create separation, that many wondered if he could do after his knee injury.

But what has failed him beyond his personality, was his hands. He only had two catches for 23 yards, and no matter the circumstance, production like that well never get the job done.

What will remain as the lasting image from T.O. will be him getting behind the Denver defense andhaving a touchdown pass go straight through his hands. It’s moments like these that he couldn’t afford to happen to him considering the perception of him is he’s a team cancer that cares about nothing other than himself. Compound that with the world knowing he had money problems and you find yourself walking a thin line that doesn’t leave you privy to leeway.

While production has rarely been a problem for him as in his last 4 full seasons he had 81, 69, 55 & 72 receptions dating back to his last two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. However, the issue of drops has been an issue going back to this seasons. There lies the issue. While he may be able to play, and health isn’t a concern, if he can’t hold onto the ball and the people who cut the checks don’t think he’s a good teammate then he had no chance of making it.

Cold world, but that’s how it works, if your productive people will put up with your baggage. The moment it drops, becomes the very reason they use it to rid themselves of you.

Allen Iverson, Chad Johnson, and many others have been dealt the same hand. While I could say really there aren’t 60 guards or receivers better than them, teams rather not deal with the spice that comes along with them.

So is T.O.’s career over, unless a team loves them some T.O. I see no need to get your popcorn ready.

Anthony “Spice” Adams as 2 A’s in “Rap Is My First Love”

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My man Spice Adams is back at it again, this timehe’s displaying his lyrical prowess as an mc with bars like;

2 A’S!!!!!! Catch up to my campaign, Burger no mayonaise, bored and tired at the same time, drinking orange tang on the airplane

Check out the video of a day in the life of 2A’s, because my man is definitely on the come up.

Dodgers and Red Sox to Complete Blockbuster Deal

According to a Fox Sports report the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox are in the final stages of a 9 player deal that will see Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto leave Boston for L.A. The Dodgers will send their top pitching prospect Allen Webster, first baseman James Loney, infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr., right-hander Rubby De La Rosa and outfielder Jerry Sands.

The deal represents the Red Sox waiving the proverbial white flag on their playoff chase as they sit 15.5 games out of first place in their division and 8.5 in the wildcard standings.

For the Dodgers they hope this moves place them in position to chase down division San Francisco Giants who currently hold a 3 game lead, while they only 1.5 out of the final wildcard spot.

The Red Sox who have fought turmoil going back to their collapse last season which resulted in the firing of manager Terry Francona, thought the bringing in of a new manager would clear the  bad vibes. However, the Red Sox just never found their rhythm and havent been more than 5 games above the .500 mark since July 1st and haven’t been .500 since August 6th.

The Red Sox will now go into next season with plenty of money to spend with $250 million they save from shipping off Gonzales (owed $109.3 million through 2017), Crawford ($106.8 million through 2017), and Beckett ($34 million through 2014) off their books.

The Dodgers who are in the middle of a pennant race and under new management are going all in for their chance at a title since 1998. While their players they’re receiving wore out their welcome in Boston, coming to a locker room with solid leadership and in the middle a playoff race they should have no problem falling in line for the time being. The addition of Gonzales adds another bat to a lineup that already had no problem scoring, and if Beckett can return to form from a few years ago, the Dodgers have as good a chance as anybody in the National League to make a run at the conference title.

The one thing Red Sox management could learn from this, perhaps before firing your manager, and siding with the players who showed a lack of effort and passion for their manager, survey the situation and think about who you align you alliances with. We see now with Bobby Valentine at the helm, that he couldn’t reach this team and the clubhouse was overrun with players who were undermining Franconas’ power.