Browns Better Be Ready

by Rexx on Sep 16, 2008 9:03 AM EDT

After opening the season with two straight defeats at home, the Cleveland Browns open their road schedule in Baltimore Sunday, where last season they needed the aid of replay on the final play of regulation to get another chance and win in overtime 33-30.

However, don't expect the Ravens to roll over and give up tons of points and huge chunks of yardage like they did last season when both of their starting cornerbacks missed most of the season due to injuries. After unexpectedly receiving an early Bye last week due to the devastation from Hurricane Ike in Houston, Baltimore is well rested and healthy on all fronts as they prepare to exact revenge against their former namesakes.

All summer I have been touting Cleveland''s surprising 2006 10-6 season as a fluke and even predicted a 26-20 Ravens victory in this game in my individual game predicitons earlier this summer in my blog over at www.BaltimoreBeatdown.com. So far, based on the results, it's looking rough for the Browns and their fans. At the same time, these losses have come against two of the tougher teams in the NFL, but with both of them being at home you'd expect the Browns to have at least split if they want to be considered a contender this season. That didn't happen and although they may no longer be mentioned among the league's elite teams, it still remains to be seen if the Ravens can defeat a team that swept them last season.

For whatever reason, the Ravens are actually a 1.5 point favorite in this game, even with last year's two victories by the Browns. I can only guess that the oddsmakers are looking at the rest the Ravens have been given as well as their impressive defensive showing in week one, even if it was against the hapless Cincinnati Bengals. At the same time, even against tough competition, the Browns have looked lackluster themselves and their defense only seemd to look half decent against the Steelers, helped in part by Mother Nature more than their own personnel.

All in all, this post is meant to begin the mutual trash talking between two sets of rabid fans, as my predicition earlier this summer of a Ravens victory over the Browns on my blog generated over 100 comments from some of the most loyal fans in all sports. So there, Dawg Pound, is some props for you guys, and let's see how you bring it over at my site!

This is a fan-created post. Dawgs By Nature assumes no responsibility for the content listed.

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Comments

You can feel the trepidation.

I was actually hoping to find some good smack talk on this post. Especially after the “Flash Package” post had over 600 comments. It’s funny how the Brown’s fans will incite over 100 comments on our site when we predict a Raven victory versus the Browns, but are no where to be found as their team prepares to limp into Baltimore.

During the preseason, I was harshly criticized for comparing the 2006 Saints to the 2007 Browns. I predicted that the Browns would have a bad year; just like the 2006 Saints did in 2007. I said it in the preseason and I’ll say it again. The Browns were a fluke.

Prepare to be owned in Baltimore! Say hello to 0-3.

by BAL_Hawk on Sep 17, 2008 9:20 AM EDT reply actions

Hey I agree

I love the Browns. But I am a realist. They will lose 17-12. This will be a long year.
I wouldn’t say a fluke, I would say a poor coaching job since two a days started in July.

"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"

by Grockcubs on Sep 17, 2008 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions

If we win this weekend, does that mean you will cut the “realist” shtick?

by Roger Dorn on Sep 17, 2008 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions

I am also a realist and I say we win 24-14

by kjc on Sep 17, 2008 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Here's hoping Rogers slams Flaco to the turf and flattens his skinny ass. Then, what you gonna do?

by Juannieboy on Sep 17, 2008 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions

LOL

Guys, go ahead, you think what you think I will think what I think. 1965, Browns lose to the Green Bay Packers 23-12 NFL Championship game, that is when I came on board to the Browns. I’m a fan just like you guys, but what is real is real. This team is a 5 or 6 win team. I stay with my call of a loss this weekend. I will be thrilled if they win, but this team with Romeo at the helm I have no faith in.

"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"

by Grockcubs on Sep 17, 2008 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions

DUDE. IT IS 2008, NOT 1965. NEW YEAR. DIFFERENT TEAM. IF YOU LOVE THE RAVENS AND STEELERS SO MUCH, GO COMMENT ON THEIR BLOGS AND TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY ARE GOING TO BEAT US DOWN.

by rufio on Sep 18, 2008 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Dude

I am a Browns fan, just making a point that I have seen this story, this drama, this piss poor football for 43 freaking years ( minus the Kosar years and one Sipe year) Go ahead drink the freaking kool aid and buy into this BS. I feel sorry for the season ticket holders who waste there money on this product.
Oh by the way, yesterday in practice the Browns were teaching the receivers how to CATCH a football, no kidding. Numbers on the balls, when they caught the ball, they yelled out the number. This is OUR Cleveland Browns.

"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"

by Grockcubs on Sep 18, 2008 8:16 AM EDT up reply actions

No, you are not a Browns fan, you simply like to whine and complain about the Browns. There is a difference. I know that you have been a “fan” of the team for 43 years because you tell me every time you post, and flaunting the amount of years you have been paying attention to the team does not impress me. Doing so with such frequency is simply annoying. Feeling sorry for season ticket holders of your team is fair-weather, and shows a clear lack of devotion. Those season ticket holders support the Browns and help make Cleveland football possible, I am proud that they keep those tickets year in and year out and hold hope for the future. Those are admirable qualities. You are not a glass half empty guy, you are a glass completely empty guy, and your lack of any sort of hope for success is also pretty annoying. When you comment that the Browns suck so much and never are going to change because woe-are-us, Cleveland is hopeless….what are you trying to accomplish? It isn’t analysis, it isn’t intelligent discourse, it isn’t even one outburst of emotion, it is the same lack of hope every single time. If everything is so hopeless, why do you even pay attention? Why do you pay attention to the team and actively participate in this community? If doing this makes you so miserable, why do you keep doing it? Being a fan and actively participating in sites like this makes me happy, and so does following the Browns, and that’s why I do it. Why do you?

by rufio on Sep 18, 2008 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Go get them, Go Browns.

"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"

by Grockcubs on Sep 18, 2008 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Drills

AND why would you expect our receivers NOT to do drills to work on catching? If anything, athletes at the pro level lack fundamentals and focus and the sorts of things that the drill you described would work on.

That’s a fundamentally sound drill: make catching the ball in practice harder on the mind by having to see, recognize, and repeat a number, all while catching the ball. After doing all of that, simply catching one should be easy because the mind is trained to focus on the ball and trained to do harder things than simply catch it. Are you just disappointed that Braylon Edwards and company were not simply BORN with the ability to catch the football with 100% success rate? Are you upset that they are trying to improve?

by rufio on Sep 18, 2008 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Go Browns.

"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"

by Grockcubs on Sep 18, 2008 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s not analysis. Rufio is asking for good analysis and discussion about football, not just negativity all the time. That’s doesn’t mean replying Go Browns to everything.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 19, 2008 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

What analysis are you looking for?
That the Browns have not had defense in my lifetime that in a big BIG SPOT can get a three and out, case in point: 4th quarter against Pitt. Steelers jam the ball down our throats, run off 3:00 and change, we get the ball back with 30 seconds left. If it wasn’t for the Cowboys repeated pentalties and a phantom pass interference call on T.O. they would of posted 38 points instead of 28.
You guys mock my reference of the “passing drills” . Do realize how child like this is? Goodness these are professionals, and if they can’t catch a damn ball by now, move on to the CFL. These guys have been catching balls for over tens years minimum. It is like an outfielder with 6 years in the bigs and he drops two balls in a week, the next thing you know a coach is hitting fungos to him at 10:00am.
I guess the reason why I am “pissed” at this team is: This team has wonderful talent on offense, even though I am not totaly sold on DA, they still have great pieces. There “D” is spotty, but with work could be a decent unit. That being said, Romeo is not a head coach. This team coming out of the gate knew that the schedule this year was brutal, and to come out unprepared ( that is including preseason) and to go 0-2 and lose to the Steelers for the, God knows 7th straight time under Romeo’s watch is unaccetable, IMO.
And to say I am not a Browns fan, No that is wrong, I am. I just don’t coat the crap anymore. I am tired of this, and trust me there are more of us then you would like to believe.
My rant is over, I love this team like you do, I just show/write by displeasure.
No hard feelings.

"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"

by Grockcubs on Sep 19, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions

You might want to try this article.

This site can be more…. uh….more forgivening of piss poor play.

http://www.theclevelandfan.com/article_detail.php?blgId=3684

by Juannieboy on Sep 19, 2008 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh by the way, yesterday in practice the Browns were teaching the receivers how to CATCH a football, no kidding. Numbers on the balls, when they caught the ball, they yelled out the number. This is OUR Cleveland Browns.

That is a solid drill that is run from high school-college-pros.

The Browns will shut down the run and force Flacco to beat them.

Easy, easy victory for the good guys.

by gahnki on Sep 19, 2008 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Uhhh...easy victory?

Even if your Browns beat my Ravens, it will certainly not be easy. Big words coming from an 0-2 team, even if it was against tough competition. Everyone across the country (except in Baltimore) thought Cleveland wouldb e a division and playoff contender after just one winning season in god knows how many years. The Browns have great, rabid, yet blindly loyal fans, who act as if Anderson is the next coming and their defense will actually “shut down” anyone. They might win, but I doubt it. However, easy win? I think not.

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 20, 2008 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Most Browns fans I know think that Anderson is the “next coming” of our backup QB and want to see Brady Quinn get a shot at the job. And our defense did a pretty good job “shutting down” a Steelers team that scored 30+ points the first week (I know, the weather also had something to do with it).

Also, two games is way to short of a time period to say the Browns (or any other team) are not playoff contenders. What about the Chargers, Vikings, etc.? Where you Baltimore folks so precient about those teams like you were about the Browns?

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 20, 2008 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions

If I was sure...

…what “precient” meant, I’m sure I’d have a sharp response, …so there!
How dare you call us Baltimore fans “precient!”

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 20, 2008 10:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Congratulations on beating the Bengals. Should we give you the Lombardi Trophy now, or just hold on to it for a little?

by rufio on Sep 21, 2008 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

If Shaun Rogers gets through...

…Ravens center Jason Brown, or guards Ben Grubbs and Marshall Yanda, I will be surprised. He may be a big body to clog the middle of the running game, but to expect him to get through the heart of the Ravens o-line will be unexpected, unless of course it is a coverage sack (understand what that is, Browns’ fans?). However, since the Browns started 0-2 and it looks like we may be seeing Brady Quinn earlier rather than later, the Dawg Pound is unusually quiet. Not quite what I expected and actually hoped to get a bunch of fun pre-game smack going here.

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 17, 2008 1:18 PM EDT reply actions

Rexx:

Jason Brown and Marshall Yanda are far from the best interior combo in the league. After Ben Grubbs had some great numbers at the combine in his vertical, shuttle, and 10 yard split, I thought he would be an instant pro bowler. Some were predicting he would be the best lineman in that draft, better than Joe Thomas. That has been far from true so far. He is failing to live up to my expectations, and I don’t even like him. Rogers looked pretty good against Gurode and Leonard Davis, he will probably look good against your guys. If you didn’t know who Rogers was when he was with Detroit and had the reputation of being one of if not the best DTs in the league when he wanted to, you don’t deserve to run your blog. Your O line is not great. You should be talking smack about your defensive front 7/defense if anything. If they keep playing like they aren’t really old. Or maybe the fact that you now have a QB that might actually be able to play at some point. Or that your coaches are idiots for not playing Smith before Boller take 2. Oh wait, that would be what WE should say when we are taking jabs at you. I digress.

I don’t like to talk smack because it accomplishes nothing and works me up entirely too much. In real life, I could at least beat you up if you were really being a Dbag. Here, I just have to read what you wrote whether it is intelligent or not. I also don’t actually play in these games, and don’t like to talk what I can not personally deliver. If you would like to play a game of football, you will hear plenty out of my mouth. Additionally, you are way too confident going in to this game. If we play as terrible as we have been playing and you play as well as you have been playing, we would probably win by 3. If we actually decide to bring our offense to a game, you guys have no shot. I expect a good amount of coverage sacks because your WRs are terrible. Heap has been a shadow of his former self. McGahee is great when he is healthy, but a 1-d offense should be easy to stop in the NFL.

So far, the only stat I have seen you use or reasoning behind what you say is the line on the game, and that is WEAK. There is nothing for me to debate there. I didn’t go to your site in the past, and I won’t go to it probably in the future because I like to discuss the Browns, not the ravens. I am consistent in that respect whether we are winning or losing. Lastly, it takes a lot of balls to come over here when we are 0-2 and rub salt in the wounds. Respect, man. That’s like the kid who watches while someone gets beat up, and then makes fun of them when they are bruised and broken. Enjoy your meaningless victory on the internet.

In reality, division games are always tough. I fully expect us to drop one game to either you or Cincy this year, and it looks like Cincy won’t win a single game, so it’s going to be you guys. Yes, you stole our team and I hate that. If I were a Brown I would be looking to tear your guys’ heads off. But I am not. I can only use logic and analysis to tell you that you suck, and that doesn’t accomplish anything. Was that good enough for you? Will you go back to your own website now?

by rufio on Sep 18, 2008 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions

way to go ruf-i-o!!!

by Ryan Kelsey on Sep 19, 2008 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions

This Sunday cage match fight to the death Rufio VS Rexx

My money’s on Rufio!!

by Jayson732 on Sep 20, 2008 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Through one game, I don’t see why the Ravens should be ranked as favorites in this game. The Browns lost to two of the league’s best teams in the NFL. The Ravens, heading into the season, were classified by me as being one of the league’s worst teams. The Week 1 victory over the Bengals? Props for getting the job done with a rookie quarterback, but that’s not going to last. You beat one of the worst five teams in the NFL.

As Browns fans, we wanted to believe that we could’ve taken a step forward and beaten the contenders. That hasn’t held true, so we’re going to have to rely on beating the below .500 teams again. Since the Ravens will be one of those teams, that’s already two wins pretty much in the bank.

Shaun Rogers can’t be expected to get through the Ravens’ offensive line? Did I miss something where the Ravens’ became a Pro Bowl unit here?

Frustrations boil over, and the Browns rip the Ravens by three touchdowns on the road…

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by Chris Pokorny on Sep 17, 2008 4:25 PM EDT reply actions

Agree on one thing

That I was also surprised to see my Ravens favored on the strength of one win over a wreck of a team, while the Browns lost to two of the top teams in the league and won two against us last year. I guess that’s the oddsmakers who see the Browns performance this season as what they expect for the rest of the season as well, and perhaps they see a healthy Ravens defense carrying this team like the did in the past. Just perhaps.

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 17, 2008 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions

The oddsmakers don’t set lines on what they think the outcome will be, they set the line based on cash inflows and public perception. A line can be influenced by media hype, especially when the Browns have been a newsworthy 0-2 aka, the preseason hype affected the team, all the garbage you read on the internet. This is what they call a trap game, Vegas capitalizing on the public’s perception of the Browns, when in reality they probably see the Browns winning the game outright.

by Roger Dorn on Sep 18, 2008 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions

Place your bets then ;)

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by Chris Pokorny on Sep 18, 2008 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions

Haha, I won’t say anymore than I am rooting for the Browns to win this weekend

by Roger Dorn on Sep 18, 2008 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Healthy defense? Are you talking about a different one than the walking wounded that practiced all week? That’s really clever, have your best players pretend to be hurt during practice to sandbag for the games. Genius stuff, that.

by Brad D on Sep 20, 2008 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I dunno why any opposing fans would expect smak talk from us. We not only lost every regular and pre season game so far, we looked like crap in every game. I haven’t given up hope on the season, but don’t look for any swagger here either.

by elsandito on Sep 17, 2008 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

Some people have nothing better to do than go to other team’s fan pages and talk smack. I guess it makes them feel better.

Personally, I don’t think beating the hapless Bengals is anything to brag about. Like Chris said, the Browns lost to two of the best teams in the NFL. I’m not saying they’re going to be great this year, but let’s wait to see how they fair against the Ravens and Bengals. If we’re 2-2 going in to the bye week then fans will feel much better. I know the offense is better than this; they just need to break out of it.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 17, 2008 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Fair enough.

If you guys win, I’ll be back to give you your props. However, if the Ravens prevail, please do me the same over at www.BaltimoreBeatdown.com. This type of debate is what SB Nation is all about.

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 17, 2008 8:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Do you just really really need traffic or something?

by rufio on Sep 18, 2008 1:44 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, they need traffic really badly. Have you looked at the number of comments on that blog? Really sad.

Platooning with Jamey Carroll is not freedom. Free Andy Marte!

Pronk Needs You

by woodsmeister on Sep 18, 2008 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Hey, I’m all for cross-promotion. I was at that point before (very few comments), and a lot of it just depends on the fan interest in the team.

Another example, though, of why Cleveland fans > Baltimore fans any day of the week.

I’m playing into your smack talk wishes Rexx, BTW

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by Chris Pokorny on Sep 18, 2008 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

No, I don’t really go to blogs of teams I don’t like.

by rufio on Sep 18, 2008 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually...

…this is the first time that I have ever posted on another team’s site. I enjoy reading smack talk, but I rarely engage in it. My motivation is this:

Last year, the Browns had a good run and the Ravens had a bad run. Both outcomes were uncharacteristic for the teams. However, the Browns were welcomed as one of the elite teams in football after one good season. I questioned whether the Browns were for real (on our site, mind you) and I was flamed to no end by fans from this site. Now the Browns are struggling just as I predicted, and I wanted to see how the then-over-confident fans are taking it.

On a side note:
I know that I said this already, but research the 2006-2007 Saints. The Saints had a good run in 2006 and followed it up with a sub-par 2007 season. I think that there are many similarities between the Browns and the Saints. It’s very interesting.

by BAL_Hawk on Sep 19, 2008 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Really? Football teams have good seasons followed by bad seasons? I didn’t know that — I’ll have to check that out.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 19, 2008 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Also, I like how you said that the Browns being good and the Ravens being bad were “uncharacteristic” for their teams. From what I read about footbal this offseason, I didn’t think anyone thought the Ravens bad season was uncharacteristic — most people saw it as a sign of things to come.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 19, 2008 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions

The Ravens defense is getting old…Ray Lewis is getting slow.

I will be surprised if they are anywhere near a division championship over the next four years.

by gahnki on Sep 19, 2008 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Shows what you know

A 33 year old Ray Lewis is still better than most any other MLB in the entire NFL, much less anyone, I repeat ANYONE on Cleveland’s defense. Other than the injured Sean Jones, I can’t think of anyone on your defense who could start on our “old” defense, and yes that includes Shaun Rogers (who wouldn’t unseat the Ravens DT combo of Haloti Ngata or Kelly Gregg). Ray is still the smartest player and best motivator of his teammates in the league. Besides, after the horrible season we had last year, mostly due to injuries, we have nowhere to go but up, while after your Cinderella season, you have nowhere to go, but…?

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 20, 2008 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I would HATE to be a Giants fan coming in to this season. Those guys have nowhere to go but down! That must really, really suck. Same with those Red Sox and Celtics fans.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 20, 2008 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Also, if Ray Lewis’ teammates need to his yelling and dancing and whatever else he does to get themselves motivated to play a football game, I wouldn’t want them on my team.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 20, 2008 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions

It’s so cute when a little kid gets all mad when you point out the problems with his team. Rogers is better than Ngata and Gregg is fat, slow and hurt. The other stuff is nothing more than the spewings of an uneducated fanboy.

This, by the way, is one of the first stages of grief. You are in denial now, just take it easy and we will be here to talk you through the rest.

by Brad D on Sep 20, 2008 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah dude, sorry. Rogers would start. I think Ngata and Gregg are both great players, but Rogers would definitely start on the Ravens. Wimbley could probably find a spot to start at LB too. I love Gregg, but Rogers is simply better.

Also, Ray Lewis is going to have to retire at some point. He is already declining, and isn’t the ridiculously dominant player he was 5 or so years ago. I would already take Patrick Willis over him in a heartbeat. The Browns don’t have anyone better, but MLB isn’t the highest priority position in the NFL, in fact, most teams have very good MLBs for their scheme. They are easy to find. QB is probably the premium position in the NFL, and we have 2 that could start for at least a good chunk of teams. You guys questionably have one.

by rufio on Sep 21, 2008 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the Browns take a lot of steps forward and still miss the playoffs. There are legitimate reasons to think that the Browns will continue to improve and have a much better roster than any time since you stole our team.

The Browns/Saints comparison may be valid on some levels, but the Saints are still a much much much better team now (or even last year) than they were at any point in the recent past before their “breakout” season.

Prior to the start of the season, there were logical reasons to believe the Browns would be a better team this year than in 06, and the Ravens would be worse this year than in 06. Rookie QB, aging D, star RB with a pretty bad injury history, young Oline. That being said, things that people say are not always logical and I have seen things written by both Browns and Ravens fans that are completely insane. I did not flame you, and if someone who did said something stupid I do not apologize for them.

But you guys are acting like the season is already over….like we didn’t just play 2 of the top 5 teams in football. And like you guys put together a 9-7/8-8 season. There is still a long way to go here.

by rufio on Sep 20, 2008 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

In all honesty, I’m pretty sure I helped cause a majority of those 100+ commented posts over at Baltimore Beatdown. I do the same over at Behind the Steel Curtain (comment, I mean). I’ve just been super busy this week with work.

Truth is, I love the cross-team format on SBN and I see nothing wrong with traveling around and posting. Rexxx isn’t bad, he just wildly overestimates his Ravens and their history of “success”, easily forgetting that their record has been under .500 almost as much as it has been over.

by kwoog on Sep 20, 2008 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

Kwoog, my man

I remember your posts over at my blog, and they were great for traffic, thank you very much. I’m sort of the rookie of SBNation (one year) and need more traffic and the Browns fans sure know how to bring it, as unrealistic as we both can seem to be to the other team’s fans. I guess the best comparison is to say if we could take the Browns offense and the Ravens defense and put them together we’d have a pretty competitive team. The big question that remains is that is our offense going to be better than your defense? I say yes, but I’m sure you guys say no. We looked so poor last season and a lot of it was due to injuries in key positions. You’ve started this season 0-2 and have some key injuries, so let’s see how tomorrow goes and the next few games before we know for sure which directions each team is going. Agree?

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 20, 2008 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Sorry, pal, “smack rules” prevent us from making peace before or during the game. Check back with us after the game and we can hug.

by elsandito on Sep 21, 2008 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Here are some ideas to improve your traffic:

Stop trying to convince people of things based on how you feel, or what you believe. Start making arguments that can be backed up by either logic or evidence. Granted there are no laws that govern football like there are for science, but there are at least anecdotes.

“San Fransisco invested at DB (Clements) and the NYG invested in pass rushers, and the NYG D is much better, therefore pass rushers are more important than cover guys because they have more impact on a game/team”—-anecdotal evidence. This is also an argument FOR something, with a reason WHY. I would then probably come up with some numbers as to why I am correct, and then think about possible arguments against what I just said, lay those out, and defeat them before anyone could say anything.

Think like a political scientist: you don’t really have “laws” or “experiments” with controlled valuables, but there are things that make more sense than others and there can certainly be logic and reasoning behind things. Give reasons why. Numbers are great. Talk to kwoog about Football Outsiders, they will at least get people talking. “The Browns are going to lose because they are crappy” is hardly a compelling argument with a pretty terrible reason why. “I have been touting the Browns’ 10-6 season as a fluke” is a prediction of a phenomenon, but with no reasons why. Something as simple as an analysis of schedule would be nice, but then I might ask you which is the fluke 10-6 or 0-2? You are the owner of the blog, it is your responsibility to dig up the numbers, the matchups, the things that have happened in the past and lay them out. So far, you have been decent in making arguments at first, but then when opposing viewpoints come out (which really shouldn’t surprise you, given the audience), you revert to “a 33 year old Ray Lewis is still better than almost anyone in the NFL”, which I could argue with a simple “no he isn’t”. The “yuh huh, nuh uh”ness and lack of actual insight and proof would turn a reader like me away.

You probably want to build consistent traffic from the Ravens’ fan base, not the Browns’. Trying to manipulate us in to something we don’t like to do (talk with a bunch of Ravens fans about who sucks more) probably won’t work. Fans like kwoog who enjoy going to the rivals’ sites to discuss things will probably continue to do so, as long as there are intelligent, thought out discussions going on. The rest of us will probably continue to stay here.

This is meant to be a critique that is helpful to you, as much as I hate helping Ravens fans. I am not trying to “rip” you, I am actually trying to help.

The Ravens are going to lose today and it will all come down to QB play. DA will find himself or be replaced, and Flacco will realize he is a rookie and that the Bengals’ D couldn’t play for Delaware.

by rufio on Sep 21, 2008 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Uhhh...no...sorry Rufio, but...

… it is MY blog and I will onyl continue to post my opinions. If you want clear, concise, objective scientific information, read the main stream media. I’ll continue to do as I choose, and you can be a reader, or ….NOT.

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 22, 2008 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions

You won’t find much “clear, concise, objective scientific information” in the mainstream media.

Also, if your blog is a buch of “the Ravens are awesome because I say so” then I doubt you’ll get many readers. I don’t know if this is true, because I don’t go to other team’s blogs to ridicule their fans, so I’m just going by what you write here.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 22, 2008 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions

Now the Browns are 0-3.

The people who were insulting the Ravens are looking pretty stupid after they just pummeled the Browns. Those of us who saw the Browns for what they were last season, a fluke and a one-hit-wonder, are looking much smarter.

I’m not saying this to gloat (well, maybe a little). I’m saying this to warn band-wagoners and even the true-fans whose heads become pre-maturely swollen. I’ve heard so much crap about the Browns over the last year, and it feels pretty good to see them exposed for what the really are. I’m just glad that the Ravens had that honor.

by BAL_Hawk on Sep 21, 2008 9:47 PM EDT reply actions

The Ravens capitalized on our unprecedented offensive struggles. I commend the Ravens for that.

Still, I came away unimpressed with Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense in general. Considering how things are looking in the AFC North now though, your offense may be enough to take the division if the Steelers can’t find a way to protect.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by Chris Pokorny on Sep 22, 2008 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Do you people really have nothing better to do with your life than come to websites of Browns fans and remind us how crappy our team is? Do you think we don’t know that? Are you all really that lacking in self-esteem that you have to gloat about the victory of a football team you root for to the other team’s fans? What is the point of this other than making yourself feel better?

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 22, 2008 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions