Hand Chuck The Keys and More Random Musings

Ready for my Browns analysis? Well here it goes.... I can say I actually watched some of the Browns/Broncos preseason game after dinner Saturday night, strictly for blogging purposes of course. Mainly, I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about regarding our fair haired boy QB Brady Quinn. I watched his first two possessions and I have to admit, I came away very impressed. Facing the Broncos first team defense that includes all-pro corners Dre Bly and Champ Bailey, he showed a much better pocket presence than the other two schwag QB's who preceded him (Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson), a deft touch (especially on the over the middle pass to Kellen Winslow and the should-have-been TD to Joe Jurevicious), and a calm demeanor. I am not ready to drink the Kool-Aid yet, but he was much better than I anticipated.

The good news was that Charlie Frye allegedly looked good in his two first half drives, one leading to a Jamal Lewis TD run. Frye is starting to distance himself from the strong arm, weak-minded Anderson. He should get the nod for the opener against the Steelers September 9th, although the clown of a coach Romeo Crennel still won't anoint him #1. "Nothing's changed," Crennel said. "It's still a competition. It looks like we've got three quarterbacks. I like all three guys. It gives you more options." Lets call it what it is, Frye and Anderson are two guys who are lucky to be in the NFL, let alone vying for a starting spot. They are clearly just keeping the seat warm for Quinn.

The best sports writer in Cleveland, Terry Pluto of the Akron Beacon-Journal (for 6 more days until he moves to the Cleveland Plain Dealer), wrote a spot-on column discussing the need for Frye to stay within himself and to use a determined Jamal Lewis as much as possible. He has looked faster than he has in years, and is motivated, playing on a one year deal and trying to jump-start his somewhat sputtering career. But as Pluto says, "With the Browns, it's always all quarterbacks, all the time."

I'm still sticking with my 5-11 tops prediction for this team, but is it possible they are moving in the right direction?

A few quick sports takes:

1. So Michael Vick plead guilty today and held a press conference. I have to admit, I thought he came off pretty well all things considered. He had me until he went to the "I've found Jesus" card. What a joke! Hey Mike, you and Jesus can have fun together in jail trading cigarettes for toilet paper.

2. Big turning point game tonight for the Yankees and Tigers tonight. The Yanks are fading fast in their chase of the AL East and are falling further behind the Mariners. Mike Mussina is pitching for his job tonight. The aging Moose has had only one good start in a month and that was against the monster bats of our beloved Cleveland Indians. The Tigers need this game to stay within two of the Tribe. Their pitchers are dropping like flies - with phenom and Tribe killer Jair Jurjjens heading to the DL with shoulder stiffness. LETS GO YANKEES.

3. Is anyone paying attention to Team USA in the tournament of the Americas basketball tournament? Me neither. All I know is that they are winning every game by 40 because they have two huge additions - Michael Redd and Jason Kidd. Talk about the two ideal players to put next to Lebron on the Cavs. Could you imagine having Redd instead of that scrub-dog Larry Hughes or having a point guard like Kidd running the show?

4. More baseball - how long before Ozzie Guillen fully implodes and quits on old man Reinsdorf?

5. The Tigers official scorer is an absolute clown. Last week with two out and nobody on, Sean Casey hit a grounder to first base and it was completely booted by Tribe First Baseman Victor Martinez. He was given a hit. WRONG. After a walk to Placido Polanco, Carlos Guillen crushed a Paul Byrd pitch for a three-run homer and all three runs were earned. Byrd deserved a better fate. But even a bigger joke was that Polanco's record-setting errorless streak seemingly came to an end Friday night after a first inning error. Unfathomably, the official scorer changed the error to First Baseman Marcus Thames THE NEXT DAY. Is that a joke? The guy should be fired for being such a homer. Yet another reason to hate that organization.