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Do IT this week: Layering
Here are memorable quotes from a season best forgotten
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Friday, Dec 26, 2008
Dropped passes and missed tackles. Injuries and more injuries. Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey and Bruce Gradkowski. Rather than rehash what went wrong during a disappointing 4-11 Browns season that will mercifully conclude Sunday in Pittsburgh, let's remember the journey by what was said, not what was (or wasn't) done.
June 11
• ''There is an opportunity for this team to do something that has not been done in a long time. We're talking playoffs and that's what we have to believe. With the acquisitions we had and the success we had last year, this is a special place to be right now.'' — Receiver Joe Jurevicius on the great expectations after a 10-6 season in 2007.
• ''He's indicated that he wants to play this year. There's no way for us to know whether he can or cannot. As far as the Browns and LeCharles I think it's a chapter that finally comes to an end.'' — General Manager Phil Savage after granting Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley his release. The St. Ignatius and Ohio State product tore his patella tendon on the first day of training camp in 2006, then contracted what he said was a life-threatening staph infection. He never played a down for the Browns but was paid about $16 million, including a $12 million signing bonus.
July 23
• ''Super Bowl, Super Bowl.'' — The chant of a
capacity crowd of 2,524 in Berea as the Browns opened training camp.
Aug. 11
• ''Kids are kids and you look at kids and they take their shoes off and run around all the time.'' — Browns coach Romeo Crennel after Braylon Edwards had his foot gashed by fellow receiver Donte' Stallworth when Edwards was jogging after practice in socks Aug. 9. Edwards needed stitches and missed the final three preseason games, throwing off his timing with quarterback Derek Anderson.
Oct. 6
• ''When you point fingers, things just start snowballing. I've been fortunate to be on teams that stay together and if it starts to happen, you just snip it in the butt and say, 'Hey, no more of this.' '' — Center and co-captain Hank Fraley as the 1-3 Browns returned from their bye week to prepare for the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
Oct. 13
• ''We felt like we went 200 yards.'' — Fraley on a penalty-plagued, 14-play, 87-yard drive that consumed 8:16 in the third and fourth quarters and gave the Browns a 27-14 lead over the Giants with 14:55 to go. They handed the Giants their first of three losses this season, 35-14.
• ''Everyone knows they're a great team. Tonight was just our night.'' — Right tackle Ryan Tucker on the victory. Battling hip and knee injuries, it was the only game Tucker played this season.
Oct. 19
• ''Sometimes you just feel like a piece of meat.'' — Tight end Kellen Winslow after a 14-11 loss at Washington. Winslow was upset over his treatment by Savage while he was hospitalized for the second staph infection of his career. Winslow's postgame comments drew a one-game suspension, which later was rescinded and reduced to a $25,000 fine.
Nov. 2
• ''We want to dedicate this football game to Mr. Art Modell. He deserves this more than anybody.'' — First-year Baltimore coach John Harbaugh after the Ravens rallied from a 27-13 third-quarter deficit to win 37-27. The game was the turning point of the season and dropped the Browns to 3-5.
Nov. 3
• ''Public opinion has made this decision for the Browns. I have spoken to coaches who have said, 'This is not Derek Anderson's fault.' The organization is highly dysfunctional and cannot make decisions that are good for the long-term growth. Cleveland fans are frustrated. They want a consistent winner. Well, these types of decisions are exactly why they're not a winner now and they won't be a winner in the future.'' — Former Browns quarterback and current ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer on Crennel's decision to bench Anderson and start Brady Quinn against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 6.
Nov. 4
• ''Knock wood, I hope the guy doesn't fall on his face.'' — Crennel on Quinn. The 22nd pick in the 2007 draft had virtually one day of practice with the first team before his first career start.
• ''I'm behind Romeo 100 percent. He's a great man and I respect him for everything he's done for me.'' — Anderson on his demotion.
• ''Yes, I wish I would have caught that pass. Should I have caught that pass? Yes. Have I thought about it? Yes. But if I catch that pass, is D.A. still the starter? I mean what kind of question is that?'' — Edwards on whether his drop of what would have been a 77-yard touchdown in the 37-27 loss to Baltimore cost Anderson his job.
• ''He gave me some words of wisdom, as did everyone else, my mom, my dog . . . '' — Quinn on the advice he received from his former Notre Dame coach, Charlie Weis, before facing the Broncos. The 34-30 loss was Quinn's only healthy outing of the season; he fractured his right index finger in the first quarter at Buffalo and played in only three games before going on injured reserve.
Nov. 6
• ''This is the NFL, you can't call it quits until the game is over. But it looks to me like some people call it quits before that. Some people need to check their egos at the door and find some heart to come out here and play hard.'' — Running back Jamal Lewis after the Denver loss, when the Browns blew a double-digit third-quarter lead for the second consecutive game.
Nov. 12
• ''When you say that the team quit, that's saying that I quit. I know that I'm not a quitter and my players don't quit.'' — Crennel on Lewis' remarks.
Nov. 17
• ''Go root for Buffalo-[expletive deleted] you,'' — Savage's e-mail reply to a disgruntled fan, who said his regime was worse than that of Butch Davis, after a 29-27 victory at Buffalo.
Nov. 25
• ''It's a privilege beyond belief to be involved with a football team, especially your hometown team. I'm not prepared to throw in the towel at the age of 46 and suggest I can't get the job done.'' — Browns owner Randy Lerner in a rare media session.
• ''That is at the core of the analysis. What happened? How do you go 10-6, have the NFL excited, get six prime-time appearances, then you're struggling this way?'' — Lerner on whether last season was a fluke.
Nov. 26
• ''My responsibility is the 53-man roster, and then it's Romeo and the rest of the coaching staff's decision how to utilize the 45 players who are dressed on Sunday. If I'm going to get involved in those decisions, then I may as well put a headset on and double my salary.'' — Savage on his weekly radio show on WTAM, when the Browns were 4-7. He told the entire team the same thing at practice that day.
Dec. 3
• ''The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with a strong and active faith.'' — Savage concluding a news conference with a quote from Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Dec. 18
• ''I think there's a lot of frustration going on right now. Whether all of it or some of it is relevant, why cry over spilled milk? Braylon feels how he feels. These fans would party on Saturday if Ohio State won the national championship. But the city would burn down if we won a Super Bowl.'' — Jurevicius on Edwards' claim that Browns fans won't accept him because he went to Michigan.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
Dropped passes and missed tackles. Injuries and more injuries. Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey and Bruce Gradkowski. Rather than rehash what went wrong during a disappointing 4-11 Browns season that will mercifully conclude Sunday in Pittsburgh, let's remember the journey by what was said, not what was (or wasn't) done.
June 11
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Posted 08:41 AM, 12/26/2008
Yak, yak, yak. How about some leadership?
Stow, OH
Posted 09:46 AM, 12/26/2008
Just a lot of excuses from the coach and GM but no solutions to solve this mess.Clean house Randy .
Posted 10:49 AM, 12/26/2008
The Solution is to bring in a Man who can not only coach but who can develop an entire top flight orginization. A man who knows how and who to hire for assistants...A man who knows talent and will not leave some of our best players sitting on the bench week after week....(In Harrisons case year after year) This man will play the best be they Rookies or Vets...
Marty Shottheimer...
Posted 11:29 AM, 12/26/2008
Here's a quote from the Browns fans around me in the Dawg Pound during the Indianapolis game, with Anderson struggling:
"Dorsey! Dorsey! Dorsey!"
That turned out great, didn't it, guys?
Posted 11:52 AM, 12/26/2008
Marla,
can you right anything on your OWN instead of pulling up other peoples works?
You did the same lame reporting about Ken Dorsey and how he will be 'killed' by Tennesse.
Go back to the kitchen and burn your hard boiled eggs and spare us this boring prose.
Posted 11:55 AM, 12/26/2008
I thought the ABJ already had the worst, self promoting writer in Pat McManamon, but Marla takes the cake for her recent boring, unimportant, paper filling articles!
Posted 12:04 PM, 12/26/2008
I thought the ABJ already had the worst, self promoting, pompuos reporter in McManahon but Marla passed him up with this lame and uniteresting and unimportant babble.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 04:42 PM, 12/26/2008
He He He He He Go my Steelers !!!
Akron, oh
Posted 05:49 PM, 12/26/2008
Schottenheimer is not the answer. The Browns need a tough, young coach. Someone that is willing to take chances, motivate and inspire the team and bring a youthful energetic philosophy. I would love to see someone molded around U. Meyer, Gruden, Kiffin and Harbaugh (either one will do). A retread like Marty will bring the same tired old schemes to the Browns. He has proven that he can get to the playoffs but still can't win the big one. He had great players in San Diego and it seemed like they would play mediocre football. If you can't win a SB with Gates, Tomlinson and Rivers, then there is something wrong with the coaching.
Posted 06:35 PM, 12/26/2008
Yeah, let's get an unproven coach again.
barberton, oh
Posted 11:09 PM, 12/26/2008
I think lerner should roll out sam rutigliano or paul brown
Posted 10:42 PM, 12/27/2008
Here are the only foreseeable possibilities right now for the next Browns coach.
1. Bill Cowher as coach and GM
2. Bill Cowher as coach splitting GM duties with maybe Marty Scottenheimer
3. Marty Schottenheimer as GM
4. Marty Schottenheimer as coach
5. Brian Billick as coach
6. Some offensive or defensive coordinator getting his first shot at being NFL coach probably spelling a disastrous repeat of the current season.
I really hope it is not number 6.
