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Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
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Do IT this week: Layering
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 07:40 p.m. EDT, Jun 17, 2009
BEREA: Rob Ryan opened his first news conference as Browns defensive coordinator by joking, ''Thanks for the hand,'' when no one responded to his introduction.
Then he was off to the races in a 20-minute session that was irreverent, quotable and totally entertaining.
At times self-deprecating and at times not afraid to toot his own horn, Ryan seemed like a breath of fresh air in the locked-down bunker kept by coach Eric Mangini.
Ryan, 46, the son of former NFL coach Buddy Ryan and twin brother of new New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, takes over a defense that ranked 26th in the league last season and has failed to stop the run and rush the passer since the team's rebirth in 1999. But to say he's enthusiastic about the task at hand would be an understatement.
''We're going to have an attacking defense, it's going to be an exciting defense, and we're going to play great football,'' Ryan said.
''I've had success coaching wherever I've been. For whatever reason my guys play hard, they don't quit. I can count games where I felt we didn't do well and we quit on one hand in all my years in coaching. We're going to fight like hell, just like the people in Cleveland would want us to.''
The Browns finished 28th against the run in 2008, and Ryan had similar problems during the past five years as defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders ranked 31st against the run the past two years and 25th in 2006.
''You have to be well-coordinated,'' he said. ''In Oakland the last three years, if you want to look at stats, we weren't very successful there, either, and my whole life I've stopped the run. There's fine talent here, everyone's working hard, their attitudes are great, they've taken to Eric. We'll make sure we get that done.''
As for the pass rush, the Browns' 17 sacks tied the Cincinnati Bengals for next-to-last in the league, and Ryan hesitated to predict improvement. It was the only area where he didn't seem to be shooting for the moon.
''I wasn't in the huddles, I'm not sure exactly what the problems were,'' he said. ''With today's game and in this league you get a lot of max protect in our conference and you've got a lot of quick, three-step passing games. Maybe the numbers aren't going to be so high. I'm sure we'll do better, but it's a work in progress.''
Ryan said his 3-4 scheme might not resemble that of former coach Romeo Crennel. Ryan also will mix in some of the 46 defensive scheme that his father made famous as defensive coordinator of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.
''I'm not here to farm anybody else's land,'' Ryan said. ''I'm not sure how things were done here in the past. We want to have multiple players who can play different spots and cause confusion. Right now the first thing is to line up and play with good technique.''
As for the 46, Ryan said: ''You'll see that on Sundays. The 46 was designed as a nickel defense, it's wasn't really the base for my father, either. It just started stopping everything.''
Ryan said during the four years he spent with Mangini with the New England Patriots from 2000-03, Mangini prodded him to teach him the 46. Mangini was defensive backs coach; Ryan directed linebackers.
''In New England we worked together a lot,'' Ryan said of Mangini. ''You'd be tired, you'd just worked two-a-days and you're ready to go to bed and he'd say, 'Come on, put those tapes on, let's watch it for an hour.' He's eventually the one who got it into New England, we had so much success with it there. It's something that's going to be part of our package.''
During their time together as Patriots assistants, Ryan came to respect Mangini's leadership ability, calling it ''phenomenal.''
''He can motivate you into doing things you don't want to do,'' Ryan said. ''We worked out 162 straight days and he made me do it because I fought every day to get out of it.
'' 'Put that 46 on, teach it to me,' he's just a grinder that way. He brings the best out of me, and he'll bring the best out of every player. He's so relentless that he makes you win. He had more to do with us having success in New England than probably anybody besides Tom Brady. I'll give him his due. He's that good of a coach.''
Asked how many days he has worked out in a row since coming to Cleveland, Ryan said, ''That would be zero.''
''We're waiting for training camp,'' Ryan said. ''Eric has had Green Berets come in, one of those ninja guys talked about losing weight. Whatever it takes. I'll lose 100 pounds if it means we'll win a Super Bowl.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns
BEREA: Rob Ryan opened his first news conference as Browns defensive coordinator by joking, ''Thanks for the hand,'' when no one responded to his introduction.
Then he was off to the races in a 20-minute session that was irreverent, quotable and totally entertaining.
At times self-deprecating and at times not afraid to toot his own horn, Ryan seemed like a breath of fresh air in the locked-down bunker kept by coach Eric Mangini.
Ryan, 46, the son of former NFL coach Buddy Ryan and twin brother of new New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, takes over a defense that ranked 26th in the league last season and has failed to stop the run and rush the passer since the team's rebirth in 1999. But to say he's enthusiastic about the task at hand would be an understatement.
''We're going to have an attacking defense, it's going to be an exciting defense, and we're going to play great football,'' Ryan said.
''I've had success coaching wherever I've been. For whatever reason my guys play hard, they don't quit. I can count games where I felt we didn't do well and we quit on one hand in all my years in coaching. We're going to fight like hell, just like the people in Cleveland would want us to.''
The Browns finished 28th against the run in 2008, and Ryan had similar problems during the past five years as defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders ranked 31st against the run the past two years and 25th in 2006.
''You have to be well-coordinated,'' he said. ''In Oakland the last three years, if you want to look at stats, we weren't very successful there, either, and my whole life I've stopped the run. There's fine talent here, everyone's working hard, their attitudes are great, they've taken to Eric. We'll make sure we get that done.''
As for the pass rush, the Browns' 17 sacks tied the Cincinnati Bengals for next-to-last in the league, and Ryan hesitated to predict improvement. It was the only area where he didn't seem to be shooting for the moon.
''I wasn't in the huddles, I'm not sure exactly what the problems were,'' he said. ''With today's game and in this league you get a lot of max protect in our conference and you've got a lot of quick, three-step passing games. Maybe the numbers aren't going to be so high. I'm sure we'll do better, but it's a work in progress.''
Ryan said his 3-4 scheme might not resemble that of former coach Romeo Crennel. Ryan also will mix in some of the 46 defensive scheme that his father made famous as defensive coordinator of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.
''I'm not here to farm anybody else's land,'' Ryan said. ''I'm not sure how things were done here in the past. We want to have multiple players who can play different spots and cause confusion. Right now the first thing is to line up and play with good technique.''
As for the 46, Ryan said: ''You'll see that on Sundays. The 46 was designed as a nickel defense, it's wasn't really the base for my father, either. It just started stopping everything.''
Ryan said during the four years he spent with Mangini with the New England Patriots from 2000-03, Mangini prodded him to teach him the 46. Mangini was defensive backs coach; Ryan directed linebackers.
''In New England we worked together a lot,'' Ryan said of Mangini. ''You'd be tired, you'd just worked two-a-days and you're ready to go to bed and he'd say, 'Come on, put those tapes on, let's watch it for an hour.' He's eventually the one who got it into New England, we had so much success with it there. It's something that's going to be part of our package.''
During their time together as Patriots assistants, Ryan came to respect Mangini's leadership ability, calling it ''phenomenal.''
''He can motivate you into doing things you don't want to do,'' Ryan said. ''We worked out 162 straight days and he made me do it because I fought every day to get out of it.
'' 'Put that 46 on, teach it to me,' he's just a grinder that way. He brings the best out of me, and he'll bring the best out of every player. He's so relentless that he makes you win. He had more to do with us having success in New England than probably anybody besides Tom Brady. I'll give him his due. He's that good of a coach.''
Asked how many days he has worked out in a row since coming to Cleveland, Ryan said, ''That would be zero.''
''We're waiting for training camp,'' Ryan said. ''Eric has had Green Berets come in, one of those ninja guys talked about losing weight. Whatever it takes. I'll lose 100 pounds if it means we'll win a Super Bowl.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Akron, OH
Posted 09:04 PM, 06/17/2009
I just want people to do their job, and smash some mouths. 80s Dawg style!
Kendall Park, nj
Posted 09:53 PM, 06/17/2009
It would be cool if we finally have a good defense. Then all we'll need is an offense.
Posted 07:16 AM, 06/18/2009
The hiring of Rob Ryan was the most exciting part of this offeason for me. If you've watched the sports news lately with all the hoopla surrounding his brother Rex, that will give you a little taste of what Rob brings to the table.
Great hire Mr. Mangini.
Posted 07:52 AM, 06/18/2009
Hope in one hand, s**t in the other! Face it people, Cleveland will NEVER have a sports champion. Besides, I'm sick of looking at all the idiots in the "DAWG POUND." These are NOT intelligent men! Move the Browns to Canada, move LeBron to New York, and give us all some peace for a change!
akron, oh
Posted 08:14 AM, 06/18/2009
Retired - jump off a bridge~
akron, OH
Posted 08:21 AM, 06/18/2009
retired if you want peace go to the country.
Mansfield, OH
Posted 08:40 AM, 06/18/2009
Retired - if you're sick at looking at the "idiots in the DAWG POUND," turn on Jim Lehrer and have another sip of Ensure.
Akron, OH
Posted 09:08 AM, 06/18/2009
''He can motivate you into doing things you don't want to do,''
....except riding a bus to CT to teach at a football camp for disadvantaged kids.
Snydertown, OH
Posted 09:49 AM, 06/18/2009
That IS exciting. I'm amazed that people even want to come to this town and coach anything.
Snydertown, OH
Posted 09:49 AM, 06/18/2009
Retired...EAT SH*T !!
Snydertown, OH
Posted 09:50 AM, 06/18/2009
Retired...EAT SH*T !!
tallmadge, oh
Posted 11:32 AM, 06/18/2009
Just reading the article boosted my spirits a little. As a die-hard Browns fan, I'm excited for the season.
Paradise, Oh
Posted 11:33 AM, 06/18/2009
3 and 13 and I am probably being generous. The Browns are a disaster.
Memory Alpha, OH
Posted 11:51 AM, 06/18/2009
Reading about Stallworth getting his hand slapped after his DUI/slaying of a Florida man...well, don't worry fans, he'll be able to play in spite of his 2-year house arrest sentence.
Posted 01:16 PM, 06/18/2009
3-13? Really? Please don't jump on the wagon later, there's no room for non-believers.
akron, oh
Posted 04:17 PM, 06/18/2009
@retired- So retire and go away already! We cheer our teams to live thru their actions. It brings life to us. That is what a fan does. You make statements that are meant to sound like absolutes. A fan knows the only absolute is the fat lady. A fan knows every new game is a chance at redemption. A fan is like a parent, they love you even when you stink.
akron, oh
Posted 04:18 PM, 06/18/2009
A fan believes there is luck in the socks he wears during a game.
akron, oh
Posted 04:19 PM, 06/18/2009
@cisco- We need to go to a game together.
everywhere, oh
Posted 05:23 PM, 06/18/2009
Gotta love Browns fans this time of year. So full of hope and promise. See you in December with the "wait till next year" pledge.
Smethport, Pa
Posted 10:15 PM, 06/20/2009
Retired, try turning off your tv and leave sports to the rest of us. we won't miss you.
