Green Demon

OSU and USC have been the most consistantly awsome teams since 2000 in my eyes, and finally seeing them go at it would be amazing.

Yeah the Browns were up until about 35 secounds to go and not only were they ahead up until that point but they were missing there starting RB in Droughns and the Browns secoundry which played well is pretty deep on the depth chart in because of injury. I am not making excuses for the lose cause the Browns should have been able to hold onto the lead and they just couldnt, but the fact still remains if the Browns had Droughns who knows if that would have helped or not.

The promotion/regalations format at the current moment wouldnt work to well, they would still need more teams for it to work that well and still I dont know if it would work as well in the US.

On another note it is sorta old news but the US team accepted an invitation to play in the Copa America tournament this summer. It will be nice to see the team play some competion tougher then they usually play in Confacaf, since the only time they usually play tougher teams are in the world cup.

I think that Adu is probably overrated too, but I still think that he can be a good player just not the "Pele" that everybody was expecting them to be. He is still only 17 so he still has time to improve.

Well since there wasnt a thread about the MLS I decided to make one with some of the news that has recently came about in the MLS.

Houston Dynamos Win MLS Cup

I must say that I wasnt able to catch the whole game but this really was a good game that went into double OT and had the two goals at the backend of the 2nd OT that were scored only abit over 1 minute apart. Game went to PK's and Houston pulled out the Win the first year after relocating from San Jose.

MLS approves "Beckham Rule"

This really is pretty big news for the MLS, this keeps in place the salary cap sorta, but it will allow teams to be able to go out and get the big name players if they so choose. This is be called the Beckham rule since there are a couple of teams that are looking to make a bid for Beckham when he becomes avalible and this new rule makes it possible for them to get the big name players. Hopefully teams put this to good use and go out and get some highly talented players to for one thing improve the league and hopefully get the league more popular.

MLS launches youth development initiative

Yet another step which can hopefully improve the quality of American soccer with the league wide set up of youth development/teams. In the past this is where I really thought that the MLS was lacking in having any sort of youth activity, this may help keep any of the talent that the US has stay in the US more often then not by bringing up the players up with the teams.

All this has happened in the past week too, so hopefully there is other big news to talk about in this offseason for the MLS and hopefully some big player signings.

These guy are a local band from Columbus and the drummer who I know attends the college that go to Bowling Green State University, and that is how I heard about the band. They have a sound that I havent heard to much but from what I have heard I like the sound. If you are looking for something new give it a listen.

I really think that the Falcons are overated espesically with this weeks game. The Browns have really been coming along lately, still dont expect the playoffs this year or anything but things are starting to look better for the future espesially on defense. The only problem that the Browns have had is consistency, they will go out and play really well in the first half like they did today but then look like a different team in the secound half like they did today, I am just glad it didnt cost them the game this time like it has in the past. I am looking forward to next weeks steelers v. browns game cause the game really should be competitive.

I am not going to say that the Bulls arent good cause they most definatly are I just dont see how they could get to the finals this year, the thing that the lacked last season was a offensive presence down low and that is no different this year. It is not question that B. Wallace is far better then Chandler on D but there really isnt that much of a difference on O side of the ball. I am not doubting that they will go to the playoffs and all that stuff but I dont see them making it to the finals this year.

Eric Snow definatly isnt anywhere near the best PG in the league but he gets the job done on D and he can pass and doesnt turn over much which is all the really need. The younger quicker PG that could eventually take Snows place could be a draft pick we had this year in Daniel Gibson, he wont be starting or anything this year but he could be the future PG of this team. The Cavs bench isnt the deepest in the league but they got some good players coming off the bench this year in Vareajo, Marshall and Wesley and some toughness in Pollard as long as he stays healthy. I think some people forget that the Cavs still won 50 games last season without thier starting SG in Larry Hughes for more then half the season and the other guys they recently aquired D. Jones, and Donyell Marshall had some of thier worst season in recent memory. So you have to figure that even if Hughes plays 10 or more games and one of the D plays closer to thier normal level, the team will atleast win what they did last year and even improve a few games with the constant growth of Lebron.

I must say that regardless of my opinions of the teams I am really looking forward to this season espesiallly to see how the East ends up in the end and more specifially the Central.

Well my BGSU Falcons are facing the Buckeyes this weekend and I must say that I am glad that this game is going to be played. I really do hope that BG is able to keep it close for most of the game just to keep the program respectable since it is going to pretty widely televised. BG has been able to keep it respectable the last two times they have faced OSU, even having a chance of winning the last time in 2003 when an intercepted pass in the waning moments ended the game. This Bg team is far younger then those past two teams so I know that this could be a huge blowout but I think Tressel wont run up the score on an in-state school since that is the way that he is.

ND wants the chance to play whoever they want and they make a ton of money while doing it since they dont have to split among other teams in their confrence since they arent in one. I am sure that if they took away their membership another confrence would just step right in and be alright with taking every sport then football because of the name recognition and all of ND.

The Browns may not have played a good game at all but atleast they laid out Chad Johnson at the end that was a sick hit and if you didnt see it here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSAdnqttQ7I Offense really isnt able to put it together right now and that is what is really bringing the team down along with a bunch of tipped balls that went for interception and I cant take anything away from the Bengals secondary since they always were in the right place for those. It looks like the Browns will have another high draft pick, hopefully they use it well.

As much as I really do hate the Steelers, I still am able to respect that won last year and that they are a good team, but like you said I just wish that the Browns can get better. The rivalry really hasnt been even for a while and it doesnt get mentioned as heated as much as it once was for that reason. I can only hope that the Browns young players countiue to develop and that in the coming season there can be more meaningful games between the two, cause I for one want to see another playoff game between the two since the last left me feeling sick losing cause the secoundary let Maddox split the defense. Probably not this year will we be competive but next year things may start looking up if we can kill the injury bug before it kills us again.

It may not be 100% Modell's fault but he is the one that moved the team even with some of the most loyal fans in football if not the loyalist. You will find a Browns Backer club in every state and also in some other countries if I remember correctly and the stadium sells out pretty much every game since the reconception. The fact that he tried to keep the move secret is what really got him in trouble, since it was leaked it made the reaction so much worse altough a move at all was going to make the fans angry. Municipal(sp?) Stadium where the Browns was just to big and it was becoming run down and Modell was already in debt so he couldnt pay for improvements and he went to the city. As you may know Cleveland isnt exactly the richest city and is definatly on the poorer side so there was know way that Cleveland could help pay for anything, so Modell decided to take the team away, when I am sure if he wanted he could have sold the team and made a little profit while giving the team hopefully a richer owner(like he eventually did with the Ravens anyways) who could have improved the stadium or build a new one like they eventually did with the new Cleveland Browns Stadium. So altough it may not 100% be his fault there is definatly some blame that has to be put on him.

The Browns didnt play well in the first half that is for sure but once they started going through Winslow they were able to start moving, without a couple key mistakes, the Browns pull of the win. Frye may not be the NFL best QB but he is better then what we have had and if it wasnt for his speed then he would have easily been sacked a couple more times, the Oline defiantly needs to play better if we are to go anywhere this season but that really isnt anything new. There also was a holy shit moment when Winslow one-handed that pass in the end zone that could have possibly been a TD but was called incomplete, the fact that he caught it and even had a chance at catching it was unreal. I not happy with the loss but I am encouraged by the weapons that we are starting to develop on offense and I am looking forward to the game next week againts the Bengals. The D showed glimpses of good play including the goal line stand they had. I am not expecting the playoffs this year, I think we are a year away from them depending on how Frye and some of the guys on the defense develop, this team will be somewhere around .500.

Damn just finished watching the BGSU-Buffalo game and my hopes from BG go down by each game, Buffalo is supposedly a bottom feeder of the confrence, yet it takes us 3 overtimes to get the win. Granted our Special Teams are blowing it with 2 block punts for 2 touchdowns in the past 2 games, and the fact that both teams missed extra points on consecutive touchdowns which is just terrible.

I must say that I am dissapointed about the MAC's first week showing this year granted they obviously faced tough teams in OSU and PSU but a couple of game that the teams could have done better in such as the Northwestern v. Miami(OH) and the CMU v. BC(would have been a really close game if it were for some bad play calling). I was able to attend my first D-1 football game for the college I am currently attend in Bowling Green State University vs. Wisconson and it was also the first college game in Cleveland Browns Stadium. The final score didnt show it (35-14) but I thought BGSU play well and may have a spot in the MAC Championship game at the end of the season, espescially since the starting QB wasnt even playing. I am looking forward to what will hopefully be another great season of college football.

Suggs cut by Cleveland really isnt much of a surprise to me, we already got a nice starter in Droughuns and we just drafted a good change of pace back in Jerome Harrison and then we even got a guy that could step in and do pretty well in a former starter William Green who could be doing better if it werent for the off the field problems he has had. Along with that Suggs has been injury prone during his time with us so I really wasnt a huge shock to see him let go and I have to say altough some of the cuts are kinda surprising there was really nothing spectacular that I didnt see coming.

Screw the Indians. They start to play really good baseball and it far to late for it to make any differance. C.C. turned in another CG, which I believe was his 5th of the season, C.C. gets overlooked quite a bit IMO he already has his 79th win and he is just 26 years old which I have heard a stat that it is tops among any active pitcher under 27. He has had a couple problems with injuries but nothing major to speak of. A guy that would probably be the AL MVP front runner if the indians were at the top of the division like they should be, is Travis Hafner. He hit #40 tonight and is high in most of the batting categories that I can think of, I just wish it would mean something this year. I just hope cheap Dolan doesnt get cheaper and not sign guys like C.C., Hafner, and Sizemore.

I am hoping that the Blue Jackets can pick up where they left off at the end of last season. They were starting to put together some wins but at that point it was to late since the begininng of the last season they were without Nash which seemed to be pretty big when he came back. Hopefully Nash can actually stay health this year and maybe the Blue Jackets will be able to get into the Playoffs for the first time in Frachise history. A year older for some of the younger guys should help them develop into a better team, I am looking forward to the new season.

I will admit that I thought that the Tigers were going to start fading sometime but other then a few hicups there hasnt been any spectacular burnouts to speak of. I figure that since Detriot has made it this far without a collapse they probably arent going anywhere for now. To tell you the truth I would much rather see Detriot win the division then the Chi-sox, there was just so many bandwagon fans jumping on last year and they were close to losing the division to Cleveland before there flameout last year. White sox fans last year just annoyed me for whatever reason, so screw them.

I really think that anyone can win the Central this year, with the Bucks amd Pacers having a slightly lesser chance then the other teams. The Pistons got a little worse but they are still a team that has been to a couple straight ECF's, the Bulls are looking good altough I think that some people are overating them since I still think that they need a inside scorer since B-Wallace is a monster on D but is lacking on the O side of the ball so he doesnt adress that need, and the Cavs have Lebron and altough some people are overlooking it and it could be some of me being a homer but they got some steals in the draft in Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson. Brown if he moves to PG or even plays off the ball most of the time with Bron and Hughes bringing the ball down could be starting by midseason if thing go right. And both of the picks fill a need in 3 pt shooting that Cleveland was still lacking in last year and they both provide adequete defense(and very good D from Brown). This Cleveland team was a damn rebound from going to the ECF last year so they could be there next year IMO. The Bulls and Pistons could definatly be fighting for a spot in the ECF too, and we may see another playoff with 4 if not possibly 5 of the the central teams making the playoffs again although there are alot of teams in the east getting better.

The Browns have to have the worst luck of any team in the NFL right now, draft bust after draft bust, then Winslow decides to fly of his motorcycle and Braylon tears his ACL last year and of course on just the secound day of traning camp when most of the teams arent even in camp year LeCharles Bently arguably one of the top centers in the NFL tears a tendon in his knee and is gone for the season. Of course it had to be a top free agent which Cleveland doesnt get a whole lot and a hometown guy at the least. I am just waiting for the Cleveland Browns team flight to crash on the way to a game :ohwell: This is just another reason why it sucks to be a Cleveland sports fan, yet for some stupid reason I will countiue cause that is just the way i am.

This may have came out like a rant but I can believe that something like this happened before we(Cleveland Browns fans) actually got to see this team perform so this already puts a damper on the season.

I think that Arenas is probably on his way out also there were alot of tatical mistakes IMO by him during the tournament. As others have said I dont understand why Twellman wasnt brought along espesially when the person that was brought instead was Brian Ching who litteraly did nothing all tournament. I am sure that Twellmen would have atleast gotten on the field and he showed in some friendlies in the early spring that he could score. I dont think playing the 4-5-1 was a good idea and they played it every game, if they were going to start McBride up top, they should have say Johnson up there to give them some speed with whatever McBride does, and during this WC McBride didnt show up at all IMO. For the US alot of the guys that we were counting on to be there this WC like Donavon, Beasley, McBride, and Reyna just didnt show up and it definatly showed. So I think the blame needs to put not just on one person but the group, the key players didnt show up, and Arena screwed things up tactically, some calls went against the US but if the US would have played better they could have overcome those calls.

Oh well sorry about going off on a rant, but after watching the effort that the US team gave other then for most of the 2nd half against Italy, they really deserve what they got with the way that they played and they got nothing.

I wasnt able to see the last 10 min. cause I had to go to a grad party but I am semi-happy that the US could pull out the draw. The fact that we played a man down for the last half basically and still had a ton of chances showed that they could play alot better then they did against the Czechs, when they had basically very few chances with 11 guys. Not really sure why Arena didnt put Johnson in, or start him for that matter he was the only one that was putting effort in against the Czechs so I thought Arena would give him the nod, he would have also gave some pace up top when the Italians were starting to wear down. I wish Arena would have also kept in Dempsey or Convey cause from what I saw they were haveing good games getting down field and giving the team chances.

I am glad that the draw atleast give us somewhat of a chance to advance but now we know that if we do we will be going in secound of the group and likely facing Brazil, which altough a game I would really love to see, I know Brazil is miles ahead of the US, so no repeat of going to the quarters again for the US no matter what IMO.

The ABC announcer here is completely ripping the ref apart and says he has no clue what is happeneing and that if it was possible they should sub the ref now.