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On the other side of Rushmore …
Let me first say I agree with the comment about why the sports-talk show on Dayton radio station WONE-AM (980) would bring disgraced Bengals receiver Chris Henry on as a guest. Obviously, it was a ratings grab, although I can’t imagine why anyone cares what this miscreant has to say, especially since he never says much of anything.
What you can’t do is submit questions in advance for approval, as if the repeat offender Henry, of all people, had somehow earned the right to a concession that is seldom, if ever, granted by reputable news services.
OK, that’s over, and it’s a pretty good sports-talk show for the most part, well worth a listen on your way home from work or over the Internet if you’re out of town.
TODAY’S TOPIC: Since Dayton Daily News Bengals reporter Chick Ludwig treated us to the Browns’ “Mount Rushmore,” let’s see what’s on the other side. Who have been the top 10 disappointments in team history? I know, it’s pretty easy, but indulge me.
To save time, we’ll limit this to individuals as opposed to moments such as “Red Right 88,” “The Drive,” “The Fumble” and Art Modell selling Browns fans down the river.
1. Carmen Policy. Best thing about this former co-owner was that he talked a lot. He was a lawyer, so he thought he could weasel out of any situation with a few well-chosen words. My favorite line came after fans threw beer bottles and other stuff on the field in response to a bad call against Jacksonville. “Those plastic bottles,” he said, “don’t pack much of a wallop.” Of course, some of them were filled and, let me tell you, they seemed to pack a wallop when they hit the ground a few feet from where I was standing. After five years, Policy cashed in his shares and ducked into retirement, not a minute too soon.
2. Willis Adams. This fast wide receiver was a first-round draft choice in 1979 but never made much of an impact. You knew something was up when the laces of the football caused an injury to his hands. Somehow that never happened to Ozzie Newsome or Dave Logan.
3. Mike Junkin. The first clue should have been that he was a linebacker from DUKE, which isn’t exactly Linebacker U. Marty Schottenheimer saw this guy under a pile of weights and decided he must become the No. 5 pick of the 1987 draft. Scout Dom Anile carved a permanent niche in Browns lore by using the phrase “Mad Dog in a Meat Market” to describe Junkin in action. Turned out to be more like “Playful Kitten in a Meadow.”
4. Clifford Charlton. Undaunted, the Browns tried again the next year with a linebacker in the first round as quarterback Bernie Kosar, hoping for an offensive upgrade, silently seethed. Hard to imagine two bigger mistakes by one team at the same position in back-to-back years. Just devastating.
5. Mike Phipps. Modell fancied himself a football man, so it made sense to him to trade future Hall of Famer Paul Warfield for the right to draft this Purdue quarterback in 1970. Of all the fine Purdue quarterbacks (Griese, Dawson, even Jim “Don’t Call Me Chris” Everett), the Browns end up with this guy. Of course, they had Dawson and let him go, so maybe this was cosmic payback.
6. Tim Couch. First overall pick in 1999, the quarterback became the face of the new franchise, for better or worse. Though not all his fault, it was mostly worse.
7. William Green. Running backs often have short shelf lives, but this guy’s career expired in record time. Last I heard he was attempting a comeback but wasn’t exactly being besieged with offers.
8. Butch Davis. He wasn’t supposed to be a “college coach.” He was supposed to be, as John Madden put it, an “NFL coach who had coached in college.” His rah-rah act soon wore thin as the losses mounted following some early success. What he needed was a personnel department that went beyond longtime bobo Pete Garcia.
9. Courtney Brown. Injuries ruined the Penn State defensive end, but even when healthy, there was something slightly off-kilter about “The Quiet Storm.” As cornerback Corey Fuller put it, “It’s good to be quiet, but we need killers.” Brown was never a killer.
10. Bill Belichick. Did a competent job as head coach, leading a playoff run in ‘94. But considering what he went on to become in New England, Spygate aside, Browns fans are right to feel cheated.
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By ламинат
August 13, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
huc Een plaatje zegt alles, toch ? jit Het volledige rapport is hier te vinden. Lees natuurlijk h de blogposting. h y Thanks for interesting post! vvv ламинат и паркет 4y