Dawg Pound Lounge ,

I have already marked Nov 25th on my calendar.  Should be a great weekend.  OSU/That team up north and Pittsburgh at Cleveland.  

woot woot...   

One thing about Art Modell's Browns.....We never had to worry in central Ohio who the network was going to show when the Browns game conflicted with the Bengals game....They would ALWAYS show the Browns.  It was never even a question...

Unfortunately the same can not be said for Mr. Lerner's Browns...


Even I have to admit, the Browns have been so irrelavant since 99,  it's hard to blame the local stations for choosing to show meaningful games...So I pay for the "Sunday Ticket"....

But yeah, it's ridiculous what the bars and restaurants have to pay....I used to work in that business in the late 80's early 90's for Damon's Restaurants/sports bars  based out of Columbus....In those days it was  worth it to the bar owners to have the ticket...today, everybody has access  so easily at home, it just crushed the industry...Back then, nobody wanted those gigantic dishes on their roof at home....   So they went to the sports bars to watch all the games.   It was standing room only on NFL Sunday's.  We used to just pack them in, every Sunday, full to capacity and then some.....These days, plenty of good seats available....I think techmology hurt the sports bars more than anything. 

One thing about Art Modell's Browns.....We never had to worry in central Ohio who the network was going to show when the Browns game conflicted with the Bengals game....They would ALWAYS show the Browns.  It was never even a question...

Unfortunately the same can not be said for Mr. Lerner's Browns...

true statement



the Browns were always on the tube . it was never a question . i liked it better when NBC had the weekly games and not cBS . Lima is a Browns town so TV 35 always had the Browns on . TV 22 out of Dayton had the Bengals on so no conflict .

now i am stuck with TV10 Cowlumbus & TV 7 Dayton which is in Bengal territory . all i can hope for is the Bungels and there fair weather fans stay away so the home games are blacked out then i get the Browns on TV 7 .

if the Browns play as ugly as they did last season on offense i might be better off not seeing that embarassing disorganised heartless mess . 

I think techmology hurt the sports bars more than anything. 

True...Who wants to go to a bar and watch a 50" flat screen with 80 strangers and your small table of 2-3 friends while spending $3.00 per beer, when you can have 6-10 friends over to watch that same size flat screen in your living room and have any kind of beer you could imagine purchased right at your local grocery...

That is the other thing that has changed...In the 90's- early 2000's, we would go to bars just to get a taste of micro brews/exotic imports..The store usually had about 3-5 imports and the rest domestic cookie cutter beer. Now it some times takes me ten minutes to pick out my beer, because I always have Yeungling on hand at home, an Irish Red(usually Smithwicks or Killians) and then I buy another 6 pack of something I have never tried and there is an entire half isle dedicated to these craft beers...I LOVE IT!!


These are days of home entertainment, which really is bad for local business. What bar can you spend half time playing a quick game of Madden on the PS3?

These are days of home entertainment, which really is bad for local business. What bar can you spend half time playing a quick game of Madden on the PS3?

a new private club just opened up here .20.00$ for membership . great idea as it keeps the knuckle heads out for a cheap price . the owner has a PS3 hooked up on a corner 42'  TV . with all the sports games . for 50 cents you can play Madden  tiger woods golf or my favorite right now MLB 12 the show which i have here actualy i have them all here . yes i am a big kid who like his PS3

he is a long time Browns fan . he contacted Direct TV but like we already discussed they want to much . he will stream it through the PS3 at a much discounted price  its his way of getting around paying them the big bucks . brilliant as long as it works .


crappy weather day today . looks like a movie game day here at the Bluez household . my GF called she is comming over tonight . we are just going to hang out and be lazy . sounds good after last nights events . i had fun but ..

my hair hurts this morning .. a friend of mines B Day was yesterday  . fitting he was born on 420

Irish after being stationed in Germany i had a helluva time finding a beer i liked when i got back stateside . i think at one point i tried them all before settling on Sam Adams light and now its pretty much Yuengling for me .

you can buy imported German beer but its watered down from what you have over there . the beer Gods do live in Barvaria

thank you Augsburg West Germany for the best years of my life . i didnt know it at the time as i was in a combat arms unit close to the Check border . we worked our tails off but when we had free time we played hard and made the most of it .

i found a facebook page dedicated to those times . its heart warming taliking with both the Americans but also the Germans we meet over there .

i plan to get back some day to Augsburg . much has changed since the wall came down . i have seen pictures of our old Karserns being tore down to make way for new projects .

our old barracks were WWII German barracks that were somewhat renovated . it was home for us .

if you get the chance visit Augsburg the history and beauty is breath taking .

I just changed my av to show my old barracks in Germany . we were on the second floor . Bravo Bttry was on the third .i was in Alpha Bttry .  sometimes boys would be boys and we would beat hell out of one another . the competion to be the best was quite fierce at times .

we had friends in the same unit but at times you squared off against one another . those friendships were put on hold that week as nobody wanted to lose out between the three firing bttrys . Charlie Bttry was in a different area so the competion wasnt quite as fierce as we shared a building with Bravo .

BEREA -- The best hope for the Cleveland Browns sat at a podium Thursday and talked about the teams draft plans.He didnt explain everything, because he cant. But he sure explained a lot. And he did it in a friendly, patient way that brought at least a little belief that it might well work. It has to happen, but at this point in their history the Browns need any sense of belief they can find.Tom Heckert grew up with football. His father Tom was one of the more respected personnel guys in the league, and when he worked for the Miami Dolphins Don Shula trusted his decisions. Earning Shulas trust was no simple matter.Tom the son worked for his father before growing on his own into a respected personnel guy with the Eagles. There, Andy Reid had final say on decisions, so some give credit (and blame) for the Eagles choice to Reid.But Heckert had input.Now Heckert runs the show in Cleveland.Hes a football-oriented guy making sound football choices based on sound logic. At least thats the hope. Just like its the hope that eventually those decisions will yield more wins to a team and fan base that needs every win it can find.The perceived biggest news from Heckerts news conference was that the Browns had their choice for their first pick narrowed down to two players. This sounded big, but in reality its not. The Browns pick fourth and even mountain climbers on the top of Everest know the first two picks will be quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. So essentially the Browns are on the clock with the second pick.If they dont have it narrowed down at this point, theyve not been working.Heckerts most interesting insights dribbled out as he answered questions. There he talked about his philosophy to ensure he gets a guy in the round he should be taken, his philosophy on trading up or down and his feelings about where the Browns are in relation to a possible trade.A year ago, the Browns had jettisoned most of the guys Eric Mangini brought in his first year as coach -- the Kenyon Colemans and Eric Bartons of the world. That made the Browns younger, but left the roster without numbers. Heckert felt one impact player would not have made that much difference, so he traded down out of the sixth spot and (with a trade up) drafted 21st.I wouldnt do that trade this year, he said, adding he has a limit to how far down hed trade.But he will be flexible. Heckert puts a round grade on each player, then tries to ensure said player is taken in the proper round. Which of course requires the cooperation of the other 31 teams.We all know there is a big part of luck in this draft and thats just the way it is, he said.But luck, as they say, is also the residue of design. Heckert admitted making mistakes (a refreshing notion), saying hes traded up to fill a need when he shouldnt have. Its why he does his best to stick to the evaluations.In a perfect world, wed draft a good player at a need position, he said. If it came down to it, it has to be the player over the need.This year Heckert said the Browns have first-round grades on 18 players, and hes confident hell be able to get one of the 18 when they pick 22nd (with Atlantas pick acquired a year ago). If the 18 are gone? Heckert waved his hand behind his head, thumb raised, and said, Get out.As in get out of the 22nd pick, either by moving up to get one of the 18, or moving down to get an extra pick.Heckerts overall goal: Get fast, physical players on defense, and fast guys on offense who can score touchdowns.I think we are on our way with the defense, he said. Do we need more help there? Yes. Offensively, everyone knows it - its not a secret - we need guys that can score points.In two years, the drafts run by Heckert have produced nine starters, four on defense, five on offense (including Colt McCoy). He has traded for or signed three more starters on defense (Chris Gocong, Scott Fujita and Sheldon Brown) and extended the contract of one starter on offense (Joe Thomas) and one on defense (DQwell Jackson).He expects the first three selections in this draft to start. Add another one or two from the mid-to-late rounds and the Browns lineup would have Heckerts stamp.Browns fans are all too familiar with this transition. Every team goes through it when it changes regimes, and change has been the one constant with the Browns. Mangini, Phil Savage, Butch Davis, Dwight Clark all had their methods. None worked, in part because lack of success led to dismissal and starting over -- again and againThirteen years of frustration have boiled down to this reality: The Browns best hope lies in their GM.Some people say (the draft picks) are starting because we arent very good, but that remains to be seen, Heckert said. We disagree with that, we think they are starting because they are good enough to start. If we can keep that up, and thats what our plans are but if you dont, my philosophy about building through the draft doesnt work.So you better draft good players.

I love the Irish beers...Always got killians, cuz thats what the wifey likes on occassion....Usually she prefers red wine though.   Tried a Murphy's Irish Red  last night...Not bad.   But nothing touches my favorite, Guinness....I don't even want to know how many of my dollars wind up in Arthur's pocket...  But I love it....

It's an acquired taste evidently...That's another benefit in my book.  Most of my friends and family members don't like it!

Murphy's is awesome TD...It is on a rotation in our local grocery though, I can't always get it.

Quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III will go first and second on Thursday night at the NFL draft, and Ryan Tannehill will be taken at some point later in the first round. After that the big question is about Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden, who is projected to go anywhere from the middle of the first round to late in the second. Weeden, who will be watching the draft from home, sounds like he’s hoping that he goes at No. 22.

The 22nd overall pick belongs to the Browns via last year’s Julio Jones trade with the Falcons, and in comments to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Weeden sounded like he believes that if he goes there, he’ll be poised to beat out Colt McCoy as the Browns’ starter this year.

“I know Colt had a good year last year, and he’s a good football player,” Weeden said. “But I’m a competitor, and I want to play as soon as possible. I’d be excited about the opportunity to come in and compete with him and see how things pan out.”

It’s also possible that Weeden could go to the Browns in the second round, at No. 37. Dropping that far would be a disappointment to Weeden, but he’s excited about the interest the Browns have shown.

“I feel really good about how everything’s gone with the Browns throughout this whole process. It would be exciting if I ended up there,” Weeden said. “They’ve got a good thing going on there, and they’re headed in the right direction.”

Whether the Browns are going in the right direction or not is debatable, but drafting Weeden would be a sign that the Browns don’t think McCoy is the man to take them in the right direction.

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden feels that theCleveland Browns like him. He has spoke about how much he would enjoy competing against Colt McCoy for the starting quarterback position with the Browns.

"I know Colt had a good year last year, and he's a good football player," remarked Weeden. "But I'm a competitor, and I want to play as soon as possible. I'd be excited about the opportunity to come in and compete with him and see how things pan out. You never know how it's going to go, but I feel really good about how everything's gone with the Browns throughout the whole process. It would be exciting if I ended up there."

Yes, he could help develop a young QB (Colt)...

On the other hand, there are only 32 starting QBs in the league and maybe he feels the competition would be the weakest in Cleveland...

Yea right, Colt had a great year... 

Several reports have emerged in recent days regarding the belief that the new rookie wage scale will result in more trades at the top of the draft.

Perhaps those reports are originating with the various teams that desperately want to trade down.

The thinking is that the reduced financial commitment to top-10 picks will now make teams more willing to move up into what previously was a ridiculously high-rent district.  But the teams that hold those upper-echelon picks realize this, and they will value the picks accordingly for trade purposes.

And so, in order to move up for a player who’ll now get far less money, a team may have to dangle far more in order to make the trade happen.

Consider the trade that previously was consummated between the Rams and the Redskins.  To slide down only four spots from the No. 2 pick, St. Louis received the sixth selection, two more first-round picks, and a second-round pick.  Before the implementation of a real rookie wage scale, the Redskins would have had a hard time justifying the total investment of picks and cash needed to sign quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Thus, the money saved on the contract could translate to a higher price for the ability to pay a player less.  In the short term, there could indeed be more trade talks as the teams try to determine a fair price for these price-controlled elite picks.  In the end, it could be a wash, with no more and no fewer trades made.

Regardless, the fact that it’s now cheaper to sign top-10 picks won’t be lost on the teams that “earned” those selections.

Jake ..nobody on offense had a good year. what a mess from the terrible coaching , missed assingments , clock management ,  game management  all the way down to leading the leagues in drops . nobody looked good including the moron HC / OC   

Only one way to with that side of the ball =========UP!

bluez, I'm big on PS3 and MW3 especially but who do you contact about games through PS3, Direct TV?  In Arizona, I'm not getting a Rams game let alone the Browns.

i am not sure who to call on that Blue .as it gets closer to the season i think the PS3 Web site will have something on it . right now there is nothing on it pertaining to NFL Sunday ticket or on the PS3 Ticker .

it sounds like a pretty good deal as i know that i will miss at least half of the Browns games this season . the Bengals picked up the pace which will make it harder for Cowlumbus to show Browns games  like i said before hopefuly the fair weather Bungel fans wont show up for there home games again this season which means blackout as i get Dayton CBS Stations as well .

good luck buddy !


dont forget folks to check your rosters . first pitch at 4.00 in NY if the weather hold up for the Mets / Giants game today . a double header from the Big Apple as they also play again at 7.00 tonight .

this league has turned out pretty good . thanks to all who joined in . looks like you guys / gals have it figured out . it will be a fight to the finish just how i like it . bring on the competition .

Thanks bluez, I will keep checking on the PS3 angle and if I get info, will pass it along.  As for baseball, we have a good start, Monsoons and bluez to the end.

i am not sure who to call on that Blue .as it gets closer to the season i think the PS3 Web site will have something on it . right now there is nothing on it pertaining to NFL Sunday ticket or on the PS3 Ticker .

I looked into this after you guys discussed it before...It is an add on for DirecTV subscribers...or a PS3 owner can add it for, I think it was $399.00. You go through the PS3 screen and look up Sunday ticket and you should be taken to a place to sign up.

 

is an add on for DirecTV subscribers...or a PS3 owner can add it for, I think it was $399.00. You go through the PS3 screen and look up Sunday ticket and you should be taken to a place to sign up.

is an add on for DirecTV subscribers...or a PS3 owner can add it for, I think it was $399.00. You go through the PS3 screen and look up Sunday ticket and you should be taken to a place to sign up.

OK, found more info...that was from the 2011 season above..

2012, the DirecTV subscriber Sunday Ticket is dropping to $199 for the season down from $280 in the past...

They had too many glitches in the 2011 PS3 offer, so they discontinued it for 2012 hoping to gain more DirecTV subscribers by lowering the cost of Sunday Ticket.

Check that once again!!!

That was glitches to the 2011 PS3, which caused the first week of games to be dropped, lol...

i will try to get more info on the PS3 pricing tonight...Last year it was $339, not $399...

this league has turned out pretty good . thanks to all who joined in . looks like you guys / gals have it figured out . it will be a fight to the finish just how i like it . bring on the competition .

I have steadily improved each week, however every one else improved at the same rate, which has dealt me an 0-3 start

Now Cliff Lee is on the DL...