Apparently, some fans don't.

Brown was being honored by being inducted into the Browns Ring of Honor this past weekend. Only Brown didn't show up. The reason? He was boycotting the event because he was unhappy with the reduced role with the team's administration. Brown even complained that he had been reduced to the likes of a team mascot.

This is America. Of course, everyone has the right to boo whoever they want, whenever they want. But booing Jim Brown is stupid. This is a guy who loves the organization, spoke out and fought to get a team back when the original Browns left for Baltimore and even tried to lure Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome to come back to Cleveland to run the operations of the franchise.

Jim Brown has never been known to be the quiet type. He speaks loudly and stands up for what he believes in. His personal beef with the administration is not a slap in the face to the fans, it's a way of standing up for what HE feels is right. If you were one of the folks booing in the crowd, then shame on you. Clap for Brown for all things he's done good for your team, not for the one thing that you don't like. He's earned that respect.

Stay classy, Cleveland.............

ESPN's Monday Night Football crew Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski had a round table session regarding the AFC North and how they will fare this season. Jaws and Gruden pretty much had great things to say about Baltimore and Cincinnati. But when it came to Pittsburgh and Cleveland, only Gruden was a little more optimistic regarding how they will fare in the 2010 season.

Do you agree or disagree? Is this the yeah Flacco becomes the cusp of being elite? Does Cincy repeat as AFCN Champs? Will Pittsburgh be better than last year or decline without Big Ben? Or will Cleveland win more than 6 games?

You decide

Former Browns/Ravens owner Art Modell is 85 years old and just happy to be alive right now. But if he were 10-15 years younger, he'd probably kiss LeBron James' feet at this very moment. Why?? Because LeBron has just taken a heavy load off of Modell's shoulders.

He is no longer the only hated man amongst the Cleveland, OH population.

Last night, during a 1 hour special, LeBron James told the world that he was making his decision on where to sign. And he chose South Beach, to join Dwayne Wade and the newly signed Chris Bosh to play with the Miami Heat. Immediately, fans began to get rowdy and upset at the Akron, OH native, by going in the streets and burning his jersey as ESPN played the video back to LeBron during his special (which I thought was beyond tacky on ESPN's part... but I digress).

If that wasn't bad enough, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert added fuel to the "I Hate Bron Bron" fire, telling the fans they don't deserve this kind of, "cowardly betrayal". Yeah, real nice, Gilbert. Don't be mad when Cavs fans burn your arena down in the process.

Art Modell now can say he isn't alone.. at least not for the time being. LeBron has currently taken the helm of, "Cleveland's Most Wanted" and is on a race to become the new villain in that town. Don't get it twisted, Modell will always be hated by the Browns faithful. But maybe folks can hate him a little less and at least allow him into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, where he rightfully belongs.

If Art Modell could, he'd probably call LeBron right now and thank him for his decision to go to Miami. He can now say he's no longer the lone Public Enemy in the city of Cleveland, and that says a LOT!

Thanks, Bron Bron..... Signed, Modell Management

After watching last night's loss against the Browns, one has to wonder what is REALLY going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers? The Steelers, coming into Cleveland, have now lost five games in a row. You read that right.. the Super Bowl Champs have lost 5 games in a row. Included in those 5 loses are to teams like the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns, all teams you won no more than 3 games coming into their contest against Pittsburgh.

The Steelers went to Cleveland with a 6-6 record, a 12 game win streak over the Browns and in hopes of keeping their playoff chances alive. Instead, they left with a 6-7 record, Big Ben's first loss to Cleveland and a very slim chance to make the playoffs.



What exactly is going on with the reigning Super Bowl Champs??? The 2006 Steelers also had a Championship hangover after their 2005 Super Bowl win, going for an 8-8 record. But Steelers apologists will always point at the motorcycle accident that Roethlisberger suffered prior to the beginning of that season. So what is it this season that's holding them back for a repeat?!

One thought is the loss of Steelers S Troy Polamalu and DE Aaron Smith . The defense is really struggling with the loss of these two players. Most would only point out Polamalu's loss, which IS huge, but I think that Smith's loss is just as big. Without Smith, teams have had more success running against the defense. And without Polamalu's presence on the field, it shows a disturbing truth that the Steelers secondary is really not that good without their All Pro safety.



Others might suggest a recent divide in the locker room. Hines Wards went public not long ago, telling Bob Costas that the team was "50/50" on Ben being able to play for the Ravens game, one that he sat out for because of a concussion he received the week prior. While fans and media have made fun of Ben in the past by calling him a "drama queen", one has to wonder if the team views their starting QB one as well, and is tired of it. Ward was doubtful up until game time for the Browns game, with a hamstring injury. While Ward did end up playing, you have to question if this was a way for Ward to "learn" his QB a lesson? I know Steelers fans will call this theory asinine, but is it really?! Especially if you are a player that's fed up of your teammate's shenanigans.

Whatever the reason may be, this isn't the Steelers team that fans saw when they demolished the Denver Broncos, or the team that gave the Minnesota Vikings their first loss. For whatever reason, the Steelers are not in synch and look uninspired on the football field. The Steelers have the Packers, Ravens and Dolphins to end the season, all teams that are in the playoff hunt. The Steelers need to win out and then pray that the cards fall their way in order to make the playoffs themselves.

What happens from here, we'll see. But this is one interesting story to watch.

Saints LB Jonathon Vilma had a lot to say regarding Quinn's hit to Ravens LB Terrell Suggs on Monday night. Before Suggs took a shot from Quinn, Vilma experienced his own low blow from Mark Sanchez in Week 4. He was upset about Quinn's shot on Suggs and sounded off about it on his PlayMaker Mobile page last night:

"What bothers me about this play is, for one, Brady Quinn is not a rookie—he's a third year guy. Two, he knows right and wrong, he knows fair and foul play. And three, as much emphasis as there is put on protecting quarterbacks, quarterbacks need to understand they need to do the same thing. There is a reason defensive players can't go low on quarterbacks. Look at Tom Brady. Look what happened to him. So why would you reciprocate and do the same thing if you're the QB? That's what really bothers me.

"It's not like Mark Sanchez where it was his fourth game starting and he was a little bewildered and he was just out there. Brady Quinn has been around and he understands right from wrong. He understands fair and foul play. That bothers me. Yeah, Brady Quinn gets fined but that fine isn't going to help the Ravens, it's not gonna help Terrell Suggs get back any quicker, and now they've got to play Peyton Manning this weekend.

"Not having Suggs impacts them in so many different ways. Now do they not only miss one of their best pass rushers but they miss one of their best players on defense, period. The guy can stop the run and the pass and you need that against a guy like Peyton Manning, where everyone says "don't blitz Peyton," but you need someone to rush the passer and that was their guy. That's what's especially frustrating. To see that happen, the way it happened, being on the defensive side it really bothers. We have to be really conscious about where and how and how hard we hit a quarterback, and now QBs are just going after defensive players because they're afraid of being blocked, they're afraid of being hit, and that's just not right."

I feel Vilma on this 100%. I've looked at this hit over and over again and it was unnecessary and dirty. While there are tons of rules on protection against QBs, defenders don't have the same treatment. Prime example, Quinn was only fined $10,000 for his hit on Suggs. While Ray Lewis was fined $25,000 for hitting unnecessary roughness against Chad Ochocinco, who immediately got up and was unharmed during the play. Quinn has apologized, but I hope he's not looking for an acceptance anytime soon, as I doubt Suggs is eager to give him a pass.

Something needs to be done about this. What are your thoughts regarding this incident?? In case you haven't seen it:

Browns RB Jamal Lewis has told reporters that he is planning to retire after the end of the 2009 season. This is a sad situation, mainly because he's on a Browns team that couldn't beat my son's Pop Warner team. But also because Lewis has a place in my heart from his days as a Raven.

The former 1st rounder of the 2000 draft, Lewis was a great asset to the Ravens, and was a key player in his rookie season as the Ravens won Super Bowl 35. Lewis was a bruising, down hill runner, pounding the rock for over 1,000 yards in all but 1 season during his tenure with the Ravens. Fans remember Lewis' remarkable 2003 season in which is rushed for 2066 (the 2nd highest in NFL history) and had a single season record game of rushing 295 yard game against the Browns. I remember a guy who played hard and was hard to tackle every time he got a hold of the ball.

Lewis , who just turned 30 in August, has always been injury prone, having 2 major knee surgeries by his sophomore season with the Ravens. And as recent as this season, has had groin problems which held him back in playing in games. With his style of running, it's no surprise that Lewis is ready to hang up his cleats for good.

While Lewis didn't really leave Baltimore with the best of terms (he made comments regarding the team and offensive line once he signed with Cleveland), what he did as a Raven will always be held in a high regard to me. In my opinion, once Lewis retires he should definitely be placed in the Ravens Ring Of Honor. Had Lewis not been the focal point of the offense during his record breaking season, the Ravens would have easily been 5-11 and no playoff hopes. He deserves to be acknowledged for what he has done for this team, he was a great player during his time here, and I'm sure the Ravens organization will pay great homage to Lewis.

Week Two is in the bag. And as the weeks go on, it tends to get better and better. There is never a dull moment in the NFL, so let's recap what happened yesterday:

- Another Sunday, another reason why I'm gonna have hypertension in a few years. The Ravens are gonna be the death of me. Two close games back-to-back and it was killing me to watch. My boo, Philip Rivers, made the Ravens D earn their paycheck yesterday. Rivers had a career high 436 yards passing against the Ravens' defense, but it was the lack of TD's in the redzone that allowed Baltimore to hang around and win the game. Shout out to Ray Lewis for finding the Fountain of Youth and not sharing. Dude is hella old in football years, but still got it!


*bonus* Philip Rivers, I still love you, boo!

-The Browns are sad... really sad.. I kinda feel bad for everyone involved. You know it's bad when the head coach fines a player $1700 for a bottle of water. Every body's fed up.

-If you're a Redskins fan, you CANNOT be happy that you squeaked out a win against the Rams. And don't give me that, "A win is a win" mess.. it was the RAMS!!!! That was a painful game to watch. I just thank the football gods for allowing me to see the Pats-Jets game during the same time.

*bonus* Twitter will be the death of Redskins LB Robert Henson in DC. What a dummy!

-If you are a Rams fan, you have to be even more mad that you coughed up the ball inside the Redskins' 5 yard line for the possible go ahead score and the win. If it wasn't for bad luck, you guys wouldn't have any.

- I'm so glad Sexy Rexy and the Jets walked the walk. The old adage is, don't have your mouth write checks that your azz can't cash. Well, the Jets cashed in their checks, stocks, bonds, everything with that win. Congrats to Sanchez and Co. for the big win against the Pats. We know what team came to play yesterday, and it wasn't the team Brady was on.



*bonus* Bill Belichick has to be the sorest loser in the NFL. They guy has had 3 Super Bowls and a perfect regular season. But when he loses, he has the phoniest handshake ever. I'm convinced he woulda pulled a "LeBron" had Sanchez not ran him down to be a good sport.

- If you are a Packers fan, you're mad about how the game ended. But you can't be mad at Chad Ochocinco. The guy is hard to dislike, and he said that he was gonna do the Lambeau Leap in the crowd. I'm real mad that he chose a "soft" spot and found 3 Bengals fans to jump into (I'm convinced that Bengals fans don't travel, so I think those were actors that were paid to sit there in case he scored). The craziest part of the leap, is the guy in the white shirt that seems to be punching him on the back. Dude... simma down, Chad means no harm





- Can we just give Drew Brees the NFL MVP Award now??? Dude is a beast.

- Jeff Reed, there is no crying in football.

- I wrote that the Jags should move to LA during the summer, and more and more this suggestion seems to be coming true. They don't have the support from the fans and don't have a need to show up on Sundays to give them a reason to come. It's sad, really, because Maurice Jones-Drew is a great player and his talent is going to waist right now

- Michael Vick can play next week, YEAY!!!!!

- Raiders/Chiefs game.... Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

- HELLOOOOOOOOOOO Houston, and thank you for coming out to play with us this week. Great game from the Texans.

- I think I'm gonna pick the Lions to win next Sunday... I wonder who they play??? *looks at schedule* Washington Redskins... Yup.... I think I will.


- Is it me, or are the Cowboys always "Tardy For The Party"? You know.. their own... Jerry Jones handpicked the Ravens to close out Texas Stadium, had this great post game ceremony lined up, but then allowed two of the longest run plays in stadium history, along with a loss. Then they open up that empire of a stadium with all of the trimmings (cage dancers included), and lose to the Giants in the final seconds of the game. When will America's Team keep up with JJ's extravagant activities in his stadiums??? I'm just saying...........


*bonus* If I see Jordin Sparks performs one more National Anthem at a football game, I'm gonna pull my hair out. I know work is hard to find these days, but damn... isn't there an Idol Reunion Tour you you need to be on?? Jordin Sparks, sitcho irrelevant azz down!

If you've missed the breaking news in the NFL, Michael Vick finally has found a home. Vick agreed to sign a 2 year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, going to his first team since being released from prison. The first year of the deal, Vick will make $1.5 million with a 2nd year option at $5.2 million.

Most people are surprised by the Vick-to-Eagles signing, but I'm not. Vick is not a threat to take McNabb's job, in my opinion. Backup QB Kevin Kolb just went down with a strained knee ligament earlier this week. So Vick could be backing up McNabb, at least until Kolb returns.

For the most part, I think we can all agree that Vick will be a great wildcat player. Philly is stacked with offensive weapons and Vick only enhances that roster. Vick has previously played in a West Coast offense, so it should take little time for him to learn the playbook.

This Sunday Vick will be on 60 Minutes in an exclusive interview with James Brown. I'm glad Vick is getting a second chance and putting his past behind him. Hopefully this interview will allow him to speak once and for all about his experience, so he can have closure so folks can move on and just let the man do what he does best... play football.

Here is a sneak peak of the interview on Sunday. This will be a good one, I suggest everyone check it out.



Petty Sidenote: I'd love to see the PETA people come to Philly and protest. Philly fans don't play, they protect their own, and PETA doesn't know what's gonna hit them if they do. They better stay away



In other NFL News, Browns WR Donte Stallworth has been suspended for the 2009 season, from his fatal accident which killed a pedestrian earlier this year.

While some people think that Stallworth's sentence is too harsh, personally I have no real issue with it. Stallworth needs to thank God that he's not sitting in jail for that long. A DUI is a serious offense, and killing a pedestrian while under the influence is even worse. But even with that said, I feel for him, because I can't imagine playing a roll in the death of a person.

In an E:60 interview, Stallworth talks about the night of the accident, what led up to the it and how it affects him to the day. It was a very good interview and I thought he was pretty sincere when say he still thinks about it. Here's a snippet of the interview with ESPN's Michael Smith:



The show aired earlier this week, so check your local listing for the re-run. I hope this is the time to reflect and to learn how to move on for Stallworth. I fully expect him to be ready and motivated as ever next year. The Browns could really use him this year, but since most folks think the Browns will suck anyway, he can save it all for next season, when (hopefully), the Browns start to turn it around.

Okay guys and gals, you know what time it is. Time for the Sitchoazz Down Award of the week.



This one goes to the OG of football, Mr. Jim Brown. Brown is deemed to many as one of the greatest athletes to touch a football. But in addition to his greatness, Brown has also been known to be very vocal. Sometimes speaking on things that he really shouldn't. This time around, Brown spoke out about not one, but two things that put him up for the "Sitchoazz Down" honors.


Brown Speaks Out On Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan


Brown recently spoke out on Woods and Jordan regarding social activism, in a Real Sports interview (which airs June 23rd). When discussing Woods, Brown said the following:

"This cat is a mamajama; he is a killer. He'll run over you, he'll kick your ass. But as an individual for social change or any of that kind of -- , terrible. Terrible."

Regarding both athletes, Brown has this to share:

"I know they both know better, OK? And I know they both can do better without hurting themselves."

Okay first off... who still says mamajama??? This is 2009, not 1979. The last time "mamajama" was popular, Soul Train was still relevant.


Second, since when did you become the Activism Police?? There are so many other athletes who do much worse than slacking in social activism. Yet, that's who you decide to focus on???

Brown's a smart man. He brings them up because they are famous worldwide. Any mention of their names makes his comments noticeable. But it wasn't necessary. Let them live their lives as they see fit, even if it's not under your standards.



Brown Suspects Marijuana Involved In Stallworth Accident


So Mr. Brown goes on Dan LeBetard's radio show and speculates that Browns WR Donte Stallworth was doing more than drinking the night he killed a pedestrian. During the interview, he told LeBetard:

"This situation is a tragedy all around, but what was involved was alcohol and marijuana. On one hand, DUI is a very serious thing in America. Marijuana of course is against all the rules."

Brown later admits that he's not 100% sure this info is accurate, but says that he spoke to a "very reliable source" regarding the allegations (Brown is a part of the Cleveland Browns management).

If I'm the Browns, I'm either temporarily suspending him from his duties or I'm flat out firing him. Why would a member of your own organization put out such information, that hasn't even been confirmed????


He's supposed to work FOR the Browns, not against them. Clearly this is not a good look.

This is the new millennium, does he realize that folks can sue over anything???? What if this info is false, and Stallworth decides to take action for such allegations?? Maybe 40+ years ago you could just run off at the mouth, but in this day and age, we are all just one wrong comment away from a lawsuit.


I think this is the perfect time to tell Jim Brown, "Mr. Brown, you are an NFL icon. But your latest outbursts are uncalled for and unprofessional. We are in a recession, go sitchoazz down, before you are out of a job!

"This message has been brought to you by the NFL Chick!"

Since Draft Day is only a few days away, let's take a look back at the draft picks from 2000-2008. I decided to give my Frivolous Five, players who were the worst picks during that time period. The ones that made the least significant impact during their tenure with the team that thought so highly of them that they drafted them in the first round. This can be debatable of course, because going through the drafts, there were quite a few busts which surprised me a little. So who made the list??? Let's take a look at numbers 5 and 4 from my Frivolous Five, shall we.

#5- Courtney Brown, DE Penn State
#1 overall pick by Cleveland Browns, 2000



I felt a certain way about putting Brown on this list. Mainly because it wasn't his play that puts him on this list, but injuries. Coming out of Penn State, Brown was regarded highly by a lot of GMs. When Cleveland picked Brown #1 overall in the 2000 draft, they were looking to get a cornerstone to their defensive scheme, which was only in their second year after the Browns returned to the NFL the year before.

Brown started off solid, with 70 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks during his rookie season. In his second season, Brown had 4 1/2 sacks in just 5 games, but was sidelined with injuries for the rest of the year. Then it all went downhill from there. He was never 100% from his 2nd year, on out, totaling 19 sacks in his NFL career. Ouch!

Brown went to the Denver Broncos in 2005 as a back up, and even contributed to the Broncos making the playoffs. But during the 2006 preseason, Brown tore his anterior cruciate ligament (aka, the ACL) in his knee and was out for the entire season. That's the last we've heard of Brown.

The guy had so much potential to be special, but injuries plagued him from becoming more. While I can understand why some may think he shouldn't be on this list, the hype is what got him to #5. You would've thought Brown was the second coming of the late Reggie White, with all of the praise he received. He didn't live up to it.



#4- David Carr, QB Fresno State
#1 overall pick by Houston Texans, 2002



When the Texans picked Carr out of Fresno St., the notion was that Carr was going to help the expansion Texans by having their QB of the present and future. Well...... they were wrong... real wrong.

I actually felt bad for him. He played with the worst offensive line I have ever seen in the history of football. He was sacked 76 times, a single season record, and they went 4-12 their first year. He never was able to get over the shell shock of not having anyone that could stop a pass rush. He had his moments, but Carr never emerged as the QB the Texans thought he would be.

In 2006, he had a career high completion pct at 68.9%, but that wasn't enough to keep him in Houston. The Texans finally parted ways with Carr at the end of the season. He then went to play for the Carolina Panthers as a backup. When QB Jake Delhomme went down with an elbow injury in 2007, Carr was named the starter. But he didn't do much there either, and by the 5th game of the season, Carr was dealing with injuries himself. He saw limited action throughout the rest of that season.

Carr is now with the NY Giants, backing up Eli Manning and earning a paycheck. He went from being the face of an expansion franchise, to backing up Peyton's baby brother. Had Carr gotten a little more help from his offensive line in the early years, who knows how this would have worked out. But they didn't... and he never recovered. Poor Carr.



Numbers 3 and 2 are coming up tomorrow... stay tuned!