David Theiss

The Browns are half-way through the preseason and the team is just as much a mystery as they were a month ago.   The quarterback situation is as murky as ever, the defense looks inconsistent at best, and the team is surprisingly sloppy and penalty prone in the brief instances we’ve seen this year’s group. Aside from those few observations, here are my thoughts on the 2009 Cleveland Browns:

• Derek Anderson looks exactly like Derek Anderson.  He plays well against poor teams (see: the Detroit Lions) and looks like complete garbage against moderate to good teams (see: The Green Bay Packers).  I’ve decided that the only way DA can flourish is with an absolute stud offensive line.  Most of the bad decisions he makes start with the deterioration of the pocket.  Maybe the presence of Ryan Tucker in 2007 and his absence in 2008 had more to do with the success of Derek Anderson than anyone thought.  DA needs more poise in the pocket – or learn to step up and let the rush pass him by, set his feet, and make a good throw.
• Brady Quinn hasn’t looked great either – but he has been more consistent.  It appears his leadership and huddle presence is better than Anderson, but who really knows if that’s true?  The knock against Brady prior to this season was that he couldn’t throw the deep ball – while he hasn’t exactly proven that to be false, he has shown a willingness to throw a deeper ball and more accuracy with the 20 to 25 yard pass in the first two games.
• Kamerion Wimbley is nowhere to be seen.  He briefly showed some power off the edge in the Green Bay game, but since then he has been virtually silent.  If he doesn’t break out this year he may be in danger of being cut.  Up to this point, Kamerion has been a huge disappointment.
• Safety Abe Elam has also been off to a slow start.  After he was hand picked by Eric Mangini (having failed to sign him as a restricted free agent – he was acquired through a draft-day trade), he was badly beaten for the Packers first TD and was flagged for a drive killing penalty on Saturday night.  While the secondary still needs time to gel (Eric Wright has looked solid thus far), more is expected of Elam than what we’ve seen thus far.
• Josh Cribbs needs a new contract.  I would normally fall under the category of people who believe players should honor their current deals – but Cribbs is killing it (as usual) on kick and punt returns and seems to be progressing faster than expected at wide receiver.  He should be the starting #2 receiver opposite Braylon Edwards (who looks completely disinterested, once again) on opening day.
• Finally, the running game is basically M.I.A. other than James Davis’s big run in the GLC.  Jamal Lewis needs to have a 1,200 + yard season for the Browns to even have a chance at sniffing 7 – 9 or 8 – 8.

All and all, the Browns aren’t as as bad as they looked in Green Bay and aren’t as good as they looked in Detroit.  My formal prediction will come after the final preseason game and once the starting quarterback is named.  But I will say that I think the Browns will be better than most people expect (as I’ve said before).  But after an off-season where I’ve been as disinterested in the Browns as I’ve ever been, I think I’m officially back on the bandwagon.

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As a closing thought, Katie keeps complaining that I never talk about her in any of my posts.  Well, here’s a shout-out to you, Katie – and a really rad picture.

James Cameron, the director behind the Terminator franchise, “Aliens,” “True Lies,” and “Titanic,” is releasing a science fiction epic this Christmas entitled “Avatar.”  The project, which has been rumored for years, has been cloaked in secrecy up until recently.  A handful of intriguing stills have been released over the last few days building the anticipation for the trailer, linked below.  A lot of ballyhoo has been made as to Cameron’s use of cutting-edge CGI and in particular, the 3-D I-MAX technology he has supposedly revolutionized.  The trailer was released today and from the looks of it, has been met with a relitively lukewarm response.  Since “Avatar” will be Cameron’s true follow-up to the highest grossing film of all-time “Titanic,” there will be a considerable amount of hype around this project, which will only continue to build in the upcoming months, leading all the way to December 18^th when it’s set to be released.

Check out the trailer here.

I’ve been gone for a long time.  And it’s not because I’m lazy or because I forgot about the site, it’s just because I haven’t felt all that strongly about anything as of late that warranted a half an hour to sit and write.  There’s not a whole lot going on that I can see, but there are a few quick thoughts that should at least hold me (and presumably the seven people that read this) over until my next go-around at whatever hot button tickles my fancy.  Here are some quick thoughts:

• The Cleveland Browns: I went to the Brown and White Scrimmage on Sunday (August 9th) to check out the new look team.  Some things I took away from the practice: 1.) Both quarterbacks – Brady and DA – looked below average, but with the 51 yard TD pass on his first play, Brady has the early advantage, 2.) the WR Mohamed Massaquoi looks like a stud, and 3.) Braylon Edwards, it seems, has no desire to even try – he caught one ball and rode the bike.  It also looked like he was jawing at Derek Anderson after he neglected to throw him the ball on every play – stay tuned.
• Politics: The far right fringe is dominating and winning the health care debate.  They’ve successfully made the Obama Health Care Plan (even though there isn’t one yet) look like the devil incarnate.  Death Panels, “communal standards,” care rationing, the elimination of Medicare and Medicaid, and euthanasia – none of which are in any bill in any committee in either house of Congress.  The Republicans that Big Pharma and the insurance companies bought during the 90′s and the Bush Administration are going all in to destroy Health Care Reform – and right now, they’re succeeding.
• Music: Miley Cyrus’s new song “Party in the USA” rocks hard.  I don’t like her or the type of music she makes, but it’s one of those surprise songs that kind of hits you – kind of like everything Kelly Clarkson has ever released.  Love it.  Listen.
• Music: I saw The Low Anthem in concert last Wednesday (August 5th) and really liked it.  I was disappointed they didn’t play any of their more raucous songs (“The Horizon is a Beltway,” or “Home I’ll Never Be”) but it was still a really enjoyable time – even if the crowd was a tad on the rude side.  Plus, hearing “To Ohio” played in Ohio for the first time ever was pretty memorable, too.
• Music: Eminem is back at Mariah Carey with his new diss track “The Warning.”  It’s juvinile and stupid – and really, really awesome and hilarious.
• Movies: I haven’t seen any.  I used to love movies and going to see them, but the stuff that’s being put out recently hasn’t gotten me up and to the theaters.  Even movies I really looked forward to like “Bruno” and “Whatever Works” couldn’t get me to the theater.  Note to self: make a more concerted effort to get to the movies in the near future.  I do want to see “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” but I’d say the chances are pretty slim of that happening.
• Television: Big Brother, while it’s not an all time great season like Season 6, it’s still more than excellent.  For some strange reason I find myself really rooting for Jessie – and kind of Jeff – but Jessie mostly.  He’s been the most thoughtful player throughout, ironically.
• Video Games: All of my thoughts about video games will be dated by about two years since I’ve only had my Xbox for about 6 months and I’m catching up on all the must play titles I’ve missed.  But I just finished Half Life 2, which I liked a lot (much more than BioShock) even though it was super, super easy.  It’s now time to pivot toward Mass Effect and maybe Madden 10 – I love my Xbox to death.
• Food: Katie and I went to the restaurant Fahrenheit in Tremont for our anniversary (our 8th) and we both really liked it.  I got the Halibut and she got Cheese Ravioli.  It was a little bit pricier than our last Tremont restaurant experience ($62 in total with no drinks and an appetizer), but it was well worth it and very, very good even thouh there were literally 2 other people in the entire place with us – I guess Monday night isn’t a cool night to go out.

That’s all I can muster right now.  Hopefully, something will happen that will warrant a full post in the near future.