An Emotional Guide to Browns Fans...

I wrote this a couple years ago but it's still true and worth sharing...

Here is your "Emotional Guidelines for Browns Fans" during football season. This is especially helpful for non-Browns fans that either live or work with someone who bleeds Brown and Orange. Forewarned is Forearmed.  Monday is only a day away....

You're welcome.
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Browns Lose - Steelers Win - Ravens Win
Don't Even Look at Me Monday - Nothing worse than losing and having to listen to the Yinzers and BMorons talk about how awesome their teams are. And their coaches. And their whatever. You are likely to rip someones head off today, or commit a felony. Best to just avoid people, or call in sick.
Smack Talk Meter 0


Browns Lose - Steelers Lose - Ravens Lose
Bummer Monday - Well, we may have lost, but so did the Evil Duo. We take solace in their suckiness. It doesn't make things better for us, but at least the Yinzers and Baltimorons will leave us alone today. Although we will take pot shots at them (when they are not listening).
Smack Talk Meter  2






Browns on a Bye - Steelers Win - Ravens Win
Whatever Monday - Yeah, whatever.  While the toothless and hairy fans of the Evil Duo are celebrating around the water cooler (and yes, I mean the females), you just say "whatever." While there is no shame in a Bye week, you have nothing to say but "just wait until you play US!"
Smack Talk Meter  4



Browns on a Bye - Steelers Lose - Ravens Lose

Superiority Monday - Oh, your team lost? Man, you suck. You really really suck.  Giggle - Giggle. It's a good think we had the week off or you would have dropped in the division standings!
Smack Talk Meter  6





Browns Win - Steelers Win - Ravens Win
Gonna be a Good Monday - Even though we have to get back to the grindstone, sharing high-five's and talking about the great plays makes Monday easy to handle. The fact the the Evil Duo also won is troubling, but it doesn't stop us from enjoying our fleeting moment of glory.
Smack Talk Meter  8

Browns Win - Steelers Lose - Ravens Lose
BEST. MONDAY. EVER.  Especially if the Browns win is over one of them! Let the Smack Talk Reign!
Smack Talk Meter  10+
(We must take our opportunities when we can!)


Respectfully Submitted,

Cleveland Kate

OSU vs Kent State - Cheat Sheet #3 09.13.14

Here's a look at what YOU need to know to be the smartest fan in the room - or at the bar - this weekend when watching the Buckeyes take on the Kent State Golden Flashes...

Week 3  - 09.13.14 -  #22 OSU vs  (noon)

Uniforms: Kent State players will all be wearing #54 decals on their helmets in remembrance of center Jason Bitsko, a junior, who passed away in his sleep on August 20th. The team is still dealing with the sudden loss but they know that Jason wouldn't want them to sulk, would want the team to go on with football.

Offense:  led by sophomore QB Colin Reardon #10 the KSU offense has been underwhelming. While he has 4 TDs and only 1 INT, they are still 0-2 coming into this game. WR Ernest Calhoun #25, sophomore, and WR Chris Humphrey #6, senior, have been his favorite targets so far. As for a running game, pay attention to sophomore RB Nick Holley #4. He leads all rushers with 19 carries and has the ability to break off a long one if not tackled properly.

Defense:  weak against the run, the buckeyes still need to take this team seriously. Safeties Jordan Italiano #23 and Nate Holley #18 lead the team in tackles, with Holley forcing two fumbles and recovering one of them. At CB, watch out for Kerrick Rhone #13 and Adam Maxie #22.  Rhone is a sophomore who played in his first game last week but showed 

I expect the OSU run game to get back on track this week but if they don't prepare they could get the upset of the century....

Respectfully Submitted,

Cleveland Kate

Wanna go to a Browns game with ME?

Get an Insurance Quote and you could WIN!

Yep, you read that right... my treat to the Browns Game on November 2nd vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.... You'll get two Club Level tickets and a Parking Pass, plus I'll have the two seats right next to you! We'll watch the Browns kick some butt and have a great time!


How do you win this amazing contest? Yeah, I sound kinda full of myself, don't I... well, if sitting next to me isn't a thrill, remember these are Club Level Seats... food and beverages are INCLUDED plus a Parking Pass!

I'm talking Free Parking, People!  

Anyway, here's the deal: My husband Joe Arhar is a Farmer's Insurance agent. While he doesn't exactly "mock" the amount of time I spent interacting on Twitter or Face Book, he doesn't exactly understand it either. He's a bit old school.  He is also a great insurance agent so I'm hoping that by doing this contest you'll have the opportunity to find that out for yourself.

Contact Joe at jarhar@farmersagent.com or call him at is office  (440) 281-8099 and get an insurance quote. Auto, Home, Renter's, Life, you name it, he's got a product for it. Just tell him "Cleveland Kate" sent you and you are entered to win!  It's just that easy. I promise you that Joe won't bug you or become a pest or anything like that. Either his quote works for you or it doesn't. No obligation, no stalking, just a chance to give you the right coverage at the right price. That's how he works.

To be clear: you don't need to become a client, just let Joe give you a quote in order to be entered!

Everyone who contacts Joe starting today through September 30th is eligible, the drawing will be on October 1st.  I'll contact the winner and mail you the tickets & parking pass!  Now, there is one other rule... you have to live in Ohio. Sorry but that's how his licensing works, only Ohio customers.

So... you get a FREE insurance quote and a chance to win two Browns tickets that, I might add, have a face value of $280 EACH.  Have I mentioned how easy this is? Plus, maybe the hubby stops bugging me about my Twitter Friends if a few of you actually end up becoming clients!  HA!


Respectfully Submitted,

Cleveland Kate

OSU vs Va-Tech - Cheat Sheet #2 09.06.14

Here's a look at what YOU need to know to be the smartest fan in the room - or at the bar - this weekend when watching the Buckeyes take on the Hokies....

Week 2  - 09.06.14 -  #8 OSU vs #32 Virginia Tech (8:00 pm)

Name - The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University HokieBirds. Yeah, a mouthful, right. Let's just stick with the Va-Tech Hokies for now... (or the Fighting Gobblers... )


Offense = Balance 
Last week vs William & Mary they had 266 yards in the air and 222 on the ground.


Passing: Junior QB Michael Brewer #12 is starting is first season for Va-tech because he transferred from Texas Tech... He hasn't found a favorite target, spreading the ball pretty evenly. He did hit a couple freshman for touch downs, WR Isaiah Ford #1 and TE Bucky Hodges #7. Sharing in the yardage was junior TE Ryan Malleck #88 and senior WR Willie Byrn #82.

Now, this Bucky kid?  6'6" freshman weighing in at 244 pounds is exactly the kind of big, rough, blocking tight end I like... he could be a handful!


Rushing: TB Shai McKenzie #22 was a workhorse, getting over 100 yards and a TD. Marshawn Williams #42 and J.C.Coleman #4 are also good targets to watch out for.

As a scrambler, the Buckeyes defense will see a very different package since Brewer only had 21 yards last week. I think Navy QB Keenan Reynolds had that much on his very first run. Oy.  Oh, wait, where was I? Yeah, Va-Tech....



Defense - Beamerball

The basic idea that you can score from any of the three sides of the football... offense, defense, and special teams. Hokie Head Coach Frank Beamer has made a career of kick- and punt-blocking as well as taking the ball away on defense, primarily through interceptions.

Watch for pressure and quick, athletic, aggressive play on special teams. Jim Tressel always says the Punt was the most important play in football; that may prove the case this week!


In what may be the best Defensive Backfield in the ACC, Rover (safety) Kyshoen Jarrett #34 and CB Kendall Fuller #11 (who was last season's ACC Defensive Player of the Year AND you may know his brother, Kyle, who was drafted in the first round by Da Bears!) return to wreak havoc on WR's, RB's, and TE's. These two are the key to the game for Va-Tech. If they can harass the receivers, keep QB JT Barrett from converting on 3rd down, they very well could come out of The Shoe with a win!




Respectfully Submitted,

Cleveland Kate

OSU at Navy - Cheat Sheet #1 08.30.14

Welcome back to another season of Buckeye Football!  You know what that means... Cheat Sheets!

As a proud member of Buckeye Nation, I'm sure you already know what strengths and weaknesses OSU brings to the game.... but do you know what to watch for from our opponent? No? Well, that's where I come in.... Each week I'll give you the Names You Need To Know and what to watch for during the game.

Week 1 - 08.30.14 - #5 OSU vs Navy  (Noon)

Uniforms: yeah, I'm starting off by mentioning their "outfits." Summer White with the midshipmens class and rank on the sleeves, designed by Under Armor. I don't think that will give them any kind of an edge in the actual game, but in case you were wondering what the insignias on the sleeves meant, now you know.

Offense:

QB Keenan Reynolds #19 - with a real shot at being Navy's first Heisman Trophy Winner since 1963 (Roger Staubach), he'll make the most of the Triple Option and his legs... He had 1,300+ yards rushing with 31 TDs last season and only 8 through the air. At 5'11" and 195 he doesn't look like trouble, but if the defensive line isn't careful, he'll run all over them.

Rushing - while Reynolds is clearly the leading rusher on this roster, there are a trio of guys worth watching. junior FB Chris Swain #37, senior FB Quinton Singleton #36 and senior WR Geoffrey Whiteside #29 (lined up more like a slot back) will all hit at least 400 yards on the ground.

Receiving - last season, the air attack wasn't much of a threat. It is Navy after all and not Air Force. However, junior WR DeBrandon Sanders #21 and Whiteside are returning and hope to provide more balance in the Triple Option for Reynolds.

Triple Option - for Navy, this mean they are running the ball and it's up to QB Reynolds to decide if he's keeping it or handing it off to a full back. Clearly, he kept the ball a lot last year but that's really based on his read of the defensive end. With the improved speed and agility we are seeing in today's DEs, I expect Reynolds will be handing off a bit more this season. We'll see if the Buckeyes have their DE pinch down to cover the FBs or send him straight at Reynolds and challenge him early.


Defense:

Buddy Green, defensive coordinator, uses a "bend but don't break" version of the 3-4. They seem to be concerned with giving up the big play but will let you dink and dunk your way down the field. Last season they only had 22 take aways so if the Buckeyes can keep a hold on the ball, that shouldn't be an issue.

DEs Paul Quessenberry #45 and  Will Anthony #90 are the two guys I'll be watching on the line. They should lead the team in tackles this year and will try to go after freshman QB J.T. Barrett all day long.


Alright, that's all I've got for this week.  Enjoy the game, party responsibly, and Go Buckeyes!

Respectfully Submitted,

Cleveland Kate

Browns QB - I need a Commitment

For the most part, John Gruden gets on my nerves, but last night he said something that I cannot get out of my head.... Since 1999, the Cleveland Browns have not committed to a QB, an offensive scheme, or even coaching/front office staffers. Oy.  We all talk about continuity and the lack thereof here but it doesn't change. And that is the biggest problem I saw on the field last night in the MNF 23-24 loss to the Washington Redskins.

I'm done with the drama. I'm done with the indecisiveness. It's time for the Cleveland Browns to make a decision on who will be the 2014 Quarterback and it needs to be done now.  And frankly, I don't care who it is, they just need to make a choice already!

"A HOUSE DIVIDED CANNOT STAND." - Abraham Lincoln.

Ok, so Abe was talking about much more serious issues than football but it does apply to what I'm seeing on the field. Hoyer and Manziel are VERY different QBs. They may be running the same Play Book but they are on completely different chapters. This makes it even more difficult on the rest of the Offense... they have to learn two different schemes depending on which QB is behind center. And it's holding back the progress that this unit should be making. They should be all on the same page, learning to play together, gelling as a line, getting a feel for routes/progressions/passing tendencies, and even how the receivers like to get the ball. There are so many aspects to a well-run offense that we don't have time to work out because we are so busy dealing with the "QB Competition" drama.

Ultimately, the Browns have just one decision to make...one question to answer:

Will starting Johnny Manziel Week 1 in Pittsburgh be good or bad for his long-term development as a Quarterback.

Period. Paragraph. The End. It's just that simple. You don't draft a Heisman winning QB in the first round of the NFL draft if you don't think he will become the Franchise QB you've been waiting for. So that means, how do you get him ready to fulfill that destiny. Here's how the two answers to that question break down.

YES, JOHNNY SHOULD START WEEK 1: The offensive line is good enough and I believe that Kyle Shanahan is smart enough, that they can keep Johnny safe. They can work the Play Book in such a way that he will improve and develop as a QB at the right pace. I also think Johnny is learning quickly just how hard NFL defenses hit so he will be smarter and more careful than he has in the past about sliding and avoiding big tackles. We may not win more than 4 games but you have to start somewhere and growing pains are a part of the process...

NO, JOHNNY SHOULD NOT START WEEK 1: Then this is Brian Hoyer's team for the entire season and Johnny will wait and watch for a year. Because you simply cannot keep the Revolving Door spinning on this offense. They have to KNOW who their leader is and Brian Hoyer is more than capable of leading this team for an entire season. Yes, he's had issues this training camp but that can easily be connected to recovering from a harsh injury and learning yet another entirely new offensive system. Just commit to Hoyer, let the rest of the offense commit to Hoyer, give everyone a clear understanding of their place on this team and let's get on with it.

If you really believe that Manziel needs more time, you cannot continue with the Schizophrenic Offense that we've had for too many years. It's that simple. This team NEEDS a leader. They need TIME as a unit to come together. Look at any successful NFL team right now and what are they doing? Deciding who the 4th Running Back will be or who will take the 6th Wide Receiver spot on the 53 man roster. They are NOT arguing over QB or offensive scheme or any of that other stuff.

It's time for the Browns to get on with the business of football. Give this offense it's leader and let's move along. Give them the remaining two weeks of preseason practice to get as connected as they can before they face the flames of hell in Pittsburgh on September 7th.


Respectfully Submitted,

Cleveland Kate

Changing my mind about LeBron James

Yeah, you read that right... changing my mind about LeBron James.  I've been very clear on my unhappiness with the way LeBron James left Cleveland in 2010. I've been clear that it was absolutely his right to go play wherever he wanted and my biggest issue with him was the way he handled it. And I've also been clear that if he ever came back to Cleveland I would be done with the Cavaliers and the NBA.  Today that changed so I figured I might as well eat a bit of crow and offer up my explanation...

The way he left in 2010 decimated the Cavs. DECIMATED the downtown businesses in Cleveland. And I'm not talking about the TV special, I mean leaving the Cavs hanging until the free agency period was so far gone the team became a train wreck. Yes, bad job out of Dan Gilbert for not having a Plan B but really, if he had no clue there was even a NEED for Plan B, that goes back to being on LBJ.

And frankly I've been a bit ticked (read: pissed off!) with the NBA itself for letting the Big Three happen. I felt it was bad for the sport and bad for all professional sports. Now, you know I'm absolutely totally 100% "Football Girl" so by saying I would give up being an NBA fan is no hardship on me and, frankly, no big deal to the NBA. I'm not their target audience. Been nice knowing you.  Buh bye.

And then today LeBron James released his essay on the Sports Illustrated website and so many things changed....

#1 He didn't do it on his own private website as a means of self-promotion, he used Sports Illustrated, one of the oldest and most respected sports news sources out there

#2 He understands how things must have been for us on this side, the fan side, in 2010

#3 His reasons for leaving involved championships: his reason for coming back was about family, kids and Northeast Ohio... I was also afraid that the Cavs weren't ready for his return. First time head coach from Euro Leagues? Young players? No true "Big Man?" Too many questions that he couldn't come in here and fix all by himself. But he knows how to win and he knows how to lose, and more importantly he says he understands just how hard winning is and is willing to do the work, be a mentor, here in Cleveland. Huge.

So many other things stand out in his essay but these were the biggest for me - signs that he has grown into a man I could respect. That was missing in 2010. Now, don't get all up on your high-horse and start calling me out as a "Fair weather fan" or saying that "of course I'm back because the team will be great now" or any of that other nonsense.  I'm back because LBJ has grown into someone I can Respect. And that matters to me.

As I read the part of the essay where he talks about Dan Gilbert and the fans, where he says:

Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge? 

That's what got me... it sent me back in time. I used to be the best Grudge Holder in Ohio... I'm a girl and I'm Irish, so I come by that talent naturally... but I reached a point about 5 years ago where I realized I needed to let things go. Not because holding grudges is bad, but because people can and do change. I remember myself in high school and then after college and then after having kids and I am so different now from any of those women, how can I not acknowledge someone's ability to change?

And that is what I will apologize to LBJ for; not believing that time would change him, that four years at "Miami U" could be like college was for most of us, for talking and tweeting in absolutes and now allowing for the possibilities. I expected that the LBJ who eventually returned would be the Home Town "Boy" from 2010. Instead, it looks like LBJ the Man v. 2014  is coming home. My bad, so that's on me and I'll own it.

I'm not saying all is forgiven, but I can find peace with the past and you should be able to do that too.


Respectfully Submitted,

Cleveland Kate