Believe it or not, there was a time when Cleveland Browns offensive linemen were known for being more than swinging saloon doors to the backfield. Long before LeCharles Bentley blew out his knee on the first contact drill of training camp, long before the team bought Joe Andruzzi and Cosey Coleman based on their Super Bowl name recognition and not their actual ability, long before Ross Verba tried to make his life into a movie ("North Dallas Forty" ... or was that "Debbie Does Dallas"?), there was Gene Hickerson. And in a move that was long overdue, Hickerson was elected to the Hall of Fame yesterday. Papa Cass touches on this Browns legend in this Super Bowl Sunday piece.
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The mock draft. For as long as I
On a day when Browns legend Gene Hickerson should be celebrated for his efforts on the field, the Plain Dealer just couldn't resist tossing a turd in the punch bowl. And The Rhino is fired up about it, noting the difference between today's columns from the ABJ and the PD on Hickerson's long overdue inclusion to the Hall. While Pat McManamon's column celebrates Hickerson's achievement with stories about his playing days and his dry wit, Mary Kay Cabot decides that the best way to honor Hickerson is to make him an object of pity.
