Written by Cris Sykes

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A relatively new weekend staple here on the site, Cris Sykes checks in once again to give our readers "The Feel of the Fan". In this weekend piece, Cris AKA Pup takes us on a whirlwind tour of our message board activity here on the site. What are the people talking about this week? What would have happened if we drafted Big Ben instead of Kellen Winslow, what we can expect from Carl Pavano, and how the All-Star game snub will affect Mo Williams.

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

Since last week got under way with a look ahead and the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft, it seems fitting the hot Browns topic this week is looking back at past mistakes. 

Which leads us to a question by one of the newest forum members, "What if we had drafted Ben in 2004?"  He goes on to ask, "Would we be a consistent playoff team by now?".   

Triple-S doesn't think so.  He thinks Ben is a product of his environment.  His opinion is that, "I think Ben is the product of a great ground game, a awesome beyound belief defense and the fact that the Steeler organization is pretty solid from top to bottom in getting him recievers and weapons to work with, he's able to look like a super star."  Triple-S may take it a bit too far with this though, "If he went to Cleveland in 2004, he would look below average and would have gotten killed with no offensive line. think Tim Couch pt. 2 but worse, and IMO, if Timmy did have a better offensive line and wasn't just thrown onto an expansion team, I think he would've been a better QB, Maybe even a Pro-Bowler or Playoff contending one."   

As with anything relating to the hated Inbred, we have to give Lubber his face time.  This week, he makes the point, "That being said, Ben with the Browns probably does not equate to playoffs every year, but definitely better off than they are now. IMHO, the Browns have had more talent on their offense the last two years (definitely a better O-Line). Unfortunately, the Browns also have more prima donnas (read K2 and BE)......" He also brings this point to ponder, about if Ben is simply a product of the running game and defense, "Big Ben has several 4th Quarter comebacks to his credit, and those are usually not due to defense nor a running game." 

Browns looking for a 2nd rounder for DA?  That is the goal?  Going from maybe having a first and a third, to hopefully getting a second round pick for Derek Anderson?  And how likely is that?  Ziner doesn't think so, "They want to get a 1st or 2nd rounder? Well I want to get a 400% raise this year too".  

Mr. X concurs with Ziner, "Anything in the 4th round or better and I'd be ecstatic. Maybe it's just the Cleveland sports fan in me, but I don't see an erratic, headcase of a QB being worth much more than that." 

New guy is concerned with trading Anderson because, "Agree that we need to know who our QB is, but again, and not directing this at you, but who are going to be our backups? That is the main reason I say keep DA." 

Hermon Fontenot answers that concern, "He isn't a backup. He's a starter, with a starter's resume. And keeping two starters on the same team is asking for trouble." 

Triple-S wraps it up with, "DA from the sound of it...does NOT want to be here, he doesn't want to be a backup when he thinks he can start, and he sure as hell knows that won't be with the hometown hero at the helm. His salary is eating up a lot of cap which could be used to greater need son this team." 

Spring Training: Straight Ahead

And not a moment too soon!  Been kind of boring with have Peralta's glove, Wedge's brain or Hafner's shoulder to complain about. 

Stop in the Tribe forum and give Sauce a hand.  He is looking for, Best Indians Games of 2006-2008.   

Newest Indian starting pitcher Carl Pavano appears to be mentioned prominently in Joe Torre's new book about his days in New York.  We take a look in this thread.   

Noodle gets it started off with a quote directly from the book, "Torre wasn't so much critical of the oft-injured Pavano as revealing of the clubhouse feeling about him, saying, "The players all hated him. It was no secret."  Ouch! 

WiscTribeFan isn't too concerned with Pavano's attitude.  He thinks, "I don't worry about Pavano being a clubhouse cancer, I worry about him simply sucking. We actually need him to step up and show a semblance of his former self..." 

MTF has hopes.  He must be a youngster, not beaten down by years of Cleveland disappointments.  He asks, "Was there ever a player with more incentive to play well? He needs a contract, sure, and that's usually enough. On top of that is his need to show the world he can still pitch, something any guy would feel after the last couple of years he's had to live through."

Mo-tivation?

So Mo Williams wasn't deemed worthy to appear as Robin in Phoenix as a member of the East All-Stars?

Will this lead to motivating Mo?

4thquarterglory wants to know, what is up with "we have a better record then Orlando, undefeated at home, we owned Boston at home, we blow out teams by 20+points, have the NBA's best defense....." 

Yet, "All Stars---Orlando-3,  Cleveland-1"

Madre doesn't like it and wonders what would happen, "if certain news agencies spent more time checking out the roster than mailing in yet another '2010 Is The Awesomest Offseason Ever' story." 

Trade the a-cup?  What seemed unfathomable just 6 months ago is now being discussed on our boards.  Can the Cavs afford to wait for Bobie to shoot his way out of his slump?  Do they need someone who only brings one asset, especially when that asset has been missing for most of the season? 

Drewd, who is personally responsible for millions of dollars in advertising revenue for ESPN by clicking on their trade machine, has come up with another one to review.  Boobie, Wally and a first round pick to Oklahoma City for backup PG Earl Watson, backup power forward/center Chris Wilcox, and wingman Desmond Mason. 

Madre doesn't think trading Boobie is the right plan, "Boobie is Jimmy Olson, he's not going anywhere for bit parts."  

Timmah doesn't have a problem with trading Boobie, but "They better not get rid of Wally. We don't need a mid season trade. This is our year to win and all the pieces are in place!!1 Don't F it up Ferry!!!!" 

Finally, RobStad wants to tweak the trade a little bit, "I wouldn't mind adding a guy like Wilcox in the post for depth, but man, do I have to give TWO of my outside shooters to make it work? How about just Wally for Wilcox and and Watson.OKC is going nowhere this year and they get out of Watson's deal a year early for their trouble."  

Rob's point even holds more water, once you read Cavstribebrownsin'07 addition to this thread, "Mason cant be traded. He's hurt, out for the year."

Buckeyes score a QB

Granted, it was not the one everyone was hoping for.  GoTribe31 provides the news, "After missing out earlier in the week on both Tajh Boyd of Hampton (Va.) Phoebus and Austin Boucher of Kettering (Oh.) Alter, the Buckeyes went all the way to the Lone Star State to find the next best thing.  His name is Kenneth Guiton, a dual-threat QB from Aldine Eisenhower High School.  Guiton is rated as the No. 51 quarterback in the country by Scouts, Inc./ESPN.com and stands in at 6-2, 178 pounds and threw for over 1,600 yards and 17 TDs as a senior." 

There is really only one question to be asked about Kenneth Guiton and Chief24Wahoo asks it, "Yeah, I saw this earlier today...a dual threat quarterback that runs a 4.96 40?" 
 
Post of the Week: 

I have to say, I was quite disappointed in the options to choose form for Post of the Week.  So, if you are on the boards, step it up.  If you are not on our boards yet, get in there, sign up, and spill your knowledge.  Maybe you will get your name on the front page.  And by leaving this week without a post of the week, there is obviously room for some solid takes!