Written by Jerry Roche

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For the more optimistic Cleveland professional sports fans among us, 2011 certainly has been a year of surprises—and few of them were good. Which is pretty much the same thing that you can say about 2010, 2009, 2008, ad infinitum.

One year ago, we posed “11 Questions for 2011” and speculated on their answers. Sad to say, we were wrong on most of them—as were you, if you were an optimist.

Here are last year’s 11 questions, my predictions, and the eventual truth. As this has become somewhat of an annual chore, you can look for “12 Questions for 2012” next week.

1. What will become of the Browns’ coaching staff?

ANSWER: Club president Mike Holmgren blew it up, giving practically everyone—including Eric Mangini, Brian Daboll and Rob Ryan—their walking papers. If memory serves, the Browns concluded last season with a 41-9 shellacking at the hands of Pittspuke, a game that spelled the end of the Mangini administration.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: If the final game leaves a “good taste,” Mangini’s chances of returning are about 60%. If the final game leaves a “bad taste,” the chances fade to about 25%. Ryan follows Mangini.

0-10 ACCURACY: 7.0

2. Will Holmgren himself remain the Browns’ president?

ANSWER: Yes. Although most Browns fans were ecstatic when such a successful football mind was named president two years ago, he is lately much-criticized for his lack of visibility and his apparently lame choice of a head coach.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: Chances are that Holmgren stays right where he is—at least until his Browns make the playoffs and, in his heart, he can give himself a pat on the old back.

0-10 ACCURACY: 10.0

3. So, will the Browns be in the playoff hunt one year from now?

ANSWER: Are you kidding me? Did I really ask that question? From the very first game against Cincinnati when the defense had a brain fart late in the fourth quarter, it was apparent that it was going to be a long year. The only thing left to look forward to is next spring’s college draft—which, with few exceptions, is the same situation we’ve faced since 1989 or so.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: If the Browns aren’t gunning for the playoffs in November, a lot of fans will be pulling out their little remaining hair by the roots. If GM Tom Heckert can repeat the same magic he pulled off last spring in the NFL draft, the Browns could contend for a playoff berth. But it will be no easy task.

0-10 ACCURACY: 3.0

4. Can the Cavaliers come up with their first successful college draft since 2004?

ANSWER: We don’t know yet. Kyrie Irving was the gem of the draft, and the Cavs got him, thanks to the Los Angeles Clippers. His future is bright. Their second first-rounder, Tristan Thompson, was a surprise pick. He’s the type of talent who could be either one-and-done or a Rookie of the Year candidate. The team’s second-round choices…well, true to their history, they didn’t really have a second round.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: The Cavs are in no position to settle for one quality draftee. They must hit on both (or all) choices, or their climb back to respectability will take even longer than three to four years.

0-10 ACCURACY: 5.0 (too early to tell)

5. Can the Indians possibly dream of a .500 season?

ANSWER: They more than dreamed of it, at least for four-plus months! They were actually at the top of the A.L. Central most of the early part of the season before their lack of talent caught up with them and they did a “June Swoon” in July and August. Final record? 80-82—just one game shy of .500.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: The Indians are a mess. However, the A.L. Central isn’t exactly the A.L. East, competitively speaking. So, yeah, they can dream.

0-10 ACCURACY: 10.0

6. Will Shin Soo Choo win the Indians’ Man of the Year award for the third straight year?

ANSWER: Co-winners of the award were Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera, who had one of the finest overall seasons (for a SS) in team history. That’s right: team history! In 1948, Lou Boudreau’s numbers were .355/18/106. Though Cabrera’s .273/25/92 in 2011 isn’t anywhere near Boudreau, it’s better than Jhonny Peralta’s high-water mark (.292/24/78 in 2005). The question (and we’ll get to that next week) is whether Cabrera is a one-hit wonder or whether he’ll be able to duplicate 2011 in 2012.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: Based on past performances, the only player who might challenge Choo is closer Chris Perez.

0-10 ACCURACY: 5.0

7. Will the Cavs be able to trade any of their players for, say, draft choices before the playoffs?

ANSWER: They not only got the No. 1 draft choice, but they got Baron Davis for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon. With Davis at the point, the Cavs were 6-9 to finish the season. Alas, the Bearded One has already been amnestied and will not play another game in the maroon-and-gold (or whatever colors the Cavs have chosen this year). But that No. 1 draft choice remains, and hopes are high for young Mr. Irving.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: Nope. When it comes to late-season trades, the Cavs will be on the outside looking in.

0-10 ACCURACY: 0.0

8. Which of the Cavaliers will remain after the off-season roster purge?

ANSWER: Interestingly, there hasn’t been an “off-season roster purge,” which can only be considered highly unusual, given their final record. Surprisingly, the only player gone since the season-ender is J.J. Hickson. (Maybe not so surprisingly: only the Cavs’ would trade away their leading scorer with 1,105 points and leading rebounder with 695.)

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: Andy Varejao, for sure. Probably Ryan Hollins. Maybe Mo Williams and Booby Gibson. Antawn Jamison is locked into a big 2011-12 contract, so no other club will bite on him.

0-10 ACCURACY: 8.0

9. Is Colt McCoy a flash in the pan or the Browns’ quarterback for years to come?

ANSWER: Who the hell knows for sure? Team officials and coaches refuse to make a commitment one way or another. Fans are almost evenly split between those who think the lack of talent around him has not allowed McCoy to reach his potential and those who see a weak, inaccurate right arm that could never take any team to the promised land.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: He’s the Real McCoy. Take your comments about not enough arm strength and shove ’em where the sun don’t shine.

0-10 ACCURACY: 5.0 (too early to tell)

10. Will the Browns draft offense or defense in the first round?

ANSWER: They traded away their No. 6 overall pick. With the No. 21 overall pick, they chose defensive tackle Phil Taylor, who has proved to be a solid, high-potential rookie.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: It will be an offensive player, since the team is pretty much at the bottom of the NFL heap in every important offensive category except rushing yards.

0-10 ACCURACY: 0.0

11. Who will start at third base for the Indians on Opening Day?

ANSWER: Jack Hannahan started on Opening Day and played much of the season at third base, where he was excellent defensively. Hannahan’s bat was hot during the Indians’ hot first six weeks, but as the team cooled off, so did he. Sharing time at third with rookie Lonnie Chisenhall later in the season, Hannahan finished with pedestrian .250/8/40 stats.

WHAT I SAID LAST DECEMBER: Best guess: Jayson Nix for a couple of months, Lonnie Chisenhall thereafter—hopefully for years to come.

0-10 ACCURACY: 3.5

 

***OVERALL ACCURACY: 5.7 (Better luck next year.)***

 

NEXT WEEK: 12 Questions for 2012