Great Super Bowl--Congrats to New Orleans Saints!

I was so glad to see the New Orleans Saints beat the Colts 31-17!  What a comeback!  Those kinds of wins are the most fun!  The Saints led by Drew Brees proved what a great team they are in this game.  They had a phenominal season and deserved to win.  This year, I think the game was the main event! 

I was surprised that Tony Dungy said that the Saints didn't have a chance.  I read his autobiography, Quiet Strength and liked it and came away concluding that he is a class act with lots of character.  I think perhaps he said that just to get the Saints charged up.  I'm sure if he was still coaching the Colts, he wouldn't have made such a statement.  Maybe in his heart, he was really pulling for the Saints in this one.  I just wonder.

Knowing what struggles New Orleans went through with Hurricane Katrina, it would be hard not to root for them.  Not only were they the underdogs and never been to the Super Bowl before, but you got to love a team with that much heart!

As for the commercials, my favorite was the Snickers one with Betty White and the Doritoes one with the dog and the choker collar. 

So, what did you think of the game and the commercials?

Glad Eric Mangini Kept his Job--Now For Cribbs

I am glad the Holgrem decided to keep Eric Mangini as the Cleveland Browns coach for at least one more season.  I like that the Browns will finally have some consistency in this area and hopefully they can continue to work with the quarterbacks as well.  I look forward to next season because I believe we have a good group of players who seemed to be catching on how to work as a team the last few games of the 2009 season. 

Now I hope they can find a way to satisfy Josh Cribbs and keep him.  My understanding is that he has a 3-yr. contract with the Cleveland Browns but wants to renegotiate it because he feels he deserves a lot more money than just $1 million a year.  According to the PLAIN DEALER, Josh Cribbs said he didn't think he'd be playing anymore as a Cleveland Brown.  I'm hoping he is wrong.

Everyone knows it is best not to discuss how much a person makes with anyone right?  Wrong!  The athletes do not seem to know this and what they make is often public knowledge.  No wonder there is so much dissatisfaction over their contracts in spite of making a million dollars a year.  All it takes is for them to compare themselves to someone who is making more and they become dissatisfied.  

Josh Cribbs is an example of this.  In my opinion, which I’m sure I share with many, he is the Cleveland Browns’ most valuable player.  He agreed to a three-year contract but wants to get a new contract before next season.  Yes, he is an awesome, amazing player with a great attitude who is a leader on the Cleveland Browns team and compared to other NFL players in his position, he certainly does deserve to be paid more.  However, I wonder.  What if he didn’t know how much others made?  Would he still think $1.4 million a year was an “insult”?  I sure wouldn’t and I don’t think he would either.  I like Josh Cribbs and hope he will still play for the Cleveland Browns next season and many more.  It seems though he and his agents are getting impatient. 

I think when it comes to professional sports, the salaries are ridiculously high.  They justify this by saying it is a high risk job in that they run a risk of injury each time they take the field that could paralyze them for life.  I get that; however, if they didn’t get paid those exorbitant salaries, I think there would still be plenty people who would still be willing to be professional athletes.  I don’t think professional sports would disappear because I believe most professional athletes play because they are good at it and like the game.  

In the scheme of importance, sports is certainly a help to the economy.  Many dollars are spent on sporting events and apparel throughout the country; however, the nation could go on just fine without sports.  The country would suffer more if there were no doctors, teachers, firemen, paramedics, restaurants, farmers, utility workers, sanitary engineers, architects, construction workers, day care workers, bus drivers, store clerks, truck drivers, political officials, clergy, etc.  Just about any other job I can think of is more necessary than a professional athlete when it comes to living. 

So, my advice to these highly paid athletes is to be grateful for whatever you get because there are many other people who work every day for much less whose jobs are more important than yours.  Here is a little scripture to chew on too:

I Timothy 6:6-11:

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is the root of all evil:  which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  But thou, O man of God, flee these things:  and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Review and Preview of Our Favorite Sports Teams

Here is a rundown of our views on our favorite Cleveland, Boston, Detroit teams and Ohio State and Duke:

Baseball:

Cleveland Indians:  What's wrong with my Wahoos?  Had a terrible year.  Got off to their usual slow start.  Then, traded Cliff Lee, a Cy Young Award winner and got nothing back in return.  POOF!  At least Wedge was fired but then they hired Acta, manager of the worst team in National League.  POOF AGAIN!  Outlook for 2010:  VERY BAD.  Sorry, tribe fans!  (by Leo the Lion)

Boston Red Sox:  I got to see almost all of the Red Sox games this year and I loved it thanks to DirectTV!  Had some very exciting games and were the American League wild card.  Outlook for 2010:  Have good pitching, now need some offense! (by Gerard)

Football:

Ohio State Buckeyes:  They are in the Rose Bowl!  That's good but could have easily went undefeated too.  Twice they lost games they had no business losing.  Outlook for 2010:  VERY GOOD!  (by Gerard)

Detroit Lions:  They still stink.  Also, did not win football pool once this season!  POOF!  Only highlight for me was seeing the Lions win on the last play of the game against the Browns even after the time ran out!  Ha, ha!  At lesat Penn State had a good year. (by Leo the Lion)

Cleveland Browns:  Although their record is poor and they struggled along most of the season, the good news is they beat the Steelers!  That is HUGE!  It's been a long time since they've done that.  They are finishing out the season strong with 3 wins in a row and possibly four if they win tomorrow.  Even when they lost, most games were close and they never quit!  They certainly have improved along the way.  Oulook for 2010:  OPTIMISTIC and HOPEFUL! (by Karen)

New England Patriots:  They made it back into the playoffs.  Good to see Brady back.  Outlook for 2010:  BRIGHT!  (by Gerard)

Basketball:

Duke:  We all enjoy Duke!  The Cameron Crazies are the best fans going.  Look for them to go far in March Madness. (by Gerard)

Boston Celtics:  When all the players are healthy, they are a top team.  (by Gerard)

Cleveland Cavaliers:  They are looking good and on a roll!  Outlook for 2010:  VERY GOOD!  (by Karen)

Hockey:

Boston Bruins:  What a way to start the year!  The winter classic at Fenway Park, WOW!  I love watching the Bruins!  Outlook for 2010:  ROAR!

Tennis:

Karen and I enjoyed playing a lot of tennis last year and we even got to play one day in November!  She was glad to be able to play again after having a lumpectomy in September.  It really is good exercise and fun! (by Gerard)

None of our teams won any championships but the drama and suspense make sports so much fun to watch!  Always remember to be a good sport!

Patriots and Browns Win Today!

A year after not making the playoffs the Patriots are playoff bound again after pounding Jacksonville today!  In my opinion, it was their most complete game of the Year.  The offense and defense both played very well!  Congratulations, Patriots!  Keep it going!!

--Gerard

The Browns beat Oakland today giving them three wins in a row!  This is the longest winning streak they have had in a very long time!  It's another happy football day at the Zemeks!  I know the secret that turned the Browns around--since I got my Cribbs jersey and wore it while watching their last three games, they've won.

--Karen

The Browns Have A Winning Streak of Two!

Browns Finally Beat The Steelers

How About Some Bags for Browns Fans

Halfway over and the Browns have only won one game, how sad.  It's hard to watch week after week when they fail to put the ball in the end zone to score touchdowns.  The Monday night game was boring and I fell asleep during the 2nd and 3rd quarters.  I thought our defense played well though, at halftime it was 0-0!  Wonder if they can beat the Lions this week . . . I'd be pleasantly surprised if they do!  

The Browns fan with the bag on his head is at Napolean's Pizza on State Road in Parma.

Cleveland Browns Finally Win!

Yesterday the Cleveland Browns finally got a win over the Buffalo Bills! How they did it was amazing!  The Buffalo Bills really helped them out by getting a lot of penalties including 9 false starts!  Then one big mistake at the end when one of their players tried getting the punt and fumbled it.  The Browns special teams and kicker were fantastic!  That's why they won this game. 

The Browns offense amounted to a running game by Jamal Lewis (over 100 yards) and Josh Cribbs (30 yards).  Anderson only completed two passes the whole game!  Their kicker, Zastudil, had the Buffalo Bills starting from inside the 5 yard line three times! 

I was so glad to see the run the ball when they got down to the end zone in the last minutes of the game instead of trying to pass.  I was also happy for the substitute kicker when he made the winning field goal.  It was closer than it is when going for the extra point, but the wind was very strong and he was not as experienced as Phil Dawson.

Of course, the Browns had trouble scoring but managed to get two field goals which was one more than the Bills had, winning 6-3. This was a match up between two bad teams.  Even at the half, the sportscasters were joking about what a boring game it was to watch.

The Browns were ecstatic that they finally won a game and in the locker room afterward, gave Coach Mangini the game ball since it was his first win in Cleveland.  I think they actually played much better last week against Cincinnati when they lost in overtime.  Hopefully this will encourage them and at least they won't have to worry if they'll ever win a game anymore. 

Following the Browns game, we watched the Patriots lose to Denver.  Denver had the ugliest uniforms I ever saw!  They were brown and yellow with stripes all over the bottom half of their legs.  I think the Patriots were distracted by them--it's hard to play football when you're laughing so hard.  I was very surprised when the Patriots lost in overtime to Denver. 

So Long Braylon Edwards!

The Cleveland Browns traded Braylon Edwards to the NY Jets this week and I can't say I'm at all upset about the trade.  I know Braylon Edwards is a "big play-maker" but he really hasn't come through yet this season and last season he was noted for dropping passes more than catching them.  When I read about him assaulting a guy at a bar, I was disappointed in him.  I like Coach Mangini's philosophy about building a team who has character and are about teamwork. 

I was happy when they got rid of Kellen Winslow because I felt he had a bad attitude and I feel almost the same about Braylon Edwards.  I think the team will be better off without his whining and attitude.  I'd like to see our rookies get more opportunity to play and prove themselves and work at getting better.  It seems that with no "star" they all will be more likely to work as a team and the QB will be spreading the passes around which I think will help keep the defense honest and not just put double coverage on the one receiver like they did with Edwards. 

I wish Braylon Edwards a good season in NY and hope he is happier there.  Most importantly, I hope he matures and learns from his mistakes.  It will be interesting to see if the NFL suspends for any games.  I look forward to watching the Browns play Buffalo this Sunday and see what our offense will do with Edwards out of the picture.  I really think we'll have some fun this week!

Browns Come So Close to Beating The Bengals!

I actually liked watching the Browns game yesterday because they played very well and almost won it!  It was sad that they didn't.  Of course there are always the "what ifs" that would have made a difference.  It does bother me when it's 4 and short and they go for the field goal instead of a touchdown, but they did look good after the first quarter.  The beginning of the game, I thought "here we go again" when the Browns only had possession for less than a minute the whole first quarter!  For them to be down 14-0 and not totally collapse or quit is encouraging and to come back strong for the rest of the game was exciting!

The Browns actually dominated in the second and third quarters and pulled ahead 20-14.  I thought the defense played very well and the offense was so improved from their first three games this season.  Anderson did a great job leading the offense and it was fun to watch.  I was glad they were playing at home and our fans finally got to see a close game and one that had exciting moments in it.  I had to leave before it ended but when the Bengals tied it up 20-20 right at the end of the 4th quarter, I turned it off figuring the extra point was a given and we lost. 

I turned the car radio on and heard the game was in overtime!  I thought oh wow, they still have a chance.  Earlier in the game they blocked a field goal and now they blocked the extra point to take the game into overtime.  Unfortunately, the Begals scored a field goal to win the game the last 4 seconds of overtime but when I saw it on the highlights later, it looked wide to me. 

It was so nice to see the Browns happy and smiling on the sideline for a change during the game and I hope this will help them turn things around.  I loved seeing the Browns defensive coordinator congratulate his defense when they came off the field during the game.  It was so refreshing to see the Browns excited when they scored their touchdowns.  The looked like a real NFL football team out there yesterday and I was proud of them and wore my Browns jacket and hat proudly once again!

Mohamed Massaquoi had a great day!  He's a rookie who had 8 completed passes for 148 yards!  I felt so sorry for him though after he scored a touchdown and they reviewed it and decided he was down at the 1 yard line so it didn't count.  Fortunately, they did get it on the next play with a completed pass to Steve Heiden in the end zone.  I look forward to seeing more of Massaguoi because having another viable receiver will take some of the extra coverage off of Braylon Edwards.  

College Football--What Is Enough? by Gerard

On the average football Saturday most people have access to 15 college football games.  I would like to know what you think about this.  Which statement below do you agree with?

(A)  Is 15 way too many?

(B)  What's to complain about, it's great!

(C)  Five games would be enough.

How many do you usually watch on a Saturday?  How many would you like to see?

Here We Go Again--What's The End Zone?

Sunday we looked forward to watching our two football teams--The Patriots and The Browns.  Then the games started and so did a lot of yelling!  Why cant't they score touchdowns?  The Patriots were playing like the Browns last week and Gerard was furious!  So frustrtating when they get in the red zone and settle for a field goal because they can't get it into the end zone.  After the Patriots game, my husband went for a long walk with Abby, our dog, to cool off.

Manny, our cat, and I watched the Browns game together.  Also frustrating and very disappointing.  I actually bet on them this week for the office pool because I really thought they would get better from the prior week and fix what was wrong.  Nope, didn't happen.  Same old, same old. 

Quinn was terrible!  They get great field position right off and can't get a touchdown.  Right there set the tone for the game.  As it turned out, they only were able to score one more field goal for a total of 6 points!  This is unacceptable!!!!!  They were so close to Denver for 3 quarters, only down by 4 points until Dever exploded in the 4th quarter.  It certainly would help if our offense could keep possession of the ball longer than 5 minutes at a time.  I am so sick of 3 and out, 3 and out.  Can't our offensive coordinator see the plays are not working?  Why does he insist on doing the same thing again and again?  No wonder our defense is worn out by the last quarter of the game.  They get no help from the offense, nothing to encourage them on, no hope!

Quinn did not look confident at all.  In fact, he reminded me of Tim Couch looking like he just wanted the game to be over.  I determinted that I would not bet on them next week unless they were getting 20 points against Baltimore.  Baltimore always crushes us so I found out today the point spread is only 14--not enough for me to bet on the Browns.  They are so bad!!!  

After the Browns game, I joined Gerard and Abby for another walk.  This time I had to cool off.  I certainly hope the Browns offense can find a way to score touchdowns before the end of the season or it will be another very disappointing year.  So much for my 9-win prediction.  I think they'll be lucky to win 3! 

Will The Red Sox Be The Wild Card?

Happy Labor Day!  With less than a month to go in the baseball season, Labor Day finds the Red Sox with a 3-game lead for the wild card.  The new acquisitions:  Victor Martinez, Alex Gonzales and Billy Wagner are paying off.  The problem is that they only have one dependable starting pitcher--Lester; however, the bullpen has been doing well. 

Jacobs is playing GREAT--super speed!  I can't remember the last time a Red Sox player lead the league in stolen bases.  They are hitting well too, especially at home. 

What's up with Beckett?  He needs to start pitching good now!  Forget about catching the Yankees for first.  The Wild Card is our chance to make the playoffs.  Texas is the only team to watch out for.  It's going to be an exciting final month! 

Let's Go Red Sox!

by Gerard Zemek

Fall Means Football!

My husband and I both enjoy watching football, of course, he more than me.  He loves High School, College and Pro and looks forward to September when the football season kicks off. 

Thursday, I enjoyed watching the first half of the Browns preseason game against the Bears.  It was a good game, even though they lost.  I was again encouraged to see them hang in there when they were at 3rd down with something like 15 or 20 to go. Although they still got more penalties that I'd like to see, they seemed to be more resilient than they were last year.  I am looking forward to a good season with them.  Of course, the Patriots won again and Gerard is pulling for them again this year to go all the way.

Today we enjoyed watching the Ohio State Buckeyes.  It was a fun game, although kind of scary that it was so close!  Navy sure beat the spread on that one--congrats to all who picked them!  August 30th was our 12th wedding anniversary which according to our wedding highlight book said the modern gift was linen.  When I saw the OSU bed set in WalMart, I thought this would be the perfect gift for us to get and Gerard agreed so off we went this morning and bought it.  Spunky Doodle approves too as you can see in the picture!  She laid on it most of the afternoon.

What football teams are you pulling for?

Browns Gave Me Hope!

The first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers was not encouraging.  I thought, "same old story." 

Then last week, they actually beat the Detroit Lions.  Granted, not a powerhouse team, but hey, better than losing to them!  I had to give the Browns some credit now.  Already they are doing better than they did last year when they lost every preseason game they had.  I know it's only preseason, but at least they showed me some improvement.

Last night though against the Titans was impressive because that is a good team.  According to the announcers, they had the second best defense in the league.  I really enjoyed watching them play that game and didn't fall asleep on it like usual.  It was great to see Braylon Edwards making some fantastic catches (especially the one-hand grab) and not dropping the ball.  I loved the special teams performance and our defense actually came through big on several occasions.  The first half they had trouble running the ball but the second half they were able to apparently make some adjustments and were able to run it more.

I am beginning to really like Furrey.  I like his name for one thing, but even more than that is the way he comes through on 3rd down to convert. 

I thought both our quarterbacks did about the same and I really don't care which one gets to start.  I'll support whichever one is playing and hope other Cleveland fans do the same.  At least the Browns showed they can win--I look forward to the regular season!  Go Browns!

No More Wahoo Lion

I used to go by Leo, the Wahoo Lion, but as of Friday, I'm no longer a Wahoo Lion!

Trade of Lee and Martinez was the last straw for me.  Did not have to trade, traded because of money.  What did they get for two good players?  Poof!  Minor leagers.  The trade was made to fill Dolan's pockets.  Poof!!  to think just two years ago the Cleveland Indians were one game away from the world series, no team is a joke!  Is sad.  I used to like going.  Saturday night was bobblehead night for player no longer on the team!  Poof!  \

Hey, Dolan, when is bag night so I can wear a bag on my head?  Now I am Leo, the ashamed of Wahoos, Lion!!  Poof!!

I will now root for the Red Sox along with Gerard and Karen.  At least that's a team that cares about winning!

So Long Cliff Lee & Victor Martinez

One Amazing Kid--One-Legged Catcher

I came across this story about http://www.heraldleaderphoto.com/2008/05/31/adam-bender/ Adam Bender while reading "It's OK to be Weird at http://sweetmummy.lifewithchrist.org/permalink/48691.html where she wrote about this kid who had his leg amputated because of cancer and who is a catcher in Little League.  He just hops around on his one good leg and only uses crutches when running bases.  Be sure to take a look at the video--you have to see this to believe it!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4LMBEBM1qc&feature=player_embedded.

Another Baseball Sign Post--How Is Your Team Doing?

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Leo and I are eager to give our opinions on any sports related question you may have, whether college or pro.  Just ask it in the comment section, and we'll get back to you. 

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