Another week, another blown lead that results in a big fat "L" for the Cleveland Browns. Last Sunday, the Ravens overcame a 14-point, fourth quarter deficit that hastened Derek Anderson's return to the bench (but more Brady Quinn for everybody!). and Thursday night Brandon McDonald singlehandedly willed the team to defeat against a defenseless Broncos squad.
Well, enough's enough, apparently. Running back Jamal Lewis would like to get a few things off his chest.
[clears throat]:
A frustrated Jamal Lewis ripped some of his Browns teammates after the 34-30 loss to Denver for quitting while they were ahead in the third quarter Thursday.Lewis added that it was as frustrated as he's been in his nine seasons in the league. I assume this also included the Kyle Boller Years during his time in Baltimore. Yikes.
"This is the NFL, you can't call it quits until the game is over ... But it looks to me like some people called it quits before that. Denver was down, but they didn't call it quits. They kept their heads up and they finished. We didn't do that two weeks in a row -- at home."
Without naming names, Lewis said: "Some people need to check their egos at the door and find some heart to come out here and play hard. This is a man's game. The way we went out there and played two weeks in a row, finishing the same kind of way, it's not there. I think there are some men around here that need to check their selves, straight up. That's it."
Romeo Crennel insisted that his team didn't quit, which should raise all sorts of questions about what McDonald was doing out there; I'd hate to see the state of his game if he actually did give up.
At 3-6, the Browns are virtually done; they still have to face the Bills, Colts, Titans, Eagles and Steelers, but at least Quinn will get some experience. Plus, Kellen Winslow's sure to go mental at least twice more this season, and that's always good for a few laughs. It helps mask the pain, after all.
Feuding Teammates
Browns running back Jamal Lewis was fuming after Cleveland lost the Broncos 34-30 on Thursday night. Lewis even took some not-so-thinly-veiled shots at his teammates, saying "This is the NFL, you can't call it quits until the game is over ... but it looks to me like some people called it quits before that." Click through to see more teammate feuds in sports history.
Tom Hauck, Getty Images
As the Mariners' miserable season came to a close, a clubhouse insider reported that one particular player wanted to "knock out" Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle's highest profile player. "It got to a point early on when I thought they were going to get together and go after him," said the source.
Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images
Apparently not everyone was a big fan of "Manny being Manny" in Beantown. According to former Red Sox teammate Curt Schilling, left, Manny Ramirez's "level of disrespect to teammates and people was unfathomable."
Getty Images / AP
Prince Fielder, center, had to be held down by teammates after a duguout altercation in August between him and pitcher Manny Parra. While the Brewers wouldn't say what caused the scuffle, the incident raised tensions in the Milwaukee clubhouse.
Al Behrman, AP
Rays teammates Dioner Navarro, left, and Matt Garza had a heated exchange on the mound during a loss to the Rangers in June. TV cameras later caught Navarro and Garza shoving each other in the dugout.
ESPN
Mets closer Billy Wagner, left, isn't afraid to point a finger when the going gets tough. After a loss against the Nationals, Wagner looked in the direction of Carlos Delgado's locker and lashed out with profanities.
AP (2)
New Ravens coach John Harbaugh had a very rough experience during his first minicamp with the team in May. Nearly all 85 players in Baltimore camp were involved in a brawl after two tackles exchanged punches.
Rob Carr, AP
After Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Chad Johnson, left, demanded to be traded in April, teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh, right, said there could be internal problems if Johnson wasn't dealt.
AP
Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, right, raised some eyebrows when he called out teammate Brandon Marshall, left, in April after the star receiver popped up in the news for the wrong reasons, including a DUI charge.
Getty Images (2)
Terrell Owens verbally stabbed quarterback Jeff Garcia in the back several times with the 49ers. Immediately after breaking off ties to San Francisco, Owens wrongly insinuated that Garcia was homosexual in an interview for Playboy magazine.
Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
11-07-2008 @ 11:23PM
jimbo said...
I think ,about 80-90% of players really don't give a crap about winning as a team. Most care about individual stats,and end zone dances. Why should they care ??? They got that big guaranteed signing bonus money up front.And the owners are idiots for giving it to them.
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11-09-2008 @ 6:51PM
trebor said...
U R right jimbo, they played really good last year, and some got more $$, but if i was the owner or GM their contract would be reading like this, if we win the game you get your full weeks pay if we loose then you get the minimum pay scale for that week. Id love to make $200,000.00 for a weeks work, id call it a performance package. I think that all the back-up would be riding the first stringers to do better, sence its going to efect their pay checks too.
11-09-2008 @ 3:55PM
nancy said...
You are so right. None of these immature boys care about the fans. They get their money win or lose. How cool would it be if they only got paid if they won.
11-09-2008 @ 7:05PM
coldblue29 said...
I totally agree with Jamal, I'd say half the teamgives up regularly. It's about time someone got pissed off and said something! Romeo sucks as a coach, I think his head needs to be on the chopping block. He reminds me of another caoch we had, "we did good, even though we lose every Sunday, we really try hard!". Been there, done that, get the *^$# out.
11-13-2008 @ 4:48PM
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) said...
that would be a great idea. having the players have different salaries based on whether or not they won the game or not. because right now, they only care about their money, they get paid the same whether they win or loose. we only really see great play out of players when they are in contract years. they leave it all on the field, get that fat contract, and then go back to the usual 'just good enough to keep my starting spot (to get endorsements), but not actually help us win'.
in high school, you try to win for school pride because that's enough at that point. then you get to college and you play hard to keep your scholarship and possibly get into the NFL. but when you get drafted, the only thing to play for is money, in the form of endorsements and a larger contract in contract years (all of this is from a players perspective of course). i know this league is for entertainment, but its hard to get excited when it's obvious the players your rooting for don't share the same kind of passion as the fan does.
its terrible to look at it that way, but what incentive do the players really have to win a game now? they get paid regardless. i wish Goodell would add this to his crackdown list.
11-07-2008 @ 11:44PM
fracalosy said...
Thank you Jamal. It needed to be said. What a bunch of losers. And to think this team is one of the 5 highest paid in the NFL.
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11-08-2008 @ 6:23AM
giant fan since 57 said...
Jamal has the right to make these comments. He runs like a tank and never quits on any play. And he is right!
How a proud franchise like the Browns could get mired into this losing mentality is beyond me. I didn't see the game (thanks again NFL for restricting it's airing) but have heard that Brady Quinn looked more like a veteran than a rookie. Maybe a guy like Brady who has a history of winning can overcome this mindset the Browns have fallen into.
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11-08-2008 @ 11:49AM
Scott Eltzroth said...
I have followed the Browns, since I started watching football
around the age of 8 or 9. I guess when it comes right down to it, that Im addicted to those orange helmets with brown and white stripes.
Unfortunitly, thru out the years, it seems they are indeed cursed. They came close to superbowl a few times, in my lifetime, but always fall short. One reason or the other, like
having great Q.B.S. for a spell (Sipe, and Kosar) but just then
our defense would collapse. Maybe, we had the best defense
in the N.F.L and a solid offense, with the exception that our R.B.S. sucked, were injured or fumbled the ball whenever they
ran for 3 yards or more. These are just examples. What I see
now is a Superbowl contender, next season.
They only need to tweak a few things. Like make Winslow a
W.R. The defense from a 3-4 to the 4-3, with an occasional U.F.O. Defense thrown in there. MR.Cribbs full time special teams, and back up Q.B. Let Lewis tote the ball the first half to
the mid 3rd. q.t. then let Harrison bring it home.
The T.E.S. will be solid with Heiden,Rucker and Dinkins.This team has so many weapons, and butt loads of potential, the way I see it now, is the coaches are at fault for not putting the players in the right place for them to succed. Why would you run Lewis outside, not just once but several times for no gains, then same play to harrison for 11, then 15 then 9, and put Lewis back in only to never see Harrison again.. Im sorry that
I got off subject, just my frustration showing.
I do wish I could hear a coach answer a few of these questions, it would make my day..GO BROWNS 2009....
P.S The O-Line will be just fine, the D-Line also,the D needs
L.B.S. that want to play football, and a little more depth in the secondary..NOW....GO BROWNS 2009, This time i mean it.
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11-09-2008 @ 2:18PM
Don said...
Finally someone else that knows the game, excellent
11-10-2008 @ 9:03AM
Chico said...
You are right about Lewis on the outside, he is not fast enough, he should be ran up the middle where is is hard to stop. Harrison is a lot faster and so is Cribbs for the outside plays
11-09-2008 @ 6:47PM
howard said...
I agree with you 100 % as do most members of the Utica,NY Browns Backers.For me it's the Super Bowl or bust and I feel that we are on the right track to eventually achieve this.It's a player here and a player there and cutting down on the careless mistakes.We can't lose sight of the goal and we need to build upon what we have,go forward and not look back.
11-09-2008 @ 8:23PM
Luke said...
Scott I have also watched the Browns for decades, and was there when they won the NFL chamionship in 1964. This performance against Baltimore and Denver were plain and simple "gutless" and "heartless". Winslow should be traded for the sake of team harmony and to establish that no one is above the team. If Braylon can't catch he should also be gone, get draft picks and find guys who may not be quite as talented but understand winning, and heart, and team. This is not a good team and was only a fair team last year despite the win/loss recortd. they proved last year that they were gutless when they couldn't beat the Bengals for a spot in the playoffs but were happy with having a winning season. I'm tired of the dancing, and of Edwards giving interviews, whatdoes he have to say?
11-08-2008 @ 1:38PM
Kristina said...
I have been a Browns fan for 23 years, since I watched my first game at the age of 6 in my grandparent's basement in Parma!! It has been a long and frustrating road at times, especially lately because it seems that the team just isn't 100% there at the same time!! I love this team, I love Cleveland and I hope Brady Quinn is the answer!!
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11-08-2008 @ 6:34PM
Bob said...
i'm a 44 yr.old die hard browns fan who moved to Tampa. I do anything and everything to watcha game. I just have this to say.......If the browns had ANY kind of defence theat could tackle and cover peaple like Tampa Bucs the Browns would be unstoppable. Never in my life have I seen a team qui like it did...wait check that.....1986 thru 1989 they quit.play lame ass prevent and pray they don't score....I am ashamed to wear Browns colors......Jamal never quits!.....good for you Jamal
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11-09-2008 @ 5:21AM
nick said...
Jamal, you forgot to mention that your team (not you personally) is way overpaid, and it's hard to have a reason to play all 4 quarters of football when the paycheck is good and it doesn't matter how you perform, win or lose.
He's right. The browns stink like a brown eye. and we all had such high expectations of this team in August. what a waste of a year...
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11-09-2008 @ 7:46AM
dave said...
Of course the team quit, why not. Our owner quit on our city and doesn't give a rats butt about the fans. The Lerner family profitted from this team almost as long as Art Model and has delivered, you guessed it..... ZERO... Randy Lerner thinks we are stupid poor Clevelanders that will spend our last buck to support his stupid decisions.... hiring inexperienced coaches, bad gm managers, and signing free lazy agents that think Cleveland is where you come to collect a check without giving effort: ie: McGenuis, Stallworth, t. cousins, D. Anderson, etc... sell our team you are not a clevelander Randy.... we fought for our team back not to get you back.
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11-10-2008 @ 7:33AM
dan said...
kudos dave! your the only one who gets it. leadership via ownership. the lerners did the same with a los angelus team, making big bucks while loosing. as long as the beers flowing in the dogpound and they can yell a few obsenities at the refs every sunday, that's all that matters. the fans need to send a message by not attending games. cause a crisis. changing quarterbacks everyother year will never make you a winner.
11-10-2008 @ 12:26AM
Luis said...
I think they dont care because they are getting paid way to much. I mean even if they dont play to there full extent, they still get paid the same, so why should they care. Thats my point
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11-09-2008 @ 2:23PM
john said...
Jamal is right!.....these guys get paid to play...there are up and coming players in college right now that will play harder for much less money....TODAY!
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11-09-2008 @ 2:34PM
Bobby D said...
I feel your concerns up there in Cleveland, think what it must feel like in Big D. The Cowboys, have no backup and the other teams left to play the Cowboys will exploit this. Tony Romo is not a big game QB as we've seen in the past few seasons. Brad Johnson should give all his money back and seek a sailboat to the Mid-Atlantic. Man, what a wasted season and with all the talent in the world. The Cowboys should call the end to season and get an entirely new coaching staff. Get rid of Wade and bring back Jimmy Johnson to reorganize all the talent this team puts on the field each week.
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