Could it possibly be that Terrell Owens of all people was the first one to break the word on who the Browns starting quarterback is? On his Twitter feed not too long ago, Owens posted the following:
"Congrats 2 Brady Quinn 4 starting job w/Cleveland Browns!!"
It's easy to believe that one of the Browns players could have told Owens. With that type of information, why not unleash it? The other possibility is that Owens could have misinterpreted a few Associated Press reports that indicated that Derek Anderson might have spilled the beans.
UPDATE (3:40 PM): Shortly after Owens' tweet, Mary Cay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer posted the following:
"Brady Quinn has won the quarterback competition and will start Sunday's game against the Vikings, a league source told The Plain Dealer today."
It remains to be seen whether or not that league source is one of the Buffalo Bills starting receivers.
0 recs | 125 comments
Who could have predicted this would happen?
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
Oh yeah, me.
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
But you didn’t mention TO. Right?
rufio - September 9, 2009
Nope. What a stupid charade this whole thing has been. You have to wonder if the nonstop speculation of this by the team was a large distraction. Mangini could have just told everyone last week and been done with it. Instead you get a circus. I find this whole episode rather odd.
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
Didnt you use to post here without trasing the Browns?
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 9, 2009
I still do. I don’t think I’m trashing them. I just find this whole situation pretty stupid and unnecessary.
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
It doesn’t even need to be a situation.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
Hilarity ensues.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
You know, one of the advantages of hiring a head coach with experience was to avoid this sort of thing.
kwoog - September 9, 2009
SMOKESCREEN
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
DUDE! We hired Batman.
SpecialBrownie - September 9, 2009
Still High on Mangini
But I completely agree with your point. This situation was a joke – and he prolly should have avoided it. Still – I give him preliminary high marks for:
1. WR group looks super improved.
2. Ditto DL
3. Use of Cribbs and apparent Wimbley improvement
4. Ran a tough and disciplined camp
realmccoy - September 9, 2009
once again the analyists are talking browns for the wrong reasons, agree kwoog that this should have been avoided with an experienced coach.
that said, i love many things he has done.
darn it, i am not asking for a Super Bowl (yet), just be competitive! Is that too much to ask for?
allsides - September 9, 2009
I think the lesson to take from all of this, and I truly believe it, is that it really doesn’t matter what the media says or when they know any of the information. The Browns will win if they are prepared and play better on Sunday, they will lose if they are the worse team. What the media says or knows prior to the game won’t change the outcome, it will just give them something to write about. I frankly don’t care at all that he withheld this information.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
This.
drjeo - September 9, 2009
This also. regardless, Browns, Indians, Cavs, Ohio State the media will usually have a negative slant no matter what we do anyway.
I for one think that the players could care less who starts. There may be some who like Quinn better on a personal level ditto for Anderson but it’s not like either guy was established.
This wasn’t Young vs. Montana or anything…..
I favored Anderson but hope Quinn does great and finally settles the position for a while.
mgtbfb - September 9, 2009
I don’t think it’s about the media. It’s also about the distraction to the team. I’m not one to ever defend the media (ask Buckeye Brad about this) but in this case it is an actual story, not a made up story. Considering that every team named a starting QB except one, of course the media is going to run with it.
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
I suppose. I think it’s all about perception. The team is certainly capable of handling it without making it a distraction. The media will portray it as a distraction for sure.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
That is true. And I agree that the media portrays everything as a distraction, as if a football team can’t focus on football.
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
mangini had the work FOCUS painted on the field for training camp…all i am saying is this doesn’t help!
allsides - September 9, 2009
I also want to say that even though I’m a Steelers fan, I really do like this site.
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
I probably don’t pay enough attention to who posts what, but I assumed you were a Browns fan this whole time.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
A mighty high compliment.
JustBob - September 9, 2009
Sorry. It’s mostly because my entire family and most of my friends are Browns’ fans that I’m around. Plus the Browns have so much more to talk about than the Steelers right now.
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
Come to the good side.
Bernie19Kosar - September 9, 2009
Trust me — I’ve been trying.
Buckeye Brad - September 9, 2009
He’s really way too smart to be a Steelers fan.
Buckeye Brad - September 9, 2009
i wish i had been raised a steelers fan, saved me lots of pain and misery over the years…prolly added a few years to my life, too.
allsides - September 9, 2009
I wasn’t even raised a Browns fan. Moved to Ohio when I was 8, but had prior alliegances that went out the window when I was old enough to start attending games. So in a sense, I willfully converted to this misery.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
Wow, that really sucks. I get being a lifelong Browns fan, but choosing this?
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
It wasn’t actually a choice, I was still young enough to be influenced by the local team.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
I chose to be a Browns fan, and I dont even live in Ohio!! Most people around me are Colts or Titans fans(Yeah now you’re really thinking Im stupid), but I became a Browns fan when you-know-who was drafted.
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 9, 2009
So, if we traded Quinn, do you see yourself jumping ship? Or are you a committed Browns fan now, regardless of BQ?
Chris Pokorny - September 9, 2009
Well, I dont wanna think about my boy being traded.
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 12, 2009
But It would be hard to not watch a little bit of a team I spent a summer finding so much about
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 12, 2009
i live right between cleveland and pittsburgh, and i chose the browns willingly…but back then they were fun to watch and won games…paying for it now, but still hoping. just some luck in the draft and a reliable qb, please
rockybrown - September 9, 2009
I was raised a 49ers fan. My earliest memories of football were Jerry Rice and Joe Montana. I remember him going down and having Steve Young have to step in and being really upset. I was in a hotel room. They had ping pong, which I played for the first time.
That is all.
rufio - September 10, 2009
Oh yeah, and the point of that was I wasn’t raised a Browns fan either.
rufio - September 10, 2009
Rufio’s getting all wistful on us.
kwoog - September 10, 2009
withholding the info isn’t the issue necessarily, its that the browns have been the laughing stock of the NFL for too long…
…if the reports are true, then I agree with the decision…so…roger dorn…i agree that what’s more important is that the right decisions are made, and not what the media is saying. I agree with you there…
…i just want the media to have good things to say about us, but we have to give them a reason, and, to me, SUNDAY IS AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY! GO BROWNS!
allsides - September 9, 2009
If we win games, we will not be the laughingstock. I can take a little media abuse.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
HAHA. All there is to do is laugh. I gave it 24 hours from the first practice with the starter running with the first team. looks like TO made it more like 2 hours.
Ryan Kelsey - September 9, 2009
I love watching the media feeding frenzy. I’ve always been amazed when looking at something I know about just how bad the press is at getting it right. If the Plain Dealer broke this on a Twitter from T.O. that just makes me laugh.
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2009/09/brady_quinn_wins_cleveland_bro.html
Brownsyup - September 9, 2009
Mary Kay Cabot posted a story that a league source told her Quinn is the starter. Odds that Mary Kay’s “league source” is TO’s Twitter account?
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
I’m just thankful this is all over with. I would have had to throw something if DA walked out with the starting offense on Sunday.
Buckeye Brad - September 9, 2009
I agree. Regardless of the potential damage, I think he’s going to move the football and put copious amounts of points on the board. He’ll know how to run a two minute drill, he won’t be looking to the sidelines on whether or not to call a timeout, and he won’t go through stretches of 7 incompletions in a row. We may not beat Minnesota, but if Mangini sticks with this move, 7 wins is the floor.
kwoog - September 9, 2009
By “potential damage” I mean by waiting so long to name a starter.
kwoog - September 9, 2009
Yea, I too am just thankful its over. Wheres fwenbt?
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 9, 2009
As someone who was supporting Quinn, I can’t say that I am all that excited. I guess ultimately I just want to win before I get excited about anything.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
I agree.
JustBob - September 9, 2009
Me too.
skipkirk - September 9, 2009
BQ won this QB competition fair and square by showing up with a pulse.
elsandito - September 9, 2009
Lost in this Circus
BQ had a helluva preseason and looked really good. I really think he will be an above average NFL QB and really good leader. He handled this whole thing with alot of class and leadership.
No knock on DA – I thought he did some nice things too – just not quite as consistent.
realmccoy - September 9, 2009
Can we believe a loud mouth like TO? In this case, I think so.
No suprise about Quinn, but the fact that TO has entered the story is pretty damn funny.
Brownie's Year - September 9, 2009
Just think: If Brett Favre texted this info to TO, it would be hyped on ESPN for months.
DisplacedBuckeye - September 9, 2009
But only if he were throwing passes to Mississippi high schoolers and TO were in his driveway doing a dumbbell workout.
rufio - September 9, 2009
And he was crying while Brett Favre was also having a talk with his daughter about returning to the NFL.
SpecialBrownie - September 9, 2009
Do any of you guys think Childress actually believes for certain that it will be Quinn? Do any of you think this actually changed the level of certainty that Childress had that it would be Quinn?
I am going yes and not at all, respectively.
rufio - September 9, 2009
I’m with you.
dgcambridge - September 9, 2009
Exactly. This was a no-doubter.
joeee - September 9, 2009
I actually agree with Mangini’s approach, as far as trying to keep as much info from the Vikings as possible.
When you’re trying to pull off a win, you need every advantage you can get. I don’t see anything wrong with pulling out all the stops.
BrownDawg1409 - September 9, 2009
I think this was just a cute little gimic that was bound to fall apart. I think this is, as Dorn said, value-neutral, and is really just chum for all of us Browns sharks to whet our appetite with.
joeee - September 9, 2009
i could see it with any other position other than quarterback, but you know in the nfl the qb is the face of the franchise. i like the approach of pick your guy early and move on. also, i think it makes mangini look silly. every team in the nfl has announced their starting qb. like every analyst has said, the vikings arent going to change their defense for brady quinn. i like the guy as our coach, but mangini loses credibility with this idea of a competitive advantage.
rockybrown - September 9, 2009
i really disagree with this. of the three of us, he’s the one who’s been a d-coord and had to prepare game plans for opposing offenses. EVERYTHING this guy does has purpose and has been thought through … if he tells me that it’s a competitive advantage — even a slight one — to make the other team spend time prepping for 2 qb’s, i’ll take his word for it.
DontCallMeJoey - September 9, 2009
I agree with this, I think. I’m not sure it’s that big of a deal, but if it doesn’t hurt the Browns then why not do it? They could use every bit of help possible.
gahnki - September 9, 2009
Exactly my point. SI’s Ross Tucker has been bashing Mangini for not naming the starter, saying that this is going to confuse the team and disrupt the rhythm they have with their leader.
I say, the starters going to practice with the first team this week, so what’s the harm? How is that confusing? The team likes, and will play for, both guys. I don’t see how its a problem.
BrownDawg1409 - September 9, 2009
Exactly. Remember that there was a QB competition in 2007, which Anderson also lost. The product of that competition was 29 TD passes and a Probowl appearance for DA. I would gladly take those results for Quinn (or for DA, for that matter) this season. The point is, the competition did nothing to hamper the readiness of the QB, although admittedly Frye didn’t benefit much. Still, good results can still occur even when the QB is unnamed until the end of camp.
drjeo - September 10, 2009
How quickly Grossi et al have forgotten 2007…
rufio - September 10, 2009
My biggest problem with sportswriters is that they fail to acknowlege how quickly teams turn around in the NFL. Every year they act like there is 0 possibility for a bad team to get good, and every year they are stunned when a team like Miami last year makes the playoffs. Stop being dense! It happens every year.
Roger Dorn - September 10, 2009
Agreed! All the media hype here seems like product of people with few ideas and many column inches to fill. Manufactured controversy. If the team didn’t seem at peace with the competition, it might be different. As it is, this seems like a non-issue.
RelapsingDawgCatcher - September 10, 2009
In addition
If you have a TEAM that needs to focus on keeping AP in check and running the ball against a stout defense, does it matter who is in at QB as long as they are prepared?
On the other side, you have a team trying to get their new QB in a groove with the offense and, as DontCallMeJoey aptly states, if they spend just a part of a practice on DA, common sense tells us that it takes away from their preparation?
The team knows who was picked and may have known even before the last preseason game for all we know, they aren’t being messed with, and they can see that both QB’s were given a chance to win the job…doesn’t that help the team believe in the coach more?
Every little gimmick and trick can be the difference between a team picked to be a bottom dweller winning in week 1 over a team picked to win their division. Isn’t that why we pay a coach, to find and use any advantage at their disposal?
blockersave93 - September 9, 2009
It does matter as Tarvaris Jackson has proven for however long he has been the QB.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
i just hope the leash is long and quinn doesnt get hurt so we get to see if quinn is the answer or not.
rockybrown - September 9, 2009
Yes. Quinn should get every opportunity to prove that he is the future. Waffling on the QB choice, especially for a known mediocrity like Anderson, is the worst thing that Mangini could do.
Cols714 - September 9, 2009
really, unless quinn gets hurt, i don’t want to see the backups this year
rockybrown - September 9, 2009
it’s hard to characterize his approach to the qb situation as “waffling”, isn’t it? he held a competition, and clearly made his decision in advance of the final pre-season game (as evidenced by his decision not to play the two competitors for a second). the fact that he withheld announcing that decision doesn’t speak to any sort of waffling or indecisiveness.
and now that he’s made that decision, you can count on him sticking with quinn unless things get really, really ugly.
DontCallMeJoey - September 9, 2009
He has also said that once he picks a guy he will stick with that guy. He kind of tried to stay neutral on that question, but then said something like “no, I can’t see myself going back and forth: once I pick a guy I’ll stick with that guy”.
I think that’s the important part about this: once you pick a guy, stick with that guy.
rufio - September 10, 2009
I agree. Mangini needs to air it out this year so we can see just what Quinn can do. Stay loyal to the running game with Lewis/Davis (with Harrison in there as long as he’s healthy), but continue to let Quinn make plays whenever he can.
BrownDawg1409 - September 9, 2009
i’m thinking a long bomb to braylon edwards on the opening play of the year. the browns did this on the opening play of ’06 from frye to edwards for an 80 yd td, but it was called back due to holding.
rockybrown - September 9, 2009
Kevin Shaffer
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
yep, i thought thats who it was
rockybrown - September 9, 2009
St. Clair was against Quinn starting (Detroit game). So I see like three holding penalties a drive.
SpecialBrownie - September 9, 2009
He was using more of the “false start over and over” tactic.
rufio - September 10, 2009
I don’t think we are going to be able to run the ball against the Williams wall. If we do I would like to see us run some sweeps with Davis and Harrison and try and wear those two monsters down. If we don’t, we are going to get bubkis up the middle.
Bernie19Kosar - September 9, 2009
The stretch play would be pretty solid against their defensive scheme. Davis is a pretty good “one cut” runner. I would love to see us run that, especially to the left.
rufio - September 10, 2009
Oh, but what kind of unholy Hell would break loose is we woke up on Sunday and saw DA coming out onto the field for the first possession? I’ve been expecting Quinn to get the nod, but I’d feel a lot better if something came out from the team.
JustBob - September 9, 2009
Just relax man.
skipkirk - September 9, 2009
I too am scared about that
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 9, 2009
the one positive about not naming a starter is : if quinn doesnt play well, mangini has set this up in the media to shoulder some of the blame for disrupting the offense. this will buy quinn an extra week or two of reprieve.
rockybrown - September 9, 2009
What are we talkin' 'bout? Distractions?
Listen…if this wasn’t going to be the big distraction, something else would. Can Braylon catch a ball? Will Jamal be able to get past the Williams wall? Will Cribbs show up to play? Does Rogers want to go back to Detroit?
Mangini took all those possible story lines and squashed them. He put the distraction on the shoulder of his leaders. The QBs. Everything else played second fiddle to that and that’s fine. These are the field generals, they should take the bullets and lead the team. Everyone from former coaches, to fans to media seem to know what’s right and what’s wrong…but everyone of them is a backseat driver. We gave Magini the keys…let him drive and see if he can get us to where we need to be. Don’t complain about the ride when the car hasn’t even left the garage.
the irish chop - September 9, 2009
Mangini also put a lot of that on himself. If the QBs don’t play well, Mangini can take a lot of the blame (as rockybrown points out above).
rufio - September 10, 2009
I think Mangini handled this the best way possible: he was respectful to both players in this competition. The winner and the loser of the competition got to find out before everyone else. This way, Derek Anderson didn’t have to learn that he lost the job and then face the pack of media hyenas five seconds afterward. This was a tough battle, both guys put their all into it, and they deserve this respect. It might not have been the best for us, for the media, or even for the image of the organization, but it was the best for the players. A classy move.
Bumblyjack - September 9, 2009
Fully Test Quinn and the rest is simple
I think either QB would have difficulty with this team this year. 6-10 seems a little optimistic to me. So Mangenious needs to see what he has in BQ and if he is not the answer – trade him next year – keep DA – and draft our new QB (Jevan Snead, Sam Bradford). If BQ is the answer, draft Tennessee safety Eric Berry or USC’s Taylor Mays, and trade DA. Simple. Who needs a scouting dept?
realmccoy - September 9, 2009
I really love Taylor Mays athleticism, but Berry is just always where he needs to be. I think I’d take berry If I had to choose. But I say trade into the first round and take both:)
The Licensed Pessimist - September 9, 2009
I get a vibe that reminds me of the Ed Reed Roy Williams debate.
Taylor Mays is Roy Williams, Berry is Ed Reed. Williams went 6th overall in that draft, Reed in the 20s.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
Yep. Give me Berry all day long.
gahnki - September 9, 2009
I’d take him also but Taylor is gonna knock some socks off at the combine. Its gonna be hard passing on a 6’3, 230 pound safety who runs a 4.3 and benches 225 25 times.
The Licensed Pessimist - September 9, 2009
Berry is so much better, but I dont know if he will make it out of the top 5.
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 9, 2009
I’d rather have the jaw-popping Taylor Mays thank you very much.
At this point, we just need someone who can rotate with Pool and try to keep him healthy. If we miss out on either, I’m not apposed to grabbing Kurt Coleman in the later rounds.
BrownDawg1409 - September 9, 2009
Buckeye Coleman? That’s just Buckeye bias my friend.
SpecialBrownie - September 9, 2009
Coleman is very, very talented.
gahnki - September 9, 2009
I know. But we all have little positive bias when it comes to Buckeye players. I jumped through a freaking hoop when we drafted Robo.
SpecialBrownie - September 9, 2009
I don’t think Coleman should be in the discussion with the other two, but he could end up high on the next tier.
He is a very good player.
rufio - September 10, 2009
Not me! haha
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 12, 2009
Taylor Mays makes no plays.
gahnki - September 9, 2009
Oh snap, you rhymed.
SpecialBrownie - September 9, 2009
yeah, i mean, this is just not true. mays is far from the second coming of rey maualuga (big hits, questionable skills). this guy is super big time … every bit as good as eric berry.
DontCallMeJoey - September 9, 2009
I hope a lot of GMs think this as well, and Berry drops to us at 16thish overall.
rufio - September 10, 2009
I don’t know if I’d say he’s every bit as good as berry but he will be a pro-bowler
The Licensed Pessimist - September 10, 2009
Mays cant cover.
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 12, 2009
i think they both end up a lot like reed, quite frankly. mays is way too fast to be roy williams (who is slow).
DontCallMeJoey - September 9, 2009
Agreed. But Mays is a lot faster than Williams.
rufio - September 10, 2009
TO said he was joking on twitter and is blaming ESPN for taking it.
I bet Mangini thinks it’s real funny.
skipkirk - September 9, 2009
Which only proves that Mary’s source was TO. Nice journalism skills…
SpecialBrownie - September 9, 2009
Awesome. I hope Mary Kay’s source was TO
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
The big secret
If you wanna talk about how Mangini is screwing with the league, it ain’t about the QBs anyways…it is about Big Baby. Do the Vikings spend time on game planning on a guy they have no real idea if he is going to be playing or not. Any small tweek for our defense will be helpful for containing AP. As much heat as Mangini may get for messing with the media on the QB decision, he may make a bigger difference with the defense and hiding Rodgers status.
blockersave93 - September 9, 2009
I think it’s pretty clear that Rogers is playing. He’s been practicing this week, right?
Buckeye Brad - September 9, 2009
He is definitely playing.
Roger Dorn - September 9, 2009
Definately.
SpecialBrownie - September 10, 2009
Definotely?
drjeo - September 11, 2009
Defiantly?
RelapsingDawgCatcher - September 11, 2009
Definitively.
rufio - September 11, 2009
Devastatingly!
RelapsingDawgCatcher - September 11, 2009
Defineingly!
BradyQuinnisBeast - September 12, 2009
If you spend time practicing for Rogers, and he doesn’t play, it doesn’t mean anything for the Vikes.
Whatever way you think up to try and stop Rogers will work for Rubin.
Just that one commands triple teams, and the other two.
skipkirk - September 10, 2009
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