(Photo: NFLMocks.com)

Giants rookie linebacker Mark Herzlich has already defied the odds.

Two years ago, as an All-American at Boston College, Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma – a rare form of bone cancer – and was told by doctors that he might not ever walk again, let alone play football. Well, after beating the cancer, returning to play his senior season and making it to the NFL as an undrafted free agent with New York, Herzlich continues to prove the doubters wrong. He played in eleven regular season games this year for the Giants, starting two (including a week 11 showdown against the Eagles), and making an immediate contribution on special teams.

But Herzlich’s tweet from today really put things into perspective as to just how far he’s come in so short a period of time:

(via LarryBrownSports)

Even though he hasn’t played since week 12 due to an ankle injury and illness, Herzlich hopes to take the field for the Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday to complete his utter & total domination of cancer. And regardless, if you’re not inspired by Herzlich’s journey thus far, you may have no soul.

Back in September, NFL Network had Steve Mariucci sit down with Herzlich for this excellent in-depth interview:

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

(AP Photo via MLive.com)

This season, the Detroit Lions have been working hard to change their image from perennial NFC North doormat to the new bad boys of the league. And along the way, part of this new image has included getting busted for dirty play and – as exemplified by Ndamukong Suh – committing all sorts of foolish personal fouls that ultimately hurt the team.

Well, following their week 13 loss at the hands of the Saints, in which Detroit committed 11 penalties for 107 yards, including several critical unsportsmanlike conduct calls, Lions’ veteran center Dominic Raiola had finally seen enough.  Check out this profanity-laced, post-game diatribe from the Lions’ captain, in which he delivers a fairly singular message to his fellow teammates: “Grow the f@#k up!”.

Audio below (Curses are bleeped out, so its relatively SFW):

Sean Payton sees a future where kickoffs might be kicked out. (Cox Sports TV)

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton spoke with ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio on Tuesday about the future of kickoff returns.

Payton understands that fans — and many players — are miffed about kickoffs moving from the 30 to the 35, effectively reducing chances for big kick returns. He also knows that with the information the league had about  injuries, kickoffs were a central target for change.

“Then you have to be able to take steps, so that 10 years down the road when someone is asking you, ‘Hey at this time, when you knew it was such a dangerous play and you continued on with the kicks from the 30 — and now you have someone who is seriously injured.’”

Payton acknowledged that kickoffs could eventually vanish from the landscape of football.

“Sitting in on John Madden’s coaches committee, and discussing this topic, this is a tough one, in regards to trying to reduce collision speed.  There are a number of things you can do offensively and defensively, but when it comes to kicking that ball and these guys are running down the field (at) a pretty good rate of speed, even if they have a five-yard start as opposed to, last year, the 10-yard start.  I wouldn’t be surprised, Mike, if down the road that’s where it was headed.  Unless we come up with some good answers.  And that’s the trick.”

Payton is clearly not on board with the league removing onside kicks.

PFT did the hard work on this one, so here’s the link to the story.

Obviously, Tebow was kidding, and throughout the interview he once again comes off as an impossibly nice and genuine guy, riffing with Stewart about everything from the lockout to compensation for college athletes.

And although it may seem a bit narcissistic for a 23-year-old to be writing a memoir, Tebow clearly has a unique perspective to share … and it’s not like he’s got much else to do during the lockout, right?

Staubach, Landry and the 'Boys faced the Vikings outdoors in frigid Metropolitan Stadium. Could an outdoor venue be next for the Vikes? And, if so, will it be in Minnesota? (Source: knowyourdallascowboys.com)

With the Minnesota Vikings’ Metrodome lease ending after the 2011 season, ownership is sorting through a laundry list of potential suitors. The team could stay put at the Metrodome — or they could break ground on a brand new Minneapolis-area stadium. Those options rest on the stable end of the spectrum. The remaining possibilities are unsettling.

It’s enough to give Vikings fans pause, and history would suggest reason for concern, as stadium issues have historically been central to franchise relocation. Any discussion along those lines is speculation at this stage, and the Vikings appear committed to Minnesota, but Tuesday’s partial transcript includes the revelation that a Los Angeles-based group has approached Vikings ownership.

Sections of the transcript are below — and the Los Angeles issue is brought up after the jump.

Q: How did the recent election results affect the Vikings stadium effort?

Lester Bagley: This is a good question to start. The 2011 Legislative Session is a critical session for the Vikings, the NFL and our fans. Leadership of the new house and senate majorities as well as the new Governor have indicated that this issue needs to be addressed and will be on the agenda.

While there are certainly tremendous challenges and other priorities, the one issue that brought candidates for office together was creating jobs and as you know, this will create 13,000 jobs, including 7,500 construction jobs.

The Vikings will have only 10 games remaining at the Metrodome when the session convenes. We have a strong bi-partisan support at the legislature. When we left last session, we were given the directive to go put together a package that includes an ideal site, cost projections and funding options. That’s what we’ve been working on since that session ended.

Q: Why cant the Stadium use the MoA  (Mall of America) site?

Lester Bagley: In terms of where we’re at with sites, we are completing our due diligence on a number of potential stadium sites. Some in Minneapolis and one suburban site. No conclusions have been reached and we’re working to bring forward a package with a single site as soon as our work is completed and as soon as the new legislature and the new governor are ready.

Q: I keep reading about different groups in LA trying to lure an NFL team to relocate and that the Vikings are on a list of potential teams. Have you been approached by these groups?

Lester Bagley: Yes, we have been approached by 2 different groups in Los Angeles — the Ed Roski group and more recently by former Timberwolves CEO Tim Leiweke and AEG. In 2009 when the NFL had an Owners’ meeting in southern California, Mr. Wilf and Vikings management toured LA Live to try to get ideas on building a similar sports/entertainment district in Minnesota. Clearly, the Vikings stadium issue is being followed nationally and it’s no secret that we’re down to the last year on our lease. We’ve told those groups that we are focused on resolving the issue in Minnesota. We feel solid momentum and feel we’re well-positioned with the new legislature and governor. Instead of spending energy speculating on other markets, let’s keep the focus on building a world-class facility for the community and the State of Minnesota.

Q: Where would the Vikings play their games while the new stadium is being built?

Lester Bagley: That issue would only be in play if it is determined that the Metrodome site is the ideal site. If that’s the case, we would need to engage in conversations with the University of Minnesota about access to TCF Bank Stadium. Again, we are completing our due diligence on sites and no conclusions have been reached. Stay tuned.

Q: What about a grassfield, outside where football was meant to be played? Are we getting an out door field?

Lester Bagley: There is strong support across the State for a multi-purpose, year-round facility. Adding a roof makes this a state-wide asset and benefits the State of Minnesota – we need to have the important conversation about how to pay for the roof. While it might be great to have outdoor football again, we need to look at maximizing use of this publicly-owned facility – a facility that would host high schools sports, amateur sports, a Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, etc.

Q: When’s the earliest we can expect to have a resolution?

Lester Bagley: As noted, 2011 is a crucial year. The Legislature runs from early January to late May, and this is likely to be resolved later in the Legislative Session. In terms of next steps, we need to continue our productive discussions and forward progress with State and local leaders, we need to complete our due diligence and bring forward an ideal site, specific project costs and a funding plan. Again, the State has significant priorities but we need to move this forward. We need your help to build the public support that it’ll take to push this over the top.

Here’s a little clip from old Metropolitan Stadium:

One more time, with feeling: Brett Favre and his Vikings are determined to get back to the NFC Championship. Their journey begins tonight. (Source: NewsOne)

THEDARKHORSE: Artie, we’re finally here. Standing at the doorway, with the 2010 NFL season spread before us in all its splendor. Today, every team has a certain amount of hope. If you’re the New Orleans Saints, you’re sure you can get back to the big game. If you’re the Detroit Lions, you’re sure this season brings proof of growth. If you’re the Minnesota Vikings, nothing less than the Super Bowl is acceptable. That’s fine, except that 15 NFC clubs will ultimately look back on this season as a failure. So… which supposed powerhouse falls the farthest this season? (In your world, Artie, which team is this year’s ’87 New York Giants)?

ARTIEFUFKIN: It is a magical time of year, indeed. I literally got giddy this morning thinking about how close we are to the start of the NFL season.  And I like that you’re starting off on a negative note here: which playoff team from 2009 will FAIL the worst the year?

To me, the Arizona Cardinals have peaked, and are due for a fall this year. Gone from this year’s team are Kurt Warner, Karlos Dansby, Anquan Boldin and Antrell Rolle … four of the teams best players.  They’re in a weak division, and they have the easiest schedule in the NFL this year, but with Derek Anderson taking over the reigns, things could slide quickly for the Cardinals

And everyone is all over the Vikings jock this year, but they could be in for a rude awakening if old man Farve doesn’t put on a repeat performance of last season, which is going to be difficult to do, especially with that lingering ankle injury. Sidney Rice is injured and Percy Harvin suffers from migraines, and it seems like defenses are finally starting to catch up to Adrian Peterson.  To me, the Packers are the team to beat in the NFC, and the rest of the NFC north is getting better … it just feels like a recipe for potential disaster in Minnesota.

TDH, there seems to be an unusually large crop of rookie RBs who will be carrying a large part of the load for their team this year.  Guys like Ryan Matthews and Javid Best are two guys who are already being hyped up, but which rookie (not necessarily RB) do you think will make this most impact this season.

THEDARKHORSE: In terms of RB, you’ve named two leading contenders in Jahvid Best and Ryan Mathews. I think they’ll thrive not only because they appear NFL-ready, but because they’ll be given a full chance to operate and produce on offense. Mathews, especially, is being thrust into a starting role occupied for the better part of a decade by LaDanian Tomlinson. Big shoes to fill, yet he’s stepping in at a good time — it appears nobody in San Diego is too distraught to be without LT. These guys aside, I believe C.J. Spiller is the one we’ll be talking about all season long. He’s dangerous from all points on the field and has incredible speed. The guy scores from long distance, and should remind you of a few whip-fast runners from our childhood: Dave Meggett and Eric (“Stop Calling Me Terry”) Metcalf. The Bills don’t have much on offense, and if defenses focuses on Spiller exclusively, he might not get the yardage Mathews will, but I think he’ll be twice as exciting.

Artie, do we have a surprise team in the NFL — do we have a 1999 St. Louis Rams this time around. And, for the record, let’s not call the Miami Dolphins a surprise team. More along the lines of a 4-12 club that completely stuns the league.

ARTIEFUFKIN: Well, I don’t necessarily see anyone coming out of nowhere and winning the Super Bowl, but I do think this might finally be the year that the Detroit Lions  turn things around, and get their first .500 record since 1999. You saw glimpses last year that this group of players could pull together, and now that Matt Millen is no longer hanging around like a black cloud of sadness, you just get the feeling these guys are on the right track. They’ve got another year of seasoning under Matt Stafford & Calvin Johnson, and have added rookies like Ndomukong Suh & Jahvid Best, who should both make a big impact right away.  Add veterans like Kyle Vanden Bosch, Nate Burleson, Rob Sims and Tony Scheffler to the mix, and you’ve got the building blocks for the future in place. GM Martin Mayhew and Head Coach Jim Schwartz genuinely seem to have a plan in place, and there is finally reason for hope in Detroit.

Click below to read more.

With rookie running back Jahvid Best, the Lions are no longer a joke. (Source: AP)

Granted, the NFC North is one of the toughest divisions in football, but if they get a few breaks go their way, I can see the Lions surpassing the Bears within the division, and providing a thorn in the side of the Packers & Vikings.  Don’t get me wrong, Detroit still has major problems in the secondary and questions along the offensive line, but they’re my favorite for most improved in 2010.

Plus, it gives me an excuse to link to this video, which was probably one of the best things about last season in general … LIVE IT, LIVE IT!

TDH, along these lines, do you think the Raiders have finally done enough to start turning their fortunes around?  Can Jason Campbell be a difference maker in Oakland?

THEDARKHORSE: I like the Raiders chances based on the fact that they play in, perhaps, the least-intimidating division in the AFC. We aren’t really sure what we’re getting out Denver and Kansas City, and the door is open for Oakland to command second place in the West. That’s assuming the Chargers maintain their level of performance. The Chargers are without WR Vincent Jackson and T Marcus McNeill — seemingly for the season. They are without LT. People consider LT to be finished, but there is no discounting what he added to that offense. Teams would gameplan for the Chargers offense based on LT. Rookie RB Ryan Mathews should fill in nicely, but that’s an X factor right now. He’s looked good in preseason, but did hundreds of players who are without a team right now. I guess what I’m saying is that the Raiders are in a decent position to take advantage of a division in flux. Nothing about Oakland screams playoff team to me. Jason Campbell plays very middle-of-the-road for Washington, gets cut, goes to another team, and is viewed as a central reason that team will succeed. I don’t know about that one. These guys live or die on the field. Campbell is a serviceable quarterback — and a certain upgrade over JaMarcus Russell. The fact that they’ve moved on from that drama — well, that signifies some element of maturity in the organization. There is tremendous disfunction in Oakland, and that’s why I don’t view them as a real threat. They have some talent on the roster, and they could squeak into the playoffs. But, are they one of the six best teams in the AFC? No way. Not today.

Artie: How do you see the AFC North playing out this year?

ARTIEFUFKIN: The AFC North promises to be intriguing this year, with 3 teams fighting it out for the division title once again (sorry Cleveland). Assuming they don’t beat each other up too much in the process, the winner of the division should have a shot at representing the conference in the Super Bowl.

I think this is Baltimore’s year to elevate to the next level in the NFL.  Joe Flacco’s maturation, along with the emergence of Ray Rice as a legitimate superstar and the addition of Anquan Boldin will give the Ravens the most dynamic offense they’ve ever had. This should take some of the pressure off of the Baltimore defense, who will be without Ed Reed for the first 6 weeks or more. If they can survive that stretch, the Ravens scare me as much as anyone come December.

On the other end of the spectrum, I see the Bengals taking a tumble within the division. I know they’re a fashionable pick this year, but I just don’t see the Ochocinco/TO tandem working out in real life. As soon as there aren’t enough balls to go around, the locker room will start to crumble, and Carson Palmer isn’t a strong enough leader to keep it all together. I also don’t think Cedric Benson can repeat his performance from last year, which makes the Cincinnati offense very pedestrian.

Pittsburgh’s defense is going to keep them in every game, and if they can survive the first 4 games without Big Ben, they’ll be challenging the Ravens for the Division. And unfortunately, Cleveland still is a few years away from having the talent to compete in the NFL.  It will be interesting to see if the Holmgren/Mangini marriage will work out, and they’ve got a potential go-to RB in Jerome Harrison.  But Jake Delhomme isn’t the answer, the Monterio Hardesty injury doesn’t give me much confidence that the luck is changing up in Cleveland.

TDH, in the NFC, do you think the Saints have what it takes to repeat, or will another team supplant them for the conference title?

THEDARKHORSE: The Saints have put together a drama-free, productive offseason. I see no compelling reason to doubt them. I think they’ll take care of Minnesota Thursday night, and get off to a good start. I believe they’ll win the NFC South — but they will not get through the conference playoffs. I see a surprise team winning the conference: Atlanta.

The Falcons are not a team, on paper, that overwhelms anyone. I believe they’ll finish the season about 9-7 or 10-6, enter the playoffs as a wildcard, and peak at the right time.

The easy thing is to pick Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Very good team, yes. Automatic Super Bowl Champions, no. I don’t buy it.

I also see Baltimore as a team everyone is jumping aboard — but their defense is not what it was. Their defensive backfield, especially — even with a past-his-prime Ed Reed returning near midseason — has issues. I think Cincy’s defense is stronger. Like you, I don’t love Cincy’s offense, and I don’t think much of Carson Palmer right now (but am willing to re-evaluate that).

Pittsburgh has had a terrible offseason. Truly horrible. They haven’t done anything to improve — and appear unsettled for the first time in years.

Cincy and Baltimore will compete for the divison. I don’t count out Cleveland as a team that will create headaches within the division. In winning its last four games in 2009, they led the NFL in rushing. This was with Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson at the helm — with every team knowing they couldn’t throw the ball. Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are not Peyton Manning — but they immediately improved the status of the Browns offense, and it showed in the preseason.

People seem to think Rex Ryan drafted and groomed Derrelle Revis and a host of other Jets that pounded AFC teams on the ground late last season. Not the case. Mangini took over a shattered Browns team in 2009, and continued to dump cancers and underachieving players deep into the season. Still, they are completely disregarded.

I am excited to see where we are at the end of 2010.

Artie: Where do the Jets and Giants end up — and is it painful to watch the Giants treated as second-fiddle in the city they’ve owned since the days of Namath?

Artie believes Flacco has all the weapons to help the Ravens win the AFC North. (Source: EastCoastBias.com)

ARTIEFUFKIN: The media’s off-season love affair with the Jets is nothing new.  It’s a fairly regular tradition where the Jets are the fashionable pick as pre-season favorites while the Giants go about their business, workmanlike, and usually end up outproducing the Jets when the season comes. But this year is different, as the Jets are coming off an AFC Championship appearance, and the Giants had a horrific slide to end the season, finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs entirely.

It’s hard not to fall in love with this year’s Jets team, with their stifling defense and young talent on offense. And who can’t help but love Rex Ryan after watching him work on HBO’s Hard Knocks? This is a team you want to root for, and they play the role of media darling perfectly. But as always, what matters is what happens over the next 4 months, and I’m not sure the Jets have all the horses to make it back to the championship game again this year. First and foremost, Mark Sanchez is simply not good enough. He has a mediocre arm, questionable toughness, and I just don’t believe he’s not ready to take a team on his back and lead them through the playoffs.  Secondly, any time a team plays with such bravado, and with so many expectations, if the team starts to stumble, things can go downhill quickly.  If the Jets lose a couple of games I’m not convinced Rex Ryan can keep his team focused on winning. And until they hoist the Lombardi trophy, they’ll always be second fiddle in their own home town.

For the Giants, this season will all come down to the defense. This is a very similar unit to the one that gave up 40+ points in 4 of the last 5 games of the year, and were solely responsible for the end-of-season slide. If first-year coordinator Perry Fewell can get Giants players on board with his updated version of the “Read And React” defense, and get them back to playing up to their potential, the Giants will be in the hunt this year. And you can’t underestimate the importance of adding safties Antrelle Rolle and Kenny Phillips back to the defensive secondary. It will be interesting to see how quickly this unit comes together under Fewerll. But with Eli Manning now entering his 7th season at the helm, and with the weapons he has at his disposal (Smith, Nicks, Manningham, Bradshaw, Jacobs), the Giants offense should be able to put up numbers to compete with most teams in the league.  I see them competing with Philadelphia for the last NFC wild card spot.

THEDARKHORSE: Artie, thanks for chatting. The games about to start — we’ll wrap this up down the line.

ARTIEFUFKIN: Peace out.

Patton Oswalt and Kevin Corrigan star in Big Fan

Big Fan opens in select theaters nationwide today (Aug 28th), after premiering to rave reviews at Sundance earlier this year.  It tells the tale of Paul Alfiero – a 35-year-old parking garage attendant from Staten Island who describes himself as the “world’s biggest Giants fan”.  One day, Paul finds himself face-to-face with his favorite player, and things don’t go quite as planned, leading Paul to question everything he holds dear.  (ed. note – our excitement for this film is already well-documented. Watch the trailer here)

Writer/Director Robert Siegel first made his mark on pop culture as editor-in-chief of the satirical publication The Onion, but really burst into public consciousness in 2008 with his screenplay for acclaimed film The Wrestler. Clearly this guy is on a roll, and he makes his directorial debut with Big Fan, which he also wrote the script for.

For some inexplicable reason that we choose not to question, Rob was kind enough to take the time to answer a few of readandreact’s questions about football, film and this wacky world we live in.

As such, we are thrilled to present you with Robert Siegel: The readandreact interview:

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Robert Siegel: life long Steelers fan

Q: The trailer shows evidence of time spent in the parking lot at the Meadowglands. Being from Long Island, are you yourself a Giants fan? Have you personally attended many games there?

RS: I’m not a Giants fan. I’m a diehard, lifelong Steelers fan. Back in the late ’70s when I came of football age, none of my friends were into the Giants or Jets. Everybody liked either the Steelers or the Cowboys, and for me it stuck. But I’ve definitely spent my fair share of time out at the Meadowlands, I’ve got a lot of friends with Giants season tickets, and I usually go to one or two games a year. Unfortunately, though, they usually invite me to that crappy Week 15 game against the Texans when the Giants have locked up a playoff berth and Eli’s not starting. That tends to be the one where an extra ticket magically opens up.

Q: With Plaxico Burress heading to prison, Michael Vick returning to the game just months after getting out of Leavenworth, and Donte Stallworth suspended after DUI manslaughter, your film is incredibly relevant to today’s sports landscape.  How much of this story was pulled from the headlines?

RS: There definitely seems to be a lot of that stuff going on right now. But in reality, it’s always been happening. Ten years ago, you would’ve been asking me if this movie was based on Rae Carruth or Ron Artest. If it seems like today there’s more bad stuff going on, I think it’s just because the media scrutiny has intensified. More people are getting busted, and when they do, more attention is being paid to it. But I don’t think there ever was a time when athletes were model citizens. You think Mickey Mantle never drove drunk?

Q: You raise some vital questions about priorities in our society today, and what people are willing to forgive in the name of athletic talent … do you think our values are a bit out of whack?

RS: Singers, actors… It’s the same with all celebrities, not just athletes. They’re our heroes, and as a result, we give them a free pass. Or at least try to look the other way. I’m not really sure why, I guess it’s just human nature.

Q: What do you hope people take away from watching Big Fan?

RS: Mainly, I just want them to enjoy it. I’m not looking to take anybody down. Despite what I’ve said here, it’s not like I’ve got some agenda, some axe to grind against pro football. I’m a fan. I love football. But you can love something and still be aware that it’s flawed.

Q: Sports radio plays a big role in the film … It’s definitely a unique sub-culture, and Scott Farrell actually plays your radio host here.  Did you spend time listening to WFAN and other sports radio growing up?

RS: Growing up, I used to listen to WFAN pretty obsessively. Every night, for hours on end, I’d lie awake under the covers way past my bedtime listening to Steve Somers. I’d hear these regular callers… Joe From Bayside… Massapequa Mark… Vinny From Kew Gardens. I felt like I knew them. That was a lot of where the character came from.

Paul from Staten Island calls into his favorite sports radio talk show

Q: What are your feelings on the role of the blogosphere in the sports media landscape?  More and more the lines between sports and entertainment are being blurred, and athletes are being put under a microscope, hounded by paparazzi, etc. Now, anyone with a computer can start their own blog and write whatever they want … is this a good thing?

RS: I think the Internet has pushed the tone of public discourse, on all subjects, in a more angry, negative direction. Most of what you read on blogs and whatnot is pretty hostile in tone. The anonymity of the Internet it frees people up to unleash their hate. It’s become more of a venting mechanism than anything else. As a result, personally, I don’t read very many blogs. I know there are exceptions, but I just don’t have the energy to seek out the good ones. To me, the blogosphere is mostly made up of people who can’t spell and just want to curse and tell you what sucks in all caps.

Q: Based on The Wrestler and Big Fan, your filmmaking focus so far seems to be on people who are not “making it”, even if one, Randy The Ram, was once at the top of his game. Why this interest?  This has often been the path of important film making, but it is not likely to garner the big pop culture rewards.

RS: For some reason, I’m just a sucker for underdog stories. From Taxi Driver to Rushmore, most of my favorite movies focus on outsiders, misfit, loners. I guess if I were to self-analyze, I’d come to the conclusion that that must be how I see myself.

Q: Are you an admirer of the late Budd Schulberg?  In addition to writing On The Waterfront, among other, he was also the chief boxing correspondent for Sports Illustrated.

RS: Of course. How could I not be? He’s the originator of a kind of blue-collar poetry that you didn’t see in movies before he came along. He was an influence on just about everybody else who influenced me, from Scorsese on down.

Q: What was it like working with Patton Oswalt in this role?  What led you to choose him to play Paul?

RS: Patton was fantastic, everything I’d hoped. I cast him because I simply thought he would feel real and believable in this part. He looks just like I pictured Paul in my head. The fact that he came from a comedy background wasn’t a concern to me. In fact, it was a plus. Few people are darker than stand-up comedians. And although he’s not a sports fan at all, as a huge comic-book and movie nerd, I knew he’d come to it with an understanding of fan obsession.

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Once again, many thanks to Robert Siegel, as well as Steven Beeman, Angel An and the rest of the Big Fan team.   Go out and see Big Fan today!

http://bigfanmovie.com/

Barry, thank you for being with us. These days, most people take a site like www.theobr.com for granted. But the site well-represents a shift in sports journalism. Your site’s stories have been lifted by the mainstream media. Did you ever think that might be the case when you started this whole thing?

It’s been an amazing journey, and proof that a website or any other media outlet will be just as good as the people writing for it. We’ve been particularly blessed there.

Back in the 90s, I certainly never thought we’d be at the point where we were battling toe-to-toe with some of the major players in this town for stories and opportunity. The website was started for fun, a sense of adventure, and the vague notion that appreciative readers would buy us beer. We didn’t have any big plan to replace any of Cleveland’s major media players.

In terms of how we’ve been treated by the mainstream media, it’s been a mixed bag. Like any group of people, you’ll have folks with great integrity and folks who lack any at all. You try to learn from the former and ignore the latter, although it can be frustrating or depressing at times.

The Browns have been through 20 years of turbulence. On bad days, the team feels like a franchise slowly rotting from the core out. Is Coach Mangini the one to turn things around? Does he get how much this could mean to the city and the league?

Mangini seems to understand how important this franchise is to Cleveland, and Randy Lerner certainly does. The team’s owner desperately wants the town to be proud of the team again.

The question with both isn’t whether or not they understand how important this is, but rather if they’re capable of making the right detailed decisions to get things back on track.

Mangini, for example, borrows his style from his mentors Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. The OBR’s Steve King did a neat article not too long ago, which compared Mangini’s arrival in Cleveland to that of Bill Belichick in the early 90s. (The article can be found here: http://cle.scout.com/2/847469.html) The parallels are eerie. But under their surface similarities, will Mangini make the right personnel decisions like Bill Parcells? Is he capable of developing a game plan as effectively as Belichick? On both questions, the results in New York were mixed and the jury remains out. If Mangini builds a winner here, he’s redeemed in the eyes of the NFL. If he doesn’t, Browns fans will suffer through another re-boot in three or four years time.

Along those lines, we’ve seen Winslow shipped south for picks… we’ve heard whispers that Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, and Braylon Edwards are all available for the right price. Is Mangini confident enough to start from scratch? And, if the team parts ways with its “stars,” would this roster reset be a surprise to Lerner?

We met and talked with Randy Lerner earlier this off-season, and the Browns owner is convinced that the most important decision he can make is to get the right coach. He believes that Bill Belichick was the key to the Patriots turnaround, and that Chuck Noll took the Steelers from perennial losers to one of the league’s top franchises. His instinct tells him he made the right choice in Mangini, and he’s going to let his coach do things how he feels they need to be done.

Mangenius has arrived.

Based on our discussions, the notion that Lerner is insisting on the new group just tweaking around the edges of the roster doesn’t seem to bear out. If they think changing over a good chunk of the roster is needed, that’s what’s needed. He wants capable people running the franchise professionally. The owner is similar to the fans in wanting a winner soon, but he’ll give his coach the chance to build the team.

I don’t think that Mangini really wants to start from scratch. Guys like Joe Thomas, Shaun Rogers, and D’Qwell Jackson probably aren’t going anywhere. We’re not hearing talk like we did from Phil Savage when he arrived in Cleveland. I remember Savage telling the media that he asked himself “When will the varsity team arrive?” when looking at Butch Davis’ roster. We’re not hearing that now. Mangini and Kokinis are acting like they feel they have more to work with.

Beyond that, the front office wants to build this team through the draft. If dealing off talented but imperfect players like Quinn, DA, and Edwards lets them do that, they’ll sure talk about it. But they aren’t pushing these players out the door like Phil Savage did with Gerard Warren, for example. They’ll deal them for picks if the offer is right and if they think on balance it will improve the club.

Are Browns fans any different than other fans around the league?

No doubt about it. Northeast Ohio is the cradle of football, and the team’s history through the 1960s is without peer in the NFL. The team’s legacy, the town, our love of football has created a unique and dedicated fan base. I remember in the 1970s and 1980s when it sometimes seemed like football was one of Cleveland’s few sources of pride, how even when the city was the butt of jokes that Bernie Kosar would still do everything he could to come here to play for the Browns.

A moment marked in time... seconds before THE FUMBLE. It's not clear if Browns fans have ever recovered from this game. It was grueling to witness a player like Byner suffer after all he'd done for the team.

That’s a lot to live up to. There are very few fans that compare to Browns fans, both in their intensity and the loyalty they display even if they’ve relocated out of the city. The Browns Backers groups spread out all over the planet are amazing.

It’s interesting hearing the local media literally begging fans to turn their backs on the Browns and focus on the city’s other teams. After 20 years of frustration and Modell’s sickening betrayal, it’s still impossible to take a crowbar and pry fans away from this team. The hard-core fans who hang out at the OBR may get frustrated at times, but most of us are lifers. We’ll never walk away, no matter how tough it gets. That loyalty and dedication is what sets Browns fans apart. It’s in our DNA. Browns fans are fans for life.

Derek Anderson was a human car-crash in 2008. Brady Quinn seems like a prototype NFL quarterback on a team with few, if any, stars. Why put the team through another terribly lame quarterback derby?

Why indeed? I think the “school solution” is to give Brady Quinn a chance to succeed or fail with a full year to operate as the team’s starter, and I suspect that’s exactly what will happen even if both quarterbacks remain on the team. At present, however, the Browns front office doesn’t want to do anything to diminish the value of two trade-worthy commodities, so they won’t stand up in front of the media and declare that one of them is the backup. At this point, it’s more about negotiating strategy than really talking about who is going to start.

Bernie Kosar shares words of wisdom with, perhaps, the next great Browns quarterback, Brady Quinn.

Don’t be too incredibly shocked if the team goes in another direction entirely if the right opportunity presents itself. I believe that the team’s front office looks on both the quarterbacks as having weaknesses as well as strengths. They would be perfectly willing to bring in someone else if they feel that they could get the “complete package” at the game’s most important position, either in this year’s draft or next.

We hear a lot about Brady Quinn’s lack of arm strength. Is that what makes him expendable in the eyes of this coaching staff, if he is?

I’m convinced that Quinn is only “expendable” if a better option in the eyes of the coaching staff presents itself. He’s not getting rushed out the door, but they’ll listen to offers. But, yes, it’s primarily arm strength which we believe is a concern. Perhaps one major difference between Charlie Weis and those following in his footsteps is that the latter tend to more concerned with the vertical game, and they’re concerned about Quinn’s ability there. That’s why the Broncos didn’t fall all over themselves to get Quinn and why Daboll would let him go, but only for the right price or if a “complete” QB fell into their laps.

Where will Donte Stallworth be come September? Is he the most star-crossed free agent signing since the team’s return in 1999?

It’s certainly the most tragic story, because an innocent man lost his life.

I’d say that LeCharles Bentley’s situation was the most damaging to the Browns as a team, since he was intended to be the lynchpin of Phil Savage’s efforts to rebuild the roster. You could feel the hopes of Browns fans being crushed when that story went up on the first day of training camp. Chris Spielman, of course, was a similar story back in 1999. The Bentley story will always stick with me as the worst moment of the expansion era.

Fan and media reaction to Stallworth’s problems were a bit more muted because people were already cynical about what he could contribute. I don’t think we’ll see Stallworth in a Browns uniform ever again, That’s just a hunch, since I’m not a lawyer, and Stallworth’s fate is in the hands of the legal system now.

With a gun to your head (held by John Elway), (a) Where do the Browns end up picking in the first round? (b) What player(s) highlight their draft, and (c) Will any notable Browns be jettisoned by the end of draft weekend?

The notion of an armed John Elway is almost enough for me to consider becoming a gun control activist, but my guess today would be that Browns will wind up getting stuck at #5. They want to trade out of it, but it’s not a great place to be in this year’s draft, and other NFL teams know it. The team’s best chance of trading down or getting good value is if the two quarterbacks or Aaron Curry aren’t snapped up in the first four picks. I fear that KC grabs Curry and Detroit and Seattle may grab the QBs, or trade to a team that wants a quarterback, in Seattle’s case. My take is that if you’re a Browns fan, you should be rooting for some of the offensive tackles or a player like Michael Crabtree to wind up at the top of the draft boards.

Lane Adkins was the first to report the team’s intention to acquire a large number of first-day draft picks, which may involve trade-downs and dealing off existing players, and alongside Giants Insider, we broke the Edwards trade story. John Taylor told fans early this off-season that buzz about dealing K2 wouldn’t die. So, that’s the general direction where we think they want to head. There aren’t many players who wouldn’t be dealt if the front office felt, on balance, that the picks could help to rebuild the team.

Anything’s possible on Draft Day, as we’ve seen in the past, so being in the prediction business is a dicey proposition. The unpredictability is one of the things that makes it so much fun, like Christmas morning for grown-ups.

Will the Browns win the Super Bowl in your lifetime?

About ten years ago, I would have said “without a doubt”. Nowadays my answer is that “it depends on how long I live”. If you’re going to be a Browns fan, get in it for the long-haul and have a lot of patience. A long life span would help.

The fact that the answer is in doubt is probably a good indication that I should turn off the computer, go outside, and get some exercise

Even if the Browns never win a Super Bowl under Mangini, fans can be proud of his first head coaching experience with the Kew Colts, a semi-pro gridiron team hailing from Melbourne, Australia. Under Mangini’s guidance, the Colts won a regional league championship game in 1992.