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http://www.columbussports.com/content/teams/cleveland_indians/some_thoughts_on_the_Buckeyes_Browns_and_the_recent_passing_of_Herb_Score.shtmlA few thoughts on the Buckeyes, Browns and the recent passing of Herb Score
Some thoughts on the Buckeyes, Browns and the recent passing of Herb Score.
Buckeyes - All the recent criticism of Tressel's play calling (which I contributed to) and the Buckeyes terrible national ranking in most offensive statistics is going to be forgotten for the next two years. The reason? T.P. - and I'm not referring to that roll of white paper that hangs in your bathroom.
"Remember this: there'll be no stopping Terrelle in 2009 and 2010. Do you hear that Jim?"
In the next two years (forget about his senior year, he'll be starting in the NFL instead), barring injury, Terrelle Pryor will make the Ohio State offense hum to the level of, and probably beyond, Troy Smith's junior and senior years when the offense averaged 32 and 34 points per game. This young man as a true freshman is already making plays on the football field that at least half the quarterbacks in the NFL couldn't do on their best day.
Pryor's immense natural talent, and his seemingly inherent ability to protect the football as if he was Tressel's own son (one play against Penn St. notwithstanding), will allow him to lead the offense to at least a 35-38 point per game average over the next two years. Despite Tressel's propensity to hold down the score, even he won't be able to stop Pryor and the rest of the offense from putting up big numbers.
So Buckeye fans, do what I've decided to do. Go ahead and forget about the offensive frustrations of 2008 and just remember this: there'll be no stopping Terrelle in 2009 and 2010. Do you hear that Jim?
Browns - Jamal Lewis made news this week by saying that certain teammates "quit" the past few games, and was backed up by Joshua Cribbs and a few other teammates. That's all good and fine, but just how and exactly when did someone quit?
The Browns were up by 13 or 14 points in the second half of both games, and were in a position to win right up to the end, so at what point did the quitting occur? Did Brandon McDonald "quit" when he got beat in single coverage and gave up a killer 93 yard touchdown pass to the Broncos? Did Kellen Winslow "quit" when he committed a key offensive pass interference penalty in the fourth quarter of the same game that caused the Browns to lose a first down in Broncos territory and have to punt instead? Is it "quitting" when Braylon Edwards drops a pass? Did the entire defense "quit" all at the same time when they gave up 21 fourth quarter points to the Ravens?
Obviously Lewis and Cribbs are in a position to know if a player or players on their team actually quit on the playing field, but something doesn't sound right about this. The Browns were playing for their playoff lives the past two weeks, plus playing on semi-national TV against the Broncos when all their peers were watching, and could (should!) have won both games. Yes, something went wrong each time, but it's hard to believe with all that was on the line that anyone actually quit. If they did, they deserve to be benched and probably called out, but otherwise I don't see how Lewis' comments will do anything but potentially divide the team just when it most needs to come together.
Herb Score - Much has already been written by far better writers than myself since the announcement of Herb Score's passing, but I want to acknowledge my own memories of Score and the strong bond that Cleveland fans felt with him.
Like many who grew up listening to Score's friendly manner, excellent delivery and play by play announcing of Tribe games (he did so for 34 years), I felt a real loss when I heard he had passed, even though he was mostly out of the public eye the past 7-8 years after a series of tragic events (car accident and a stroke).
As a youngster I recall playing wiffle ball in our backyard with my friends, holding the bat with one hand and a transistor radio held to my ear with the other, listening to the Indians game. On one such occasion I very clearly remember Score's excitement when a Tribe pinch hitting legend and one year wonder, Gomer Hodge, got a base hit in the bottom of the 9th inning to drive in the winning runs. I can still hear all 4300 fans in attendance at old Municipal Stadium sharing in Score's excitement. (For an interesting reminder of Gomer Hodge and his pinch hitting fame, read this.)
As Score and Tribe fans put up with over 30 years of terrible baseball together, it was both heartening and frustrating how the last few years played out. The Indians reached the World Series in 1995 and 1997, and Score was there to call every game, hopefully for him helping to make up for the previous 27 years of bad baseball (which he somehow had a way of making it seem alright). Although the Tribe lost the Series in both years, it had to feel great for him to finally see the city and its fans experience success and the joy it brought to so many in northeastern Ohio.
Ironically and sadly, Score's last call as an announcer for the Indians was the 7th game of the World Series in 1997. Cleveland lost a true heart breaker to the Florida Marlins in that game (curse you Jose Mesa.), but the world of baseball also lost a truly good man and a wonderful baseball announcer. Thank you for the many great memories, Herb.