Hire A Damn Tackling Coach, No Hire Five of them

Gutless tackling was a Browns feature last season. Your new coach Romeo is hiring guys from college, Rutgers for Christ Sake. Coach you now have a team that can't or doesn't have the will to tackle. Hire a couple of mean ass tackling coaches from the National Football League or perhaps a mugger off the Cleveland waterfront. Trade for Rodney Harrison and Jeremia Trotter, Ty Law is a free agent pick him up. The Browns and other NFL teams have coaches carrying coaches carrying coaches playbooks. The NFL is nearing flag football. There should be a fifteen yard penalty for running out of bounds to avoid a collision. Stopping the clock in the last minute of a game is a special case. If there were such a rule there would be fewer obnoxious offensive Hot Dogs like Terrill Owens and Randy Moss running their mouths off to draw attention to themselves at the expense of their team.

"Tackle football" is the games original name not pushing and shoving and running out of bounds. The games growth and success was based on blocking and tackling. Not stunts pulled to become a porn celebrity.

Getting rid of the best tackler in your secondary, Robert Griffin seems on odd way to fix a chronic problem. If the Browns had just tackled reasonably well they would have won half their games. What if they had tackled well?

There are some books on the fundamentals of football published in the 1940's by the US Navy. My midget league Coach Red Dulaney showed me the fundamentals of blocking and tackling in those books when I was 12 years old. I used those fundamentals to become one of, if not the best open field tackler in the NFL, as well having been voted the best blocker and the best tackler in the Southeastern Conference by the SEC Head Coaches. I don't remember missing a half dozen tackles in my entire football career

I know what it takes to tackle and what it takes to block and what it takes to win having won the last World Championship ever won by a Browns team. The fundamentals of tackling and blocking have not changed since those US Navy books of the 1940's nor have they changed from the beginning of "tackle football."

The fact is the 2004 Cleveland Browns couldn't tackle well enough to win. Unless they learn how to tackle before the 2005 season they won't be any better no matter who is coaching.

Browns Go Bright Black, And that may be what they need.

My Cleveland Browns have come a long way from the time when Coach Paul Browns policy was that the limit for black players on the roster was 13. Paul Brown gave Willie Davis to Green Bay to stay with his no more than 13 blacks on the 36 player Browns roster. On our first road trip, our Rookie year, John Wooten and I were scheduled as roomates at the hotel we were staying. John and I checked in and didn't give it a thought. A few minutes after we had settled into our room there was a knock on the door. It was Mike Brown, Paul Browns son and now owner of the Cincinnati Bengals who said "There has been a mistake. Bernie get your bag and come along with me." At first being a naive rookie I got my bag and didn't think anything about it. Then it dawned on me. John my friend and teammate was black and I was white, from the University of Florida where at that point in time there were no black athletes. On the other hand before I came to the Browns I had been in training camp with the Cincinnati Reds and my teammates included pitcher Don Newcome, Frank Robinson, centerfielder Vada Pinson and other great black players. I immedeately went to John and told him I didn't realize what was going on when Mike Brown appeared at our door. I told him that I had nothing to do with what was going on and his being black or white meant nothing to me. "John we are teammates and friends and we will always remain friends." John said he felt the same way. Now we have been through many years of football wars including winning a World Championship together and John has always made me proud to be his friend. After returning home in 2004 from the 40th reunion in Cleveland of our 1964 World Championship team I felt the need to call John and remind him "That we will always be friends."

The Browns new head coach Romeo Crennel being Black resolves some troublesome issues from the beginning that I think trouble the Browns current personnel. Now they can get on with the business of building a football "team." When Coach Crennel tells one of his secondary that his tackling is fundamentally unsound (and GUTLESS) the black/white issue will not enter the players mind, the player might even try to learn how to tackle. He may even be able to suggest to his receivers and running backs to quit running out of bounds and try to get some extra yardage. Crennel's being Black can be a great asset to the Browns, so can his past involvement with the unselfish group of dedicated men that make up the New England Patriots football "team." I would like to see him bring linebackers Tedy Bruschi and or Vrable and safety Rodney Harrison to the Browns.

If I were the Eagles I would be hoping the Browns would let QB Jeff Garcia go. Garcia would fit the Eagles offense to a tee and in my opinion he wouldn't get sick in the last 1:46 seconds of any game, especially not the Big One.

Patriots Too Tough Mentally and Physically For Eagles

Tough, that is the word to describe the New England Patriots. They defeated, they out toughed the Eagles defense 24 to 21. I'm glad and Chuck Bednarick is happier than I am. I wanted the Patriots to whip up on Terrell Owens and Freddie Mitchell because they are two selfish bastards. Mitchell got away with an illegal pick on the defensive back covering Owens in the first quarter and got him open for a 30 yard completion. But the Eagles got no points from that drive. Owens did not score in the game and he made only one important reception. Giving the Devil his due Owens caught 9 passes for 122 yards far better than I expected but a miracle one way or another. I did enjoy seeing his chat with McNabb on the side line. It didn't seem to inspire McNabb any.

Deion Branch made some extrodinary catches, key clutch catches the best being the one he took away from Eagles safety Wade on a crossing pattern over the middle on the Patriots last scoring drive. He deserved to be the games MVP. So did Rodney Harrison for shutting Freddie Mitchell down and making two key interceptions and some pressure tackles when they were needed.

Does it count that I predicted the Patriots would win by 3 points. I thought the game would be dominated by the two defenses and it would be a low scoring game like 6 to 3. The Eagles last minute panic, 1:46 second melt down showed a sizeable chink in their amour. It looked like McNabb and his offensive teammates just stood around and let the damn clock run out. Not being able to exploit the Patriots inexperienced cornerbacks was a major disaster for the Eagles. Gaining over 350 yards on McNabbs passing and only scoring 3 times as the Eagles did is an oddity in itself.

McNabb seemed perplexed at times including the last 1:46 seconds of the game. It looked as though he could throw little passes into the void just beyond the line of scrimmage to Westbrook and move downfield rather easily but he threw too hard and behind him then didn't try again.

The Patriots Vrable is another tough football player/linebacker along with Bruschi and the others. The Patriots linemen both offensive and defensive won the battles of the trenches shutting down the Eagles Javon Kearsh's pass rush and putting enough heat on McNabb to make him throw badly numerous times. The interceptions were unforced just poor throws. Brady played another great clutch game. Adam Vinatari reminds me of Lou Groza (who I played with) the way he responds to pressure.

There is no question in my mind the "team first" attitude of the Patriots won the Championship again. The Eagles infection of selfishness on their offense cost them the game.

Did Romeo Crennel protect his two inexperienced cornerbacks? Or was it Mangini the DB coach or both? Whoever he is an unsung hero. The Browns will improve themselves with Crennel in their organization. He was fortunate enough to preside over a defense that is the epitomy of team effort. They carried out the detail of every assignment and the guy playing next to them knew they would carry it out. That mental toughness that belief in each other, and a fierce desire to block and tackle is the essence of football. From my experience that comes from a core of unselfish players who refuse to be denied. The coach can enhance it or screw it up or not have that core of players. AS I wrote in my book They Call It A GameThe Packers in the '60's could have won with Andy Gump coaching. Lombardi was lucky enough to be there at the right time and he didn't screw it up. As the saying goes Coaches get too much of the credit and not enough of the blame or something like that.

Terrell Owens did not silence his critics, he lost, he didn't score a point. The Eagles lost! The Patriots inexperienced cornerbacks allowed him to sscatch some inconsequential passes but he ran out of bounds when he had a chance to stiff arm Rodney Harrison and perhaps score. My old friend Noel Picard of the St Louis Blues Hockey Team told me "You know why guys like (Owens) don't play hockey?" "They can't get out of bounds."

Bednarick & McDonald the Highest Flying Eagles

The Philadephia Eagles Chuck Bednarick is probably the best football player alive. I know because I played against him many times. The only player I hated as much as I hated Chuck was his teammate flanker Tommy McDonald who I had to cover one on one countless times. Hate in these two cases means ultimate respect for their great courage and competitive spirit, their guts. It was the greatest challenge to measure myself against these two tough, talented, courageous men. Chuck (and Tommy) won the last World Championship a Philadelphia team has won. That was in 1960, 45 years ago. World Championships are rare ask Cleveland. Chuck wants the Eagles to lose the Super Bowl. I can understand that. I played a key role in winning the last World Championship that the Cleveland Browns or any Cleveland team has won in the last 40 years. Entering into Chuck's thoughts is the fact that Eagles owner Luria insulted Chuck by refusing to buy 100 copies of Chuck's book to give to his players. The amount $1500 is tip change for Luria; yes, it I agree it was an insult to the greatest Eagle who ever played the game. If Luria's current players could absorb any infintesimal amount of Chuck's competitive spirit they would be a significantly better football team. They should get some one to read it to Terrell Ownes and Freddie Mitchell before the game today.

Terrell Owens says God has miraculously healed him to play in the Super Bowl today. I know something about those thoughts. I played QB in high school and I led my team on a 16 straight undefeated run. In Ft Pierce, Florida in our next to last game before our Super Bowl against cross town rival Gainesville High School (which produced Clinton Portus) I received separated shoulder returning a punt. The doctor at our Hospital told my mother and I that "Son you are going to have to forget about sports you are going to have to have that shoulder operated on and wired up right away. You should plan on concentrating on school, you are a good student..." I woke up on a gurney in the hall way after passing out. My mother was bending over me with a group of nurses. I climbed off the gurney and told my mother lets get out of here. I'm not getting operated on and I'm going to play against GHS.

I did play against GHS two weeks later. Although I could barely lift my throwing arm before the game, the Univ. of Florida trainer Doc Lankford taped up my shoulder pulling it up back into place and I played. I threw the ball normally. I overthrew one deep pattern just short of 60 yards downfield. Was that miraculous? GHS was our hated rival. I wanted to play more than anything. I don't recall praying for a miracle. And we lost 13-12 on a bad call by the referee when got the ball punched out of my arm carrying it with my hurt shoulder 1 1/2 yards into the GHS endzone on the last play of the game. Miracle? Maybe?

Here is a quote from my book, an autobiography "They Call It A Game" page 32 "I had my own feelings about praying before the game. If God would just stay out of it. I would win by myself. As Phil Harris used to sing in the 30's and 40's, "Lord don't help me, but please don't help that bear," or something like that."

A miracle is Chuck Bednarick surviving 30 missions over Germany as a 17 year old gunner on a B-25. Thanks Chuck, thanks again.

Hair and Helmets

In my opinion Dredlocks are a ligitimate cultural way of saying I am proud of my African heritage. So is long hair worn by Hawaian players a comment on their proud heritage. Long hair worn by white players means little more than I like my hair long, despite what my parents think. The Mohawk hairdo unvield by the Philadelphia Eagles Freddie Mitchell the week after "thanking his hands for being so great" is nothing but showing his ass; equally as accurate taunting. There are penalties for taunting in pro-football. Mitchell will get his before it is over. Mike Ditka was right on when he said, "In the '60's Mitchell would have his head handed to him." Or words to that effect. If Mitchell doesn't get his in the Superbowl, football players may not be the smartest guys in the world, but we have long memories.

During my years in football I wore a flat top hair cut, a crew cut. It wasn't particularly Irish but it was easy to wash and my helmet didn't keep it messed up. I once got a hair cut at the Pick Carter Hotel barbershop before a home game in Cleveland. It looked like my four year old did it. My hair looked like the barber had Parkinsons desease. My hair wasn't flat it was bumpy as an unmade bed. It made me madder then hell. I didn't take it out on the elderly barber but I had a hell of a game against the Cardinals hitting John David Crow so hard he fumbled twice.

I remmember my roommate All Pro Safety Don Fleming telling me "Aw Bern, don't worry about it. The difference between a good hair cut and a bad one is only five days."

There will be a lot of good hitting in this Superbowl. Both defenses a tough, physically and mentally. That is why they are the last men standing. It is a shame but great defensive games are often decided by one of those "I keek a toughdown" guys. The Patriots Adam Venatiery and Eagles David Akers are the two best kickers in the NFL. The Patriots and the Eagles defenses are also the best in the league. It could be a 6-3 game in favor of Venatiery. I will be surprised if either Terrill Owens or Freddie Mitchell is a factor in the Superbowl.