Verba, “Browns don’t want to pay me…” “Butch promised…”

Seems to me I read a quote from Ross Verba, “They (the Browns) just don’t want to pay me.” Now I know I played back in the days that we used a real pig for the ball but $2.9 million a year seems like pretty decent pay. I would understand if he were leaving the Browns to get with the Patriots, or Steelers, or Eagles, or Atlanta to improve his chances of winning a World Championship but not because the Browns “don’t want to pay me.” I would say $2.9 million a season is paying you very well. Oh yes, you didn’t win the Championship last year.

Butch Davis made a commitment that he couldn’t keep. Perhaps Butch should own up to Verba out of the $12million Randy Lerner is so generously paying Davis to take a permanent vacation. And, Oh yes, last years won loss record was accomplished without Butch Davis playing a single down.

There is also the slight possibility that if Verba and his offensive line had protected the passer a little better and won more games Butch would still be there to honor his commitments. Butch was “retired” because he made a series of bad decisions.

$465,000 to get free, free at last, free at last, free from being lashed with $2.9 million a year, seems a bit absurd doesn’t it. $465,000, that is about what our entire team got for winning the 1964 NFL World Championship. In our weird little minds we would done it for nothing. Actually I paid to do it giving back half a $90,000 bonus to the Cincinnati Reds just for the privilege of leaving pro-baseball to play with the Browns not because I had to, but because I felt it was the right thing to do. Paul Brown did tell me “You should have kept their money, Kid.” Paul brought me to Cleveland to be on the sideline during a Browns vs Giants game, which was real brawl. When I heard the licks being delivered and a little blood splashing I knew I wanted to in the middle of that. Brilliant thinking, right? By half time I already hated the Giants, long before I signed a Browns contract. I think I signed for $10,000 FOR THE SEASON in order to get at the hated Giants. Although I converted the NFL Players Association into a union from a fraternity (started and controlled by the owners) I still can’t comprehend $2.9 million a season as “not being paid.”

At my age your mind wanders a bit.

It sounds as though the Browns have already signed a couple possible replacements for Verba. I hope they can protect the passer. I wish Mr. Verba well where ever he plays except when he plays against the Browns.

The Fewest Mistakes Win, regardless of age!

Those who make the fewest number of mistakes win in high school, college, and the NFL.

Basic size strength and speed are necessary but carrying out the detail of ones assignment without making mistakes determine your success or failure.That is without regard to age. I can't except that 21 year olds are prone to mistakes that lose games or take them out of the game. Todays players are supposed to be bigger stronger, faster, and smarter with better college training than forty years ago. Players still have two arms, two legs, and one head and it is still tackle football. Although they keep changing the rules to make it more and more like flag football i.e. the new "No Horse Collar Rule" "because some body broke Terrel Owens leg dragging him down from behind. Heaven forbid some one might drag T.O. down by a diamond ear ring, or his open mouth. The fundamentals of tackling are the same as when I played. Blocking has been changed to allow offensive players to push and shove with their hands and no more head slaps from defensive players. These changes make the game easier to play now.

When I played I didn't go skiing, sky dive, climb mountains, or ride motorcycles because I didn't want any injury to hinder my personal drive to be the best at my position, or cause me to let my teammates down and above all else keep me from winning the World Championship. Nobody said anything to me it was simply the right thing to do. Even when I was a 21 year old rookie who made as few a number of mistakes as anyone on the Browns team.

When it comes to issues between owners and players my record speaks for itself I come down on the players side.

Signing a contract for millions seems to have replaced the old boyhood goal of winning it all, winning a World Championship.

In the past year I have had a chance to watch the Browns and Detroit Lions practice and the Browns play in person. I feel like there is something missing. I watched the Browns opening day victory over the Baltimore Raven 24-3 last season. I thought the Browns look really good the defense held the Ravens to 3 points and Jeff Garcia looked sharp at QB. Then the Browns had a miserable season and Trent Dilfer is our new QB and 12 other new players are starters for the coming 2005 season and there are new coaches and a new General Manager. Blown out of porportion by the Jerry Springer press or not, as I see it Kellen Winslow's problems have been a dark cloud over the Browns new beginning. I've talked to a good number of Browns fans and none took Winslows side of just being young and mistake prone. They don't want to wait any longer for the Browns to become winners again. Deep in the Browns fans mental make up is expectation of the Browns winning as they did in th e Otto Graham, Jim Brown eras. We expected to win and our fans expected us to win and it was a huge dissapointment when we lost actually a real embarrassment if it was to any team we should have beaten easily. It has to start with the players the Browns fans are right behind them.

Being young is no excuse the name of the game is "He who makes the least mistakes wins." That hasn't changed since the beginning of the NFL.