Another wild week in Cleveland sports. In the last week we saw:

• Eric Wedge got his walking papers with only days remaining in the season. I had heard of lame duck presidents before but a lame duck Major League manager was a new one for me.
• Delonte West of the Cavaliers missed the first two days of practice. On media day he was upbeat and stated he wanted to focus. The next two days he was AWOL. I think Dan Gilbert should get Dr. Phil to do a show on the troubled shooting guard. Imagine the ratings that would get in Cleveland.
• The Browns actually looked like a football team on Sunday, and if you look at the individual statistics you wonder how they actually lost the game to the Bengals. With Derek Anderson's play on Sunday I am wondering if Brady Quinn has bigger nightmares of when he was outhshined in the Insight Bowl during a blowout loss to Anderson in 34-21 trouncing, or if he has harder feelings that he cost the former Notre Dame star about $12 Million dollars when he proved he is a better quarterback for the Brown and Orange.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards has been accused of assaulting a club promoter during the early morning hours of Monday. Edward Givens, 28, says he suffered a black eye and a cut, followed by a headache, after an alleged altercation with Edwards at the View Ultralounge & Nightclub in Cleveland.

According to Givens, he was speaking with Edwards outside of the club when Edwards began an arguemetn and punched him. Speaking with local reporters on Monday, Givens said:

"After the club closed, I was outside greeting and saying goodbye to people. Braylon comes up and started saying things, degrading me. He said if it wasn't for LeBron or the Four Horsemen, I wouldn't have what I have, nor would I be able to get girls. Everyone knows Braylon has a problem with LeBron. So I had to speak up for myself. The conversation started to escalate. As some of his teammates started to pull him back, he punched me.

I have a black eye and a cut. I'm not a violent guy. As long as I've known Braylon, I've allowed him and his friends to come into our events free of charge. Whatever jealousy he has with LeBron, he felt he needed to take it out on me."

No charges have been filed.

By now you already know what happened even if you didn't watch the Cleveland Browns lose in heartbreaking fashion to the Cincinnati Bengals this afternoon at the Stadium. While the Browns have fallen to 0-4, there was still a lot to build on. Here are a few of those things:

• The Browns defense played remarkably well which is a sign of relief. The second half of the first two games and the Baltimore debacle last week probably was because of the team being on the field so much. The defensive squad really stepped up and it should be noted how well they shut down standout quarterback Carson Palmer all afternoon. You also should realize that while the scoreboard read 23-20, one of those touchdowns was because of fumble that was returned for a touchdown by the Bengals defense.
• For years, avid Browns fans have wondered why Jerome Harrison hasn't seen the field much considering the glimpses we have seen of the running back have shown that he can be a playmaker. The fumble aside, Harrison played a solid game gaining over 100 yards on the ground and 150 total yards of total offense.

QB Derek Anderson (On his performance) – “I think I did some good things today. I got the guys going and made some plays but there will definitely be some things that we will see tomorrow that will make me sick.”

(On the interception) – “Steve (Heiden) and I just misread it. I was expecting him to do something different and the corner came off of Braylon and made a good play. It was a low ball, I was trying to put it in low for Steve to make the play. We just didn’t read it right and we weren’t on the same page, but it is football. That wasn’t the only thing that cost us the game. There are a lot of different things that we could have done better when we got the ball in overtime.”

(On the pressure in overtime) – “I am pretty sure that they were bringing more guys than we could block and we were trying to make some plays down the field. We could have held onto the ball a little longer but when I had a couple of free guys, you just have to make the plays. Those are a couple of things that I will probably be frustrated by tomorrow, but overall the guys came out and played and I can’t knock the effort that was put out today. We stuck together and played hard. Key thing was we lost, but it something that we can build on and move on.”

(Opening Statement)- “I couldn’t be prouder of how they played and competed through five quarters. I thought that there were some great individual efforts, as well as some great collective efforts. Shaun Rogers blocking a field goal, blocking the PAT there late. (Mohamed) Massaquoi, the things he was able to do offensively. I’m not sure how many yards he had, but it was well over 100. Jerome Harrison, guys like Mike Furrey, playing some on defense. There were just a lot of really good individual efforts. It’s difficult to lose at any point. It’s always difficult to lose one like this when it went as long as it did, they fought as hard as they did and to come out on the minus side of the ledger. I think the thing that you see is that there are a lot of things here to build on from this experience. Offensively, we were able to move the ball, able to run the ball. Defensively, there was improvement on third down. Some of the other things that we were able to do with packages, I think all good things. I haven’t even mentioned Josh Cribbs and the day that he had. Talk about a guy that wills the return to happen and the way that the group blocked. Tough for the group, but I couldn’t be prouder of the way they played and that’s what I told them.”

The bad news for the 2009 Cleveland Browns continued today when they announced that rookie running back James Davis is out for the year with an injury. Davis, who starred at Clemson, dazzled in the preseason and had many beleiving that the 7th round draft pick would become the steal of the draft. Instead of tearing it up on the field in his first season in the NFL, Davis has had a case of rotten luck. Before the first game of the season Davis was in a one car accident and later sustained an injury to a shoulder that will keep him on the sidelines.

The Browns announced that they added running back Chris Jennings to the active roster to replace Davis. Jennings is a product of University of Arizona and had a solid preason game against the Bears for the Browns russhing for 59 yards and adding 42 receiving yards.

Browns Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan press conference 10-2-09

(On how he survives a rough start to the season)- “I’ve had rough starts before. I’ve been part of defenses with rough starts before. The Monday night against Denver was about as low as I’ve ever felt. I had to hold a press conference after that one. That was a beating. This week, obviously, we weren’t where we need to be. There are some things we can definitely clean up to get better. The simple fact is we have to. Our tackling has to improve, or our defense isn’t going to be where we want it to be. Giving up big plays has to stop. If we’re in a three-deep coverage and they throw deep, we’re looking for the turnover, not the completion for 82-yards, or whatever it was. There are things that we have to improve on, absolutely. Our guys are in there getting the plan, understanding it. We’re working harder than we’ve ever worked. Results have to come, and they will. I’ve been around this thing a long time, professional football. I’ve had my brains kicked in before. It’s just unfortunate you come here in Cleveland, two of the first three games have really been things that you just never could dream of, of a poor start, but hey, those happen. This is pro football. Every team we’ve played has been undefeated. Eventually we’re going to win ours. We’ll just work harder and it’ll all come together.”

(Opening statement)- “Yesterday, I thought we had a good practice. I thought that offensively, we did some really good things on third down, recognizing the different blitz looks, being able to adjust the routes the blitz looks, getting the ball there. I thought D.A. (Derek Anderson) did a nice job with the throws that he had. I’m just pleased with the progress we’ve made there. Defensively, continue to really work at what we need to get done on third down. This is a really talented team in what they’re able to do, whether it’s in their three wide receiver, one tight end set or four wide receiver with just a running back set. They have talented skill makers and, obviously, a quarterback that can get the ball to any spot on the field and also make some plays with his feet. That’s the challenge there, and understanding how we need to address that challenge. Obviously watching Chad Ochocinco, and the things that he can do, and L.C. (Laveranues Coles), who I’ve known for a long time, they definitely present some problems.”

Cast Your Vote -- Randy or David

The Devil You Know or the Devil You Know

I've always blamed former Cleveland mayor Mike White for running Art Modell out of town. It was White and the entire Gateway movement and their smug attitude toward Modell that led us down the primrose path.

"Don't worry about Modell," White said. "He's not going anywhere. Take care of the Indians and the Cavs."

Organized Baseball repeatedly threatened us that we would lose the Indians if a new ballpark were not built. Over the years Seattle and New Orleans almost stole them. So the Indians, a franchise that had not even tried to win under several owners for 30 years, got its new ballpark and Modell, who won a championship and came close several other times, got nothing. Even worse, Modell had his prime tenant taken away from him.

Remember, Modell had a deal with the City of Cleveland to manage the old Stadium. He maintained the aging joint. He was the custodian. Over the years he re-wired it, re-plumbed it and re-roofed it. He needed the rent from the Indians and Browns to cover the costs and that didn't always cover them. He brought in tractor pulls, rock concerts and high school football doubleheaders to help cover the costs.