Red Right 88

Cleveland sports fan and sports writer

Name:
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

quit my job decided to drive west

Thursday, August 28, 2008

ESPN keeps telling me what Cleveland wants

I live in Cleveland.

Somehow I have missed this groundswell of support for Brady Quinn to be the starting quarterback. It must be true because I keep seeing talking heads on ESPN tell me that most of the fans in Cleveland want Quinn to start.

Now I know that drunk chicks and white sunglasses wearing dudes love wearing the number the number 10 but how many of those "fans" ever make it through four quarters of Browns football.

If you listen to Tony Kornheiser, who hasn't been to town since Bernie played, there are monuments already erected for young Brady. And the rest of ESPN is spreading the same message that Brady is gospel here in town.

I understand the back-up is always the popular guy. I get that Quinn went to Notre Dame and his boyish looks sell magazines. And like many I am not completely sold on Derek Anderson. He has to prove that he can accomplish what he did last season while under the radar with the spotlight on.

But is any real follower of the Cleveland Browns clamoring for Brady Quinn to be the starting quarterback. IF Brady starts this season, hopefully he will be ready, but it would be a bad thing for the Browns. It would mean Anderson flopped or couldn't recover from his concussion. Teams that are rebuilding thrust young quarterbacks into the line of fire. Teams expecting to make the playoffs do not. Sure young signal callers like Tom Brady and Big Ben took their teams to the Super Bowl but I would argue each was a different situation from this year's Browns teams. Both of those quarterbacks entered the fray after the starter was hurt. Expectations were low and only ratcheted up when the teams got hot down the stretch. Expectations have never been higher here in Cleveland and throwing Brady out against the Cowboys and Steelers in the first two weeks would be asking a lot. Anderson's resume may be small but he has one.

Quinn may be a Pro Bowler one day. But right now he is green behind the ears and despite what ESPN keeps telling me the entire city believes, I don't see it.