The good news is Mr. Mix and I headed out to the Rusty Barrel to watch the Browns game today.

The bad news is we were actually watching the Browns game.

Quite frankly, you can't underestimate the agony of today's Browns loss against Tampa Bay. Virtually the entire community had the Browns pencilled in for 2 wins at the start of the season, and now, after one game, it appears all hope may have been lost.

What did we learn today?

Kellen Winslow Waving His Flag























The dreaded Jake Delhomme interception didn't even wait a half to rear it's ugly head. That interception he threw to Ronde Barber ranks with some of the gems we've seen around here from our other QBs. It was some sort of, my body is at a 45-degree angle toss to the other team. Not so much the ineptitude of the toss, but the timing. You're ahead 14-3 before the half, driving in Tampa territory. Perhaps going up as much as 21-3, then that throw. Tampa Bay converts it into a score and now it's 14-10.

Having said that, the Browns tried to sneak in an insanely long Phil Dawson field goal before the half that had the distance, but was no good. And in their first drive of the second half, Evan Moore caught about 65 yards worth of passes, before the People's Choice, Peyton Hillis, fumbled in the Red Zone.

Then it was Tampa Bay just hanging around and hanging around and hanging around and eventually they scored the go-ahead TD late.

Cheerleader Waving Her Bucs





































But the problem today was what we saw in the preseason. Not many outside threats at wide receivers on the Browns, and I defy anyone to tell me these second-year receivers have improved enough to be solid contributors for all 16 games. Let's face it, the Tampa Bay safety took a rather dumb route to the ball on Mohammed Massaquoi's TD. He only caught one other pass. Stuckey had 4 catches, mostly on the underneath crossing routes. Great if he breaks a tackle, he gains 8, instead of the usual 5. Cribbs and Robiskie combined for 3 catches for 16 yards. And then there are the dumpoffs to the backs

The only semblance of a medium passing game is through the tight ends again. Moore and Ben Watson as the targets. BTW, Delhomme averaged 6.2 yards per attempt, in case you needed more proof of the dink and dunk.

Return game provided nothing today.

The defense? Say all you want about they played good enough to win. But I tire of a defense that continually breaks down when they need a stop the most.

Maybe I need to sleep on it, but I can't think of an opening game that was more disappointing because they should have won today, against what we all thought was an inferior opponent.

Browns gag, 17-14.

Meal of Links

Form September 12, 2001. Hunter S. Thompson talks about 9/11. Outside of a drastically inflated number of deaths (remember there were early rumors of 20,000 dead in the WTC), he was spot-on in his analysis. Yes, children, he did write for ESPN.com at the time.

"Honor killings" are growing rapidly. Horrible.

The New York Jets may have harassed a female reporter yesterday. Then when you realize it's Ines Sainz, well, things get interesting. That woman knows how to fill jeans.

I dig Rebecca Hall. Yep, you've seen her, too.

Exercise Yard

Nicole Bobek. From figure skating queen to meth addict. Now on the road to recovery.

Visitor

None, on a nice, sunny Sunday.