By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor
What a tremendous opportunity for the Cleveland Browns. A chance to be humiliated on national television.
That’s pretty much the way it’s shaping up for the meeting of the Super Bowl-champ New York Giants and Cleveland on Monday night. The Giants are playing even better than they did last year, while the Browns are playing pretty much like the first year they moved back to Cleveland.
This season has been a nightmare for Browns' fans, who expected a playoff appearance and possibly their first trip to a Super Bowl if things fell right. Instead, things fell apart, which makes it a nightmare as well for the NFL and the television networks who scheduled Cleveland for five prime-time appearances.
Coach Romeo Crennel has to accept the blame for the way this season has gone, although maybe it’s not all his fault that Derek Anderson continues to operate at quarterback despite ratings that make him one of the worst QBs in the NFL.
Before the Cincinnati game, which the Browns managed to win two weeks ago simply because the Bengals were without quarterback Carson Palmer, Crennel said that Brady Quinn would see action if Anderson didn’t play well.
For three quarters Anderson was horrendous.
So why wasn’t Quinn in that game? I believe it’s three things — money, money, money!
Supposedly there is a clause in Quinn’s contract that if he starts a certain number of games his salary is doubled. The Browns' hierarchy apparently don’t want us to know if Quinn is the answer because that would cost millions more to play Quinn the rest of the year.
So it appears they are ready to give away the entire season. What the heck, the seats are pretty much sold out so the team will make its money. In your Dawgface, Browns fans!
Pittsburgh, which has a much-needed bye this week, just about locked up the division last Sunday night with that great win in Jacksonville. Ben Roethlisberger put the Steelers on his beat-up back and carried them to victory. If Cleveland doesn’t beat the Giants Monday night, losing their third home game of the year, the season is over. Their schedule is too tough and they have to win at home.
So this game will show one thing — if the NFL is fixed. In my mind, that is the only way possible that Cleveland could win.
Therefore, there is only one way to pick in this game: Cleveland wins, 20-16.
Last week my picks went 8-6 for a season mark of 39-34. Following are the rest of this week’s predictions, betting line in parentheses just for fun:
Bye over Pittsburgh
New England (plus 6) over San Diego
Denver (-31/2) over Jacksonville
Indy (-41/2) over Baltimore
Dallas (-5) over Arizona
Philly (-41/2) over San Fran
Chicago (-3) over Atlanta
Miami (plus 3) over Houston
Seattle (-2) over Green Bay
Carolina (plus 11/2) over Tampa
Washington (-131/2) over St. Louis
New Orleans (-71/2) over Oakland
NY Jets (-6) over Cincy
Minnessota (-131/2) over Detroit
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SPORTVIEW: Browns have chance to be embarrassed on Monday night
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WM baseball, Sharpsville and Wilmington softball playing for D-10 titles
Sharpsville and Wilmington softball teams and the West Middlesex baseball squad return to the diamond today to compete for District 10 championships.
SOFTBALL
Class A Championship
Coach Bob Zikovich's Sharpsville Blue Darlings (15-2) battle a tough Saegertown (18-2) squad at 2 p.m. today at Penn State-Behrend in Erie. -
PIAA Track Notebook: KC's Wareham made round trips to "The Ship"
The most impressive race during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships did not take place at Shippensburg University, nor will you read its results in any newspaper on or any web site.
To be sure, it was a race against time, but not in the sense of being defined by a coach’s hand-held device, nor Seth Grove Stadium’s scoreboard clock. -
Hickory girls grab PIAA Class AA Track team title
SHIPPENSBURG — This news bulletin just in: Mercer County athletes dominated during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Nothing new there, you say? Well, perhaps you’re correct, considering how well the area aggregation annually accounts itself on Memorial Day Weekend at Shippensburg University. Therefore it was not surprising how much hardware was hauled home — once again. -
PIAA Track: Hickory's Bell, Lubarski, Regginello grab gold
SHIPPENSBURG — There’s a big difference between being seeded 1st and finishing 1st — Matt Bell can attest to that.
After settling for silver last year, the Hickory High senior put the shot 59 feet, 6 3/4 inches Friday afternoon to garner gold at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University. -
WM to play for D-10 baseball title; GC, Sharon, Sharpsville lose
Four area baseball teams were in action on Friday in the District 10 semifinals as the squads battled to compete for District 10 championships on Monday.
West Middlesex rolled past error-prone Linesville, 8-0, in Class A action at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.
In Class AA, both Sharon and Sharpsville suffered 2-1 losses. The Tigers fell to Saegertown at Ainsworth Field in Erie while the Blue Devils lost to Titusville at SRU.
In Class AAA, the Grove City Eagles were denied the chance to defend their D-10 crown after suffering a 6-3 loss to Warren at SRU. -
Farrell volleyball falls in D-10 semifinals
The Farrell High boys volleyball team suffered a 2-0 (25-15, 25-12) loss to Saegertown on Thursday night in the District 10 semifinals at Meadville Area High’s “House of Thrills.”
“This was the first year we made it out of the first day (pool play) of the playoffs,” said Steelers’ coach Dan Dragicevic. “I’d like to cite my seniors (Eric Demus, Anthony Perkins, Jaylen Chambers and Lawrence Hughes). -
Locals ready to go for gold at Shippensburg
Now that Mercer County is on the map, it’s incumbent upon the area aggregation to chart a course for the ultimate destination — Seth Grove Stadium’s medals stand — during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Led by West Middlesex High sprinter Clay Allen, many Mercer Countians are seeded at or near the top of their respective events for the annual 2-day marathon at Shippensburg University, which commences 9 a.m. Friday. It will continue beginning 9 a.m. Saturday. -
D-10 Playoffs: Local teams go 6-for-6
ä Grove City 1, Harbor Creek 0 — At Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park, what the Grove City Eagles couldn’t accomplish themselves, the Harbor Creek Huskies unwittingly did for them.
Unable to plate runs themselves, Torin Smith scored the Eagles’ only run when teammate Tyler Devine’s seeming inning-ending pop-up to left field was dropped by Harbor Creek’s Chris Merritt in the bottom of the 7th inning of Tuesday’s tourney opener. -
Great year for WM track; local qualifiers listed
It’s been a big year for the Big Reds.
Though there’s no official documentation, the 2011-12 academic year may be the most successful in West Middlesex High’s athletic annals. -
SPORTVIEW: Local names Kroko, Lutz, Kareklas in news elsewhere
IT’S ALWAYS GOOD to hear of former area people who have gone on to athletic success in other areas, or the family of former area residents. Following are a few of those stories:
ä Bob and Betty Kroko of Sharon are avid followers of professional baseball. No, not necessarily the Pittsburgh Pirates or Cleveland Indians like many local fans.
The Krokos keep a close eye on the Austria Major League! - More Sports Headlines
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