Pay What You Owe

When it really comes down to it, other than two decent seasons in 2002 and 2007,the past century has been one to forget for the Cleveland Browns. Since returning to the NFL in 1999 the Browns have long suffered from a series of horrible management decisions that have made them one of the worst performing teams in the last decade. For some reason the Browns management staff just can’t seem to make the necessary choices in order put the team in route to success, including their most recent ordeal with kick returner and wide receiver Joshua Cribbs.

I know that running a successful NFL team might not be the easiest job in the world but some things go without saying. Why in the world a team that has not had many highlights since returning in 1999, wouldn’t be willing to sign their most prized player shocks me. Most people would find this issue to be resolved as easily as picking up a pen and signing the deal as soon as the season ended.
Cribbs has three years remaining on a six-year, $6.77 million deal. He made a base salary of $900,000 this past season. The Browns have offered to raise his annual salary to $1.4 million for the final three years of his contract, Cribbs' agent, Peter Schaffer, said. Cribbs has told the media several times that it’s not about the money but about receiving “fair value”.
I can’t begin to see where there could even be any confusion of whether or not Cribbs deserves a more significant pay increase or not. Let’s see…where do we begin? Not only is Cribbs a kick and punt return specialist but he gives the Browns a short field whenever the other team decides to put the ball in his hands. They certainly are in need of great field position due to the simple fact that every time their offense touches the field they are putting the ball in the hands of starter Brady Quinn with a 2009 passer rating of 67.2 and backup Derrick Anderson with an even more astonishing rating of 42.1. Cribbs also finished the year with four return touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing. His multi-dimensional versatility easily makes him the most dynamic player on the field for the Browns.
My question for the Browns would be to ask them what more can this man do to receive the additional money that he has rightfully earned. This year is the third consecutive season that he has made the Pro Bowl. No other player has done such in the last ten years that the Browns have been back in Cleveland. His eight combined kick and punt return touchdowns are a new NFL record set within his first five years in the league. Not to mention that he has remained in the top 3 kick returners over the past 3 years with the highest kick return average of 2009 being that of 27.5 yards. During his career with the Browns Cribbs has played wide receiver, wildcat, quarterback, kick and punt returner and even showed great talent on the kickoff and punt teams. I truly don’t understand how you can feel that a player that means so much to your team doesn’t deserve any type of contract bonus. Especially considering no one else has shown any other signs of stepping up in his place.
In the end, I’m fully convinced that the decision to go without resigning Josh Cribbs would not only be a devastating blow to the Cleveland Browns team in 2010, but more so it would show the fans of Cleveland that the organization is not committed to winning. To put a menial price tag on winning is unacceptable for any team in professional sports. Especially with a franchise as deep rooted and with a historical fan base such as the Cleveland Browns. This offseason will show exactly where the Browns want to be in terms of turning this franchise around and putting themselves back on the road to success.

A City in Need of Saints

As of last night, the final two teams have been chosen to play in Super Bowl Forty Four. One of those teams might have come as a huge surprise to many, considering the fact that they are making their first Super Bowl appearance in team history. To the city of New Orleans the Saints are certainly not just any professional sports team and as well as this is not just any normal Super Bowl. To the embattled city of New Orleans, Louisiana, the Saints are one of the few positives still left over from there dreadful past. To a city that Hurricane Katrina left with barely anything, the Saints have not just giving back to the community with a great past few years of football, but yet through their crucial assistance to the community off the field.
The saints are not just a source of pride for the state of Louisiana but they are one of the state’s largest stimulators of the economy. Just for starters, Saints and their owner Tom Benson donate an annual amount of $5 million in cash, goods and services. The amount of money and jobs that the Saints bring to the city’s economy is quite a blessing for a city that has been through more than most can imagine. In 2008 alone, the Saints brought in $552.5 million, with $22.1 million in state taxes and 3,968 jobs created.
This past year alone the Saints created 480 direct jobs and 4,206 other jobs in the local economy in the city of New Orleans. According to reports prepared by Dr. Timothy P. Ryan of the University of New Orleans, the Saints created $161.97 million in earnings for Louisiana residents.
The 25-year expected total in direct impact of the Saints on the state is $12.02 billion, according to Dr. Ryan’s findings in his 2002 report. The total impact – direct and indirect – will be $26.04 billion. Overall this equates to a projected total earnings amount of $1.23 billion for the state of Louisiana.
Saints owner Tom Benson is furthering the positives for the city through leading the campaign to host the Super Bowl at the New Orleans Superdome in 2013. The economic windfall for Super Bowl host cities is estimated to be in excess of $300 million. While the game not only attracts thousands of spending fans, there will also be a plentiful amount of national and international media attention. The attention that New Orleans would bring after the heartfelt events that have happened here would bring a great deal of positive exposure to a city that truly deserves such.
Either way the game turns out on Super Bowl Sunday the New Orleans Saints must be considered true champions. Not only for their role in bringing the fans of New Orleans great joy during tremendously hard times, but for their large part in assisting to keep New Orleans on its feet when most thought it had collapsed. In a day in age where professional sports are headlined by athletes demanding highly over-priced salaries, it really is nice to find out that there are individuals out there in sports that actually care about what’s going on in the world around them.

"We don't need a weakened government but a strong government that would take responsibility for the rights of the individual and care for the society as a whole."
-Vladimir Putin

Haiti: A week After Disaster

A week after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, the country is still in dire need of more help. The United Nations Security Council has approved a proposal to send an additional 2,000 soldiers and 1,500 police officers to the small country. Never the less, hospitals have been over-crowded from the beginning and are running out of medical equipment and supplies. Doctors at the hospitals are using vodka to sterilize the limited medical instruments because there is no rubbing alcohol on hand. Treated patients lay outside with tents made of tarps and blankets providing some shelter. Formerly vacant buildings are being used for treating patients, due to the main hospital building being deemed unsafe. Things have gotten so bad that hospitals have ran out of needles and docters have began operating with hacksaws due to the lack of proper operating tools. It is reported that in the following days the military will be bringing in new supplies and helping with the orgnaization of the "hospital" areas. They will also assist in delivering patients to operating hospitals that will have the necessary docters, equipment and space necessary. Haitian President René Préval will be addressing the nation today according to his spokesman. The flow of supplies into Haiti has not been made easy due to congested roads and the crowded airport, and thousands of survivors have been left to scrounge for food and emergency aid. U.S. Air Force C-17 found a way around this airport congestion by dropping 55,000 pounds or about 40 pallots of bottled water and food into Haiti on Monday, the first U.S. airdrop of supplies. The deputy commander of Joint Task Force Unified Response, said today that U.S. forces intend to carry out more aerial drops, but it technically hasn't been made clear when those would occur. No death toll has been declared for the earthquake, which struck on the afternoon of January 12th. Some death tolls estimates range from 100,000 to 150,000 in Port-au-Prince alone. The United Nations estimates that 3 million people are need of food, water, sheltered and medical assistance. Outside of Haiti, people have contributed more than $220 million to major U.S. relief groups.

"Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What Martin Luther King Day Means To Me

Yesterday marked one of the most meaningful days of the year through my eyes. The day was that of Martin Luther King Day. One of which can be seen as a significant day for not only all African-Americans, but for all people that were oppressed and fought for equality. Dr. King was not only an influential man, but a man who changed the way that African Americans thought and how they would act in the face of prejudice.
King spoke to all people of oppression and not only led them to stand strong in the face of prejudice, but gave them a sense of hope and comfort. King's insightful speeches and rally's led the African American community in a time when they needed a strong leader the most. He told black people that they must join together and work as a team in order to gain the respect that they rightfully deserved. His strong-willed yet peaceful protests and rallys delivered the message of how black people were going to gain equality one way or another.
While remembering what Dr. King has done for us all, it came to my attention that many people of other races might find that MLK Day is a holiday set for only people of African American descent. It would honestly be a shame to believe that the work of such a dignified man was only for the benefit of only one oppressed people. Dr. King spoke to raise the esteem and confidence of all people that were fighting oppression. Although Dr. King was largely involved with the black community he was indeed involved with putting a great deal of input into many other people facing the ugliness of racial prejudice. Through collaborations with many other civil rights leaders, Dr. King was able to have an impact on prejudice as a whole.
I truly hope that most people realize that there was a very significant reason for us having the day off of work or school yesterday. It would be nice to think that many of us took a moment to sit back and think of the lasting significance of the life of Dr. King. Being an African American myself, I took some time to remember the strong impact that Dr. King had on my life. While sitting back and thinking, I once again realized how much of an impact that Dr. King had on us all. I know that my life most likely wouldn’t be how it's today without the dedicated work of Dr. Martin Luther King…. Thank you Dr. King.


"If you don't know where you came from ...You can't get to where you're trying to go"