While you're on the subject of Gruden, what about the cheap shot about "if the Ravens wore their throwback uniforms, they'd be the Cleveland Browns." No, you idiot, they would be the Baltimore Colts. I'll bet the Monday Night announcing crew doesn't go through a bunch of hand wringing about the Houston Oilers when Tennessee plays there next week. Biscotti, on behalf of our fans, should ask the NFL to keep Gruden away from anymore of our telecasts.

Right on about Kruger. Dare I say some of the love for him was racially based? I'm not calling his supporters "Klan members" and I understand it's natural to identify with those who bare similar physical attributes (that's common in all living creatures), but the cult following of guys like Kruger, Jim Leonard and Matt Birk is not proportionate to their skills. I never saw what others saw in Kruger (and I'm even white) and last night proved me right. Much ado about nothing.

Hate to say it, but the most interesting moment of the first half was Jon Gruden's pic as a young Browns fan and his hilarious letter to Leroy Kelly. Could you seriously imagine anyone outside of Baltimore leaving that game on after the first half? By the time the second half started, the clock was approaching 11 and that stupid stuff about Jaws probably keeps more people watching than either the game or Jamal Lewis' career highlights.

kevin...i didnt have time this morning to read everything but I have to say thank you for exposing MNF commentators as horrible. Who cares about Ron Jaws in 1978? Who cares Jon Gruden played qb in high school? I have to say (as I've said for a while) MNF are just plain awful, and the fact that gruden just got an extension doesnt make me happy. I know commentating isnt the easiest thing in the world, but some of the crap that they say makes me think my cats can do a better job...I think I heard jaws saying about Quinn..."keep moving him around, keep jerking him around"...come on....

I did see the Brady Quinn hit and it was cheap. You forgot to mention the Lebron James story played during our game as well. I also noticed how they only showed 5 minutes worth of Ravens highlights or story lines during the pregame show. Usually they spend the entire night highlighting the two teams playing. Last night that did not happen. Just watch next week, or any other week of MNF and you will see the difference. Oh and everytime I say "they"; I mean ESPN.

John M., as much as it pains me, the all of the Colts' properties are in Indy...so no, they wouldn't be throwbacks...nor would the Browns' unis, since they're in Cleveland.

Ravens throwbacks would include that god-awful logo they had when they first came here...

I thought the MNF commentators were annoying as well. The coverage on the individual teams, particularly the Ravens, was lacking. With that said, we can't forget what an embarrassment it was for the Ravens to be tied 0-0 at the half with a 1-7 team. As terrible as Gruden and Jaws were last night, the game wasn't exactly full of highlights or anything worth discussing. It was straight up boring. As a season ticket holder and someone who never misses a minute of play, the only thing keeping me awake last night was waiting to switch my clothes from washer to dryer.

Quinn should be fined for that hit. It was a total cheap shot.

Well, now that we are on this topic, I have to vent as well. This crap about Cleveland and their fans and the Ravens being the old Browns is so annoying and tiresome. As someone else pointed out, they did not say anything about the old Oilers going back to Houston to play the Texans next week on MNF (and certainly did not show the Mayflower clips!!). Yet Gruden makes the comment about the throwbacks, they show the clips of the team moving out of Cleveland, they show the pathetic history of the Browns and make no mention of the storied history of this town! I am so tired of it. There is not one single former Cleveland Brown on the Ravens any more and even the owner has changed so we are NOT the old Cleveland Browns, we are the Ravens!! The comments are disrespectful to the Ravens and us as fans. Let's see how much they talk about the Colts, the team that actually played in this city under the same name, the team that did not leave its records and history behind, the team that was not replaced by an expansion team a short 3 years later, coming back to the town where they were just as beloved as the stupid Browns were in Cleveland. At the end of the day, the Browns fans are just fans like all the rest of us. We love our teams and it sucks they moved 13 years ago, but to not even mention what happened to this city's team and the fact that Cleveland kept its history and we had to start over is simply unfair. Just another reason why I hate ESPN. Why the hell were the Browns on MNF anyway???

Ummm, yeah...Matt Birk is a two time all pro and six time pro bowler Bernard, so please get your facts straight before lumping people together that look alike.

And I would take Jim Leonhard over Landry any day of the week but I would take Webb over Leonhard in a heartbeat - guy is going to be a beast. So, Bernard, please use your ridiculous sociological philosophy and explain that one to me. Where exactly do I fit in with your "groupings"?

The talent is here on our offensive team, the problem is Cam Cameron. I have never had much faith in his play calling. And most of his pass plays are not creative at all! A good offensive coach would be working on the improvement of his quarterback, I see no progress with Flacco from the first game this season till now! He looks more lost than ever in the pocket. A good team knows how to execute pass plays that aren't always one a screen pass or two everyone going deep. Whatever happened to the middle of the paying field? Good teams know how to dominate that area!

Here is why people want to see Kruger play. He was our 2nd round pick and we usually play our high draft picks. I do not believe it is racial at all as there was the same talk when Dwan Edwards was drafted and did not play much early in his career. People just want to see our high picks play. Simple as that.

To all the folks who've mentioned Gruden's "throw back" comment; as well as how ESPN spent so much time fawning over the Browns while not even mentioning that Baltimore has not only won multiple NFL championships and Super Bowls but the CFL Grey Cup to boot! I say, "Me too. Me three." Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that – that the ESPN dislike of the Ravens isn't just paranoia. And Browns fans: enough with the "Art Modell was a terrible owner, the NFL screwed us, it's all your fault, Ravens, blah, blah, blah." It's been almost fifteen years. Get over it already. You stunk then and you stink now and you'll forever stink and it's not our fault. You're the ones who drafted Quinn and hired Mangini. You're the ones who fired Bill freakin' Belichick. There is one thing that Baltimore did do – give you three seasons where you didn't have a losing record. For that you should be thanking us instead of berating us.

Bernie: please sell your PSL and never attend a Ravens game again. Thanks.

Kruger is a 2nd round pick, just like Ray Rice, and look how he turned out. We have high expectations for all high draft picks.

Yeah those race comments are absurd. Trivial forums like this are proof that fanship goes beyond color, it is about connecting the city. Sit in the stands, actually, sit in the upper deck... You will find one of the most eclectic groupings of race, gender, and BAWMOR accent. Get over it.
But, seriously, here's a question. Why are we paying Chris Carr however many million dollars to make fair catches? Could we not have dumped both he and a gimpy Dewan Landry in order to keep a hardworking, dynamic player in Jim Leonhard? He could have played both positions as well as he did last year. Mainly, helping us on the blitz. Leonhard's contract would have compensated for both of these mediocre players. But, good job pointing out Webb's talent, great find!
And, thanks for the comments about the kicker. Remember when Stover was our offense for an entire season? When we won our Super Bowl... It seems a comment thread that when a new coach takes over he lacks the loyalty that a city possesses for certain players. We did him an injustice. But i get it, this is a business and he was expensive, but so is losing games on the foot of this new kid.

We are slashing our price for a Steve "Wide Left" Hauschka jersey from an already reduced $2.00 to 99 cents!!!!! Get 'em while there still around, as Hauschka's days in the NFL are numbered!!!

And if you order in the next hour, we'll throw in a Chris "Fair Catch" Carr jersey for free!!!

Bernie,

You are a total moron. Please destroy your computer.

the post is right , half of the kruger -leonard crowd is because of their race

The team definitely needs to deep six Hauschka. He's already cost us one game and that me be too much as it is. Bad error to get rid of Stover who may now burn us on Sunday.

I believe we can beat Manning and the Colts, but the crowd has to scream in the 200 db range, and the D has to smother Dallas Clark and keep a good corner on Wayne.

Apart from that, do timely blitzes and change looks.

I still say the wrong D formation (4-3) is being played for the personnel(3-4)

The commentary for last night's game was incredibly obnoxious. I almost muted my TV in the second half. Jon Gruden sounded like a Browns fan sitting in the stands. If you love Cleveland so darn much go coach them you homer. I'd say a good 75% of the talk was dedicated to talking about the Browns. This MNF crew, and especially Gruden, has become increasingly annoying as the season goes on.

P.S. BRADY QUINN IS A PUNK.

I am so glad I wasn't the only one who found the ESPN commentators comments annoying and ridiculous. I was beginning to think that Gruden might need to have some alone time with Quinn so he could tell him how much he cares. Really, Quinn needs to feel his love, not me. I also think for all the whining the Brown's fans and commentators did about the team leaving and their great history it does come down to two things, shut up already because you were able to keep your colors, uniform and history and I would like to think that no matter how bad the Ravens would be we would never insult our team by orchestrating a mass exodus during a game.

Last night's telecast was an obvious attempt to stroke and try to pump up Cleveland for the benefit of their fans. The team is the laughing stock of the NFL. Pouring on the sympathy for Cleveland, that's all it was...besides Gruden is a punk and has always had in for us for what we did to his Oakland team in 2000. We never laughed so hard...watching Brady Quinn throw every deep pass out of bounds. That was good stuff.

Brady Quinn's deep passes reminded me of one of the greatest future insurance salesman ever to play the game, Mr. Kyle Boller. That kid only cost us about 4 years worth of potential playoff runs with one of the greatest defenses of all-time. Good luck, Cleveland.
Also, the race thing. Shut up. I'd rather watch Suggs play any day, but he got hurt last night. When you make a high draft pick you expect the kid to play and there is going to be a push from fans to get him on the field. If only based on the hype that the college draft brings.
Look at Tampa. Their fans have been pushing this Freeman kid to play and he is actually, completely, over-rated. Modern sports are intended to overcome race. Maybe if you'd stop harping on it they could. How many people are going to tell you they'd like J.J. Reddick to come to the Wizards and play over Arenas. It's about talent. As if Baltimore doesn't have enough issues with the rotten division of the city, a corrupt mayor, etc...

so if all these comment about Kruger are race driven, does that mean it's only the blacks who are clamoring for Hauschka's head???

Bernie = Idiot.

Quinn = Bust.

ESPN = Self-Loving Cleveland Apologist Suck-ups.

Maybe now that Gruden got his new contract, he can afford a high-maintenance diva like Brady Quinn.

Also, a win is a win but if the Ravens come out like that on Sunday they'll be down by 40 at the half.

The Ravens should know a cheap shot when they see it. The whole team are thugs that should be behind bars... led by Ray " I didn't kill nobody" Lewis.

"Much ado about nothing": this describes perfectly your race-baiting speculation, Bernie.

When a team struggles and there are players who are not playing, especially early-round draft choices, especially early-round draft choices who are not even suited up, then frustrated fans are going to be clamoring for them to play.

That may make these fans rash, but it doesn't make them racist.

If you are not satisfied with the status quo, then you are more apt to look for CHANGE, much like the voters who picked Barack Obama over his Republican opponent in 2008.

I've read as many comments lamenting the loss of Bart Scott as I have the loss of Jim Leonhard. And I've never read one comment singing the praises of Matt Birk, let alone anything to suggest he has a "cult following".

Give it a rest, Bernie. Better yet, to prove I'm not racist, I'll gladly call for a non-racist black Ravens fan to replace you and your lame comments on this blog.

How can anyone in Baltimore talk about cheap shots or dirty hits? Your team, which is filled with former/future convicts, has been dirty for years. Enjoy the playoffs at home on your section eight couch.

Addendum to my previous post...

Bob and RP = GIANT, FREAKING IDIOTS

Enough with the Ray Lewis murderous thug BS. It's a tired excuse of a putdown that is as unfounded now as it was then. He made the youthful mistake of being in bad company and then withholding information for which he paid a price and then corrected his errors - end of story.

Also, I will take the opinion of the players as to who is dirty - they voted Hines Ward as #1, by the way - over any half-assed assessment from either of you.

For all the closet racists who don't think they over-value unathletic white football players, I just have one (long) word for you: HEEEEEAAAAAAAPPPP.

On another blog I made a correlation between Boller and Hauschka, and I think its valid to point out here.

Boller was a promising QB, he was. But, IMHO (and I don't have the football skills of many here), he just wasn't ready for prime time. The measure of a man is sometimes the ability to step up in the face of adversity and beat it. Some can; some have that inner drive and skill that they will. Let's be honest: MOST WON'T.

Nurtured and guided like some other QBs in the NFL (early Manning, early McNair), Boller could have been, by this point, amazing. But Billick put him in early (well, he HAD to, due to injuries), but decided (foolishly) to keep him in, and retain him after McNair left. What you were left with was a psychological mess who wasn't 'ready for prime time', got rushed easily, and ran for his life.

Hauschka - same thing. On his Three Big Mistakes, they were all done for the same reason. SAME REASON. I'm no kicker, but if hooking left (and preventing such) is teachable, you'd think after Incident #2 the kicking/special teams staff would have handled this. Well, if it's teachable, Hauschka is sleeping in class.

This kid could be good, just not right now. And if anyone is dumb enough to think this pressure isn't getting to him (let's face it, he's Boller Jr. right now in Baltimore), all you have to think is this: blocked kick. Hauschka's rattled, and he won't get any LESS rattled against Indy OR the Steelers. (If he's rattled against a 1-7 team, he'll need a diaper Sunday..).

While you're deep-sixing Hauschka, don't forget Clayton.

If watching the Ravens is too taxing a sociological experience for you, then by all means - GO AWAY!!!!!!

It must be a joy for anyone else to have to watch a Ravens game with you staring suspiciously into your racial prism straining to attribute racist motives to cheering fans.

Wow, I guess white fans shouldn't cheer Todd Heap or any other white Raven for fear that Bernie, the all-knowing judge of racism, will find them too enthusiastic in the support of a player who by no choosing of their own happens to share a similar skin color. I guess your omniscience also allows you to discern the skin color of these anonymous, faceless commenters to know whether they are too supportive of their fellow "Aryan" players.

I seem to recall Todd Heap receiving a fair amount of criticism in recent years for his injury-prone ways, but I doubt that would alleviate your conspiratorial concerns for how much the "closet racists" - excuse me, white fans - "over-value" such an "unathletic" player.

So an inane and innocuous stadium cheer of "HEEEAAAPPP", the appeal of which has more to do with the gutteral nature of the sound than the player who bears the name, is to your enlightened ears a rallying cry for white supremacy.

For someone who presumably takes racism seriously, you sure throw around accusations of it frivolously.

BERNIE- Morons like you are the reason racism still exists.

Ravens prolific passing offense came to a grinding halt the moment Gaither got hurt. My guess is that he's still not at full strength and they're trying to protect him by limiting his need to pass protect. But without Lorenzo Neal's lead blocking of last year, their running game has also grinded to a halt!

5 things we learned Ravens/Browns
Kevin Van Valkenburg
Funnyest thing i have read this season.
First time I have read your stuff.
good job
Visitor

Bernie, like the boy who cried wolf, cheapens the gravity of of the charge of racism by using it as a weapon in schoolyard-style cyber-trash talk. He must be proud.

I don't think last night was any worse then any of Jaws attempts at being a commentator. I use the word attempt loosely. Both these clowns are from Ohio, so they got paid big money to drag us kicking and screaming down there oh so boring memory lane.

Who cares, your on national tv, the other 49 states don't give a crap about any of it.

Then there's the 300 plus endless commercials we have to endure, they didn't even show parts of the game because - well the game got in the way of the commercials. Just when are fans going to have enough of all this crazy.

to point number 1, I believe that Joe Flacco is the reason for slow starts. His demeanor rubs off on the entire offense and leads to a lack of urgency. Joe also has trouble figuring out what the defense is trying to do to him until around half time. don't know that this can get corrected this year
We over estimated the ability of some of our players. this team is good, but not great

5 things we learned ( the HARD way)

1. We won't have Steve Hash-hookah to kick around anymore (apologies to Dick Nixon).
2.It's a shame we won't get the chance to pay back Brady Quinn for his cheap shot on Suggs, as that would require Brady actually playing in an NFL game beyond this year.
3.It's [still] not Jarret Johnson's fault.
4. The folks at ESPN knew just how bad this game was going to be and had a lot of filler ready to go.
5. These next 2 Ravens games are going to be very hard to watch for Ravens fans.

I am sick of primetime national broadcasts that whine how the Ravens used to be from Cleveland. It's been 14 seasons. When was the last time you heard anything about the Cardinals from St. Louis, the Rams from LA or any other team that has moved over the past 25 years. Other than the throwback Oilers uniforms national broadcasts never mention teams that have moved. Cleveland got their stinking colors, history, tradition and records. Baltimore was left with nothing from the Colts except for a fantastic band.

I too am very tired of all the comments about the Browns moving to Baltimore. You can even begin to compare that to what happened to Baltimore.

If you haven't seen it, do yourself a huge favor and watch the new Barry Levinson movie "The Band That Wouldn't Die."

I challenge ESPN to play that clip of Bob Irsay at BWI (nee Friendship) airport next weekend when we play the Colts. Not that they would, mind you, it would smack too much of telling the honest truth instead of the truth as they want you to believe it.