ballpeen
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Posts posted by ballpeen
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Lots of places now. Back in the beginning, the only place was Fergys...maybe just Fergs , I can't remember.
I liked it....big covered patio, decent enough food. Cold Beer. Good meeting spot before games.
The in-laws retired in Venice, just south of Sarasota. My mother-in-law just passed away in March at the age of 97. During the last year or two we made a dozens of trips down for one reason or another. When I was at UF and wanted to get away from Gainesville for a few days, I would always head to the west coast. I like the Gulf better and at least back in the day it wasn't as busy and was geared more towards sportsman. A lot better fishing on the west coast.
So, I have been in that part of the world since the early -mid 70's. I am pretty well versed on say from the Big Bend area to Punta Gorda.
Hey Tom, if you haven't been, go to the Salvador Dali Museum. It's pretty wild how that guy painted. The museum is maybe a 5 minute walk from Al Lang stadium so you know where it is.
Tarpon Springs is a pretty nice way to spend lunch time. It was the sponge capital of the country. Settled by Greeks. If you don't like Greek food, well, maybe not. For me a Greek salad and a plate of fried smelt to share at Hellas makes for a pretty darn stellar lunch.
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23 hours ago, Flugel said:
Thanks - worthy of note. That said, it's been turning over like crazy since we returned here in 2017. When we were here from 1996-2000, that just looked like a tired old city with little happening. Now they're building up that downtown everywhere. They're building sky rise condos and it's been quite an overhaul. We couldn't believe it. They've added countless restaurants, shops and hotels near the indoor baseball facility.
In pertinence to Cleveland, location, reasonably priced parking and how well it accommodates traffic need to be looked into. I'm guessing they'll do that.
I know. My folks retired in Pinellas County. Up near Seminole/Indian Rocks. Buried in Largo. I have been going to the area since the 70's. It's amazing at the tremendous amount of growth. My brother still lives in Seminole. I go to visit at least once a year. Depending on the time of the year I usually sync it up to where either the Rays, Lightening, or Bucs are in town to attend a game.
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2 minutes ago, Flugel said:
All our crap aside - that was very interesting. I live in the Tampa area were their MLB team that frequents post seasons - plays indoors in a more comfortable climate than Florida's summer heat. Unfortunately, they have trouble with attendance in spite of it all. 1 huge factor is bottle necked traffic congestion from Tampa to St Pete especially during the work week. Right now, St Pete is booming and the city is building every where it can. This may be good in the longer term if the ownership can stay patient with underwhelming crowds while the team is successful.
With the Browns, in the division they play in - how many years have they been good enough in late November, December and January to draw consistent crowd sizes to make all this work out? A lot of us older guys wouldn't hesitate to see this team in any weather when we were younger; especially since the team was good enough to excite us to do so. It'll be interesting to see what comes of all this.
One thing you didn't mention is that St. Pete has one of the oldest populations in the country. They will go to games during the day when public transportation is running and they don't have to drive at night. The Rays played a large number of day games some years back but MLB put a stop to so many day games even though day games outdrew night games by a pretty large margin.
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If they can build on the current site...good deal. Whatever they do, it has to have a roof.
Maybe I missed it, but it won't help the fans or city if the team has to play games away from Cleveland during construction..
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Camp arm? Maybe, but I think the Browns are still looking for that developmental QB.
After Winston who is the clear #2 QB, everybody else isn't what I would call developmental. We aren't looking at Huntley as a long term player. For whatever reason, DTR is on the ropes in that regard. I think Sirmon has a chance to stick.
Obviously it will boil down to how he shows in camp.
IMO Huntly was signed to become a trade chip. As teams get in to camp some will come to the realization they aren't good enough behind their starting QB and will start looking for other options. Huntley has played and some team might be willing to toss a 5th rounder our way to secure his services. One could insert the name DTR in to the above situation.
Just a thought.
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5 hours ago, Ghoolie Always Ghoolie said:
Domes don't generate shit. 5 out of ten concerts break even, 3 lose money, and 2 are profitable.
Other than a concert, wtf pray tell kind of wintery events are going to attract crowds large enough to open and staff the stadium, heat/cool it, fire up the concessions, bring security and turn on the lights?
It isn't just winter. Many events want to eliminate the weather factor, no matter the season. You are a sharp guy. I am sure you could come up with many things other than concerts.
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17 hours ago, DieHardBrownsFan1 said:
As someone who actually lives here in Cuyahoga County, I'm all for it. I pay the taxes, so go for it. The stadium sits empty most of the year. A dome next to the Airport would generate a lot more concerts and other venues besides football.
From what I have read, there wouldn't be much in the way of tax increase, if any. It would simply be an extension of taxes already collected. Sin tax, etc.
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10 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:
For someone who allegedly doesn't care about this because you are giving up your season tickets any day now, you sure seem like someone who cares about this at all.
In fact, it almost seems personal to you.
It is. I love Cleveland, but as I said, I consider the entire area Cleveland. I don't want to see the doofus Cleveland city council screw this up like they have screwed up nearly everything else. I want to see the area move ahead, not get stuck in the mud. Any type of outdoor facility is saying stuck in the mud. It won't generate any more income flowing in that what is already flowing in. If that is the plan, just keep the stadium as is and save the $billion or so.
My comment about not caring is in reference to me not going to as many games by the time this thing is resolved and finished. By the time this thing is finished, I might not even be alive. You get to an age where you realize that Father Time isn't all that far behind you. Whatever happens isn't going to impact my gameday experience inside the window I project being a season ticket holder.
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4 hours ago, Ghoolie Always Ghoolie said:
I believe Depo gives a guideline by his statistics of what can and can't be called in every situation.
I believe that the OC will call the plays, but only from previously chosen options.
Stefanski, to me, is like Romeo Crennell was, a coffee fetcher.
I don't disagree with that. In any given game a coach doesn't have the entire playbook on his call sheet. Teams can only practice so many plays in a given week.
No doubt analytics has input on what plays have a chance to work based on statistical data the other team has produced, but in no way does Depo simply hand Stefanski his menu for the week or determine the gameplan..
Analytics is there to support the coaching staff, not tell them what to do.
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On 5/15/2024 at 9:39 PM, Orion said:
9 road games including a 3 road game stretch. A pretty well placed bye. We play my grandson's team week 2.
Call me what you want but, is playing a football game at 8:15pm on December 29th, outdoors in Cleveland, something that the FFF (founding football fathers) would've thought was a good idea?
No. The Championship game was over by early/mid December.
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8 hours ago, tiamat63 said:
Only, it isn't "our" football team. I know, Haslam is the majority owner.
I can't walk in and make decisions... Because I don't own it. Trust me, otherwise this roster would have been FAR more competitive starting 14 years ago and you'd likely have more playoff wins with the alternative personnel I've scouted and mocked in that time frame.
We support this team, we cheer for this team, in football, you feel there is a part of yourself on the field with the players. That connection and pride is honestly the entire reason behind the whole thing.
When you remove that emotional appeal, you see it for the business it truly is and the disconnect between the fans and ownership. They count dollars, we count wins and moments.
Circles back around to my greater point, it isn't our team. And I can't support giving public money to any enterprise that the public has no ownership stake in. You can claim "well, it'll make NEO money and it'll create jobs". Those jobs will be created whether it's publicly funded or not, and that money will be generated in the surrounding area all the same.
Haslam is a billionaire, if not, he can finance like the rest of us and pay back with (actual) interest.
He has the money to build it alone. No doubt he wouldn't deplete funds to that amount, he probably will take a loan.
If I was him I would move out of Cleveland simply because they are a bunch of idiots who bungled the last time an owner wanted something.
No more stadium rentals, sales tax, player tax, packed restaurants and hotels on game weekends, or parking lot income from city owned lots. OH, lost income taxes from the people who worked to help put on the event. Lot's of people will lose income. But yeh, people out in Brookpark will prosper.
Move it. Screw the city.
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On 5/13/2024 at 9:56 PM, Ghoolie Always Ghoolie said:
I believe it doesn't matter. Until Depodesta is not calling the plays, this coffee fetcher pretend OC shit will deliver the exact same results.
Depo isn't calling plays.
If these meetings have ever been, or are still taking place, it is simply the group talking about plays that have the best chance of working. I don't see that as a negative.
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11 hours ago, hoorta said:
'Peen, it's a big "maybe" that you'd ever get a positive return on your investment of spending $2 billion+ now on a domed facility. Yeah, I did a little research taking a look at Lucas Oil. A Super Bowl, NFL Combine, and Big 10 Football championship are the big $$ events. Add in a few tractor pulls, concerts, and conventions (yeah the National Catholic Eucharistic Conference is there this summer) but does that add up to $2 billion? I suppose hotels and restaurants make a lot of money when events like that come to town. 😉
BTW, even if NE Ohio builds a dome, well... For big events- you're just competing with other cities that have domed stadiums- like NRG, Lucas Oil, and US Bank.
PS- something interesting I read from the Indy Star when I was looking at stuff about Lucas Oil. Indianapolis imploded the old RCA Dome- and they're still paying for it.
No doubt you aren't going to get the ROI in one year.
I'd also say life is always a "maybe". I do know a $billion change of clothes is a waste of money. You will still have an old outdoor stadium where you aren't going to get many of the events you mentioned, and there really is no way to get around that fact.
My entire argument is for Cleveland, but to me Cleveland is the entire area, not just bound by the Cleveland city limits. In the end, I don't give a shit about the stadium. My days of being a season ticket holder are nearing an end. By the time whatever project is complete, I probably won't hold tickets anymore. I'll just grab some tickets to a couple of games and that will satisfy my need to go to games.
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1 hour ago, Dutch Oven said:
Well you are debating with nickers, who was possibly the inspiration for the old saying:
"Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience."
Over a billion dollars to renovate an open air stadium that barely gets used and I guarantee the Haslams will still not like (and want replaced as soon as possible) is a tough pill to swallow.
Spending 1.2 billion on a renovation would be a poison pill. No matter what is said and done, it will still be an old stadium in new clothes and have the same amount of function as the current stadium.
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5 hours ago, nickers said:
What?.. More shitty Kenny Chesney concerts?... No thanks...
It's not about just what you like. It's about having a facility that can be used dozens of times a year and become an economic engine for all of NE Ohio. That point really isn't debatable when comparing to an upgraded outdoor stadium.
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I like Watson as well. Miss St wasn't very good, but he did lead the SEC in tackles. At least he seems to find the ball.
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4 hours ago, nickers said:
Agreed.. Like you said... If they're gonna build a dome.. you might as well stay at home.. why build a dome when you can save money on heating and powering costs.. etc... All they would do is pass that cost on to the customer.. The average income family can barely afford the cost of a game as it is... Jimmy is constantly finding more ways to alienate fans... This might be one of them...
It isn't so much about the weather as it is being able to use the thing year round.
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2 minutes ago, nickers said:
Hiring De"pud"esta is not my idea of "Vision"
Why would you say that? Based on what?
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We need to know the entire story. Is the money already appropriated by already voted on existing law? Sin tax, whatever it might be called.
Cleveland has this in place. I don't think any new taxes will go towards the stadium fund. They are already being collected.
I don't like to say this as I have already said I consider myself a Clevelander until death. The Cleveland city council thinks like Wal-Mart shoppers. They fucked up the last move, and now want to take the cheap way out of things, and will fuck this up again.
Haslam has vision. The elected representatives don't. They are simpletons elected by simpletons.
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12 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:
Damn, we have a guy on here who actually saw Otto Graham play in person. I can't imagine there's a ton of Browns fans around that can say that.
Which explains why you wouldn't remember whose jersey was your first Browns one... it was probably 20-25 years later before team merchandise started becoming "a thing", in the late 70s or so.
LOL....you do have to have a little age on you. As for jerseys, yeah, it was just a Browns jersey, no names, just numbers. I think mine was in the 50's. I don't remember the exact number, I have slept since then.
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11 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:
It's the dead time of the Browns season... post-draft but months before training camp... thought it would be a good time for a quick questionnaire
1. When was your first Browns game you attended in person? What do you remember from it? Otto hlast season, 55 I think. I remember it was cold and the first game my Dad took me to....I remember the fist game over Otto Graham. I might have been 6-7 years old. Popcorn and hotdogs were the main attractions.
2. When was your last Browns game you attended in person? Any good/funny anecdotes from it? Last season, I have season ticket's.
3. First favorite Browns player? Who was the Browns player you first really liked? Jim Brown
4. Last (current) favorite Browns player not named Nick Chubb? 😁 Myles
5. First Browns jersey you owned? Who was the player? ??
6. Last Browns jersey you owned? Who? Jim Brown
7. If you could go back in time and see any Browns game in person, what game would you go to? ?? Several I suppose.
8. If you could put any current NFL player on the Browns, THAT DOESN'T PLAY QUARTERBACK, who would it be? Good question...Tyreek Hill???
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All's cool Nick....lol....I wore some expensive suits while working, but I don't give a flip anymore. If people don't like it, have a good day anyway.
I make my own day, I don't let others make it for me.
I do know clam diggers had a cuff, and some sort of V cut on the side. LOL
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2 hours ago, Ghoolie Always Ghoolie said:
Two years before Modell moved, the grumblings of his unhappiness were known.
Other than reports and chatter that Modell was an asshole, there really was not proper attention given to this, and the rest is history.
Enter Haslam. He has no historical love lost for Browns culture, history or anything else past what these things do for his pocketbook.
So now, he favors a stadium in Brookpark. What infrastructure is there to support the madness that is Browns weekends and tailgating?
I will be dollars to donuts that Haslam has already arranged right of first refusal on properties that would skyrocket in value should the stadium move.
Personally, I believe the Browns should play in Cleveland, right where they are. On the grounds that the team was planted in.
I find it funny that they can find venture capital for a new stadium, but not 1/50 of that capital to build new parking decks and the amenities they feel downtown needs to make games an easier experience to enjoy.
Again, to me, the Brookpark Browns are no different than the Baltimore Browns.
Well Ghoolie, I disagree. There are multiple examples of teams playing outside the city limits of their named team.
I consider myself a Clevelander even though I grew up in Bay Village. I don't know if you know the area, but it is a suburb maybe 15-20 miles west of town. I have lived away from the area for over 50 years now but when people ask me where I am from, I say Cleveland, or the Cleveland area. People know that. They don't know Bay Village from squat even though Bay is a very upscale suburb. Anybody who lives in the area knows Bay is a desirable address.
I think a dome is a needed addition to the area, even though I don't live there. I have been to at least dozens of games at the old stadium and having had season tickets since 2003(? maybe 150 games at the current, we need a dome.
I had nice seats on the 45 yard line, upper deck, 18 rows up to start, but after 3-4 years I moved to the club section. The only place to get any heat was the restroom. Let's face it, you can only stand in a restroom so long before you look like some sort of a freak...lol.
I want the conditioned environment. The players want that. This idea the game was supposed to be played in crap weather is bogus. Back in the day, seasons were over by mid December....championship games.
College football has bowl games. Why are they not played in places like Cleveland, Green Bay? Because people aren't stupid enough to pay money to watch a game in crap conditions. They will go to places like New Orleans, Miami and Pasadena.
Just my take.
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For the record I like both Ghoolie and Nick.
For some time I thought Ghoolie might be Rich. I consider Rich a friend.
No matter, we probably need to get a little less personal with the insults and just stick with the topic.
If we can't do that, why even have a Browns message board? And Nick, that was a pretty bad look. Clam diggers? But hey, my typical day uniform is a white T with baggy blue mesh shorts that probably don't get washed enough, so call me guilty as well.
The Official Stadium Thread
in THE BROWNS BOARD
Posted
Been to NPR many times. Just north of Tarpon Springs. I went fishing out of there...near an Indian Mound is all I can recall. It's been a good while now.
For a chain, Carrabas is great. We have one here in town. The wife and I eat there often. We like to eat early these days so we go for the happy hour. They have a wonderful Charcuterie board. Many times we get that to share and some soup/salad offering each. Very good IMO. If I want something else, their trios are excellent. We haven't been in a while, I may have to head over for lunch soon.
Many times when I go up to Browns games I say at a Marriott in Westlake. A Carrabas is located across the parking lot. I have eaten there several times.