~ AND ~ 🏈 only 204 days and now 92 ? 57 ? 32 ? 19 ? YES really ! And still counting... 🏈 ....​​​​​​​🔥

[Dutch Oven]

At this point, you must be tingling with anticipation of another exciting, riveting NFL football season from the shores of Lake Erie, as we are now Jeff Garcia days until the start of the 2023 Cleveland Browns season! Once again, you might be scratching your head and mumbling "Really Dutch, Jeff Garcia?" Well, I agree, he didn't have a very long or prolific Browns run, one season actually, but there hasn't been very many players who have worn #5 for the Browns AND he did pull off something impressive during his stay in Cleveland...

Garcia went undrafted during the 1994 Draft, and would sign with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL, becoming Doug Flutie's backup QB. Became full time starter in 1996 after Flutie signed with Toronto. Was a highly successful starter for the next three seasons, leading Calgary to a CFL Grey Cup victory in 1998. Garcia signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 1999 at age 29, and would start that season after Steve Young suffered a season-ending concussion early on. Garcia would go to three Pro Bowls in a row starting in 2000, but a change in offensive philosophy made Garcia a round peg in a square hole in San Fran. He'd sign as a free agent with the Browns in 2004, as the Browns were moving on from Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb, and Butch Davis was desperately trying to hang on to his job. In fact, the Browns signing of Jeff Garcia was so short-sighted that they never considered drafting a QB from Miami (Ohio) who grew up west of Cleveland. Once again, the offense the Browns ran never seemed to fit Garcia, instead of allowing him to roll out and improvise they tried to keep the 6'1 195lb QB in the pocket like he was Drew Bledsoe. It was a bad fit. He did. though, lead the Browns to their first opening week win since coming back in 1999, and threw a 99 yard touchdown to Andre Davis. He would leave the Browns after the season. 

From 2005-2009 Garcia would play for Detroit, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay (he'd make his fourth and last Pro Bowl appearance for the Bucs in 2007) and Philadelphia again. After a year off from the NFL, he'd be a backup for Houston in 2011, before retiring. For his NFL career, Garcia threw for 25,537 yards, 161 touchdowns against 83 interceptions and a 87.5 QB rating. 

Most impressively, Garcia was able to marry Avon Lake's Carmella DeCesare, 2004 Playmate of the Month of April. I once dated a girl who went to high school with her about the time Garcia and DeCesare got married, but sadly, your boy Dutch was not able to double-date with them. (Cue sad music)

 

[syd]

1 day till i am on vacation. sucks i will miss the last of the countdown

[Dutch Oven]

27 minutes ago, syd said:

1 day till i am on vacation. sucks i will miss the last of the countdown

Me too, heading up to Erie Friday for the weekend, should get home Sunday just in time for the game. 

Hopefully mjp can do the last two days 🙂

[Dutch Oven]

I can't believe this is finally coming to an end... syd started this roughly at the end of the Clinton administration, and well look at us now, just Phil Dawson days until the start of the 2023 Cleveland Browns season! Dawson was a four year letter winner as a placekicker for the Texas Longhorns. but went undrafted in the 1998 Draft. He signed with Oakland, but was released, then put on New England's practice squad, but never played for them.

Dawson would sign with the Browns in 1999, and spend the next fourteen years in Cleveland, going to the Pro Bowl twice (2007, 2012). Dawson surpassed Lou Groza in successful field goals by a Browns kicker. He left the Browns in free agency and played for San Francisco (2013-2016) and Arizona (2017 and 2018).  In his career, Dawson made 83.8% of his field goals, which ranks him in the top 30 in NFL history. Interestingly enough, his career long field goal of 57 yards happened with the Cardinals when he was 42 years old! In fact, he was very good on long kicks in his career, making a very impressive 70% of attempted field goals 50 yards or longer. The Browns are still struggling to fill his kicking shoes, twice drafting kickers who flamed out with the Browns since he left. 

 

[syd]

only sports i will be watching is on Sunday. Browns vs bingals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

Me too, heading up to Erie Friday for the weekend, should get home Sunday just in time for the game. 

Hopefully mjp can do the last two days 🙂

 

[syd]

[syd]

[Dutch Oven]

I can't believe we are so close... I'm so excited my nipples could dial a rotary phone... that's right gentlemen, we are Derek Anderson days until the start of the 2023 Cleveland Browns season! Anderson was selected in the 6th round of the 2005 Draft by Baltimore, but he was released early on during the regular season. He was almost immediately claimed on waivers by your Cleveland Browns, and became the 3rd string QB behind Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye. The following season, as Frye's backup, he'd appear in five games during the season, throwing for 793 yards with 5 touchdowns against 8 interceptions. In 2007 he once again started the season as the #2 QB behind Frye, but a disastrous opening week loss to Pittsburgh resulted in Charlie Frye being traded to Seattle. DA was now the starter, and he would immediately pay dividends as he lit up Cincinnati in a wild 51-45 victory for the Browns, throwing for 328 yards and 5 touchdowns. Anderson would end up going 10-5 that season as a starter, but alas, the Browns missed the playoffs. Anderson would make the Pro Bowl as a fill-in for Tom Brady, and had an impressive stat line of 3787 yards, 29 touchdowns, 19 interceptions. 

The magic ended at the end of the 2007 season. The following season Anderson was starting over 2007 first round pick Brady Quinn, but injuries and poor play resulted in Quinn eventually being named starter, until he played himself out of the job, which Anderson kept until he suffered a season-ending injury. In 2009, the two would battle again, in our own version of South Park's Timmy vs Jimmy fight, with both QBs playing poorly. Anderson's days as a Cleveland Brown were done.

From 2010 to 2018, Anderson played for Arizona, Carolina and Buffalo, starting rarely after his first season with the Cardinals. The tall Oregonian with a big arm and zero touch would retire after the 2018 season. For his career, he'd throw for 10,878 yards, 60 touchdowns and 64 interceptions. 

 

[Dutch Oven]

Top o' the morning to you fellow lovers of the orange and brown, we are Tim Couch days until the start of the 2023 Cleveland Browns season! Couch was the first draft pick of the "new" Browns, taken #1 overall in the 1999 Draft from Kentucky. He would start his career as the backup QB to Ty Detmer, but a disastrous opening week loss to Pittsburgh caused the Browns to immediately insert Couch as starter. His last play Hail Mary vs the Saints to Kevin Johnson resulted in the expansion Browns first victory. Couch would battle injuries throughout his time with the Browns, as the inconsistent OLine play resulted in Couch taking a consistent beating. He helped the Browns push towards the playoffs in 2002, only to suffer a broken leg in the season finale vs Atlanta, and he had to watch backup Kelly Holcomb almost upset the Steelers in their playoff matchup, while looking fantastic doing it. 2003 would see a starting QB battle between Couch and Holcomb, and after the season the Browns would release Couch. 

Couch signed with Green Bay prior to training camp of the 2004 season, but it was apparent he was damaged goods. He tried over the next few years to latch on with another team, trying out for a few, but he would never throw another regular season pass after the 2003 season. For his career, Couch threw for 11,131 yards, 64 touchdowns, 67 interceptions. He also was the Original G in coming to NE Ohio and nabbing a local girl who posed in Playboy, as he married 1999 Playmate of the Year, Heather Kozar, 1994 Green (Akron) High School graduate. 

 

[Flugel]

This has been a very entertaining thread to say the least.  Syd and Dutch devoted a lot of time to matching up jersey #s of popular Cleveland Browns in correspondence with the # of days remaining until the regular season begins.  However, both of our football Shakespeares have been kidnapped by family/friends for a last minute road trip before the very 1st episode of kickoff and kickass gets underway.  That won't stop either guy from watching the game however. 

One of those guys has a tendency to get so far offsides every time he visits NW PA - he now has his own fanbase called the "Pennsylvania Dutch." 

Our other author who styles a mentality that proof-reading is for sissies made such an impression on the locals at one of the last places he visited - they honored him with a license plate that has his screen name CID written above their state name of NUVATTA.  If it was anywhere near Lost Veygus he probably already warned them not to bet any cake on Sinsinati. FWIW, we think Syd's a keeper too!   Just 1 quick piece of advice. The next time you want a good deal on a spell checker - make sure the store you buy it from says Pawn Shop instead of Porn Shop....

MJP has been the on-going contributing author that has added additional information and perspective throughout the countdown.  He's had some things come up that have prevented him from being able to participate as much as he'd like to at this time.  He's a very tough dude though.  When he's not chewing glass - he's bench pressing Ford Rangers in his early 70s. We're looking forward to seeing him in the regular mix again real soon!

We're finally all the way down to just 1 day away from our 1st regular season game. It gives me great pleasure to introduce the 2 guys that wore #1 on their jersey. The 1st guy was a 5'7" 165lb RB & Special Teams Return Specialist named Donald Richard "Dino" Hall out of Glassboro State that also wore #26 most of the time. Dino was signed as an Undrafted Free Agent. He played 5 seasons for the Browns and had 27 carries for 194 yards, 111 punt returns for 901 yards, 151 kickoff returns for 3,185 yards.  The other guy is Michael Jackson who was a 6'4" 195lb WR out of Southern Mississippi that the Browns drafted in round 6 of the 1991 NFL Draft. During his 5 seasons with the Browns he played in 71 regular season and playoff games.  He made decent contributions of 180 receptions for 2,966 yards and 28 TDs. He was often described as a great guy and a good teammate.  Unfortunately, Michael died in a motorcycle accident In Louisiana on the morning at May 12, 2017 at 48 years of age.

 

[Dutch Oven]

Way to finish this off Flugs!

It has been a lot of fun, hope a few of you were entertained by it, glad it is over 🤣

GO BROWNS!

[mjp28]

6 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

Way to finish this off Flugs!

It has been a lot of fun, hope a few of you were entertained by it, glad it is over 🤣

GO BROWNS!

~   Yes thanks flugs   -and-  syd and especially  Dutch  for picking it up and doing  a fantastic   A+  job.  Especially since I went on the  DL  at a bad time.  I hope our fellow   TBB   members  enjoyed it too.

*To be be back in 2024 !   Yes  our countdown  Vol. 2 should be great.

Edited September 10, 2023 by mjp28