For a change, we weren’t the ones who started an online rumor that supposedly was taken out of context.
Instead, the guy who got the ball rolling was ESPN’s John Clayton, who reported without qualification or equivocation that Browns quarterback Brady Quinn told his scrimmage teammates the hand signals that quarterback Derek Anderson was using after the radio to the signal-callers’ helmets stopped working.
So we posted a blurb about the thing — and then it took on a life of its own.
In the aftermath, the main players are trying to re-bottle the genie.
“I think everyone blew that out of proportion a little bit,” Quinn said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. “No one was stealing hand signals. Our defense knows most of our hand signals at this point, anyways.”
(So, basically, it was a refresher course.)
Coach Mangini – who knows a thing or two about cheating scandals – also tried to throw water on the notion that Quinn applied “all’s fair” tactics to the quarterback derby.
“Those guys are competitive and they’re friends,” Mangini said. “The group is friendly and the game was competitive by nature. . . . All I see them doing is supporting each other, helping each other and working to help move the team forward.”
Reading between the lines, Mangini doesn’t seem to be saying that Quinn didn’t try to help the defense decipher Anderson’s hand signals once the radios went, to use a technical term, kaflooey.
And, frankly, Quinn has a few million T.O.-style reasons to do whatever needs to be done to become the starting quarterback. Quinn’s rookie contract ties significant escalators to playing time, and Quinn has failed in each of his first two seasons to trigger the starter money. As we recall it, this year will be his last year to unlock the seven-figure additional payments.
So while all parties are opting to keep any dirty laundry inside the locker room, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that Quinn really, really, really wants the starting job — and that he’ll do whatever he has to do to get it, short of hiring someone to take a baton to Anderson’s kneecap.
He needs to cheat to beat out DA? Wow.
B-U-S-T.
What’s Tanya Harding been up to these days? She could probably use a little extra coin.
who cares the browns suck
I get the feeling the Anderson is just really great in practices.
“…and that he’ll do whatever he has to do to get it, short of hiring someone to take a baton to Anderson’s kneecap.”
Derek Anderson was quoted as screaming, “Whyyyyyyy? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy??”
So, let me see if I have it straight:
1. It was all ESPN’s fault and not Florio’s (again)
2. A blurb is some magic journalistic PFTism that allows Florio to elaborate and make accusations based on inaccurate information without any culpability whatsoever.
“Coach Mangini — who knows a thing or two about cheating scandals — also tried to throw water on the notion that Quinn applied “all’s fair” tactics to the quarterback derby.”
This Belicheat disciple was trained well, Unlike his predecessor. Makes me wonder how coach McDork and Orton are coming along?
I think Harding is a female boxer….. BAAAHAAA!
Nice to see Notre Dame is still instilling a sense of entitlement into their football players.
“How do I reach deeez Keeedz?”- Cartman
quinn?
hell the oppos will sit in short/slot zones all day.
pickfest.
Why can’t it be possible that this was good natured fun? If I was DA, I’d WANT the opposition to know what we were calling so when I stepped up and beat them the coaches would collectively say “Daaaamn!” And Quinn’s ultimately right, if you’re a defender and you don’t know what your offense is calling by this point, you should be checked out for retardation.
Cryptkeeper Clayton and Phoney Baloney Florio are Steelers lovers and made up this story as a way to divide the Browns lockerroom now that Shaun “Team Cancer” Smith is gone.
Turns out that there was absolutely nothing to this. Just Clayton jumping to conclusions and Florio more than gladly jumping on board. If there were an iota of perniciousness about this, Anderson would be screaming “foul”. Both QBs in Cleveland are laughing about it. Typical journalistic hype when they have NOTHING better to write about.
…..and in other news, ESPN’s Tyrone Shoelaces reports that Colts QB Peyton Manning farted in the locker room after practice and then said” What stinks?” confirming rumors that the first smeller is indeed the feller.
Personally, I blame Peter King.
just reading these posts makes me wonder how some of you clowns get by day day….your stupidity reeks….it’s a freaking scrimmage…god forbid they simulate things ( stealing signs, headsets going out etc…) during said scrimmage thay may occur during a real NFL game…
hands up…how many of you got past the 8th grade?
Brett Ratliff is gonna be their starting QB, anyway.
“…and that he’ll do whatever he has to do to get it, short of hiring someone to take a baton to Anderson’s kneecap.”
Is Jared Allen available?
As far as Notre Dame QBs Quinn is not the next Joe Montana, he is the next Rick Mirer.
Great work Florio. Not only did you take a comment without context and assume that it was nefarious but then when it comes out that they were just kidding around you pretend you didn’t screw up.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/08/12/browns.ap/index.html
DA says he was joking, Quinn says he was kidding around, Mangini says it was nothing, and you still think they’re trading for Thomas Jones.