Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour pays a visit to the Florida home of Linda Carson, the wife of former Cleveland Browns coach Bud Carson. Ridenour writes about a home filled with photos, playbooks, newspaper stories and game balls from his coaching days. Memorabilia from Bud Carson's glory days as an NFL assistant dominates the collectibles in the office Linda Carson...
Cleveland Browns coach Bud Carson gestures to the defense as Buffalo makes its drive in the final seconds in Cleveland Stadium on Jan. 6, 1990.Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour pays a visit to the Florida home of Linda Carson, the wife of former Cleveland Browns coach Bud Carson.
Ridenour writes about a home filled with photos, playbooks, newspaper stories and game balls from his coaching days.
Memorabilia from Bud Carson's glory days as an NFL assistant dominates the collectibles in the office Linda Carson surprised him with on Christmas Eve, 2000. Candid to a fault, he took one look and said, ''Why'd you spend so much money?'' then muttered, ''I've got to get back to St. Louis.''
The most prized possession is the game ball from Carson's debut as Browns coach, a 51-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 10, 1989. The Browns held the Steelers to 53 yards, still a single-game low for them. The Browns also recorded seven sacks and forced eight turnovers in handing the Steelers franchise its worst loss.
''That was against Chuck Noll, too, that was where he started,'' Linda Carson said. ''That was the highlight of his life.
''Boxes of footballs, articles and pictures . . . 13 moves, 13 houses. That was the one thing he always treasured.''
If Carson hadn't been stricken with a smoking-induced disease, Linda is convinced her husband of more than 32 years would still be coaching. Ridenour writes how Carson was the architect of the Steelers' Steel Curtain defense and its Cover 2 scheme during their run to their first two Super Bowl triumphs. He also worked for the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Colts, Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets.
Feeling bad
If the fans feel bad about the Cleveland Browns losses, guess who feels even worse?
News-Herald reporter Theresa Neuhoff Audia writes how left tackle Joe Thomas feels.
"You make the corrections you can make on Monday and when you are done with Monday, you forget about the last game," Thomas said. "You've already made the corrections and now you are focusing on your next opponent.
"You try to keep things positive and upbeat so you don't let the last opponent beat you twice."
Just win, maybe?
CantonRep.com reporter Steve Doerschuk knows the odds are stacked against the Cleveland Browns when they play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, but Doerschuk does give the Browns a chance.
Here writes there are several factors that make it seem plausible for the Browns to pull out the victory.
• Kansas City, on its way to a 4-12 year, was in a late 24-all tie before losing at Baltimore in the Ravens’ 2009 home opener.
• Baltimore lost its first AFC North home game in ‘09, 17-14 to the Bengals.
• The Browns have had some surprising games against the ex-Browns. They beat the Ravens twice in 2001, when Baltimore was coming off a Super Bowl win. They won a 20-3 stunner in the 2004 home opener. They got their 2007 season rolling with a 27-13 home win over the Ravens, then applied Phil Dawson’s bank-shot field goal to a 33-30 overtime win at Baltimore six weeks later.
• Poetic justice. Having stolen the Browns and left Cleveland with an expansion-era monstrosity, doesn’t Baltimore still deserve an unpleasant surprise?
No rushing game
The Cleveland Browns have a sluggish running game but reporter Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald writes how center Alex Mack says more practice will cure whatever ills the rushing attack.
Mack said he and his fellow linemen have to work in concert for the run game to work and that they are still getting accustomed to each other. The explanation seems a little flimsy considering the five starters from the first two games were together in 2009, but that's what Mack said.
Joe Thomas at left tackle, Eric Steinbach at left guard and Mack at center were together every game last year. They were also together throughout the 2010 training camp.