By Aaron Ziraks
NoLogoNeeded.com Staff Writer
I could analyze how the Browns can get out of their offensive funk. I could analyze how the Browns can try and stop the run. Instead, I decided to take one week and look at this season for what it is — a debacle. Since I can't fix the Browns with this article alone I figured we could have a little fun this week and start by visiting No Logo Needed's Mail Room.
Earlier in the week I posed the following question: What is the real-world equivalent for how bad Derek Anderson is at his job? The only thing I could come up with was a firefighter who shows up to the fire, but never turns on the hose or a carpenter who builds a house that collapses the next day.
We received some e-mails on what others thought Anderson's real-world equivalent would be.
Adam wrote:
"He would be the equivalent of a chef who is unable to "make" a bowl of cereal without spilling the milk, dropping the spoon (but able to "recover" it inside of the 5 second rule), selecting a good cereal or ensuring a proper milk to cereal ratio."
And then Adam added:
"We are nearly to the point where we will begin to reminisce about the good ole days when Maurice Carthon was running the offense."
Sam had this response:
"DA is rather like an electrician who wires a house. An electrical problem subsequently ignites the house on fire that same evening. Showing up to extinguish the flames he inadvertently connects the hose to a fuel-tanker rather than the fire engine, thus fueling the fire and killing his comrades inside, as well as Sipe, the family bulldog."
So, your saying he's bad, right?
And finally from David:
"DA is the equivalent of a meteorologist; he never has to be right and yet is somehow able to stay gainfully employed."
All of those are very good real-world equivalents. Thank you to our readers who took the time to send us their thoughts.
I decided to take this a slightly different way. We know all the major players in the soap opera that is the 2009 Cleveland Browns. Lerner. Kokinis. Mangini. Cribbs. Anderson. Who would be their television/movie character equivalents?
Let's start at the top.
Randy Lerner = Mr. Kruger (Seinfeld)
Mr. Kruger was George Constanza's boss and President of Kruger Industrial Smoothing. His favorite phrase was, "I'm not too worried about it." I have to believe when someone from Mr. Lerner's personal life broaches the subject of the Browns being the laughingstock of the NFL, that would be his response. At least Kruger came to work at his own company, which is more than I can say for Lerner.
George Kokinis = Toby Felderson (The Office)
Toby is the human resources representative at Dunder Mifflin and he gets no respect in the work place. Every time he has an idea he is shot down by the regional manager who hates him. Toby gets put down for no reason, thus his confidence to speak up is as low as can be. He is the whipping boy of the organization and simply stays in the background and collects a paycheck.
How often do you think Kokinis comes in the office and says "Hey I figured out how to..." to which Mangini yells "Shut up George, nobody cares what you think!" Kokinis then slowly walks back to the "annex" and stays out of everyone's way.
Eric Mangini = Simon Cowell (American Idol)
He's harsh, he rubs people the wrong way and he has no business telling people how to their job when he has never done the job himself. He also surrounds himself with jackasses (Paula and Randy = Daboll and Ryan). He nit picks at petty things, few like him, fewer respect him. He is the villain of the coaching world and seems to like it. Honorable Mention: Eric Cartman (South Park)
Brady Quinn = Ryan Howard (The Office)
Ryan started at Dunder Mifflin as a temp. He eventually earned his way to the top as a vice president at. His high-profile position didn't last long. He was way in over his head and was fired. He ended up working at a bowling alley. Sounds about right, huh?
John St. Clair = Random Foreign Terrorist (The first three Die Hard movies)
Let's face it, these were all pretty easy kills for John McClane. Now you have an idea of how an opposing defensive end feels when he lines up against St. Clair — easy kill.
Josh Cribbs = Nelson Muntz (Simpsons)
I am specifically referring to the episode where Nelson is the only way the Pee Wee team from Springfield can score a touchdown. When Homer takes over the team as coach, he benches Nelson for Bart in hopes of becoming closer to his son. The team subsequently loses all the games. Do you think Daboll is Jamal Lewis's father? Makes you think.
Brandon McDonald, Eric Wright, Abe Elam and Brodney Pool = SCLSU Muddogs minus Bobby Boucher (Waterboy)
They can't tackle. They can't cover. Sometimes, when a ball carrier falls down, he has time to get up and keep running. I can't help but think: Maybe Rey Maualuga was our Bobby Boucher?
Derek Anderson = Ol' Gil (Simpsons)
Ol' Gil is always trying to get his life back together. Right when it seems things will work out it all comes crashing down around him. He is an eternal loser. He will never be anything more than what he is right now, not because he doesn't want to, but because encoded in his DNA he is the ultimate screw up. Just remember DA, you only had two more payments on that hot plate.
As always, if you have some additional ideas, leave a comment below or send them on through to NoLogoNeeded@gmail.com. We would love to read them.
Comments
Sticking with the Waterboy - Brian Daboll is Coach Klein after Coach Klein loses his mojo and can't draw up usable plays anymore. Maybe he should start picturing opposing coaches as babies, too.