Category Archives: Browns

When he played high school hoops, Browns G Joel Bitonio guarded Kawhi Leonard and Demar DeRozan

From clevelandbrowns.com

Bitonio could sink 15-footers. He could weave in-and-out of traffic and spin home a gorgeous finger-roll. He could anchor a 1-2-2 zone press defense. Boxing out, playing help defense, finding the right opening to make the extra pass – Bitonio could do it all, and gracefully, too.   

During his senior year at Long Beach Wilson High School, Bitonio averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds – the latter led the powerhouse California league he played in. For portions of certain games, the coaches trusted Bitonio to guard future Toronto Raptors forward DeMar DeRozan and the San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard – the former made the 2014 NBA All-Star game while the latter won the NBA Finals MVP over LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Second round draft pick in the NFL, future member of the NFL’s all rookie team, Cleveland Browns starting offensive lineman… All of that pales in the athletic achievement and overall coolness of guarding Demar DeRozan and the NBA Finals MVP while you were in high school.

Picture this. You’re sitting in the stands of  a dusty, dimly lit high school gym in California. In walks this guy named Demar:

Who can do things like this:

He’s gonna be a tough matchup so you’ll need to put your best wing defender on Demar. Someone who can match him step for step and challenge his every shot. Someone who is as well conditioned as DeRozan and someone with the same jumping ability and stamina. Who is that someone you may ask?

(press play, let it build a little)

“STANDING 6’4 AND WEIGHING IN AT 265 LBS. FROM LONG BEACH WILSON HIGH SCHOOL, SMALL FORWARD JOOOOOOOEEELLLL BITOOOONNIIIOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

Hitting the Road with the Browns: Jacksonville

Bet he shut Demar’s ass down too. No easy buckets, bitch.

Browns v Buccaneers Monday Game Tape

A win is a win is a win. In the NFL it doesn’t matter how you get there, who you play, what the score is, the only thing that matters is that number in the left hand column. Don’t look now but that Browns have five wins and are over .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2007. That’s 7 years of shit football. I don’t want to hear the bitching. People, the NFL isn’t the BCS. There are no style points. There’s no strength of schedule. You play the teams on your schedule and you try and win each week.  It’s hard to win in this league and the Browns are doing it. Please spare me the bullshit “yeah but look at who their wins are against.” It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is the win-loss record at the end of the season. 5-3. On to Cincinnati. Let’s look at the game tape.

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Swagger got the team fired up running out of the tunnel

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Nailed it.

We had shirtless bros on top of RVs in the Muni before the game

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Billy Winn decided he would be the most athletic guy in the world and jump over people

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I need a tipdrill, I need a tipdrill

This is on Tate, gotta stay in bounds. Should have been 6

Mike Evans= Man. Also he flashed the money sign in honor of his former college teammate.

And the offense responded to Evans TD with this

Bademosi got F’ed up. I know how this feels and it’s not fun.

But then Tashaun Gipson decided to be Ed Reed this year & got his league leading 6th interception.

And we went into the half down 9-10. If you want me to try and explain what was going on at the end of the first half, I have no idea. The Bottlegate Twitter was a little harsh too.

The Browns came out strong in the second half and put together a 6 minute touchdown drive and Terrance hit the Shmoney

Regular Season Game 8: Buccaneers vs. Browns

And this set up the most anticipated Thursday night football game of the season

Johnny maybe doin little Shmoney Dance of his own on the sidelines to keep warm.

There was a fat guy interception

 If he ever gets a quarterback, Mike Evans is gonna be a good one

Quick! Someone put DiFranco on Evans

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Kruger got like his 50th sack of the year

And the next play Craig Robertson blocked a punt

We started having SO MUCH FUN in the second half

Taylor Gabriel hauled in the first TD of his career. I’m starting to really like this guy.

But the real hero of this play was Terrance West and his blocking

After a couple of defensive stops the Browns got the ball back, ran out the clock, and ran the most beautiful play I’ve ever seen

Ballgame.

Player reactions:

https://twitter.com/JOSH_GORDONXII/status/529017163936710657

https://twitter.com/Gipson_duos24/status/529035672766906369

Quick thoughts:

  • As I said last week, I’d really like any sort of  a run game to show up
  • Don’t look now but Mingo has made some big time plays in the past 2 games
  • That helmet to helmet play in the 2nd quarter that wasn’t called was complete bullshit
  • Joe Haden v AJ Green on Thursday should be fun. Joe’s starting to play like his Pro Bowl self and Green is still a little knicked up
  • The bend-but-don’t-break defense won’t work against the Bengals
  • Mike Evans is gonna have a nice pro career
  • Taylor Gabriel continues to impress
  • Hopefully Andrew Hawkins is healthy enough to play against his former team Thursday
  • 5-3 this year, 300 yards and 2 touchdowns in this game and yet people still want Johnny. Sigh.
  • The other teams in the AFC North can start losing whenever they want K thanks
  • Where’s Crowell? Doesn’t the running game need a spark? Feed Tha Crow.
  • I still don’t understand how Bucs QB Mike Glennon is engaged to this
  • 2 more games till #JG12 is back. Can’t wait.

Game Balls: Taylor Gabriel, Donte Whitner, Joe Haden, Billy Cundiff, Brian Hoyer, Craig Robertson, Paul Kruger

#OnToCincinnati

(Most pics courtesy of Cleveland.com)

Johnny Manziel swearing at the refs at the Cavs game. (VIDEO)

Love it! Anyone who watches this and isn’t immediately smitten by Johnny yelling at the refs here probably doesn’t have a pulse. The guy has barely lived here six months and he’s already got that Cleveland mouth on him. I’m sure the national guys and other Cleveland sites will say something like “Johnny has to act like a role model in public” or “Johnny needs to know the spotlight is on him.” FUCK. THAT. This is the most endearing thing I’ve seen from him since he’s been here. Johnny is a fan just like any one of us. He’s you or me. Just a regular guy bitching about the refs. Johnny Cleveland for sure.

Guarantee this goes viral. Remember where you saw it first.

Video taken by loyal Bottlegate reader  @M_Bauer10