@the-gipper said:

Why isn't Hanford Dixon or Clay Matthews in the HOF?

The answer, to me, is quite simple: the Browns didn't get to the Super Bowl or win a title during their time here.

Players can have equal talent and equal career stats etc., but, if one is on a team that wins titles and the other is not, the guy on the title winning team will the HOF consideration where the other will not.

Here is an example I have heard used before:

By all objective criteria Archie Manning may have been the equal or superior talent to Terry Bradshaw. They were only drafted a year apart I believe. If Manning had been taken by the Steelers and Bradshaw by the Saints their careers would be reversed and it would have been Manning who was the shoe-in HOFer and Bradshaw who would have been outside looking in like Manning is now.

The same deal with Matthews and Dixon. Put the Browns in those 3 SBs....even if they lose them, and these guys may have been no brainer HOFers.

Yup, I pointed that out in another thread- and let's do apples to apples. If Clay Matthews had played for the Steelers in their Super Bowl runs, he'd already be in, and Jack Ham would be the one on the outside looking in.

@pumpkin-eater said:

David Harris

Antonio Cromartie

Santonio Holmes

Braylon Edwards

Brad Smith

Brodney Pool

Shaun Ellis

Tony Richardson

Drew Coleman

Eric Smith

James Ihedigbo

Nick Folk

Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing the Browns pick up Santonio Holmes.

Aside from the Browns pounding Bill Belichick's team into dust this past year it is hard to say. I have not been to that many live games.

On the opposite side of that coin, about the ugliest thing I have seen at a live Browns game is me freezing my tits off at a game in Nov. or Dec., Browns vs. Rams. It was like 10 degrees with blowing snow and a 30mph wind coming off Lake Erie and we were in the Northeast upper deck of the old stadium. A friend wanted to go to the game to see Joe Namath who was with the Rams at that time. (that friend happens to be the guy a couple of you wanted to see sing the national anthem..WSS). Well Joe Namath never took off his coat and the Browns lost 9-0 and I came thisclose to getting frostbite.

[/qu who are the browns best options via draft or free agency at wide reciever?

Excellent question. I don't really have a better answer than what others have posted, e.g. perhaps AJ Green or Julius Jones in the draft. I don't even know who all may be available in FA, though until this labor issue is resolved there will be no FA signings.

Why isn't Hanford Dixon or Clay Matthews in the HOF?

The answer, to me, is quite simple: the Browns didn't get to the Super Bowl or win a title during their time here.

Players can have equal talent and equal career stats etc., but, if one is on a team that wins titles and the other is not, the guy on the title winning team will the HOF consideration where the other will not.

Here is an example I have heard used before:

By all objective criteria Archie Manning may have been the equal or superior talent to Terry Bradshaw. They were only drafted a year apart I believe. If Manning had been taken by the Steelers and Bradshaw by the Saints their careers would be reversed and it would have been Manning who was the shoe-in HOFer and Bradshaw who would have been outside looking in like Manning is now.

The same deal with Matthews and Dixon. Put the Browns in those 3 SBs....even if they lose them, and these guys may have been no brainer HOFers.

@browns149 said:

OK, I thought he died. Or perhaps he just retired from performing.

@the-gipper said:

1. When were you born? This is not meant to be rude but to be a reference point for the next question:

When the Earth was still cooling down.

2. What is the first NFL championship or SB game you can remember?

To give you an idea of the above, "The Greatest Game Ever Played" The 1958 Colts-Giants Championship.

3. I posted the Vegas odds for the 2011 SB. Who do you think will win the next Super Bowl?

I'll take the Packers to repeat.

4. They apparently put Christina Aguilera on to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl because she is a native of Pittsburgh who was in the SB. If the Browns were to make the Super Bowl, what Northeast Ohio native would you like to see sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?

Like they said, someone who can remember the words. Crissie Hyndes, I guess.

5. Insert a survey question here that YOU would like to see answered:

David Harris

Antonio Cromartie

Santonio Holmes

Braylon Edwards

Brad Smith

Brodney Pool

Shaun Ellis

Tony Richardson

Drew Coleman

Eric Smith

James Ihedigbo

Nick Folk

@the-gipper said:

1. When were you born? This is not meant to be rude but to be a reference point for the next question:

2. What is the first NFL championship or SB game you can remember?

3. I posted the Vegas odds for the 2011 SB. Who do you think will win the next Super Bowl?

4. They apparently put Christina Aguilera on to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl because she is a native of Pittsburgh who was in the SB. If the Browns were to make the Super Bowl, what Northeast Ohio native would you like to see sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?

5. Insert a survey question here that YOU would like to see answered:

1. 1950

2. 1964. I remember the events surrounding the game more than the game itself. Of course it wasn't shown on tv until days later so we all knew the outcome in advance, eliminating any suspense. The next most memorable was Super Bowl III because of Joe Namath's guarantee. I probably remember more about Monday Night Football than I do championships. Other regular season games stand out. The Heidi Game is one game I'll never forget because I WAS watching and couldn't believe they cut off the game. I believe I even tried smacking the tv to make Heidi go away. Of course there was no remote control then so the exquisite relief of being able fling it across the room wasn't available and probably spared many tv screens that day.

3. The Packers

4. Honestly, as I said elsewhere, I'd love to see a nobody with a good voice lead the crowd as they ALL sing the anthem.

5. What is the funniest thing you ever saw happen at a football game?

@the-gipper said:

OK, a lot of these questions come up because of points made in other threads.

1. When were you born? This is not meant to be rude but to be a reference point for the next question:

1971

2. What is the first NFL championship or SB game you can remember?

Dallas Pittsburgh 79

3. I posted the Vegas odds for the 2011 SB. Who do you think will win the next Super Bowl?

wish it was browns. jets maybe

4. They apparently put Christina Aguilera on to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl because she is a native of Pittsburgh who was in the SB. If the Browns were to make the Super Bowl, what Northeast Ohio native would you like to see sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?

someone who knows the words

5. Insert a survey question here that YOU would like to see answered:

[/qu who are the browns best options via draft or free agency at wide reciever?

@nw220 said:

Would have to put Bernie and maybe Jerry Sherk in the mix also.

@the-gipper said:

1. When were you born? This is not meant to be rude but to be a reference point for the next question:

1954

2. What is the first NFL championship or SB game you can remember?

Browns beat Colts 1964

3. I posted the Vegas odds for the 2011 SB. Who do you think will win the next Super Bowl?

Didn't see odds but will pick Patriots

4. They apparently put Christina Aguilera on to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl because she is a native of Pittsburgh who was in the SB. If the Browns were to make the Super Bowl, what Northeast Ohio native would you like to see sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?

Westside Steve and Prima doing their interpretation of Meatloaf's, "Paradise by the Dashboard Light".

5. Insert a survey question here that YOU would like to see answered:

@the-gipper said:

1. When were you born? This is not meant to be rude but to be a reference point for the next question:

1963

2. What is the first NFL championship or SB game you can remember?

Baltimore-Dallas Super Bowl

3. I posted the Vegas odds for the 2011 SB. Who do you think will win the next Super Bowl?

Browns, I'm an optimist

4. They apparently put Christina Aguilera on to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl because she is a native of Pittsburgh who was in the SB. If the Browns were to make the Super Bowl, what Northeast Ohio native would you like to see sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?

Michael Stanley or West Side Steve

5. Insert a survey question here that YOU would like to see answered:

Why isn't Hanford Dixon or Clay Matthews in the HOF?

@the-gipper said:

Rocco Scotty

Good answer, except, unfortuneatly I believe Rocco is dead.

Perhaps there is another opera singer from Cleveland you can suggest?

5. Insert a survey question here that YOU would like to see answered:

How will Colt do this year?

He will start and do well.

Rocco is not dead. He was on Tony Rizzo's radio show last week. I think they said he's 92 years old

@the-gipper said:

Doug Dieken. Not only for his 14 years as a player, but also for his contributions as a color analyst in the broadcast booth.

Rocco Scotty

Good answer, except, unfortuneatly I believe Rocco is dead.

Perhaps there is another opera singer from Cleveland you can suggest?

5. Insert a survey question here that YOU would like to see answered:

How will Colt do this year?

He will start and do well.

@the-gipper said:

1. When were you born? This is not meant to be rude but to be a reference point for the next question:

April 1970

2. What is the first NFL championship or SB game you can remember?

Oakland vs Minn.

3. I posted the Vegas odds for the 2011 SB. Who do you think will win the next Super Bowl?

Indy

4. They apparently put Christina Aguilera on to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl because she is a native of Pittsburgh who was in the SB. If the Browns were to make the Super Bowl, what Northeast Ohio native would you like to see sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?

Rocco Scotty

5. Insert a survey question here that YOU would like to see answered:

How will Colt do this year?

Any one that we could beat, but if I had to choose....how about our GLC rivals....the Lions. That way the Browns can get back at them for some of those losses in the NFL title games in the 50s.

Or maybe the Bears or the Eagles. In their years together in the NFL from 1950 to 1970 the Browns never met either of those teams in the playoffs.

@the-gipper said:

1. When were you born? This is not meant to be rude but to be a reference point for the next question:

1960

2. What is the first NFL championship or SB game you can remember?

Super Bowl III....Still remember the uproar caused by Joe Willy Namaths' guarentee of victory...Broadway Joe also will be remembered for posing in panty hose for a commercial... I may be wrong but the ad

may have actually been aired during the game..

3. I posted the Vegas odds for the 2011 SB. Who do you think will win the next Super Bowl?

The Packers will beat the J-E-T-S

4. They apparently put Christina Aguilera on to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl because she is a native of Pittsburgh who was in the SB. If the Browns were to make the Super Bowl, what Northeast Ohio native would you like to see sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?

The O'Jays (from Canton) on the National Anthem with a halftime show featuring Joe Walsh and Chrissie Hynde. Although Joe is not a native, he did attend college nearby

5. Insert a survey question here that YOU would like to see answered:

What NFC opponent would you most like to see play the Browns in a Super Bowl?

A tough question. Going back awhile: How about Clay Matthews?

Or more recently....I hope that Phil Dawson is not a "former Brown" but I think he would be deserving

A couple have shown their heads. But for the most part, yes, they are blinded by that green flash that I alluded to in a previous thread and they need their recovery time.

That question would be: How do blind people know when they are done wiping?

By feel...and smell, but hopefully not taste.