It’s good news for the Browns that Anderson is healthy because they have a very interesting quarterback controversy. Competing with Anderson will be Brady Quinn — the former quarterback for Notre Dame.

Anderson was injured earlier in the offseason while participating in minicamp. The team doesn’t expect to have to limit him in training camp.

Right now, most team insiders believe that Brady has the advantage when it comes to being named the starter for the regular season. However, considering that Anderson was a Pro Bowl quarterback in 2007, he definitely has the talent to win the job.

Don’t expect Browns coach Eric Mangini to pick a starter until late in the exhibition season.

Derek Anderson - Cleveland Browns (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Derek Anderson Ready for Training Camp

Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson? (Image: Newscom)

On Tuesday, Browns head coach Eric Mangini answered the question yet Browns fans were left at square one. Mangini said that the starting quarterback position is up for grabs and that a decision won’t be made until after an open competition during minicamp and the exhibition season.

The 6-foot-6 Anderson appeared to be heading toward stardom after throwing 29 touchdown passes and for nearly 3800 yards in 2007. However, last season he completely underwhelmed. In ten games, Anderson was only able to throw nine touchdowns.

Quinn didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet last year, either. He played in a total of three games and finished the season with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Before he could further prove himself, an injured finger required surgery and he was lost for the rest of the year.

Who will win the open competition? It’s difficult to pick a winner as of now. Both quarterbacks have contracts that pay them in excess of $20 million over the life of the deal. While the Browns spent a first round pick on Quinn, they also have seen tangible success when going with Anderson.

In the most likely scenario, Browns fans will get to see a lot of both quarterbacks until one of the two steps up and proves he’s the man for the job.

Post from: EveryJoe

Browns Quarterback Position Up for Grabs

But now the Jets will need Mangini to help them get Jay Cutler. Cutler is currently with the Broncos and it appears they won’t give him a new contract. So the Jets want him, since… oh… they booted out Chad Peninnington so they could bring on Brett Favre… who retired and now they have no one.

Unless Favre unretires, that is!

(I’m slapping my mouth shut as I said it….)

Anywho, back to the Jets. In order to trade for Cutler, the Jets need to give the Broncos someone, and they don’t have anyone. So they are enlisting the help of Mangini, who is now with the Browns and happens to have two quarterbacks lying around that he doesn’t really want to keep.

What does Mangini (and the Browns) get out of this deal? Some premium draft picks. And the Browns desperately need those.

So there you go, burnt bridges or no, looks like all these coaches have learned to play nice with one another.

Post from: EveryJoe

Jets Need Mangini for Cutler Trade

But one of our good friends gave us a little perspective the other day concerning the end of Tom Brady’s 2008 season. We’ll take a smidge of poetic license here but this is the gist:

Hubby is watching TV and has just seen the story that Tom Brady is out for the season. Wife enters room immediately after and . . .

Hubby, still facing TV: Oh, this is horrible. Just horrible.

Wife: What happened?

Hubby: It’s Tom Brady. He . . .

Wife: OMG, what?! Did he die? Does he have cancer?

Hubby goes into hysterics, drops on floor, and eventually passes out from laughter.

Once revived, he explains to his wife that Tom Brady is alive and well, except for the season-ending ACL and MCL injuries.

We thought that story was funny last week. Now, after yesterday’s win, it’s even funnier. Unless you’re a Jets fan . . .

Post from: EveryJoe

No Jet-ribution; Plus, a Funny Story About the “Horrible” Thing That Happened to Brady

Post from: EveryJoe

VIDEO: The New York Jets Show Off Brett Favre

It’s not quite over yet, though, and today brought an impressive plot twist. Here’s what sports writers and bloggers are saying about the unretired, reinstated, ex-Green Bay Packers quarterback right now:

• Don Banks of SI.com tells us the Top 10 Things to Know About Favre Being an ex-Packer
• Bob Birge of RUWT speaks for most of us in saying Thankfully, The Brett Favre Era Has Concluded
• Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports believes Favre Move Desperate One for Mangini, Jets
• David Kindervater of b5 Media Sports blogs about the uh-oh concerning Brett Favre and Madden NFL 09
• Frank Caliendo does his John Madden impression, which isn’t really relevant but we wanted to throw it in anyway

Post from: EveryJoe

LINKS: A Round-Up of All Things Brett Favre

Maybe someone should ask John Madden? Or at least Frank Caliendo doing John Madden?

Anyway, Frank Coffey and his Goodfellas at eTrueSports did their usual digging for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and here’s what they came up with the other day on the Favre front.

Top Eleven Messages on Brett Favre’s Cell

11.  “This is Brad, call me back on a pay phone.”

10.  “You kidding? Minneapolis is much warmer!”

9.    “Go west on I-94 to Cedar, take a left and a quarter mile down there’s a diner … “

8.   “No, Jesse Ventura is not the governor anymore and, no, you won’t have to shake his hand.”

7.   “Okay, okay, we’ll set the thermostat to 78.”

6.   “You’ll never have to see some dope wearing cheese on his head again. It’s illegal in Minnesota. Really.”

5.   “Tell Deena the schools are great.”

4.    ”Brett, this is Coach McCarthy, please call me back.”

3.   “The Twin cities is really a misnomer, you won’t ever have to set foot in St. Paul.”

2.   “Just deny everything, they can’t prove nuthin.’”

1.   “You can run around as much as you want, we hate set plays!”

Post from: EveryJoe

Brett Favre’s Cell Phone Messages

1. Anger management lessons from Bobby Knight.

2. For the ex who is a Roger Clemens fan: A Hall of Fame mug.

3. For the ex who is a New England Patriots fan: This new Eli Manning shirt. 

4. A day at the office with Chris Berman. The later in the day, the better.

5. For ex who is an Andy Pettitte fan: A canary.

6. For the ex who hearts Eric Mangini and/or the New York Jets: A Bill Belichick hoodie.

7. Dating advice from Cedrick Wilson and/or Randy Moss.

8. For the ex who is a New York Yankees fan: A DVD of the 2004 World Series.

9. Financial advice from Latrell Sprewell.

10. For the ex who is a Kurt Busch fan: A Tony Stewart jacket. (And vice versa).

Any other suggestions for gift ideas? We had a hard time capping it at 10 . . .

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Post from: EveryJoe

Top 10 Valentine’s Day Gifts for Your Ex

The pre-Gisele girlfriend of the New England Patriots QB chats with her pal—and birthing partner—Sam Harris about life with baby and without Brady (hence the need for Harris to step up to the plate).

Little John Edwards Thomas Moyhanan was born August 22. (And he already has his own blog, too). Spygate hit a few weeks later, but the name “JET” Moynahan really has us wondering if Bridget got a little help from Eric Mangini on that one.

If you don’t have 9m, 22s to kill, check out a few snippets of their convo at People.com.  

Post from: EveryJoe

Bridget Moynahan on Being Brady-less

BEST

Tackle: This one is not only easy, it’s a post-Christmas gift to bloggers and bloggerettes everywhere. NFL official James Quirk pulled down linebacker Nick Barnett of the Green Bay Packers in the December 23 game against the Chicago Bears. Quirk got fined $8,150 for the incident, but at least he got a shout-out from Gossip on Sports.

(Photo by Frank Pollich, Reuters) 

Rant, First Place: This distinction goes to none other than Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy. At this point, the only thing worth remembering is that he was upset at a reporter for dissing one of his players. The rant took place in a press con, but the funny stuff came later. One example is this laugh-out-loud phone prank (3m, 09s). (This is YouTube, but it’s audio).

Rant, Second Place: Were it not for the Gundy parodies, this Phillip Wellman tantrum would have taken top honors. Behold, the Mississippi Braves manager in the video seen ’round the Internet (1m, 10s):

Answer to the so-called “Spygate”: Why, New York Jets coach Eric Mangini’s own little filming gig, curiously underplayed when the story broke several weeks ago. Seems Coach Belichick’s long-lost bud videotaped at the Pats’ Gillette Stadium in January 2006 during playoffs. Mangini says the Jets had permission, Belichick pulled a “WTF? News to us,” and the conspiracy theory known as Spygate slipped into the annals of irrelevant “history.”

WORST

Attempt to Mar a Team’s Achievements: Why, the so-called “Spygate,” of course. Did you notice how the whole thing was swept under the rug pretty quickly? Chances are Commissioner Roger Goodell got an NFL, ”guess who’s doing it” equivalent of the Mitchell Report and that was that.

Choke: That would be the New York Yankees in the ALCS versus Cleveland Indians. Apparently Steinbrenner & Co. didn’t think they were getting the best bang for their payroll bucks because they also get the nod for the worst . . .

Example of Throwing Someone Under the Bus: That, too, goes to the Yankees for showing manager Joe Torre the door. This Sox fan doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge what a class act Torre was (and is), and we’re happy to see that he landed on his feet with the Dodgers.

Stay tuned for Part II . . .

Post from: EveryJoe

Best and Worst of Sports in 2007, Part I