When I first read about the OBJ trade on twitter, my first reaction was the above statement. Followed by a lot of fist pumping and trying to explain to my wife how big of deal this was. And her reaction was the same as it always is during the off season, “right, let me know when the season starts.” Other fans had various degrees of reactions. Like this guy https://www.facebook.com/ESPN/videos/fan-reacts…obj…browns/1488518564616793/ or is guy https://www.facebook.com/SportsCenter/videos/300342070655000/
Now being the normal Browns fan, the first thing I did was try and verify if it was true on twitter. I waited for the national guys like Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) or Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) to report the trade. The next thing I thought of was “what are we giving up?” We always think of the cost, draft picks are worth more than gold to a Browns fan. Finally, I tried to think of the last time I was this pumped about an off season move. Sure there were drafts that put visions of the playoffs in my head (the Joe Thomas/Brady Quinn draft) , as well as free agent signings (too many to list). But the first thing that popped in my head was how Browns GM Ernie Accorsi And QB Bernie Kosar manipulated the 1985 supplemental draft.
Back then you got your sports news from ESPN on cable television. No internet, no twitter, no Facebook. And if you were like me, at the time living in Tampa, FL. any Browns news that was aired I stopped what I was doing and watched. On March 14 1985 Kosar announced at a news conference he was forgoing his last two years of college eligibility to enter the NFL draft and he was going to keep his options open. Options open? What does that mean? Prior to that I had no idea Kosar was from Boardman Ohio and was a huge Browns fan. All I knew of Kosar was the January 2, 1984 Orange Bowl victory over number one Nebraska, the Hail Mary game against Doug Flute on November 23, 1984 and the Tampa Tribune sports page.
Kosar, at the time of his news conference was on tract to graduate after three years with a double major in finance and economics. He also said he wanted to play for his hometown team the Cleveland Browns. Again fist pumping for several minutes, then reality set in, how can the Browns draft Kosar? Buffalo owned the first pick and were going to use it on DE Bruce Smith. Houston owed the second pick and the Browns had the seventh pick. Then on April 9 1985 Minnesota traded two picks to Houston for the second pick. Cleveland also tried to trade with Houston, but no way were the Oilers going to let Kosar go to Central Division rival Cleveland. So what does Accorsi do? Well that same day he trades Cleveland’s 1985 1st(#7), 1985 3rd(#63) and their 6th round pick in 1986 to Buffalo for their 1986 first round pick. Mass confusion and arguments ensue.
Buffalo had the worst record in 1984 and had the first pick in both the regular draft and the supplemental draft in 1985. If a team picks a player in the supplemental draft they lose that corresponding pick in the next years draft. Thus, use the 1st pick in the 1985 supplemental lose the 1st pick in the 1986 regular draft. And just like that Accorsi outmaneuvered the Vikings to get Kosar. Until the Vikings raised a stink. They said Kosar announced his intention to play professional football and declared for the 1985 regular draft. They also claimed that because Kosar hired an agent he was no longer eligible for college football and his agent helped plot this maneuver to avoid the regular draft. Then Houston threatened to sue and Kosar’s agent threatened to sue. Sounds like one hell of a soap opera doesn’t it?
On April 23 NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced it was up to Kosar to decide. Bernie didn’t file his paperwork by the April 15 deadline to enter the regular draft and on May 10 declared for the supplemental draft. On June 25 Kosar passed his exams and graduated and on July 3 was selected by the Browns in the supplemental draft and signed to a 5 year contract. And even more fist pumping. The Browns got their franchise quarterback.
In other happenings :Since my last blog, my alma mater Vanderbilt came back to beat the team up north in games 2 & 3 of the college world series and are National Champs again. It’s a double winner, winner chicken dinner for me.
This week I’m going to list my go to websites and twitter follows for fellow out of town Browns fans. Like I said last week, my favorite website is the Brown and Orange report which is part of 247sports. Their twitter handle is @TheOBR. I also follow their insiders: Jared Mueller @JaredKMueller, Fred Greetham @FredGreetham, Barry McBride @BarryMcBride, Brent Sobleski @brentsobleski and Lane Adkins @TheRealLA_. Pro Football Focus is a must @PFF and so is the Cleveland addition @PFF_Browns.
Local Cleveland sports writers: Scott Petrak @ScottPetrak, Jeff Schudel @jsproinsider, Nate Ulrich @ByNateUlrich and Pat McManamon @PatMcManamon.
Other Blogs & podcasts: Dawgs By Nature @DawgsByNature, Everything is Earned @CLESportsPod, The Browns Wire @TheBrownsWire, Browns Zone @TheBrownsZone and Dawg Pound Nation @DawgPoundNation.
Finally the Kareem Hunt situation……Nothing to see here…..move along.