I mean, Joshua Cribbs was still under contract with the Cleveland Browns, and he had not sustained an injury, let alone a career-ending one. So, why would Josh Cribbs say such a thing?
Don’t be fooled: Josh Cribbs is just as selfish, egotistical and arrogant as many other pro athletes who believe they deserve more and more and more.
Coming out of Kent State, Josh Cribbs wasn’t going to make a career out of being an NFL quarterback, let’s be honest. But the Browns saw some talent in the young athlete and took a chance on signing him. Josh Cribbs proved that, while certainly not an NFL quarterback, he could play well as a special teams player and fourth wide receiver.
He did so well, in fact, that the Browns offered him a contract for a lot of money — and Josh Cribbs, so thrilled at the opportunity to make a good living doing something he loved, signed it. After a few more good seasons, Josh Cribbs gained a lot of attention from the adoring Cleveland fans who were desperate for any signs of life on a, shall we say, less than stellar team.
The truth is, Josh Cribbs is and was a good special teams player. That’s it. A. Special. Teams. Player. He is and was mediocre playing wide receiver (let’s be honest here, if he could read defenses, he’d still be a quarterback) and his stint in the atrocious Wildcat offense was hit and miss (mostly miss).
But again, I remind you, the Browns have been terrible the last few years. By comparison, Josh Cribbs shined. On a good team, Josh Cribbs wouldn’t gain much attention.
Despite this, Josh Cribbs fed into all the media and fan hype about how “great” he was and decided he needed more money. He didn’t need more money, but he felt he deserved it.
To paraphrase one of my favorite lines from The Sopranos, Josh Cribbs is like the old woman with a Virginia ham under each arm, crying because she doesn’t have any bread. Josh Cribbs was making a decent living playing a game for a team that took a chance on him, because no one else wanted him.
And, despite still being under contract, he threatened to sit out unless the Browns gave him a new contract. Threatened. To. Sit. Out.
Eventually, the Browns caved (as most teams usually do) and Josh Cribbs has a fat new contract and is happy again. That is, until he feels he deserves more money.
And we’re supposed to forget about this little incident and pretend Josh Cribbs loves this city and wants nothing more than to play football for the Cleveland Browns.
Gimme a break! At least when LeBron James screwed us over, he had the decency to leave town. “It’s business,” LeBron said. Hmm, that’s what Josh Cribbs said too when he threatened to leave.
Well, it’s not business to me. It’s personal. You’re not, and never will be, my favorite Browns player, Josh Cribbs. And I won’t forget what an ass you really are. I do hope you play well, Josh Cribbs, because I love the Cleveland Browns and I want to see the team do well (and, we all know, you’re not going to give the money back if you play poorly).
Go Browns!
This whole article is just ignorant.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous -
ReplyDeleteIgnorant is believing Josh Cribbs is a superstar caliber player ... he's a special teamer, a very good one, but nothing more.
Ignorant is also forgetting that Josh Cribbs threatened to not play for the Browns, because he thought his contract was unfair — a contract, mind you, he signed and thought was generous when he signed it.
Ignorant is thinking that, just because a player does a good job at what he's already being paid to do, he deserves a new contract and more money.
Ignorant is leaving comments on blogs as "anonymous" ... no, wait, that cowardly.
Pete, I applaud you for having a point of view, but really you couldn't be more wrong. He could've easily signed with the Redskins out of college. Being undrafted, he didn't get much of a bonus and entailed little risk for the Browns. His first serious payday required him to commit to a six-year deal, which was ill-advised. Still, he way outplayed that deal as well, was promised a new one based on his actual market value, and was kept hanging for well over a year. NFL lifespans are short, especially given the all-out effort Cribbs gives on every play. Had he failed or gotten hurt at any point, the Browns could and would have easily cut him. He truly does connect with the fans and city. And he's clearly the MVP of the Browns since their return in 1999. Just a special teamer? Did you watch him from scrimmage in the win over Pittsburgh last year? Is it possible that you resent Cribbs because you feared the Browns might actually lose his talents?
ReplyDeleteAce -
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.
Committing to a 6-year deal may have been ill-advised, but he still signed it.
I doubt there was anything in that contract that set performance limits, therefore I don't see how he could have "outplayed that deal," as you put it.
I think I go above and beyond at my job every day, doing way more than my employer expected of me when they offered me the job. That doesn't mean I expect them to pay me any more than what was agreed upon.
A contract is a contract. I'm not really singling Josh Cribbs out as the only scoundrel in professional sports — I'm not that naive. I can't stand it when any athlete under contract whines that he doesn't make enough money and "deserves" more. If that's the case, continue to prove it and re-negotiate when the contract is up.
MVP of the Browns since their return in 1999? I beg to differ. He may be, at times, exciting to watch, but he hasn't done anything significant to warrant to coveted MVP title. I believe Tim Couch led this team to it's only playoff appearance since 1999.
Even last season, if you took Cribbs off the roster, the Browns would have still been miserable. On the other hand, how many of those wins they rattled off at the end of the season would have happened if you took Davis off the roster?
Yes, he's just a special teamer. A very good one, but that's it. By comparison to the rest of the team, he was a shining star. As Browns fans, we have selective memory, which I suppose is a good thing. We tend to forget just how bad things really are. The team was terrible, and Josh Cribbs on a good team would just look like an average player.
Believe me, I would have been perfectly happy to see Cribbs leave, especially after the way he threatened Holmgren with his ultimatum.
My only question is that, 'If he is only a special teams player, why write an article about him?
ReplyDeleteYes, we definitely disagree on a few things here. Cribbs is the hands-down MVP of the "new" Browns, while your alternative seems to be Couch, who never lived up to his draft position and lost his starting job mere months after that playoff season. But at least he didn't squawk about his contract, eh?
ReplyDeleteAs for "only a special teamer," Cribbs had three of the four longest runs for the Browns last year (75%) despite having less than 15% of the team's rushing attempts.
And he's more than "very good" on special teams. He holds an NFL record, and is on track to be the best all-around special-teamer in football history.
What would you do if you vastly exceeded expectations in your job and found yourself underpaid compared to others of similar value in your industry? I would hope that you would ask for a raise and, if denied, seek a better opportunity elsewhere. Doesn't make you a scoundrel. Cribbs earned his new contract by performance -- not promise. But he wouldn't have gotten it without using all his negotiating leverage, lacking the cushion of an eight-figure rookie deal. Fact is, Cribbs really did want to stay in Cleveland, and he will. Good enough for me.
Yes, I would ask for a raise. If denied, I would hope I could seek employment elsewhere. But ... if I was under contract or, say, had a non-compete, I wouldn't be able to afford to "sit out" until that contract was up.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Josh Cribbs was willing to do just that shows me he made plenty of money as it was. Selfish is selfish.
I'll say it again: Josh Cribbs is no better than any other millionaire athlete who cries because he isn't rich enough.
Lots of people in Cleveland would love to make the kind of money he was making to do a job they loved as much as Josh Cribbs loves playing football.
For the record, Couch wasn't my pick for MVP of the "new" Browns, he was simply an example of the many alternatives to Josh Cribbs.
(I still contend that Couch, like every other Browns quarterback in the past 11 years, was never given a fair shake.)
If you're going to be upset with millionaires being millionaires, save your venom for the Browns' front office, who made assurances to Cribbs about redoing that ridiculous six-year deal and then left him hanging while he put his body on the line for them. He's had to work for everything he's earned, while divas like Edwards and Winslow held out before they proved a single thing as pros and then barked for more despite their own failings. Everyone knows Cribbs would not have sat out for three years. In his quest for a fairer deal, he had to go public and risk the wrath of fans like you. Contract negotiations ain't always pretty. But if he's such a selfish, egotistical, arrogant scoundrel, why is he repeatedly selected as a team captain and beloved by virtually everyone he's ever met, including his current head coach? And why did Holmgren finally show him the money rather than ship him out? Because he's worth it.
ReplyDeletePete,
ReplyDeleteJosh isn't any more a role model than any other pro athlete. Like most, he's had his share of problems and good deeds. For example, his one-game suspension at Kent for bringing "green, vegetable-like matter" on campus for a basketball game vs. all the charity work he's done.
Coming out of college, it was Washington or Cleveland; near where he grew up or where he went to college.
I called it his senior year, saying he'd make his mark in the NFL as a kick returner. He was kind of groomed for it, dropping back in the shotgun with little to no protection at Kent. I thought he'd be the next Woody Dantzler. He's been much better.
For the Browns, though, he's been their biggest playmaker for the last few years. The city needs someone to latch onto, and he's kind of embraced it.
If Josh can't be the "role model" or star athlete in Cleveland right now, then who is it?
Matt -
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
I think Josh Cribbs just needs to play football right now. I've soured on him the past few years because he seems to have more than "embraced" this city — he's begun to feed into all the hype and believes he is better than he is.
I love that argument that Josh Cribbs has been the biggest playmaker for the Browns, or the best player ... however you'd like to praise him. Look at the Browns the last few years, and how they've performed. Is this really a compliment?
I stand firmly by my opinion: While Josh Cribbs is a very good special teamer, on a good football team, he'd look like just a very average football player.