How will Terrelle Pryor turn out as a pro? Click here to vote.

The Cleveland Browns have started the season with three straight losses, two injured quarterbacks, and one game-ending  missed field goal.    And with their combination of youth, injuries, and lack of quality NFL talent, there are likely many more losses on the horizon.

In spite of this gloomy 2016 forecast, their have some bright spots during this 0-3 start, the biggest of which has to be wide receiver Terrelle Pryor.  The former Ohio State quarterback had a breakout  performance against Miami, grabbing 8 catches for 144 yards and a  touchdown.  He also lined up at QB in the wildcat formation, compiling another 21 yards rushing and 35 yards passing.  Beyond the lofty stat line, he wowed the viewing audience with his size, speed, and athleticism.  My Mac Snacks article about that game was in the September 26, 2016 Times Reporter newspaper.

What is amazing is that last year, the Browns cut Pryor just before the start of the 2015 NFL season.  For some reason, then-general manager Sashi Brown and his staff felt that Pryor wasn’t worth investing a roster spot on.  This was in spite of having a very underwhelming and undersized group of wide receivers.  This was one of many poor personnel decisions that eventually cost Brown his job.

The Browns did re-sign Pryor later in the season, and he caught one pass in the last game.

I wrote a blog  on September 2, 2015, championing the cause to keep Terrelle on the roster, entitled Prior NFL Evidence Says Browns Should Keep Pryor.   It not only makes the case for keeping a spot for him on the 53-man roster, but also examines the enormous NFL potential that Pryor’s elite physical tools exhibit.  His display vs. Miami showed that his potential has a good chance at becoming a reality.

Maybe I should send this to owner Jimmy Haslam the next time a front office position opens up.

Here are the contents of that article:

PRIOR NFL EVIDENCE SAYS BROWNS  SHOULD KEEP PRYOR

September 2, 2015

Preseason is just about over, but probably the biggest story and question mark since training camp opened remains the same:  “What should the Browns do with Terrelle Pryor?”

In a recent Cleveland Sports Talk article, Zach Shafron made this very solid case for sending Terelle packing.  The cliff notes version (do high school students still use CliffsNotes??) is that with such a solid cast of supporting characters competing for six likely wide receiver spots, there just isn’t enough room on the roster to roll the dice on such an unproven–and due to a sore hamstring–unseen Terrelle Pryor.

Pryor’s recent conversion from lifelong quarterback to newbie receiver has created a lot of doubters in the sports world.  I have even remembered listening to a very credible radio voice compared the switching between those positions to a pro athlete switching from baseball to football.  In the words of Hall of Famer Chris Carter…

C’MON, MAN!!!!!!!!!!!

But let’s talk about the hypothetical idea of jumping from another sport to football at the professional level.  Could a basketball player do it?  Recent NFL history says yes:

Exhibit A,   Antonio Gates.  This 5-time All-Pro and 9-time pro bowler is a sure-fire future Hall of Famer.  He strictly played hoops at Kent State, helping them on their miracle run to the 2002 NCAA tourney Elite Eight.  San Diego then picked him up as an undrafted free agent.   His success gave hope to just about every forward in college basketball.

Exhibit B,  Jimmy Graham.  This NFL superstar played four years of hoops at the University of Miami.  After that, he played one year of football for ‘The U’ before the Saints made him a 3rd round pick.  He was ranked #31 in the most recent Top 100 players rankings by the NFL Network (down from #10 the year before).

Exhibit C, Julius Thomas.  Peyton Manning’s former TE was a 4-year basketballer at Portland State, playing football only in his final year in college before the Broncos grabbed him in the 4th round.  He just became the highest paid tight end in the NFL after the Jaguars signed him as a free agent this year.

One glaring distinction between Pryor and those three is that they all transitioned to tight end, while Pryor is moving to wide receiver.  That difference actually enhances the argument for T.P.  Transitioning to wide receiver would seem to be much easier than trying to become a tight end.   Which elite NFL player would you rather block?  5′ 11, 195-pound Joe Haden, or this guy…

(usatoday.com)

6′ 5″, 289 pound J.J. Watt?

I know that receiving tight ends don’t mix it up at the line of scrimmage as much as in the past, but they still periodically face off against defensive ends.  A wide receiver blocking a corner is  pretty much a tickle fight in comparison.

Some question whether Pryor could handle the fear of going  across the middle for a pass.  First of all, new rules protecting the ‘defenseless receiver’ greatly reduces the anxiety of getting clotheslined by any Jack Tatum wannabes (millenial Buckeye fans, google Jack Tatum).  And secondly, I would guess it takes a pretty triple scoop cone of courage (with nuts sprinkled on top) to stand in the pocket as an NFL quarterback with someone like this looking to blindside you…

(nfl.com)

And remember, Pryor also has a head start in understanding the X’s and O’s of receivers, since it is a requirement of NFL quarterbacks to know the routes and reads of wide outs.  Let’s hope Johnny is meeting that requirement this year.

But with Terelle being out most of August with a hamstring injury, is he worth the risk?  He appears to be barely hanging on to his NFL career after being drafted four years ago.  But T.P. is no run-of-the-mill NFL journeyman wannnabe.  Look at how his measurements compare to those tight ends mentioned above…

Pretty comparable to these top players until you look at his 40 yard dash time.  That’s elite speed!  The fastest NFL combine time ever (since they went to automatic timing in 2000) was 4.24 by Chris Johnson, and,  according to NFL.com, only eight players ever ran below a 4.3.  T.P.’s long strides hide the fact that he is a burner!

But those figures compare him to tight ends.  How does he stack up against the royalty of  NFL receivers?  And how does he compare to the freakest physical talents of suspended Brown Josh Gordon, on whom the Browns have rolled the dice on several occasions…

Wow!  The only guy that is truly comparable to him is Megatron!  T.P. is a world-class athlete with a world-class body.  Not only was he phenomenal college quarterback, but he was a 4th team Parade All-American in high school hoops.  So why hasn’t he had a successful NFL career?  Simple.  He doesn’t have an NFL arm.   I am guessing that Braxton Miller took Pryor’s NFL history into account when choosing to do his final year of college at wide receiver,

But is he worth taking a spot from the Browns’ bumper crop of receivers?  Let’s check the tale of the tape…

Two Side notes:  Travis Benjamin must have camped out at the buffett for a week before he weighed in.  Or his hair added on at least 15 pounds.   Also, we are just one player away from entering a local 6-foot and under basketball league!  To complete the starting  five, we would just need to track down old school Brownies Dino Hall or this mighty mite…

The Ice Cube, Gerald McNeil!!!

So after looking at those figures, do you think the risk of giving one of the 53 roster spots to Terelle Pryor is worth the potential reward?  His age is still pretty young in comparision to the rest of the receiving corps. And it’s not like the Browns are poised for a championship run this year.

Remember how you felt in the 2nd half of the 2013 year when Josh Gordon blossomed into an elite NFL physical talent, something not seen in the orange and brown since maybe the days of Jim Brown.  Let’s face it. #6 receivers on NFL squads are a dime a dozen.  You can easily put one or two on the practice squad. But dropping a dime into the Terelle Pryor slot machine just might hit a JACKPOT!

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

Some leftovers are as good as their debut date.  I could even argue that some pizza can be better the next day around.  On the other hand, I cringe when I see certain ‘oldies’ staring at me when I open the refrigerator door.   Tupperware containers filled with eroding edibles linger in food purgatory for a week or two until someone gets the courage to stomach the stench, open the lid, and toss it.

Last night, I served up a leftover from three months ago.  Being from June, you might think it smelled like a rotting corpse when I popped it open.  But actually, it had more of a champagne taste to it.

It might have helped that it came from a better storage place than my fridge:  My DVR.

NBA TV had the Michael Jordan ‘The Shot’ game on that I recorded for my sons to watch.  Not so much as to torture them, but to let them appreciate Jordan’s greatness.  We forwarded it to the last four minutes of the game.  I didn’t want to scar their young, fragile minds with too many images of 1989 short shorts or bad hair.

Anyways, you might not remember it, but their were three game-winning shots in the closing moments.  Jordan actually hit a 15-footer over Larry Nance with six seconds left prior to his iconic buzzer beater.  Those shots were sandwiched around Craig Ehlo’s give-and-go lay-up with three seconds left.  Ehlo, the famous defensive victim of ‘The Shot’, actually scored 15 points in the 4th period.  But, of course, we lost.

That depressing game, by the way, was not a delicious leftover.  My wife, however, had a great idea, as she quite often does.  She suggested we watch Game 7 of the NBA Finals that was on our DVR from June.

My Beth is not only beautiful, but she is brilliant!

I forwarded it to the tension-filled last five minutes.  We relived the Block (how did LeBron do it?), the Bricks (the two teams combined to make 1 of their last 17 shots in the final 4:40), and the Bucket (Kyrie Irving for Three!).  This leftover may have tasted even better than the first time around.  I think that was because the DVR microwave eliminated that aftertaste of known as ‘the fear of inevitably losing’.

The celebration afterwards was beautiful.  LeBron was continually overcome with emotions of tears and joy. The rest of the Cavs followed suit.  Those moments showed why sports has such a special place in our hearts.

That June 19 of 2016 was a wonderful moment for millions of us from Northeast Ohio.  So whenever you feel a little down–maybe on a cold dreary day in February, or after another miserable Browns game–get that TV remote out and click on this ultimate pick-me-up.  It can pull you out of the lowest of lows.

I also recommend having a bowl of ice cream on your lap to enhance the flavor!

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

 

A recent multi-generational study conducted by Ivy-League-level university numbers experts showed that current teenagers of the millennial generation vastly trailed their parents of Generation X in toughness.

Let me clarify somewhat.   I conducted this study.  I also have a mathematics degree.  My wife has an accounting degree, so I threw her in to lend my study some credibility.  We both graduated from Muskingum College, which is known as the Harvard of the Midwest.  At least to my inflated ego.

Anyhow, the mountains of evidence that I will soon pile in front of you will ease any doubts as to the reliability and accuracy of this scientific study.

Exhibit A:

Friday, at approximately 5:45 pm, my wife brought home a 14-inch large Domino’s thin crust pepperoni and bacon pizza.  Half of it also had mushrooms.  At approximately 6:03 pm, this sole piece remained.  We then head north to watch the Dover-Lake football game.

Side note:  Tuscarawas County is a true mecca of pizza.   In addition to the national chains, there are a large number of great local shops.  I have an upcoming top-10 pizza place blog in the works.  Stay tuned.

Exhibit B:

At approximately 11:16 pm, we returned from the game.  This lonely piece continued to occupy our counter.

Exhibit C:

At approximately 8:56 the next morning, I snapped a picture of this abandoned slice of pie.

Exhibit D:

Three Aljancic children (a sophomore boy, an 8th grade boy, and a seventh grade girl) reside in the residence where the aforementioned evidence (Exhibits A, B, and C) was located.

CASE CLOSED!

Don’t quite understand this crazy science talk?  Let me translate.

One small piece of pizza lasted over 15 hours without two healthy teenage males gobbling it up (I will give my daughter a pass).

HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?!?

Teenage boys are supposed to be human vacuum cleaners.  Back in my day, this pizza slice’s heart would have still been beating when me or one of my two little brothers would have put it out of its misery.

If we didn’t kill each other first staking a claim to it.

Or if my dad didn’t declare eminent domain on that last piece.

Back then, our family of six (I had also had an older sister) was clearly a 2-large pizza family by our teenage years.   No left overs to be seen on those pizza nights!

And that was when a large pizza was large.  16 inches in diameter.  None of this lightweight 14-inch weak stuff.

And remember, the evidence mentioned above was THIN CRUST!  That’s like eating a medium.

For posterity’s sake, I should point out that my younger son ate a couple of pieces of pizza, as well as some wings, at his cousin’s house after the game.  And my other son went to bed early to get up for a cross country meet the next day.  On second thought, it’s probably not a good idea to have a bunch of pizza meandering through your body when you have to run 3.1 miles.

But come on. That scrawny little square could have been eliminated with one bite.

Case closed.

As you can see, the evidence is overwhelming.  Time to put into scientific law, right after Sir Isaac Newton’s stuff about falling apples.  Better click the ALL CAPS and BOLD icon.

GENERATION X IS TOUGHER THAN MILLENNIALS.

Some of you conspiracist naysayers that still think that the moon is made of cheese might point to one piece of evidence to debunk this ALJANCIC FIRST LAW OF TOUGHNESS:

If I say Generation X is so big and bad, why didn’t I finish of this puny piece of pie myself?

Simple:  It took all the toughness I had to talk myself out of eating that scrumptious slice.  Just look at it.  That square was truly a greasy, cheesy slice of heaven.  And did I mention that it had bacon on it?

But I was also staring at the caloric equivalent of a half-mile of jogging.

TUMMY TEMPTATION VANQUISHED!

Get the chisel out.  Time to put it in stone:

GENERATION X IS TOUGHER THAN MILLENNIALS.

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic