Cleveland Browns 2010 Season Predictions

There is hope once again in Cleveland, as the Browns are putting their trust in new president Mike Holmgren to lead this team to a Super Bowl. Head coach Eric Mangini likely saved his job after he led the Browns to four consecutive victories to finish off the 2009 season, but don't expect Mangini to stick around much longer if this team starts 1-11 again. Here is a look at what the Browns will be sending onto the field on both sides of the ball in 2010, plus my prediction on where they finish the year in the AFC North.

Offense: This offseason the Browns had a complete makeover at the quarterback position. Both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson are gone, and the new starter is former Carolina Panther Jake Delhomme, who lost his job in Carolina after throwing just eight touchdowns to 18 interceptions in 2010. The Browns drafted Colt McCoy, but don't plan on playing him this season.

The Browns look like they could have one of the better backs in the league in Jerome Harrison, but the question is whether or not he can last for a full season. To help soften the load on Harrison the Browns traded up in the draft to select Montario Hardesty, who could be very good if he can stay healthy.

The Browns leading receiver in 2009 was rookie Mohamed Massaquoi, but he had just 34 catches for 624 yards and three touchdowns. The hope is that they will get better play out of Brian Robiskie, Joshua Cribbs, or Chansi Stuckey this season. The Browns also drafted Carlton Mitchell out of South Florida in the sixth round.

The offensive line is the best unit on this side of the ball, as they have one of the best left tackles in the game in Joe Thomas, who has played in the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons. The Browns added tackle Tony Pashos to possibly take over right tackle from John St. Clair. Center Alex Mack was outstanding in his rookie season, and it won't be long before he is considered one of the top centers in the NFL.

Defense: The Browns are anchored in the middle of the defensive line by veteran Shaun Rogers, but it's likely he will be suspended for part of the season after getting caught with a gun at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. The Browns are hoping to get a little more out of veteran ends Robaire Smith and Kenyon Coleman, as neither did much to talk about in 2009.

The Browns got a little better at linebacker this offseason with the addition of Scott Fujita from New Orleans, and he should team up well with D'Qwell Jackson on the inside. Cleveland traded away Kamerion Wimbley to the Raiders, and are hoping that Matt Roth can bring the pressure from the outside. The Browns also traded for Chris Gocong from the Eagles, and he should be a solid backup to both Roth and veteran David Bowens.

The Browns figure to be much better in the secondary this season after adding corner Joe Haden in the first round and safety T.J. Ward in the second of this year's draft. Haden is expected to battle newcomer Sheldon Brown for the starting corner job opposite of Eric Wright, while Ward is expected to start opposite of Abram Elam at safety.

Prediction - 4th AFC North: It's hard telling exactly what to expect from the Browns this season, as they still are weak in a number of areas. They key will be the play of Delhomme, if he gets things figured out, this team should be much more competitive in 2010.

Check out where the rest of the teams in the NFL stack up in our 2010 NFL predictions. If you plan on betting the NFL this season, be sure to stop back each week to check out our live NFL odds page.

A Look Back Into The History of Authentic NFL Jerseys

You've been at football games most of your life. You have jumped with joy every time your team makes that game winning touchdown. You went home with your head bowed down every time your team lost. Whether they win or lose, you still go to their next game excited and full of adrenaline. You do all this while wearing your favorite authentic NFL jerseys.

But how did football jerseys came to be? Do you have any idea about the history of authentic NFL jerseys?

According to the history of authentic NFL jerseys, the popularity of team uniforms surged sometime in the 1990's. However, reaching the height of what it is at present did not come that easy.

Although the National Football League started to gain ground during 1920, the idea of teams having uniform was not that prevalent then. Most teams not only varied their uniforms from season to season, they usually just bought them. Jerseys around this time was typically made of wool. Another thing that was unique during this period was the fact that football players did not have any helmets on. Why you ask? It is for the simple reason that the football league did not require players to do so at this time.

However, as the history of authentic NFL jerseys tells us, sometime in the period of 1930 to 1940, the league required players to wear helmets. One reason could be to protect the players from possible head injuries. The Chicago Bears' Dick Plasman was the last football player said to play without having a helmet on. Another development during this period was that teams were now placing numbers on the jerseys in order for the players to be easily identified.

Although the wearing of helmets was made compulsory during the 1930's, it was only during the period of 1940 to 1905 that football helmets had its special design. It is often said according to the history of authentic NFL jerseys, that a player belonging to the Los Angeles Rams for example, in the 1948 season, had the horns of a ram decorated into his headgear. During this period, teams also started experimenting with colors looking for the right combination.

History also tells us that during 1950, the National Football League experience a lot of changes. Teams were starting to realize that uniforms did not need to be so boring, so to speak. Most team opted for the plastic helmets replacing the leather helmets worn by the players.

When the American Football League was formed sometime in the period of 1960 to 1970, the increase in the number of teams paved the way for some remarkable uniform designs. Facemasks, which started sometime during the 50's, became the standard by the end of 1970. It was not until the 80's when the design used on uniforms were given a finality. One reason for this was likely due to the fact that there were no new teams during the 1980's.

As mentioned earlier, it was during the 90's that the popularity of jerseys experienced a surged. The sale of football jerseys was now one of the best merchandise. This period, the history of authentic NFL jerseys tells us, also experienced some changes in the design of team's uniforms largely because of some teams moving. The Rams for example, was now that St. Louis Rams. Some news teams were also introduced like the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Presently, the league now has a rule that allows a team to wear an alternate uniform for a maximum of three times per year.

So that's about it. So did you learn anything from the simple history of authentic NFL jerseys? Now you can go to games and wear you authentic football jerseys with more pride and more knowledge.

Article Authentic NFL Jerseys [http://www.skyfireproducts.com/servlet/the-NFL-Football/Categories] is written by Cassaundra Flores, owner of skyfireproducts.com

Should You Run the Triple Option in Youth Football?

Triple Option and Coaching Youth Football

How beautiful is it to see a well executing triple option team? If you are like me, it is like poetry in motion. I'm a big fan of Navy and Georgia Tech, just because of the way they run the triple so well. As a Nebraska native and fan, I was raised on option football and ran it in High School. Of course when I got my first youth football coaching job back in 1986 or so, I went back to what I loved and knew, option football.

What many people don't realize is youth football and the College game are much different animals. While they are both played on the same field and use a similarly shaped ball, there are many differences that significantly impact the ability for the College game to be replicated on the youth field. We wont even get into the advantage NCAA rules give option teams versus NFHS rules which 48 of the 50 states use as a basis for their youth football rules and includes both Pop Warner and AYF.

Most people don't even realize that many of the option plays they are seeing on the College field is NOT triple option football, in spite of what the so-called television "analysts" tell you. Did you know that highly touted option guru Tom Osborne's Nebraska Cornhuskers never ran the triple option? Read Tom Osborne's book, everything they did was a called double option, no true triple. The reason Osborne didn't coach the triple is he said he felt he didn't have enough practice time. Mind you, that was with a group of 18-22 year old young men who practiced 6 days a week, played a game on the seventh and had spring practices as well. On the other hand, most youth teams are practicing 3 times a week, about half as much time as the college kids. Once you add in the spring practices, film and classroom sessions, the youth player is practicing about 20% of what a College player practices.

Note that many of the option plays you see on television on Saturdays are NOT triple option plays either, they may look like triple option plays but when was the last time you saw a pitch on an inside Veer play? So much of what we see on Friday nights and Saturdays are double options, like what Nebraska did in their option heydays and 3 National Titles in a 4 year timeframe.

There are other things to consider, in college football, the offensive players only play on the offensive side of the ball. Those option Quarterbacks for Navy and Georgia Tech aren't starting at Linebacker or Corner, like they are for your youth football teams. Those great option Quarterbacks and Running Backs aren't returning kicks or kicking PAT"S like the kids on your team.

There simply aren't many two-way players anymore and very few of the starters play on the special teams. In the youth game, all your players are going to have positions on offense, defense and in most cases special teams as well. In College football the offensive players, especially the skill players are practicing on the offensive side of the ball 90% plus percent of the time. At the youth level those skill position players are your best players, they are going to play both ways and on special teams, they may never leave the field. Those kids are practicing offense, defense and special teams, obviously much less specialization than the College players. When you factor this into your effective practice time equation, the youth skilled position player is now getting from 7-10% of the offensive preparation as the College player. We get that by taking the 20% rate and multiplying that times the amount of offensive practice time one might get in a typical youth practice which would be 35-50%.

At the College level, all of the players have experience playing the game, most of them have reasonably good fundamentals. While fundamentals are key at all levels of football, most College kids have a base level of competency and have overcome their fear of contact. In youth football, that certainly isn't the case. At the College level, there are no minimum play standards, goals or requirements, at the youth level for most programs there are. At the youth level we are spending an inordinate amount of time teaching fundamentals and how to play the game, not to mention getting kids comfortable with their gear and over their fear of contact. At the youth level we have to invest time that the College coach never has to worry about.

In youth football, the squad sizes vary from about 17-30 kids. In College football the teams vary in size from 105-180 players. In youth football you hope you get a single durable Quarterback and Running Back as a couple of competent average backups. In College football, most teams are carrying 5 scholarship Quarterbacks and 5-10 scholarship running backs, all of which were probably the superstar of their respective High School team. At the College level, when one player goes down, most teams have a good backup who can step right in and do the job.

In youth football with the small squad sizes, we simply don't have that luxury. Even with very good coaching the difference in talent level from a first team Quarterback and Running Back is usually pretty dramatic when compared to the replacement. In youth football, if you decide to run the triple, you better have at least 2 very good and durable Quarterbacks that don't ever get sick, injured or have academic problems, same goes for your Fullback and main Running Back threat.

I coached option football out of the I Formation and Veer for seven years. Even running just double options or midline option is a HUGE investment in time if you are going to get very good at it at all. When we had very good Quarterbacks, good Fullback and a stud Running Back AND we stayed injury free, we had good seasons. When we didn't have that stud Quarterback, solid Fullback and stud Running Back, we didn't have very good seasons and my teams were running double options, not triples.

My Quarterbacks were making just a single read, not two reads within the span of 2 seconds or so. That's a lot to ask of a College Quarterback according to Tom Osborne, not to mention a youth Quarterback. At the College level the triple option is seen as an equalizer type offense, at the youth level and even at the High School level to an extent it is not an equalizer. The reason is, these are two entirely different sets of equations with different boundaries.

Are you enamored with the idea of running the triple option at the youth level? Consider all of these factors before you commit to it. Think about your constraints and where you are going to steal all that practice time you are going to need to get reasonably proficient at the option game and what that is going to do to your team on the other side of the ball. I found out the hard way many moons ago and didn't want my seasons to be totally dependent on whether God dropped a bunch of great skill position players on my doorstep that season or not.

Now don't label me an option bigot or fuddy-duddy, I still love option football, just not for my own teams.

Dave Cisar-
Dave is a Nike "Coach of the Year" Designate and speaks nationwide at Coaches Clinics.His personal teams using this system to date and has a 132-18 record in 5 Different Leagues.

To Sign up for his free 170 page book on "How to Start a New Football Program or Team" to: Starting a New Football Program

Pass Rushing Drills For Football

An effective pass rush can change the tempo of the offense and decide games. In this article we will discuss different pass rushing techniques including how to line up and the proper stance.

Stance:
1. Have your legs shoulder width apart.
2. Have your inside foot back and your outside foot forward.
3. Balance your weight on the front foot while using the inside hand as the down hand.

Lining Up:
1. Without being off-sides, line up as close to the line of scrimmage as possible.
2. You want to be about ½ to 2 yards off the offensive tackles outside shoulder.
3. Aim your body for where you think the quarterback will be in his drop back.

Reading the Offensive Tackle:
1. Read the way the tackle attempts to block you after the ball is snapped, then determine what kind of rush move you want to make.
2. Be prepared to adjust your rush technique to his blocking, if you reach the tackle before the third step, you may have to change your pass rushing move.

Pass Rushing Drills:

1. The Speed Rush Drill:

1. Use this technique when the tackle is lined up to your inside.
2. Get in the proper stance and line up accordingly.
3. You want to explode out of your stance on the snap taking your first step with the inside leg.
4. On the third step, plant on the ball of the inside foot, lowering your body, drive the inside arm up through the tackle.
5. Pull the inside arm down, warp the outside arm around the tackle, use the outside foot to square your hips with the quarterback. Remember what ever direction your hips face is the direction you go.
6. Alternative to wrapping the outside arm around the QB is to use both hands and force the opponents hands down.

The key to success is to always be moving towards the quarterback, make him feel the pressure.

Bull Rush Drill:

This drill is very effective when the tackle lines up directly in front of you.

1. Line up close to the line of scrimmage and get into your stance.
2. Explode of the line when the ball is snapped using the inside leg for your first step.
3. Planting the ball of the inside foot on the third step, hit the opposing player putting your helmet under his chin. Do not spear, this can lead to serious neck injuries.
4. Putting your hands on the tackles chest drive through him back to quarterback. For the best results, take short choppy steps; exert all your power driving the tackle back till you get to the quarterback.

In conclusion, you now know how to line up and the proper stance to create the most effective pass rush. The pass rushing drills listed are just a few of many ways to rush the passer. There are rushing the passer DVDs available, use the links below to see a list of our pass rush training videos.

See all of our pass rushing DVDs at: http://www.scoretouchdowns.com/rushing-the-passer-videos-&-dvds.html

For more defensive strategies such as blitzing and w to defend the pass visit us at: http://www.scoretouchdowns.com/football-defensive-strategies-videos-&-dvds.html

Teach and Inspire Youths Using Subjects That Interest Them

We must use every opportunity to teach young people life lessons using subjects that interest them. This is thinking outside of the box, which will pay off with their enthusiasm to learn.

Instead of being rigid and insisting we use our old teaching formats, we have to open our hearts and minds. Too often we try to ram lessons down young people's throats from our perspectives, or use outdated tools we learned from books which become lectures that turn kids off. It's much better to go into their world and use subjects which hold their attention to teach life lessons.

How? First by trusting our inner wisdom. We should put down our teaching crutches and communicate with young people from the heart. This means listening to them. They will tell you what is most important to them.

One way to teach young people life lessons is through sports. Athletes are like rock stars to young people. Look at the millions of dollars of endorsement deals they get to sell products to our youth. .

Even if a young person doesn't like sports, you can still use the Super Bowl as a platform to teach since it has been all over the news. Using current events is a good way to get their attention.

Here is a life lesson you can use from Super Bowl XLIII to help young people achieve their goals:

All of the players on both teams, the Cardinals and the Steelers wore helmets with the initials GU printed on the back in the Super Bowl. GU stands for the late Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame guard who during a quarter century as union head helped get NFL players free agency and the riches that came with it being a free agent.

In 1968, two young football rookies, Art Shell and Gene Upshaw, became best friends when they met at the Oakland Raiders training camp. They would visualize their dreams and share them with one another. Upshaw hoped one day to be a politician, Shell wanted to be a football coach, and they both longed to be elected to the Football Hall of Fame.

By 1987, their dreams started becoming reality. Upshaw, who by then was the executive director of the NFL Players Association, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Later that year, it was Shell's turn. He became the NFL's first African American head coach in 64 years when he was named coach of the Los Angeles Raiders.

When Shell heard the news, he called Gene, who was elated, "I can't believe it, Gene," he said. "All those plans we made years ago have actually come true."

In his 15 seasons as a Raider player, 1968-82, Shell was named All-Pro three times and played in eight Pro Bowls, more than any other Raider ever. Like his friend Gene, he was also elected to the Hall of Fame.

Life Lesson: Visualize Your Goals

If you lectured young people on how to achieve goals using visualization, it wouldn't be nearly as effective as giving them an example of how someone famous used it in their life.

Using the powerful tool of visualization was one of the keys to Shell and Upshaw's tremendous success. They held pictures in their minds of what they wanted to become. They used their imaginations, worked hard, and dedicated themselves to creating an image of what they desired to manifest. Their dreams didn't materialize instantly, but they still continued to focus on those images and eventually the came true.

All successful people picture in their minds what they want to become, then work diligently to achieve their dreams. Because mind is creative, the universe brings you what you hold in your mind good or bad.

The life lesson to teach young people is: Choose to hold what you want to happen in your life, and let go of everything else.

If you want to effectively communicate with youth and to inspire them, it's important to know how they perceive you. I invite you to visit http://www.sportingtherightattitude.net/Sporting/Inspire_Youth.html to learn how you can help young adults become successful. Walter Jackson, keynote speaker, behavioral consultant, and author of "Sporting the Right Attitude: Lessons Learned in a Troubled Family", an inspirational book for young adults. Visit http://www.sportingtherightattitude.net

Creating a Themed Room For the Football Enthusiast

If your little boy is obsessed with football, then a surprise room makeover might be the perfect gift for him. You can decorate your child's room into a football fantasy world with a little creativity and a few simple design tricks. Follow these easy tips to make your son's football themed room a reality.

First, choose a great paint color to instantly transform the room. You could design your color scheme around several options. If your child loves a particular football team, you could paint the walls in that team's colors. But if your kid just loves the game of football, you could take a different creative approach. Try painting the bottom half of the walls in a turf green to look like the football field. Then paint the upper half bright blue to look like the sky. If you're really creative, you could add clouds to the sky and lines marking yardage on the turf.

If you know a great artist, you could have a life sized picture of your child's favorite player added to the walls. You could also paint goal posts on opposite walls to complete the look of a football field. Another great option is to paint the walls to look like a stadium full of people. Then your son can pretend he is scoring the winning touchdown as millions of people cheer him on from the stands.

Next, select bedding that your child will enjoy. You could select a solid color or reversible comforter. Many football teams offer customized bedding which would coordinate nicely with the painted walls. Look for coordinating curtains to match the bedding.

Install some shelves to display your son's trophies and other sports memorabilia. You could even get him started with a new collection of miniature NFL helmets or autographed photos of famous players. Make sure you give his treasures a prominent place for display.

Every little boy needs a good area rug in his room. When your son begins to tackle his friends on the floor and show off his latest football moves, you want his knees to land on something soft. Buy an area rug that coordinates with his color scheme or look for rugs with football or team logos. You could even purchase a rug that looks like a football field. An area rug that is soft yet durable will last through the football years.

You should also look for unique furniture for your child's room. Some specialty shops sell football shaped chairs or small child sized sofas covered in football fabric. Look for some fun miniature furniture so your child can lounge around with his friends in style. If you can't find anything that matches you theme, then you should look for some football themed fabric and have small slipcovers made by a professional seamstress.

Finally, no football bedroom would be complete without real footballs. Purchase a large storage bin and feel it up with footballs for your son to play with. He will be so excited about his new football room that he might even keep it clean for a few days!

Interior Design has never been so affordable with these authentic oriental area rugs.

College Football Helmets - Its Evolution

Football is one extreme contact sport. It may not be as fast or as furious as the usual racing games you seen but it definitely has a unique notch of action on its own. This is precisely why helmets are necessary when playing football. Both amateurs as well as professional players of the said sport can be seen donning this specific protective gear on before setting off to play the game. However, there are specific characteristics possessed by football helmets. They generally have a face mask, a chin strap, and even a mouth guard that comes as an optional feature.

All that have been mentioned goes the same with college football helmets. Apart from being just a protective gear, it can also be said that college football helmets are being worn for their aesthetic effect. Every football helmet comes emblazoned with the particular team's logo. This is essential because it helps coaches identify their players while on field and referees find it easier to record down playing technicalities while every one is out there on field.

College football helmets were not as complex as they are right now. Football helmets actually started way back in 1915. These old types of helmets are very basic looking. They are even simply made out of leather. They are also made with a flat looking top design which can be likened to the ones professional wrestlers have been using. Back then, the main purpose of these helmets was to protect the player's ear from any damages. However, the lack of ear holes on the helmets has proven communication to be difficult when these old helmets were used.

So through time, helmets have evolved and improved until the National Football League has required football helmets to come with a face mask. From then on, college football helmets have also adapted this particular technical requirement for the games they have held. Nowadays, leather is not the main ingredient of college football helmets. It is now polycarbonate which is being widely used in making such helmets for football.

In addition, college football helmets have also taken into consideration the need for constant communication while on field. Football, after all, is a group sport which calls for much coordination within the team. What happened instead is that these football helmets have changed its design from flat top into a more oval structure. According to studies which have been conducted, this oval shape of college football helmets actually helps a lot in protecting the head from too much impact. Moreover, an iNFLatable bladder is also now being used to provide more protection for football players while wearing a football helmet.

Then eventually, the chin strap has also been developed as professionals felt the need to secure that these football helmets are safely held in place. This is important especially for a contact sport like football wherein unpredictable actions can happen. College football helmets really did evolve through time. From its humble beginnings, people have realized the need to improve it.

Article College Football Helmets [http://www.skyfireproducts.com/servlet/the-NFL-Football/Categories] is written by Cassaundra Flores, owner of skyfireproducts.com

New Revolution NFL Football Helmets From Riddell

Riddell's Revolution "Speed" helmet has taken the football world by storm - and now, the Speed helmet is available as a licensed authentic helmet that the general public can own for themselves. With a distinctive, aggressive shell design, the Speed helmet is being adopted by NFL Players at a furious pace. As a collectible, the NFL Speed Pro Line is available in all 32 NFL teams.

With concussions becoming more and more of a problem in the NFL, the new Speed Pro Line helmet takes advantage of some new innovations by Riddell to help slow the rate of head injuries to athletes. A few of the improvements include extended mandible (jaw area) protection, integrated redesigned specialty facemask attachment system, increased internal padding, and a standard 4 point chinstrap. The elliptical air vents, and team name on the back bumper, are a few of the cosmetic improvements on Riddell's Revolution series football helmets, which will vault the "SPEED" series into the future, and keep it there for a long time.

Riddell has been in the forefront of player safety since 2002 when they first released the "Revolution" style helmets. The first edition of Revolution helmets helped in the prevention of concussion's, and Riddell has been making improvements ever since. With several players' long term health at risk, the NFL has realized the importance of preventing concussions now more than ever. Several studies have been made on the brain functionality of players with multiple concussions, but none more shocking, than the recent suicide of ex-NFL player Dave Duerson. Dave Duerson was an NFL safety and had a productive 10 year career with the Chicago Bears. The years of brutal collisions took their toll on Dave, eventually causing him to take his own life. Duerson actually shot himself in the chest - preserving his brain, and requesting his brain be donated to research the devastating effects of concussions, and what they did to him.

Riddell has stayed in the forefront in technology in today's ever evolving NFL. Today's players are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever - this increases the speed of the game, and violence of the collisions. More and more stars are being sidelined by devastating helmet to helmet hits, and scientific studies are showing the long term effects of concussions on players who sustain them. Riddell is the official helmet maker of the NFL, and with this new SPEED version of the NFL helmets, have raised the bar in player safety.A recent university study shows Riddell's new Speed Revolution helmet as the safest football helmet in production today. The Speed Revolution was the only helmet to receive 5 out of 5 stars.

SPEED helmets are becoming the norm in the NFL, with more and more players taking advantage of the newer, safer, and career extending football helmets, and now they are available as a licensed collectible that can be purchased by the general public! Several online retailers are selling these new helmets. Riddell Speed NFL football helmets would make a great addition to any football fans NFL merchandise collection.

Kraig Cable is an expert in the field of Sports Merchandise and Memorabilia. He has been a memorabilia collector since 1983. Kraig owns and operates 2 memorabilia related websites. Sports merchandise and memorabilia for every team in every league ~ college or professional ~ http://www.khcsports.com