As many of my fellow Clevelanders do, I was reading a post on lebrownstown.com written by Wills Klein, a blogger for Zeus of Sport. Klein, a self-described "rabid Jets fan," is trying to stir up a rivalry between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns. As a Browns fan who visited Jets training camp, I figured it is my honor and duty to mitigate the situation. Unfortunately for me, the situation doesn't need mitigation as the rivalry is not going to happen.

In his article, Wills bashes former Jets coach/current Browns coach Eric Mangini. Not only does the blogger question Mangini's intelligence and ability to function, he contrasts the abysmal talent on the Browns roster with the colossal amount talent on the Jets roster. Wills Klein believes that the combined forces of Mangini's stupidity his teams athletic inferiority will result in a stoppable force that could compare with last year's record setting season by the Detroit Lions.

Having visited Jets training camp, I do not doubt that the Jets are talented. They have a star studded defensive line that is being outperformed by its offensive line, which can only be a good thing unless Shaun Ellis has 61.5 career flukes [sacks]. Their running back, Thomas Jones, had the best statistical season last year of any running back in the league, and their receiving core has at least one bright spot in Jericho Crotchery. Special teams specialist Leon Washington was running fast at training camp, as was linebacker Vernon Gholston, who busted as a rookie, but could have a very strong sophomore season. The rest of their defense is speckled with stars and the second picked quarterback of this years draft in Mark Sanchez. If they Jets coach Rex Ryan so desires, he can bench Sanchez and start veteran QB Kellen Clemens, who played just as well in training camp as Sanchez did during my tenure there (they both looked good and bad on different days.)



But are the Jets that much better than the Browns? Running back Jamal Lewis has had better career statistically than Thomas Jones and Lewis is a year younger. Wide receiver Braylon Edwards is better than Jericho Crotchery. Browns return star Josh Cribbs is just as talented as Leon Washington. Young Cleveland linebacker D'Qwell Jackson has already proven himself (unlike Gholston). Moreover, Cleveland's young unproven quarterback (Brady Quinn) has more experience than Sanchez AND Cleveland's aging veteran quarterback (Derek Anderson) had more experience than Clemens.

Did I just prove that the Cleveland Browns are a vastly superior team to the New York Jets? Will Mangini be defined as literary hero, a victim of the evil, talentless Jets who is saved by the Herculean talent in Cleveland where he regains his old image as a Mangenius and is a better human being for the experience? NO! My comparison proves nothing; which team is better would be proved on the football field this fall IF the two teams were playing each other. Sure, the Browns and the Jets could meet in the playoffs, but that's about as likely as [insert stale joke here]! If the teams did play each other this season, the media might generate some hype, but Browns fans wouldn't buy it. They might buy some of it, but the media would supply a greater quantity, equilibrium would not be reached, and the market will collapse. Why? The Browns are in one of the most heated rivalry in professional sports and it's against the worst team in the NFL.



Photos: Taken by Sandy Ginsburg at New York Jets Training Camp.
Top Left: Rabid Jets fans, perhaps Wills Klein?
Top Right: Eric Mangini may not be the brightest, but here Rex Ryan is throwing a pass to an assistant coach.
Bottom Left: Jets Quarterbacks throwing the ball as far as they can. Bottom Right: A Jets reciever is about to catch a pass...or is he?

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