Braylon Edwards says 'everybody will be against me' in his Cleveland return » By Manish Mehta Braylon Edwards doesn’t have any delusions about how he’ll be received by the Browns faithful when he returns to Cleveland Sunday. “I think the boos will be serious,” Edwards said. “I think everybody will be against me.” Edwards, of course, was traded by Eric Mangini shortly after an altercation with a member of LeBron James’ entourage outside a bar. Sure, we were not all witnesses. But there were enough of them to make Mangini ship the talented, but troubled wideout out of town. In hindsight, Edwards maintains he was pleased when he received the news from Mangini that he was traded. “I just couldn’t show how excited I was at the time,” Edwards said today. “I thought it’d be unprofessional to do a dance in his office… When he told me that, I couldn’t get out of Berea (Ohio) fast enough.” Edwards didn’t want to delve into specifics of his “personal war with Cleveland.” “That’s better suited for a book,” Edwards said. “There’s definitely a lot of things that eventually one day I’ll put in writing and put out there.” Edwards, however, contended that there were myriad reasons for his declining production with the Browns, including the instability at quarterback. He rattled off five different quarterbacks - Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn and Ken Dorsey - that he had to work with the Browns. “Every year, I’m trying to work with someone else,” Edwards said. “Every week was trying to get on somebody else’s page. It’s tough. The teams that are successful have consistency.” Edwards also took exception to his reputation as someone with butter fingers, claiming he only had one season (2008) when he had significant drops. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Edwards has two drops this year. He had six last season (one as a Brown and five with the Jets, including one in the wildcard game). Edwards had an eye-opening 19 in 2008. “That was a bull rap… I feel like it was some B.S,” said Edwards, who has 25 catches for a team-high 453 yards and five touchdowns this season. “I did have one year that I didn’t catch all the passes that came to me -- 2008 wasn’t my best year and that was it. I got a bad rap based off one year. I don’t think it was fair. It stuck with me. I didn’t like that rap. I did play with six or seven different quarterbacks that year, but that’s neither here or there…. including Josh Cribbs.” On Tuesday, Edwards’ DWI case was adjourned to Jan. 11. There’s a possibility of a plea agreement before that scheduled court appearance. (Incidentally, Jan. 11 will be during the week of the divisional playoffs). “I’ve put all my emphasis in just trying to do everything possible to stay here,” said Edwards, who signed a one-year restricted free agent tender in the offseason. “I want to do everything I could to assure this team that I’m a guy that wants to be around…. I haven’t complained. I haven’t said anything. With the exception of that one situation (the DWI), I haven’t been a distraction. Although that was pretty distracting…” Edwards insisted that he won’t be distracted at all when he faces the hostile Cleveland crowd. “I’m prepared for this,” he said. “I think I’ve been very professional when dealing with situations in my career. I don’t think it’ll bother me at all. I’m just ready to go in there and handle my business.” http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2010/11/braylon-edwards-says-everybody.html “I feel happy,” he added. “The environment is better suited toward winning here.”
If BE has acted with just a sliver of class towards the fans and his teammates in Cleveland he would recieve a warm welcome. But when you leave like he did and say the things he said you get booed hell yeah you get booed. The me me me thing with BE never ends. I tell you Jets fans what before BE leaves NY you'll be booing him too.................. BTTB
Here is a piece on the BE I know, enjoy. Oh BTW the article is pretty much spot on Braylon Edwards' Motor Mouth Bigger Than His Engine By Pat McManamon Senior Writer Braylon Edwards did not even get past Monday before mouthing off about his return to Cleveland this weekend as the Jets travel to face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. That will not surprise anyone in Cleveland. Nor will it surprise them that Edwards talked big, talked nasty and, again, attributed his situation to everyone but himself. In an interview with Bob Glauber of Newsday, Edwards even did his best LeBron James, stating he kept a list of anyone and everyone in Cleveland who was critical of him. Again, this is no surprise; Edwards was a LeBron wanna-be from the day he arrived in Cleveland. "I remember the comments," Edwards told Newsday. "I remember the writers, I remember the fans, I remember the coaches, I remember the people in the organization. I remember everything and everybody there that had something to say when 17 exited the doors." No doubt because the main thing he heard was, don't let the exit doors hit you on the way out of town. ________________________________________ Yes, it's easy to be caustic, especially with Edwards. He's a personable, likable guy who was just being honest when asked his feelings about coming back to Cleveland, where he played the first four-plus years of his career. He also was himself when he spoke: talking bigger than his game (this is not Jerry Rice doing the talking, not even Terrell Owens) and blaming everyone else for the fact it didn't work in Cleveland but himself. "For the people that don't like me," Edwards said, "I share the same feeling. I don't like them as well. I could give you a B.S. answer, but the short and skinny of it is that I'm going back there to handle business." Ah, the old "business trip" model. If Edwards carries through, it would be something, because aside from one season Edwards rarely handled business with the Browns -- unless you count falling asleep in the players' lounge and missing a meeting handling business. "I left there with a bitter taste in my mouth, and I'm going back there for some satisfaction," he told the newspaper. "They can see it for how they want it. They can read it for how they want it. Just know that 17's coming to work when we play next week." Cleveland folks might actually relish the thought of him coming to work. Their memory of Edwards was a guy who could make a great catch, but drop three others. A guy with immense talent but also a guy who hired a marketing agent before he was even drafted (At his predraft news conference in Michigan, he talked about his TV future because he was clearly "pretty.") He's a guy who could catch seven passes, but also a guy who asked a Raven during a game about his career as a male model. A guy who jumped for balls thrown at his chest. A guy who constantly complained he wasn't liked in Cleveland because he was from Michigan, never mind that the same guy did a reality TV show about himself in his rookie season and had an early episode showing how angry he was when Miami bypassed him and Cleveland drafted him. Edwards took a lot of heat in Cleveland, and he's right when he tells Newsday he's human and he took it to heart. But the heat did not come out of thin air. He was a walking contradiction, a guy who professed to be about team yet lambasted a teammate for a hard tackle on Chad Ochocinco (Johnson) in a game. A guy who professed to be the next great receiver, but ignored his veteran teammates' advice not to attend an Ohio State-Michigan game, thumbed his nose at the team by appearing on a sideline interview on national TV before the game and then was late getting to the Saturday night team meeting after the game. That was the media's fault for reporting it, too, not his fault for being late. Edwards was once arrested for speeding and only got a ticket when a Cleveland TV station learned of his 120 miles per hour driving. The small suburb mailed him a ticket when the news broke, and Edwards said he got the ticket thanks to the TV station, which apparently was driving his car. Edwards might have forgotten his no-contest plea for sucker-punching a friend of James' just more than a year ago, an action that led to his trade. He also might have forgotten his DUI arrest in Manhattan in September, a case that is pending. It brought no shortage of chuckles from people in Cleveland that Edwards questioned the police officer in New York and asked why sobriety tests weren't done like they're done in Michigan. For Edwards it was always better in Michigan. Yet this same guy once promised $1 million to Cleveland school kids and gave them one of the more inspiring talks they'll ever hear when he met them. Yes, the word contradictions comes to mind. "I'm going to have to control myself," Edwards said of Sunday's game, "because at the end of the day it's a bitter rivalry." Even when he's not in Cleveland, he's trying to out-LeBron LeBron, as if he wants the nastier reception. Which is almost laughable. There is virtually no rivalry between Cleveland and the Jets. The only rivalry that exists is the one Edwards has created in his own mind, that he was that important to Cleveland folks that they might actually care that he's playing this weekend. Bottom line: despite one outstanding season, Edwards was a huge letdown to the Browns, especially considering he was the third overall pick in the draft. He'd have been a letdown had he been drafted in the third round. The Browns did not seem to get a lot for Edwards when they traded him, and the Jets are a better team. But the Browns have won two straight -- over New England and New Orleans. If these wins are real, they are on the way to making themselves NFL-relevant again. Had Edwards merely kept his mouth shut, Cleveland folks finally excited about their team might not have noticed he was coming back. Edwards was being honest in his interview, but he also had a choice, a choice between saying what he did or saying something innocuous like he still has friends on the Browns he wishes well, or he's just glad to be with the Jets. Instead he created a situation for himself by drawing attention to himself. Even when he's not in Cleveland, he's trying to out-LeBron LeBron, as if he wants the nastier reception (Ahem ... he'll finish second to LeBron on that front as well). Edwards has ensured that his reception will be hostile. He's made himself a target of boos and ridicule. The only thing that will shut up angry Cleveland folks will be if Edwards performs on the field and the Jets win. It will be interesting to see if Edwards will be up to the moment he has created for himself. Based on their experience, it's a safe bet Cleveland folks already have their answer.
It seems LeBron was typed more than Braylon. That whole city is still on suicide watch. That article is sad. Do the business sections of Cleveland news papers make a LeBron reference in every paragraph too? "The DOW was down 50 points today, just like the Cavs are down 50 points because LeBron is a traitor-douche." "In school news, a kid was bullied in gym class because he called himself LeBron while playing basketball. No suspensions were given to the classmates who bullied him. Instead, the principle handed them plaques for their commitment to civic duty."
I expect he's right - everyone in the stadium will be booing him. If that bothers him in any way he shouldn't be a professional athlete. If that motivates him, great, although again, IMO that shouldn't be necessary for a professional athlete. That anyone at this point cares about the idiotic narcissistic things these athletes say amazes me. If he plays well I'll be happy, if he doesn't I won't, and if his ego gets in the way of team success he should be jettisoned. I realized a long time ago that getting worked up over these sorts of pronouncements is a waste of time, since they are apparently here to stay.
I'm happy for Braylon going back to the dump that is Cleveland and getting to fly right back home after he scores 2 TDs. Loo
Sounds to me like Braylon is trying to blame everybody but himself but for the bad year in 2008. Not that it matters, it's ancient history now but if he really thinks it was everybody's fault but his that he dropped as many passes as he did than more power to him.
And if he said all of it was on him, writers would defend him by saying that he's playing the part of the good soldier and that he hadn't been given the chance to succeed because of what he said. YOU WROTE A MULTI-PAGE ARTICLE OBSESSING OVER HIM AND YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE. Jesus titty-fucking christ, are people in Cleveland really this delusional? For someone claiming that the other party is creating their own reality, they sure do experience some serious cognitive dissonance.
Maybe this is how guys like BE get themselves fired-up, just doesn't seem very smart to shoot your mouth off like that, I'm sure the Browns will do their best to make him eat those words and then laugh at him.
