The sports world has no greater spectacle than the Pro Bowl. Therefore, we dispatched Zach Everson to write about the Pro Bowl for us. He's out in Hawaii. Jerk. Here's his final dispatch.

Having witnessed the depressing display of humanity that was Kick-off and Fan Fest, Friday I addressed my melancholia in a manner befitting what I learned in college.

I went on a bender (albeit a tropical bender).

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This is a great move for former Ravens head coach Brian Billick. He has a great speaking voice, as well as the personality to be interesting and informative in this position. Sitting alongside the other NFL Network people, he will fit in seemlessly and provide decent insight and knowledge to the broadcasts.

However, my first notice of his entry into this position was watching him yesterday give his opinion on what to look for when drafting a college quarterback to be a future starter in the league. I almost fell off my sofa laughing at the irony of this! Here is the league's premier TV network asking a former coach who NEVER was able to take a first round draft pick and develop him into a legitimate NFL quarterbak and this is the best the NFL Network could do to find someone who has done this? I guess the former NFL coaches who have successfully developed college QB's into NFL star QB's pickings was slim!  read more »

The 2007-2008 season is officially over (Pro Bowl is merely for entertainment's sake).

For those of you that are Cleveland Indians fans, perhaps you've taken some joy in the sudden downfall of Boston teams the past few days. On Sunday, the Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants. Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics at The Q, improving to 2-1 against them on the season. One thing stands out about the Boston teams still though: they are in the spotlight. Cleveland teams have approached that spotlight over the past year, but have come up short.

-The Indians barely missed making the World Series.
-The Cavs were a disappointment in the NBA Finals.
-The Browns undeservedly missed the postseason.  read more »

The NFL trade that needs to happen, massive rebuilding in Dolphin Land, and keeping natural grass alive in the Steel City. All this and more in the Round Up.
So now is the time when that terrible, sad, empty feeling can really take full effect. The NFL season is officially over until August. I know this is going to be a difficult journey. It is every off-season. But with a little patience, I think we will all be able to manage. The NFL has amazingly made itself watchable even during the off-season, with free-agency and of course, THE DRAFT. But we will all come to that during the course of the year. As for now, we have a whole host of questions going into the off-season about what we will have in store for next season.
QUICK NOTES  read more »

The Browns have offered starting Quarterback Derek Anderson a 3-year contract extension, with the monetary terms of the deal being disclosed. Per the Plain Dealer:

The Browns confirmed on Friday that they have sent formal proposals to the agents of quarterback Derek Anderson and running back Jamal Lewis in hopes of keeping both players from entering the free-agent market.  read more »

SI.com writer Don Banks apparently doesn't think the Jets are a top five improved team this off season. In his list of the five most improved teams, the Jets weren't there. Now, I personally don't have a huge problem with this, but I would have like to see a little respect for Gang Green. I mean, I think the upgrades that they made could transform this team into one that can get over the hump and win nine or ten games this season. Now, that may be a lot to say, but I believe the made upgrades at the most important positions that they needed to.

As for the teams ranked by Banks, he says the Cleveland Browns are number one, what with the signing of Donte Stallworth to add another solid receiving threat and the addition of Shaun Rogers to beef up the defense, even though that meant getting rid of Leigh Bodden. He also noted the guys who were re-signed in Derek Anderson and Jamal Lewis. Look the bottom line is, the Browns were a 10-6 team last year that still didn't make the playoffs. I think its just a matter of the situation that they were in coming out of the season that made them a more improved team than the Jets. The Browns could win twelve games with those additions.

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(Before I begin, I just wanted to mention that I definitely saw someone on Wednesday wearing this shirt at 7-Eleven.  I think that means he's still at stage 1 on the Kübler-Ross model.  Anywho...)

I think most of us can agree that the Pro Bowl more times than not isn't really worth watching.  Sure, it's the last game of the season, but it's not even really a game.  Calling it an exhibition is more accurate, but even that's being generous.  read more »

The Cleveland Browns may have flipped around their season. Led by tumbling wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who announced his team's return to Monday night after five years by sticking an Olympic-caliber cartwheel and back flip during pregame introductions, Cleveland ended New York's 11-game road winning streak with a 35-14 win over the defending Super Bowl champions.

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