Maybe it does not matter how many times the Cleveland Browns shuffle their deck.  Does not matter how many times they clean out their front office. After the regular season the Browns  fired their head coach and GM. This seems to be the yearly tradition in Cleveland. They replaced the gigantic stupid move of last off season and brought in Kevin Stefanski from the Minnesota Vikings. Stefanski’s football background compared to the colossal moron Freddie Kitchens, makes Stefanski look and sound like a Bill Belichick. Stefanski has credit for the one year wonder as Vanilla Ice aka Case Keenum climbing the record charts that year in Minnesota. Browns brought in another GM Andrew Berry which is another name that  the jury is still out on. The one thing we do know is the Browns decision already made letting linebacker Joe Schobert walk out the door is baffling. The new regime steps in to the batter box first at bat and is called out on third strike right down the freaking middle is what I see.

Joe Schobert was one of the few good draft picks out of the many the Browns had and got it right. The Browns hit on a 4th rounder from Wisconsin  University in 2016 by picking Joe Schobert. University of Wisconsin, a Big Ten school where they grow defensive players like the corn crop. In 2017 Joe Schobert was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Last season Schobert was Johnny on the spot for the Browns with four interceptions. Schobert had 133 tackles for the Browns defense. Two sacks and broke up nine passes. Last season where the Browns will be remembered mostly because Myles Garrett used Mason Rudolf’s helmet as a weapon like in some kind of zombie apocalypse world. Then to see the STUPID reek out of the pores of all the Cleveland players on the roster every week except a Joe Schobert and few others.

This does not shock me the Browns would pass on Schobert’s services. This is the same Browns that passed on Carson Wentz services and chose Corey Coleman. The same Browns that took Johnny Manziel because Johnny Football told them they should draft him. The signing of Kareem Hunt then trading of Duke Johnson. Then bringing in Odell Beckham Jr. through a trade. Your quarterback Baker Mayfield has done nothing but regressed in his second year. He probably led the division in commercial appearances. All’s the Browns have going on is that this team as a group is a circus. The Browns should not be playing in the NFL with this team. They should be going town to town to set up their big top. Have kids feed peanuts to Myles Garrett. Perhaps a snickers bar would calm his nerves. He may think I’m racist against him.

Joe Schobert is a pure football player. Every team needs as many Joe Schoberts as they can get. Guys that play the team concept. Guys that understand the game and have the heart of the lion. Schobert’s asking price may be too large for the Browns. Browns want to address their offensive line which what team does not want to do that. Maybe Schobert’s asking price is high because he wants out of Cleveland. Which you would not blame him.The Browns could have and should have extended Schobert’s contract before it got to this point.  Schobert himself might want his services to go with a team with better coaching and more football players around him. If you strike gold on a linebacker you hold on to them. They are the heartbeat of the defensive unit. The Browns are too busy looking for their next trapeze act instead of keeping parts of their actually foundation of a football team. Schobert will resurface somewhere next season. Perhaps he will go home and play for the Green Bay Packers next season. A team that made the playoffs last season. A team with new coaching staff that went out last off season and added defense. Joe Schobert would be a nice solid piece to have on many defensive units around the league. In Cleveland Schobert may have to grow another head on his shoulders to stick with that circus act. It’s probably better off to go elsewhere. The Browns have done him a favor. Some may say a solid.

 

Karl Malone will always be on the list as one of the best NBA players of all-time. You can say Malone might be the best power forward to ever play the game. Malone is ranked number two in points scored all-time. Malone a two time MVP award winner. Malone made 14 all-star appearances in 19 seasons in the NBA. Malone was nicknamed the mailman because he always delivered. The only thing you can say he could not deliver was a NBA championship. Malone and John Stockton were able to get the Utah Jazz to the NBA finals two seasons in back to back years. Only to be defeated by those great Michael Jordan teams of the 1990’s.  Malone played 18 seasons in Utah and played in a lot of playoff games over those years. Malone was able to get one more chance at the holy grail when he signed with the LA Lakers in 2004. Those Lakers teams with, recently passed away, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Lakers made it to the championship but the result was another negative for Malone. Detroit Pistons took the series versus the Lakers and won the whole Enchilada.

In the NHL another Karl Malone story has taken place but this time the player is on skates not the hardwood of the courts and he plays for the San Jose Sharks. Joe Thornton has skated in the NHL for 22 seasons. Thornton was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins. Thornton played in bean town for eight seasons where he emerged as the captain of the Bruins squad. Bruins and Thornton suddenly did not see eye to eye on things. Thornton was shipped off to the west coast to the San Jose Sharks. Thornton has spent 14 seasons in San Jose since that trade which gives him 22 seasons of playing in the NHL and is still active.  Joe Thornton though only made the Stanley Cup finals once in his career. It was in 2016 versus the Penguins. Pittsburgh won that series 4 games to 2.

Joe Thornton and the Sharks last season in the playoffs were able to knock off one of best teams in the league in the first round. Sharks prevailed over Vegas Golden Knights then got past Colorado Avalanche and met the Blues in the Western conference finals. St. Louis might have knocked Joe Thornton’s quest for the cup out completely when they dispatched the Sharks. The Sharks had a loaded veteran team last season. It was the win or bust type of season because the Sharks knew they could not keep all of their players in the off season. They lost some goal scorers before this season even started. This year the Sharks started off bad. They never really got on track and had all kinds of problems. Joe Thornton did resign with the team. Sharks were unable to trade Joe Thornton to a contender at the trade deadline. Does he have another year in him? Sharks problems will not be fixed over night or over the off season. Next season could Thornton latch on to some team that could use his help like how Karl Malone tried after leaving Utah?

In 22 years Joe Thornton has only missed seven seasons of playoffs. Thornton has played in a lot of post season action with his playoff beard. Thornton is considered one of the best passers of all-time as he is one out of 13 players ever to have dished out 1000 or more assists in regular season play over his career. Thornton is the only NHL player to win the Art Ross and Hart Memorial trophies in one year splitting time with two teams. Thornton won those trophies in 2005-06 where he led the league in points and was the MVP that season. Thornton has scored 418 goals with the 1088 assists adds up to 1506 points. Thornton is the San Jose Sharks all-time leader is assists.

Both Joe Thornton and Karl Malone will go down as one of the best in their sport in small market cities. Both have played in bigger markets. Both will be remembered most from the time they called home most of their careers.  Both Malone and Thornton brought playoffs to two cities almost every year they were in the organization. We do not know if Joe Thornton will hang up the skates for good after this season. If he does he will be the Karl Malone of the NHL. Both never won a ring or hoisted the cup. Both played a very long time in their respective leagues. Add all the postseason games and you could tack on a few more regular seasons to their resume. Plus to be able to grind out that many years in a professional sport takes heart, motivation, and dedication. To play through all the wounds and injuries of their sport during decades of playing professionally, both these guys showed up every day. Sometimes the best land on lists that they do not want to be on. Both Thornton and Malone would  be guys anybody would like to build their team around because of the hard work they put into the sport that we watched them play the right way.