Category: Poll

Poll: What/Who most responsible for Browns failure to make the playoffs?

We are polling the fans to find out who they think is most responsible for the Browns not playing in the playoffs:

Blame is an interesting thing in professional sports. Unlike individual sports like golf, singles tennis and many Olympic sports, team sports have multiple variables that are outside of a single person’s control. For example, a quarterback is often blamed for an interception even if the pass-catcher ran his route wrong. (Quarterback often tends to get too much credit for winning as well.)

That doesn’t mean responsibility cannot be assigned and, for the Cleveland Browns, it is important to do in the offseason. Based on all the information available, the three biggest names on the team (Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski and Baker Mayfield) will return for 2022.

Looking back at 2021, what/who is most responsible for the team’s failure to make the playoffs? We list the three guys noted above as well as noting that injuries and COVID-19 limitations also impacted the team greatly. All four have some responsibility but we want to know who you think is most responsible:

[crowdsignal poll=11019074]

NBA execs poll: Luka Doncic top player to build around; Evan Mobley voted ahead of Zion Williamson

In September of 2020, HoopsHype polled 15 NBA talent evaluators and asked them to rank their top five Under 25 players to build around. We have repeated the exercise with 17 NBA executives this time. There was no change at No. 1, but quite a few …

In September of 2020, HoopsHype polled 15 NBA talent evaluators and asked them to rank their top five Under 25 players to build around. We have repeated the exercise with 17 NBA executives this time. There was no change at No. 1, but quite a few after that.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic remains the first choice, though he’s no longer the consensus pick after a somewhat disappointing first half of the season in which he’s still playing himself into shape.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum barely retains No. 2 with half the share of the vote of last season while Ja Morant moves up to No. 3.

LaMelo Ball and Trae Young went from no votes to cracking the top five.

In our scoring system, the top player received 10 points, the second received seven points, the third received five points, the fourth received three points, and the fifth player received one point for each ballot.

The results of the poll are listed below.

LeBron James shares his thoughts on Browns new uniforms

LeBron James shares his thoughts on Browns new uniforms. Do you agree with him? Poll included in the post for your feedback.

Fans of the Cleveland Browns have always had a unique sports relationship with LeBron James. If those fans are also fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was often adored and loved. If those fans are purely Browns fans or hold animosity for James leaving the team twice, LeBron is often disliked or hated.

This is especially true for Browns fans because of James’ long-stated childhood fandom of the Dallas Cowboys. While “a kid from Akron” embraced the Browns while playing in Cleveland, both times, fans weren’t sure if it was real.

James even starred in a commercial where he daydreamed of playing in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns:

Today, LeBron once again showed that he pays attention to his hometown football team despite his childhood love of the Cowboys. After the Browns released their 75th-anniversary uniforms, James was impressed:

 

With James out in Los Angeles and another NBA season starting shortly after the NFL one, it is unlikely we will see LeBron in attendance at a Browns game. However, it is a good sign for marketing purposes that James sees the new uniform as “SO fire (times 20).”

What do you think of the Browns 75th anniversary uniforms? Do you agree with LeBron?

[crowdsignal poll=10886677]

Poll: Most important Browns extension, after Baker Mayfield

Poll: After the QB, which of these four players are most important for the Browns to extend their contract? (Voting is embedded in the article.)

The Cleveland Browns have loads of talent on their roster. Over the course of multiple general managers and coaching staffs, the Browns have accumulated players that many teams would love to have.

With that comes the need to sign contract extensions, if possible, with those talented players. Gone are the days when only a few players (Joe Thomas, Joe Haden, Joel Bitonio) get second and third contracts from the team. Instead, the Browns have multiple guys coming up on free agency.

The biggest is quarterback Baker Mayfield. His 2020 season locked him in as the team’s quarterback of the future and, likely, a very large contract.

After Mayfield, the Browns still have a number of players that could get extended sooner than later. Nick Chubb has been the engine of the offense in his three seasons and his contract ends this year. Wyatt Teller and Ronnie Harrison both had good seasons in 2020 for the Browns and are set to be free agents while Denzel Ward, like Mayfield, has two years left on his rookie deal.

Of those four, which one is the most important extension for the Browns to get done?

[crowdsignal poll=10881334]

All four players have value in their own right but positional value, depth on the roster, age, experience and cost could all play a role in how you voted. In the end, the Browns hope to retain as much talent as they can. Finally, a good problem for the Cleveland football team.

POLL: Where will RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire rank among Chiefs greats?

Is Edwards-Helaire on his way to becoming an all-time great rusher for the #Chiefs? Vote in our poll:

[crowdsignal poll=10877604]

The Kansas City Chiefs have been blessed with some incredible players at the running back position throughout franchise history. From the AFL days, with players like Abner Haynes and Curtis McClinton to the early 2000s with Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson. Most recently they’ve had Jamaal Charles, the franchise leading rusher, on the squad.

While the current team is much more pass-heavy than teams of old, they recently added former LSU RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He’s the first running back the team has selected in the first round since they drafted former Penn State RB Larry Johnson at pick No. 27 in 2003.

This is the first significant investment the team has made at the position in nearly two decades, but where will Edwards-Helaire rank among the team’s all-time greats when it’s all said and done? He started in 13 games as a rookie, recording 803 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 181 carries. He added 36 receptions on 54 targets for 297 yards and a score.

If Edwards-Helaire averages 803 yards per season over the next three seasons— which would likely be considered a disappointment— he’ll move into the top-10 rushing yards leaders in franchise history. If he averaged just four rushing touchdowns per season in that same span, he’d be tied for 13th in franchise history. If he averages just 181 carries per season, he’ll have the 10th most carries in franchise history by the end of the 2023 season.

Edwards-Helaire didn’t have the luxury of having stability on the offensive line as a rookie, with constant injury struggles throughout the year. It all, of course, culminated in the Super Bowl LV loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s something that the Chiefs are very much so looking to improve in 2021 and beyond.

It’s also important to keep in mind, Edwards-Helaire is just 22 years old. He’s on his rookie contract and the team will have an opportunity to exercise a fifth-year option in the future. He should be on the team through the 2024 season before the Chiefs will need to decide to extend his contract or let him walk in free agency.

So what do you think, Chiefs Kingdom? After one season of seeing Edwards-Helaire in action, where do you expect him to rank among the franchise’s greats at the position? Be sure to vote in the poll at the top of the page and let us know your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter.

[vertical-gallery id=94742]

Sound Off: Which RB do you plan to draft third in 2021?

After CMC and Dalvin Cook, which RB will you draft next?

We always enjoy seeing reader feedback at The Huddle, making the “Sound Off” series is a fine way to get a finger on the pulse of our viewers.

In today’s poll, the answers should help illustrate whether there’s a clear consensus or a more polarized view on the elite players at the running back position. Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook consistently are the first two backs to come off the board in PPR drafts, which brings us to the third overall pick’s lack of consensus.

Presume this is a 12-team, PPR draft. Which back will you take third?

[polldaddy poll=10845389]

 

Will Euro Free Agency become a trend in the NBA?

Will EuroLeague free agents continue to sign with NBA teams at the end of the regular season going forward? NBA executives answer.

During the NBA calendar, we’ve seen free agency in the offseason and the buyout market after the trade deadline, but a notable wave of free agency with European imports has emerged just over a month before the end of the regular season.

In that span, we saw four players make the jump from the EuroLeague to the NBA: Gabriel Deck, Mike James, Luca Vildoza, and Elijah Bryant. 

HoopsHype polled eight executives, three scouts, a EuroLeague executive, and an agent who negotiated a deal for a EuroLeague player who made the jump to the NBA. The reviews were mixed as to whether EuroLeague talent bolting for the NBA at the end of the season will become a long-term trend based on several factors, including the NBA’s current schedule. However, there was a strong consensus that a EuroLeague star such as Nikola Mirotic or someone on his level won’t make the NBA jump mid-season. Below is a look at the feedback from those polled.

NBA media poll: Nikola Jokic is the near-consensus MVP

HoopsHype conducted an anonymous poll of NBA MVP media voters for their current picks to win the award.

Nikola Jokic has taken a commanding lead in the MVP race, according to our HoopsHype media MVP poll for April.

As for the best of the rest, Stephen Curry has made the biggest jump while LeBron James has seen his MVP chances take the biggest hit compared to our March MVP media poll.

To determine the top contenders for the MVP award, HoopsHype anonymously polled 17 media members who voted on last year’s awards for their current top five MVP rankings.

As with the official vote, the top player received 10 points, the second received seven points, the third received five points, the fourth received three points, and the fifth player received one point for each ballot. Below are the results of the poll.

NBA media poll: James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo move up MVP ladder

HoopsHype polled 20 NBA media members anonymously for their MVP rankings through March.

Three months into the season, the league’s Most Valuable Player award is up for grabs as stars including Joel Embiid, LeBron James and Kevin Durant have been sidelined.

To determine the top contenders for the MVP award, HoopsHype anonymously polled 20 media members who voted on last year’s awards for their current top five MVP rankings. You’ll notice there is a new member on the MVP ladder since our February media MVP poll.

As with the official vote, the top player received 10 points, the second received seven points, the third received five points, the fourth received three points, and the fifth player received one point for each ballot.

NBA media poll: Kevin Durant is the early favorite for MVP

NBA media voters share their top five MVP rankings through the first month of the season anonymously with HoopsHype.

One month into the NBA season, we’ve seen one of the league’s top players return from a serious injury better than ever, a center averaging a triple-double, and other stars elevate their games to a new level.

With that in mind, HoopsHype anonymously polled 15 media members who voted on last year’s awards for their current top five MVP rankings before games played on January 22.

As with the official vote, the top player received 10 points, the second received seven points, the third received five points, the fourth received three points, and the fifth player received one point for each ballot.