Cleveland Fans Pound Ravens

Art Modell sat ensconced before his television in Baltimore, far from harm’s way as the Ravens returned to Cleveland for the first time Sunday.

Even from a distance, however, Modell was the target of shouts, insults and expletives as Browns fans vented four years’ worth of anger and frustration at the team and owner that broke their hearts.

The Ravens beat the Browns, 41-9, but the fans in the Dawg Pound were in typical form.

They won a shouting match with some Raven players who ran toward their section during introductions. Some waved foam fingers--No, not the ones that indicate a team is No. 1--at the Baltimore bench.

Others waved stuffed ravens, lynched from the ends of dog bones. One fan sneaked a banner into the stadium, where signs are forbidden. It said: “New Policy: No Art in Cleveland,” a reference to Carmen Policy, the Browns’ president, and you-know-who.

During a moment of silence for the late Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, a few fans screamed obscenities about Modell that reverberated throughout the stadium.

Then the game started.

By the time Rod Woodson intercepted a Ty Detmer pass and ran for a touchdown to give Baltimore a 34-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter, much of the crowd of 72,898 had left. Even the Dawg Pounders were headed for the exits.

“This is my team, starting from scratch,” said Bob Miller, who has attended Browns’ games for 20 years. “I know it’s going to be a long time before they’re any good. But you know what? There’s no better feeling than being a Browns fan.”

David Jaranovic, 10, tried to look on the bright side.

“I still had fun,” he said, “but we stink.”

FOR THE LOVE OF . . . THE GAME?

Wide receiver Joey Galloway said he plans to report to the Seattle Seahawks today, ending an eight-game holdout because of an ongoing contract dispute.

“The first purpose is to play football,” Galloway told Fox Sports Net with a straight face. “That’s what I do, that’s what I love doing.”

OK, Joey.

By returning to the Seahawks, Galloway can spend the minimum 30 days on the roster needed to count this as a full season. It would give him five seasons and make him eligible for free agency, if the Seahawks don’t label him their franchise player.

Galloway is seeking a five-year, $25-million contract and a $10-million signing bonus. The Seahawks offered a seven-year deal worth $35 million, plus a $7-million signing bonus.

In September, the Seahawks took their offer off the table, saying Galloway would have to play for his $1.58-million salary under the terms of his original five-year contract if he wanted to rejoin the team.

Galloway has been fined more than $200,000 for his absence, plus missing his game pay.

“I can’t imagine them dropping those fines,” Galloway said. “so I’ll probably have to pay them.”

Poor guy.

FREEZE FRAME

How long before New Orleans Coach Mike Ditka blows the roof off the Superdome with his temper?

Last Sunday, the Saints lost to the Browns on a Hail Mary touchdown pass on the final play.

On Sunday, on the Saints’ first play of a 31-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Billy Joe Tolliver’s pass was intercepted in the end zone by Ronde Barber.

Or was it?

Although the stadium replay clearly showed the ball bouncing on the artificial turf before Barber grabbed it, a challenge by Ditka was denied.

“I got up and ran it out of the end zone to try and cover up the fact that the ball hit the ground,” Barber said. “I guess it worked.”

NFL official Art McNally issued a statement saying the reviewing official was not shown the end zone shot that actually showed the ball on the ground, and the play was upheld. The replay booth buzzed the official wanting to show him the incomplete pass, but by that time the 90-second time limit had expired and the play stood. But a second statement later said the official had all the shots, including the end zone shot, but did not have an opportunity to view it.

“Right now it doesn’t look like there’s a whole lot of light at the end of the tunnel,” said Ditka, whose team is 1-7.

POLL POSITION

Ricky Williams of the Saints gained 41 yards in 14 carries against Tampa Bay and still has not scored a touchdown.

Shed no tears for Williams, though.

He might have given up millions of dollars by having Master P negotiate his incentive-laden contract, but he still has a vote in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

Williams, the 1998 Heisman winner, said he plans to punch his ballot for Texas quarterback Major Applewhite.

SOFT AND SWEET

Jacksonville’s top-rated defense turned in a team-record nine sacks in a 30-7 victory over Atlanta.

Of Jacksonville’s eight remaining games, only Tennessee and Pittsburgh have winning records. Four games come against teams with offenses ranked 23rd or lower. Only one future opponent, Denver, has an offense ranked in the top 10.

But don’t call Jacksonville’s schedule soft.

“When you look at this year, a year of parity, a year of upsets, I don’t know how anyone could say any schedule is a soft schedule,” Jacksonville Coach Tom Coughlin said last week. “To me, that’s a ridiculous statement.”

AIR FLUTIE

The Washington Redskins had Defense Secretary William Cohen perform the coin toss, and the Redskins could have used some ground troops to fend off the Buffalo Bills in a 34-17 defeat.

The league’s most porous defense gave up 413 yards.

“We just came out and played so lousy,” defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson said.

Buffalo quarterback Doug Flutie hurt Washington with four key scrambles, including one on fourth and five in which he jitterbugged past Dana Stubblefield for an eight-yard gain to set up the go-ahead touchdown.

“It’s kind of like Michael Jordan dunking on two guys 7-feet tall,” said Redskin cornerback Darrell Green. “They were high, they were tall, but he just went above them.”

TRAGIC LOSS

Nichole Muhammad, the wife of Indianapolis defensive back Steve Muhammad, died Sunday after giving birth to a stillborn baby.

Colt Coach Jim Mora led off his postgame news conference with the announcement of Nichole Muhammad’s death during Sunday’s 25-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mora said Nichole Muhammad, 30, went into the hospital Saturday and that her husband, who was declared inactive for the game, spent the night at the hospital.

Bill Polian, the Colt president, notified the team after the game that Muhammad’s wife had died.

The couple’s baby was stillborn at 5:50 a.m. Sunday, and Nichole Muhammad died at 1:30 p.m., hospital officials said. They gave no other details.

The couple had three other children.

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--Compiled by Gary Klein

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

On Any Sunday

Brett Favre broke Ron Jaworski’s record for most consecutive starts at quarterback:

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Player Starts Years Brett Favre (Green Bay) 117 1992-99 Ron Jaworski (Philadelphia) 116 1977-84 Joe Ferguson (Buffalo) 107 1977-84 Dan Marino (Miami) 95 1987-93 Jim Everett (Los Angeles Rams) 87 1988-93

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