Browns risk broken Cribbs

The Cleveland Browns waited until a few seconds remained in Monday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens to show a little offensive creativity, and it almost cost them a key player.

Trailing 16-0, the Browns tried a hook-and-ladder play in a desperate effort to score a touchdown. Had it been successful, the points would have been meaningless.

Cleveland wide receiver Josh Cribbs, arguably the team's best playmaker, was hammered to end the last-ditch effort and laid prone on the field before being taken off on a stretcher.

Cribbs is fine now, but his agent, J.R. Rickert, is steamed.

"I can't even put into words how upset I am at (the Browns) for leaving him in like that," Rickert told the Plain Dealer in Cleveland. "Fortunately he's doing well."

Cribbs caught a 10-yard pass from Brady Quinn and lateraled to another player before being drilled under the chin by a forearm from Dwan Edwards. Cribbs is expected to play Sunday against Detroit.

"I don't understand it," Rickert said. "I don't want to say something like that, but heck, it's the truth. Bad things happen when you do something like that."

It's the latest ugly saga for first-year coach Eric Mangini, whose team is 1-8.

• SENIOR MOMENT -- The NFL fining Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams $250,000 for conduct detrimental to the league certainly will deter others from flipping obscene gestures at opposing teams.

Adams was quick to apologize.

Upon further review, though, it seems possible Adams intended to use forefingers as "We're No. 1" gestures. But at age 86, an arthritic condition could have only allowed middle fingers to remain extended.

Or, at his age, Adams doesn't care what others think, and the fine will only be a little less for the billionaire's heirs to spend.

• THROW BUCKS -- When Ohio State visits Michigan on Saturday, the Buckeyes will be in throw-back uniforms that resemble ones worn in 1954. That year the Buckeyes beat Michigan 21-7 in Columbus, Ohio, and won The Associated Press national title.

But if any team wears a disguise Saturday, it should be the Wolverines, who have lost their last five against their archrival. That's 2,188 days since they beat Ohio State.

Since a 4-0 start, Michigan has fallen to 5-6, just a bit better than last year's 3-9.

Meanwhile, the school on Monday released embarrassing details of an internal audit that showed the football program failed to file forms tracking how much time players spent practicing during the 2008 season and last offseason.

Based on their play, one wonders if the Wolverines have bothered to practice at all.

• BOSS AT A LOSS -- Even Bruce Springsteen seems to have forgotten about the state of Michigan.

"The Boss" bellowed to a concert crowd "Hello, Ohio!" on Friday. The problem was, he was performing in Auburn Hills, Mich. He gave Ohio a few more shout-outs until guitarist Steve Van Zandt provided him with a tour-stop update.

The faux pas would have been a misdemeanor, but a week before the border-state football battle, it was criminal.

COMPILED BY JEFF WOLF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL