Louis Riddick stands up for his old team
By STEVE KING
I did not know, nor did I ever interview, former defensive back/safety Louis Riddick when he played for the Browns during the last three years of the original franchise’s existence from 1993-95.
He was one of those talented, but nameless, faceless unknowns who was acquired by then head coach Bill Belichick. Riddick was quiet and unassuming. The only memory I have of him is when, while I was in my early years of covering the team as the beat writer for the Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, he looked up and his stare met mine as he was walking across the locker room at Browns Headquarters in Berea. If you’ve ever noticed while the now ESPN budding star is doing a report from his home, there is in the background a game ball he earned from his days with the Browns that sets on a shelf on a bookcase.
Anyway, I’ve always liked Riddick’s work, first as an NFL insider and analyst and now as a color analyst on televasts, and not because he played with the Browns. It’s rather because he understands the game and the NFL inside and out and, when necessary, can make a tough point and be critical in a classy, professional way without being overly negative and using his honesty and truth as a club with which to hit people over the head,. It’s called tact. Too many media people no longer have it.
Anyway, Riddick, of course, is part of the three-man announcing team of fellow color analyst Brian Griese and play-by-play announcer Steve Levy now doing Monday Night Football for the network. Not surprisingly, since Griese is good and Riddick is great and raises the level of anything he’s associated with, the crew is doing an outstanding job as a whole and is light years better than last year’s woefully bad crew.
The crew was at its best for this past Monday’s telecast of the Seattle Seahawks’ 35-30 victory over the New England Patriots (the Browns also won by that score over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football to start the weekend, which begs the question if there has ever been an NFL weekend when there have been two games by the same unusual score of 35-30; but I digress).
The game fell, exactly, on the 50th anniversary of the first MNF game on Sept. 21. 1970 when the Browns defeated the New York Jets 31-21 at Cleveland Stadium. As part of Monday’s telecast, ESPN showed highlights of the inaugural contest, including linebacker Bill Andrews’ 26-yard interception return of a Joe Namath pass for the clinching touchdown with a just over a minute left.
During one of the replays, Levy referred to the old stadium as “the mistake on the lake.” I can’t repeat the response that went through my head because … well, you know why. I’m guessing Riddick had the same words running through his head because of his reply.
“Yeah, it was dirty and gritty when I played for the Browns, but it was our dirt and mud and we loved it,” he said.
Good for you, Louis Riddick, for speaking up.
Levy remained silent, as well he should have, for that was a stupid, ignorant and outdated thing for him to say. He should think twice before opening his mouth and spewing that kind of mindless trash again.
That old stadium was a great place. You could feel and sense all the history that it had seen in its 60 years. These new places are as antiseptic as a bottle of mouthwash.
Somebody needs to tell Steve Levy that, and perhaps someone did. Thanks again, Louis Riddick.
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