Hollywood Bray Update

As we wrote in our Draft preview, we're willing to start on a new page with Braylon Edwards in 2009. We're willing to take the chance that Bray-bray learned something from last season, which he entered obviously focused far more on his Hollywood dreams than on being the best football player that he could be. Recall that we were highly alarmed by an ESPN Magazine feature on Braylon during which he:

1) Claimed that he'd "like to be the King of Cleveland because [he's] doing the exact same things consistently, like [LeBron has] been doing;

2) "Whip[ped] out his iPhone and call[ed] his tailor . . . [because he] ha[d] an idea for a suit, and . . . want[ed] to brainstorm the concept”;

3) Got geeked up over hanging out with the Entourage cast, and advised us that "[i]t's who you're shaking hands with, who . . . are the people who get the roles";

and, most upsettingly,

4) Explained that his cologne, Bond No. 9, "serves a higher purpose" as his "war cologne," a "strong, masculine scent . . . [that he] wear[s] . . . when [he's] trying to show confidence or be dominant.’"

We wondered generally whether it would be possible for anyone, even a person with the physical gifts of Edwards, to perform at a high level in the NFL with his focus so much on something other than his NFL career. We hoped that Braylon would remember that he had a great thing going with his NFL gig, and that he would have plenty of time and money with which to pursue his Hollywood dreams once the NFL gig is up. We also specifically wondered what would happen if Braylon became distracted by his Hollywood dreams while he was on the football field, such as if he got a good idea for a suit mid-game.

Since if we're doing anything here at Frowns, we're building a record, we're obliged to share with you this bit we just uncovered in the most recent issue of ESPN Magazine that reveals that even our specific concerns were well-founded. On the NFL Insider page of the Mag, they ran a small feature on former Giant and current "free agent safety and up and coming model" Will Demps, in which he "reveal[ed] the ujpside, and dark side of the posed life." Demps explained that his "teammates tease [him] in the locker room. Everyone calls [him] Pretty Willie, and they hang up magazines [he's] been in. But guys who want a second career outside of football come to me for advice."

Guys like GUESS WHO!

"Last year I was with the Texans [the non-Playoff team who, coincidentally, beat the Browns at Cleveland Stadium in a game that the AP described as leaving the Browns "beaten, battered and bewildered," "their season in shambles"], and when we played [WHOOPED] the Browns, Braylon Edwards asked me between plays if we could talk after the game about modeling and acting."

Whatever else this indicates, at the very least it shows that Braylon's head is somewhere else than on the football game when he's playing in the football game. If Braylon wants to go Hollywood, he should cancel his contract with the Browns and go do that, but the level of play in the NFL is too high for players -- even players with Braylon's talent -- to play at the highest level (the level that Braylon is being paid to play at) with their minds not focused 100% on the task at hand. Braylon's sorry 2008 season should be all the proof that anyone needs of this.

We're surprised that anyone would wonder what happened to Braylon last season when the answer seems so clear. Like we said, we are willing to give Braylon another chance this season, but we'd feel a lot better about this if he would admit, on the record, that his Hollywood dreams distracted him last season, and that he's rearranged his priorities in recognition of this. As far as we know, no member of the press has asked him to do this. We can only hope that ManKok has in private. The point is that the problem with Braylon is no mystery. Whether that problem can be solved is what remains to be seen.