Point No. 1,001 why the Cleveland Browns are the Cleveland Browns: A new coach comes in to turn things around, then remains mum on who the starting quarterback will be up until game time. Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson?

This might be a clever ploy in high school or even Pop Warner, but neither quarterback lit up the scoreboard in the team's preseason games and, here's the kicker: neither played in the final exhibition contest.

Perhaps Browns coach Eric Mangini was going to start Brett Ratliff, the New York Jets' third-string quarterback last year, when Mangini was the head coach there. Ratliff did start the final preseason game and played extensively.

Not that Quinn and Anderson needed the extra work, but Mangini wanted to keep everyone guessing — even himself.

There was little doubt that Mangini was going to start Quinn, the more-polished quarterback who was tapped in the first round of the 2008 draft out of Notre Dame.

The new coach should take the plunge and go with the quarterback of the future, biting the bullet and allowing him to learn on the fly. Anderson had a monster season two years ago, but he played horribly last season.

Mangini was keeping everyone in the dark, but even when word leaked after Wednesday's practice, he was still playing it close to the vest.

It's like asking Mangini if he requires oxygen to breathe or whether or not the sun actually rises in the east, only to have him be noncommittal and think he's keeping everyone in the dark.

Mangini — can you believe some actually refer to him as Man-genius? — is trying to outthink himself, that he has the rest of the world fooled and will snicker when no one is looking.

I don't understand if he's trying to emulate a Bill Belicheck-type mystery, but it seems over the top.

Having coached under the New England head coach for years, Mangini's trying to create his own drama and suspense — the expense of his own team.

I could see the hush-hush antics if, say, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was struggling and recent free-agent signee Michael Vick came in and had a lights-out training camp.

Hmm, who to go with? I could see coach Andy Reid leaving it up in the air, since the two quarterbacks' styles are different. McNabb, a passer who can still run; Vick, a runner who can pass and could provide the offense with a lot of wrinkles.

But Quinn and Anderson? That's not holding my interest. I was curious to see what would have happened if the winner had a bad game right off the bat. Then what?

Quinn completed 21 of 35 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 34-20 loss to Minnesota. An OK outing, but it's nothing spectacular.

Perhaps Mangini could go back to his bag of tricks or go over the numbers or the leadership abilities.

Or better yet, maybe a coin flip. Sounds like a solid Plan B.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.