The Lesser of Two Evils

In yet another twist in the NFL’s ongoing mission to make Cleveland fans miserable, we will now be forced to watch a Super Bowl with either the Ravens or the Steelers for the 3rd time this decade.  In an ‘icing on the cake’ style move, one of these team will inevitbly win the Super Bowl which will wrap up an NFL season that saw our Browns win 4 games, not score a TD in their final 6, lose 4 times to the afformentioned rivals, and have their GM and Coach get canned.  So the questions obviously is, which team do you want to win in the AFC Championship game?

A disclaimer; I will in no way be cheering, rooting, or otherwise supporting either team this Sunday.  No, in a game that features the two teams that we hate the most playing each other for the rights to go to the Super Bowl, the only acceptable behavior is to hope for injuries, embarrassment, heartbreak, or some other form of debacle to to occur during the game, the outcome of which will significantly which impair the winner’s chances of hoisting the Lombardi trophy.

And let’s be honest, any casual observer should be able to see that neither team deserves another championship.  The alledgedly ‘great’ Steelers fans haven’t had to see a period of extended losing for over 40 years.  Seriously, they could go 20 years without a  winning season and I would still consider them spoiled.  Even when they do win championships they always do it with Ohio guys featured prominently in the win (Knoll, Roethlisberger, Lambert).  This time around is no different with their best player on both offense and defense being from Ohio and attending Ohio colleges.

The case against the Ravens is a little shorter.  They stole their team from us 13 years ago and in no way should be rewarded by getting a second Super Bowl win with our former team while the fans from Cleveland who are still the only ones to successfully fight a franchise move get ‘rewarded’ with a decade of mediocre football.

Seriously, I don’t think anyone could write a script where a city continues to get slapped in the face by one twist of the knife after another like Cleveland has and still keep it believeable.  It’s not enough to get our team back, only to watch a decade of terrible football, but then to have our rivals continually in the championship mix (with players/coaches/ties back to Ohio) is about enough at this point.

Ultimately, if you are a Browns fan, you have to have a preference for one of these teams to win though.  I mean, one of them will probably win the whole thing given the barely above .500 teams the NFC is producing this year.  So after much thought, i’ve decided that I would rather have the Ravens win on Sunday.  I know it’s essentially our team out there (and look, Matt Stover is still alive) that was stolen from us and transplanted, but for some reason I think I could stomach another Ravens championship more than watching another Steelers Super Bowl win and hearing about what ‘great fans’ they have–like it’s really hard to root for a team that has won 5 rings and is an annual playoff participant (which is a topic for another post, but I wll admit the Steelers have good fans when they go through 3-4 losing seasons and they are still showing up at road games.  Until then I will only admit that they are ugly) (Ed. note:  relatives/in-laws excluded).

Either way, it’s not going to be a fun Super Bowl for Clevelanders–barring a surprise win by the NFC.  And just like the stock market, we’ll be left wondering if we’ve finally hit bottom–something I’ve been wondering for about 10 years now.  I know it’s a lot to ask, but not having the worst possible ending occur would be a little solace to Browns fans.  Still, come September the fans will be be at the Muni-lot at 6am ready for another season that we’ll be certain will be the one that  reverses our luck–just like the past 48 years and counting.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Well the chants were certainly defeaning Sunday, and just one day later Browns fans get their wish.  Ignoring the fact that the timing makes no sense on a short week, it will be interesting to see what happens from here.  What do they do if Quinn isn’t great right off the bat?  The argument that I heard from so many Quinn supporters early in the year was that Quinn gave the Browns the best chance to win right away, so now is time to see if that is the case.

I realize that my last post was pro-Anderson, but I could care less who the QB is if we win our last 8 games.  The problem is that is unlikely to happen, and i’m afraid to see what will come of the team if Quinn doesn’t play up to the high expectations that the fans have for him, and i’m concerned that we will once again be dissapointed when the guy we want to succeed doesn’t.  Either way, with their playoff chances very remote, the Browns just found a way to make Thursday’s game interesting.

Don’t Blame Anderson

I realize that at 3-5 this might be an entirely moot point–but I can’t help noticing everyone is once again piling on Anderson and blaming him squarely for yesterday’s debacle and the season overall.  But let’s be honest, DA didn’t play a bad game yesterday, and if you want to start a blame pecking order for blowing a 27-13 lead to a rookie QB on the road Anderson doesn’t rank in the top 3.

The way I see it:

1)  The Defense:  For giving back the 14-point cushing in a matter of minutes…to a rookie QB…on the road.  On top of that, 191 yards rushing for the day.

2) Edwards:  After rewatching the game, that was probably his biggest drop in a year of big drops for Braylon.  4th quarter, game tied, 3rd and long, and picture perfect bomb goes right threw his hands.  Instead of punting away and letting the Ravens march right down the field again the Browns would have had the ball in scoring position.  Absolutely huge, especially with Stallworth out again and Edwards needing to show that he can step-up when needed.

3) The Running Game:  19 carries for 49 yards for a robust 2.6 YPC.

 

When you add up the horrid running game, the defense playing the role of a turnstile in the 2nd half, and Edwards throwing away the opportunities that are thrown his way it’s tough to call out Anderson for losing the game yesterday.

In the end, we’re gonna see Brady soon enough since we’re sitting on another non-playoff season so why continue to pile on Anderson and chant for Brady.  It’s like deja vu after watching the fan base chant for  ’Kelly’, and ‘Charlie’ and then insist that we have a backup who is going to be the next Bernie Kosar.

The Day a Fan Was Born–The Eric Metcalf Game

So this post is a few days late, but I thought it necessary to call attention to an important date in my life and Browns history.  October 24, 2008 was the 15th anniversary of my favorite Browns game, and the day I’m pretty sure that I was locked in as a Die-Hard with no way of every escaping.

To put this in perspective, I was born in 1980 (11 days before red-right 88).  I have a very faint recollection of the Drive (remember thinking the kick was no good), but vividly remember Earnest Byner fumbling away the Super Bowl.  So by the time October 1993 rolled around I was in a prime sports-worshipping age.

The Browns were already my favorite team, and I probably hadn’t missed a game since I was 8.  1993 was the goofy season that saw the Browns ready to contend after 3 medicocre seasons under Bill Belichick–yet they had benched local idol Bernie Kosar in favor of Vinny Testaverde midway through the season.

Enter the Browns/Steelers game of October 24th, 1993.  The game is for rights to first place as the Browns and Steelers both entered with a 4-2 record.  it is a 4pm start and I have a $5 bet on the game with my Step-dad.  The first have features the Browns taking a 14-0 lead, only to give it right back.  It also featured my favorite player Eric Metcalf returning a kick for 91 yards.

Fast forward to the 4th quarter.  With the Browns behind in the game, Vinny Testaverde injures his shoulder and is forced to come out of the game.  The entire time Vinny is down the sellout crowd of over 78,000 is chanting for BERNIE, BERNIE!  When Vinny comes off the field he gives a pat of encouragement to Bernie his one-time collegiate teammate.  Bernie enters the game and the chanting continues.  The Browns are down 23-21 and need a score.  On a broken 3rd down play, Bernie actually sweeps around right end, turns the corner and gets the first down in probably the best run of his career–there aren’t many more to chose from.  However, the Browns would be forced to punt.

The Steelers get the ball deep in their own territory with time winding down and face a 3rd and short with the guy that would eventually lead the league in rushing–Barry Foster.  With everyone in the stadium knowing that it would be a stretch play to Foster the Browns stuff him for no gain and force the Steelers to punt deep from deep in their own territory with just over two mintues remaining.

The network (NBC) went to commercial and when they came back it was a shot from the back of the endzone where Mark Royals was about to punt.  I vividly remember the announcer (Tom Hammond) saying “we’re back in Cleveland in a game that has had more drama, more storylines than a Broadway play”.  Little did he know the game would only be remember for the play that was about to ensue.  Royals gets the kick away and it drives Metcalf back to his own 25.  As he scampered down the right sideline with my huge $5 bet and first place in the AFC Central in tow, me and the friend I was watching the game probably were screaming like little girls.  All I remember is that somehow we ended up running up and down our street like the Browns had just won the Super Bowl.  Little did I know I would still be waiting 15 years later. 

As an afterthought to that game, it really marked the beginning of the end for the Browns.  Even though they would make the playoffs the next year, the Browns went into their bye week after the ‘Metcalf’ game in first place but things quickly unraveled when they traded away Bernie Kosar the next week after a loss to Denver when Testaverde was still injured!  Cleveland fans have probably never regained their trust after that move, and THE Move that would occur two years later.

But as for me, whenever I played football growing up after that I was always Eric Metcalf (and I couldn’t have picked a player who was less similiar to me), and I still wear the Eric Metcalf jersey that I wore during that game to Browns games to this day, and somehow it still fits…sort of.  But obviously the game struck a chord with me…you don’t grow up and buy a bus to paint orange and Brown, paint your basement like a Browns helmet, and follow the Browns around the country otherwise.  But for a 12-year old kid who was already a Browns Dork, my fate was sealed about the time the photo above was taken.

The “Brownie Brigade” makes a successful debut–The Browns? Not so much.

 

Some rabid tailgaters in front of the Brownie Brigade on a glorious day for tailgating.

THE BROWNSMOBILE IS UPON US…

 

…COMING SOON.

PLEASE BOYCOTT PAPA JOHNS

YANKEES LOSE!

That’s right.  The New York Baseball Yankees, apparently god’s team, lost the ALDS in 4 games.  Reports are there was another team on the field, possibly from the midwest, but this ‘other’ team had nothing to do with the Yankees losing.

The point is, if you listened to the game last night that is the impression you are left with.  “17 outs left in the Yankees Season.”  “Is this Torre’s final visit to the mound as the Yankees manager”?  I was almost waiting for Chip Caray to say that  “The Yankees do not advance!” when the final out was recorded and the Indians charged the mound in a glorious display. Forget the fact that the Indians were cleary head and shoulders above the Yankees, and that they dominated in every facet of the series. 

But seriously, what spectacular display put on by the Tribe the last 4 games.  The best part about this ‘07 team is that they have everything that the teams of the 90’s lacked–namely great starting pitching and patient hitters.  Should the Tribe win the WS this year I couldn’t think of a better way to do it than by going through the Yanks and Red Sox (with Manny) to get there.  Of course, even with the games being on Fox now we’re still going to be forced to sit through a compreshesive look at the history and greatness of the Boston Red Sox, while this Indians team is largely ignored on a national stage. 

In the end, I like the Indian’ chances.  You get the feeling that the Red Sox are let down after hearing about the Yankees incredible late-season run, and having to hear all about them watching the game last night and then not getting to play them in the Series To End All Series.  They might even be duped into thinking that they drew the lesser of the two teams.  Either way the Sox will come into the game with their standard amount of arrogance that isn’t lost on their fans, and hopefully this will work to the Indians favor. 

Tribe in 6!