Chat with Pat
Cleveland Browns Opener

I have lived in Cleveland all my long life. I love the Indians, Browns and Cavaliers.

I have some strong feelings about the Sundays Browns/Steelers game, and the Browns in general. Let's start with the team's name.

I understand how we were named for Coach Paul Brown but I wish we were the Dawgs or some strong animal. Maybe then we would have a coach that would uncross his arms, and stop grooming his mustache long enough to fire up his players or challenge questionable calls like other team's coaches.

I wish our head coach didn't keep smiling at the opposition (enemy). He and the players are not out there to have fun and make friends. This is his job. Many of us live and die by these games.

I wish our coach would call his players to task. I don't want him to be the gentle grandfather but a tough love dad who demands more from his players.

I wish we were given waving towels that said "Go get them Browns" or something stronger than "Here we go Brownies" like the towels given out on opening day. Steelers fans get Terrible Towels. We get towels that make us sound like elves or cookies.

We have been blessed with many first round players since the return of the team. Why don't they materialize? Why are so many not even in the league anymore? Do we make bad choices or do they not get the proper preparation once we get them? Who is to blame?

Four fouls on one play! After a punter dropping a snap that sandlot kids make routinely. Ok, so we probably set a record. But are these the records other teams strive for?

Sunday night, the news media blamed the quarterback. Hello! He is a big part of it but not the only problem. We've been through many quarterbacks.

The big losers are not the owners, scouts, and players. They get paid big money regardless. The patsies are those of us who buy everything brown and orange we can find.

We pay big bucks for the tickets and march into the stadium no matter the weather. Taunted by the opposition who always appear confident that after the game they will be able to mock us.

We also pay the big bucks for the hot dogs ($4 and up) and drinks ($6.50 beers). We do our part cheering and yelling and drag ourselves back up the hill coming home with laringitis, sore throats, less money in our pockets and mocked by our rivals.

All we can say is wait till next year. Pathetic!

We head for home to the news shows only to see the anchors crying for a new quarterback and a smiling coach making light of it. I wish he would tell them " I'm not telling you who is starting. It takes the edge away by also informing the opposition" instead of smiling and playing cat and mouse teasing the media and fans.

This is serious business (at least to the fans). It is not important that we know who the starting quarterback is. It is more important we know what went wrong all around.

But we Cleveland sport hungry fans will save our money for the next game and do it all over again next week.

I don't have the answers but then I'm not paid to have them.

What do you think?

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Pat