12/14/2010

Picture if you will...... A plush office overlooking the frozen tundra surrounding 76 Lou Groza Boulevard in beautiful Berea, Ohio... the light of a shiny brass lamp glinting across the stones of a bulky Super Bowl XXXI ring and the sound of a ringing telephone emanating from the speaker phone atop a large oak desk.

"Hello, this is Jon?"
"Gruden... it's Mike, Mike Holmgren... how do you feel about fresh lake perch, lake effect snow... and pierogies?"

Okay... maybe that's not what you have in mind... maybe it's still a bit of a stretch even. But hey, when days are dark and games are dismal, don't we all have to find our own happy place and go there from time to time?

I know I do and after Sunday's abysmal loss to the 2-10 Buffalo Bills, I can't be alone.

During 60 minutes of football, more than 50 were spent wondering if it was over yet as we watched our Browns fumble, fail and falter time and again. With Jake Delhomme throwing ducks for short yardage on repeated 3rd down and 8+ circumstances and on-again, off-again hero Peyton Hillis losing the handle on the ball three times, it was nothing short of painful for the Browns faithful.

Sitting in the cold driving rain, risking a case of holiday-spoiling pneumonia, fans of the brown & orange suffered more than damp britches and chattering teeth as they watched their team go down in a pathetic performance against a team we clearly should have handled in any kind of weather.

But as we've seen too often this season, the bullheaded unwillingness to adjust when a game begins going south and continued blunders on play calling leave me wondering if Eric Mangini and Brian Daboll are dusting off their resumes yet.

I have to believe the man at the big desk in Berea... the one drumming his fingers and watching as the year on his Super Bowl ring falls further and further into his past... is reaching to spin his Rolodex in search of a better answer.

Spin it, Mr. Holmgren... no whammies, just spin it.

In the Dawg House this week... Eric Mangini... Brian Daboll... and Jake Delhomme. Need I really explain why?

And getting a Dawg Bone? Well, I'll leave it in the dish for Peyton Hillis to pick up when the shame of his three fumbles and lackluster arrival at his 1,000 yard mark wears off. Sunday's performance aside, he's fun to watch when he's on his game and I believe he will be true to his word and work to protect the ball more effectively in the future. We haven't seen the last of this beast we call Hulk Hillis... and neither have our opponents.