12/28/2010

Who: Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
What: Football
Where: Cleveland Browns Stadium
When: Sunday, December 26, 2010
Why: Because it's in our blood. It's what we do. It's what we know.

Outcome: Browns 10, Ravens 20

We've all heard the term "just the facts" before. Is there little else required to summarize the game against those blasted Ravens?
Is there really anything I could possibly say to make Sunday's game any less frustrating? ... less disappointing?

Being a Browns fan is a lot like a live version of the Bill Murray film, Groundhog's Day... the alarm goes off, we don our colors, we have some breakfast, we go to (or turn on) the game, the team doesn't get it done, we lose, we go home (or change the channel). Then the following Sunday, we do it all again. And the following Sunday, we do it all again. And so on, and so on, and so on.

I have a particularly strong aversion to hearing people say "thank goodness the season is almost over" because I like football. I like watching it, I like the action of the game and I like cheering for my team. There is an emptiness that comes with the final whistle at the end of the final game of the season. But I won't deny there is a sad comfort that comes with knowing that - after this weekend - there is absolutely no way we can possibly lose another game this season.

As for this coming Sunday... well... the Cleveland faithful - one of which resides right here in the DawgWARDen family - will turn off their alarm, don their colors, have some breakfast and go to the game.
They will cheer and they will hope.
And I hope too...

Here's hoping there will be more orange and brown inside Cleveland Browns Stadium than there is black and gold.

Here's hoping the game is exciting to watch.

Here's hoping the final whistle blows and the scoreboard reads like a good old fashioned fairy tale... complete with a happy ending.

And here's hoping our boys show up to play hard and leave it all on the field as they close out another year in Cleveland football.