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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Bring on 2012

Well, it's safe to say that 2011 has turned out to be, by and large, a very miserable and forgettable sports year for Cleveland.

When your two best moments are LeQuit Shames and his Miami (C)Heats choking away the NBA Finals to Dallas and the Pittspuke Squeelers losing to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, that's when you know you've had a pretty terrible year.

Even, by and large, the best thing to happen to area sports -- Ohio State hiring Urban Meyer as its new football coach -- occurred because of some terrible news. That is, Jim Tressel's ouster due to his attempted coverup of Tattoo-Gate, which paved the way for ringleader Terrelle Pryor leaving via the NFL's supplemental draft, the 6-6 season under interim coach Luke Fickell and the bowl ban for the 2012 season -- Meyer's first as a Buckeye.

The Indians teased us with a 30-15 start, which was good enough for first place in the American League Central Division. But, in typical Tribe fashion, they melted down over the course of the season, were lapped by Detroit and wound up 80-82. They gave up, arguably, their two best pitching prospects for Ubaldo Jimenez, who was inconsistant to say the least during his two months with the Wahoo Warriors, and -- while it certainly helped the gate during the month of September -- the reacquision of Jim Thome provided great feelings but not much else.

The Cavs, without LeQuitter, lost a sports-record 26 straight games, en route to a 19-63 season. They went from the best record in the NBA to a tie for the worst. At the very least, a shrewed trade by Chris Grant gave the Cavs the Los Angeles Clippers' first round pick, and the lottery turned that pick and the Cavs' own first rounder into the No. 1 and No. 4 picks overall. Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, come on down!

The Browns finally had a uniform philosophy from the top of the organizaiton all the way to the bottom with the triumverate of Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert and Pat Shurmur. That gave fans a reason for some optimism heading into the season. But, like it has 10 out of the 12 years since the Browns returned from the abyss, that optimism was stomped on and turned into mush by another terrible season, a season where questions didn't get answered and more questions popped up. Shurmur has shown he's not quite ready to be an NFL head coach -- at the very least, not one ready to serve in the dual role of head coach and offensive coordinator -- and Colt McCoy hasn't given fans enough of a reason to believe he'll be the long-term answer at quarterback.

Let's just press down on the plunger now and blow 2011 to smithereens. Time to put it in the past and look forward.

What's in store for 2012? Unfortunately, it may be more rebuilding by all three teams. However, there are reasons to see the glass as being half-full on all of them (here Joe Cleveland goes again with his damn optimism).

I'll start with the Browns. What better way for a new year to begin by upsetting the hated Stillers (and sending those Black and Yellow frontrunners who will probably make up half of Cleveland Browns Stadium home angry). OK, that may not happen. But Consentlessberger's status is still uncertain thanks to that high ankle sprain he suffered against the Browns a few weeks ago, so that's a ray of hope. Also, the Browns were very competitive in their earlier game with the Stillers, and also nearly upset the Cardinals and the Thieving Bastards (the Ravens, for those not familar with the vernacular) on the road.

Even if they don't win (a distinct possibility), the Browns will end up with a top-five pick in the NFL draft and will have two first rounders. Heckert has promised to be more active in free agency (this is what happens when you have an offseason). And Holmgren may force Shurmur to hire an offensive coordinator to ease the stress. The Browns have had two very good drafts under Heckert thus far, but this one is a key. If the Browns fail to show any improvement (and 5-11 will not be improvement from 4-12), it's time to seriously look at the coach and also time to look at the Big Show in charge as well.

The Cavs will take their lumps this season with a rookie point guard in Irving running the show. However, they should be better than they were last year. They ended the season on an upswing (a lot of that is due to veteran Baron Davis, who was injured and released before the season began), which is positive momentum. They will likely be in the NBA lottery again, and this draft appears to be very deep, especially if Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger and Perry Jones all declare for it. Plus, I firmly believe Dan Gilbert wants to win, and will do whatever it takes to win.

The Indians have a nice young nucleus in place. However, thus far, the Tribe has been relatively quiet during the "Hot Stove" season. A team that is sorely needing at least one big bat shouldn't be quiet during the offseason, and minor league signings of guys like Felix Pie does not guarantee a parade down Euclid Ave. Once again, the Tribe brass appears to be all talk but little action. Remember when Chris Antonetti and Mark Shapiro said that the Dolans were prepared to spend more this offseason, and then recall that the big acquisions have been an over-the-hill Derek Lowe and the damaged goods that is Grady Sizemore. Antonetti exclaimed to beat reporters during the Winter Meetings that he was getting "phenomenal" trade offers, but then never pulled the trigger on those offers (in which he's never revealed what names were being bandied about). The window of opportunity is about to slam in the Indians' faces once again, which is a shame.

Of the three, the Indians are probably the closest to winning "right now." However, they seem content to see if they can get lightning in a bottle like last season and hope for an 82-82 season. Shame on them!

Ohio State fans have every reason to be optimistic about their future. Meyer has already beefed up the recruiting class and run out a lot of Tressel's cronies that were dragging the playcalling down. The bowl ban hurts. However, that should give Meyer a "grace year" where there will be little pressure on him to win and win now. A win over Michigan will probably as good as a bowl berth, especially after losing to them this season, and Meyer should have the Buckeyes in contention for both Big Ten and national title conversations by 2013.

The 47th anniversary of Cleveland's last major professional sports championship (the Browns beating the Baltmore Colts, 27-0, in the 1964 NFL Championship Game) came and went the other day. I would hope that that drought doesn't go to 48 years. From 1920-1964, the Indians won twoWorld Series titles, the Cleveland Panthers won one NFL title, the Cleveland Rams won one NFL title and the Cleveland Browns won eight football titles (four AAFC, four NFL) for a grand total of 12 major championships during that span.

Perhaps 2012 will be the year we finally land No. 13. Or, at the very least, 2012 will give fans of all three teams hope that No. 13 isn't too far around the corner, and that drought gets snuffed out before it reaches 50 and beyond.

Joe Cleveland certainly hopes so.

I'll be at the Browns game New Year's Day, ready to see if a new year can bring some new positive energy to our three professional franchises. And, hopefully, not getting any fights with front-running Stiller fans. We shall see.

Thanks for reading Joe Cleveland all throughout 2011. I hope it was as entertaining to read as it was to write. Here's wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year and Go Browns, Go Cavs and Go Tribe!

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Top 10 Browns-Steelers games (according to Joe)

Yes, this has been a miserable Browns season.

And yes, by all indications, the Pittspuke Stillers should blow out the Browns at the giant ketchup bottle in front of a bunch of yellow towel-waving sheep and a national television audience (well, at least those who don't subscribe to Time-Warner Cable, which still does not have a deal in place with the NFL Network).

However, it's Steeler Week, and Joe Cleveland can't help but get fired up.

When the Browns first came back in 1999, I admit that I hated the Ravens ... err, the Thieving Bastards ... more than the Steelers. After all, Judas was still that team's owner, and he ripped them out of Cleveland and put them in Colt-ville. So, Browns fans were pretty pissed off when it came to those imposters in purple.

It also didn't help that the Thieving Bastards caught lightning in a bottle and won the Super Bowl after the 2000 season. If you wonder why 2001 was such a bad year, you can point to the fact that it began with Judas holding up the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Meanwhile, the Steelers hadn't quite found their mojo yet.

In fact, the Browns (after taking a 43-0 pasting in front of a national audience in the first official game back) beat the Steelers twice in their first two years of existance. They won five games in those two years -- two of those came against the Stillers.

I think it all changed when the Browns caught lightning in a bottle themselves and qualified for the playoffs in 2002. Their reward -- the Stillers at the giant ketchup bottle. The Stillers had swept the Browns that season, but each game was decided by three points and each game came down to the bitter end.

The Browns, heavy underdogs and led by a backup quarterback named Kelly, jumped out to leads of 23-7 and 33-21, the latter late in the fourth quarter. But, in typical Cleveland fashion, a former castoff named Tommy Maddux led the Stillers to two late touchdowns, Dennis Northcutt couldn't catch a third-down pass that hit him right in the hands that would have allowed the Browns to run out the clock, and Andre King couldn't quite get out of bounds despite being in Phil Dawson's field goal range before time ran out, and Pittspuke won, 36-33.

The next year, the Stillers drafted an Ohio boy named Consentlessberger or something along those lines, and since then, they've been among the NFL elite. The Browns, meanwhile, have not.

Even in 2007, when the Browns won 10 games, they swept the Ravens, but were swept by the Stillers. Had they beaten Pittspuke just once, the Browns would have made the playoffs. But they didn't, and they didn't.

Recent history hasn't been kind to the Browns in the longest-standing rivalry in the AFC (which is because these two teams started playing before the AFL existed). The Browns got off to a 32-9 start in this series, but the Steelers have recently taken the lead thanks to only losing to Cleveland FOUR times since the Browns returned to the lakefront.

But, those who neglect to follow history are doomed to repeat it. So, to remind Browns fans that it hasn't always bad against the Squeelers (and to remind front-running Pittsburgh fan that, No. 1, the team existed before 1970 and was mostly terrible, and, No. 2, that the 1980s and the early part of the 1990s were not the Squeelers finast moment, and that they always haven't been great during the so-called "Super Bowl Era"), here are my top 10 games in the Browns-Steelers rivalry.

Jaded Steeler fan may wonder how someone like me could find 10 winning Browns games against the Steelers. I would like to remind Jaded Steeler Fan that your team only leads the series 60-56, not counting two playoff victories over our beloved Dawgs.

So, here goes:

10. Browns 13, Steelers 6 (Dec. 10, 2009): The most recent win for the Browns in this series cracks our list because of how out-of-nowhere it really was. The Browns came into this Thursday Night home contest with a 1-11 record, and new coach Eric Mangini was on the hot seat with the rumored hiring of Mike Holmgren as team president earlier that week. However, instead of rolling over to the vaunted Steelers, the defending Super Bowl champions, they hit them in the mouth. Ben Roethlisberger was sacked eight times -- a season-best for the Browns' beleagured defense -- and held them to just two field goals. Brady Quinn only threw for 90 yards and was offset a lot by receiver Josh Cribbs, who ran for a team-best 87 yards out of the Wildcat formation. But, he led two first quarter scoring drives (both Phil Dawson field goals) and another just before halftime, capped by rookie Chris Jennings' 10-yard touchdown run to make it 13-0. The game wasn't over until linebacker David Bowens batted away a fourth-down Roethlisberger pass with just over a minute remaining, and Santonio Holmes was leveled after a short punt return with no time remaining to cap one of the most satisfying Browns victory during the "Expansion Era."

9. Browns 24, Steelers 19 (Oct. 9, 1965): -- The Browns came into 1965 as the defending NFL champions (alas, they haven't been able to do that since then) and picked up right where they left off, winning two of their first three games before hosting the hated Steelers (0-4) on a Saturday night. However, the underdog Steelers hung tough with the vaunted Browns, rallying from a 10-0 first quarter deficit to take a 19-17 fourth quarter lead on a Dick Hoak 15-yard run. Jim Brown (who Cleveland drafted just one pick after the Steelers selected Len Dawson in the first round of the 1957 draft) scored two touchdowns, one receiving, and gained 168 yards on the ground. However, it was his backup Leroy Kelly (who also wound up in the Hall of Fame), who made the biggest plays of the game-winning drive, which began on their own 22 with 3:35 remaining, catching passes of 22 and 21 yards. Following a four-yard run by Brown to put the ball on the Pittsburgh 14 with less than a minute to go, Frank Ryan found Gary Collins on a post pattern in the end zone for the game-winning score. The Browns wound wind up going 11-3 and reaching the NFL Championship game for the second-straight year, but lost to the Green Bay Packers in what turned out to be Brown's final game of his storied career.

8. Browns 16, Steelers 15 (Nov. 14, 1999): After three years without football, the Browns were reborn as an expansion team in 1999, playing in a sparkling new stadium in the exact spot that the old Cleveland Stadium stood. In their first game back, the Browns were humiliated by the Steelers, 43-0, at home. Just a few weeks later, on Nov. 14, the Browns played like a totally different team. keeping themselves in the game. The Browns scored first on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Tim Couch to Kevin Johnson (both rookies), but the Steelers battled back to take a 15-7 lead on a touchdown and three field goals. But, with 6:26 left in the game, defensive lineman John Thierry intercepted Kordell Stewart and was brought down at the Steeler 15, setting up a Couch to Mark Edwards touchdown pass a few plays later. Karim Abdul-Jabbar's two-point conversion run was stopped, but the Browns had one more chance. Taking over with no timeouts at his own 20 with 1:51 remaining, Couch drove the Browns 58 yards in five plays. Without stopping the clock and with 18 seconds left, Chris Palmer ran the field goal team out on to the field. The Browns snapped the ball with two seconds left, and rookie Phil Dawson, into an 18 mph wind, calmly drilled a 40-yard field goal to give Cleveland the stunning upset win. It turned out to be the Browns' second-to-last visit to Three Rivers Stadium and their first win there since 1989's 51-0 blowout.

7. Browns 26, Steelers 24 (Nov. 19, 1972): The suddenly resurgent Steelers, after decades of ineptitude, took a 7-2 record into this contest at Cleveland Stadium, with the Browns at 6-3. The Browns jumped out to a 20-3 lead behind two TD passes from Mike Phipps, but the Steelers scored just before halftime to make it 20-10, then got two touchdown runs -- the latter a 75-yard run from Franco Harris -- to take a 24-23 fourth quarter lead. Don Cockroft missed a 27-yard field goal with just under two minutes remaining, but he got another chance thanks to the defense forcing a three-and-out and a clutch drive led by Phipps. With 13 seconds remaining, Cockroft earned his redemption with a 26-yard field goal, giving the Browns a much-needed victory. Both teams made the playoffs that season, but both were defeated by the undefeated Miami Dolphins.

6. Browns 27, Steelers 26 (Oct. 16, 1980): This game virtually signaled the death of the first Steeler dynasty and helped propel the "Kardiac Kids" to their first-ever AFC Central crown and first playoff berth since 1972. Despite the Steelers missing most of their regular offensive starters, Pittsburgh jumped out to a 26-14 fourth quarter lead with backup QB Cliff Stoudt, an Oberlin native, at the helm. But Brian Sipe and Co., despite blowing a couple of golden scoring opportunities earlier in the game, came to life in the fourth quarter. Sipe found Greg Pruitt for a 7-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 9:21 remaining (Don Cockroft missed the extra point, keeping the Steelers ahead by six). Then, with 5:38 remaining, Sipe found a streaking Ozzie Newsome wide open for an 18-yard touchdown, sending 80,000 fans at Cleveland Stadium into a frenzy. Ron Bolton prevented Stoudt from making a late rally with an interception at the two-minute warning, and the Browns were able to run out the clock on this huge victory over the defending Super Bowl champs.

5. Browns 18, Steelers 16 (Oct. 10, 1976): This game is famous for Browns defensive end Joe "Turkey" Jones' sack of Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, where Jones slammed Bradshaw right on his head and knocked him out of the game. The Steelers had won Super Bowl X the previous season and were poised to try to win it again. They knocked out Brian Sipe early in the game, which resulted in little-used rookie Dave Mays (the Browns' third-string QB) making his NFL debut. Mays -- who was Cleveland's first black quarterback -- earned his way into Browns lore by calmly leading the Browns to two third-quarter scores -- a 1-yard run by Cleo Miller and a 50-yard field goal by Don Cockroft -- which gave them a 15-10 lead. Following Turkey's sack, Cockroft added the game-clinching 40-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining.

4. Browns 27, Steelers 24 (Oct. 5, 1986):Since Three Rivers Stadium opened up in 1970, the Browns had never won there. They would always seem to lose in bizzare fashion as well, which perpetuated the local myth of the "Three Rivers Jinx." The previous season, the Browns had the Steelers on the ropes before Gary Anderson's last-second field goal gave Pittsburgh a 10-9 win. The Browns tried everything; staying in different hotels, busing instead of flying, bringing dirt from Cleveland Stadium and sprinkling it on the field during warmups, you name it. And, this one wasn't without its bizarre moments as well. The Browns took a quick 10-0 lead, but back-to-back turnovers gave Pittsburgh a 14-10 lead late in the first half. That's when Gerald McNeil, nicknamed "The Ice Cube," became a permanent fixture in Browns lore when he returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, giving the Browns a 17-14 halftime lead. At the time, it was the Browns' first kickoff return touchdown in 12 years! However, the Steelers regained the lead early in the third quarter, and the two teams traded scores which resulted in Pittsburgh leading, 24-20, to start the fourth quarter. But, Mike Johnson recovered a muffed punt, and Earnest Byner's four-yard TD run with eight minutes left gave the Browns the lead for good. It got interesting though -- Matt Bahr missed a chip-shot field goal with just under five minutes to play, but Mark Malone's pitch to Earnest Jackson on a bizarre option call from the Browns 35 was botched and the Browns recovered.

3. Browns 37, Steelers 31 OT (Nov. 23, 1986): The Browns had just endeded their 16-year "Three Rivers Jinx" earlier in the season (see No. 4) and had come off a huge win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night at home. Bernie Kosar and Mark Malone engaged in a wild shootout. Kosar completed 28 of 46 passes for a then-career-best 414 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, just two days before his 23rd birthday. The Browns had taken a 31-28 lead with 1:51 left on a Matt Bahr field goal, but lost Bahr for the season on the ensuing kickoff when he made a game-saving tackle on the Steelers' Lupe Sanchez at the Browns 40. Gary Anderson made a 40-yard field goal to send the game into overtime and the Browns did not have a kicker. After both teams went three-and-out in the OT, Kosar went to work. With 6:37 remaining and the ball on the Steeler 36, Kosar pumped once and fired deep down the left sideline for rookie Webster Slaughter. Slaughter caught the ball in stride and scored the walk-off touchdown. The Browns' 536 yards offense was the most a Pittsburgh defense had ever yielded up to that point.

2. Browns 51, Steelers 0 (Sept. 10, 1989): The Browns were in the midst of a five-season playoff streak, where they qualified for the AFC Championship game three times in a four-year span. This season capped off both streaks and began with question marks concerning new head coach Bud Carson. Carson, who was the architect of the famed Pittsburgh "Steel Curtain" defense in the 1970s, had never been a head coach before. But, in this season opener at Three Rivers Stadium, Carson's attack 4-3 defense stunned Bubby Brister and the Steelers by forcing six turnovers and scoring three defensive touchdowns -- two of which by linebacker David Grayson. Rookie running back Tim Worley fumbled the ball at least four times, and two of them were returned for touchdowns. This rout catpulted the Browns to a 9-6-1 season and their last AFC Championship game berth.

1. Browns 28, Steelers 23 (Oct. 24, 1993): Just two weeks later, Bill Belichick and Art Modell touched off mass furor when they released regional icon Bernie Kosar. However, all was right in the world with this game, simply remembered as the "Eric Metcalf Game." The Browns jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, thanks to a 62-yard touchdown pass from Vinny Testaverde to Michael Jackson and a 91-yard punt return by Metcalf, but the Steelers tied at 14 just before halftime. The Browns led again, 21-17, on a short TD pass from Testaverde to fullback Ron Wolfley, but the Steelers came back to take a 23-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. With Testaverde knocked out of the game with a separated shoulder, Kosar was poised to direct one his patented two-minute drives. However, Metcalf never gave him the chance, weaving through the Steeler special teams for a breathtaking 75-yard touchdown with 2:05 remaining. Metcalf became just the first NFL player to have two punt return TDs in the same game. The win improved the Browns to 5-2, but Kosar's release deflated this team that wound up a disappointing 7-9. It was also the last time the original Browns beat the Steelers.

HONORABLE MENTION: Browns 10, Steelers 9 (Dec. 19, 1982):Nothing particularly memorable about this game, expect it helped propel the Browns into the playoffs with a 4-5 record in this strike-shortened season. Johnny Davis' 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Browns a 10-7 lead it never relinquished, although punter Steve Cox took an intentional safety in the final seconds to make it a one-point win. However, this home game occurred on my ninth birthday. It is still the last time the Browns have been able to win on Joe Cleveland's birthday, and the fact that they beat my least-favorite team still makes me happy.

Can the Browns crack this top 10 tonight with another out-of-nowhere win? Can a win tonight help set off an era of good football, much like the Steelers' wins in the early 1970s kicked off their most epic era ever? We'll see. Kickoff is in an hour.

Here we go, Brownies, here we go!

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks ... and PITTSBURGH SUCKS!!!

Monday, December 5, 2011

A "Factory of Sadness"

Yesterday, Joe Cleveland did what he usually does on Sundays when the Browns are hosting a home game -- he bundled up, pulled on one of his Browns jersies (Hillis was the "lucky" choice) and made the drive to Downtown Cleveland.

But, for the first time ever, Joe Cleveland attended that game all by himself.

I could not find one single solitary soul to take my extra season ticket off of my hands and watch the Browns play the Baltimore Ravens.

THE BALTIMORE RAVENS!!! You remember, the Thieving Bastards?!? The team that once upon a time was based in Cleveland, wore Brown and Orange and called themselves the Browns before a Judas of a man decided that Baltimore was offering him a deal that he couldn't refuse (remember, he "had no choice") and moved them to Colt-ville after the 1995 season? The team that Browns fans probably hate worse than any team not based in Pittsburgh who wears Black and Yellow (their name rhymes with "Feelers") was in town, and NOBODY wanted to go.

Apparently, not going was a popular choice on this cold, wet, miserable Sunday evening. There were at least 11,000 people dressed as empty orange seats yesterday, and that number got considerably bigger as the evening's festivities dragged on.

This is how bad it is for the Browns right now. People would rather eat their tickets then come down and watch them against one of their fiercest rivals.

Most people figured the Browns were going to lose anyway (they did, rather convincingly, I might add). Most people probably didn't want to get rained on while they were watching them lose said game (I don't blame them. Midway through the fourth quarter, I began to question my sanity about wanting to go).

Not only did fans not want to go, but it looked like the players didn't want to be there, either. What, with all the missed tackles on Ray Rice, who was made to look like the second-coming of Jim Brown, and all the dropped passes, blown blocking assignments, the inability to pick up half-a-yard on third-and-short, etc.

This team is 4-8. They go to Pittsburgh in three nights for a prime-time game against those hated Stillers. And, it pains Joe Cleveland to say this, but they will probably be 4-9 when that game is over.

Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if, when the season's all said and done, they are 4-12. That's a one-game failure from their two previous seasons under Eric Mangini, in case you weren't keeping score.

Fans wanted to believe that Mike Holmgren had a plan in place to turn this franchise around. And, he probably does. But, right now, with a rabid fan base going increasing impatient, anything less than better than how they did under Mangini will get you scrutinized.

Fans are tired of Pat Shurmur. They see a guy who looks in over his head. They see a guy who's brand of offense is just as boring as the brand of offense that Brian Daboll ran here the last two years. They see a guy playing not to lose instead of to win, and then picking the wrong spots to do so.

They see a team led by a young quarterback who is taking a beating every week. He had to leave the Ravens game with an injury. He came back, but how long before he has to leave for a few games, or for the rest of the season? They see a receiving corps who can't catch a pass to save their life. They see a team that's afraid to commit to the running game, especially when a certain runner wearing the No. 40 who has a contract due up that was on the cover of a popular video game is the main runner that day. Espeically, when the weather dictates that running the ball would be the way to go.

Baltimore ran the ball, and they won. Cleveland did at first, then went away from it.

Shurmur seems more willing to commit to a former college backup and practice squad player in Chris Ogbonnaya than a guy who rushed for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in Peyton Hillis.

The special teams has been a disaster, and not because the former Pro Bowl long snapper suddenly forgot how to snap a ball to the holder. Baltimore added another punt return touchdown against a unit that traditionally has been one of the best in the NFL. They've given up a touchdown off of a fake field goal. They had one punt return TD mercifully called back due to a block in the back penalty. Oh yeah, and despite having one of the best kick returners in the NFL at their disposal, they haven't been able to break one yet.

Josh Cribbs hasn't broken a kick or punt return since he returned two of them in a wild win over Kansas City on the second-to-last game of the 2009 season. After that, he got a nice contract extension ... I'll just leave it at that.

Fans are ready to toss Shurmur into Lake Erie and are thinking about taking Tom Heckert and Holmgren along for the ride. Can you blame them? Since Judas moved the team to Baltimore and was forced to leave behind the name, colors and legacy of the Cleveland Browns, these die-hard fans have been tortured and humilated to no end.

We had to put up with three years without football before watching 13 years of terrible football. Only a playoff berth in 2002 (which was capped by a playoff-game collapse against the Steelers) and a 10-win season in 2007 were bright spots in this festering cest pool.

A Cleveland comedian, who also happens to be a diehard Browns fan, made a viral video after the Browns were outclassed at Houston this season, yelling at a vacant Cleveland Browns Stadium. He capped the video by calling it a "Factory of Sadness." Then, after a pause, turned back to the palace on the lakefront and said, almost dejectedly, "See you next Sunday."

That's the thing. Browns fans (and Joe Cleveland is among them) put up with this steaming pile of shit every single week, every single season, but we still come out in droves to watch our team. And, if we're not watching them in person, we're turning on the TV and making the paint peel in our living rooms or "man caves" with our obsenities watching them shit down their leg another week.

After that video came out, the Browns then proceeded to choke away a game to the hapless Rams, win a nailbiter over the Jaguars despite doing their best efforts to lose it and then get punked by the Theiving Bastards on a cold and rainy night that only made things more depressing. And those are just the home games at the "Factory of Sadness."

Remember when the late Nev Chandler dubbed the stadium "Pandemonium Palace?" Ol Nev is probably turning over in his grave.

Now, there are a few Cleveland fans who want them to lose so they get a better draft choice. Really? Because, this team has had nothing but GREAT draft postion the last 13 years, and they ain't got SHIT to show for it!!!

I'm tired of playing for draft position. I'm tired of playing for a "future" that never seems to come. THE FUTURE??? This team has been back for 13 GOD-DAMNED YEARS!!! I'm tired of the future. I'm ready to succeed in the present.

That goes for our other teams in this town, the Indians and the Cavs. The Cavs are debating whether they should use this new "amnesty" clause that was negotiated in the recent farce of a CBA on either veterans Baron Davis or Antawn Jamison because "it could effect their future plans." FUTURE PLANS??? How about the novel concept of trying to actually WIN, and WIN THIS SEASON?!? Who knew that fans would want to pay their money to see a winner? What a novel concept, eh?

The Indians, despite pledges of "spending money," seem content to let the free-agency circus pass by without even stopping by for a visit. They've added the National League's losingest pitcher and brought back the once-popular but oft-injured Grady Sizemore, and feel that that's progress. PROGRESS??? This Central Division is winnable, as you yourselves showed last season, and that was with a very flawed team. Like they did after the 2007 season, it appears the Indians are willing to let the window of opportunity slam on them again. Which is a shame, because, of the three teams, they might be the closest ones to becoming a winner. They just need an owner willing to spend some money and a front office who knows what to spend that money on instead of wasting it on oft-injured designated hitters, over-the-hill starting pitchers and former "heartthrob" outfielders who have seen more of the training room than the playing field over the last several seasons.

As we embark on 2012, Joe Cleveland is not optimistic on any Cleveland team, besides the Cleveland State Vikings. Now THAT'S a winner. While the Browns settled for unknown and inexperienced coordinators like Shurmur and the Indians settled for managers with losing records like Manny Acta, the Vikings brought in a proven winner in Gary Waters, and Waters turned around a program that many felt was unsalvagable. It's a shame that more people don't realize the job Waters has done with this team and support their Division I collegiate hoops program more. But, even that comes with a cavaet -- CSU is good, but they're not good enough to outlast 68 other teams to win the NCAA Tournament.

Joe Cleveland aches for his brethran in this area who live and die with their sports team, who bleed their colors, who vent to sports talk radio every week because they HAVE to, who pay good money and sit out in a steady rain to watch his team lay down against the franchise that once called Cleveland home. I do, because I am one of you.

I've rambled a lot with this latest installment, because I'm just super frustrated. Frustrated because it seems like the people running these teams don't understand the pulse of these fans. Frustrated by players who don't seem to get it.

I took my two tickets and traded them with a scalper for a ticket 15 rows behind the Browns bench. I kept yelling to Josh Cribbs that I was frustrated with losing, too. I kept yelling to Pat Shurmur that throwing the ball 30 times on a rainy day was a recipe for disaster.

I wonder if they heard me. I don't think they listened, though.

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!