Tanks, Trent

Well, Joe Cleveland was in semi-retirement, having been devoted to his normal job of covering high school and minor league sports. He was watching cautiously as the Indians hung around the American League's Wild-Card hunt and was disappointed in the Browns offense after yet another 0-2 start.

Then, the nuclear bomb dropped on the Cleveland sports scene on a Wednesday evening that shook the foundation of every fan, whether you are a die-hard Browns fan, a season ticket holder or just a casual fan.

Trent Richardson, just one year after the Browns traded four picks to move up one spot in the 2012 draft to take him No. 3 overall, was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts for their 2014 first round selection.

So much for Joe Cleveland's semi-retirement.

My first reaction was shock -- Trent Richardson? Traded? Come on! Really, after two weeks? BS! -- then anger at the Browns. As a season ticket holder entering his fourth year with the Browns, I felt betrayed, gypped, lied to.

The Browns told everyone they planned on having a better product on the field for 2013. They spent money in free agency, brought in big-name coordinators to change the offensive and defensive culture and even tried to better the game-day experience at the stadium. After two games, when they deal the perceived top weapon in the offense, it sends the message that they are giving up on this season.

And, as someone who has already plunked down $900 for two tickets in the upper Dawg Pound, and knowing full well that I not only won't get full value for those tickets if I try to sell them, but also may not be able to rely on the usual cast of characters that usually buy one of the tickets off me for random games, I felt ripped off and very, very angry.

I also, against my better judgment, bought his jersey last year. The Browns caught me in a moment of weakness -- they had just beaten the hated Steelers, 20-14, and Richardson had played a key role in that monumental victory. So, in the Team Shop, I plunked down my hard earned money (using my 20 percent season ticket discount) and purchased a Richardson 33 jersey as a reminder of one of the best Browns games I had attended. Now, that jersey is useless because Richardson is gone so quickly.

It never fails. Every time I buy a jersey for a Browns player, they wind up getting traded or released or they retire. Chris Speilman, Tim Couch, Braylon Edwards, Peyton Hillis, Kamerion Wimbley, Josh Cribbs (although the Cribbs jersey is still pretty relevant, considering he played here for 8 seasons) and now Trent Richardson. Hopefully nothing happens to Joe Thomas within the next few seasons. Even when Mrs. Joe Cleveland wins me a signed Grady Sizemore Indians jersey in a silent auction for charity, Sizemore immediately stops playing baseball, so it's not just with the Browns.

And, I'll admit to being a fan of Trent Richardson. I thought he'd be the workhorse running back that we've been aiming for since the days of Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner. All the Browns fans have this notion of "smash-mouth" football as being "Browns football." Unfortunately, those days in the NFL are gone. It's a passing league now, and while it's helpful to have a good running game, running backs just aren't as valuable to the offense anymore.

That's why many questioned the move to trade up for Richardson and then wait until the 22nd pick to take their "franchise quarterback," which was Brandon Weeden. Weeden, who was 28 when he was drafted, is already injured after taking a beating in his first two games this season and may never take a snap again if North Olmsted's Brian Hoyer has any semblance of a good game today against the Vikings.

So, while I was initially very upset about the Richardson trade, cooler head's prevailed. I listened as the national media universally praised the Browns for making this deal, as they felt that getting a first rounder for a running back (a running back with injury problems that only rushed for 3.6-yards per carry) was a steal. They also felt this gives the Browns great ammunition to get the franchise quarterback they have, arguably, never had since Bernie Kosar in the first round of the 2014 Draft -- a draft that looks to be a very quarterback-heavy draft.

Even the local media -- most of whom do not care for Browns general manager Mike Lombardi -- gave the Browns kudos on the move. They quoted players as saying that Richardson was immature, was aloof, wasn't a good teammate, etc. Scott Fujita, as respected a player as they come who was a Browns captain the last two seasons, was not shy about his feelings on Richardson, saying that he needed to do some growing up and that a lot of his teammates were tired of his act. Even though he played through injuries, some felt that he played those injuries up to show how "heroic" he was. Some even questioned his desire to even play for the Browns.

At any rate, it sends a message to the locker room that no one player is above the team and that ANYONE can be shipped out or dropped. Let's just say the message was received.

On a day that began with the news that Hoyer was going to become the 19th starting quarterback since 1999 and that Greg Little lost his starting job to Davone Bess because of his drops and off-the-field problems, those stories were destroyed by the Richardson trade. It was arguably the most polarizing move the Browns have made since they released Kosar in November of 1993.

With one person in common on both of those transactions, Browns' fans vitriol turned to Mike Lombardi. Lombardi was the guy who spliced together a video of Kosar lowlights and mistakes and took it to Art Modell as evidence that he needed to be released. Many fans never forgave him for that, and, knowing how against the trade up for Richardson he was in the first place, believed he did something similar. When Lombardi didn't appear in front of the media to announce the trade -- CEO Joe Banner and head coach Rob Chudzinski spoke about it instead -- it only added to the furor against him.

But, it was later revealed that it was Banner himself who initiated the trade talks with Colts GM Ryan Grigson and owner Jim Irsay. Of course, Lombardi signed off on the deal, as did Chud and offensive coordinator Norv Turner, but the decision was Banner's to make, and he made it.

But the one thing that may have really put fans on board with this decision came from an unlikely source -- former team president Mike Holmgren.

Holmgren was in charge of the front office that made the decision to trade for Richardson and then acquire Weeden at No. 22. Many have felt that it was Holmgren himself that made the call to make the trade up with the Vikings to get Richardson and then overruled his GM at No. 22 to take Weeden.

After the sale to Jimmy Haslam III, Holmgren was on borrowed time. At first, Haslam and Banner allowed Holmgren to simply retire following the 2012 season. However, after a couple of stunts that didn't sit well, such as openly coveting the Cowboys coaching job (and then meeting with Jerry Jones on the field before the game while Haslam watched from his box) and then signing off on a promotion to hand out little white flags before the game against the Steelers (Banner put the kibosh on it after it was lambasted in the local media and by the fans), Holmgren was fired. His hand-picked coach (Pat Shurmur) and GM (Heckert) were shown the door the day after the 2012 season ended.

The day after the trade, Holmgren came on his favorite Seattle sports talk show hosted by a guy named Softy (seriously) and spouted off about how the Richardson trade was awful, how it was a "knee-jerk" reaction by the front office, how, if he was the head coach, he would have asked to be fired almost immediately, and then insinuated that Chud perhaps didn't have the backbone to confront Banner and Lombardi on the trade.

Considering that public perception (fueled by the media) that Holmgren was in Cleveland only to collect $40 million of Randy Lerner's money and had no interest in really putting a winner on the field (his moves speak for themselves, quite frankly), many believed that Holmgren didn't even have the right to speak out about it the move. As Terry Pluto wrote, Holmgren had the chance to be his own head coach on two separate occasions but decided against it both times, probably for ego-driven reasons, so the fact that he would make that "fire me or I quit" statement reeks of irony. Plus, by doing so, it shows how much of a coach you really are, when you factor in that there are 52 other guys in the locker room that count on you to lead them through thick and thin. It's a short-sighted move that shows the incredible ego and self-centeredness of Mike Holmgren.

Banner responded by taking the high road, saying that Holmgren "had his chance to run the Browns and now it's our turn." But, privately, he had to be thanking his lucky stars, because he got unintentional PR gold. Perhaps Holmgren, oblivious to the fact that most of the Cleveland fan base hated him by the time he left, felt that he was only stroking the fires of the Cleveland fan base against the men who ran him out of town. Instead, it only turned the fire back on Holmgren and allowed the fans to look deeper at the trade.

Maybe, just maybe, it was the right move after all.

Unfortunately, now fans have turned their attentions to the 2014 draft and are speculating on quarterbacks such as Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater, Clemson's Tajh Boyd, Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, UCLA's Brett Hundley, Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Alabama's A.J. McCarron and how good they'd look in Brown and Orange next season and for the next 10 seasons. Most fans don't believe the Browns have a shot at winning. It doesn't look good when you're starting your third-string quarterback and a 32-year-old running back who was out of the league in Willis McGahee. But, perhaps this is something the team can rally around.

If Richardson was really the cancer that some have played him up to be, maybe it is addition by subtraction. Maybe the players play harder when they feel their jobs are on the line. Maybe Brian Hoyer turns out to be a decent quarterback capable of running the offense better than Weeden and getting the most out of his players. Maybe McGahee can put up similar numbers, or better, than Richardson did running behind this line. Who really knows.

It definitely puts Banner and Lombardi in the cross-hairs. Fans seemed willing to put up with the process of rebuilding with each regime, but a move like this really puts Banner and Lombardi under pressure to turn it around as soon as possible. They cannot miss on the 2014 draft. With 10 picks, they have the ammunition to get some good playmakers and add to the talent that is already here (and, there are some talented players here). But they cannot afford to draft the next Ryan Leaf or Blaine Gabbert or Tim Couch or David Carr or Christian Ponder or Brady Quinn. They have to find another Andrew Luck or Eli Manning or Cam Newton or Colin Kaepernick -- a true, franchise difference-maker under center. Whether he's a dual threat or a pocket passer, he needs to possess the tools to elevate his game and his team to the next level. Luck has done it in Indianapolis, and Kaepernick took his 49ers to the Super Bowl after only starting half the season. They can't afford to wait on another Weeden, a guy with good tools but with bad tendencies that have hurt his game.

A lot of fans don't have faith in the front office, and why should they? Look at all the wasted draft picks the Browns have had since 1999. The only two first rounders that actually made a difference with this team were Joe Thomas and Joe Haden. Perhaps Phil Taylor can be included, but he's a nose tackle. And it's still too early to say if Barkevious Mingo can be included on that list, although he had a great debut last Sunday against Baltimore.

People remember the Lombardi drafts before the move, drafts that yielded future Hall of Famers such as Tommy Vardell, Craig Powell, Patrick Rowe, Antonio Langham, Derrick Alexander, Eric Zeier, Michael Bankson, etc. Only Eric Turner, Leroy Hoard and Steve Everitt could be said were worthy of their high-round selections by the Browns under Lombardi and Bill Belichick. However, they did have that team in the playoffs in 1994 with an 11-5 record and were 4-3 in 1995 before Modell announced the move, ripping the rug out from under them. So, maybe there is a method to their madness.

What the Browns do with this draft will prove that they made the right move. It's not about how Richardson does in Indianapolis or about how long of a career he has. Sure, those are factors. However, what the Browns turn that asset into will be the deciding factor as to whether the Browns made a great trade or not.

And, while most of us are irritated with the Browns right now, and some of us are seriously considering not renewing their season tickets next season, the fact is, deep down, we're all fans. We all want them to win each Sunday, bottom-line. We have every right to be angry and to be skeptical, just as we've been angry and skeptical about the Indians. But, at the end of the day, we want the Browns to be winners. That's all. Those of you who throw up their hands and decide to root for a different team now are nothing but front-runners anyway. You can decide to do housework and yardwork on your Sunday afternoons now; that's fine. But, deep down, you still care about them.

***

Which brings me to the Indians, who, despite being written off at least six different times this season, have found themselves right in the thick of the Wild Card chase in the American League.

If the season were to have ended Saturday, the Indians would be the second Wild Card team and would be travelling to Tampa to take on the Rays in a one-game playoff to decide who plays in the Division Series. Unfortunately for the Indians, they have seven more games to play, but still.

The majority of Indians fans didn't believe. Joe Cleveland will admit that I didn't, and part of me still doesn't believe that it can be done. But, do I want it to happen? Of course, I live in Cleveland!

Slowly bur surely, more and more fans who stayed away from the ballpark this year for reasons that were entirely valid and of their own accord are starting to get sucked into the playoff chase. Why wouldn't you? There's nothing like meaningful late September baseball, and it's been a long time since the Indians have played meaningful September games.

Some people have brought up the failed playoff chases of 2000 and 2005. During the "Era of Champions" and even during 2007, the Indians wrapped up their division titles by mid-September or by the last week of the season. Very rarely had they ever been in a true pennant race, and in the few times they had, they came up short.

In both 2000 and 2005, the Indians went into the last day of the regular season needing a win (or a win coupled with some losses) to clinch a wild card berth. Both times, they came up short. In 2000, the Indians won but wins by the Mariners and the A's bumped them out of the playoffs. In 2005, a 1-6 final week of the season, capped by a sweep at home by the eventual World Champion Chicago White Sox, put a damper on a 93-win season that saw the Indians play a red-hot second-half to overcome a miserable April, only to choke it away.

While manager Terry Francona deserves the lion's share of the credit to turn this team into the playoff contenders that they are, people remember how Francona's Red Sox tenure ended two seasons ago, where they blew a huge lead in September and lost a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season amid allegations that Francona lost control of a wild clubhouse that loved to eat fried chicken and drink beer on a regular basis.

This team doesn't have a bonafide superstar. They only have one player with 20 or more home runs (Nick Swisher) and do not have a regular batting .300 or better. They've been missing their best pitcher (Justin Masterson) all month and their closer (Chris Perez) has had an off-year in every sense of the word. But, somehow, someway, they've gotten it done.

Starting Tuesday, the Indians, Rays and Rangers will go into a six-game sprint to the finish for two playoff spots, with the suddenly surging Royals still hot on their heels, along with the Orioles. The Indians will host the reeling White Sox (who they've owned all season) and travel to Minnesota to take on a Twins team that has struggled.

For whatever reason, this Indians team has struggled to capture the hearts of the local fanbase, probably because they've been burned so often by the Indians in recent memory. They remember how hot starts in April and May the last two years went up in flames in June, July and August. They remember how the Indians held a 3-1 lead on the Red Sox in the 2007 ALCS only to choke the series away. They remember the 2005 collapse. They remember the tenures of managers Eric Wedge and Manny Acta, and remember Mark Shapiro trading Cy Young Award winners in back-to-back years for not much in return.

While the fans struggle to totally embrace this team, there have been a dedicated bunch that have stuck with this team through trial and tribulation, through Detroit sweep after Detroit sweep, all season long, never losing the faith. For that, Joe Cleveland tips his hat to you. If the Indians do make the Wild Card, even if they lose that game, you deserve to take a bow. Your faith was rewarded.

But, even if the Indians come up short, you can't deny that this was a successful season. The Indians clinched a winning record for the first time since 2007 and just the third time since 2002. They spent some money in the past offseason and could very well be proactive this offseason as well (they need to). They will have some dead money coming off the books that can be used for positive assets, and they do have some pieces (Perez, Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana) that could be moved for the right price that could help this team improve in other areas.

This season could very well be the cornerstone of something great. It may not happen this year. But they have the manager here that has proven he can do it, some players that can be built around and some assets to play with to make this team better. The Indians can't afford to let their window of opportunity slam in their face. I guarantee, if they have another positive offseason like they had last winter, you will see less green seats and more fans in the stands in 2014 at Progressive Field.

Until next time (whenver that is), remember that Cleveland Rocks!