Red Right 88

Cleveland sports fan and sports writer

Name:
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

quit my job decided to drive west

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Why not?

Why not dream a little?

A Browns fan immersed in the tragic lore of his favorite football team is nationally humiliated. He is embarrassed and slapped around.

Why not have this be the lichpin to a revivial?

Before the draft, Brady Quinn has said all of the right things. He said he is used to turning around losing teams. He said he is pro ready. Why not let him get humbled and humilated?

He said this experience was hurtful to him. And now to be drafted by the Browns was a dream come true.

I tried to figure out why some many in Cleveland didn't want Brady Quinn. Yes, he grew up a Browns fan but Dublin/Columbus isn't really Cleveland to many of us. He is a golden boy from Notre Dame. He wasn't an ugly duckling like our beloved Bernie Kosar. He was too smooth. He was too pretty. If he had gone to Ohio State, Browns fans would have been rioting to get him. But he was from Notre Dame and for the non Irish Catholics-- that is cheering for the Yankees.

But now, Quinn has become a sympathic figure. His really bad day was televised. And now I would imagine he has gained the needed sympathny for the faithful. Brady Quinn is now one of us. At the third pick he would have been a derivisve figure. Now he has a big lineman in front of him and the hearts of the Dawg Pound.

I give credit to the Browns for pulling the trigger. Another bad season would make this pick very expensive. But it is a risk worth taking and maybe just maybe it is worth it for the hope it has brought.

Why not? Let's d$ream things have finally changed.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

That wasn't fun

And that is what I was worried about.

Not so much the Cavs performance in their 97-82 win over Washington. But perception is everything. And because of the perception that Washington has no chance, that win wasn't very much fun.

The Cavs led for the entire game, usually by comfortable margin. But if you were watching the game on TNT, you would have thought the Cavs laid a giant egg.

There were continued references to LeBron James having a sub par game. He finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Man, he should have to run extra laps for that effort.

For a moment let's agree with the experts and say the Cavs did play uninspired. OK. They led wire to wire and won by 15 points. How does that fueled the Wizards confidence. The experts gave a litany of what the Cavs did wrong and yet they won comfortably. Even when the Wizards cut the lead to two, I was never concerned that the game was in jeopardy.

You play the games you are assigned. And this whole series is about surviving with good health. There is no need to use up all your bullets. The goal is to win four games and move on. And that is fine.

It just is not a lot of fun.