May 18, 2013

Browns Buy Fans a Lottery Ticket With Victory Over Colts

September 19, 2011 by 16 Comments

I know I’ll never win the lottery.  Or at least I realize just how statistically improbable it is for me to win.  Even with those statistics at hand, my brother and I have a contingency plan that states if either one of us ever wins a jackpot we must go 50/50 with the other.  We don’t buy tickets on a plan, but each of us buys them occasionally when the Mega Millions or Power Ball is at ludicrous levels.  Maybe it’s a waste of money, technically, but I don’t care.  We buy them when we need a couple nights of dreams about what it would be like to win the lottery.  Doesn’t it seem worth the couple bucks you might spend on numbers to purchase a couple of nights of dreams?  Seems like a bargain to me, but I try not to be the most negative among my fellow fans.

After last week’s horrendous loss to the Bengals, the Browns crushed their fans’ modest dreams.  For the hopeful and positive, I truly don’t think it was a state of delusion.  Most everyone I know realizes that the Browns aren’t some kind of juggernaut on par with the great teams in the NFL yet.  Browns fans I know were mostly dreaming “big” of 7-9 and 8-8 types of seasons.  The loss to Cincinnati did wonders to dash even those less-than-gaudy hopes for the past week.

That’s the problem with this fan base most years.  The negative among us can look scornfully at fellow Browns fans who would dare to have hopes that the team would win exactly as many games as they would lose.  And because of the track record, the negative people can do that and not be looked at as a jerk in Cleveland.  Some will just call them realistic.  Once in a while it would be nice for the hopeful and positive people to win out over the negative “realistic” people.  You know those same negative people that tell you “You’re never going to win!” when you buy a lottery ticket?

That’s what the Browns did this week in Indianapolis.  By stepping up and just being good enough to beat a hobbled Indy team the Browns gave the positive fans a week’s worth of dreams.  And honestly, what NFL fan shouldn’t be allowed to “dream” about seven or eight win seasons?

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  • Brendon

    I really want to make the shot at the end of the game of the little kid near tears with his head hung low while his dad patted him on the back my wallpaper. That kid doesn’t know what losing is. WE know what losing feels like. He’s seen Super Bowls in his short, 10 year old, Justin Bieber filled life.

  • B-bo

    The problem is the Browns fans who will now take this lottery ticket and try to buy a masion and a Porsche with it before the drawing is even held. AFC NORTH CHAMPS!!!!! SUPER BOWWWWWWLLLLLL!!!! DERRRRRRRP!!!!

  • Chris

    I was walking my dog just after the first pre-season game and a kid came up to pet her. Anyway, the kid started talking about football and he told me he was pretty sure we were going to win the superbowl this year because we beat Greenbay. Man… to have that kind of outlook again.

    To be honest, I don’t think anyone is jumping for joy… the Browns did not look very good on Sunday, we did just enough to win with a lot of question marks. It was progress, but we need to keep seeing that and keep hope alive for next year.

    Though I think the case is being made that we need some WRs… hopefully we can get a free agent or something.

  • Ben

    I was 9 years old when Byner was stripped at the goal line. My lasting memory of that moment is my father being relieved that he did not have to suffer the missed extra point that was coming.

    That is pain. That little boy in Indy can…

  • BuckeyeDawg

    Ben – you made my morning…thanks for the laugh!

    That pretty much sums up being a Browns fan during my lifetime (I’m 32)…

    Half way through the 4th quarter (score 17-12) all I could think about was how we were going to lose 19-17. When I see us winning in the 4th quarter, my brain automatically shifts to possible ways that we will somehow, against all odds, screw it up. That’s what 32 years of being a Browns fan will do to you…

  • mgbode

    @B-bo – we are in 1st place in the AFC North right now. and we just beat the most consistently dominant team from the past decade.

    /delusional hope

    I agree with Craig that it’s getting awfully old that the people who just constantly gripe about the teams regardless of anything can smugly grin and say that they have been mostly right the past 12 years. It would be nice for those of us that somehow are able to gleen some positive aspects despite everything to be right for once :)

  • mgbode

    @Buckeye – I felt us winning that game in the second half. And winning this week. If I have learned anything being a Browns fan it is that they usually prop us up just enough to have a tiny fraction of hope before smashing us back to the ground.

  • Garry Owen

    I’m such a beaten-up Browns fan that I was convinced, absolutely convinced, that the Colts’ “meaningless” FG at the end of the game was actually a set up for a last minute, post-onside kick, 8-point game-tying drive that would inevitably end in a Colts overtime coin toss win and subsequent field goal. Seriously. Convinced.

    You can find me in the “abused strays” section of the Dawg Pound.

  • Harv 21

    Not sure why I’m negative after this game, given that I like the current management, QB and the last few drafts including Taylor and the extra picks he came with.

    Think it’s because we have been instructed to anticipate a different offense but yesterday was identical to Daboll: handing to Hillis, faking to Hillis before throwing to him, or throwing 5 yard passes while the safeties cheat closer and closer to the line. Shurmer the OC ignored Indy’s lack of LBs. If Colt was less elusive there would have been zero attempted throws downfield. Yes, the game plan called for running on them, but Indy sold out to stop the run and we made no attempt to make them pay for that. No change of pace – where was Hardesty in the late first quarter? Even smash-mouth Pittsburgh didn’t only run The Bus for the entire game. Shurmer appears to need someone telling him you forgot Hardesty, look what the safeties are doing, throw deep on first down once.

    I think Colt will be good, maybe better than good. But zero interceptions is not a huge deal when you never go downfield. Moore can go up and fight for the ball, and Little looks like he has that ball hunger too. Watson can run down a seam. Occasionally use the few weapons you have so you don’t lose the one weapon you like best. This is not a playoff year, but it’s a development year. Hope Holmgren isn’t waiting for Shurmer to knock on his door before reminding him that it’s ok to try some stuff, guys need to play to develop.

    End rant. The o-linemen remembered the snap count. So there’s that.

  • Garry Owen

    Sorry, “meaningless” *TD*.

  • Scott

    It seams allot of us browns fans were sweating out those last couple minutes even with a two possession lead. I agree with what Harv said in regards to going down field more. Colt finished with 200 some yards. Also i realize that this team will need time and as long as we see improvement every game that’s a good sign.

  • http://serandez.blogspot.com Ezzie

    @Garry – I couldn’t turn away for the same reason. The worst was when they put up the 1-1 graphic during the game… I was sure that it would be on Deadspin and the like today with a mocking tone saying “but CBS forgot that this was CLEVELAND…”

    When Cribbs caught the onside kick the only thing I could feel was relief, not happiness.

    Sigh.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Craig Lyndall

    I am with you guys. My wife the Colts fan was saying things about how it was over and I just kept saying to her, “The Colts are going to be down 8. One score away. Not over yet.”

    I felt good about the Browns and their chances, but there was that tiny little crack in the window where I was just the tiniest bit worried that something improbable but not impossible would come to pass. If the Browns continue to take care of business, that old muscle memory will eventually die. I want to kill it, but I need some more reps at not having my heart torn out. :-)

  • Toddyus

    It’s funny, it occurred to me at one point in the game that we had been leading for quite a long time, but the whole time it FELT like we were losing. That’s enough to tell me that these Browns aren’t there yet. But hope spring eternal.

    The other thought I had was, as much torture as it is to be a Browns fan, it is more torturous to hear Rich Gannon say “OW-fense” over and over and over…

  • timothy

    Thats great and all but the truth is dreamer’s will just keep dreaming. It’s a nice way to go through life when reality gets to be to much you can just keep dreaming of better day’s that may or may not come. Me I prefer to face reality and if i don’t like what I see, instead of buring my head in the sand I do my best to change it. At least at the end of the day I can say all tho life may not be perfect,I never gave up and retreated into some kind of fantasy land so I would never have to face my problums how ever bad they may be. So you just keep on dreaming, you can call me negative but all just keep on doing

  • Garry Owen

    Rich Gannon’s pronunciation is truly ow-fensive. I hate it, along with the CBS music before, after, and during every commercial break, player introduction, sideline camera shot, handoff, pass, penalty, etc.

    Da, danta da daa, DAAA, danta danta danta . . .