The two faces of Cleveland...

[2camaros]

It was the best of times and it was the worst of times...in Cleveland Browns land...

The best of times...our team was 2-2, but if not for the usual Browns bad luck, we very well should have been 4-0. So many of us, myself no exception, were counting down the hours until the Browns/Ravens matchup. What did we have to fear? How could we possibly have anything but good expectations for this game/team, especially after we almost (and should have) beaten the Steelers? (Especially considering the tough time the Steelers gave the Saints today) Well the time was finally upon us, the opening kickoff! It was simply impossible to foresee the disaster that awaited us... :mad: :conf: :eek:

If you can say one thing good about Butch Davis, it has to be that he calls it like it is. At least he has the balls to say that the first half of that game was one of the worst Browns performances this season. (and perhaps in memory)


The worst of times...
At any rate, things were looking quite bleak until Ray Lewis left the field with a injury. Sure, the announcers kissed this guys ass to no end and we were all sick of hearing it, but to cheer for a injury? :nono: Well, on the bright side, this was only a debacle until it reached its peak when poor #2 Tim was injured saving that bad snap. The cheering of the fans in our home town, and there was no shortage of that at Parma Heights BW3S, made me sick. Make no mistake, this is a black mark that will haunt us for quite a while. Do we really deserve any luck or wins at all? Certainly we cant complain about bad luck if we cheer when our starting QB is injured trying to save a turnover!

Its befitting that we were not able to come back in this game. We certainly didn't deserve a win hell this city, after tonight's display, really doesn't deserve a team. :roll: Cheering for the injury of your starting QB, on a nationally televised game... Its just amazing the amount of two-faced fair weather fans we have.

I just got finished adding my 2 cents to a thread over at clevelandbrowns.com, I am glad I am not alone. http://dawgtalk.clevelandbrowns.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Steelers&Number=86899&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=

I was just simply disgusted with this mess before I listened to the Couch post-game interview, after that, I am simply dispondant. To risk your pro-football career trying to save what was already a disaster of a game...and to have people cheer your injury... I really dont know if I will be watching another Browns game this year. Hell, my adopted home town team, the Saints, are doing damn good... :bravo:

[87IROC Z]

I agree, they shouldnt have cheered for him while he was hurt. But then on the other side, i really hope kelley holcomb gets the start next weekend. I think he should be our #1 QB.

[largefish]

Well just to set the record straight, no-one within earshot of my seat on the 40 was cheering at seeing Couch injured. Too bad it didn't happen on the other end of the field where there probably wouldn't have been as much disgrace pouring out of the stands. Being a late game the DawgPound was much more drunk than usual which I'm sure contributed. Still no excuse for it. :nono:

[JaysZee]

What can I say, some people are assholes. I've been a Browns fan for 30+ years and no matter what part of this country I've called home. I've ALWAYS been a Browns fan. Like the beer bottles last year, things happen and things get out of control but that is no reflection of the type of fan I am. If everyone in Cleveland and all of those Browns Backers worldwide were cheering the Couch injury, I'd see the point but that's not the case. Honestly, the majority of fans don't want to see a player injured no matter how good or bad they are. I'm also not going to allow some jerks at the Stadium or a bar dictate which team I cheer for. I'm cheering for the team, I could give a crap about the fans that are morons. That's their perogative. The bottom line is some people have no class. Exhibits like last nights game just show you who they are!

[2camaros]

Originally posted by 87IROC Z
I agree, they shouldnt have cheered for him while he was hurt. But then on the other side, i really hope kelley holcomb gets the start next weekend. I think he should be our #1 QB.

Not going to happen anyway. Holcomb has a leg injury.

I guess I can just empathise with Couch more than some, it really sucks to give a career/team years of your life and 110% effort just to be thrown out to the wolves. Been there, done that now so I know where he is coming from.

[2camaros]

Originally posted by JaysZee
Like the beer bottles last year, things happen and things get out of control but that is no reflection of the type of fan I am. If everyone in Cleveland and all of those Browns Backers worldwide were cheering the Couch injury, I'd see the point but that's not the case. Honestly, the majority of fans don't want to see a player injured no matter how good or bad they are. I'm also not going to allow some jerks at the Stadium or a bar dictate which team I cheer for. I'm cheering for the team, I could give a crap about the fans that are morons. That's their perogative. The bottom line is some people have no class. Exhibits like last nights game just show you who they are!

Well IMHO throwing bottles at those stupid refs, not the opposing team, was justified. Their stupid call cost us that game and a playoff berth if I recall.

Cheering a team injury, let alone a QB, a team leader is just plain wrong no matter what. I am sure I'll get over what I saw last night, I just hope the same can be said for our starting QB, #2.

[87IROC Z]

Ive been hearing now that a lot of the fans are saying that they were not cheering because he was hurt. They said they were cheering because Holcomb was coming out. :roll: Yeah, thats really a big difference.

[87IROC Z]

I just found out more about Holcomb. That limp he had sunday night was because he now has a broken leg. He has a hairling fracture and will be out for at least a few weeks. So i guess that settles the quaterback contraversy for now.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plaindealer/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/sports/1034069709316330.xml

[84Berlinetta]

Oh man!!!!

This is just too typical of the Cleveland sportsfan's nightmare! Just when a team is getting great expectations and might actually be 4-0, everything hits the fan... this is so sad.

[largefish]

Good thing they kept Booty, they'd be very exposed with no backup while Kelly mends. He does seem to get a rhythm going just a bit more naturally than Couch, but hard to see if he can do it consistently until we see him more. Still we have a much better QB situation than a lot of teams. Go Browns!

[My1stCamaro92RS]

On Sunday, the company had a walk-a-thon in the downtown area, starting at the stadium. Mind you the game started at 8:30 but driving into the stadium lot at 8:30am, the tailgaters were already setting up so I'm sure some were pretty well blitzed by kickoff and may have added to the whole mess.

I think the frustration level of the fans is reaching its peak though. They're seeing opportunites missed that could have the Browns leading the division so they're showing their disapproval. I saw that in Pittsburgh after the steel curtain years.

Pittsburgh sports fanatics, whatever they worshipped, had a great way of showing their disapproval of a team's performance. They stopped showing up. In the 80's, you couldn't give tickets away for any of the hometown teams, pirates, pens or steelers and attendance's dropped like a rock.

Some cool shots of Sunday...

In a few hours, this will change...
http://members.roadfly.com/my1stcamaro92rs/MVC-012F.JPG

Me getting caught on camera taking shots of the scoreboard:thumbup:
http://members.roadfly.com/my1stcamaro92rs/MVC-013F.JPG

[largefish]

Interesting pics, Rob. I've been continuing to add pics to my Browns 2002 album at:

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291422203

[My1stCamaro92RS]

I'll send you pics of each empty endzone to add. Nice photos John, you have great seats it seems.