Cleveland Browns 2008 season [so far]

Is the 2008 season over? Maybe, maybe not. Is it over for me?, most likely. As a Browns fan since 1979 I have become used to disappointment and heartbreak. Red Right 88, The Drive, The Fumble, Losing in the 1994 playoffs, Losing the team in 1995, The craptastic expansion seasons of 1999 & 2000, The Bottle game against the Jags in 2001, The Dwayne Rudd Helmet Toss, The Jan 2003 collapse against the Steelers. If you are a Browns fans each of those memories brings a unique type of pain. I thought I was immune to it, but no. Last Sunday's game against the Steelers destroyed me. I hate the Steelers so very much. More than I hate Micheal Moore, the entire Gyllenhaal Family and Whoopi Goldberg combined. Yes, I know we had injuries, lousy clock management, and a bunch of other intangibles, but, The Steelers were beatable.

The Browns treated the opening game against Dallas like game 5 of the preseason, whatever. But, with the team on the field we should have beaten the Steelers, but we didn't. The Steelers were who we thought they were. Our defense actually played decently. D.A. and the offense along with the coaching staff shit the bed. I was worried in preseason, but I thought that they would make it work in time for the season, especially with such a strong batch of contenders to open the season with.

It seems that the Brownies got high on their own fumes. They shouldn't have, because I know a secret that escaped the media who named the Browns as this years hot, trendy pick for the playoffs (as Al Micheals repeated quite a few times last sunday.) The secret is that they didn't really beat anyone that good last season. Seattle was perhaps the best team that they beat. The best team that they met all season, the Steelers, they lost twice against. In true Cleveland fashion, they got stuck with a playoff team's schedule, without even making the playoffs. They needed to step up and so far they are playing worse than last year. Let's say they get their shit together and win the next two games against Baltimore and Cincy , they get the NY Giants on MNF 10/13/2008, ugh. I just have the sinking feeling that this is going to be a rebuilding year. Unfortunately, 2 out of every 3 seasons are rebuilding years for the Brownies. The steeler's game just sucked whatever enthusiasm I had for the season right out of me. Week 2 is a new personal record for me, usually its about halfway through the season when I lose my faith.