So much is running through my head right concerning the football team that wears orange helmets and sadly since this ownership group took over the team there is pretty much these constants: drama, nonsense and chicanery. Interesting as so much going on does not even involve the team on the field, which starts the season as an aberration, a stain on the game of football.
I flash back a few years ago when I was honored to be a part of the ESPN 850 WKNR family. A few years back I was hosting a pregame show with The Dean Greg Brinda, and we had numerous guests. One was the pride of Lorain County, Elyria Catholic plus a National Champion at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY and a Super Bowl Champion with the Green Bay Packers, The Kaiser (as I called him) the great Matt Wilhelm. Matt is as good a person as he was a football player and after we bantered for 10-12 minutes he noted “that we have been talking about the Browns but none of the conversation has to do with football, what is actually taking place on the field! We are talking about this guy doing this, Haslams and his minions screwing this up and much more.” So many times the talks were about (and I will leave out the players names) this guy coming to practice high, coming late and not being able to speak due to an impaired state, another guy running from the cops, cutting off a cop car in traffic, texts to the bench and so many more items that even deny reality, it blows one’s mind. This was par for the course and yes friend it still is what this team is mainly about these days.
I will give you fair warning that I did not watch or listen to the opener yesterday on the Lakefront but was football going through my mind? C’mon, it’s the Browns, of course not! I was in the stadium for the St. Ignatius vs Avon game and was humbled at the welcome I received from the parking lot attendants, the officer on duty, security at the Media entrance plus on field and the elevator operator. They all know I have been absent since the Watson signing and to a man and woman my staying away was respected. As I strolled around the building, I noticed that as world respected OSBORN ENGINEERING noted this stadium “is in very good shape.” As the season opener was getting ready, I noted the masses on the shoreway, in the muni and all over downtown as I traversed the area to go to the 11:30a Mass at St. Casimir on the east side and headed back home. Downtown was vibrant, alive and awash with football fans. Then it hit me as earlier I read the Commentary in the Forum pages of my Sunday Plain Dealer by the learned and fair Ken Silliman. Ken was an advisor to three Cleveland Mayors on sports facility lease negotiations. Some of the highlights of his commentary were:
– The Browns request for the dome in Brookpark of 1.2 billion would rank only behind the mask of the Nashville Titans as the second most costly public stadium subsidy in U.S. history. Al this for a venue unlikely to attract more than 20 annual major events.
– Reduce the ask by 300 million and many recreational amenities could be funded.
– The browns are blowing smoke about these grand events the dome would host. On average football stadiums host 8.5 annual games plus less than 5 non-football events. Yup big tours go out in the summer when a dome is not needed.
– A dome in Brookpark will NOT grow the share of money coming into Cleveland. It will shift it from downtown and other areas.
– A dome and “Haslam land” would cannibalize Rocket Mortgage Field House, Progressive Field, the downtown convention center plus areas like Crocker Park.
To quote Mr. Silliman “It is past time for this region to move past the suburban dome and invest in the Lakefront.” Again, I will repeat the owners of this team are in it for a cash grab. They are not people with our best interest in their hearts.
Whew, that was a mouthful and guess what, we still are not really talking about football. Shall we? It is puzzling when I see national sports figures from Cleveland all bent out of shape from the outcome of yesterday’s game vs the Cowboys plus what transpired during the game. MY GOSH, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? Even better when a long-time sports talker in our great city noted on Social Media that “yesterday was going to happen as most of the Browns #1’s did not play in preseason.” Guess what “Mr. I do no prep and just talk”…The COWBOYS #1’s did not play in preseason either. Heck DAK PRESCOTT has not played in the preseason since 2019! My gosh.
I had breakfast this morning with cousins from town who were in town for the game. I apologized to them, and they remarked how many Cowboys fans were at the game and most they spoke with were from out of town. Now we were dining at Grumpy’s in Tremont and in the restaurant, there were tables of 6, 8 and 4…all Cowboys fans. Yup they showed up and enjoyed our great city plus SPENT MONEY DOWNTOWN and, in the neighborhood’s, (Tremont, Gordon Square, Little Italy) in the city.
Not much more to say THANK YOU for the THANK YOU’S I receive from folks all over town, especially women. No need for these but I am humbled and honored by them. The last Guardians game I was at, two young women said, “THANK YOU for your take on Watson and not supporting the team” and at breakfast today and again at the West Side Market a couple and a single female noted “THANK YOU” for fighting the good fight. No pats on the back here. I just know right from wrong. Pretty easy.
Read more of my MUSINGS at NEO SPORTS INSIDERS and of course Munch On Sports is powered by the Ken Ganley Auto Group and Ganley Chevy of Aurora.
For now, ADIOS AMIGOS, please take care of each other and it’s your world, pay attention. Please enjoy every sandwich and long may you run.
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