OK, here is this week's unfortunate headline.

Since it's raining this a.m., I am glad I am not going to see the Browns live this p.m. Don't wanna be soggy. You know, I was the person who coined the phrase, "Bruce Hornsby sounds better on a rainy day." Well, I'm currently listening to Sufjan Stevens' "Illinoise" album (again...I am wearing the damn thing out) and it's giving Bruce a run for his money. The thing that really bothers me is I seem to have misplaced the CD case. So, it's currently an orphan. More on orphans later.

Switching media as I type, Thierry Henry scores for the Gunners in the first freakin' minute on Fox Soccer Channel. A large wet kiss to FSC this year, for allowing me to watch something besides Berman on fall Sunday mornings. Oh yeah, I heart FSC.

I'll post a Browns recap later.

















No wonder they hate us. A "portion" at Tony's in Birch Run, MI.

Meal of Links

Happy 25th Anniversary to Luke and Laura. Not many couples find true love in the aftermath of a rape, but these two wacky kids did. BTW, Laura, acting as if she's a Hinckley buzzard, came back to GH this week. Of course, everyone comes back to GH eventually.

It's always a curiosity when the deaf are marching and signing in protest. The student body, alumni, and faculty were out in DC yesterday to protest the hiring of the new Gallaudet University president.

I expressed a wish to be adopted by Madonna the other day, not to disparage my own Mom, but I think it would be kind of cool. Anyhow, there are hordes of other Malawi orphans who remain unadopted and they don't have much of a chance.

Exercise Yard

The Monday Night Football crew is getting pounded as much as the World Cup announcers this past season. The culprit, again, is the four-letter. ESPN needs to put the Nessler, Vermeil, Jaworski team on. And I like Tony Kornheiser, and I loved Joey T. as a QB, but his announcing blows. Tirico is kinda like 1% milk with me. I'll drink it if I have to. And those Berman (that guy again) halftime highlights! What is going on with those 4x normal speed clips? They look like Road Runner legs for cryin' out loud.

Browns

Take your pick. Broken record...dead horse...song remains the same. The Browns are a bad team. To have two weeks off and come up with the offensive effort we had today was shocking. I went for a walk in the rain afterward to be soggy anyhow, that's how disappointing today's game was to me. I said before the game I didn't want a 27-3 game, with Tatum Bell getting 125 yards on the ground. I got 17-7, while Bell got 115. I am vowing to watch these games with others from now on. One game alone was enough. I need a distraction as I find myself enjoying Randy Lerner's Other Team more (BTW, looks like Big Breakfast Saturday as it's Liverpool and Aston Villa, Saturday at 10:00 a.m. on FSC).

See, the easy way out of this game and I'm sure the excuse that will be floated, is that Denver's defense is so great. Poppycock, I say. We really tried nothing new to crack it. Where was Romeo Crennel's input into the offense? Two weeks off and we still get fourth-and-one pass attempts? Others will say our defense gave up only 17 points. Who cares? After Champ Bailey's interception to start the 4th quarter, Denver phoned it in. And in the first half, I'm convinced the Broncos threw 25 times, not necessarily because of the Browns, but moreso they wanted to give Indianapolis lots to think about for next week's game. That's how much they toyed with us.

A look at the numbers reveals lots of ugliness, in a game where, although it was close on the scoreboard, we were never really in it.
Time of Possession: Denver 37 minutes, Browns 23.
Browns outrushed, 150-34.
Browns third downs, 1-11, fourth downs, 0-3. (That's bad.)
Frye, 4 yards per pass.
Browns outgained, 347-165.
Northcutt out of the lineup and we still had dropped passes.
The five words you don't want to hear: "Ralph Brown in the game."

Next week, it's J-E-T-S!, Jets! Jets! Jets! Jets! But today, it was Denver 17, Cleveland 7.

Visitor

None, it's a wet Sunday.