Randomness from today's Browns home game:

Here are the sheep entering the Cleveland Clinic Gate today:

















Special Guest: My brother Jeff. His record has been not-so-good lately. As the Browns have gotten better, he has witnessed more losses. Some of them of the awful variety, like this year's Dallas game. The postgame Obama rally (playing with fire here, especially if the Browns lay an egg) and resulting parking fiasco has forced us to leave a bit earlier than planned, around 10:00 a.m. But this is the Browns first Sunday-at-1 home game of the year, so I don't really care. Of course, this is followed by a night game this Thursday.

Today's Opponent: The old Browns and hated division rival, the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have a better record than the Browns this year, at 4-3. The importance of this game cannot be underestimated. The Ravens run defense is top-notch and they are right behind Tennessee and tied with Pittsburgh in Points Against. Oh yeah, they also beat the Browns in Week 2, 28-10.

Browns Version 2.3, however, is near the bottom in Points Scored. Scary place to be, as our neighbors are Cincinnati and Detroit. It's put up or shut up time, as the Browns have two winnable home games within a five-day span. Unfortunately, each time the Browns have saved their season, they have lost the next game.

It all comes down to the Browns offense. If they can put up some points, they'll probably win. If it's a defensive battle, they'll probably lose.

Parking: Short Vincent. The newspaper lied, only portions of East 6th and 9th and Saint Clair seemed closed to parking or traffic.

Browns Player on Ticket: Jamal Lewis, the former Raven, looking mean.

Pre-Game Festivities: The Browns Spirit Flag was unfurled again. National Anthem duties were handled by the Cleveland Opera. We also got a "God Bless America" from them and a flag in the shape of the United States.

















Also, a cool flyover with two jets!

At halftime, Pee Wee Football.

Worst Feature (For Me): "Hang on Sloopy" at the end of the third quarter. Participation was high, because the Browns were still winning at the time.

The Weather: Hollie Strano actually mentioned and showed the radar today. The people have spoken! I like my radar at the games. Although the temperature during the game tapped out around 54, it was like stealing to get weather like this in November. Sunny to start, then some clouds throughout late. Actually got warmer as the evening wore on.

Today's Giveaway: Dick's Sporting Goods sponsored a 2008 Cleveland Browns Team Photo. These were distributed on the way out. I neglected to take one and then pulled a Costanza and picked one out from the top of a garbage can. However, as I was crossing Saint Clair I dropped it and felt as if the football gods really didn't want me to have one. So I left it there.

Section 345: Very few people in Ravens gear all around the park today. Surprisingly so. In our section, the only trouble was actually between Browns fans, near the top. A man and woman were ejected and must have been so out of line, the "Asshole!" chant went up for them. Truly, a rarity amongst your own.

But we had a standing issue in our row, Totally new people all around today, as if the season ticket holders bailed on this one. New people off to our right and above one row, got mad when a guy stood up. I'm not a fan of standing up. Oh, these days, I expect to stand quite a bit, especially on important plays, but certainly not on ordinary first down plays. It was one of these that got some folks riled up. Then the stander himself said some inane things. You know, the typical rants about being a fan, supporting the team, etc. God, I hope he doesn't vote.

Best Browns Play: Easily Josh Cribbs 92-yard kickoff return. Right when it looked like the Browns were gonna lay an egg early, this return puts the Browns right back in the game. The thing about a lot of returners is many of them have speed or they dance around a lot to get the extra yards. But Cribbs not only has speed, he has a unique ability to run strongly through tackles, as he demonstrated on this return. By far, his best game of the year.

Best Ravens Play: For me, it was the Ravens first touchdown by Mark Clayton. Clayton runs a post pattern, beating Brandon McDonald. Joe Flacco rolls right and lofts a nice one and hits Clayton on the money for a 47-yard TD in the first quarter. Flacco tried this in the first game and was intercepted. This time, Clayton beats the single coverage and the result was six points.

Worst Browns Play: The screen pass that Derek Anderson threw to Terrell Suggs for a 42-yard TD in the fourth quarter. The problem is Suggs plays for the Ravens. The play was poorly executed in all phases. The blocking, the route and the throw. When Suggs scored, it was game over. Then the booing and "Brady!" chants started.






















Second Worst Browns Play: Braylon Edwards dropping another potential TD pass. With the score, 27-20 Browns, Anderson only fires a perfect pass about sixty yards downfield, mind you, the only really deep throw he attempted all day. Hits Edwards right in stride and he doesn't come up with it. Gut wrenching to watch.

Worst Ravens Play: After Ray Rice runs for 60 yards with 7:30 left in the game, the Ravens have a chance to put the game heavily in their favor. Inexplicably, the Ravens take a play from the Browns playbook and attempt a pass to the fullback on 2nd-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Obviously, it falls incomplete and the Ravens eventually kick a go-ahead field goal to make it 30-27.

Best Line from Me: None. I was in a serious mode for this one.

Best Line from a Random: The Browns kicked a field goal to tie the game at 10, this guy who has a really unique voice behind up, starts up after the Ravens get the kickoff and start marching down the field. "We should be goin' for touchdowns back there, not field goals. Touchdowns will win you games...Everyone knows that...Except that fatass Romeo."

Oddest Browns Jersey: The nice weather made many jerseys visible today. 9 Frye, 16 McDonald, 29 Turner, 31 Green, 34 Droughns, 44 Suggs, 54 Spielman, 81 Bryant, 85 Johnson, 86 Northcutt, 87 Andre Davis, 92 C. Brown. There was also K9 Muttley, 9 Fast, and 69 Your Mom.

Food Items: Had many pre-game Corona Lights at Alesci's, compounded by early arrival. Had a $4 hot dog at the game, courtesy of my brother.

Best Fan Cam Feature: Hot chick by Josh's Cribb sign overshadowed by this Mensa sign: "No Animals Allowed, Only Dawgs".

The Fuckin' Run: The Browns gave up 193 yards on the ground. Seriously, when will this shit end? It's now 10 years and still has not been addressed. Today, it was a rookie from Rutgers, Ray Rice, with the honors. He ran for 154 yards, including the aforementioned 60-yarder.

Worst Stat: Jamal Lewis had 19 rushes for 49 yards for the Browns. Probably to be expected against the Ravens defense, but still unpleasant to witness.

2nd Worst Stat: The Browns were 2-for-12 on third downs and 0-for-1 on fourth downs.

Most Interesting Stat: After the Ravens tied the score at 27-27, the Browns only had one first down.

Penalties: An offensive pass interference penalty on Kellen Winslow seemed questionable live, simply because the defender didn't appear to turn around for the ball. Announcing crews seemed to think it pretty obvious, however.

The strangest turnaround was on a play where Joe Flacco got called for intentional grounding, the Browns had 12 men on the field. Ugh!

The Browns cannot stand prosperity. After taking a 27-13 lead in the third quarter, the team seemed to collapse. One play stands out. With the place jumping after a Browns sack made it 3rd-and-16 from their own 15, the Ravens hit a big pass play for a first down, netting 20 yards. From that point on, it was all downhill, and the Ravens scored later on that drive to make it 27-20. Don't know if the Browns thought it was in the bag or what, but their play became very erratic after that.

So, with the schedule in their favor, for once, this year, with two home games in the next five days, the Browns blow the first leg. It's a rare game that turns so dramatically from one team seemingly in charge, to a team that comes roaring back to eventually win.

This was a tough one to lose. Never did I think the Browns could put up 27 on Baltimore and get defeated. The Browns lose, 37-27. The season has been in jeopardy for weeks since their awful start, but now it becomes a numbers game. Realistically, they are done right now. The trouble is, the word "mathematically" now enters the fray.

Meal of Links

Man dies after bowling a perfect game. My friends, that is NOT a great way to go.

Circuit City is at death's door. The combo of Wal-Mart and Best Buy killed them.

Cheap tickets for travel. Some of these websites are new to me.

Exercise Yard

Don Banks calls for the Browns to start Brady Quinn. Hell, we may see him Thursday if Derek Anderson stinks out the joint.

Visitor

None, a nice day for a Browns game and an Obama rally to mess up my parking mojo.