Randomness from today's Browns home game:

Special Guest: No one. In good conscience, how can you ask someone to go to a game like this one? Uh, it's cold, we are gonna get killed and, by the way, I'm probably leaving at halftime. And that's about how it went. Arrived home just in time for the second half kickoff. Perfect.

Today's Opponent: The San Diego (Super) Chargers. The Chargers have looked awfully good lately and Philip Rivers should now be regarded as one of the league's elite quarterbacks. LaDanian Tomlinson is a mere shadow of his former self, but against the Browns, any runner is still a threat. Surprisingly, the Charger defense is getting some pub as a better unit this year. They come in riding a 6-game winning streak.

The Browns are coming off a game where Brady Quinn looked like the Quinn who got benched earlier this year. More defensive starters are out this week, the secondary especially hit hard.

As for this game, the Browns do not even come close. The Chargers have too much offense and with a defense playing better, the Browns will be lucky to be in this one.

Parking: East 6th northbound in a Delivery Zone at the corner of 6th and Superior.

Pre-Game Festivities: I arrived about a little more than an hour before the start of the game and was surprised at the lack of people walking around. Very eerie. I was able to see the Browns Spirit Flag. Do you realize this is the largest Browns flag in the world, spanning 40 yards? The national anthem was sung by some local "American idol" contestant from Beachwood. Not the horrible singer, I think it was Scott, who everyone hated.

Today's Browns Old Timers in attendance were Al "Bubba" Baker" and Erich Barnes. Baker, of course, runs Bubba's Q out in Avon. Had not seen Erich Barnes in quite a while and he looked great. Barnes, if you recall, was locally considered a dirty player when he played for the New York Football Giants. But once the Browns got him, he was merely "aggressive".

Worst Feature (For Me): Today was a tribute to the NFL's "Play 60" program. I have no idea what it is. However, it got its own video as one of the Browns dopey mascots was running around downtown to the strains of "Rocky". He eventually ran onto the field and then the kids in the program all ran out to greet him.

The Weather: Marky Nolan handled the solo reins today. Strano not there. Wind was out of the west, so the scoreboard was our friend. Temperature was 28 degrees and it didn't feel that high.

Today's Giveaway: None. Yes, the sponsors have fled this year.

Section 345: Really quiet today. Lots of muffled clapping and not much else happening. Too cold to fight, too many newbies, many season ticket holders were no shows and not much drinking going on. I am skipping the Steelers game, but will see the Raiders and the Jaguars.

Best Browns Play: I actually liked the Browns first TD. They looked like a professional team. Brady Quinn was patient in the pocket, waited for the pattern to develop and hit Mohamed Massaquoi with a spiral over the middle.

Best Chargers Play: Philip Rivers dumping a pass to a fullback, Mike Tolbert, who rumbled 66 yards for a touchdown. A perfect example of how inept the Browns are at downfield tackling. An absurd demonstration.

Although that long pass from Rivers to Antonio Gates in the third quarter was sweet. He boxed out two defenders for the long catch and it led to a Charger TD later in the drive.

Worst Browns Play: Another red zone turnover by Brady Quinn in the second quarter. This one a fumble that sucked the life out of the place. After two horrible formations/play calls on 1st-and-goal from the 2, Quinn rolls out, stalls for time trying to make a play, but a lineman hits him from the backside, causing a fumble which the Chargers recovered and the Browns never recovered from. Sadly, Quinn got sacked later in the game on the same type of play.

Second Worst Browns Play: After the Tolbert touchdown, the Chargers kick off goes out of the bounds, giving the Browns the ball on the 40. Wait a minute, a second flag was dropped. If there is a weird rule or penalty, the Browns usually find it. You guessed it, the illegal wedge penalty was called on the Browns. First time, with the new rule changes, I've seen that one called.

Best Exchange: This was earlier in the day on "Tailgate 19". Bob Golic shows up 15 minutes late. I texted them "Hey, Golic, get a better alarm clock" and they ran that. First time all year they ran a text of mine.

Oddest Browns Jersey: With all of the winter apparel today, I did not see much. For some reason, a guy wearing 9 Frye stuck out.

Food Items: Pretzel and a Mountain Dew.

Worst Scoreboard Feature: The Browns always show clips from an old Browns game featuring today's opponent. Apparently, the Browns don't play the Chargers much or beat them often, because a game from 1976 was shown. Greg Pruitt had 100 yards in the first quarter before he got hurt. Larry Poole must have had his career day as he then ran for 119. The highlight for me was Oscar Roan catching the game-winning TD from Brian Sipe and being congratulated by Gary Parris.

But it goes to show you, when you think the Browns had glory days in the '70s, they didn't. Just look at many of those names.

The Fuckin' Run: The Browns actually held an opponent to under 100 yards rushing. Mainly because the Chargers insisted on having L.T. do a Jim Brown Tribute in the second half. If I was a Charger fan, I would be pissed off, because Rivers could have thrown for 500 yards, the way the Browns were playing. And they seem d to be content to have Tomlinson do some personal tribute to Brown, who when they kept showing him, seemed disinterested in what was happening.

Worst Stat: Defense gave up 477 yards. Time of possession went to the Browns. Toss the tired defense excuse, please.

2nd Worst Stat: Probably Dink II's 6 yards per pass play.

Most Interesting Stat: The Chargers punted once.

Penalties: While the illegal wedge call was a definite highlight for the Browns, the Chargers committed one penalty for five yards. And that was late in the 4th quarter.

The Browns surprised me a little bit today. Some tight end I never heard of, Evan Moore, is making Kellen Winslow-type catches all over the field. Mainly because the Browns hadn't showed that capability all year. It reminds of the game Massaqoui had against the Bengals. And Brian Robiskie had a few catches but was not on the field a whole lot. Let's see how it plays in the future, now that there is film on these guys.

But the Browns were actually in the game until that Quinn fumble. But really, the San Diego offense could do whatever they wanted, especially through the air. The score was clearly not indicative of how the game was played.

But it was the first home game of many down the stretch and I think the players wanted to demonstrate to the home fans they still care. We'll see if that attitude carries over through the next 4 games.

Certainly, the no-shows started today. I'm guessing the crowd today was probably 55,000 with many people arriving late. Hell, there were people walking in as I was leaving at halftime. I expect the Steeler game to be better attended with dismal showings for the final two games.

The Browns lose to the Chargers in a not so close game, 30-23. They are now 1-and-11.

Meal of Links

Time has listed the Best Chefs on TV. Kind of an old-school list, it seems.

This guy decided to take a walk. All along the Amazon.

Another woman with Tiger. Jeezy creezy, I think we are up to 6 now.

This made me laugh uncontrollably:



Another wrestler, Umaga died this week. With the ubiquitous list of wrestlers who have died before the age of 50.

Bionic lenses. The alternative to LASIK.

Exercise Yard

Could the new Comcast-NBC Universal be a threat to ESPN on air and online? It is a popular topic.

Visitor

None, on a chilly Browns Sunday.