Life as a Browns Fan

For the most part, it's a painful existence being a die-hard fan of the Cleveland Browns. The once-storied franchise (before I was born) has become mired in mediocrity. Ever since devil-incarnate Art Modell pulled the rug out from under us by moving the team to Baltimore, we haven't been able to put together a winning season. There are plenty of excuses: Poor draft choices from the beginning: I mean, who drafts a QB from a basketball school? Who follows that up with a QB who is old enough to retire on draft day? Who picks a short guy with questionable arm strength and lots of off-field issues? Yep, the Browns. This is a reflection of bad management and lack of football knowledge. I'm not sure the people in charge in Cleveland actually know all that much about football. Then, of course, there are injuries, but all teams deal with those. We currently have a QB who everybody says is one of the toughest guys they know. He has sacrificed himself physically this season without getting any love in return. Lots of excuses that all teams in any pro sport deal with at various times. Why can't we break out of this vicious cycle? The shocking thing is that it is statistically impossible to be as bad as the Browns have been since we came back to the NFL in 1999. Statistically IMPOSSIBLE! Many teams come up with unbelievable ways to win games. We come up with unbelievable ways to lose games. Did you catch last night's match-up with the Ravens? I watched it at my usual Brownsbackers bar. It was a relatively good game, with back and forth scoring, and a decent look at our 2nd string QB, who threw an awesome long yardage pass for a TD. The Browns came from behind to tie the game late in the 4th quarter. I was confident we were going to win with a field goal. Worst case scenario was going into overtime. Holy crap--how many times is there actually a blocked kick? Believe me, it's not that often. But if some freak occurrence is going to happen, it's going to happen to the Browns. That damn blocked kick was run back for a touchdown as time ran out. But, you know what happened after that? After everyone was done swearing and bemoaning our bad luck once again? We all said "Hey, see you next Sunday!" Because we are Browns fans and we'll be back. It's what we do. Through thick and thin, in good times and in bad, for better or worse, till death do us part. And maybe not even then, since I fully expect to go to a heaven where the Browns never lose. Hopefully, I won't have to wait that long. And some day, before I die, we'll win a Superbowl. And it's going to be freaking glorious! See you on Sunday. Go Browns!!

The End of the Innocence

I went to the movies with a friend today--a place you go to escape for a little while. Our purses were searched. Just over a week after Paris, so I expected it, but it's still sad--this world we live in now. I think our innocence as Americans ended in April of 1995 in Oklahoma City. Every Federal building in this country has cement barriers to keep bomb-laden vehicles at a safe distance. And we don't even notice those barriers anymore--that's the sad part. We voluntarily put up barriers. I visited my high school when I was in town recently and had to ring a buzzer and identify myself and who I was there to see in order to get through the locked doors. We voluntarily lock those doors. I'm not saying we shouldn't, but this is our new normal. And obviously it's not just here. If I say Mumbai, London, Madrid, Paris or Mali, you all know what happened in each of those places. If I mention a suicidal pilot in the alps, a Russian flight from Egypt, a youth camp on a Norwegian island, or bible study in Charleston, you know about those things too. There is no chance of an innocence in the world anymore. I am grateful to have grown up in the 70s and 80s. I think it was a more innocent time. We had pet rocks and mood rings. I could smuggle a 6-pack of beer into Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Maybe I look back through rose-colored glasses. Maybe I just think it was better in a pre-internet world without a 24/7 news cycle. Television used to go off in the middle of the night, for god's sake! Can you imagine that now? I know there have always been bad people: Cain, Judas, John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, Hitler. But we still had our freedoms: no one would look in my purse, and I could actually take one to an NFL game. Can't do that now. Our new normal. In that sense we have allowed "them" to win--we have voluntarily given up some of our freedoms. Kids today will never know what it is like to go to a baseball game without passing through a metal detector, they will never walk into an unlocked school, they will never be able to sneak beer into an NFL game. My favorite quote is from Benjamin Franklin--and I'm sure he couldn't even imagine how prescient these words would be today: 'Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security.' As Thanksgiving Week dawns for us, we should be grateful for what we have, and pray we don't voluntarily give up what we have left. Peace!

Travel. Learn. Grow.

Once again, a terrorist group has united the world. Today, we are all Parisian. Who knows yet who we are going to be next time? Those of you who read my blog know that I am a news freak. I can't live without my newspaper. I'm addicted to my local news stations, the Internet news, CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera. I always think I've seen the worst of humanity, but every time something new happens, I realize the bad guys keep upping the game. As horrible as this sounds, I can understand a crime of passion, becoming so enraged with someone you know and love, then, sick as it is, killing them in the heat of the moment. What I cannot comprehend is the depravity it takes to walk into a concert hall, a restaurant, any public place, and indiscriminately kill innocent strangers. You don't know them. Maybe someone was a sympathizer with you. Maybe someone was going to cure a disease. Maybe someone would write the song that would touch your heart. Maybe someone was meant to be your friend, your lover, your soulmate. You'll never know. Instead, the world grieves again. Stay close to home this weekend in Paris, let the authorities do their thing. But don't stay down for long. That's what the terrorists want. They want us to be fearful and voluntarily give up our freedoms. Don't give in. Don't cancel your travel plans. And if you don't have any yet, Paris is lovely in the spring. Fight back by living your life. Travel to foreign places. Learn about different cultures. Grow as a human being, as a citizen of the planet we all call home. In spite of it all, it is still a beautiful world. Go out and see it! Pray for Paris. Pray for all of us. But most of all, don't let the fuckers win!

Christmas and Starbucks

For the last few weeks I have completely ignored all the hullabaloo about Starbucks red cups. I don't drink coffee, so I didn't think it was much of my business. But it just didn't go away so I finally decided to Google it to find out what all the fuss was about. Some guy claims Starbucks hates Christmas and is taking Jesus out of Christmas because they removed symbols like reindeer and snowflakes from their winter seasonal cup designs. Seriously? Are you kidding me? What do reindeer and snowflakes have to do with the baby Jesus? Reindeer live in Siberian Asia, Northern Canada, Lapland, Alaska & Northern Russia, not Bethlehem. And to the best of my knowledge, it doesn't snow in Bethlehem either. Those symbols have nothing to do with the birth of Christ. This isn't about some huge corporation taking Christ out of Christmas, this is about waste-of-time stupidity. How does this crap go viral? Why do we give these people their fifteen minutes of fame? I personally don't care if someone says "Merry Christmas", "Seasons Greetings", or Happy Holidays" to me--it's just nice that they say anything at all. In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter? People need to let go of this stuff and concentrate on important things, on the real meaning of Christmas: volunteer at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter, paint the swings at a park, adopt a pet, or clean up the beach. Visit your parents, hug your kids, hang out with your friends. Honor God's creations: our planet and its inhabitants--well, except the ones who are apoplectic about plain red cups.

Blogging Again--After a Year!

Writing things down and getting your thoughts on paper is important. It's good for you. It stimulates the brain. So why haven't I written anything on my blog for nearly a year? I've been way too lazy. I'm in a rut. I've been too complacent in so many areas of my life. That's not right and I need to fix it. So I'm looking for inspirational quotes (thanks Pinterest!), trying to find the power in change, and realizing I'm the only one who can make things better for myself. No one else is going to do it for me, although that would make it so much easier. I need to convince myself that staying on my current course is worse than facing the unknown. I have to take that leap of faith. In order to do that, I need regain confidence and get some brain power back--and that means writing. I'm setting a goal to blog at least once a week--and in an election year, that shouldn't be too hard. Lots of fodder for my rants. Stay tuned for my first new entry tomorrow.

First World Problems

Many people tell me they are jealous of all the cool, fun things I do and believe that my life is great because I only post the cool, fun things on Facebook. Obviously I've created a false reality for everyone. Life isn't as it seems--it sucks a lot of the time--like this week. Here's the ugly truth. It all started on Monday. I have had the LA Times delivered since I first set foot in my beautiful adopted home of Southern California 27 years ago. I've had the paper delivered every. single. day. For 27 years! The paper didn't arrive Monday morning. I called the automated line to get redelivery. Still nothing. Can't get any info as to what the problem is. Called when I got home from work to get credit for no newspaper delivery. Tuesday: Still no paper. I called again. Nothing. Left the house for my dentist appointment, just the standard 6 month cleaning. Love my dentist and dental hygienist. They discover I have 2 chipped teeth. They figure I must have bit down on something right between 2 teeth and chipped both of them. Don't know when it happened, I never felt anything, but it had to be fixed. Made an appointment for later in the week. Wednesday: Still no paper. Called and spoke to a Customer Service Rep. The powers that be aren't giving them much info either. A "new delivery contractor is still learning the route." Here's a suggestion: give them newspapers and addresses and send them out. How hard is it to deliver a damn newspaper?? Had to call again to get credit for non-delivery. Also, today I tried a new housecleaning service. A friend tried them, said it was cheaper than what we were using, and they did a great job. They charged me $20 more than her, for the same size apartment, and did such a shitty job I had to dust when I got home! Total rip-off! Thursday: Still no paper. Stopped at 7-11 to buy one. I can't go this long without the paper! Went back to the dentist and got my teeth fixed. Called the Times to get credit for non-delivery once again. Friday: Still no paper. Went to the grocery store before work to pick up a few things, along with the newspaper. Had an appointment at lunchtime to take my less-than-one-year-old car in for it's regular oil change. During their multi-point inspection, they discover I need a new engine! Are you effing kidding me??? A new engine?? That's major! It's basically a brand new car! They wouldn't even let me drive it. Put me in a loaner and set me on my way--in total and complete shock. I don't know how I actually drove back to work. I know these things aren't terribly horrible. I'm well educated and I know most people on the planet have it way worse than me. I know people don't have access to good dental care, can't afford housecleaning, and don't even own a car. I know that I could live in Liberia with the fear of Ebola, I could live in Nigeria with the fear of kidnapping, I could live in India with the fear of rape, or Syria with the fear of war. Hell, I could even live in south Buffalo with 6 freaking feet of snow! But, I don't live in any of those places. I live here and I have dental insurance, can afford housecleaning (sometimes) and own a great car. This is my reality--and I'm not happy. It was supposed to be a regular 6-month teeth cleaning, a simple house cleaning job, and a standard oil change. It all blew out of proportion! I want perfect teeth. I want a properly cleaned house, especially if I'm paying for it. I want my beloved car back in flawless condition. And I want my fucking newspaper!! Today is Saturday. Still no paper. I have a hair appointment and a pedicure. Fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong with those!!

Greed with a Capital G

So, a few hours before do-or-die Game 6 for the Clippers, Donald Sterling's lawyer announces what we all knew was coming. Sterling won't pay the $2.5 million fine imposed by Adam Silver, and is gearing up to retain ownership of the Clippers via an anti-trust lawsuit against the NBA. Sterling is going to do what he always does, popular opinion be damned! What the rest of us think, the fans, players, coaches, staff, isn't a concern to either Donald or Shelly Sterling. It's always been about them. Everyone who lives in Southern California is sick of all the full page ads Sterling has taken out in the LA Times over the years to promote his good deeds. Self promotion has made him rich beyond belief. It's all about Greed, and I mean that with a capital G. Greed drives everyone involved in this story. Greed drives a rather attractive 31-year old woman to hang out with a rather repulsive 80-year old man. Greed drives people to make recordings and 'leak' them to TMZ. Greed drives TMZ to do what it does--and they've broken a huge news story that has no end in sight. Now the "experts" are saying that it is possible both Donald and Shelly Sterling may retain a small but silent ownership of the team. Prior to today's announcement, the current players and coaches said they won't play for Sterling. I love the Clippers. I like this group of players and coaches--I like them together as a team. I don't want them to break up--but if Sterling retains any portion of ownership, it's over for these guys as a team. A lot of people are saying no one would play for him, but unfortunately, that's where people are wrong, and where Greed comes back into play. I agree it won't be the current team, but a team needs players, and others will step up. If someone's lifelong dream has been to play in the NBA, and the only way to get in is to play for Sterling, there are those willing to sell their soul for the opportunity. It's that same Greed that drives Donald and Shelly and V. Too bad everyone can't take the high road, sacrifice for principles and morals. But then, TMZ, CNN and every news organization and publication would go out of business for lack of anything interesting to report. And it might be kind of boring, too. But until the moral high road becomes the norm and we eradicate racism and intolerance, I'll be following the news, I'll be rooting against the Sterling's, and I'll be cheering for my favorite team. And I will be hoping and praying that the NBA has better lawyers than the Sterlings. Go Clippers!