Another Browns debacle

I’ve been a Browns fan my entire life because my dad raised me that way. It’s been a long, tough ride and I think I’m going to get off.

Since I was born in 1969, I missed the glory years of Coach Paul Brown and the greatest football player ever, Jim Brown. My dad, however, experienced those great years and so his tolerance for Cleveland Brown mediocrity is slightly higher than mine.

As a kid, I watched Brian Sipe and the Cardiac Kids and loved the Browns. Even though we consistently came up short, the Browns were my team and I idolized them.

Soon, Bernie Kosar came to Cleveland and gave us all hope. Our hearts were broken, not once, but twice by the Denver Broncos in AFC Championship games. Those games still haunt my football dreams, especially since Denver went on to lose both Super Bowls.

Bernie was ushered out by a new head coach, Bill Belichick in favor of Vinny Testeverde. I hung in there, though, even though my hero had been shown the door.

It didn’t take long until Bill and Vinny were gone as well as the entire team. Art Modell, the team’s owner, hurt the Browns Nation by moving the team to Baltimore and creating the Ravens.

The team was reborn in 1999 and have been lackluster every year since. I’ve continued to support the team. My friends and family hung in there as the team went through a quarterback carousel that’s been one of the worst in the league.

When the team drafted Brady Quinn in 2007, my hopes were raised. We got a strong young kid from Notre Dame to play in the big game. He road the bench his first year in order to learn the NFL game and adapt to the speed. The starting quarterback that year, Charlie Frye, was traded after the first game and Derek Anderson, the second stringer, came in and threw the ball like a mad man.

The following season a quarterback controversy started. Anderson vs. Quinn. Anderson started but didn’t have a great season. He finally was benched and Brady Quinn made his first official start against the Denver Broncos in Cleveland Stadium. I was lucky enough to be there for that game. The crowd cheered wildly when Brady walked out for the first time. For most of the game we had the Broncos against the ropes, but the defense faltered in the fourth quarter and the Browns lost.

In 2009, Eric Mangini was brought in as the new coach of the Browns, a move that wasn’t a fan favorite. Quinn started the season under the new coach who clearly didn’t believe in him. He benched Quinn after two and half games and brought Anderson back into the starting role. Anderson had a horrible year and late in the season, Brady was back at starter until he was hurt.

Quinn’s total starts in three years were 12 games and he went 3-9 last year, a dismal record. But the team wasn’t solid until the last four games of the 2009 season. Blaming Quinn for all of the losses is ridiculous. The team was simply bad.

When Mike Holmgren (former Seattle Seahawks coach) was brought in as the team’s new President, I thought we were on the right track. Holmgren cut, traded and brought in new players as soon as he could. He even kept Mangini around as the coach, the short winning streak at the end of the season had saved his job.

But today was the final blow to my fragile belief in the Browns.

They traded Brady Quinn to the Denver Broncos.

The team has brought in a career back-up in Seneca Wallace (Seattle Seahawks) and a starter who has had a questionable decision making over the past couple of seasons, Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers). Now, I like Jake and I hope he gets a new lease on life as a Browns quarterback.

I wish the best to Quinn. I hope the kid proves to the NFL that he’s a winner and ends up with a sterling career that will make the Browns regret getting rid of him.

As for me, I’m filled with disappointment yet again. Forty-one years have passed since I was born and every football season has been spent routing for the Browns. That’s a lot of futility for a fan to take.

I think I’m finally at the point to give up and move one.

I lived in Colorado for a while. Maybe I’ll try cheering for the Broncos now.