CLEVELAND — Of course we could nitpick and grouse about how this Browns season was an embarrassing, icky-feeling, total organizational failure, that challenged an already tortured fan-base to new levels of inner turmoil and frustration without even paying off our continued, allegiance by offering any legitimate signs of real progress… but… as part of my New Year’s resolution I have committed myself to seeking out the positive aspects of every situation, And it’s with that philosophy in mind that I now offer you… Positives Of This Browns Season:
CONSISTENCY
Got all 17 games in. And for every one of those games, they were there on time.
AWE-INSPIRING FEATS
Remember all those pre-season phone videos of Nick Chubb squatting lots of weight and Myles Garrett jumping on stacks of things? Those were really cool, am I right everybody? I mean, wowie!
COUNTERBALANCE
Served as a useful reminder of how much we should appreciate our city’s two, far better run, far less supported, playoff-caliber teams.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Before the season even began The Browns organization managed to find a way to get the fanbase and the entire nation emotionally engaged in the team, for better nor worse, everyone was talking about Cleveland!
VARIETY
Even if their D-line never held up this year their fashion game did! The Browns sported a variety of uniform styles throughout the season including the rarely-worn “color rush” edition, seen here during a freezing cold, Christmas Eve, home loss to a bad dome team.
SWEET VENGANCE
We finally got revenge on our evil nemesis: Baker Mayfield. Our plucky, former quarterback who led The Browns to their first playoff victory in roughly 30 years a while back, despite his physical limitations! So….boom. Take that…dude. But seriously, best of luck on your journey.
PEACE OF MIND
After an admirable performance by Jacoby Brissett to start the season we finally got to watch Deshaun Watson play the final 6 games, giving us the opportunity to put our minds at ease by confirming that, if nothing else, the turmoil caused by his signing would at least clearly, eventually pay off on the field. And now we’ve seen him. So…that’s settled.
ONE FOR THE AGES
Boy, we sure made some history in that Jets game, didn’t we? I know we were on the wrong end of that history but still, to be up 13 with under two minutes to go in your home opener, and then to watch 59 year old Joe Flacco score twice and win, a feat that hadn’t been done since 2001…when it also happened to The Browns, ha ha! Well let me just say, speaking as someone who was there that was really, really something. That is a memory I will always have.
And finally…..
EXCITING NEW CHARACTERS
Sure, it looks like our team probably regressed this year and we’ve been given literally no legitimate reason to have faith in this organization as we move forward, but you have to admit, the fanbase did get introduced to some pretty hilarious and diverting new characters this season, didn’t we? I think we’ll always fondly remember The Browns Rally Skunk… the Drunk Guy Who Would Not Fall Down….and that guy who drove his car onto the field, we think because maybe he hated the elf or something. All classics in their own right.
So, anyways, those are pretty much all of the positives that I could come up with regarding this past season, with the exception of this one last affirmation that always gives me comfort: Though indeed, as Browns fans we seem destined to suffer, at least we don’t suffer alone. It’s been a long, emotional season Cleveland, now lets rest our minds a bit...and go Cavaliers.