ColumbusSports.com
http://www.columbussports.com/content/writers/brian_white/browns_fans_anger.shtmlBrowns Fan's Anger
Their team's performance today brought out a lot of anger and frustration from Browns fans.
I purposely wrote this immediately after the game and before the frustration had too much of a chance to subside. Watching another sorry performance by the Browns today was almost too much to take. Fortunately I was sharing the agony with quite a few other Browns fans (and some rightfully confident Steelers fans) at the Winking Lizard on Bethel Rd., the Sunday home of the 3rd largest Browns Backers Club in the world (about 830 members as of today), the Buckeyes Browns Backers Club.
The game today was the living, breathing, perfect epitome of what this series has become. Mistake after mistake by the Browns (four penalties and a muffed punt on one play!) and big play after big play for the Steelers, the "what else can go wrong" attitude piled up. It's amazing how even on the few positive (I can't say "good") plays that the Browns had, we just waited for the inevitable flag or fumble at the end of the play. The same defeatist attitude must permeate the Browns organization, and turning it around is a task of monumental proportion.
"I called my dad to tell him I hated him for raising me a Browns fan." - comment overheard in bar
How could any group of fans want a savior, any savior, more than Browns fans? While the predictable calls for "Brady, Brady" were heard (along with a few comments like "Wait till Cowher gets here next year."), even they weren't very urgent, as it was fairly obvious that putting Quinn in the game would probably have put his life at the mercy of a blitzing Steeler.
Romeo Crennel will receive a lot of well founded criticism after this game. How his team could come out again and look so bad and so unprepared at the start of what was hopefully to be a more promising season is something for which he probably doesn't have an answer, but one must be given. No more excuses will be accepted by Browns fans this year. Without significant improvement, no wait, without actually WINNING a few games soon, the wheels will come off of even the most loyal Browns bandwagoneers and the season risks turning even more ugly and dark than the past few have been.
Here are some comments I overheard today from Browns fans watching the game (when they looked up from shaking their head or just turning away in disgust). I should point out that all of these occurred in the first half and mostly in jest (what else was there to do but try to laugh at the Browns' play?), but they reveal the high amount of frustration and disappointment that all Browns fans feel.
"At this point, I'm just rooting for Santonio Holmes." (from a Buckeye fan obviously)
"I called my dad to tell him I hated him for raising me a Browns fan."
"If I was there I'd be throwing something by now." (great, another Jacksonville game debacle in the works)
"Why is Anderson coming in instead of Quinn?"
"Brady was probably going to the locker room to change - he peed his pants after watching that last blitz."
"Best pass to Winslow all day" (after he caught an overthrown ball while standing on the sideline)
I haven't heard a word yet of the Browns post game comments, nor any post game analysis or other fan rants, but I'm sure it's not pretty, and few will hold back on their criticism.
It will be quite interesting to see who is named starting quarterback for next week's game when the Bengals come to town. With a full week to prepare, could Brady Quinn get his chance? What have the Browns got to lose? It's hard to imagine any performance by Quinn being worse than what we saw today from Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson. If Crennel continues to hitch his wagon to those two quarterbacks being "the answer", he'll be pulled right off the cliff with the rest of the team and organization, with the fans probably close behind, waiving Terrible Towels in mockery of this organization's lack of performance and success.
Until next year at least, when we'll predictably begin the cycle all over again. We are Browns fans of course. Did someone say the Indians were in a pennant race? Maybe I'll catch them on TV tonight....