Our Superbowl

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(ok had to get that out of my system first)

When your season starts as slowly (ok, horribly) as the Browns did this year, its never a good thing. Especially when it was hyped up to be so much more. Coming into this week, this game was make or break. We could essentially count our season as over if we didn't start winning. And on national tv? Against the defending Superbowl champs? On a Monday night (for the first time in 5 years)? Well, its safe to say, that for Cleveland fans, Monday night was our Superbowl. So this is what it feels like to be on top, eh?

Seriously, that might be overreacting a bit, but not much. My loyal readers have been wondering when my post MNF blog was going to be written (and by my loyal readers, I mean by brother, best friend, and people who are bored at work) and what the reactions of New Yorkers have been (Seriously, we treated this game like the Superbowl, expecting to leave a wake of devastation. In the realm of Cleveland, we failed to see this as just another game) My brother even went so far as to suggest that I call this week's post "How does my ass taste". After my rant awhile back about rubbing it in and "kicking a dog when he's down", I chose to go a different route.

But I digress. My thoughts now that I've had a chance to digest the fact that Monday actually happened and it wasn't a dream. I was slow at work during the day and had spent some time reading about the game from varying sources. This of course left me nervous. I was quite honestly stressing out about a game in which I had no control. I found myself saying at the begining of the game, "I really don't expect to win this game, all I ask for is that we do not embarass ourselves on national tv". This was the very phrase I said 5 years ago en route to Cleveland Browns stadium for the last Monday night game we played. Though I would soon come to see the outcome would be very different. (Aside from the fact that 5 years ago included tailgating in a parking garage, randomly ending up seated next to my uncle at the game, and sneaking vodka into the stadium in an aquafina bottle, but that's another story)

Our offense started out in typical "2008 Browns" fashion. Falling just short of a TD and having to settle for 3. Then in a twist of fate, we intercepted and were given a second try, which again, in typical '08 Browns fashion fell short when PD missed a 50-some yard attempt. But as the first half went on, I began to notice something. The 2008 Browns began to play in a very untypical fashion. They were playing like a professional football team!! Braylon was catching passes! We were blocking! We were making key stops on defense! I don't know who this team was, but I hope to God they stick around!! I could get used to this team.

We scored late in the second quarter to take a 10 point lead, and in a cloud of euphuria I took a stupid bet with a Giants fan that I was watching the game with. He bet me all the money in his wallet (which amounted to $6) that they Giants would score again before the half was out. I knew this was probably going to happen. But I didn't care! I was excited! My adreneline was pumping! I had faith in my team! Plus, I admitadly know very little about gambling. I took the bet and lost my $6, but in hindsight, it was $6 well spent. (Maybe I should have gone double or nothing in the second half....)

I don't have much faith in the Browns as a second half team. I'm a Cleveland fan and eternally skeptical. I was nervous again as the 3rd quarter began. But as I had lost count on the pitchers of beer in front of us by this point, that nervousness was numbed a bit. And then things began to get exciting! We began to put points on the board! Several times! So THIS is what real football looks like!?!?!??! After a TD pass to Braylon, shortly followed by an interception which we returned for a TD, the game was essentially over.

The Browns bar I watch the games at is also a Giants bar. The crowd on Monday had been about half and half. It was about this time that half of the bar began to clear out. I'll give you one guess as to what half that was. I on the other hand was on cloud 9. While there were many upset Giants fans on Monday night (um our Giants fans friends stormed out without so much as a goodbye), life in New York did go on. I didn't get evil glares from co-workers, despite my Cleveland Browns wallpaper on my computer, and even got some 'good games' from a few people.

I don't know what this means for my boys going forward. Our play was far from flawless. We still made stupid mental mistakes, but lucky for us, the good outshined the bad. The Giants also made many mistakes, and eventually those cost them the game. If we can continue to play with the fire and intensity that we did in the national spotlight on Monday, we may still just have a shot.

Here's hoping....