Montee Ball to the Browns rumors heat up
September 9, 2015Terrelle Pryor on Braxton Miller: “He’s a Buckeye. That’s what Buckeyes do.”
September 10, 2015Wait, it’s Thursday already? I’m not complaining, just… Dang. Where’d this week go?
Actually, this week feels a lot like the entire year, doesn’t it? It’s flying by, and it’s practically over before I’ve even noticed it. The past few months have gone so quickly, I wondering where summer went—and realizing that I didn’t get to do any of the things on my annual summer list. Didn’t watch Major League. Didn’t eat a s’more. Didn’t even get my yearly picture with Onion. But, all of my summer lamenting aside, I’m really excited for fall. Can we talk about it? OK great…
I believe in the Indians. Kind of a lot.
There’s something about baseball in the fall that gives me butterflies. It’s a bit magical, right? I know for all intents and purposes, the four seasons in Cleveland are basically winter, spring, summer and football, but come on, you guys. If you’ve been following the Tribe even a tiny bit, you’ve got to feel equal parts excited and hopeful and anxious right now. We’re walking that thin line between post-season contender and “team that ends up going home,” and that finite possibility is just so enthralling to me. Yes, the odds are stacked against us, but who cares? The Indians COULD pull off the kind of run we need to sneak into the post season, and we’ve certainly got all of the pieces in place to do so. If you ask me, that’s something worth cheering for.
One of the biggest reasons my Tribe-related hopes are so high is most definitely Francisco Lindor. Can we talk about this kid for a minute? I use the term “kid” because that’s exactly what he is. Seriously. He is a 21-year-old kid who is doing amazing things right now on the field—and who is capable of doing really big things in the future.
As I’m writing this (Wednesday evening, sometime between the seventh and eighth innings against the White Sox), Lindor is a double away from hitting for the cycle. (EDIT: He ended up falling just short of the cycle, but still.) Since the All-Star break, Lindor is hitting .351, playing shortstop like he’s got a Golden Glove waiting and bringing the enthusiasm, personality and fun this team felt like it had been lacking. The goofy antics. The teammate photobombs. Lindor is the kind of player who reminds me why I love following baseball so much. Every team needs that special sauce, and it seems like the kid might be ours—today, tomorrow, and hopefully into October.
I’m not sure I believe in the Browns right now. (But I’m trying.)
I wish I could say my Pollyanna-like Indians optimism extended to our boys in orange and brown, but I’m not so sure about this season, you guys. Typically at this time of year, I am so damn excited for football season to start that I can barely sit still. OK, I’m still excited for Browns football, but I’m also really struggling to feel like anything is lining up for our ol’ Browns this season.
Our quarterback situation (or lack thereof) has me more than a little nervous. Vegas odds are predicting Mike Pettine will be the first coach fired from the NFL this season. The injuries. The trades. The cuts. Things don’t look great for us this year, Cleveland, and I’m not even going to get into how bad things look for Roger Goodell and the NFL in general. (PS: Yikes.)
All of that aside, I know I’ll be right there at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday, September 20, anyway, cheering like crazy and hoping for the best like I do every year. After all, what else can you do? (Besides wait for next year, that is.) Part of being a Browns fan is knowing that they’ll (probably/inevitably) let you down, but loving them just the same, right?
I believe it was Abraham Drinkin’ who said “Four Score and Seven Beers Ago.”
Let’s switch gears for a minute. Are you guys watching Drunk History? One of the best parts of fall is undoubtedly the return of all the best primetime TV shows, and if this gem isn’t currently on your list… Let me explain why it should be.
The premise of Drunk History is quite simple: A narrator (usually an actor or comedian, but not always one you’ve heard of) gets, well, completely inebriated on camera and tells a famous story from history. Think Woodward and Bernstein. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth. That tipsy narration is then played over a reenactment of the story, featuring a steady rotation of big-name stars like Will Ferrell, Ryan Gosling and Zooey Deschanel, just to name a few.
What started as a sloppily shot, silly little web series has grown into a full-scale production, now entering its third season on Comedy Central. And through the slurring, confused identities (note George Hamilton and Alexander Hamilton are two different people), and intentionally poorly lip-synched dialogue, the show stays as close to historically accurate as possible. With different celebrities and stories featured each week, Drunk History somehow ends up feeling like a big Hollywood production… Made by your idiot friends in their own backyards.
While it’s laugh-out-loud hilarious, me telling you how funny Drunk History is does it absolutely no justice. Please just take my word for it and set your DVR to grab at least one episode, ok? Catch it Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.
I think that’s all for me, you guys. Go Tribe, go Browns, and go watch Drunk History. Have a great Thursday!
9 Comments
Didn’t eat a s’more.
You’re killin’ me Smalls!!!!
(okay, back to your regular scheduled programming)
Jessica, if I remember correctly, you’re living in Chicago where I’m guessing bonfires are hard to come by. While they lack the nice, smoky flavor created by the fire, may I recommend oven-made s’mores? Just use a cast-iron pan and set the oven to broil. It may feel like cheating, but if you’re really in the need for a quick s’more fix…
Gas ranges were made for smores. Just remember to put the foil down first or the cleanup is a pain. You will only make that mistake once.
My summer tradition is not doing all of the things I want to do in the summer. Nailed it again this year! But I did get to a game at the Jake (huge fan of the right field changes), played golf with the old man (and got pummeled), and tried out footgolf (highly recommend). The problem was, that all took place within the same week. And in Ohio, where I do not live any longer. Summers in Florida kill my motivation to get too active, because humans should not live in such heat and humidity.
Still not buying into playoff hopes, but watchable baseball has been fun. And even though I have higher hopes for the QB spot this year (if the line holds up), I’m not looking forward to another season of Browns football-like product. Thank goodness for the Buckeyes, the closest thing to a pro football team we will see this season.
As for Drunk History, highest of recommendations from me. My only regret is that they have been deemed “inappropriate for school use” at work.
(Also, I will only eat s’mores with white chocolate or just the graham cracker and marshmallow. Not a fan of any other chocolate)
hi Jessica … maybe this will make you feel better :
Browns 20 , Jets 19
S’more what?
We have “Lincoln the Lawyer” permanently saved on our DVR from Season 1 of Drunk History. It is, hyperbolically, without a doubt, one of the top 5 funniest things I have ever seen. My wife and I have it memorized. It is part of the daily dialogue of our home (which makes visitors really uncomfortable).
“Am I a lawyer, or what?”
“Humma, humma, humma, humma, LINCOLN!”
“Stanton said, ‘Now he belongs to the ages.’ And Lincoln said, ‘F___, that’s great.””
Here’s just one reason why people shouldn’t believe everything they read courtesy of who else but ESPN:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/09/espn-gives-tighter-edit-to-column-criticizing-espns-patriots-opus/
Trying out foot golf after work today. Very much looking forward to it.