For more than 59 minutes on Sunday, it seemed like the Cleveland Browns were going to find a way to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After losing 23 of the past 27 games against the Steelers, it was no surprise that the agita level of Browns fans everywhere was on the rise as the game went along and, despite forcing eight Pittsburgh turnovers, the Browns could never deliver the knockout punch. And as Reggie Hodges lined up to punt with 19 seconds to go, the game still seemed very much in doubt.

But once Hodges’ punt went out of bounds at the Steelers’ three-yard line, it truly was game over.

Final score: Cleveland 20, Pittsburgh 14.

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The clock is probably ticking on those leftovers.  They say you’ve got two hours to refrigerate it, and just four days to eat it.  It doesn’t matter how much there is, it sure would be a shame to have to throw any of those leftovers out, but there’s something worse than wasting leftovers, and that’s being left out.  Adults to it to their peers; children to it to each other at school and adults do it to their own children at the holidays.  Good God, there’s nothing worse than being stuck at the kids’ table when you’re sophisticated enough to hang with the adults.

It’s the ultimate segregation of the generations; it feels like incarceration, especially when you have kids’ table seniority.  That’s right about when you realize that you don’t belong there; that the get-together is better served with you mingling amongst the adults, but you don’t rate.  It’s a clear case of age discrimination, but who are you going to present your case to?  You’re just stuck.  Sports fans will try to trap you at the kids’ table if you display any loyalty to a team that doesn’t have a track record that puts them in consideration for “Game of the Week” status on a regular basis.  It’s as if I can’t speak to the filthiness of Michigan baseball during the Fab Five era because Ohio State got caught up in something that could loosely be described as a “scandal” two decades later.

I also happen to be a fan of the Cleveland Browns, which apparently voids and nullifies any and all opinions I have on the NFL.  While it’s true that I might contaminate any aspiration of objectivity with the Browns or Steelers by watching the Browns so intimately, and allowing the team from Western Pennsylvania to frustrate me so much, I don’t see why I can’t have an original thought about the Bears, or the Saints.  What is it about liking a team that happens to be led by Pat Shurmur that says my opinion on Lovie Smith, Ken Whisenhunt, or Norv Turner is out of line?  Savvy drafting, salary-cap management, the playoffs, and the Super Bowl are all off-limits because these are all basically foreign concepts to my favorite team.

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I'd like to crow about my season-best-tying 9-5 record last week, except those other two gentlemen also achieved the same record, so I cannot without doubt state that my fabulous winnings were the result of my new system and not just a merciful week betting-wise for all.

For the year, DJC has now broken the .500 hymen and sits at 81-77; 78-80 for me, and 76-82 for BT, who has dropped to 5-6 in his Executive Whiffs.

As this is a little late in release, we will nix the Ohio State-Michigan pick (which I can unwaveringly say I chose correctly despite what I actually wrote down) and just enjoy a faux National Championship, all while giggling hysterically at how Big Eastian the Big 10 Championship Game will be with 2 of the better programs on probation.  Which of Nebraska or Wisconsin will win the right to a BCS Bowl Slaughter?  Oooooooo, can't wait to see.

Anyway, time is short this week, so on with the show...

All odds are from VegasInsider.com:

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The Cleveland Browns come back home to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in a divisional “rivalry” game.

Dating back to 1994, the Browns are just 2-13 at home against the Steelers; will be facing Pittsburgh’s third-string quarterback, Charlie Batch; and will be handing out inflatable white flags to every fan in attendance, only the greatest game day promotion since the Cleveland Indians passed out deodorant for a Mother’s Day game in the 1960s.

What could possibly go wrong?

Update: Late Saturday afternoon Browns spokesman Neil Gulkis announced that the team would not be going through with the promotion. Gulkis said the giveaway was "intended to be fun for our fans and something that they could rally around, and we regret that some didn't perceive it that way. We want to thank all of our fans for their tremendous support."

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