So, within the next 36 hours, we find out if the Patriots will go undefeated, if the Browns can go 10-6, and if they make it into the playoffs. Too bad the NFL season peters out so early for us Browns fans. A mere 17 weeks. Meh.
That's exciting, but the stories which you can find on the planet's only hand-selected 24-hour newswire can't really match up. There's some good stuff there, and it's my task to help you find it. So I will.
Here's the stuff I enjoyed digging out of a Saturday newswire:
Robaire Smith has cure for Allenitis (ABJ)
Larry Allen is not the sort of fellow you want to spend your Sunday sparring with. He's the type of guy you would like in different time zone from whichever one you're in. You want him far away. As far as possible. Oddly, though, Robaire Smith is fighting for the chance to practice and play against the "legalized killer" in a meaningless game. Which tells you what you need to know about Robaire Smith. He's either very determined or completely brain-addled. Based on my knowledge of professional football players, I'm guessing it's a bit of both.
Banged, bruised and just maybe bound for playoffs (Morning Journal)
Antwan Peek is in sort of a different camp. Normally, he would be pushing to play in this game, but with a possible playoff berth looming, it may make sense for him to sit out. Like Smith, he wants to be on the field Sunday.
Unbeaten Browns (Canton Repository)
Another great Browns team, the 14-0 1948 Browns, are largely forgotten because the game was named "Championship" and not "Super Bowl". Only the NFL discards it's history so mindlessly. And Steve Belichick was right.
Lewis is in team's plan for 2008, source says (Plain Dealer)
A non-story, frankly. The question isn't whether the Browns "intend to bring" the running back to Cleveland, but whether he will be affordable. As I confidently predicted in a column I'll never discuss again when it's wrong, whether or not Lewis returns will be based on price and length of contract, which will be based on what other insane NFL clubs decide to do. Hope of a hometown discount began evaporating when Lewis began deferring to his agent, which John Taylor reported a week-and-a-half ago.
Click here to bask in the constant stream of news provided only by the sickeningly thorough newswire rss feed. We've acquired a number of imitators since 1999, but none of them have a newswire like ours. We're pretty much obsessed with updating the thing. It's sort of sad and pathetic, really.
OUT OF THE BLOGOSPHERE: The key item, which reverberated around the blogosphere like a nova... no, a supernova... no... a superdupernova... was the return of the infamous Dawghouse blog. MikeB and Ace Davis were the first two Browns bloggers on the internets, starting waaaaay back when. It's good to have MikeB back in da house.
Week 17 - Dawghouse Blog
Week 17 Predictions - WhatzGonnaHappen
December 28, 2007 Show - Moohead Radio
An anniversary ignored? - Mark Leonard
Future Forecast Of The Browns - Cleveland Sports Authority
A Few Guys You'll Need To Know - First and Ten Inches
An agonizing wait - Red Right 88
Browns … Once a Dynasty - Browns Gab
Worst of sports media: The runners up - Sports Media Watch
PROFESSIONAL SPORTSCASTING AT ITS FINEST
Thank you, ESPN, for giving us the wonderous gift that is Emmitt Smith. This guy is as bad as me on the OBR Radio program, and I don't get paid. I would propose to Emmitt that we split his money and both mangle the English language with aplomb. The past-tense of aplomb is aplombed. Or aplew. Or aplewed.