Until they prove otherwise, Browns don't deserve our respect, patience

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Unrelated photo of a taco. Why? Why does anyone do anything?

We all know the Browns aren't making the playoffs this season, but is relevancy too much to ask for?  How about...what's an antonym for rampant, soul-sucking incompetence? Damned if I'm digging out the thesaurus right now. And don't tell me to Google it! That's a conversation killer. 

Point being, only the Browns know how to deflate a fanbase in such depressingly workmanlike fashion as they did today. It doesn't matter if the owner's an in-over-his-head soccer fan or a glad-handing Tennessean with curious business practices. Switch up the front office and the guys patrolling the sideline. Slap new name patches on the players' backs. Nothing seems to matter. The new boss is the same as the old boss.

What we think will happen for the Browns vs the Dolphins today

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Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins (Week 1)

September 8, 2013

Actual result: Dolphins 23, Browns 10

Brian	Browns 27 Dolphins 10	Despite Bill Simmon's claim that the Browns will trudge to lots of 13-10 victories, I think Norv Turner will spark Weeden to (relatively) great things. Browns don't continue opening day woes with a completely new looking gameplan.
Tom	Browns 32 Dolphins 14	The Browns jump out to a lead and never look back. The shiny new offense and defense look great for week one.
Doug	Browns 21 Dolphins 16	The Browns are on an even playing field with the Dolphins, just the kind of game you'd expect them to tank in front of a pumped up home crowd. If this team wants to move forward, the 1-13 mark to open the season must be the first thing to change.
SamVox	Browns 17 Dolphins 13	Weeden throws three INTs, but Miami can't consistenly convert on third down.
Kevin	Browns 24 Dolphins 16	Every year I get sucked into the excitement that this year, opening up at home will be different... and every year, I vow to never be tempted again. With that said, the sports muses have puckered up and I've been lured into the abyss yet again.
Ryan	Browns 31 Dolphins 17	Norv Turner's offense shows promise and Ray Horton's attacking defense creates turnovers. We will be chanting "Super Bowl" in the 4th quarter in the Dawg Pound.
Sean	Dolphins 27 Browns 21	Browns do what they do best. Disappoint on Opening Day at home.

What we think will happen for the Browns this season

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Cleveland Browns 

2013-14 Season Predictions

Brian	Browns: 8-8 Second Place in AFC North Super Bowl: Broncos over Packers	I can seriously see the Browns winning anywhere between 4 and 11 wins, because I am a delusional unapologetic homer who is both eternally optimistic and heartbroken. I want to give Weeden the time to develop, and that means a few games, with a RB, a WR, and a great line. The defense can hopefully take care of the rest.
Tom	Browns 8-8 Third place in AFC North	Finally the Browns look like they know what they are doing on both offense and defense. It leads to improvement, but ultimately only an 8-8 record in the tough AFC North. Tiebreakers knock them down to third place, but the foundation seems to be in place.
Doug	Browns 6-10 Last place in AFC North Super Bowl: Seahawks over Broncos	The Browns are thin at key positions and carry a big, rangy red-headed question mark at quarterback. I need to see the proof on the field before feeling the slightest shred of optimism about this franchise.
SamVox	Browns 7-9 3rd place in AFC North Super Bowl: Falcons over Broncos	The loss of Pat Shurmur automatically equals two extra wins. Anything more requires a leap of faith that the Browns haven't earned.
Kevin	Browns 7-9 3rd place in AFC North Superbowl: 49ers over Broncos	Offense will at least looks like a pro offense. Defense will be aggressive. Coaching staff will be at least be competent. All things I've thought the past 10 seasons. There is improvement, but come December, it's another play-off-less season in Cleveland.
Ryan	Browns 8-8	I think this team could be anywhere from 6-10 to 10-6. The Browns need Weeden to prove he is an NFL quarterback, or it's back to another QB next year and yet another restart. But I think Weeden gets it done and the Browns are a playoff contender...NEXT year.
Sean	Browns get 3 wins, plus 2 losses by their opponent. 5-11 Last place in the AFC North	I want to be optimistic but this Browns team is just too young and too thin.

Contending Tribe seems content to stand pat

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"My personality is completely genuine, bro!"

It's been a frustrating month of August for the Indians. The offense has been dire during these dog days, with every mistake the Tribe makes magnified by the lack of production at the dish. As the calendar turns to September, Cleveland seems poised on a razor's edge of contention that could slice them a good one at any moment. But even with the waiver-wire trade deadline looming, all is quiet on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. 

The Indians could certainly use help from a player not named Matt Carson. The unbalanced MLB schedule has sent the Wahoos to Atlanta for three interleague games, while Tribe bully Detroit drools in anticipation for a potentially back-breaking weekend series. 

Deep breaths. Repeat.

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Deep breaths.

Chris Perez is NOT looking toward home plate after
a strikeout. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan via Plain Dealer)

That's what to do.

It's not that big a deal.

The Indians are playing out of their mind, winning 10 out of 11 games before tonight, and hey, it's August 5th and we are only three games out.

Well, were three games out. But with four games against the only team ahead of us, it's a good thing, right?  Never mind that the only team ahead of the Indians are the murderer's row lineup of the Detroit Tigers, the team that has Justin Verlander as their second best starter, and the team that has won 9 games in a row.

Never mind that the team behind the Indians are the Kansas City Royals, and they're not the likely double digits behind--they've won in the neighborhood of eighty straight games and again, it's August 5th.

Never mind that the Indians went to the ninth inning up 2-0 against the fearsome Tigers, and at least one foolish fan/blogger thought "wouldn't it be great to get yet another shutout this season, this time against the Tigers. Hey, wouldn't it say something to shut them out all four games??"

That foolish fan forgot that he was talking about the Tigers. And that our pitcher in the ninth inning can be, shall we say, a little adventurous.

Today's adventure was more like The Blair Witch Project, in that it sucked and left me nauseous.

Never mind that Alex Avila--the guy hitting .197 coming into today, was told to swing away with runners on first and second and no outs. And then he hits a three run home run.

Never mind all that. Deep breaths. There is real life in them here Indians. So they are four games out as they go to sleep tonight. They are tossing and turning because they're not two games out. But there are something like fifty games remaining. Four games is not a mountain too high to climb.

Never mind that damn lineup in Detroit. Next time, how about more than two runs. Did I mention that lineup?