Written by Greg Popelka

---

I have never really been a “bucket list” type of guy. What would the point be? I could fill a page with such ‘gotta do it while I am able’ goals, but let’s be real: I am never going to free-fall to Earth from twenty four miles up. I am not running for president of the United States. And I am not buying the Cleveland Browns football franchise. Those would be the #3, #2, and #1 items that would sit atop my bucket list –today, anyway- and they ain’t happening. 

I could limit my list to the countless realistic activities I would like to experience, but there wouldn’t nearly be enough time to cross all of them off. From an early age, we begin the lifelong process of making either/or decisions, and collectively, these lead us down the paths of life on which we travel. We can choose to circle back and start on a new path, but we typically stay on the ones we’re on. I don’t believe in regrets, even if we later think we would make different choices if given another chance. The future invariably offers forms of redemption for the times we inevitably stumble. 

I hope you feel the same way I do about this. I simply love having opportunities to try interesting new things; many of them are the hobby equivalent of interests I had when I was younger. Rubbing virtual elbows with the beat writers of The Cleveland Fan is a fun way to explore that old sports writing interest from back when I used to read Hal Lebovitz, Chuck Heaton, and Bob August on a daily basis. I’ve always been certain I could play rhythm guitar in a rock band- these days, when time permits, I can Google instructional YouTube videos or tablature websites and indulge that craving to play, satisfying it until the next time. If you’re like me, the activities of your kids also can sometimes places you into a role that scratches the itch to be involved in something you’ve always enjoyed. 

As much as anyone, I enjoyed playing sports when I was a kid. When it became apparent that I wasn’t all that good, I began to make choices that pulled me in other directions. For instance, deciding to spend more of my time working rather than sticking with baseball, basketball and football. No regrets, although there obviously were coaching and other non-playing roles that I could have looked to pursue. 

Recently, the football team at our daughters’ high school was looking for volunteers. We have been cheerleader parents for over ten years, and we have variously pitched in with such game-day duties as concessions and the ticket table. For several years, playing traffic cop in the parking area was my ‘thing’. I reserved the closest spots for pregnant moms, the elderly, and the disabled and generally kept cars from clogging traffic. A big issue was keeping cars that were parked in the extra-long bus parking spots from getting blocked in by other cars. You’d be surprised how many people would do this. Sometimes they’d act like I was being rude, but I’d explain that I was only trying to help keep them from getting towed. I figured they were just embarrassed at being called out. Overall, the parking thing was fun because I got to see and say hi to everyone who’d parked and was walking up to the game. 

Anyway, as this season approached, a new item on the need-list caught my eye: chain gang volunteers. (Cue the Darth Vader guttural whisper: “Hohhhhh”). I had never done that. I would love to do that.  I signed up for the three available home games.

***

Sam Rutigliano had played his college football at Tennessee and at Tulsa. His life choices kept him in the game after his playing career ended, leading him to a high school head coaching position. He ascended to the college game, with Connecticut, Maryland, and then Tennessee. His professional coaching career began in 1967, as he spent ten years as an assistant, mostly with receivers.

When Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell hired Rutigliano after the 1977 season, he broke his pattern of hiring within the organization, plucking the coach from the New Orleans Saints.  He did continue the classic flip-flop from the strict to the relaxed, from the stern to the fatherly. Paul Brown (strict) to Blanton Collier (relaxed) to Nick Skorich/Forrest Gregg (disciplinarian) to Sam Rutigliano. You can’t be known as “Coach Sam” if you are not fatherly.

***

Around a half hour prior to game time, the dads who were to man the chains that night had drifted together near the sideline. They joked a bit as they squinted into the evening sun. The referees were in uniform, conversing among themselves in the middle of the field. When they finished, one of them approached the dads and introduced himself. He issued some instructions, a few reminders, and asked if we had any questions. I spoke up: “So would you regard us new guys as ‘replacement officials’?” He didn’t laugh. 

***

When Coach Sam hit Cleveland, he inherited a starting quarterback in Brian Sipe who’d had a rough career since he was drafted in the 13^th round in 1972. He spent his first two seasons on the taxi squad, as 1970 first-rounder Mike Phipps was given a full shot to develop.

Phipps is regarded as a bust- especially since Hall-of-Fame receiver (and northeast Ohio native and Ohio State star) Paul Warfield had been traded for the right to draft him. He did show some promise, and Forrest Gregg did have a regard for him prior to his being injured during the season opener in 1976.

After that season, Modell traded him as a follow-through on his promise to deal him rather than let him ride the bench- behind the back of Gregg, who noted that Modell had broken his promise not to make unilateral trades.

Sipe had a nice season going in 1977, leading the Browns to five wins in seven games before being sidelined for the rest of the year with an injury sustained in Pittsburgh. The team tanked after that.

***

“THUNK.” Our kicker had just booted the ball, with all his might, to begin the game. He is pretty good at kicking off, and the ball usually does what he intends it to do… this particular kick was a line drive that nailed an unsuspecting player in the front line of the receiving squad, about fifteen yards away. I think the kick was inadvertent. The ball landed nearby, and I was jumping up and down, screaming as our side scrambled toward the ball. “JUMP ON IT! GET IT! YEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” 

Our ball!!! Our fans were going crazy. It was quiet where I stood, on the sideline amongst the opposing team. I turned and saw that every shocked face was tilted at me. A coach snorted. Oops. I looked away. (I’m new!) 

***

In the first game of the 1978 season, the Browns took advantage of the mistakes of the San Francisco 49ers on their way to a 24-7 win. The contest was close until the final quarter, when Sipe hit WR Reggie Rucker on a 69-yard touchdown pass. After that, the Niners had to rely heavily on the pass to catch up, and the Browns defensed it well.

Pacing San Francisco was RB legend O.J. Simpson, who ran for 78 yards on 22 carries. He also caught three passes for 20 more yards. He fumbled twice, for half of the Niners’ turnovers on the day. Rookie QB Steve DeBerg had been thrust into the starting lineup, replacing the recently-cut Jim Plunkett.

RB Gregg Pruitt gained 106 yards on 22 carries, and 25 more yards on three passes. Rookie Ozzie Newsome scored a touchdown on an end-around near the end of the first half. Thom Darden picked off DeBerg to help ice the win.

***

The other dads working the chains had had no problem with my request to man the down marker. It was every bit as fascinating and fun as I’d expected, although I did occasionally move upfield too quickly, needing to retreat back to where I (hopefully) had been, prior to a thrown penalty flag. And a couple times, I lingered absentmindedly for a moment as our opponent hit on a big play and rushed to the line of scrimmage. But overall, I did OK. 

I was easily distracted by the conversations between our opponent’s players and coaches. Ultimately, there was respect for the coaching staff, but the players’ childish mouthiness was shocking at times. The referees remained in charge of the game, and issued several stern warnings to the sideline: “Coach, number 52 has been warned. One more comment and he is gone.” “Coach, 54 is removed from the game. If I hear one more word, he will be tossed out and will have to leave.” A couple times, a coach had to stop and shout a player down, to gain control. Eventually, all the players fell into line. After all, they were beating us pretty handily. These were rough kids from a rough area of town, and got away with some dirty play after the whistle. But I am biased. 

The two toughest things for me while on the sideline were 1) learning of the intentions of the opposing team- like an onside kick- and being unable to relay the information to our coaches, and 2) smack talk and disrespect for our side. Having to just be quiet and take it. I didn’t even have a boy playing, unlike the other dads- they seemed a lot more in control of themselves. 

***

Game Two of the 1978 season was an overtime victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. It was one of those 90+ degree September days at the old stadium. Mike Pruitt (44 yards including some hard-fought runs in OT) and especially Greg Pruitt (120 yards) each contributed to the win, and Newsome again scored. K Don Cockroft hit a field goal in the overtime period, in a game where both he and the Cincinnati kicker each missed easier kicks, earlier. The kick return game was a strength for the Browns, as well.

The Falcons were the Game Three opponent, in Atlanta. Greg Pruitt was not able to play due to a leg injury suffered the previous week, against Cincinnati. The Browns won, 24-16, tallying some points against a defense that was ranked among the best in the league. Opening the scoring for Cleveland was Sipe, who reached the end zone from the 2 yard line after fumbling the snap and dashing in. Darden intercepted QB Steve Bartkowski twice, the second from the Browns’ end zone as time expired. Bartkowski had entered the game in the third quarter for starting Falcons QB June Jones.

In Atlanta, Sipe flashed some of the promise of his early career- promise that had appeared to wane in latter years. He finished at 20 of 35 for 219 yards and two passing touchdowns. One TD was to Rucker and the other was to Newsome, who wowed his family and friends who’d made the trip from his Muscle Shoals, Alabama hometown to see him play. Newsome was already looking like an NFL star.

***

Our high school has had some success in sports- the basketball and baseball teams usually are good. The girls’ volleyball and basketball teams dominate. Our football team has only been in existence for the last several seasons, and we have struggled with constant turnover in coaching and systems (sounds familiar- doesn’t it, Browns fans). We do appear to be turning the corner. The roster is full of great kids, and we are executing a lot more of the fundamentals on a more consistent basis. Penalties are down. The kicking game gives us a chance when we match up physically. We still have trouble blocking, but we have some skill players (who still play both ways). The tackling is typically much better than it used to be. The program is developing. As it unfolds, I’ll be there.

***

So it was an auspicious beginning for the Browns’ newest incarnation, led by new head coach Sam Rutigliano. Brian Sipe, a player whom had been increasingly labeled as “embattled”, had some nice offensive weapons to work with. Coach Sam’s life path had put him in a position to help the quarterback reach the pinnacle of the National Football League, in just two seasons hence. 

Thank you for reading. Sources included Wikipedia, the Browns game database on Cleveland.com, clevelandseniors.com.