Written by Thomas Moore

---

You may not have heard, but Super Bowl XLVI is this Sunday. The game itself has flown a bit under the radar because the participants represent two small markets in Boston and New York.

But the game is on the minds of Cleveland fans because of New England coach Bill Belichick, who is going for his fourth Super Bowl championship. The fact that none of those championships came in Cleveland, where Belichick was coach from 1991 to 1995, still gives many Browns fans agita.

Honestly, though, it’s been more than 20 years since Belichick was hired as Browns coach and 16 years since he was fired, so we’ve pretty much forgotten why we are supposed to be mad at him.

Sure, Belichick cut Bernie Kosar when the only healthy quarterback on the roster was Todd Philcox.

And Belichick was just 3-8 vs. Pittsburgh.

And Belichick had a losing record with the Browns (36-44).

And Belichick has sired a coaching tree that has spread across the NFL like a plague, with coaches infecting franchises with the worst qualities of the “Belichick way” without any of the on-field success. (Except for Romeo Crennel; somehow he was a pilgrim in an unholy land and didn’t bring any of the boorish behavior with him when he left the Patriot bunker).

And while Belichick has been to five Super Bowls with Tom Brady, he’s never won anything without Brady. (And the Belichick/Brady duo is no Paul Brown/Otto Graham).

But who’s counting?

Belichick isn’t the first Browns coach to struggle with Pittsburgh; every coach since Marty Schottenheimer was looking for a gleam along the lakefront has had problems with the Steelers. And Belichick was coach the last time a Browns team won a playoff game. (No telling how many more years we will be writing that last sentence).

So we’ve sort of, kind of, forgiven Belichick for whatever it was we were supposed to be upset about.

But we still have plenty of items in our Cleveland fan duffel bag.

Like Jeff Kent, who couldn’t catch a simple throw from Sandy Alomar in Game 2 of the Divisional playoffs against Baltimore. That boneheaded play helped derail a 99-win team that lost the series to the Orioles.

Brian Anderson, Mike Jackson, Eric Plunk, Alvin Morman and Jose Mesa, who combined to give up nine runs in three innings of relief work in Game 3 of the 1997 World Series, which the Indians lost, 14-11, to Florida.

Mesa, forever and a day, for Game 7 of that same series.

David Wells and Orlando Hernandez, who won three games in the 1998 American League Championship Series as the Indians lost to the Yankees.

Pretty much everyone on the 1999 Boston Red Sox.

The Indians offense in Games 4 and 5 of the 2001 Divisional playoffs against Seattle. How does a team score 17 runs in one game, but only three total runs in the next two?

Joel Skinner. Seventh inning of Game 7 of the 2007 American League Championship Series.

The officials for not calling the foul on Craig Ehlo’s drive in Game 5 of the first round of the 1989 NBA playoffs against Chicago.

The 1975-76, 2007-08 and 2009-10 Boston Celtics, who took away a certain Cleveland championship in ’75-’76, probably took one in ’07-’08 and may have taken one in ’09-’10.

The officials for not calling a Dwight Howard foul on Delonte West as they battled for a loose ball near the end of regulation in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009, a game the Cavs would go on to lose in overtime.

The NBA for not giving Rick Mahorn a lifetime ban for giving Mark Price a concussion with an elbow to the head.

Oakland defensive back Mike Davis.

Denver quarterback John Elway.

Denver kicker Rich Karlis. Seriously, how dopey was it that the NFL let players on the field bare-footed?

Denver cornerback Jeremiah Castille.

Pittsburgh quarterback Tommy Maddox. Honestly, how did the Browns lose a playoff game to this guy?

But, hey, we’re not bitter or anything.