Brian McPeek does the Weekend Wrap.  It’s funny, informative, and chock full of analysis about the Browns, Buckeyes, Tribe, Cavs, and whatever else is important to us here at The Cleveland Fan.  Without any real knowledge of the sort, I’m going to go ahead and declare it the most widely read column on this site. 

But what good is it?  All that stuff already happened.  The past is the past, man.  Let it go.

What we need is someone to tell us what is happening in the future.  You know, a little heads-up, mostly about the sports that bring us here, and maybe some other stuff too. 

That’s where I come in.

Much of what I say or provide won’t make sense.  I may go off on little tangents from time to time.  I offer no promise of any meaningful analysis or observations.  Most of what I find funny is probably not.  Most of what you’ll find funny, if anything, is more than likely unintentional.  I make no promises other than this: if I have not already been drinking all day, I will chug at least 2 Commodore Perry’s prior to writing anything.  I will do this for many reasons and here are 2:  First, I like Commodore Perry, and B) that way I can read it tomorrow as if for the first time.  If I’m lucky, I’ll completely forget that I wrote it and marvel at the wonderful, witty insights of this new TCF writer.

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Tell me y’all saw that one coming. 

Tell me y’all saw your 1-5 Cleveland Browns, they of little talent and a brand-spanking-new baby of a rookie quarterback, going down to New Orleans against Drew Brees and the point-a-minute, Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints and winning a laugher of an NFL football game 30-17. 

So what’s the recipe for going down to the Big Easy with a novice under center and less talent on the entire roster than the opponent has on offense? Simple: pull out all the stops and be creative on offense, defense and special teams. 

There was no single ‘fluke play’ like a Couch to KJ Hail Mary as time expired in 1999 in this big Browns win on Sunday. 

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are celebrating their tenth anniversary season this year, yet they are striving to erase most of the decade from the minds of their fans. With one playoff appearance, a sweep by the hated Detroit Red Wings, the start of a new decade of Blue Jackets hockey may provide a spark for the franchise.

 This past offseason, the Jackets tabbed Scott Arniel as the new bench boss.

Arniel, a one-time Buffalo Sabres assistant, and most recently, the head coach of the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose, brings an up-tempo style and a winning attitude to a fan base desperate for both. Arniel’s Moose participated in the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs in each of his four seasons, winning at least forty games each year. With his best Manitoba team, back in 2008-09, Arniel took them to the Calder Cup Finals. Arniel brings 730 games of NHL playing experience to the table as well.

Arniel filled out his coaching staff with battle-tested NHL veterans. Assistant coach Brad Berry played 241 games in the NHL, while assistant coach Bob Boughner was a stalwart blueliner in 630 contests. Dan Hinote recently retired from the NHL after playing 503 NHL games. He also played his collegiate hockey at Army.

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I drifted off to sleep at some point Sunday evening and was awakened by a horrific nightmare. I dreamt that the Buckeyes had their lunch handed to them by the Wisconsin Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium Saturday night. The nightmare continued when I had visions of the Browns dropping a lamb of an NFL quarterback into a lion’s den on Sunday afternoon. 

Oddly enough my dream ended with former Tribe skipper Eric Wedge landing another managerial gig in Seattle where he was reunited with Milton Bradley and it was then that I woke up in a cold sweat. 

Thank God it was just a horrible nightmare and none of that stuff actually happened.  

Because that would have really sucked. Well, except for the Wedge-Bradley reunion. That would just be funny. 

The Kid was Alright 

I’m not ready to anoint Colt McCoy the next great QB hope for the Browns based on one game where he didn’t completely blow, but hey, he didn’t completely blow. 

That immediately makes him better than 80% of all Browns QBs since 1999.

In fact, as the game went on and slowed down for McCoy he actually looked quite comfortable and capable in the pocket and in leading the offense. He made a couple very nice throws to his receivers….err….tight ends who are actually receivers and he acquitted himself very well in a really difficult place to play and against a very difficult defense to play. 

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