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Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
Say what you want about the OBR Daily Newswire, but in my heart, a large portion of the purpose of this thing is to rail against people who treat Browns fans like gullible buffoons. I probably make some enemies among the media, although I'm not sure anyone really pays attention to this thing.
This may be why the audience for this Massive Morning Missive, chock full as it is with links and clumsy attempts at humor, remains relatively small. After all, it assumes the reader is relatively up-to-date with Browns news and can tell the originators of news (journalists, analysts) from those who repackage other people's work with WWE-level soap opera headlines. It makes a lot of assumptions about what readers want and don't want.
Perhaps the truth is that most people prefer soap operas and goofy conjecture, more so than an article that pokes fun at soap operas and goofy conjecture. Take a look at the people making big money in the sports media, and that certainly seems to be the case. Many fans turn to pro football not as an exercise in its value as athleticism at a high level, or as a metaphor for the human story, but as a soap opera performed by big people who hit each other.
When I fell into loving football, it was mostly an excuse to do things with my Dad and to pursue interests similar to those of my role model. He followed Michigan and the Lions because he grew up in that area, so I did too. Only later did I shift my attention to my local teams and the college where I went to school. I listened to sports talk radio (namely, Pete Franklin) and relished the gossipy but informative and fan-friendly columns by Hal Lebovitz. I was very emotional about sports, and enjoyed the sport at that level.
And so it remained until Art Modell moved the team, which fired up my sense of indignation and frustration at how the world works. Then, as I wrote about my thoughts on the matter, I became insulted by how the media treated justifiable fan angst and fans' opinions and concerns. Hence my outlook on media as treating fans as intelligent rather than as, well, consumers of local soap opera.
But not everyone treats sports like I do, or cares about what sports mean. Many people just want some fun-time enjoyment and gossip, and ask for nothing more.
So, for them, I'm sure they enjoy Clutchpoints, Stephen A. Smith, and the rest. The only question is how big the audience is for something else. After thirty years, I think I know.
THE DAILY SHEDEUR: Tony Grossi seems upset that the Browns quarterback soap operais not worthy of national television ($) despite the attraction and eyeballs Shedeur Sanders and a four-way QB competition would create. I'm glad Hard Knocks is staying far away from the Browns. The more peace and quiet that Kevin Stefanski has to do his work, the better.
Deshaun Watson, Jimmy Haslam
Oopsie! Sorry about that three years of misery! (Photo: Getty)
RICH AND POWERFUL PEOPLE SMACKING EACH OTHER: Once again dipping into the soap opera theme, it's a well-established fact of popular entertainment that normal folks like you and I love watching rich and powerful people be miserable and bicker with each other. Hence, the success of reality TV. The Brook Park situation gives us a chance to watch rich people battle powerful public servants in the press. What fun! Sure, there's hundreds of millions at stake and questions abotu what best serves the public interest, but let's kick back and watch the game play out:
NATIONAL LISTICLE OF THE DAY: Every NFL team’s top three players entering the 2025 season - (pff.com)
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!!:
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
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