There I was. Sitting in my car in my driveway checking my messages on my phone. When my next-door neighbor, Jerry P, who was walking his dogs, spotted me and came over.
Have you heard about it? He asked.
“Heard about what?” I asked.
“The Cleveland Browns just traded for Desean Watson”
“Whoa… really?” was all I could say.
I thought to myself. That was interesting. I didn’t see that one coming. You see, Cleveland already had a highly touted quarterback by the name of Baker Mayfield. The number one pick in the 2018 draft. A guy that was pitched on dozens of commercials as the owner of the Cleveland Football Stadium. A guy who has basically been the face of the team for the last four years. Before the disaster that last season turned out to be. The Browns were one of the teams picked to get to the Super Bowl.
After letting that sink in Jerry then said, as if in a daze.
“And signed him for like 230 Million dollars. He then repeated “230 million dollars. For a guy with over a dozen sexual assaults alleged against him. Who knows when or if he is going to play”
That was another reason why I didn’t see this coming.
I bet everyone reading this knows Desean Watson in some fashion, way or form. Watson is an NFL professional football player for one. He is also a quarterback and quarterbacks are featured players on a team. But more than likely you know because Watson has been in the news accused of numerous sexual assaults. I also will bet that no one else reading this knows Jerry P. He is not a football player. So he definitely isn’t a quarterback. He hasn’t been accused of anything. Jerry is the guy next door. Like all of you. But maybe you should know more about Jerry than you do Watson.
Though we have not broached the subject I am sure Jerry P was born in Ohio. Why? Because the Browns have been perennial losers for so long. That there is no other reason to be a Browns fan other than being born in Ohio. More than likely his parents were blue-collar and so wasn’t his grandparents. Jerry went to college. Not on a scholarship or a trust fund. But by him and his family paying for it. After college, he co-started a business that he worked hard on for years. Eventually, the company went big nationally and Jerry P got paid. But nowhere close to the 230 million Watson is slated to get. Life can seem unfair when measured in dollars. But there is more to fulfillment than money. Watson may play professional football. But Jerry P is a guy who walked/ran across the ENTIRE United States to raise money for a charity. From west to east. Deshaun Watson will never do that. I bet there are far fewer people who have done that than have played football. It is obviously much harder. So who should you really know and look up to? The answer is not even close. It’s Jerry P.
Now go look in the mirror. You are Jerry P. You are just as important if not more important than Deshaun Watson. Stop looking up to players to make your day or as a measuring stick. It is you that make their day. You run PTOs, donate to food pantries, run yard sales and fundraisers for your communities. You work long hours at tough jobs just to support your families. It is you Mr and Mrs sports fan who keeps NFL in business. Without your support, there is no NFL. You may follow the NFL, but remember you are not affiliated with them. So don’t make the NFL’s problem your own. Don’t trouble yourself with a team’s lack of morality or judgment. If you find what they do offensive then find a team that does business in a manner you can appreciate. You are Free Agent FANs. HELLO. No one is paying you to align with a team. If anything, YOU are the one paying to align yourself with them. So if you are unhappy, you can do something about it. Find a team that makes you happy. You are the one making the final decision in the matter and your happiness should be what matters most.
As Jerry P walked away I shouted
“Well, you never know. It may work out well for them. They may go places with this guy”
Jerry P turned around to me. Seemingly still in a daze.
“Huh? Oh no, we are talking about the Browns. The Cleveland Browns. They are the epitome of bad judgment. Nothing works out for them. If they are doing this. Then it’s obviously wrong”
And with that, Jerry walked off. I wanted to say to him ‘Hey man. If you are looking for a QB and a team you can get behind. There’s always Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he had already walked out of talking range.
So fellow sports fans let me ask you this. Why be mired in a 30-year sports funk because the local football team sucks because of bad judgment. Too many of you beat yourselves up needlessly over the miscues of your local team. Stop it. You deserve to be happy too. Find a team you can identify with and embrace winning. Because you are a winner and your physical and psychological well-being depends on it. Maybe Cleveland is confounded in the DogPound’. Maybe not? But if they are, that’s their problem. You have bigger and better things to concern yourself with. YOU. Enjoy YOUR day and bask in the sunlight.