Imagine that back in August the city of Cleveland collectively woke up and said, “We should plant a palm tree in Public Square.” For years Clevelanders had been jealously admiring other cities’ palm trees each fall with nothing to show for themselves. “It’s our turn,” they decided absent any other evidence. “We deserve this.” National writers scratched their heads at this decision and wondered if Cleveland’s harsh autumn climate would allow such a tropical plant to grow. Still, Cleveland believed its faith and desire would be enough to allow the palm tree to flourish.
So, on September 8, with much fanfare, a palm tree was planted in Public Square. The mayor and city council were there, a band played a marching tune, and shovels were merrily pressed into the dirt for the soon-to-be glorious palm tree. After four weeks the tree was more or less coming along. It perhaps wasn’t as high and full as everyone would have liked, but there was plenty of time before the end of the year, and locals remained optimistic that the tree would rally and grow with magnificent palm fronds casting a shadow on the Terminal Tower.
The next five weeks brought cold, rain, and misery. People began to question how Farmer Fred was tending to the palm tree. While other cities’ palm trees blossomed, Cleveland’s began to shrivel and wilt. There was technically still enough time to get the palm tree where the city wanted it to be, but anyone who watched it could quickly tell that the tree was not going to make it. The city’s unforgiving environment would not allow the tree to flourish. It doesn’t matter how badly the city wanted the palm tree to grow; there just aren’t palm trees in Cleveland, Ohio.
As I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, the palm tree is a metaphor. The Cleveland Browns have been “due” since 2007 and it would have been wonderful to see the team excel this season. Everyone reading this wondered what First Energy Stadium would be like hosting a playoff game. If will and desire were enough to win games the Browns would be defending world champions. They’re not. It’s painful to admit, but all the caveats and schedule-gazing and well wishes in the world are not enough at this point.
This is not a playoff football team. This is not a .500 football team. This is a Cleveland Browns football team. On Sunday that Browns played against an opposing quarterback making his NFL debut. He went 12-of-20 for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Sure, he was sacked twice but he looked more than competent against the Browns’ moribund defense. The Browns outgained the Broncos 351-302 and still lost.
Sunday’s game could have easily taken place at any point in the past 20 seasons. You could easily swap out an overmatched Freddie Kitchens with a fuming Pat Shurmer or befuddled Eric Mangini. Baker Mayfield looked as competent as Colt McCoy or (gulp) Brandon Weeden. This doesn’t feel like a new era or a fresh start. It feels like another chapter in the same book of disasters that Cleveland has been reading this century.
In Issue 1 of Neil Gaimen’s seminal graphic novel “Sandman,” a magician captures the titular sandman, Dream, and imprisons him. Dream eventually escapes and chooses to punish the magician’s son by subjecting him to an endless series of nightmares. At the crescendo of each nightmare, the son would awaken and for an instant to believe the terrible dream had passed and he was awake. Then the moment would melt into the next nightmare and the cycle would continue unendingly. That is what being a Cleveland Browns fan is like. You can water it all you like, but a palm tree cannot grow in Cleveland.
"palm" - Google News
November 04, 2019 at 09:55PM
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A Palm Tree in Cleveland - Waiting For Next Year
"palm" - Google News
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