Thurgood Marshall graduation 2012
Badin vs. Versailles
Law Enforcement Memorial Day
Home > Blogs > Dawging the Browns > Archives > 2012 > January > 04
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
‘Red Right 88’ anniversary is today
Today marks the 31st anniversary of the game that came to be known as “Red Right 88,” the playoff game against the Oakland Raiders that the Browns lost because they had no confidence in injured placekicker Don Cockroft and Brian Sipe tried to be a hero with an ill-advised pass in the end zone to Ozzie Newsome that was intercepted by Mike Davis.
The play, called “Red Right 88” in its shortened version, is on YouTube in case anyone wants to relive the agony or experience it for the first time. The wind-chill factor is what I’ll remember most. It was 36 below, not quite as bad as the “Freezer Bowl” that the Bengals and Chargers would play a year later in Cincinnati, but don’t tell that to my extremities.
That was a fun year to be a Browns fan, relatively speaking. Lots of heart-stopping finishes leading to the team’s first playoff appearance since 1972.
Seven seasons was considered an unconscionable postseason drought for an organization that had been a perennial contender from its earliest days into the NFL right up until losing in the playoffs to the ‘72 Miami Dolphins, who went on to win the Super Bowl and finish 17-0.
Fast-forwarding to the present, it’s now been nine years since the Browns last made the playoffs and 17 years since they last advanced in the postseason (under Bill Belichick, by the way).
Throw in three years when the team simply didn’t exist and it doesn’t get much sadder for a franchise in a league that goes out of its way to promote parity.
Fear not, though. Pat Schurmur tells us better times are ahead. But it’s the third year of the Mike Holmgren-as-president era and the Browns still can’t tell you who their quarterback will be next season.
All we have to look forward to, it seems, is the Brad Childress press conference announcing the former Minnesota Vikings head coach as offensive coo——-.
Oh, sorry, I was yawning.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment |
Tweet
