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"Haven't won anything yet.....still got one game to go." - [Tribe catcher] Jake Taylor

Remember the night that Indians beat Wakefield in game 4. Remember we started making plans for the next week – where we would watch the World Series, who we would be watching it with – it was almost as if we had been waiting for this moment for 43 years, and now we had the opportunity to plan exactly how we would remember the first Cleveland championship of many of our lifetimes.

I remember coming home that night and watching SportsCenter, something I NEVER do, and I will never forget, during the highlights of the seven run inning, they flashed to C.C. in the dugout and John Anderson said “What does C.C. stand for? Colorado and Cleveland!”
I wasn’t even mad – we were going to the World Series, against a cupcake. This was it. This was Elway, and Byner, Justice and Mesa….Edgar F-ing Renteria – it was all about to end. Thursday was C.C., Saturday was Fausto; the series was over. By this time next week, everything would be different.

And then it wasn’t even a surprise when it happened. I didn’t feel guilty for expecting victory, but it didn’t blow my mind when Beckett, Youkilis and Dustin freaking Pedroia won the next three games. There was depression, but not shock – there was misery, but not regret.

While it never dawned on me that we might not go to the World Series, it also never really seemed real. There is no reality for a feeling you’ve never had before.

Fast Forward to this week. The national media has christened these Browns a playoff team. All of us are scouting who we’d rather play, and dissecting scenarios for home field advantage. We’re complaining about which Browns didn’t make the Pro-Bowl. THE PRO-BOWL!!!

If 15 weeks ago, someone would tell you that after fourteen games, the Browns would be a win away from the playoffs, would you ever think that the biggest topic of conversation that week was that ONLY two Browns made the damn Pro-Bowl????

This is NOT over. Just like the Tribe, I am already making plans for Sunday, January 6th. I am already formulating a ticket strategy should the Browns come out West against The Whale’s Vagina.

But if Carson Palmer and Frank Gore have other plans, and the Browns collapse, the Titans win two games their supposed to and January 6th is instead spent watching the Cavs play the Raptors, will we be that surprised??

Will it come as such a shock that the Browns shot themselves in the foot and couldn’t win two games they should have won? Would it not be too familiar to hurt if the Browns fly a little too close to the sun and come crashing down leaving another offseason filled with questions and complaints.

Remember after the Steelers playoff game. Why did they go to the prevent? Why did Butch call that 2nd down passing play. Why did Dennis Northcutt pick that f-ing time, to drop that f-ing pass.

Would it be that big of a shock? So until we clinch, and until the Niners game is merely an exhibition that people paid ridiculous amounts of money to attend, can we please focus on the task at hand.

We are playing a team that dropped 46 on us in Week 2, not exactly lightweights. And yes…we’ll be near the…..some burgers, some laughs, our troubles will be over.
But only if we win. Just thank god Josh Becket isn't playing for Cincy.