CLEVELAND, Ohio During the Victorian Era people routinely propped up recently deceased loved ones so they could take a family photo with them before saying their final goodbyes. Many of these pictures are online if you're in the mood to feel mildly horrified for the rest of the day.
That mourning tradition might seem inappropriate to you but we wholesale jerseys all grieve in different ways. My family's funereal customs would probably seem odd to many as well. I've attended Irish wakes that feature a full bar, live music and a buffet of salted meats located roughly 30 feet from an open coffin containing my uncle's prone body. That's just how we do.
The manner in which some people choose Football Jerseys & Caps Wholesale - Men/Women/Kids/Dogs to cope with tragedy and loss might be considered disrespectful by others. Such is the case with the proposed "Perfect Season" parade that a group of Cleveland Browns fans is planning in the very likely event that our football team goes winless this year.
The announcement of the parade was met by a vocal collection of earnest critics who consider the concept defeatist and embarrassing. I believe they are well intentioned, but missing the big picture.
One of the most frequent complaints I've heard about the event is that it "celebrates losing," which is factually incorrect.
This is no more a celebration of losing than The Boston Tea Party was a celebration of taxes. It's a communal act of defiance by a frustrated collection of fans who have been pushed to the brink.
This is not acquiescence to losing, it's a sardonic acknowledgment of it. Ask any parade attendee if they'd rather be celebrating a winning Browns season and the response would be a unanimous "yes.''
But the Browns aren't winning, and they haven't won for a very long time. People are fed up and want to blow off some steam. I see no harm in that.
That's why when the organizer of the parade invited me to be a part of it I told him I'd do whatever I could to help so long as it required no actual time or effort on my part. I remain steadfast in that vow.
Another concern by those who disapprove is the negative perception of our city and fans that may result. They fear it might make us look bad to the rest of the country. This is also incorrect.
What makes us look bad to the rest of the country is the fact that we are 3 26 over the past two seasons. There's no running from that. All this parade does is prove that we can at least have a sense of humor about it.
It's not breaking news that our team is terrible. Where is the shame in publicly acknowledging it? People are going to make fun of us regardless, so why wholesale pro bowl jerseys not get out in front of it? Watch this:
"Hey Cleveland! The Browns suck!"
"Yeah. We know. We threw a parade for that."
Trying to deny or downplay a problem typically makes things worse. If you're an overweight kid at a public pool the absolute worst thing you can do is decide to swim with your t shirt on. It only confirms your insecurities to everyone and that's like a dinner bell to bullies.
Your ONLY move is to rip that shirt off and act like you don't care.
We Browns fans are that kid. wholesale nba jerseys And it's time to rip our shirt off and do a massive cannonball, soaking every sunbathing popular kid within a quarter mile vicinity of the pool.
Besides, how the rest of the country perceives this parade is not the primary concern. First and foremost, this is intended to be a cathartic gathering for a very loyal, very beleaguered fan base that hasn't had the opportunity to have any fun together in a while.
I've attended every home game this year and the sense of hopelessness displayed by the players on the field has infected the stands. And if it takes an admittedly ridiculous demonstration like this to bring fans together and make them feel connected, then what's the harm in that?
And to be clear, no one is under the delusion that this will change anything. No player is going to try harder next year because of this tomfoolery, nor is ownership going to suddenly rethink its approach.
This simply is a chance for Browns fans to gather downtown just once this season knowing that they'll get to go home in a good mood. The team has proven it is unable to provide such a service, so we're taking it upon ourselves.
Of course this entire argument is moot if the Browns manage to win a game, and I'm all for that.
If the comparably inept San Francisco 49ers can muster a second win, that would allow the Browns to secure the first pick in the NFL Draft without losing every game. I would greatly prefer not to go down in history with the 2008 Lions as one of two teams in NFL history with the dubious distinction of going 0 16.
But if the winless season does happen and I'm given the choice between either stewing about it alone or converging downtown for a mutinous party, I'll take the party all day. |