Southwest Messenger - May 5th, 2019

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PAGE 6 - SOUTHWEST MESSENGER - May 5, 2019 Opinion Page www.columbusmessenger.com Dare I hope the Browns turn it around? I rarely have memorable nightly dreams anymore, mainly because one must sleep to have them, and I’ve found aging seems to frown upon that luxury. I can only remember a few I’ve had my entire lifetime, all from my younger days. In one, I was looking down from high above, flapping my arms and flying like a bird. Then there was the one where I was a jockey in the Kentucky Derby where the starting gate swung open and I was sitting backwards on the horse, hanging on to its tail, trying desperately not to fall off. A nightmare for me, but nothing more than a comedy sketch comedian Tim Conway would have been proud of. I had a new dream the other night, albeit a nightmare. I tossed and turned and woke up sweating and exhausted. I was yelling, “no, no, no!” As I analyzed it over a cup of strong morning coffee, I realized it was based on a true event, one I wish I hadn’t recalled again. I concluded it was generated by all the recent headlines about the Browns and their recent acquisition of star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. from the Giants. I was the lead character in the nightmare, i.e. the bad guy, the rat fink. It was January, 1988 and I was down on the field at Mile High Stadium in Denver. It was the AFL Championship Football Game with the winner headed for the Super Bowl. For some reason, my Browns teammates kept calling me Earnest, Earnest Byner. The game was winding down, the clock showing just 1:12 left. We were losing 38-31, but we were driving, now down to Denver’s 8 yard line. Victory and a Super Bowl appearance were in sight. The call in the huddle was a handoff to me. I took the ball, I was moving, the goal line was getting closer and closer, nobody was going to stop me, just one more yard. Suddenly, a defender stripped the ball from me. Poof, the win became a, now you see it, now you don’t moment. The fumble that rocked the Browns community and will A yard sale is no small task. It takes several hours of cleaning house, adding prices and sitting on your porch all day hoping someone will find value in the items you no longer want or need. By the end of the day, we only made a little over a $100, and then used that money to pay someone to remove an overgrown bush in the backyard and haul away some other items. It was by no means a money maker, but the feeling of having less clutter in my home was priceless. Lately, I’ve been fascinated with this duo called “The Minimalists.” I first always live in infamy. I’m glad I quickly awoke and realized I wasn’t the real Earnest Byner. Poor guy, a good career running back, just some real bad luck. After the reality of the loss set in, I went on to feel as bad for him as I did for us fans. As harrowing as that nightmare was, the on-field fiascos of the following years have been even worse for us fans of the hapless Browns. In 1995 they moved to Baltimore, hanging our devoted loyalty and streaming tears out to dry. Then, a season without playing at all. The ‘new’ Browns arrived back home to play, at least a poor semblance of play, in 99. It’s been an uphill fight since then, with results less positive than General Custer’s efforts at the Little Big Horn. They’ve taken fan patience to new unreasonable and unattainable levels. We sank from the glory days of Jimmy Brown, Otto Graham, Lou ‘The Toe’ Groza, and the Kardiac Kids of ’80, all the way down to the depths and stigma of ‘The Clowns.’ I went for years barely watching a game after that, it was too painful, I just couldn’t handle the mental anguish. Sneaking a quick peak of the weekly score in the news was difficult and more than enough. Besides, I always knew the result, another game in the loss column, the question was just by how much. But we Browns fans are as loyal as they come, there always remained a glimmer of hope for the future. The losses always insured a top draft choice. Every year I’d try to stay positive until the draft was over. Then every year my hopes would collapse, and I’d shake my head in disbelief at who they’d selected. Ah yes, those fresh memories of the great headcase, Johnny Manziel! Brown’s inept management really messed up in the 2018 draft. They inadvertently selected someone with actual potential, a player with talent and a born leader on the field who seems to know how to behave professionally. They selected Baker Mayfield from Oklahoma, the top pick in the draft. With him assuming the QB controls in ‘18, and the line blocking better so he didn’t become the usual instant injured mashed potato, as has been tradition with our quarterbacks for too long now, they actually became fun to watch again. Oh, they were still far from Super Bowl territory, but they were competitive in more than a few games, a term I didn’t think I’d ever use with them again. They still found incredible ways to blow big leads and lose in the closing seconds, but now they were also finding ways to come from behind and win some games just as miraculously. Another win or two and they would have backed into the playoffs. A bombshell hit the sports wires this past March. The Browns acquired supertalented wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. from the Giants for some draft picks. Given the Browns track record on drafting and wasted picks, it sounds like an excellent trade, assuming Odell stays healthy and concentrates on his game instead of some of the on-field and sideline antics he’s been known to have. He’s only 26 and should continue to provide that extra spark the offense has so sorely needed for years. I fear it’s going to be difficult for me to get fully back into the spirit, even with a significant improvement over the past Browns follies we’ve struggled to endure. The NFL seems to have lost its way and forgotten the recipe for success that’s made it so special and popular. While it remains successful, despite itself, it seems intent on losing its loyal fan base these days with its wishy washy management. It’s just not the same game it once was, the one I so loved. The NFL’s contently prioritized itself as a social issue forum first, the game now seeming to have become secondary at times. It’s become a barrage of commercials, interrupted occasionally by on-field play. There’s little consistency in the rules. Instant replay reviews, intended to improve calls, have too often only muddied things up worse and slowed the game Getting rid of all that clutter feels like freedom Life Moments - Christine Bryant Guest Column Dave Burton down, only to give us more commercials while drawn out, still controversial, decisions are being made. I once thought I knew what a catch was - not anymore. Calls are only supposed to be overturned when there’s conclusive replay evidence to do so. I often join with the announcers in being totally baffled with some of the strange replay rulings we routinely see. Then there’s the new call, targeting. Inconsistency at its worst. The trend continues toward not touching the quarterback, else risk a penalty. The game is steadily gravitating too far away from the rough and tumble game we once knew, bringing back childhood memories of flag football. In my heart, I know if the Browns potential develops, they’ll suck me in again. Making the playoffs after so many years would be great. But I’ve been waiting for them to get to the Super Bowl. Maybe that’s still a year or two away, maybe just as far as ever, but perhaps all the media and fan buzz is justified and the 2019 season is finally going to be the one. I can’t wait to hear, “It’s a pass from Mayfield. Beckham has it, he’s on his way. A 99 yard touchdown play for the Browns. They win!” It would be fun to see the endzone Dawg Pound rocking and rolling again. Some exciting wins, some new fond Super Bowl memories and who knows, this could even be the year for a new dream, a sweet one, I’ve had enough nightmares! Dave Burton is a guest columnist for the Columbus Messenger Newspapers. He lives in Grove City. watched their documentary on Netflix, called “Minimalism,” though the concept of minimalism is not new to me. I’ve watched the opposite of it for some time, often catching those hoarding shows that chronicle the lives of people whose “collections” have gotten out of hand - to the point of it becoming mentally and emotionally debilitating. I am no hoarder, but I do have emotional attachments to certain things. Yet lately, I’ve been asking myself, “If I’m so attached to something, why is it stuffed away in a box in the back of a closet?” Watching the documentary was an eyeopening experience for me, allowing me to ask myself if I would be better off in my life with fewer things rather than more. I don’t plan to become a minimalist, but then again, that’s not necessarily the idea behind the film. Sure, there are people who really just have a few pieces of clothing, a couch and table, and that’s about it. What I’ve learned, however, is minimalism is subjective for each of us. What makes you happy is going to be different than what makes me happy. What’s important is for us to embrace what makes us happy and not get lost in the idea that the actual act of having possessions is a path to happiness. If you haven’t caught the documentary, it certainly will make you think about what we deem important these days. If nothing else, it might help you finally find that willpower to go through your closets and cupboards, and who doesn’t need that little extra push? Christine Bryant is a Messenger staff writer and columnist.
www.columbusmessenger.com May 5, 2019 -SOUTHWEST MESSENGER - PAGE 7 Active Lifestyles A bi-monthly feature celebrating the wisdom, experience and contributions of our community’s senior citizens PAID ADVERTISING Hannigan Memorials hires branch manager to serve Grove City Modlich Monument Company has hired a branch manager to oversee memorial sales and operations at Hannigan Memorials. Chad Sothard will serve as a memorial specialist and branch manager at Hannigan Memorials, located at 4071 Franklin St., Grove City, Ohio. Hannigan Memorials is part of the Modlich Monument Company’s family of companies. “I look forward to staying active in the community and helping families in their time of need choose the right memorial to honor their loved ones,” said Sothard. “We look forward to working with Chad and have confidence in his ability to develop relationships with the Grove City community and to continue to grow Hannigan Memorials’ position as the place people can trust to create a timeless tribute for their family members,” said Jonathan Modlich, vice president of Modlich Monument Company. For more than 40 years, families have trusted Hannigan Memorials to create timeless tributes that are as unique as the people they honor. At its Grove City showroom, the experts at Hannigan Memorials get to know each customer and listen to their loved one’s life story before crafting a memorial that meets the customer’s special needs. For more information, go to modlich-monument.com/hannigan. Exercise key to helping arthritis Exercise can be beneficial in the treatment of arthritis, say many doctors. Physical activity can reduce stiffness and increase muscle strength and flexibility. It also has overall health benefits, such as improving cardiac fitness and physical endurance. Three types of exercise are most appropriate for those who have arthritis: •Strength training: Strong muscles help support and protect joints affected by arthritis. Lifting weights can provide this. •Range of motion exercises: Dancing, tai chi, Pilates, swimming, and other activities that push the body to stretch and move help maintain normal joint motion and relieve stiffness. •Aerobic activities: Activities such as brisk walking, bicycle riding, skating and more are good for the heart. They also moderate weight, which in turn puts less strain on joints, particularly the knees. Some studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce inflammation in some joints. Before beginning an exercise program, discuss with your doctor what activities might be right for you.
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Southwest Messenger - May 5th, 2019

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