The worst IN us usually brings out the worst OF us

Just as the NFL season was beginning, I joined a few of the Browns Facebook groups, because I thought we were in for a particularly fun season, and I wanted to share some of my highbrow humor with fellow fans to, you know, promote my “brand."

Man, could I have ever been this wrong before? (Before you even think about answering, my friend, be advised that this is a rhetorical question and, as such, means you may respectfully remain silent. Please.)

Anyway, the thing that really rots my socks is that Browns fans, bless ‘em, couldn’t leave well enough alone with the whole Myles Garrett fiasco. They should have accepted that fact that he was an idiot who did an idiotic thing – no, what he did was beyond idiotic – and let him serve his suspension for the rest of this year and hope he’d keep his nose clean and be reinstated for the 2020 season. That goes for Myles Garrett, too.

I should probably state, for the record, that my opinion of Myles Garrett as the No. 1 pick of the entire NFL draft a few years ago has not been overly enthusiastic. To me, the No. 1 pick is a game-changing, impact player who is in or around virtually every defensive play for your team. He’s a guy that is so good he gives the opposing team’s offensive coach nightmares about how to control a player of his caliber. A great player day in and day out, who makes those around him perform better and elevate their game.

Simply stated, Myles Garrett has never been that player. Good to very good (at times), but not great. Sorry. He’s just not. And I’ll add that Garrett’s claim that QB Mason Rudolph used a racial slur made Myles look even worse – not better. For one thing, a racial slur would never justify Garrett’s behavior. Secondly, the majority of Rudolph’s teammates are African-American, so the likelihood of Rudolph using a racial slur in the heat of battle would ultimately be self-defeating as his standing among his teammates would suffer. Makes no sense.

So, the level of outrage which accompanied his suspension, along with the denial of his subsequent appeal, had me virtually laughing – especially at all the deep thinkers on Facebook who accused the NFL of “having it in” for the Browns and/or Garrett. Supposedly a group of Browns fans were going to buy Garrett jerseys and rent a bus and all ride into Pittsburgh wearing those jerseys. And you thought Custer had it rough? I mean, at least George could plead ignorance.

I laughed primarily because of this: If the tables had been reversed, and one of the Steelers’ defensive lineman had ripped off Baker Mayfield’s helmet and tried to do an imitation of a windmill on Baker’s head, what do you suppose the reaction here would have been? I’m guessing there would be rallies to form a movement to have Pennsylvania tossed out of the U.S. (following the Steelers, Pittsburgh, and surrounding suburbs, in that order).

Facebook doesn’t put any restrictions – at least, not that I can tell – on language, common sense, or plain old bad manners. Didn’t know that when I signed up. I mean, I’m no saint, but c’mon guys, that verbal mis-behavior has to get old at some point, doesn’t it? You need to understand that that free speech thing can work against you too, folks.

Be sure to let me know how that onslaught of Myles Garrett jerseys at the Pittsburgh game worked out, too. I’m sure you’d have made General Custer very proud.

Jeff Bing

Lifelong Westlake resident who dabbles in writing whenever the real world permits. My forte is humor and horror...What a combo!

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Volume 11, Issue 23, Posted 10:08 AM, 12.03.2019