Benway
Listed Questionable
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2011
- Messages
- 6,432
- Reaction score
- 8,191
- Points
- 113
I did not wish Josh Gordon well after his trade to New England. My hopes having been repeatedly dashed, as well as his insufferable vendetta against my team had cured me of empathy or sympathy.
But gradually, after having moved on and tasting success (mediocrity?) with a team rapidly forging an identity of their own, I found myself actually enjoying the moments of brilliance with which Gordon would tease his new team.
I found, to my relief, that I could easily move on and accept that a change was necessary for both my team and its perennial recalcitrant mystery box.
With today's news I can now accept the epitaph that I have been resisting for almost a decade: Drafted by a football guy desperate to save his own skin; Retained as a zero-cost asset by several administrations who had no skin in the game; Finally given the chance to prove himself worthy under the very best circumstances; Failed.
At this point I numbly feel no regret for his career trajectory, yet I have one lingering doubt: could he have found his path to success had the Browns released him years ago? Could that have served as a timely wake-up call? How culpable are the monumentally incompetent former Browns administrations for abetting this protracted self-destructive cycle? (Conversely, how laudable is the current one for ending it?)
What now looms ahead for this young man is the proverbial rock-bottom, and I feel terrible about that. Josh, I pray to God that you will find your way. Peace.
But gradually, after having moved on and tasting success (mediocrity?) with a team rapidly forging an identity of their own, I found myself actually enjoying the moments of brilliance with which Gordon would tease his new team.
I found, to my relief, that I could easily move on and accept that a change was necessary for both my team and its perennial recalcitrant mystery box.
With today's news I can now accept the epitaph that I have been resisting for almost a decade: Drafted by a football guy desperate to save his own skin; Retained as a zero-cost asset by several administrations who had no skin in the game; Finally given the chance to prove himself worthy under the very best circumstances; Failed.
At this point I numbly feel no regret for his career trajectory, yet I have one lingering doubt: could he have found his path to success had the Browns released him years ago? Could that have served as a timely wake-up call? How culpable are the monumentally incompetent former Browns administrations for abetting this protracted self-destructive cycle? (Conversely, how laudable is the current one for ending it?)
What now looms ahead for this young man is the proverbial rock-bottom, and I feel terrible about that. Josh, I pray to God that you will find your way. Peace.