We talk a lot on this website about the cardiac kids, the 1980 Browns team.
That’s because it was the most exciting season in franchise history. It wasn’t the most successful, though it was successful, but it was a whole heckuva lot of fun.
These current browns have played the last two weeks just like that team from 46 years ago.
For the second strike week, they held on at the end of a game to win, this time beating the Carolina Panthers 21-18 in a game that, in typical Kardiac Kids fashion,!went right down to the wire.
A product of Canton McKinley High and bowling Green State University, tight end Harold Fannin, caught a touchdown pass with just under two minutes left to put the grounds ahead. It was Fannin’s second scoring grab of the day from quarterback Deshaun Watson.
But, just like the Kids used to do, the Browns inexplicably messed up and gave the ball back to the Panthers with plenty of time to drive down the field and either tie the game or win it.
It took an interception by a safety from Ohio State, Ronnie Hickman, to finally seal the deal.
It put the Browns at 2-1 and provided tremendous excitement because it came in a home opener and with a quarterback, who after coming under so much scrutiny and criticism for months on end, delivered down the stretch in passing and running the Browns to victory.
Give Watson all the credit in the world for that, because after struggling for 3-1/2 quarters, he was lights out in getting the Browns into the end zone.
Yes, there is excitement about this team, and that will grow even more if the Browns can defeat the 2-1 Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football.
But we’ll talk about that as we go forward. Right now, the Kardiac Kids are alive and well, Watson is playing like his old self and this defense, which was expected maybe to struggle after the loss of coordinator Jim Schwart following last season, has really gotten his act together these last two games.
It’s a lot of fun, which is something that hasn’t been happening around here much lately.
Enjoy it, Browns fans, because you’ve earned it.
And enjoy that Kardiac Kids uniform — those orange pants with the brown jerseys, which the Browns wore Sunday. I would wear them again on Thursday. It’s a good look, especially when you win. There also seems to be some really good karma in them.
Steve King
