Being on the doorstep of Thanksgiving is a great time to take stock of our blessings.

Among them — for Browns fans and those others who don’t follow the team but have Northeast Ohio ties and have a full understanding of who he was, and still is, and knows just how darn much he means to the region overall — is the news concerning former Browns iconic quarterback Bernie Kosar. In dire straits physically just a little over a week and a half ago, he now is out of the hospital and continuing on the road to recovery after undergoing a liver transplant.

A miracle? Does Doug Dieken hate the Steelers? Well, yes, of course, obviously, certainly and emphatically it was a miracle. This outcome — and in such rapid-fire fashion — is far beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

You just never know when, where and how God is going to show up.

At the same time, that same kind of faith is needed — but in a completely opposite way — concerning Jim Iona. The 66-year-old Munroe Falls Akron resident died unexpectedly the other day. Iona was a huge Browns fan and served 10 years as the president of the Greater Akron area chapter of the Browns Backers, which bills itself — rightfully so — as the world’s biggest sports booster club. The Browns Backers, including Northeast Ohioans who traveled there and those fans displaced from the region, were in full force in Las Vegas for the Browns’ 24-10 victory over the Raiders on Sunday,

Iona was as as kind of a man — and generous, good hearted and friendly — as you’ll ever meet. Despite the tough times in the expansion era, he worked hard to keep the Browns’ flame burning brightly in Akron, which is home to the club’s second-biggest fan base.

The Browns are less, and the region is less, without this incredible man. His presence was a blessing for which we are so grateful.

Our condolences go out to his family.

Steve King

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