Legendary Cleveland TV weatherman Dick Goddard fractured his hip on Thursday night in a fall at his home.
When executives at WJW Channel 8 reached him by phone Friday morning, they asked him if there was anything they could do for him.
The witty Goddard, a lifelong Browns fan, quipped, “Get the Browns a quarterback.”
Ha, ha. Everybody, even the 85-year Goddard, knows that the Browns need a quarterback, and that nothing – absolutely nothing – will change until they do get one.
This little story – and the comment — was funny for a while, but probably some of you out there are now laughing at Goddard, not with him.
I know, I know, he should stick to what he knows best, and that is forecasting the weather and taking care of stray dogs and cats. Indeed, what in the world does that silly old man know about football?
Ha, ha.
Well, a lot. He knows a whole lot – probably more than some of the so-called experts, in fact.
Goddard graduated in 1949 from Greensburg (now Green) High School, has been working in the Cleveland market almost continuously since 1961 and served as the statistician in the Browns radio booth for 44 years before retiring following the 2012 season.
So he watched Otto Graham under the tutelage of Paul Brown.
And Frank Ryan and Bill Nelsen under the tutelage of Blanton Collier.
And Brian Sipe under the tutelage of Sam Rutigliano.
And Bernie Kosar under the tutelage of Lindy Infante.
In addition, in those 44 seasons in the booth, he got to see, meet and talk to all kinds of very smart football men.
So he knows a good quarterback when he sees one, and he doesn’t see one on the roster right now. It bothers him so much that it is what was on his mind just hours after he fractured his hip.
That tells you all you need to know in so many ways.
