Note: This was written 3/17/22

By STEVE KING
Oh, darn.
I am so bummed.
Like the great line from Bill Murray in the iconic movie, “Stripes,” “And now depression sets in.” Indeed, it has.
For, after saying no to the team’s invitation to play for them, Deshaun Watson will not be the quarterback for the Browns in 2022. I was so hoping he would be.
After all, think of the historic way his presence would have changed the Browns and how they do business. It would be something no one has ever seen before with the Browns.
Watson would have to do two press conferences per day, the first to answer questions about football topics and then the second one to field inquiries about his legal situation.
During the weekdays, fans who were angry about his presence on the team would have protested at Browns Headquarters in Berea. Then on Sunday home games, the fans would move their protest to FirstEnergy Stadium.
He would have been the first quarterback in Browns history to have gotten booed in pre-game introductions, or when he threw a touchdown pass. If he ran down to the Dawg Pound and jumped into it to celebrate after scoring, he might have gotten pummeled.  
Think of all the great storylines with that kind of bizarre situation would have provided. It would have been a media person’s dream.
OK, enough sarcasm.
The truth of the matter is I am thrilled, delighted, ecstatic beyond words that Watson is not coming to Cleveland — unless it is as a member of another team, and even then, I don’t want to see him.
I don’t want him to have anything — ANYTHING AT ALL — to do with my football team, never, ever, forever. Period. End of statement.
In fact, I am so joyful about Watson not being traded here by the Houston Texans that I think there should be a big parade in Cleveland to commemorate it. We could start it at FirstEnergy Stadium and march up the hill through Downtown and have it end at Public Square, where there would be a huge celebration with food trucks and, finally to cap things off come nightfall, fireworks.
Indeed, it is a great day indeed for the Browns in one respect that they won’t have him on the roster.
But, in another respect, the fact they pursued Deshaun Watson as if he were the best player in the history of the game, and now have no Plan B in place in terms of finding another quarterback, greatly tarnishes my elation. That has caused a black cloud that will haunt the Browns for some time. This is, to be sure, going to be a long spring and summer, and perhaps even a long fall as well.