JUST WIN BROWNIES

By STEVE KING

Just like Michigan has ceased to be Ohio State’s No. 1 rival in the truest sense of the word, or term, because the Wolverines have really struggled to beat the Buckeyes in the last 20 years, the Browns have ceased to be Pittsburgh’s No. 1 rival in the truest sense of the word, or term, because they have really struggled to beat the Steelers in the last 20 years.

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Those similarities are amazing, aren’t they? Yeah, I think so, too. I certainly think so, in fact.

Sure, the Browns-Steelers rivalry has gotten hotter – a lot hotter, really – based on their victory late last season over Pittsburgh, followed by a fight, the likes of which has not been seen much in the storied 70-yeasr history of this rivalry.

So, yeah, from that standpoint, as I wrote a while back on Browns Daily Dose, the Browns-Steelers rivalry is on. It’s definitely on.

But that – a fight, even as unbelievable as it was – is not the stuff of which great, pure, long-lasting rivalries are created, nurtured and sustained. This is just a veritable shooting star. It won’t stand the test of time. It will help the rivalry, to be sure, but it can’t carry it alone – not even close.

What can carry it, though – in fact, the only thing that can do so – is both teams winning games in the series at a decent rate. In this case, the Browns. The Browns can’t just beat the Steelers up, but rather they have to also beat them on the field, on the scoreboard. As the late, great Al Davis used to say so famously, “Just win, baby.”

Yes, indeed, just win, 3-2, 50-49 or anything in between.

Just win Brownies – when you play well, and when you don’t, and everything in between.

So the charge for the Browns and their new regime is, among so many other things, for them to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers not just once or twice or even three times, but on a regular or even semi-regular basis.

And if and when they do – and only if and when — then the Browns-Pittsburgh rivalry will be back on fully and completely.