OF MURDER, MARRIAGE, DIVORCE AND BROWNS COACHES
By STEVE KING
Being involved in pro sports and being married – or simply having a significant other in any kind of relationship – is not easy.
It takes a lot of time and effort for both entities – professionally and personally – to be successful. The problem is, there are only so many hours in the day.
As such, then, one has to suffer, and many times – way, way, way too many times – it’s the relationship.
Thursday is Valentine’s Day – heaven help you if that fact is a revelation – and relationships, or lack thereof, are on everyone’s minds. It’s the theme of the day, no doubt about it.
With that in mind – and the fact that this is a website about the Browns – it’s imperative in this post that I blend the two – Valentine’s Day/relationships and the Browns – together.
And when I do, I immediately think of former Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano and his wife, Barbara, who have been married for 65 years. That’s a long time, and with Rutigliano’s coaching and all the traveling and late nights, it took real determination by them not to splinter like so many other NFL couples have, and will continue to do.
Like Coach Sam always says, “In being married for so long, people ask Barbara and I if we ever considered getting a divorce. I tell them, ‘Divorce was never an option. Murder? Yes! But never divorce.”
Sam has more funny, quippy one-liners than you can count. That one makes me laugh every time I hear it, or just think about it, but at the same time, there’s a lot of truth to it. There’s more truth, though, in saying that the Rutiglianos are inseparable.
Then there’s former Browns head coach Chris Palmer and his wife, Donna. They’ve weathered all the coaching ups and downs, too, and their marriage is also stronger now than it’s ever been.
During his short two-year stay in Cleveland, Palmer would say, with a laugh, that there were only two phone calls he would take while out on the football field, that of then Browns President Carmen Policy and that of Donna. “And not necessarily in that order,” Palmer would add.
That tells you everything you need to know about their marriage.
Here’s hoping you don’t murder anyone, and that you always have your priorities in order.
Happy Valentine’s Day. Try to make every day Valentine’s Day – or as close to it as you possibly can.
I’ll get back to more straight football talk – Browns talk – in my next post.
