Where were you when the Browns named their new head coach?
I was sleeping.
After a week of constantly checking radio and television and my cell phone and even receiving texts messages from Browns fans conducting round-the-clock searches to find out who will be the new Browns' boss, I woke up to the news by reading my newspaper.
When I sit down every morning to read the Lima News, I have a routine. Coffee first. Then I read the newspaper in a certain order.
I begin with the region section, then to the front page section, the lifestyle section, then finally saving the best for last with the sports section.
Because I hadn’t heard anything the night before, and then looking at the front page of the sports section, I had no inclination that the Browns coaching position was even filled.
When I finally got to C5 of the sports section, there it was: "Chudzinski Browns’ new coach,” was the headline on a story announcing Cleveland’s new guy.
“Really?” was my first response and I said it out loud.
“Him?” I followed with.
“That’s it?” I continued.
“Hmmm!” I wondered again aloud.
“How did I miss that news last night?” I yelled to absolutely no one around me.
Turning on my cell phone minutes later, I had seen numerous text messages and emails about the Browns' hire.
I had felt out of the loop.
The sports guy was the last to know, it seemed.
And when I did find out, it didn’t excite me.
I wanted a splash with the hiring, and to me Chud was a dud.
But my opinion has changed.
I am feeling much better about Chudzinski as the Browns' new coach.
He is a Toledo native and grew up rooting for the Browns.
Growing up, he pretended to be Ozzie Newsome or Brian Sipe while playing football in his back yard.
He’s coached with the Browns on two different occasions before.
He knows the passion of Browns nation.
None of this means he will be a good head coach. But I think it gives him a step up with taking the job.
The Browns have had six head coaches since returning to the NFL back in 1999.
Not good.
Let us hope this time they got it right.
OTHER KOZA THOUGHTS:
* Am I one of the few who actually was excited that the National Hockey League announced there would be a regular season after all?
The Columbus Blue Jackets were the worst team in the league a year ago and they traded away their best player in the off season, but I still like to go to Nationwide Arena and watch pro hockey in person. What a great venue that is.
* Lima Central Catholic is the best boys basketball team in Limaland.
The T-Birds lost their first game and haven’t lost since. But big tests are coming up with Bath and Elida match-ups Saturday and Tuesday, respectively. And Lima Senior will play host to LCC on Jan. 29.
* Ottoville is clearly the best girls hoops team in Limaland and maybe in all of Division IV. The Big Green are undefeated at 14-0 and their closest margin of victory has been four points at 34-30 in their second game of the season versus Crestview. They haven’t had a win under double-digits since. They are currently the top-ranked Div. IV team in the state in the latest Associated Press girls basketball poll.
(You can comment to Koza: vincekoza@maverick-media.ws)
