CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Upon further review...

That's how I am now approaching the 0-16 Cleveland Browns parade.

In a column and video last week, I dismissed it.

I also said I have no criticism of fans who wanted to march and protest. It really is their right to do so.

Besides, I sit in the pressbox. I'm not a season ticket holder. So my opinion on the fan parade lacks the same legitimacy as that of the paying customers.

Good news was the parade happened without any ugly incidents. Many of the fans seemed to enjoy it.

But what changed my opinion was the reaction of the players.

Linebacker Christian Kirksey tweeted: "Don't kick us when we're down. Lift us up. When we win, don't praise us because I will remember when ya laughed at us."

A couple of points:

1. As far as I can tell, Kirksey is a good guy. He played in all 16 games. He is a disciplined, dedicated player.

2. He is frustrated and embarrassed by being on an 0-16 team. I'm not sure that was true of every player in an orange helmet.

3. He also was one of the team spokesmen when the Browns players knelt down during the National Anthem. He asked fans to respect their opinion. Well, it does work both ways.

4. Kirksey signed a four-year, $38 million extension with $20 million guaranteed before the season. This is not high school. Having your feelings bruised is part of being a pro.

5. To Kirksey's credit, he put out two tweets. The first read in part: "We just have to stick together. Cleveland against the world. We are family."

6. The next tweet read: "I still love Cleveland fans. It's KirkoLand!"

Defensive end Emanuel Ogbah tweeted: "The parade is a joke... 0-16 is embarrassing enough as a player."

Ogbah is another good guy. He broke his leg after 11 games.

I'm glad the players are embarrassed. I began to wonder about that after a while.

Defensive tackle Danny Shelton tweeted a concern about players avoiding coming to Cleveland because of the parade.

The parade is not the problem.

Start with 1-31 in the last two years and all the futility since 1999 as being a reason free agents aren't wild about Cleveland.

Shelton also tweeted: "Won't stop fighting until we win here."

Good for him!

This is really not to dump on the players.

But the players do have to take some responsibility for being part of the NFL's worst two-season record of 1-31.

The expansion Browns of 1999-2000 were 5-27.

Being embarrassed can sometimes lead to positive change.

I'm not sure how the parade will impact ownership, if at all.

As I wrote last week, the Haslam family does want to win. It just has no clue how to do it.

Maybe new general manager John Dorsey can help change that.

But in the meantime, if the parade led to some key players being ashamed, angry and finally more determined -- Amen to that!