What is on your “bucket list”? Personally, I have never really been a “bucket list” type of guy. What would be the point? I could fill a page with such ‘gotta do that’ goals, but let’s be real: I am never going to play third base for the Cleveland Indians. I am not going to test-ride a jet pack.

And I am not buying the Cleveland Browns football franchise. Those would be the Nos.3, 2, and 1 items that would sit atop my bucket list—today, anyway—and they ain’t happening.

I could limit my list to the countless realistic activities I would like to experience, but there wouldn’t nearly be enough time to cross all of them off. From an early age, we begin the lifelong process of making either/or decisions, and collectively, these lead us down the paths of life on which we travel. We can choose to circle back and start on a new path, but we typically stay on the ones we’re on. I don’t believe in regrets, even if we later think we would make different choices if given another chance. The future invariably offers forms of redemption for the times we inevitably stumble.

I hope you feel the same way I do about this. I love opportunities to try new things; many of them are the hobby equivalent of interests I had when I was younger. Like rubbing virtual elbows with you all. It’s a fun way to explore that old sports writing interest from back when I used to read Hal Lebovitz, Chuck Heaton, and Bob August on a daily basis. I’ve always been certain I could play rhythm guitar in a rock band- these days, when time permits, I can Google instructional YouTube videos, like so:

Or tablature websites and indulge that craving to play, satisfying it until the next time. If you’re like me, the activities of your kids also can sometimes places you into a role that scratches the itch to be involved in something you’ve always enjoyed.

As much as anyone, I enjoyed playing sports when I was a kid. When it became apparent I wasn’t all that good, I began to make choices that pulled me in other directions. For instance, deciding to spend more of my time working rather than sticking with baseball, basketball and football. No regrets, although there obviously were coaching and other non-playing roles that I could have looked to pursue.

Recently, the athletic program at our daughters’ high school was looking for volunteers. We have been cheerleader parents for over ten years, and we have variously pitched in with such game-day duties as concessions and the ticket table. For several years, playing traffic cop in the parking area was my ‘thing’. I reserved the closest spots for pregnant moms, the elderly, and the disabled and generally kept cars from clogging traffic. (Yeah, I was occasionally referred to as “Mr. Mom.”) Of particular concern was keeping cars that were parked in the extra-long bus parking spots from getting blocked in by other cars. You’d be surprised how many people would do this. Sometimes they’d act like I was being rude, but I’d just smile and explain that I was only trying to help keep them from getting towed. I figured they were just embarrassed at being called out. Overall, the parking thing was fun because I got to see and say hi to everyone who’d parked and was walking up to the game.

Anyway, as a recent season approached, a new item on the need-list caught my eye: chain gang volunteers. (Cue the Darth Vader guttural whisper: “Hohhhhh”). I had never done that. It sounded like a lot of fun. I signed up for the three available home games.

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Sam Rutigliano had played his college football at Tennessee and at Tulsa. His life choices kept him in the game after his playing days ended, leading him to a high school head coaching opportunity. He ascended to the college game, with Connecticut, Maryland, and then Tennessee. His professional coaching career began in 1967, as he spent ten years as an assistant, mostly with receivers.

When Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell hired Rutigliano as head coach after the 1977 season, he broke his pattern of hiring within the organization, plucking the coach from the New Orleans Saints. He did perpetuate the classic flip-flop from the strict to the relaxed, from the stern to the fatherly. Paul Brown (strict) to Blanton Collier (relaxed) to Nick Skorich/Forrest Gregg (disciplinarians) to Sam Rutigliano. You can’t be known as “Coach Sam” if you are not fatherly.

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Around a half hour prior to game time, the dads who were to man the chains that night had drifted together near the sideline. They joked a bit as they squinted into the evening sun. The referees were in uniform, conversing among themselves in the middle of the field. When they finished, one of them approached the dads and introduced himself. He issued some instructions, a few reminders, and asked if we had any questions. I spoke up: “So would you regard us new guys as ‘replacement officials’?” He didn’t laugh.

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When Coach Sam hit Cleveland, he inherited a starting quarterback in Brian Sipe who’d had a rough career since being drafted in the 13th round in 1972. He spent his first two seasons on the taxi squad, as 1970 first-rounder Mike Phipps was given a full shot to develop.

Phipps is regarded as a bust—especially since Hall-of-Fame receiver (and northeast Ohio native and Ohio State star) Paul Warfield had been traded for the right to draft him. He did show some promise, and Forrest Gregg did have a high regard for him prior to his being injured during the season opener in 1976.

After that season, Modell traded him as a follow-through on his promise to deal him rather than let him ride the bench—behind the back of Gregg, who’s noted that Modell had broken his promise to not make unilateral trades.

Sipe had enjoyed a nice start to the season the previous year, in 1977. He led the Browns to five wins in seven games before being sidelined for the rest of the year with an injury sustained in Pittsburgh. The team tanked after that.

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“THUNK.” Our kicker had just booted the ball, with all his might, to begin the game. He was pretty good at kicking off, and the ball usually did what he intended it to do… this particular kick was a line drive that nearly impaled an unsuspecting player in the front line of the receiving squad, about fifteen yards away. I think the kick’s trajectory was inadvertent. The ball tumbled near midfield, and I was jumping up and down, screaming as our side scrambled toward the ball. “JUMP ON IT! GET IT! YEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

Our ball!!! Our fans across the field were going crazy. It was quiet where I stood, on the sideline amongst the opposing team. Readjusting my official’s vest, I turned and saw that every shocked face was tilted at me. A coach snorted. Oops. I looked away. (“I’m new!”)

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In Coach Sam’s first game as head coach, the Browns took advantage of the mistakes of the San Francisco 49ers on their way to a 24-7 win. The contest was close until the final quarter, when Sipe hit WR Reggie Rucker on a 69-yard touchdown pass. After that, the Niners had to rely heavily on the pass to catch up, and the Browns defended it well.

Pacing San Francisco was legendary running back O.J. Simpson, who ran for 78 yards on 22 carries. He also caught three passes for 20 more yards. He fumbled twice, for half of the Niners’ turnovers on the day. Rookie QB Steve DeBerg had been thrust into the starting lineup, replacing the recently-cut Jim Plunkett.

Running back Gregg Pruitt gained 106 yards on 22 carries, and 25 more yards on three passes. Rookie Ozzie Newsome (selected with the pick acquired in the Phipps trade) scored a touchdown on an end-around near the end of the first half. Thom Darden picked off DeBerg to help ice the win.

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The other dads working the chains had had no problem with my preference to man the down marker. It was every bit as fun as I’d expected it to be. I did occasionally move upfield too quickly, needing to retreat back to where I had been, prior to a thrown penalty flag (especially on punts). And a couple times, I lingered absentmindedly for a moment as our opponent hit on a big play and rushed to the line of scrimmage. But overall, I did OK.

I was easily distracted by the conversations between our opponent’s players and coaches. Overall, there was respect for the coaching staff, but the players’ childish mouthiness was shocking at times. The referees remained in charge of the game, and issued several stern warnings to the sideline: “Coach, number 52 has been warned. One more comment and he is gone.” “Coach, 54 is removed from the game. If I hear one more word, he will be tossed out and will have to leave.” A couple times, a coach had to stop and shout a player down, to gain control. Eventually, all the players fell into line. After all, they were beating us pretty handily. These were rough kids from a rough area of town, and got away with some dirty play after the whistle. But I am biased.

The two toughest things for me while on the sideline were 1) learning of the intentions of the opposing team, and being unable to relay the information to our coaches (“onside kick coming—are you guys paying attention over there?!?”), and 2) smack talk and disrespect for our side. Having to just be quiet and take it. I didn’t even have a boy playing, unlike the other dads- they seemed a lot more in control of themselves.

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The rookie Newsome was already looking like an NFL star.

Game 2 of the 1978 season was an overtime victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. It was one of those 90+ degree September days at the old stadium. Mike Pruitt (44 yards including some hard-fought runs in OT) and especially Greg Pruitt (120 yards) each contributed to the win, and Newsome again scored. Kicker Don Cockroft hit a field goal in the overtime period, in a game where both he and the Cincinnati kicker each missed easier kicks, earlier. The kick return game was a strength for the Browns, as well.

The Falcons were the Game Three opponent, in Atlanta. Greg Pruitt was not able to play due to a leg injury suffered the previous week. The Browns won, 24-16, tallying some points against a defense that was ranked among the best in the league. Opening the scoring for Cleveland was Sipe, who reached the end zone from the 2-yard line after fumbling the snap and dashing in. Darden intercepted QB Steve Bartkowski twice, the second from the Browns’ end zone as time expired. Bartkowski had entered the game in the third quarter for starting Falcons QB June Jones.

In Atlanta, Sipe began to flash some of the promise of his early career—promise that had appeared to wane more recently. He finished at 20-of-35 for 219 yards and two passing touchdowns. One score was to Rucker and the other was to Newsome, who wowed family and friends who’d made the trip from his Muscle Shoals, Alabama hometown to see him play. The rookie Newsome was already looking like an NFL star.

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Our high school had some success in sports—the basketball and baseball teams usually were good. The girls’ volleyball and basketball teams dominated. Our football team has only been in existence for a few seasons, and we have struggled with constant turnover in coaching and systems (sounds familiar—doesn’t it, Browns fans). They do appear to be turning the corner. The roster is full of great kids, and they are executing a lot more of the fundamentals on a more consistent basis. Penalties are down. The kicking game gives us a chance when we match up physically. They still have trouble blocking, but they have some skill players (who do still play both ways). The tackling is typically much better than it used to be. The program is developing.

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So it was an auspicious beginning for the Browns’ newest incarnation, led by new head coach Sam Rutigliano. Brian Sipe, a player whom had been increasingly labeled as “embattled”, did have some nice offensive weapons to work with. Coach Sam’s life path had put him in a position to help the quarterback reach the pinnacle of the National Football League, in just two seasons hence.