…in those moments, that's when it hit me: THIS. THIS is why I write those checks every spring. THIS is why I spend so much money on gas to drive to the games. THIS is why I go to work 8 Monday (or, in this case, Tuesday) mornings tired, sore-throated, and worn down. THIS is why we care. Because, on any given day, a team can lift its fans to a higher place. I remembered being there when the Browns beat the Ravens in 2001, just after September 11th… in the rain… and we beat the Super Bowl Champs. I remembered being there when William Green broke a 75-yard run and the Browns defense offered up a goal-line stand to beat the Falcons and essentially put the Browns in position to make the playoffs.

And, someday, I will look back on Monday night, October 13th, 2008, and remember why I wrote all of those checks.