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The Generosity Bowl

Last month the bartender at the Squire in Chatham allowed as how she had tickets for the Browns game at Gillette today.

Last Sunday, the nice old fellow in the emergency room at Lahey Clinic in Burlington being treated for kidney stones said his son had scored six tickets for today as well.

Thus is the Cleveland Browns franchise defined. They are the birthday present and Christmas present road team. They are the opponent for whom season ticket holders decide they can afford to be expansive and let somebody else have a day of NFL fun. That it will be fun for Patriots fans is taken as a given by ticket donors and recipients alike. If it was a competitive matchup, my bartender and fellow patient would be getting sweaters for Christmas instead.

Thus too is the Patriots franchise defined. Its most loyal (financially speaking) fans are accustomed enough to victory that they've become win snobs. The Browns bore them. It's nice that the open market for tickets gains liquidity due to their boredom, but that's the real motivation here.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, either, no Patriots fan would pass up the chance to watch a game that figured to be a comfortable win. There were many seasons were there were no such games.

posted by Michael Gee @ 9:42 AM