The weather conditions will be suitably brutal. Like the Cleveland Browns’ season.Despite temperatures forecast in the single digits
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attend a parade on Saturday to commemorate – and protest – the historically
inept 0-16 season.
Nothing like some floats and frostbite.
The ”Perfect Season Parade” organizer Chris McNeil’s tongue-in-cheek tweet more than a year ago spawned a small uprising within Cleveland’s passionate fan
base. He’s spent the past few days finalizing preparation for the parade. There
will be a bus, RVs, an ambulance and hearse – to symbolically bury the
season.
Fans will make a counter-clockwise ”no victory” lap around FirstEnergy Stadium to form a zero to match the team’s win total.
”There’s no turning back now,” said McNeil, who has been condemned and praised leading up to the parade.
A season-ticket holder, McNeil never wanted the parade to happen. The Browns, though, turned an intended joke into reality by becoming the second team in NFL
history to lose 16 games in a season. In joining the 2008 Detroit Lions,
Cleveland’s team has found a new low in nearly two decades of disgrace since
returning as an expansion franchise in 1999.
The Browns were stumbling toward a 1-15 record in 2016 under first-year coach Hue Jackson. McNeil, who like other fans was basking in the aftermath of the
Cavaliers winning the NBA title to end the city’s 52-year championship drought,
posted a sarcastic message on Twitter about the Browns: ”This team deserves a
parade.”
The sentiment created a stir on social media. Soon McNeil, better known as (at)Reflog-18 on Twitter, was obtaining a permit from the city to hold a parade.
But it was canceled when the Browns finally won on Christmas Eve after 14
straight losses.
McNeil gave money raised to hold the event to the Cleveland Food Bank, a gift that reached nearly $50,000 after Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam doubled the
donation.
McNeil never considered the possibility of another parade, but when the Browns lost in Pittsburgh last Sunday, it became official.
He’s organized on the fly, hiring security, taking out insurance and renting portable bathrooms. McNeil set up a GoFundMe account to help cover expenses.
Excedrin donated nearly $8,000, saying Browns fans didn’t need another headache
after what they’ve endured.
As of Friday morning, the event’s Facebook page says 6,300 people have committed to attend and
20
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McNeil knows of fans flying from California. Area hotels have informed him that guests intend to attend the parade despite a weather forecast better suited
for penguins and polar bears.
In recent weeks, McNeil has sensed the tone change from sarcastic to serious. Browns fans are demanding better.
”Some people are saying they want to turn this thing around,” he said. ”Others say they want to fire Hue Jackson or change ownership. Others just want
to go down there and have a cathartic experience.”
The Browns haven’t impeded McNeil and understand this comes with the territory after going 1-31 in two years.
”We greatly appreciate the passion of all our fans and we apologize to them for not making 2017 an enjoyable season,” the Browns said in a statement. ”We
certainly hear them and understand their frustration. Obviously, we want the
same thing as our fans; winning results. We are committed to doing everything we
can to improve and build them the type of team they most certainly deserve.”
McNeil is criticized by some who feel he’s mocking the Browns and only bringing more embarrassment to Cleveland, whose image was scarred for years by
the city’s sports failures.
He argues his goal was to give fans a voice to reach the Haslams.
”People know we have been wronged by this organization and we deserve better and they know while it’s a tongue-in-cheek thing by calling it a parade, it
really is a protest,” he said. ”We’re not out here saying we’re happy about
0-16. When I think of embarrassment, I think of a team that has won one game in
two years.”
Jed Lowrie and Khris Davis gave the Athletics an opportunity for another come-from-behind win. Stephen Piscotty completed the job.Piscotty belted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the 11th inning as Oakland rallied for a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday afternoon.
It was the Athletics’ 22nd comeback win of the season, six of them occurring in extra innings. The Indians carried a 3-0 lead into the eighth before reliever
Neil Ramirez gave up back-to-back home runs to Lowrie — a two-run blast — and
Davis to tie it.
”You can’t sleep on our offense because we can vaporize the lead really quick,” Piscotty said. ”We know that and that’s why we keep grinding and keep
playing.”
Matt Chapman, who had a career-high four hits and stole his first base in the majors, scored later in the frame on Jonathan Lucroy’s grounder to make a winner
out of A’s closer Blake Treinen (5-1).
Nine of Oakland’s last 19 victories have occurred via runs in the eighth inning or later, including its last two. The A’s scored twice in the eighth
Wednesday to beat San Diego 4-2.
”Just knowing that we’re not out of the game, no matter how late it is, definitely builds confidence,” said Davis, who has a team-high 21 homers. ”We’ll
just keep learning from them and hold onto the momentum.”
Cleveland had its home winning streak snapped at eight and fell to 1-6 in extra-inning contests. Josh Tomlin (0-5), the Indians’ sixth pitcher, allowed
all three runs after entering to start the 11th.
Right-hander Corey Kluber tossed seven shutout innings, but was denied in his bid to become the first Indians pitcher with 13 wins before the All-Star break
since Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry had 15 in 1974.
The two-time AL Cy Young winner allowed only one runner to reach third base, scattering five hits and striking out three before exiting after 102 pitches.
Kluber is 7-1 with a 1.43 ERA at Progressive Field this season.
”Even though we didn’t beat him
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mound to start, that might be worth two for us,” Lowrie said. ”It never seems
like we’re out of a game.”
Oakland righty Edwin Jackson went 5 2/3 innings in his third big league start of the year, allowing single runs in the first, second and sixth. Ryan Buchter,
Lou Trevino and Treinen combined to blank Cleveland the rest of the way.
Ramirez hadn’t allowed a run in his previous 17 appearances, but manager Terry Francona didn’t second-guess his decision to pull his ace.
”Corey is such a good pitcher and he’s smart, and he gave us seven really good innings,” Francona said. ”We lean on him so hard, I thought we’d go to
Neil. And it didn’t work. Neil has been good, but today, not so much.”
Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor scored his major league-leading 79th run and had an RBI, while Greg Allen doubled home Yan Gomes. Lindor committed the
error that scored Chapman with the game’s final run.
CHESS GAME
The Indians played the final three innings without a designated hitter after Francona made a flurry of strategic moves that forced RHP Zach McAllister into
the batting order. The former Phillies skipper also pulled off a rare AL
double-switch in the 11th to avoid having Tomlin bat.
”We didn’t want to play a National League game for obvious reasons,” Francona said. ”I didn’t want to do it, but I thought that was our best way to win.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: OF Matt Joyce (lumbar strain) was placed on the 10-day disabled list. He missed 15 games in June with the same ailment. OF Nick Martini was
recalled from Triple-A Nashville, where he has a 65-game on-base streak.
Indians: OF Lonnie Chisenhall (left calf strain), who was hurt Monday in Kansas City, will travel to Washington for a second opinion on his oft-injured
lower legs. This marks his third DL stint with calf problems in a calendar
year.
UP NEXT
Athletics LHP Brett Anderson (0-2, 7.63 ERA) will be activated to face Indians RHP Shane Bieber (4-0, 2.97 ERA) in the three-game series finale.
Anderson has not pitched for Oakland since May 18 because of a strained right
shoulder.
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