Box Office Results -  #1 -  Mean Girls

#2 - The Beekeeper

#3 - Wonka

New This Week -  I.S.S / The End We Start From  / Distant /  Which Brings Me To You  / Founders Day

There - Is a sequel to Five Nights At Freddies being filmed right now

The Emmys - Hit a new low in the ratings. Monday night’s ceremony on Fox scored only 4.3 million viewers

Elton John - The 19th person to complete an EGOT with his Emmy / Grammy / Oscar / Tony Awards

Lindsay Lohan - $500,000 for an afternoons work on the new Mean Girls movie

Bill & Ted 4 - Is apparently in development

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane  (Link)

Also - The 50 Most Important Country Songs 1980 - Today  #48  (Link)

Our Browns begin their post season today in Houston with the Texans in the NFL's first post season game this year.  Browns a slight favorite -  about 2.5 points.  In a few hours we will know whether we are going on or home.  The Browns are overall better and should win this game as they have grown up immeasurably since acquiring Joe Flacco.

Winning post season games is tough. I know, many franchises make it look easy as they win all the time, but for many teams the post season is a treat and something to be enjoyed and cherished as a player and fan.  As you listen to the talking heads spewing on ESPN about these games it all kind of runs together.  We are knowledgeable fans here and we know what you can and can't do in most any football game to win or lose, let alone post season games, so we're not going there here.  Of course you can't turn it over,  blah blah blah...

Post season football is way more than that.  Teams are good and have earned their way in, no argue there.  What post season play does very well in the NFL is this.  It tells you categorically where you are as a team and organization.  This is not September 30, you're not playing some decent team in week 4 at home on a sunny day as you joke around with the opposing team pregame.  You are playing good teams that fought the exact same fight you have, and now it's a single game scenario.  And if you answer it, the next week you get another chance and so on. 

There's no hiding your problems or weaknesses anymore, we are way beyond that.  Many teams over many years steamrolled into the post season and have come up empty in January after being the talk of the town in October.  Today the Browns storm into Houston with a great defense that's been the touted all year as being the NFL's best.  Well today they get to prove it on the road against a good young team that we helped rebuild - quickly.  And we'll find out where the Texans are too.  Are they good, or are they just a nice story this year?

If the Browns play well and move on, we can safely say this team is on the right track, and we'll get another crack at it next week in the final 8 and see if we can play in the post season against the real elite teams.  Also, to win these kind of games, your great players have to play great right now.  The Browns have played quite well all year and they have to find another great game and play it today.  They overall, have been solid especially on defense.

This season has been one the Browns have been waiting for.  Even though the injuries have been painful and plentiful, good fortune has found the Browns, some of it serendipitous.  Some officiating breaks have gone our way in big moments.  We saw the Bengals twice basically "Burrowless".  Aaron Rodgers crippled the Jets, the Jags had a hurt Trevor Lawrence, and the Titans turned out to be really bad.  Some teams have missed their own opportunities to beat us, and we had a lot of big games against really good teams at home. Hey, some good luck is part of any teams run.  Oh, and Joe Flacco is HERE!  His presence has evened a lot of things out.  If he weren't here, neither would we be.

To dream you are a Superbowl contender, you must answer the bell against the best teams.  A loss today, and we wonder what can be better next season to take us further.  Post season is final and is the ultimate learning experience for your entire franchise.  It's THE measuring stick, as it's you against the best from top to bottom   -   Coaches, players, schemes, conditioning, organizational and roster decisions made now and six months ago.

GO BROWNS!

Read  - LAST WEEK - I'm With Joe!

This month we are revisiting some in my Mega Star Series.  Vince Gill is one of the most prolific artists of any kind over the past 40 years.  In country in the 1990's he was a very different kind of star. But the music he recorded was nothing short of sensational.  A true Mega Star in every way, still today.  Let's revisit Vince Gill.

My Profile On Mega Star - Vince Gill

All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down - The Mavericks  - 1996 -  (Album - Music For All Occasions)

Today in country we have new artists that are trying to break in, many selling a ton of product and concert tickets, but not getting a whole lot of radio play coast to coast.  I see the posts expressing frustration from fans wondering why -  and I get it.  But I am here to assure you, this is nothing new as it has been going on for many years.  The Mavericks may be as good of an example as there is.  They came in from the outside in the 90's and were very different as some today are.  They were exceedingly talented and had a distinct sound that was all theirs.  This was their biggest radio charted hit as it went into the Top 15.  But in America and Canada they sold a number of million albums and were very visible. They were Grammy nominated and won a couple of ACM Awards in a three year period.  I love the Mavericks as their albums are terrific start to finish.  And even though they didn't have the overall success many others did in the 90's, I think they helped make the decade fun.  Great musicians and vocalists, just flat out great music.  Raul Malo was a fantastic lead singer that gave them real identity.  They did Bosom Buddies for us years ago and you loved them.  So for those today who wonder why these things happen, it's still a phenomenon.

I love eggs!  For breakfast or even breakfast for dinner, I am an egg dish guy as opposed to the carby foods.  Recently I ran across this article stating there is only one proper way to scramble eggs, so let's see if that's true!

Delish!!!!

Supposedly, There Is Only ONE Way To Scramble Eggs

Sometimes important songs are not ones that change things, but because of the sheer love listeners have for it they have great impact.  That's the case with Stay.  Sugarland had lots of big songs, and ones I liked far more than this, but Stay is a powerful song that struck many right in the heart.  Jennifer Nettles was inspired by Reba's smash hit from 1986, Whoever's In New England, another big song that halted fans in their tracks to write this from the opposite perspective.  Both are anthems of infidelity and highly relatable. Nettles' performance on this is stuff of legends and makes this a classic.  This was a #2 Country hit for 4 weeks, it also was on A/C charts for a bit, won 2 Grammy's, and was a multiple award winner in the CMA's and ACM's. It sold millions, and the exceedingly raw and emotional video was honored and revered as well.  It's one of the most decorated country songs of this newer century, and its message will never tire or go out of fashion.  This falls into the "timeless" category, from the written subject matter, its simple but apt arrangement and its wonderful delivery by Nettles.  This song is very important to many fans and will be in their playlists for years to come.  Not many songs anywhere are this honest.

Last Week #49

In case you missed some of my articles this week from WQMX.com, let's get you caught up!

Thanks for reading and listening every day!

BROWNS - I'm With Joe!

Eat Of The Week

50 Most Important Country Songs 1980 - Today - #49

Forgotten Jukebox - J-50

CMML - The Mega Star Series - Faith Hill

Wynn At The Movies And More

BROWNS - The Measuring Stick

Box Office Results - #1 - Wonka

#2 -  Night Swim

#3 -  Aquaman

New This Week -   Mean Girls  /  The Beekeeper  /  The Book Of Clarence

New Next Week -    I.S.S. / The End We Start From / Which Brings Me To You  / Founders Day

There - Is a sequel to Five Nights At Freddies being filmed right now

Oppenheimer, Barbie and Succession - Lead the nominees for the 2024 SAG Awards

Era's Movie - Most succesful concert movie ever 261 Million

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane  (link)

Also  - 50  Most Important Country Songs 1980 - Today  #49  (Link)

As we start off the new year, this month we will revisit some of the members of my Mega Star Series.  The stars that really made a case for being on the Country Music Mt. Rushmore.  This week we look back at Faith Hill.  During her run she did about everything a Mega Star could do. 

Let's revisit the amazing  -  Faith Hill

My Mega Star Series Profile on Faith Hill

I'm glad today's game with the Bengals means absolutely nothing.  The Browns sealed up a good playoff position and await their opponent from the AFC South.  The Bengals are finishing a season they would rather forget. Joe Burrow injured and in this division that's a fatal blow most of the time.  We had the same issue, but we eventually found Joe Flacco and he made our season.

Now the post season begins, and it's a different kind of football.  A faster, for more physical game and for the Browns, no matter how far we go it will have to be done on the road.  The Browns seems to be built for this, as defense travels well and that's the card the Browns are going to have to play to advance.  Flacco will do his thing and the Browns will score points, but on the road the fate of the Browns will start and end with the defense.

The Browns do have a card that won't get a lot of play on TV or in the press. There will be three teams in the playoffs that have an NFL Champion QB's trying for another title.  The Rams with Mathew Stafford, the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes and the Browns with Flacco.  As much hype as other QB's get, they are not NFL champions.  None of the three are going to win MVP this year, but it doesn't matter, it's winning time now. Those awards are for ESPN talking heads to yammer about at nauseam, the rest of us are trying to win a title.

I'm not saying one of these three guys is going to win it all, but I will say it wouldn't surprise me either.  Because post season football is hard to break through and get it done. When you have players and coaches that have been there and done it before, you have a definite intangible advantage the others do not, no matter how great their season has been.

Ever notice how it kind of works in the NFL?  You become a good team and make the playoffs and then lose in the Wild Card Round.  The next year you may get to the Conference Championship Game, maybe lose. The next year it's your turn to get to the Superbowl.  Sounds like a silly formula, but it works out that way a lot of the time.  For some teams it's different though.  The Chiefs got it done differently, but they have Andy Reid as head coach which is a big deal - one of the best ever. The Patriots with Belichick, he had been there with the Giants a couple times prior to the Pats.

The Browns have Stefanski whose had a good season overall but he should thank his lucky stars, as it is the result of our seemingly bad luck.  We would not be here if we were still under the expensive plan that has gone awry for two straight years.  RIGHT NOW he has a champion in Joe Flacco executing his offense which is FAR better suited for Flacco.  Flacco knows how to win these kind of games, and doesn't have the luxury of time.  He's 39 and more than likely is playing his final few games the the Browns.  If coach allows Joe to be Joe and the defense holds up their end of the bargain, the Browns have a good shot to beat anyone.  Never underestimate a talented pro who's facing his possible final chance.

The Browns are in an enviable position with Flacco, he's solely here to win a title. That's the only reason at his age he's lacing' em up.  In a football sense he's making peanuts, as his next big pay day will come next spring somewhere else.  Right how, he's the most mature veteran Superbowl Champion QB in the league, and the best QB we've had here is decades. 

And If we win the Superbowl or if he throws a pick six that ends our dream, I'm fine with wherever he takes us. We flat out would not be here without him, it's just that simple. It's a shame the organization was living in some dream world and didn't call him 6 weeks earlier.  No one that played for the Browns this season would have us here  -  and as feared as we are. 

For the few more games we have him -  I'm with Joe!