Welcome to the Hellmouth

I have some serious subjects I want to discuss -- a backlog of them, in fact.  And I will.  But right now, I'm more interested in the Cleveland Browns' draft picks so far.

Trading up to the third position and snagging a running back to replace Hillis was a smart place to start.  The decision to use the second pick on a 29-year-old rookie quarterback, though, is engendering a lot of controversy.  My main complaint is that it looks an awful lot like the pattern the Browns have followed every couple of years since their return -- draft a promising young QB, give him no front line protection, then drop him for a newer model when he can't do miracles and his career has been wrecked.  This is especially annoying this year in that two picks later, the Steelers grabbed a good offensive lineman, and we need some of those or else even the next Brett Favre isn't going to be able to accomplish anything.

However, on further examination, this one may be different.  There's his age -- it may look like a liability at first, but it means more experience, more mature judgment, and a better chance of stepping in to lead the veterans (although apparently Colt McCoy did remarkably well at that last part).  It has been said that he can nail clay pigeons with his passes; in addition to better arm strength and accuracy, he's also taller than McCoy.  But what I like best is his name: Brandon Weedon.

As everyone knows, the other Hellmouth is in Cleveland, maybe even under the stadium.  And coincidentally, the garment most associated with Joss Whedon's fans just happens to be in the team's primary color.  The possibilities for fandom mashups are endless.  So many quotes could be adapted to signs in the Dawg Pound ("We'd do the weird stuff" comes to mind.)  Maybe a costume day at the game closest to Hallowe'en.  Certainly, the scrappy never-say-die attitude of Cleveland sports fans and Serenity's crew have a lot in common.  The team and the Whedonists should both embrace this confluence of the stars, because there is so much fun to be had with it (not to mention profit in the sale of brown duster coats).  I think there's a good possibility that the addition of Weedon and Richardson to the team's veterans like Josh Cribbs (one of my favorite people) and Phil Dawson will give Browns fans more to smile about this year, so why not add some humor and extra quirkiness to that?  Especially with the renewed interest in Joss after the Avengers shoot in Cleveland, the crossover could result in new fans for both franchises.  Also, in a lot of enjoyment for all concerned.