You Don't Live In Cleveland

When talking about the rivalry between Ohio's two professional football teams, you can't help but think of former Bengals head coach Sam Wyche's famous "You don't live in Cleveland" sideline chiding of Cincinnati fans who were throwing debris on the field during a game against Seattle in old Riverfront Stadium. Bengals fans thought their team had gotten a rotten call, and began chucking objects – you know, beer bottles and things – toward the field. The Seahawks, who had the ball on their own four-yard line and thus was close to end zone bleachers, refused to continue playing until the protest stopped. Wyche then grabbed a sideline microphone and employed a little amateur psychology by telling fans, in so many words, that they were better than those dog-biscuit-tossing fans in Cleveland. Of course, the crowd then roared with approval and the game played on.

I had been thinking Bengals fans had thrown snow balls during the protest. That's why I wanted to post this story here, on the sports/weather blog. But I remembered incorrectly. So, to make this reminiscence relevant to the Rainout Blog, I'll tell you the extended forecast for the Browns' visit to Cincinnati Sunday calls for a 30 percent chance or rain and/or snow showers with a high of 44 degrees.