Let's Go To Vegas  - Faith Hill - 1995  - (Album - It Matters To Me)

Faith Hill's run through the 90's and beyond was amazing.  Starting strictly as a country singer, she developed a big pop chart following as well.  Some of her songs cut through to the pop charts, but there's a limit to that.  But early in her career Faith was really recording some great country songs, and this is one of them. This was fun and from a very good album.  I loved Faith Hill in those days, as I feel she overall recorded some of the best music of her career.  Altough Cry was an incredible song later on.  She was so easy to like early on, her image was really great and her voice was always the star.  Although, This Kiss later was simply an amazing song that changed the trajectory of her career, and was the kind of hit every artist would love to have.  But this song sort of gets lost, as does some of the early stuff from those first couple of albums.  This is my favorite Faith song, as it makes you happy and has a slick video.  This also sounded really good on the radio.  What a career, and what a song.

Last Weeks Selection

My Full Profile On Mega Star Faith Hill

Well, it's been a couple days since the Browns were shown the door in the playoffs, and we can look back on the loss with a clearer head.  Understanding it's too soon for some, but I think it's time to be honest and straightforward about this team and its future.  Last week I wrote an article, The Measuring Stick, and today we can see where we are against the rest of the upper teams in the NFL.

The Measuring Stick Article

The Browns were beaten by the Texans in every way you can be, 45-14, is no fluke.  They were out prepared, out-coached, out played, out physical-ed, out hustled, and out smarted by a great young coach, his staff and a team we helped rebuild from the Watson trade.  And that trade has totally re-energized an awful Texans team (3-13-1 last year)  and has handcuffed (so far) the Browns and has one more draft to go.  This game was lost on the field, in the meeting rooms and the front office.  And it was another game where for some reason, the very star players you need to play their very best and get you the win -  were no shows.  

Also, the Browns out of caution gave most star players the week off against the Bengals last week, while the Texans pretty much started the playoffs last week in a must game.  I thought it was a bad decision then and I still do now.   You can't plan scared at this level and the Browns did.  I think this in the preseason is wrong too, there's a way to do it, figure it out.  Saturday you faced a team that was lazer focused, battle tested and ready to go. They were in their regular rhythm, and man did that show. 

Social Media was lighting up over a couple of officiating miscues, and the "It's fixed" stuff came up. And the "It's is against the world," sentiments were rampant.  Officiating league wide is awful, and yes there were a couple of problems Saturday, but the Texans left no doubt who was better. Sure, we have injuries, but so does every team and even though it seems worse for us to some, it's not.  Now what for the Browns?  This was a game that I quite frankly was surprised on how badly we played.  I thought the Browns had their hands full, but they would figure out a way to win it and move on.  I thought we were ahead of the Texans as an organization, I was wrong, we are not. 

There is much work to do.  And most of it has to do with rising to the level of the game.  The Browns had a few really great wins this season. Beating the 49ers was amazing.  The Ravens too on the road, and always good to beat the Steelers.  Those were their best wins of the year by far, and were highly, highly impressive.  But many wins looking back, we have to be honest with ourselves as fans.  The Bengals (Hobbled Burrow) , Titans, Jets (No Rodgers) , Colts, Texans (without Stroud) Jags (Lawrence hurting) all wins and that's great. But as time has revealed most of those teams overall were not very good, or were highly compromised when we played them.  Sure, you need to beat those guys, but those wins may have inflated our sense of how good we really are.

Their losses are all consistent.  The Steelers, Seahawks, Ravens (at home), Rams, Broncos, are all organizations with great football people.  Mike Tomlin, Pete Carroll (at the time), John Harbaugh, Sean McVay, and Sean Payton are all great coaches most going to the Hall Of Fame.  We just are not in that air yet.  These guys and organizations are just better than we are. I know this is hard to hear and it's harder to say, but as good as we can be, you've got to be able to beat these kind of guys if you want it all. There's no way around that.  And the Browns do want it all, so that's clearly the next hurdle.

So here are the goals this off season.  Learn how to beat the best, and the beat them when it matters.  And I have written this for years here.  The Browns need to start beating the Steelers twice a year if they really want to go places. Win those games, win the division, get playoff games at home and be the team to chase in the division.  Beating the Steelers in week two -  and they should have  -  would have made the entire season different and probably given us the division, or be in a place to win it.

Sure there are off season moves to be made, there will be additions, and guys back from injuries next year. But there will be defections too and new injuries that all teams will face, not just us.  This is an organizational thing, admit mistakes and find some players that WILL NOT let you lose big games. And find the formula before games against better football men than you -  that put you in that same atmosphere, because that's how you win the really big games.  And winning big games is what matters.

As many good players as we have we are not there - not yet.

GO BROWNS!

Should've Been A Cowboy  - Toby Keith - 1993  

Hard to think this was over 30 years ago, but it was.  This song still gets played on stations all over the country every day and you still love it.  That's why this song is so important. First, this #1 launched the career of Toby Keith, and was his first big song -  and man was it.  This was THE MOST PLAYED SONG IN COUNTRY OF THE 1990'S.  That is simply remarkable, considering lots of gigantic songs by huge artists had about a 3 year head start on it.  To be the most played song, during country's biggest decade is just insane.  This is a simple song really, nothing overly flashy here, just a song with a resonating theme targeted directly at the core listener, delivered by a future Mega Star. This song possesses something quite frankly most songs don't - Staying Power.  This Keith written song is timeless, clear with a clean sound, and it has never really gone away.  And for some reason, you have never tired of it.  It simply is one of the best and most important songs recorded in country in the last half century. This song in the 1990's was played on the radio over 3 MILLION times, or nearly 1,200 times a day -  every single day  -  after its release for the balance of the decade.  BTW Toby returns again on my list later on, I'm sure there is no surprise there.

Last Week - #48

Mega Star Series - Toby Keith

Winter time is big breakfast time and the fact that I love eggs is no secret.  If you are always on a journey to make the best eggs imaginable, this link is for YOU!!

Eggs, Just The Way You Want Them!!

In case you missed some of my articles this week from WQMX.com , here's a recap to get you caught up!  Thanks for listening and reading everyday!

I appreciate you!

Browns - Not Yet

50 Most Important Country Songs 1980 - Today #48

Forgotten Jukebox - M-40

CMML - The Mega Star Series - Vince Gill

Wynn At The Movies And More

Browns - Pickups And Porshe's

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