Maybe my brown and orange shades got in the way when I was disappointed that the Browns took Luke McCown as their QB of the future over fellow BG alum Josh Harris (who was later drafted in the sixth round by the Third Reich, errr, Ravens), but 10 seconds late Saturday night might have changed my mind.

Of course, it also reminded me of what I miss most about the move to Indy…the Browns.

Sure, there are great people and good times left behind in Columbus, but its not that far away and the beers will still be cold. But Sunday afternoons around 4pm just won’t be the same.

Even with the distance, I know there will be phone calls and emails exchanged, celebrating or commiserating another Browns game. But where does a guy turn at 10:45 on a Saturday night, a time zone away when an “I really don’t know what to think of this guy” rookie heaves a game winning Hail Mary to win a preseason game? I don’t think I know, either. (Fortunately, I remembered the late Saturday nights my cousin pulls and knew he’d appreciate a little late night Browns talk.)

Sadly, even if it’s just preseason, this dramatic win breaks a trend for me. Maybe it was the delayed news of the win, or maybe it was being in a roomful of new co-workers, but my string, my tradition, in fact, I think it’s my expected reaction, of doing a victory lap after Browns Hail Mary wins, has come to an end.

The sweetest was the first win in new Browns history, Tim Couch to Kevin Johnson against New Orleans, which was immediately followed by a quick lap around the newsroom, and included more than a couple man-hugs. The most memorable was the second (and apparently final) victory lap, Couch to Quincy Morgan to end a ridiculous comeback against Jacksonville, celebrated with a brief “holy crap we won” pause, then high fives all around the Run of the Mill Tavern bar (briefly interrupted by a run-in with a phone cord), past the shady Chinese man in the trenchcoat, and back to my beer.

Tonight, it was just a jaw-dropping look of sheer amazement. Half the guys on the field for that final play may not even be on the team by this time next week. Hell, a quarter of those may not play another down of NFL football again. But tonight they’re all Brownies, and I miss the hell out of them.

(Wow, even without the man-hugs, this is a damn sappy post, about pro football, no less. I need a beer and a steak.

And for those of you wondering how a preseason win over the Chiefs can make a man all tingly, see here and here.)