“Groundhog on the Gridiron”

c. 2020 Rod Ice 
All rights reserved 
(1-20) 

Groundhog Day
Came early in Cleveland
Strike up the band
We’re defending the brand
J. Haslam, our man
With the deed in hand
Owner of the damned
King fool for the fans
Like Sam I am
“Do this thing again
For my friends!”
Repeat defeat
Fire for failure
Hire for the same
Hire, fire
Hire, hire, fire, fire
Hire/fire/hire/fire 
HIREFIREHIREFIREHIREFIRE
This football game
Is hard on the field
But harder in the stands
Harder even in the bars
In the pickup trucks
Minivans and cars
Where Steelers interlopers
Ply their trade
An unholy vow
On the promenade
An oath to neverland
You can be a fan
Of a foreign team
Not a loser
Not a patsy
Not a swamp bug, crawling
Not a runt pup, yowling
Six Super Bowl rings
Look at those shiny things
So bright and bossy
Not yours, but they could be
It is written
“You shall have no gods but me”
Yet for a life ransom
The deal can be done
Escape your losing
To Pittsburgh we run
Meanwhile on Lake Erie
Haslam held the cards
A poker king
Looking over the table
At Josh McDaniels
Native son
Pupil of Belichick
The one who spoke too quick
“Change!” he shouted
“Yes, We Can!
I have a plan!”
He was the miracle man
But Jimmy H. felt a tremor
An unkind word
Sweat on his forehead
Fearful
Lightning strike
Shot from God’s tongue to his ear
A lingering doubt
That would not disappear
To expose himself
That was the choice
To take advice
From an errand boy
Laughing
Swivelheads turn
The owner
The master
Looking in a mirror
Beholding himself
The lord of football hell 
“This is my Groundhog Day decree!
The decision is easy
Let them follow me!
Can’t get worse
Than 0-16
Who would it hurt?”
Move chess pieces around
Send McDaniels
Back to Beantown
We have what we need
Let the fans believe
Analytics in effect
An owner to protect
A team to wreck
Builder’s best
Put to the test
Wear the colors, drink and cheer
The NFL
Tastes your tears
Soaking the hallowed ground
Trod by heroes gone
By coaches, moved on
Quarterbacks shamed
More lost games
Days unchanged
A march to oblivion
With Paul Brown’s name
Turned to mud
A missile dud
Drudgery for you and me
Let us see
What transpires
With the poor soul
That Haslam has hired 
Stefanski 
Who is he? 
He is we we 
Of Lake Erie 
We are naked, but for orange-and-brown 
Feeling down 
In C-Town 
Down on Groundhog Day 
Looking for a shadow 
Of Jim Brown 
Lou Groza 
Marion Motley 
And Bernie, #19 
This is our town 
This is our team