end of the Tribe's 2019 season. With their doubleheader loss to the Twins on Saturday - including a 5-2 blown lead in the 6th in the nightcap - I just don't see a way for the Tribe to climb back into it, especially the way the A's and Rays are playing. We dug too deep of a hole for ourselves in April and May and just couldn't get over the hump.
So where do we go as kids to get cheered up in the summer? Ice Cream! And there was no better place to get ice cream in the 80s in the mid-Atlantic than Friendly's. There were Friendly's restaurants all over the place in Maryland in the 80s. These were full service restaurants - like a Bob Evans - that served burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads and the like - but Friendly's was known for its ice cream.
The restaurants themselves had a side window just for ice cream orders. We would go there sometimes and I would always get the mint chocolate chip cone. I became infatuated with that flavor when I was 10 and ate nothing but that flavor for 5 years. I think it started with Friendly's.
The best food item (non-ice cream) at Friendly's? The patty melt! Yes, they served burgers, but they also served melts- where you press down on a rye bread sandwich and get all the grease in the bread while apparently saying its healthier than a regular burger. Yes, I fell for the advertising and got the melts whenever we ate there.
Getting back to the cream - the draw of Friendly's was not just the quality of the ice cream, but the sundaes that they made. Over the top, 4000 calorie sundaes that should be shared by 5 adults or eaten by one pre-teenager. The one I most fondly look back on is the Reese's Pieces sundae. I remember vividly going to the Friendly's in Hunt Valley Mall with my Mom - there was one there, right? On the second floor just down from the food court? Please, someone verify this.... She took me there as a reward for a good report card, I think. So I ordered the Reese's Pieces sundae.
In a booth a good 40 feet away, our neighbors were there - a mom and an older sister (who Layup and I did not like) of our friend. They certainly looked jealous of the sundae I got, so apparently the sister got one too. But there was no way she could keep up with me. I finished mine with no problem and she struggled to get halfway through hers. I got a kick of seeing her semi-sick face when she realized she could go on no longer.
Where are the Friendly's now? I knew of one in Ohio - in Mount Vernon, near the Apple Valley golf course that I used to play in tournaments almost every year. It was still open when I went to China (in 2010) but when I went back this year, it was closed. No business moved into the building so it still had the same red awning out there and the ice cream take-out window was still displayed - but uninhabited. A sad sight.
I believe Friendly's are still open (and growing??) in the northeast, like Pennsylvania and northeast of there. Can someone confirm? But I haven't been to one in at least 30 years. I would like to taste another patty melt, however. Any still in Maryland?
As for the Browns, let's just forget about last week's game and get a sundae from Friendly's. 18 penalties are obviously too much, and is most likely a result of Freddie's first game as a coach. If we tighten that up, play to our strengths and not be too aggressive in kicking people in the head - we should be fine Monday night.
(PS -I think Mike Vrabel of the Titans is a top 5 coach in this league. What he has done with that talent in Nashville is amazing.)
On to the games:
Bal 27, Arz 10. The Ravens are still primarily a running team - week 1 notwithstanding - and will control the ball here - and will stop David Johnson. No concerns of Murray putting up big numbers on the road here.
Cin 27, SF 24. Looking at the teams, both will want to pass. Should be some turnovers, causing this to go over, and I trust Dalton at home vs. Jimmy G on the road.
LAC 34, Det 27. This is a game that the Chargers should win easily, but will find a way to make it close. Love the Chargers O - and will have enough to stop Detroit's improved run game.
GB 23, Min 20. I still can't figure this game out. Minny will try to establish the run - and Green Bay will be able to stop. But GB O will struggle vs the Min D, especially in the run game. Going with the home team here.
Hou 23, Jax 17. Yes, Munchew looked good, but that was vs. Kansas City. And we can't denigrate the Jags' D because it was against KC. I think the Jags will shut down Watson enough - and the Texans' fraud run game - to keep them in the 20s, and hopefully a Jags cover.
NE 30, Mia 13. What's there to say about this game? I believe Belicheck will take it easy on the Dolphins because the new coach of Miami, Flores, was their DC last year. No need to embarrass him.
NYG 20, Buf 17. Let's calm down on the NYG D - they played, I think, the best team in the NFC last week. Giants have some weapons to score, and Buffalo is still working on that. If Allen beats this team with his arm, so be it.
Pit 31, Sea 17. After any loss, people say that Pit should get back to "steelers football". I agree - and that type of Pit football is Ben slinging it for 450+ with receivers running everywhere. This is what has worked for them over the past 10 years, and should work this week at home vs Seattle.
Ten 23, Ind 20. Not sure how good Brissett is - but seeing what Vrable did to us, I 'm sure he's got something up his sleeve for Jacoby. Ten should be able to control Mack with their D.
Dal 27, Was 20. Was does have a solid D, so this is not a walk in the park for the Cowboys. But damn, how do the Skins score?
KC 34, Oak 23. Trying to see how Oakland stops KC, even at home. JAx has a much better D than Oakland, and KC did everything right and scored 40. No reason to see how that changes here.
Chi 20, Den 13. Boy, I'm confused on this game. Denver does have a good defense - so they can do what GB did last week. What can Vic Fangio know from his years with the Bears and attack ? Can Trubisky have a good game on the road? So many questions here.
LAR 31, NO 24. Too many questions on the Saints' D here. What they did to let up that TD drive by Watson at the end was criminal. And they always start slow in their first outdoor game.
Atl 30, Phi 24. I think this is a perfect spot for Atlanta - revenge game from week 1 last year; they are not as bad as they looked because they played a dominant Min D last week, and Philly has some
weaknesses on their D.
Best bets: 15 of them. Last week: Officially 12-4.
ATS: 6-4
Over/unders: 6-0
Bal -13
Bal/Az under 46
SF/Cin over 46
LAC -1.5
LAC/Det over 47
Jax +8.5
NE/Mia under 48.5
NYG +2
NYG/Buf under 44.5
Pit -3.5
KC -7
Chi -2
Chi / Den under 40
LAR -2
Atl +1.5
Supercontest picks: Last week: 3-2
NYG +1.5
Pit -4
LAR -2.5
Atl +1.5
Cle -2.5 (stale line; have to take it to keep up with the other competitors)
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