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By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sportswriter
POSTED: 03:11 p.m. EDT, Apr 10, 2008
CLEVELAND: All these years later, talking about The Drive is akin to opening an old wound for former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar.
It's a time of his life that he will revisit Friday when his Gladiators battle the visiting Colorado Crush, the Arena Football League team that John Elway owns.
Elway battled Kosar in three AFC Championship Games.
''I'm not sure I ever got over it. I think I did. That's what I tell myself,'' Kosar said during a recent team practice. ''But it's hard to believe it's been almost 22 years.''
Since that day on Jan. 11, 1987, The Drive evolved into a synonym for Elway's ability to engineer a comeback for the Denver Broncos and put your negative Cleveland cliche wherever you want in this space. Elway's march to national greatness and Cleveland infamy began on his own 2-yard line with 5:32 to play, and the Broncos a touchdown away from forcing overtime.
Kosar confessed that he dared to allow himself to dream that the Browns would actually make it to the Super Bowl under his leadership.
''I hate to say it. On the 2-yard line on that kickoff. How could you not think it was over right then? And then as they started going, I got back into my quarterback mode instead of my hope mode,'' he said. ''I started anticipating them scoring so that I would have to do something. I was kind of hoping if they were scoring that they'd do it fast so I'd have time to get ready for overtime.''
Overtime would come and go in a fleeting moment — just like the Browns' Super Bowl dreams — courtesy of a Rich Karliss 33-yard field goal.
On one play — an Elway completion on third and 18 — Kosar said he felt fate and destiny working against his team. However, although the ball didn't bounce the Browns' way in that game or the following year when the teams played the AFC championship in Denver, a friendship and now a friendly rivalry was born.
Kosar said he and Elway became close friends after some initial hesitance on his part. What many people forget is that by league rules, 1987 should have been Kosar's first year in the league.
''I was quiet back then in not wanting to talk to guys because I didn't belong,'' he said. ''Truthfully, after those couple of games, I felt as if I belonged. I had the confidence to go hang out and talk to these guys.''
Some might guess that confidence spilled over into Kosar's off-the-field pursuits, and he has enjoyed a successful career as an entrepreneur that eventually led to him buying a stake in the Gladiators.
Now, the rivalry begins new with Kosar's team squaring off for the first time in Cleveland against Elway's. The football gods could not have planned it better. For Kosar, however, it's more of a friendly affair and the former Browns quarterback has treated it that way.
Former teammates from that first AFC Championship Game will attend the game and some — Hanford Dixon, Reggie Langhorne, Bob Golic — will receive an on-field introduction. However, this is a football game and Kosar has carefully and playfully let his team know that this one is a little more special and certainly the Gladiators and Crush organizations are playing it thusly.
Quarterback Raymond Philyaw said Kosar has been sending text messages to the team during the lead-up to the game.
''He's one of those guys who still enjoys the game, and he wants to compete as well,'' Philyaw said. ''If there's anyway for him to get back at Elway, this is the opportunity for him. We've got his back, so we're looking forward to the challenge. When you're into sports, you want to always have some sort of bragging rights, no matter what level it is.''
The game against the Crush also will prove significant for another reason — the Gladiators are on a two-game losing streak after opening the season with three wins. Both losses came on the road.
''All games are big. Bernie is intense. He wants to win as bad as we do,'' Gladiators coach Mike Wilpolt said. ''All games are important, especially coming off of two losses in a row. This is an important game for us and for a franchise coming back home. To our players, it (the rivalry) doesn't add much incentive to them.''
Kosar said his focus on this game serves another purpose for a team that is still finding its way in the AFL in a new hometown.
''I do this to let the guys know that I care. I probably care too much,'' he said. ''When they know there's that level of detail that I'm not just watching the game and drinking beers in the (suite), I think they appreciate that.''
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
CLEVELAND: All these years later, talking about The Drive is akin to opening an old wound for former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar.
It's a time of his life that he will revisit Friday when his Gladiators battle the visiting Colorado Crush, the Arena Football League team that John Elway owns.
Elway battled Kosar in three AFC Championship Games.
''I'm not sure I ever got over it. I think I did. That's what I tell myself,'' Kosar said during a recent team practice. ''But it's hard to believe it's been almost 22 years.''
Since that day on Jan. 11, 1987, The Drive evolved into a synonym for Elway's ability to engineer a comeback for the Denver Broncos and put your negative Cleveland cliche wherever you want in this space. Elway's march to national greatness and Cleveland infamy began on his own 2-yard line with 5:32 to play, and the Broncos a touchdown away from forcing overtime.
Kosar confessed that he dared to allow himself to dream that the Browns would actually make it to the Super Bowl under his leadership.
''I hate to say it. On the 2-yard line on that kickoff. How could you not think it was over right then? And then as they started going, I got back into my quarterback mode instead of my hope mode,'' he said. ''I started anticipating them scoring so that I would have to do something. I was kind of hoping if they were scoring that they'd do it fast so I'd have time to get ready for overtime.''
Overtime would come and go in a fleeting moment — just like the Browns' Super Bowl dreams — courtesy of a Rich Karliss 33-yard field goal.
On one play — an Elway completion on third and 18 — Kosar said he felt fate and destiny working against his team. However, although the ball didn't bounce the Browns' way in that game or the following year when the teams played the AFC championship in Denver, a friendship and now a friendly rivalry was born.
Kosar said he and Elway became close friends after some initial hesitance on his part. What many people forget is that by league rules, 1987 should have been Kosar's first year in the league.
''I was quiet back then in not wanting to talk to guys because I didn't belong,'' he said. ''Truthfully, after those couple of games, I felt as if I belonged. I had the confidence to go hang out and talk to these guys.''
Some might guess that confidence spilled over into Kosar's off-the-field pursuits, and he has enjoyed a successful career as an entrepreneur that eventually led to him buying a stake in the Gladiators.
Now, the rivalry begins new with Kosar's team squaring off for the first time in Cleveland against Elway's. The football gods could not have planned it better. For Kosar, however, it's more of a friendly affair and the former Browns quarterback has treated it that way.
Former teammates from that first AFC Championship Game will attend the game and some — Hanford Dixon, Reggie Langhorne, Bob Golic — will receive an on-field introduction. However, this is a football game and Kosar has carefully and playfully let his team know that this one is a little more special and certainly the Gladiators and Crush organizations are playing it thusly.
Quarterback Raymond Philyaw said Kosar has been sending text messages to the team during the lead-up to the game.
''He's one of those guys who still enjoys the game, and he wants to compete as well,'' Philyaw said. ''If there's anyway for him to get back at Elway, this is the opportunity for him. We've got his back, so we're looking forward to the challenge. When you're into sports, you want to always have some sort of bragging rights, no matter what level it is.''
The game against the Crush also will prove significant for another reason — the Gladiators are on a two-game losing streak after opening the season with three wins. Both losses came on the road.
''All games are big. Bernie is intense. He wants to win as bad as we do,'' Gladiators coach Mike Wilpolt said. ''All games are important, especially coming off of two losses in a row. This is an important game for us and for a franchise coming back home. To our players, it (the rivalry) doesn't add much incentive to them.''
Kosar said his focus on this game serves another purpose for a team that is still finding its way in the AFL in a new hometown.
''I do this to let the guys know that I care. I probably care too much,'' he said. ''When they know there's that level of detail that I'm not just watching the game and drinking beers in the (suite), I think they appreciate that.''
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
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