I actually enjoyed my Sunday afternoons in November and December.

Thank you Baker Mayfield!

For years, I watched the Browns play week in and week out. Well, the word play might be too complimentary for the kind of football they were showcasing. But I usually watched … at least the first half of each game.

But by the end of the game, I was more than disheartened … I was disgusted.

How can any team — through so may owners, general managers, head coaches, QB coaches and players — be so bad for so long.

The Cleveland Indians seemed to have been able, finally, to get out from under the Curse of Rocky Colavito.

Perhaps the curse stayed on the lakefront when the Tribe built a new stadium inland.

But something was still cursing this Cleveland Browns organization.

If you actually tried to be as bad on Draft Day as the Browns have been for 15 years, it would be difficult to be THIS bad.

Someone throwing darts at potential draft picks could do better than those stumbleBrowns who were picking for Cleveland.

There was a turnaround a couple of years ago when management decided to start over. They got rid of every good player they had .. well, except one. Joe Thomas remained. But the rest of the talent was waived or shipped elsewhere.

For three years, the Browns have actually had some pretty good draft picks. This year they hit the jackpot with Mayfield, Nick Chubb T.J. Ward, Antonio Callaway and a few others.

Unfortunately, Thomas, the stalwart of Cleveland’s offensive line for more than a decade, was injured late last season and earlier this year announced his retirement. It’s a shame he wasn’t round to enjoy Cleveland Browns fans during the good times.

I wonder if he had stuck around would he and the Browns have made the playoffs this season.?

Nonetheless, thanks for the memories Joe.

Last week, the Browns were officially knocked from the playoffs. That may have been a good thing. If this Browns team had made the playoffs the cardiac rehab units at Cleveland-area hospitals would have been on overload for the next several months.

Credit John Dorsey and others for helping complete the turnaround that started two season ago with one of the biggest spring-cleanings a Cleveland sports team has ever received.

Thankfully, Dorsey did a little cleaning of his own this season, getting rid of head coach Hue Jackson, who had just one victory in the past two seasons.

And for some reason at the start of this year, Jackson refused to give his top offenseive two rookies much of a chance to excel. But Jackson’s termination seems to have started something special that long-suffering Browns’ fans are loving.

After one victory in the last two seasons, the Browns can finish above .500 this season if they beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

I’ll watch Sunday’s game, know that that no matter the outcome, either Pittsburgh or Baltimore is not going to make the playoffs either. .

Plus, I know that minus some kicking woes early in the season, the Browns would be the team fighting for a berth in the NFL’s second season.

But I’ll take this season.

It was fun. Mayfield was fun. Chubb was fun. The offensive line was better than expected and Jarvis Landry and a young crop of talented receivers were all as good or better than expected.

Cleveland’s defensive unit has a lot of really good players and has made other teams stand up and notice, too.

I’m actually looking forward to next season.

More than that, I’m already looking forward to the 2019 Draft day.

Go Browns!