Costner’s character had fired his father at the behest of his mother, who feared he would die earlier if he remained in the job.
Since it’s the Browns, the sequel, set five years later, would find the organization in much the same panic-stricken predicament.
Bo Callahan, the franchise quarterback they passed on, would come back to haunt them on his way to the Hall of Fame (Ben Roethlisberger) and the defensive standout they took with the top pick instead of the quarterback would undergo microfracture knee surgery hoping to get back on the field (Courtney Brown).
The owner would have fired Costner and promoted whiny intern Rick to run the show, acting on the advice of a homeless man he tripped over on the sidewalk.
Costner would be living happily ever after with the Jennifer Garner character on a beach somewhere with millions in the bank thanks to the contract he got from the owner after that big draft that touched off a community celebration but ultimately resulted in nothing (almost any real Browns draft).
Coach Penn, the Denis Leary character, would have been fired a year after going 5-11, wound up in New England and won a Super Bowl, proving he actually knew what he was doing all along (Bill Belichick).
Clearly the sequel would be much more true to life than the original, which was largely a fantasy. Maybe more people would go see it.
‘Zeke’ tries to make up ground in Heisman race
Ezekiel Elliott still has a chance to win the Heisman Trophy, and he’s still not talking about it.
Such is the thrust of columnist Tom Archdeacon's profile of the Ohio State running back leading into today's critical clash with Michigan State in Columbus (3:30 p.m., ABC)
Production from Elliott would seem essential if the Buckeyes intend to escape this one unscathed and continue on course for a second consecutive national championship.
Then again, when has Elliott failed?. He plays hurt. He blocks. He threatens records. He’s the least of the Buckeyes’ worries.
And, yes, he could still win the Heisman. There’s plenty of time, even though Alabama running back Derrick Henry seems like the favorite.
Looks like a long year for Ohio State basketball
Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta spoke recently about how this could be a bit of a rebuilding year for the Buckeyes.
Looks like he was right in light of Friday night's loss to little-known and lightly regarded Texas-Arlington before a stunned crowd at Value City Arena.
It’s never a good sign when a power-conference school loses to a hyphenated school. And, in this case, it’s probably bad karma on the eve of the football team’s most important game to date.
What’s more, it snapped the Buckeyes’ 151-game home winning streak against teams from non-major conferences and their 25-game home win streak against nonconference foes.
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