The winds of change have begun to shift for the Cleveland Browns.

It could be the slowly cooling temperatures. Or it could be that preseason which is now in full swing. It may even be those back to school lists you get from your kids teachers. But it is clear that fall is on the way and along with fall comes our Cleveland Browns and the NFL football season.

Despite a dismal 2011 season Cleveland Browns fans are starting to get that optimistic feeling the excitement of having yet another crack at watching their beloved team battling it out on the shores of Lake Erie, but unlike other seasons of the past, this season carries with it real hope and not delusional thoughts of greatness.

For those of you who have watched the preseason or who have been to training camp I’m sure you can relate to this. There is a sense of urgency in practice. There is a slow but noticeable gelling of this team. They may be young, but they believe they can compete and win. Beating two playoff teams from last season thus far in the 2012 preseason has certainly helped but when I look at the Browns this year I see a real NFL team with real expectations. I can see the gleam in the eyes of Browns fans that have suffered since 1999. Even they are seeing things they have longed for since the days of Municipal Stadium.

There is no telling what fate awaits our team as we progress through preseason and on to the regular season, but for now there is hope. And there can be false promises, false advertising, even false starts. But there is no such thing as false hope. Hope is eternal and cannot be extinguished. And hope is what I have for this team and realistic hope at that. Not some far fetched hometown brainwashing but high hopes, and I am not alone.

I am not saying that there is a Super Bowl ring in the future for our 2012 Browns. But I can say this is a team that for once in a VERY long time you can and will be proud of.

Rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden will make his mistakes. Running back Trent Richardson will not always look like the juggernaut out of the backfield that we hope he will be. And the receivers will drop passes that will make us want to pull out our hair or chuck our TV's across the room. But this team will compete week in and week out and I guarantee that despite having one of the toughest schedules on paper, this team will rise to that challenge. This team will earn national attention in a positive fashion for once. People will take notice and the “Factory of Sadness” will be the term given to Cleveland Browns Stadium by its opponents, not Browns fans.

What we are seeing now is the beginning of a franchise built from the ground up with a corps of players that will give it their all. We will add and build and become a force to be recorded with for years to come. Gone are the days of 4 or 5 win seasons. This team is tough, fast, young, and talented and that will translate into wins this season.

Now some of you reading this will simply dismiss it as wishful thinking. Others will question my qualifications as a sports analyst all together. And yes I’m sure a few will leave comments pointing out numerous areas about how wrong I truly am. I may even be called crazy or insane (Despite the papers to prove otherwise). But that’s ok; I expect negative Browns fan, the ones who do nothing but complain and wine like a broken record will dismiss this as “Hogwash” (as my redneck relatives might say).

But before you pass judgment on my comments or this team take a closer look. Examine the roster with an even-handed and open approach. Think about the atmosphere this team has created since the draft and look at the successes they have had to this point and maybe you will see what I, and so many others do.

There is a phrase “On any given Sunday any team can win or lose”. Why Can’t the Browns be on the winning side of that small parcel of wisdom?

Let us know what you think?

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