This is why there's no off-season in the NFL, there's always some semblance of drama unfolding with America's favorite sport.

In this case, it's Marty Schottenheimer and the ringing endorsement the San Diego Chargers have given him in a statement from COO Dean Spanos.  Yup, they're willing to allow Marty, the third winningest coach the past three season and fifth winningest active coach in the NFL to work next year and they even offered him a whopping one-year extension.  Yee Haw!!!  Betcha Marty's turning somersaults over that one.  Actually, he turned the Chargers down, according to reports.

At this point in time San Diego, the fans of Cleveland would be perfectly willing to take him.  This isn't a knock on current Browns coach Romeo Crennel - he's only had two seasons - but should the Browns not make significant strides on the field next year, I can't envision a scenario in which Crennel stays.  That makes things very interesting with respect to coaching vacancies next year.

Yes, we all know the knock against Schottenheimer.  Hell we'd better considering it started here - he can't win the big one.  He can't kick it to the next level.  We all know it was Marty who was playing defense when John Elway engineered The Drive.  We all know that he was carrying the ball when its loss soon became known as The Fumble.  Hell, Marty's the reason the Cuyahoga River caught fire decades ago.  We also know that last weekend it was Marty on the field when his Chargers committed four turnovers and at least two idiotic penalties that I can recall.

With all fairness, I'm hoping that the Browns make the playoffs next year.  That's a big hope at this point.  You know - like hoping for world peace and actually getting it.  But allow me to look forward in my mental time machine for a second and the Browns have muddled through another year of mediocrity. 

Schottenheimer and former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher are out there - who do you take? An intriguing possibility isn't it?  When Schottenheimer left the Browns unceremoniously after the 1988 season, I was always under the impression that he left feeling the job was unfinished and he took a lot of flak for what happened in two AFC Championship Games.  As for Cowher, he's a Marty disciple who played here and coached here under him.  Should the Browns find themselves in the unenviable position of searching for yet another coach, either would suit me just fine thanks.  The year of intrigue has begun.

Yes, even in the midst of the Ohio State Buckeyes impending showdown with the University of Florida Gators, I manage to keep up with other stuff.  It requires the use of more gray matter, but I get it done somehow.

News of the day?  Well it's Bill Cowher, of course.  Nick Saban makes a money grab for Alabama and Cowher, another highly respected, well regarded coach, decides he's gonna retire from the NFL while still in his mid-50s because of monetary issues, reportedly.  You know, $4 million a year isn't enough, there is a matter of respect.

There's little doubt that Cowher would get mucho respect from Cleveland fans and, likely, Randy Lerner given his credentials.  Let's fact it folks: as much as Northeast Ohioans hate the Steelers, we want to be the Steelers.  It's the smash mouth football, the over powering offensive line and the display of sheer confidence that drives that feeling.

And with the Steelers coach's impending retirement, it ain't gonna happen.  Not this year.  Cowher is a guy holding all the cards.  He's got the attitude and credentials to build another team.  This won't be a case of lowest bidder wins. If you want the Jawed Wonder, you gotta pay.

The Browns have an owner in Randy Lerner, who given that he just paid a European soccer player $200 million, cares about winning.  But Lerner is bound by something else - to at least make this an effort to allow Romeo Crennel to see this monstrosity out until the bitter end (not that it can be anymore bitter).  That should mean one more year.  Crennel fails in his next year, he's gotta go.  And Browns fans can dream about Cowher's jutting out on the the sidelines at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

That image too much to believe?  I don't know why.  Cowher played here and coached here.  Pittsburgh may be home, but when you bleed for a city and its fans, that's something different.  I vividly remember his animated moments as coach of the Browns special teams.  He'd look good there again.

But Browns fans will have to be patient -  it takes one more season with an almost full team, complete and utter mediocrity on the Browns part  and at least one more year for the experts to pass judgment.