SATURDAY SPORTS SCRIBBLES • Browns not ready to challenge elite

By R. T. Andrews

You are an unabashed Browns fan if you expected — as opposed to hoped for — some result other than the 38-7 laceration the Browns suffered when they ventured into Heinz Field last Sunday to confront the undefeated Steelers.

Sure, at 4-1, the Browns were off to their best record in more than a quarter-century. In fact their current record of 4-2 equals their best record during that span. But none of the wins were against NFL elite. And their other loss — in the season opener to the Baltimore Ravens, the division’s other powerhouse — was also a beatdown, albeit one that came with a wheel-barrow full of ifs that mean nothing in the reality of the NFL.

The Steelers whipping left no room for any ifs, unless they invoked the prowess and presence of Paul Brown, Jim Brown, Otto Graham, and Bill Willis. The superiority of the Steelers was evident on virtually every play.

But this isn’t a terrible thing. The Steelers are clearly a top 5 NFL team, characteristically loaded with a mix of talent, temperament, toughness, superior coaching and organization.

The Browns, just beginning to assemble some of that talent, coaching, and organization, are a heck of a lot better than they have been at any point since their rebirth in 1999. But they clearly have a way to go in the toughness and temperament categories.

They have a chance to rebound this week in Cincinnati against the Bengals, a team they beat at home in the season’s second week. The rematch will be one of the Browns’ most important games of the year. Win, and they are 5-2, staking a claim as one of the league’s better teams, just a few notches from the upper tiers. Lose, and they fall to a mediocre 4-3, having lost to a rookie QB who perforce outplayed their own #1 draft pick whose off-the-field chirping is at a higher level than his in game execution.

Last week confirmed what we already knew. Tomorrow’s game against the Bengals will tell us a lot more about the Browns’ toughness and temperament.

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Nate’s North Coast Notes • New Orleans Jazz History | Mariama Whyte | Cleveland Institute of Art’s annual faculty exhibition | African American Film Marketplace

New Orleans Jazz History Virtual Classes at Swing University (October 22 – December 29)

By Nathan E. Paige

The Lincoln Center is offering a series of classes on the history of Jazz through December 23.

Learn about the birthplace of jazz and explore one of the most diverse and vibrant musical cities on the planet. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra clarinetist, saxophonist, and educator Victor Goines will guide you through an exploration of New Orleans’ jazz history. 

This is just one of a series of courses offered through Lincoln Center’s Swing University between now and the end of December.  Other courses include A Beginner’s Guide to Jazz; The Music of Hank Mobley; Charlie Parker and Bebop; and Ellington’s Masterworks. $10 per course.  For more information, click here.

Local singer/actress Mariama Whyte presents “Born in October” a “special virtual montage of new original music, monologues, and poetry”, October 23 and 24 at 8PM

Mariama Whyte Virtual Performances (October 23 and 24)

Join singer/actress Mariama Whyte for “Born in October,” a two-day “special virtual montage of new original music, monologues, and poetry” Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 at 8PM. There will also be a special video preview of her single, “Hey You, It’s Me.”  Whyte was also a member of national tours of “The Color Purple” and “Disney’s The Lion King. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at  www.mariamawhyte.com

The Cleveland Institute of Art’s 2020 Faculty Exhibition kicks off today and runs until January 29, 2021.
Shown here is "Linear Construction 10," by Barry Underwood.

CIA Faculty Exhibition (October 23 – January 29, 2021)

The Cleveland Institute of Art’s annual faculty exhibition has been a staple of the Cleveland art scene for more than 80 years, offering the public a chance to view new works by faculty members. Public appointments are available Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 5pm beginning Friday, October 23. Groups are limited to five people. All visitors are required to wear masks at all times while in the building. Please contact nwoods@cia.edu to schedule a visit. 

26th Annual African American Film Marketplace and S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase (October 23-November 29)

The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) presents the 26^th Annual African American Film Marketplace and S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase (AAFM SEMSFS).  Featuring more than 140 films representing 21 countries. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will be online for the first time ever via the website BHERC.TV.  This year’s festival honors prolific director Michael Schulz and commemorates the 45^th anniversary of his 1975 classic coming-of-age film “Cooley High,” starring Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, Glynn Turman and Garrett Morris. 

Tickets for the festival are include a day pass for $25.00, select a Block of five films at $10.00, or a Festival Pass at $75.00.  All panels and special events are complimentary and free to the public on a first- come, first-served basis.

Is there an upcoming event you’d like included in this column? Please send the details, along with a high-resolution photo/graphic, to northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com at least two weeks prior to the event.

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