The Browns, Not LeBron James, Are Cleveland's Greatest Title Hope for 2010

Think back to the beginning of the year. If someone had asked any random Cleveland sports fan, or just any sports fan in general, which Cleveland team most likely was going to win a championship first, the answer unanimously would've been the Cavaliers.

Now come to the present day in the wake of LeBron James flat out quitting in the Boston series and deciding having his ego stroked is more important than making sure he's on a winning team.

Who's more likely to win a championship moving forward now?

It sure isn't the Indians, who are stuck with an owner who finds increasingly more creative ways to not spend money while making sure anyone with talent on the pitching side is traded for prospects before they ask for a new contract.

The Cavs, even if they get James back, will have a new coach and essentially will have James as their general manager. Considering the job James has done so far with those responsibilities, good luck with that.

The Cavs probably aren't going anywhere near an NBA Championship the way things look now. It's actually more likely James has completely destroyed the team for the near future.

Kobe Bryant he is not.

So this leaves the Browns as Cleveland's only hope moving forward of sniffing a championship.

Team President Mike Holmgren has assembled a whole new host of talent while Head Coach Eric Mangini and his coaching staff remain in place for the second straight year.

The Browns were 5-11 last year, and Mangini is fond of pointing out what happened with the New England Patriots after they went 5-11 at the beginning of Bill Belichick's tenure as head coach.

If I have to tell you the end of that story, you're not a football fan.

Obviously, the chances of history repeating itself are slim, but anything is possible. There are a lot of "ifs" that go into that equation, but let's review them.

If Jake Delhomme rediscovers his 30-year-old self, the Browns will have a chance to make the playoffs.

If the running game explodes with Montario Hardesty and Jerome Harrison, the Browns will have a chance to make the playoffs.

If the defense actually executes the schemes drawn up by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, the Browns have a chance of making the playoffs.

If offensive coordinator Brian Daboll learned from his horrific failures of 2009, the Browns have a chance of making the playoffs.

If Joshua Cribbs remains "Joshua Cribbs," the Browns could win a Super Bowl.

Ok, the last point was a bit grandiose, but the point is the potential is there and you can see hope around the Browns training facility.

Unlike the Indians, who field a team of Triple A prospects and aging, often-injured veterans because it's cheaper, and the Cavs, who in the space of a month have been run into the ground by a greedy egomaniac who choked in the playoffs.