That input - mostly from a phone conversation with his brother in Oklahoma - whittled his list of potential NFL teams down from 9 to 7.
Casualty #1: New England Patriots. One word: Cheating.
Casualty #2: Cincinnati Bengals. Because Pittsburgh is on the short list, and Mike's family (with the exception of his late mother) have pro-Steeler leanings, it was suggested that both Cincinnati and Cleveland be dropped from the list. Cincinnati is being dropped out of this consideration... but Cleveland remains, mainly because Mike feels for the Dawg Pounders who had the actual Art Modell to deal with (and Mike sat with the Dawg Pound during the Browns' first game back in existence, the 1999 Hall of Fame Game in nearby Canton).
So, the list of potential teams is now:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Cleveland Browns
- Green Bay Packers
- Houston Texans
- New Orleans Saints
- New York Football Giants
- Pittsburgh Steelers
