DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Official Comedian of the Cleveland Browns passes away

Local Comedian Mike Veneman passed away Saturday Oct. 30th at 5pm due to complications from ALS. (here is a link to a SheckyMagazine write up on Mike)


Mike was the official comedian of the Cleveland Browns right up till Art Model moved the team. He was as die hard a Browns fan as you can be....and getting to hang around the team during the week easily made him feel like a kid in a candy store. Mike was pretty confident that the Browns beat the Saints last week....because it was going to be the last game he every got to see.

Many of you might know him as "Harley Tucker" his fictional Browns fan, that he would portray during Bill Belichick's weekly coaches show.

This youtube video shows one of their more popular segments...."Cooking with Bill Belichick"





Mikes fingerprints can be seen all over North East Ohio's comedy scene. A regular performer at both Cleveland's Improv, and Hilarities comedy clubs...his true home was The Funny Stop in Cuyahoga Falls. It is there where Mike taught his COMEDY101 classes, that have spawned graduates who are now working nightly in comedy clubs, and at colleges from coast to coast.... (Of which I am a proud member) Mike taught probably 90% of all local amateur comedians in North East Ohio.

You go to any Cleveland area comedy club on Amateur night....and you will still be seeing Mikes work.

It was not just on the local level where Mike excelled....When comedienne Bertrice Berry was on the Tonight Show and talked about how she got her own national talk show...she said how she owed it all to Mike Veneman.....When Jeff Foxworthy wrote his first Redneck book...Mike's name is right there in the acknowledgments. When Jeff was hosting the Country Music awards....Mike was the guy he hired. Larry the Cable Guy had Mike writing jokes for him right up until the end.

Most of the comedy world called Mike Veneman friend....and I am proud to say he started out as my teacher...my mentor...then my friend....but he was more than my friend..he was my comedy dad....we were family....and I will miss him.

RIP Mike

Thanks for bringing this to our attention Hack.....

RIP Mike...

Thanks Hack. That was a beautiful tribute to your friend/mentor.

R.I.P. Mike

RIP Mike.

My condolences on the loss of your friend, Hack.

Good job, hack.
Sorry about your friend but it's very nice that you paid tribute to him that way.

I figured maybe a few Brown fans might remember him from some of his Browns Insider work.

Mike loved being attached to the Browns...he got to be right down on the field a few times....and even took me on a small tour of the Browns Official offices downtown....Thats right....STEELHACK walked right into the BROWNS MECCA with an actual invite...LOL

Mike was a great guy...and a die hard Browns fan.....I was happy to see the Browns slobber knock the Saints for my buddy.

I want to thank you all for reading about him...and watching the videos....just another way to keep the memory of Mike Veneman alive.

Thank you

I loved cooking with Belicheck. Great to know he was as good a mentor/teacher as he was a comedian.

Great write-up Steel.