DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum History of the Browns - Is it relevant anymore?

It matters tremendously. The Browns are a part of the sports history of Cleveland and Ohio. The Browns were the only NFL team in Ohio when I started paying attention to football. I have a few fond memories of watching Jim Brown. I have many memories of Leroy Kelly running 15 yards in the mud to gain 3 yards of progress. I remember meeting Lou The Toe. I have autographs and memorabilia that goes back as far as the teams in the 60's.

It's part of me for cripes sake. At almost 60, I've spent a good 53 years of my life shouting for joy, throwing body parts of my tear-apart-Browns player doll my brother gave me in 1980, going to games, taunting fans of other teams, watching sports greats from many teams in the league play against and for the Browns.

Cleveland Browns fans are surpassed in loyalty by only one other professional sports franchise in history and (imho) that's fans of the Cubs.

We are on a very long streak of really bad teams. It's all too obvious. We were two years shy of being able to say we won a Super Bowl or even appeared in one. We get taunted for never appearing in the Big Game. But, the name of the championship game doesn't mean squat when you can claim ownership to as many championship titles as we do.

It's odd. In baseball, the term World Series has only been in play for 40-50 years. But any team from the beginning of professional baseball that has won a championship can proudly say that they are winners. It puzzles me that the name of the championship game separates good teams from losers. Silly.

As much as our championships are our history, so are some of our regrettably less stellar but nationally and even world famous moments... we all know them. Red Right 88, The Drive, The Fumble and Modell stealing the team away, breaking our hearts and bringing on this long standing drought.

Without Browns history, you might as well rip away and dispose of a large portion of my life. It's not just a game. It's an identity.

(hops off of the soap box - returns to the originally scheduled broadcast which will not be aired by 10TV in Columbus).

...and I didn't even go into the economic and social impact of the Browns to hundreds of thousands of people Ohio in their long history. I'll stop right there.

Brilliant insight, that. I could stand that kind of "doom" this season. I grew up with it, and I want it back very much. Beyond relevant.

Nope.

I look at it in the same way I do when a Steeler fan starts talking about the 70's.
To me its what have you done lately.

I take a lot out here. It is more pity than anything else. I hate it. I mean I make fun of the Browns all the time but I hate when other people do it. It's like that relative that we all have that's a total screw up, and we crack jokes about them, but if someone outside the bloodlines does it, we're throwing down..

There is always a ton of praise thrown around for the fan support though. People realize what a unique thing the Browns are with their fans, and their history. I don't think there is anything else in pro sports that compares to that situation.

There were Bengals fans in the bar, cheering when we beat Minnesota last year -- Saying things to me like, "Good for you guys"

Talk about an all-time low.

Of course it matters! It matters to us and that's what matters most! The history both good and bad is what is going to make the victories that much sweeter when they come!

It is as relevant as Al Bundy throwing five touchdowns in a single game . Good conversation for those who remember but for anyone born say after 1964 the 70' and 80's were good as far as competing but they still hold devastating let downs and 4th qtr collapses. The most depressing thing for me is my son is twelve and he is a Texans fan because he say's the Browns loose to much . The early years as well as the 70' and 80's might as well be the 1800's for most of todays younger fans.