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Hey Cleveland fans. Bengals fan here. Maybe some of you have seen me on your smack shack. No smack here. Just curious about something. Who would you all consider to be Cleveland's greatest sports icon? The top three I came up with is Jim Brown, Lebron James, and Bob Feller. In my opinion these men are without a doubt three of the greatest. Maybe you all can come up with someone else. Bernie Kosar? Maybe someone can turn it into a poll. I'll be interested in your opinions.
A. Brown
B. James
C. Feller
D. Other
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Icon as in "greatest", or most influential?
Jim Brown all day every day if we're talking about greatest, but I'd say Paul Brown had a much bigger impact on the sports world as a whole.
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I'd pick D.
My other would be the fans of Cleveland sports teams.
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Legend
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Otto Graham has to be in the conversation.
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It's all apples and oranges. The 3 of those guys are unique in their own way. Feller being one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball to go along with being a war hero....
Jim Brown is arguably the greatest football player ever, and gets mentioned in conversations of the greatest athletes in sports.
Lebron is the once in a few generations type player in a game where star power means everything.
When you factor in everything, I would probably say Jim Brown, because football is number one in Cleveland (even though it was not during Brown's years) and he dominated the league every single year he played in it. Lebron has arguably been great all his years, but Brown won the MVP in his first year. Brown also delivered a title.
Really hard to pick against Feller because the guy remained in strong ties with the Indians organization until his death.
Lebron may end up as the guy once his career is over. Had he won this year, under those circumstances, he would have been the guy no doubt.
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Legend
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A lot of people hate the guy for his off-field stuff, but this argument is not even close. It's Jim Brown.
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excellent post, I agree
Jim Brown by far
#gmstrong
A smart person knows what to say.
A wise person knows whether or not to say it.
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2nd String
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OP
2nd String
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Icon as in "greatest", or most influential?
Jim Brown all day every day if we're talking about greatest, but I'd say Paul Brown had a much bigger impact on the sports world as a whole.
That's a good point. I was thinking players when I posted this but owners, coaches, and even fans could be included. And since you mentioned him, I would have to give a nod to Paul Brown.
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Legend
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No, Paul Brown isn't even close.
The romantics like to mention guys like Paul Brown and Otto, but it is between Jim Brown and LeBron. JB gets the edge because LBJ left town and has gagged a couple of times in the playoffs.
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Folks need to take the Long view ( historically ) .. Really , I mean really look at what Bob Feller did as a player and man !
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Is Bob Feller's name even mentioned when they talk about the greatest baseball players of all-time?
I guarantee you that Jim Brown's name is ALWAYS mentioned when they talk about the greatest football players of all time. In fact, he tops many, many lists.
Yet, he isn't the best Cleveland player of all time? LOL.......People just don't like him because of the off the field stuff. On the field, he was the best!
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It was before our time, but Otto Graham lead the Browns to championship games every year between 1946-1955. From those, he won 7 championships; 4 in the AAFC and 3 in the NFL. Their record in those years was 114-20. They were 9-3 in the post-season. That's domination. This is not to denigrate Jim Brown as the greatest RB of all time, but just saying that if we had a Mt Rushmore of Cleveland Sports, Otto Graham would have to be on it.
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Is Bob Feller's name even mentioned when they talk about the greatest baseball players of all-time?
I guarantee you that Jim Brown's name is ALWAYS mentioned when they talk about the greatest football players of all time. In fact, he tops many, many lists.
Yet, he isn't the best Cleveland player of all time? LOL.......People just don't like him because of the off the field stuff. On the field, he was the best! It's not, but he's a pitcher, and pitchers don't play every game... It also doesn't help that the national media seems to always focus on the great Yankee players more than anyone else. We hear plenty about Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, etc... We hear a lot about Willie Mays, but he also played in New York. We hear a lot about Ted Williams who played in Boston. But Stan Musial's name isn't brought up enough when those conversations are had... Hank Aaron gets a lot of love because of the record, and doing it when people were still racist d-bags... But the original question was iconic, and I think Bob Feller and how he stuck around every single year, and talked with the players, and signed autographs, and wasn't he throwing batting practice up until his last few years? The guy is a legend and stuck around with the team, and was always around town. Still to this day the only time I've ever heard my grandfather go into fanboy mode was when Bob Feller came up to him and asked him about his Ignatius shirt in a grocery store. And my grandfather has seen it all. Season tickets to the Browns, was in the locker room for Ignatius football practice when the Tribe won the '48 series. The most dominant athlete in Cleveland history was Jim Brown, but a case can be made that nobody was more iconic to Cleveland sports than Rapid Robert.
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If you are talking Indians.. Feller.. Lemon.. Satchel Page.. and Shoeless Joe Jackson. Jackson hit .408 in 1911 and .395 in 1912, but Feller definitely stands out to most fans.
Browns.. Jim Brown.. Otto Graham.. Leroy Kelly.. Kosar.. but Jim Brown has to be the standout with Graham running a distant second.
Cavaliers.. Lebron.. no one else comes close
The Cleveland Browns - WE KNOW QUARTERBACKS ( Look at how many we've had ... )
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So, a bengal fan is taking the time to review Cleveland sports figures in an effort figure out who Browns fans feel the best of them was? GMAFB. You're just trolling for smack shack material.
Seriously, has anyone here laid awake at night pondering who bengal fans might feel is their GOAT? Don't feed in to this crap, DT'ers.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.
- John Muir
#GMSTRONG
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Seriously, has anyone here laid awake at night pondering who bengal fans might feel is their GOAT? Don't feed in to this crap, DT'ers.
Ickey "Get some cold cuts" Woods? ...Ochocinco? lol
Congratulations to our 2016 NBA Champion CLEVELAND CAVALIERS!!! Greatest comeback in sports history... Hail to the King!
The great QB guru and the Moneyball group: 1-15
Record of Criminal Haslam owned Browns: 20-60 (0.250)
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Looking at Feller is like looking at America before , and Americans today .. How do you judge a Man ( or woman ) .. Feller left a very promising career to join the service in WW11 ( AND SAW ACTION ), then came back after 3 years and started all over again .. Was as good as they came back in the day , stayed here , stayed connected ..
Brown left the game for Brown , came back when his acting gig was done .. one of the best no doubt !
LeBron is , well Lebron..
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2nd String
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Looking at Feller is like looking at America before , and Americans today .. How do you judge a Man ( or woman ) .. Feller left a very promising career to join the service in WW11 ( AND SAW ACTION ), then came back after 3 years and started all over again .. Was as good as they came back in the day , stayed here , stayed connected ..
Brown left the game for Brown , came back when his acting gig was done .. one of the best no doubt !
LeBron is , well Lebron.. I gotta tell you, I'm pleasantly surprised by the love shown for Feller. I have been a baseball fan for longer than I've been a football fan. Feller is the same kind of hero that Ted Williams and a few others who fought for their country was. And ESPN is giving their courage award to a man who turned himself into a woman. BTW a couple of you all are trying to turn this thread into smack and I have to tell you that isn't my intension. I have been interested in Cleveland sports for many years. My son-in-law is from Mansfield, Oh and is a fan of all the Cleveland teams. One of my best high school friends also lived in Mansfield for many years. And then there is the Bengals/Brown, Reds/Indians rivalry. So please don't be thinking I have an ulterior motive. I'm truly finding your responses interesting.
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Seriously, has anyone here laid awake at night pondering who bengal fans might feel is their GOAT? Don't feed in to this crap, DT'ers.
Ickey "Get some cold cuts" Woods? ...Ochocinco? lol Boomer Esiason? Ken Anderson?
WE DON'T NEED A QB BEFORE WE GET A LINE THAT CAN PROTECT HIM
my two cents...
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Oscar Robertson, Frank Robinson, Johnny Bench, Paul Brown. Oh, and Pat McInally's helmet which, AFAIK, is still rolling. JK Mickeycat. 
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I thought this thread was about that brown LeBron feller.  I think it's between Jim Brown and LeBron James.. but it can't be settled yet because LeBron isn't done yet. Right now gotta go with the guy who brought championships... if LeBron brings in a championship or two over the next 4 or 5 years.. I might be convinced to go the other way...
yebat' Putin
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Boomer, Bench, Rose, Oscar and "the Old Lefthander, rounding third and heading for home.."
The Cleveland Browns - WE KNOW QUARTERBACKS ( Look at how many we've had ... )
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and Shoeless Joe Jackson. Jackson hit .408 in 1911 and .395 in 1912,
Shoeless Joe Jackson played in Cleveland?? I honestly never knew that
You may be in the drivers seat but God is holding the map. #GMSTRONG
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Legend
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Is Bob Feller's name even mentioned when they talk about the greatest baseball players of all-time?
I guarantee you that Jim Brown's name is ALWAYS mentioned when they talk about the greatest football players of all time. In fact, he tops many, many lists.
Yet, he isn't the best Cleveland player of all time? LOL.......People just don't like him because of the off the field stuff. On the field, he was the best! It's not, but he's a pitcher, and pitchers don't play every game... It also doesn't help that the national media seems to always focus on the great Yankee players more than anyone else. We hear plenty about Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, etc... We hear a lot about Willie Mays, but he also played in New York. We hear a lot about Ted Williams who played in Boston. But Stan Musial's name isn't brought up enough when those conversations are had... Hank Aaron gets a lot of love because of the record, and doing it when people were still racist d-bags... But the original question was iconic, and I think Bob Feller and how he stuck around every single year, and talked with the players, and signed autographs, and wasn't he throwing batting practice up until his last few years? The guy is a legend and stuck around with the team, and was always around town. Still to this day the only time I've ever heard my grandfather go into fanboy mode was when Bob Feller came up to him and asked him about his Ignatius shirt in a grocery store. And my grandfather has seen it all. Season tickets to the Browns, was in the locker room for Ignatius football practice when the Tribe won the '48 series. The most dominant athlete in Cleveland history was Jim Brown, but a case can be made that nobody was more iconic to Cleveland sports than Rapid Robert. I agree. Bob was Cleveland from beginning to end
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong ![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/small-gator-chomp.gif)
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Back when we were the Naps.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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Back when we were the Naps. Did not know that, thanks. Did the Naps trade him? The Black Sox thing was in what? 1918??
You may be in the drivers seat but God is holding the map. #GMSTRONG
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No, Paul Brown isn't even close.
The romantics like to mention guys like Paul Brown and Otto, but it is between Jim Brown and LeBron. JB gets the edge because LBJ left town and has gagged a couple of times in the playoffs. Paul Brown essentially invented the modern game of football and was integral to the founding of two of the current franchises. Name one person who has had anywhere close to that level of impace in the most popular game in the country? Jim Brown is by far my number one athelete but icon, it's got to be Paul Brown.
Last in, first out, the sign of a true champion!
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That is your opinion. However, take out all the homeristic bias and your claim is simply not true.
National guys who don't have the built-in bias don't think nearly as high of PB as they do JB.
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Jackson played for Cleveland from 1910 - 1915, then played for the Whitesox 1916 - 1920. The "Blacksox Series as 1919. He hit .375 and got accused of "throwing" the series. 
Last edited by Halfback32; 06/28/15 02:32 PM.
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That is your opinion. However, take out all the homeristic bias and your claim is simply not true.
National guys who don't have the built-in bias don't think nearly as high of PB as they do JB.
Oh, well if the "national guys" say it, it must be so. Their opinions should count a lot more than mine because of course they're 100% objective. LOL He asked on a Cleveland Browns forum, for our opinion, not the ESPN national page. Anyway, enough back and forth. I'll simply say that if anything this conversation just illustrates that Paul Brown doesn't get the amount of respect he deserves for his contribution to professional sports.
Last in, first out, the sign of a true champion!
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Yeah, I would say they are more objective than guys who hold a grudge against JB because of his off the field issues.
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Yeah, I would say they are more objective than guys who hold a grudge against JB because of his off the field issues. You're right, my belief that he's the most important athlete in this town's history is completely predicated on his off the field stuff...which incidentally only matters to me at all because it was a reason he cut short his amazing career.
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Maybe JB if he had not had those off the field issues, would had been more respected.
July 4th Fireworks
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These guys are not in the same rarefied air as Brown, Brown, Feller and Lebron, but
Kosar and The Wizard of Oz are my 2 favorites.
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When you have LBJ bowing to JB before a game, that tells me who's who.
SaintDawg™
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When you have LBJ bowing to JB before a game, that tells me who's who. I think this is the real case: When you have LBJ bowing to JB before a game, that tells me who's older, and who's younger. I think that it was a sign of respect, not necessarily a sign of submission to a superior talent.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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Oh I know all that.. it also tells me who's in the conversation.
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Agreed.
You have to add Otto Graham and Paul Brown
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This type of topic is like asking who's the greatest.
There is no correct answer.
People are predisposed to the players or people of their time.
Joe Louis versus Ali.
Jim Brown versus Barry Sanders or Walter Payton.
If Otto Graham played today forget about it.
But for this question "Cleveland's greatest sports icon"?
Jim Brown is the most recognizable name. He has been a giant in football and race relations. He is almost synonymous with Cleveland.
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I'd say Jim Brown, Otto Graham, LeBron James, Bob Feller ... in that order
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
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Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Brown, Lebron, Feller
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