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Why are you a fan?


Dawgs89

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Freakin' awesome write up, Z...

 

Ridgway, PA... home of "hey, the "e" is silent, so let's save some money on signs."

 

 

It was Leroy Kelly who kept me.

 

Yup... and never saw his greatness coming...

 

I mean who could follow the GOAT?

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Awesome Z...Im 2 months older than you...and alot of your hiztory is mine! The names have been changed to protect the guilty!!! Awesome Brother just awesome! GO BROWNS FOREVER???

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Absolutely Awesome Zman, Never a Mean Blow Greene needed in Cleveland.. But I'll give you another Coke & a smile for that #44 Jersey..Cheers!! Thanks for the great Story of little z

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Interestingly enough, I don't really know. I was born in Cleveland, but moved away at an early age. Visiting family in the area, Browns games were always on TV. My dad and grandfather would constantly complain about the team even though they had some good years back in the 70s. Leroy Kelley was my favorite player back then. Success in the 1980s during the Sipe and Kosar eras cemented my interest despite red-right 88, the drive, and the fumble.


When they moved to that city on the east coast, my dad became a Bills fan and never really turned back. That was a tough pill to swallow, especially since he was the main reason I fell in love with the Browns. My 2 boys are split. I was able to brainwash 1 of them early on with a Browns teddy bear and blanket. He's still a Browns fan 20 years later. My other son, much to his credit, realized being a Browns fan is an exercise in futility.

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Gotta admit to giving love to the likes of Jerry Shrek...

 

lol... Sherk wasn't that big... nor was he green.

 

Still deserves to be in the HOF IMO...

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I attended Browns games with my parents before I was born. It's in

my blood, that will never change.

 

Got to see Jim Brown play, but I admired Leroy Kelly. I always wanted to be

a running back in football, but, was never able to play. well...never allowed to play.

But if I could have, I would have run like Leroy Kelly, I studied his moves every game.

 

I signed up one time, and I got told off by the athletic director, old Mr. Tyree, his real name...

and got royally yelled at by my surgeon.

 

Picky, picky, picky.

 

Jerry Sherk, Walter Johnson, Bobby Mitchell, one of my real favorites, too..Milt Morin, Gary Collins, Jim Houston...

eh...Charlie Hall, Frank Ryan scrambling around in the backfield, Don Cockroft.. that's all I remember from

the early days. I never liked Jim Brown.

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Why am I a Browns' Fan?.......

 

Because I was, am now, & always will be a true & loyal Browns' Fan just like my Dad, uncles, brothers, & cousins. It's a form of Patriotism....Unconditional love for the USA & the Browns (and other Cleveland Sports Teams).

Regardless of record, I will always support them.

 

Challenge....The Browns need that important "12th man" more now than ever & only we Fans can provide that, so instead of bitching on message boards, get off your dead asses, get to the Stadium, & support our Browns!!

 

Mike

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From California started watching football 14 years ago. Somehow Bengals vs Browns was televised. I was hooked on football. I told myself whoever loses this game I will be a loyal fan. Browns ended up losing and ive been following them ever since. Went to a game a couple years back in Cleveland and they won against the Bengals. It was awesome. Walking down the streets of Cleveland after a win was fucken epic. I met Phil Taylor in downtown Cleveland that day and I witnessed him getting pulled over and his mom saying "they just won the game and yall pulling us over..." cop ended up letting it go. Haha. But it will always be GO Browns even if we get 0-16. And Fuck the Steelers.

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But it will always be GO Browns even if we get 0-16. And Fuck the Steelers.

 

If you can adapt that kind of attitude to Gig 'em Aggies at 0-12, I'd make you an honorary Aggie. I love that kind of spirit in a fan! :excl::D

 

From one of our school songs, The 12th Man: "When we're down the goin's rough and tough, we just grin and yell we've got the stuff........................................we're the 12th man on that fightin' Aggie team!"

 

That's what I see on this board that keeps me hanging around. True Browns fans!!

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The way the parade idea is being presented, brings the term "shammockery" to mind...

 

 

Odd thing is, if it was a sincere thought to "buck up" the team... the franchise... the fans.... after enduring a very hard season, then it's actually be kinda cool. A kind of catharsis...

 

Could even end with a ceremonial burial of the 2016 schedule... hopefully with the use of the solid brown uni's...

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The theme should be "Cleveland Browns-putting the 0 and 16 into 2016!" :D

 

Ouch... but it's good to know I can still wince and laugh at the same time...

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Shame the parade will be in Jan. I am going with my wife to Akumal, Mexico on the Caribbean Sea in Jan. Let me see snow, beach, snow, beach, snowsledding, snorkeling...............................................Nope, the beach wins!! :lol:

 

Speaking of 0-16 Joe be mad.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2016/12/browns_joe_haden_were_the_laug.html

 

"Now go out there and give 10%" http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2016/12/the_browns_are_0-12_and_stephe.html

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I refuse to give up on this team, or this franchise ... I love them ... they are just part of me. A big part.

 

So anyway, what was the question? ... Why am I a fan? I guess I didn't like my brother's tone.

 

Zombo

 

Epic post with a classic ending!

 

There's a lot of great fans and passion on this board posting from all over the country. We definitely deserve better for our never ending loyalty.

 

My dad died in 2012. As I reflect back on why I'm a fan, I was the only kid in my neighborhood getting tucked in with bedtime stories about Paul Brown, Otto Graham and Jimmy Brown in Rochester, NY. I was often reminded the Browns won their last Championship the year I was born in 1964. My dad used to work for Rochester Telephone so he mounted a big antenna on our roof to get games that weren't televised locally for us to watch. For example, we once got a feed out of Ottawa (Canada) when the Browns played at New Orleans and the commentators spoke French. When technology improved, we had a big satellite dish in life before DirecTV. My dad also got his annual subscriptions to Browns News Illustrated (BNI) to keep us updated on current events with the team.

 

At first we only attended games when Cleveland visited the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park. The year our neighbors moved to Cleveland mid 70s, we attended our first game in Cleveland the day Turkey Jones power slammed Bradshaw. As Zombo mentioned, that was the day backup QB David Mays had to be the winning QB. While Steelers fans cried about dirty football, Turkey Jones was merely reminding them if Lambert was going to cheap shot Sipe way out of bounds (after the whistle) - he'd fully cooperate with the precedent. Land ho! After that, we made the 4 hour trip to Cleveland once a season. Later on, we joined some Browns Backers trips to Cleveland for games. There's nothing better than riding along the contour of Lake Erie when you arrive in Cleveland for a game.

 

Aside from all of my dad's efforts to influence me and my older brother (John), the strong tradition of a running game reeled me in. I never got to see Marion Motley, Bobby Mitchell and Jim Brown but it was a blast to learn about their importance when this team won 8 Pro Football Championships. As others have said, Leroy Kelly was the man when I was first tuning in. He played from 64-73 before it was time for Greg Pruitt to show us he could score from anywhere on the field. Prior to becoming my avatar, he became the reason the NFL needed to do away with tear away jerseys from his blend of speed and power. This took my interest to another level throughout the time he was here from 73-81. From there, I got to enjoy Mike Pruitt from 76-84 with some Pro Bowl seasons. Calvin Hill also showed up to be a very efficient 3rd down back from 78-81. In the mid 80s came one of the most enjoyable and physical backfield tandems to watch as a fan with Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack. Byner was a 10th round steal out of East Carolina who played for us from 84-88 & 94-95 while Mack played from 85-93. The last time this team won a playoff game was in the 90s when Leroy Hoard ran the ball so hard behind a very underrated run blocking unit, he made the Pro Bowl at a position he didn't even play - Fullback. This was a year we went 11-5 in the regular season inclusive of running the ball down the esophagus of Philly and Dallas.

 

While I'm sharing fond memories of running games past, I need to appreciate one position this franchise has always done well adding - Offensive Tackle. Today Left Tackles are known for their pass pro strengths but these are our first 3 Left tackles that also did extremely well for our running game:

1) Lou Groza started at LT from 46-59 with 9 Pro Bowls and 4 All Pro selections. He also place kicked from 61-67.

2) Dick Shafrath after cracking in as a Guard in 59 he found a home at LT after Groza until 1971.

3) Doug Dieken (71-84) with 1 Pro Bowl .

We've also had some other good LTs like the versatile Paul Farren we drafted in round 12 and then the underrated Tony T-Bone Jones before Joe Thomas showed up in 2007 to frequent the Pro Bowl every single season. Meanwhile, we've also had some great fortunes at RT with Mike McCormack from 54-62. In Paul Zimmerman's "Man's Guide to Pro Football" in 84 indicated Paul Brown said "McCormack is the best offensive lineman I've ever coached." Wow! And then there's the 7th round pick from Texas A&M - Cody Risien who made a couple Pro Bowls for some very productive running games here during his tenure.

 

In all the years I've followed this team - the 1 thing that has never changed is the Lake Erie climate in October, November, December and January. When tandems of front offices and coaching staffs have been cognizant of this - the QB position never seemed impossible. There's no such thing as a play action perk without a running game. The last 2 QBs that had double digit wins in the regular season were Vinny Testaverde and Derek Anderson. When William Green closed out his rookie year averaging 100 yards rushing per game during his last 5 or 6 games - we made the playoffs in 2002. If we can ever get our leadership tandems to understand what has worked really well in this climate in the past, the future just might get back to feeling doable again. My brother died at only 52 years of age just 1 year after my dad passed; so I'll spend the rest of my days honoring the Cleveland Browns as our strong bonded family tradition. I'm very thankful for this board and all the passion I get to read from all of you.

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I heard some folks are talking about having a parade for the Browns if they go 0-16.

 

That's just funny.

But it's really true Cal. A guy found out it only cost $25 to pull a parade permit, so he did it. Not out much if they win a game, huh? I just might attend, wearing my Couch Jersey, and carry a "Factory of Sadness" sign.

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Living in CNY my father was a Jim Brown fan so when he left SU for the Browns they became my Dad's favorite team. In 1984 my current team the Miami Dolphins broke my heart, I was 9, by getting killed by the 49ers in the Super Bowl. I jumped ship for my Dad's favorite team and now I wish I was born in Dallas.

 

Concerning all the losing, fuck off.

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I live near Youngstown. Browns fans actually out number the stool and urine. They just haven't had reason to put out the colors for soooo long. But when the Browns finally wake up, you will see this regions true colors. It's still N E Ohio.

I hope you're right, it seems that it's 50/50 at best. Unfortunately the Steelers fans will talk shit until the Browns win 6 superbowls...

 

I became a Browns fan when they came back in '99, and while I'm old enough to remember the early 90's teams, I didn't really start caring about sports until I was a little older. Being born and raised in Akron I concluded that the only team that I had a connection to, or any objective reason to support was the NEOhio team. as far as the losing goes....I came to grips with this shit a long time ago. The simple fact of the matter is that I'm a bigger Browns fan than an NFL fan. If I ever stop considering myself a Browns fan, it's because I don't watch NFL anymore, not because I found a different team. I don't really view my fanship as negotiable; I want to watch football, I'll root for the Browns.

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But it's really true Cal. A guy found out it only cost $25 to pull a parade permit, so he did it. Not out much if they win a game, huh? I just might attend, wearing my Couch Jersey, and carry a "Factory of Sadness" sign.

 

I'll be there with my Gordon Jersey and a quarter-pound of Afghan Kush to throw into the crowd.

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