ballpeen Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 No question it didn't sell out. That is why it was blacked out. You could stick 82,000 in that place and there would always seems to be a few tickets that couldn't sell. There were a few seats right behind a pole nobody wanted, and I have a feeling Model always had a few folding chairs he could set up somewhere just to prevent the place from selling out. I think he viewed blackouts as a way to drive ticket sales. I am not sure how it got in the 70's and beyond, but I know in the 60's, the only games you watched were road games. The others were games you went to see, or listened to on the radio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damajuki Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 I'm probably in the minority here, but I can remember the exact day I became a Browns fan. I came to it kind of late, but the first football game I ever watched was the wildcard game with the Oilers (December 24, 1988)--I was ten at the time--and I was hooked immediately. I still remember shouting at the T.V. about the forward lateral play, then looking at my dad and saying something along the lines of, "I should be mad about that, right?" He took me to my first game the next year--a loss to the Steelers--and the Browns have been breaking my heart ever since. Dennis Ha! I was at that game! The only Browns game I ever attended, 11 years old. I honestly don't remember it much, I think because my brain froze. I would say my seminal Browns moment was the Jets game where Bernie led us back. I actually DO remember watching that one and crying when I was CERTAIN we were going to lose and then being ELATED when we came back. Man. I don't feel passion like that for sports anymore. To be a kid again... Guess I'll just have to get my son hooked and live it with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoorta Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 No question it didn't sell out. That is why it was blacked out. You could stick 82,000 in that place and there would always seems to be a few tickets that couldn't sell. There were a few seats right behind a pole nobody wanted, and I have a feeling Model always had a few folding chairs he could set up somewhere just to prevent the place from selling out. I think he viewed blackouts as a way to drive ticket sales. I am not sure how it got in the 70's and beyond, but I know in the 60's, the only games you watched were road games. The others were games you went to see, or listened to on the radio. There was a reason those games didn't sell out. Those who were never at the old Stadium have no idea just how bad some of those seats were. Seats so close behind poles 40% of the field was obstructed. If you were in the last row of the lower deck, lotsa luck as soon as a ball got kicked, it disappeared, because the upper deck obstructed it- and when Art added those "Luxury" boxes, it got even worse. My claim to Browns history is I was at the first ever Monday Night game- and I got to see about 20% of it. I was in the first couple of rows right behind the dugouts. There was a reason no one wanted to sit there, they were always the last to sell out. They were so darn low, and so far away from the field-past the near 20 yard line you couldn't see a darn thing. Ditto sitting up in the last row of the upper deck- the players looked like ants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpeen Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 No kidding..I went to more than a couple where you were constantly having to lean 2 feet one way or the other about half the game if you wanted a chance to see the action. Even the uppers in the pound end had obstructed views from more than about 5-6 rows up...you couldn't see the corner of the endzone...and yeah....the other end...lol...one game I had front row uppers...right behind home plate...great baseball seats....but for football, not so good...the action seemed to be a mile away. The people who said Muni was good enough or could have been remodeled must have never been to a football game there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brownshirt Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Back in the 70's, Euclid Ohio had cable and you could catch Brown's games south of the shoreway. I used to go to The Plaza (PLAZOO) a salt & pepper beer joint. Elbow to elbow good times. Earl's got to dead by now. Anybody been there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombo Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 I figure you can't be a real fan until you can read some of the sports section and start trading player cards, so i have always pegged 7-8 as the age a person can become a real fan....so, 53 or so years here. I was a diehard by 1969, age 5. I have very strong memories of that season. So I've already got 40 years invested into this love affair. Longer than any relationship outside of my family. Stronger than any romantic endeavor. Can't imagine Fall Sundays without the Browns. Zombo --But if they don't beat the Steelers soon, I'm going to start shooting people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Back in the 70's, Euclid Ohio had cable and you could catch Brown's games south of the shoreway. I used to go to The Plaza (PLAZOO) a salt & pepper beer joint. Elbow to elbow good times. Earl's got to dead by now. Anybody been there? I live in Euclid, where is this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Ahhh. October 26th 1980. It was one of my first vivid memories. Brian Sipe rallies the Kardiac Kids from a 26-14 4th quarter deficit over the Steelers. The Browns mean family to me. 100 people crammed into one house cheering. It's so closely associated being with family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brownshirt Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 I live in Euclid, where is this? [/quote I don't think it's a bar anymore. It burnt down and reopened as The Plaza. It's on the northside of Euclid Ave., in a strip west of 260th. It was an amazing place. Race relations weren't all that great in the early 70's. It was about a 50/50 black/white heavy drinking crowd and I never saw even a minor altercation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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