Your First Browns Game

[Dutch Oven]

Since there's really nothing going on Browns-related, lets stroll down memory lane, shall we?

What was the first Browns game you went to? Tell us your story. 

I've told mine a few times before, I was 8 when my parents and I went up to Cleveland Stadium from Ravenna in 1984. Sam Rutigliano had just been fired during the week leading up to the game after a 1-7 start. This was Marty Shottenheimer's first game as head coach. From what I remember, it was a dreary day, and I remember walking across the catwalks in the upper deck (and being scared as shit). Ozzie scored both of the Browns touchdowns, but they would lose 16-14 on a 53 yard field goal by Morton Andersen at the end of the game.  A 53 yard field goal at Cleveland Stadium, with that torn-up turf and the tricky winds that swirled around the horseshoe layout, was nothing to sneeze at. 

 

[SdBacker80]

Browns Colts MNF 1988.  Mom wasn’t too happy it was a school night but Dad talked her into it- I was 8. I know Bernie was out and didn’t play very bummed about that but we won.  My first memories were 1986 season but this is where I became a fanatic. 

A few years later saw the Marino game where he snapped his Achilles. 

Probably the most memorable was bottle gate I think in 2001.  I remember just being to the right of the dog pound under the second deck safe from debris…people were focusing on the bottles but people were throwing cd players from the second deck and anything they had.  Wild game we just sat there for hour as shit flew right in front of us. Got home that night at 8 or 9 woke up at 3am so I could make a 4 hour drive back to college for an 8am class

[gumby73]

1972.. I was age 9..

1st..  

 

 

Dad got tickets for the following week

1972... The Browns went to the Division playoff game, in Miami losing 20-14

 

Bonus ! The Greatest game, I missed driving to... When A State Trooper, impounded my mothers car I borrowed telling her "I was going to a friends house" 😇

I view this game so many times (laugh).. The final drive starts 22:54..           Browns go 11 -5 to playoffs to Red Right 88 (never sat/ would have froze to seat)

   

 

 

Good Topic Dutch !

[nickers]

Hmmmm I can't remember the year.. Early 70's for sure.. It was against the Chiefs or the Bears,, Can't remember which... I remember we lost both games.. Just can't remember which I saw first.. But I'm thinking it was the chiefs...

 

[Dutch Oven]

37 minutes ago, SdBacker80 said:

Browns Colts MNF 1988.  Mom wasn’t too happy it was a school night but Dad talked her into it- I was 8. I know Bernie was out and didn’t play very bummed about that but we won.  My first memories were 1986 season but this is where I became a fanatic. 

A few years later saw the Marino game where he snapped his Achilles. 

Probably the most memorable was bottle gate I think in 2001.  I remember just being to the right of the dog pound under the second deck safe from debris…people were focusing on the bottles but people were throwing cd players from the second deck and anything they had.  Wild game we just sat there for hour as shit flew right in front of us. Got home that night at 8 or 9 woke up at 3am so I could make a 4 hour drive back to college for an 8am class

The 1988 season was such a tough one, I think there was what.... four starting QBs that season? Kosar, Danielson, Pagel and Strock off the top of my head. 

The Marino achilles game had the backup come in and absolutely light up the Browns if I remember correctly, the guy ended up starting for the Lions after that. (Can't remember the guys name. Scott something?)

[Dutch Oven]

27 minutes ago, gumby73 said:

1972.. I was age 9..

1st..  

 

 

Dad got tickets for the following week

1972... The Browns went to the Division playoff game, in Miami losing 20-14

 

Bonus ! The Greatest game, I missed driving to... When A State Trooper, impounded my mothers car I borrowed telling her "I was going to a friends house" 😇

I view this game so many times (laugh).. The final drive starts 22:54..           Browns go 11 -5 to playoffs to Red Right 88 (never sat/ would have froze to seat)

   

 

 

Good Topic Dutch !

Everyone knows the '72 Dolphins went undefeated, but the Browns gave them a helluva battle in their playoff game and almost pulled off the upset.

[Bob806]

35 minutes ago, Dutch Oven said:

The 1988 season was such a tough one, I think there was what.... four starting QBs that season? Kosar, Danielson, Pagel and Strock off the top of my head. 

The Marino achilles game had the backup come in and absolutely light up the Browns if I remember correctly, the guy ended up starting for the Lions after that. (Can't remember the guys name. Scott something?)

Scott Mitchell was the guy.

 

My first game was 1972 vs Cincy. I was 9 years old at the time, remember it like yesterday.

The opening kickoff, two BenGals stared at eachother as nobody called for it, the ball landed between them and rolled around. The Browns recovered at the 5, and Leroy Kelly ran it it on the very next play.The Browns won 27-6, I was hooked for life. 

@Dutch Oven that Saints game, I almost caught that game winning FG by Morten Anderson. 53 yards into a driving rain, I still don't know how he did that. 53 yards was a loooooong one back in those days.

[Dutch Oven]

21 minutes ago, Bob806 said:

Scott Mitchell was the guy.

 

My first game was 1972 vs Cincy. I was 9 years old at the time, remember it like yesterday.

The opening kickoff, two BenGals stared at eachother as nobody called for it, the ball landed between them and rolled around. The Browns recovered at the 5, and Leroy Kelly ran it it on the very next play.The Browns won 27-6, I was hooked for life. 

@Dutch Oven that Saints game, I almost caught that game winning FG by Morten Anderson. 53 yards into a driving rain, I still don't know how he did that. 53 yards was a loooooong one back in those days.

That's awesome Bob!

I think it was in '84 that the Browns punter Steve Cox kicked a 60 yard FG - he would attempt the long kicks. At the time it was the second-longest field goal in NFL history. Cox was one of the last straight-ahead kickers. Crazy, because you are right, a 50+ yard kick back then was not a common occurrence.  

 

[Orion]

Schaefer Stadium against the Patriots.  Week 1.  1980.  We lost pretty bad.  

Best game, November 20th, 1983.  Win 30-0.  Sullivan Stadium.  Highlight - Tom Cousineau hits Steve Grogan as he was throwing a flat pass to the RB.  Chip Banks intercepts for a 65 yd TD.  I was yelling, Run Chippie Run!  Grogan limped off with a cracked fibula.  Towards the end of the game Stanley Morgan caught a pass over the middle with nobody around him.  I'm like, Oh Shit.  There goes the shutout.  But while running along...with a Brown MANY yards behind and NEVER gonna catch him, Morgan has the ball hit off his knee or thigh pad and fumbles it...our guy recovers to preserve the shut out.    We opened the 2nd half with an onside kick that we recovered....because, obviously, we saw on tape that the Patriots just don't watch to verify that the kicker is actually gonna kick the ball deep.  

Funny thing.  I later told my barber (hair stylist) of the fumble.  He related to me that hair stylists have Mondays off (union) and he occasionally would drive up to the stadium to watch the guys on the field.  (they let him sit in the stands back then)  He said Mondays are a slow day for the team (as we know) but on this particular Monday Stanley Morgan was catching fade passes in the corner of the end zone.  The DB was getting a little frisky trying to knock the ball out as to cause a fumble...so Morgan held the football out vertically, holding if from the top...and the DB whacked the ball several times but could not knock the ball out of Morgan's hand.   

[Bob806]

10 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

That's awesome Bob!

I think it was in '84 that the Browns punter Steve Cox kicked a 60 yard FG - he would attempt the long kicks. At the time it was the second-longest field goal in NFL history. Cox was one of the last straight-ahead kickers. Crazy, because you are right, a 50+ yard kick back then was not a common occurrence.  

 

Right! These kickers have gotten so good. 

Steve Cox I do remember him hitting the 60 yarder, vs Cincy. 

This thread should be great. I like hearing about old games, old fun times.

[FATE]

September 10, 1978 ~ Browns vs Bengals

I was 12 and just started watching football the previous year. Going to a game seemed like a really big deal to me. I was with my soon-to-be step-dad... besides a couple of fishing trips, this was one of our first "bonding" experiences.

The game was pretty boring, because the Browns couldn't score. But still, the sights and sounds were awesome to a young kid.

"The Waterbug" (Greg Pruitt) was having a pretty big day; but we stayed in self-destruct mode and were down 10-0 late in the third. First a Cockroft FG going into the 4th. Then... Sipe to Rucker with a couple minutes left in the fourth.

I remember, after our TD, some fool marching up the aisle "I'll bet anybody $10 we lose... Anybody? 10 bucks... we're gonna blow it like we always do... anybody? anybody?" as he glared up and down each aisle. By this time I was blown away by the whole scene. People were getting pretty drunk and crazy. At the beginning of the 3rd some Hell's Angels showed up. There were three that I could see; walking up and down three aisles in a row scanning the crowd -- obviously looking for someone. I was scared lol. I had heard about them in the past; but now I was watching them stare people down, and everyone afraid to look back at them as they walked the aisles.

The game goes to OT and it all seemed rather easy, if not predestined. We win the toss and march straight down the field for a Cockroft FG to win. I remember being very excited that my first game went to OT. Couldn't wait to tell my friends I was there.

When we scored our TD, and then the FG in OT, and the old Muni erupted -- that was the moment I became a Browns fan for life. The passion and exuberance, people turning around with high fives... and how that flowed all the way out through the hollow walkways and parking lot. Excitement still echoing in my ears as we walked out of the stadium and saw the party atmosphere outside. Everybody that followed from our general vicinity was still making fun of the dude that had the nerve to think we would lose lol. "I'll bet you ten bucks we don't see that chump out here". 

I'll never forget that day and that game... I'll also never forget walking into the bathroom as a 12 year old and seeing everyone pissing in a trough and some drunk guy pissing in a sink lmao.

 

That was game 2. We started the season 3-0 before losing to the Steelers 15-9 in OT. I had high hopes. We finished 8-8 (again) and I was well on my way to learning the pain and anguish of being a Browns fan.

[WarrenDawg]

For me, it was November of 1993. I was 15. It was the first home game after cutting Bernie Kosar. The Oilers intercepted Todd Philcox four times, and Gary Brown gashed us for nearly 200 yards. The fans were pretty drunk and very angry for most of the game. There was constant fighting in the old Dawg Pound, that day. Some were Oiler's fans causing trouble, but most of it looked like in-fighting among Browns fans. I'll never forget how everyone started pointing to the fights when the fights broke out. The stadium police had their hands full for that one. Years later, I sat in the Dawg Pound at the new stadium. It was nothing like the Dawg Pound I remembered seeing back in 1993. 

[calfoxwc]

ah, the Browns vs squealers at the University of Akron rubber bowl way back in the day. Exhibition game, I'm sure it was. 1964.

[tiamat63]

First? Jeffe' Garcia's finest hour in CLE. 

 

 

[Browns149]

My first game was Nov 11, 1984

49ers 41 Browns 7

In a matchup of Joe Montana vs Paul MacDonald. It was a total beatdown

Then we went to McDonalds on Triskett, next to the Rapid station. I had the new, back then, Chicken McNuggets and got sick as a dog

[Dutch Oven]

19 hours ago, Orion said:

Schaefer Stadium against the Patriots.  Week 1.  1980.  We lost pretty bad.  

Best game, November 20th, 1983.  Win 30-0.  Sullivan Stadium.  Highlight - Tom Cousineau hits Steve Grogan as he was throwing a flat pass to the RB.  Chip Banks intercepts for a 65 yd TD.  I was yelling, Run Chippie Run!  Grogan limped off with a cracked fibula.  Towards the end of the game Stanley Morgan caught a pass over the middle with nobody around him.  I'm like, Oh Shit.  There goes the shutout.  But while running along...with a Brown MANY yards behind and NEVER gonna catch him, Morgan has the ball hit off his knee or thigh pad and fumbles it...our guy recovers to preserve the shut out.    We opened the 2nd half with an onside kick that we recovered....because, obviously, we saw on tape that the Patriots just don't watch to verify that the kicker is actually gonna kick the ball deep.  

Funny thing.  I later told my barber (hair stylist) of the fumble.  He related to me that hair stylists have Mondays off (union) and he occasionally would drive up to the stadium to watch the guys on the field.  (they let him sit in the stands back then)  He said Mondays are a slow day for the team (as we know) but on this particular Monday Stanley Morgan was catching fade passes in the corner of the end zone.  The DB was getting a little frisky trying to knock the ball out as to cause a fumble...so Morgan held the football out vertically, holding if from the top...and the DB whacked the ball several times but could not knock the ball out of Morgan's hand.   

I've probably asked you before, but did you ever live in NE Ohio? How did you become a Browns fan if you've lived in the New England area so long?

[Dutch Oven]

7 hours ago, FATE said:

September 10, 1978 ~ Browns vs Bengals

I was 12 and just started watching football the previous year. Going to a game seemed like a really big deal to me. I was with my soon-to-be step-dad... besides a couple of fishing trips, this was one of our first "bonding" experiences.

The game was pretty boring, because the Browns couldn't score. But still, the sights and sounds were awesome to a young kid.

"The Waterbug" (Greg Pruitt) was having a pretty big day; but we stayed in self-destruct mode and were down 10-0 late in the third. First a Cockroft FG going into the 4th. Then... Sipe to Rucker with a couple minutes left in the fourth.

I remember, after our TD, some fool marching up the aisle "I'll bet anybody $10 we lose... Anybody? 10 bucks... we're gonna blow it like we always do... anybody? anybody?" as he glared up and down each aisle. By this time I was blown away by the whole scene. People were getting pretty drunk and crazy. At the beginning of the 3rd some Hell's Angels showed up. There were three that I could see; walking up and down three aisles in a row scanning the crowd -- obviously looking for someone. I was scared lol. I had heard about them in the past; but now I was watching them stare people down, and everyone afraid to look back at them as they walked the aisles.

The game goes to OT and it all seemed rather easy, if not predestined. We win the toss and march straight down the field for a Cockroft FG to win. I remember being very excited that my first game went to OT. Couldn't wait to tell my friends I was there.

When we scored our TD, and then the FG in OT, and the old Muni erupted -- that was the moment I became a Browns fan for life. The passion and exuberance, people turning around with high fives... and how that flowed all the way out through the hollow walkways and parking lot. Excitement still echoing in my ears as we walked out of the stadium and saw the party atmosphere outside. Everybody that followed from our general vicinity was still making fun of the dude that had the nerve to think we would lose lol. "I'll bet you ten bucks we don't see that chump out here". 

I'll never forget that day and that game... I'll also never forget walking into the bathroom as a 12 year old and seeing everyone pissing in a trough and some drunk guy pissing in a sink lmao.

 

That was game 2. We started the season 3-0 before losing to the Steelers 15-9 in OT. I had high hopes. We finished 8-8 (again) and I was well on my way to learning the pain and anguish of being a Browns fan.

Oh lord, those Cleveland Stadium bathrooms. Those made me as a kid think "You know, I think I'll just hold it..." Detroit's Tiger Stadium had those troughs too. 

Great story FATE.

[Dutch Oven]

5 hours ago, WarrenDawg said:

For me, it was November of 1993. I was 15. It was the first home game after cutting Bernie Kosar. The Oilers intercepted Todd Philcox four times, and Gary Brown gashed us for nearly 200 yards. The fans were pretty drunk and very angry for most of the game. There was constant fighting in the old Dawg Pound, that day. Some were Oiler's fans causing trouble, but most of it looked like in-fighting among Browns fans. I'll never forget how everyone started pointing to the fights when the fights broke out. The stadium police had their hands full for that one. Years later, I sat in the Dawg Pound at the new stadium. It was nothing like the Dawg Pound I remembered seeing back in 1993. 

The first time I sat in the old Dawg Pound was probably about that time too, with some guy from high school's CHURCH YOUTH GROUP. Dog knows I would never have anything to do with anything church-related, but they had an extra Browns ticket (vs the Chargers?) so of course, that was an easy sell. 

Even then, the irony of being with a youth group in the Dawg Pound was not lost on me. Pretty much anything went there. 

[Dutch Oven]

3 hours ago, tiamat63 said:

First? Jeffe' Garcia's finest hour in CLE. 

 

 

What is that, one of two opening week wins for the Browns since returning in '99?

And how old are you tia? I knew you were younger than me, but my first game was 20 years before yours?

[Dutch Oven]

1 hour ago, Browns149 said:

My first game was Nov 11, 1984

49ers 41 Browns 7

In a matchup of Joe Montana vs Paul MacDonald. It was a total beatdown

Then we went to McDonalds on Triskett, next to the Rapid station. I had the new, back then, Chicken McNuggets and got sick as a dog

Holy crap B149, anyone would have understood if you stopped being a Browns fan after that first game experience! 🤣

[Browns149]

2 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

Holy crap B149, anyone would have understood if you stopped being a Browns fan after that first game experience! 🤣

I was a fan before that. 

[Orion]

5 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

I've probably asked you before, but did you ever live in NE Ohio? How did you become a Browns fan if you've lived in the New England area so long?

...because I'm old.  

Story:  Way back when I was a little boy, the Patriots weren't in the NFL.  And they were on an obscure Boston station....in Rhode Island we'd have to have tin foil (aluminum foil) extending the rabbit ear antennas out the window, down the side of your house, up the tree, etc. just to bring in an incredibly 'snowy' picture.  That combination made most New Englanders Giants fans.  And we got a lot of Giants games televised locally.  And Eagles, Redskins, and Browns.  

So this little boy in Rhode Island was watching the Browns play the Giants...in black and white.  And this guy wearing #32 came on a power sweep.  One Giant got to this #32 guy...and he was dragged along for the ride.  Another Giant got to this #32 guy...and another Giant...but they couldn't get him down or stopped.  So, this group of Giants picked him up and carried him the 2 yards to the sideline.  The little boy yelled out, "THAT'S MY FAVORITE PLAYER!  AND THAT'S MY FAVORITE TEAM!".

I've said it in other threads, Jim Brown is the reason a little boy in Rhode Island became a lifelong Browns fan.  And now, another little piece of that boy is in the ground.

From the year that I was born, to the year I graduated high school, the Browns never had a losing record.  Obviously, by now, the fiddler has been paid back in spades.

This Year Please Browns!  For Jim!  For the Gipper, Stan, Tour...and all of us.  Please...

 

 

[Ghoolie Always Ghoolie]

Browns versus Eagles, 1961, I think. I was 7, but already crazed for the Browns

it was around Thanksgiving I think. My Dad said Fuck Milt Plum quite a bit, I remember that. Plum was terrible that day. 

I think the Browns won 45- 27 or something like that. I  vaguely remember two other things, Jim Brown rushed for 4 Tds and had well over 200 yards.

My Dad, a true aficionado, in addition to being a swearing expert, took me to the place where the opposing team excited.

I got to see Sonny Jourgensen, Pete Retslaff and I think Tommy McDonald. I got some autographs which my Dad told me to hang on to.

I didn't give a shit about the fucking Eagles and quickly lost the autographs. I was pissed that I wasn't seeing the Browns players.

My takeaway was that sometimes, in an effort to teach me something, my Dad was a dickhead.

[tiamat63]

12 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

What is that, one of two opening week wins for the Browns since returning in '99?

And how old are you tia? I knew you were younger than me, but my first game was 20 years before yours?

 

Si.

I had turned 15 just a couple months prior to when my dad took the family to that home opener.    That weekend was epic, but a foreshadow to how rough the football season was going to be.  The Bucks needed a 50 yard bomb from Nuge to beat Marshall at home just the day before.  

[Flugel]

Perfect topic for this time of year! It only makes sense I didn't even see it when I logged on Tuesday morning. Anyway, the very first time my dad took me and my brother to a game in Cleveland was October 10th, 1976.  Friends of our family had moved to Cleveland from Fairport, NY (a suburb of Rochester about 65 miles east of Buffalo). They got the tickets but warned us the only tickets available for the Browns-Steelers rivalry was in Standing Room Only, I kid you not.  Nothing like the fresh smell of urine trickling out of the bathroom in the old stadium with occasional marijuana aromas. I can still hear my dad telling my older brother "that better not be coming from you" to the reply "CALM DOWN - you're too nervous!"  

The trip took about 4.5 hours with about 1 or 2 stops to take a power squirt.  Not bad at all when you consider a drive to NYC was at least 6 hours away.  Anyway, as we were driving up near the lake Gordon Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was on the radio giving us a goose-bumps serenade. As a 12 year old kid, that's a first impression I've never forgotten.  

The good stuff just kept on coming from there. As you all probably know - this was the day Turkey Jones sacked Terry Bradshaw with a body slam that would end Bradshaw's season as well as Pittsburgh's chance of winning that game.  The Browns had to start a little known backup QB David Mays; because 3 weeks earlier Jack Lambert had a dirty hit out of bounds on the 175lb Brian Sipe.  The Browns played extremely well up front on both sides of the ball that day.  As good as Pittsburgh's offensive line was at the time - they couldn't block Jerry Sherk and Walter Johnson all day.  On 1 rare occasion when Pittsburgh gave them the attention they commanded - Turkey Jones easily won his matchup on the edge to give Bradshaw the body slam that still appears in highlights promoting the rivalry today.  JMO, that could be wrong, the defense wanted to remind Pittsburgh what dirty pool can look like when it's your turn to see how it feels.  The Browns won that game 18-16 and it punctuated a great weekend in Cleveland.  The Browns finished that 1976 season 9-5 under Forrest Gregg.

After that year, my dad started to take us to 1 game a year in Cleveland.  Before all this, he installed an antenna that got us feeds for games from all over the place long before satellite TV.  We saw the Browns play the Saints from a feed out of Ottawa commentated in French.  Syracuse showed Cleveland a lot so they often televised them for any easy feed to my dad's setup while Rochester was showing Buffalo.  We've also seen them play at Buffalo before and after 1976.

Football and the Browns were a family tradition I wouldn't trade for anything.  I lost my dad to his 3rd different bout with cancer and my brother to an accident within 2 years of each other.  Today I'm flying solo but feeling very fortunate I have a lot of you guys in here to share what happens with our favorite team from here on out.  Keep on positing from the heart and that's all we need in here. Thanks!!!

[nickers]

10 hours ago, Ghoolie Always Ghoolie said:

Browns versus Eagles, 1961, I think. I was 7, but already crazed for the Browns

it was around Thanksgiving I think. My Dad said Fuck Milt Plum quite a bit, I remember that. Plum was terrible that day. 

I think the Browns won 45- 27 or something like that. I  vaguely remember two other things, Jim Brown rushed for 4 Tds and had well over 200 yards.

My Dad, a true aficionado, in addition to being a swearing expert, took me to the place where the opposing team excited.

I got to see Sonny Jourgensen, Pete Retslaff and I think Tommy McDonald. I got some autographs which my Dad told me to hang on to.

I didn't give a shit about the fucking Eagles and quickly lost the autographs. I was pissed that I wasn't seeing the Browns players.

My takeaway was that sometimes, in an effort to teach me something, my Dad was a dickhead.

Sounds like My stepfather and your dad would've got along lol...

[Dutch Oven]

9 hours ago, Flugel said:

The trip took about 4.5 hours with about 1 or 2 stops to take a power squirt.  Not bad at all when you consider a drive to NYC was at least 6 hours away.  Anyway, as we were driving up near the lake Gordon Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was on the radio giving us a goose-bumps serenade. As a 12 year old kid, that's a first impression I've never forgotten.  

Football and the Browns were a family tradition I wouldn't trade for anything.  I lost my dad to his 3rd different bout with cancer and my brother to an accident within 2 years of each other.  Today I'm flying solo but feeling very fortunate I have a lot of you guys in here to share what happens with our favorite team from here on out.  Keep on positing from the heart and that's all we need in here. Thanks!!!

Some Dutch trivia: I was born the day before the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. 

Sports connections are some of my earliest memories of my dad, funny how that sticks with you. 

[Dutch Oven]

7 hours ago, calfoxwc said:

I was young back then  - somebody refused the idea that the Browns ever played at the Rubber Bowl, so.... I'm fairly sure I was about 7 yrs old back then:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/obama-appointed-judge-strikes-down-arkansas-ban-on-child-sex-changes/ar-AA1cOZpq

The stadium also hosted professional football on a number of occasions: the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League (NFL) played two regular-season games at the Rubber Bowl, one in 1941 and one in 1942, and the NFL's Cleveland Browns used the stadium for 19 preseason games between 1950 and 1973.

Interesting link to NFL history at the Rubber Bowl, Mr. "I Never Talk Politics on the Browns Board". 😁

[SdBacker80]

Oh the Dawg Pound…the fights and the shenanigans.

Jets/Browns 2006.  I found out what it was like to wear the other teams colors.   This was a W for us…I think we benefited from a missed TD call on an end zone deep TD pass by Pennington. This was right on or before Halloween.  The Pound was rowdy -Halloween plus a 4pm game.  I took a friend Jets fan he wanted to see the pound.  He had his green jacket on there was group one row below us with OSU Jets jersey Mangold, Nugent, and one other.  We got hit with candy all game.  I had to turn around at one point and say “f-ing relax” and almost started a fight.  We had to walk through the Muni lot I told my buddy to turn is jacket inside out so he didn’t get jumped in the lot. Mouthy Jets fans, Halloween, late game…it was a shit show 

And the Muni Lot…I’ve seen stuff there I can’t unsee.  We can do another post I think on just muni lot stories.  One of my favorites (not bizarre but funny- I got a few bizarre stories), my brother and I did a game right before Christmas one year (New Browns era) we were tailgating next to this car load from Canada that brought some homemade whiskey- it was the only Browns game I can’t recall watching- the stuff was powerful.  I see a guy that is dressed like Santa - uncanny resemblance  to the guy up North.  He lights this joint and I offered my brother 20 bucks to go plead with the guy not to smoke, he’s Santa Claus, he’s got to deliver toys next week.  Really play it up,,,,”no Santa- you can’t do this” .   Bunch of drunk tailgaters follow with more money trying to entice my brother.  He had a fist full of cash when all was said and done and played it perfectly did some fake tears.  The guy (Santa) really felt bad I think he Thought my brother was off a little until he saw the group six seven cars down all laughing.  

[calfoxwc]

18 hours ago, Orion said:

...because I'm old.  

Story:  Way back when I was a little boy, the Patriots weren't in the NFL.  And they were on an obscure Boston station....in Rhode Island we'd have to have tin foil (aluminum foil) extending the rabbit ear antennas out the window, down the side of your house, up the tree, etc. just to bring in an incredibly 'snowy' picture.  That combination made most New Englanders Giants fans.  And we got a lot of Giants games televised locally.  And Eagles, Redskins, and Browns.  

So this little boy in Rhode Island was watching the Browns play the Giants...in black and white.  And this guy wearing #32 came on a power sweep.  One Giant got to this #32 guy...and he was dragged along for the ride.  Another Giant got to this #32 guy...and another Giant...but they couldn't get him down or stopped.  So, this group of Giants picked him up and carried him the 2 yards to the sideline.  The little boy yelled out, "THAT'S MY FAVORITE PLAYER!  AND THAT'S MY FAVORITE TEAM!".

I've said it in other threads, Jim Brown is the reason a little boy in Rhode Island became a lifelong Browns fan.  And now, another little piece of that boy is in the ground.

From the year that I was born, to the year I graduated high school, the Browns never had a losing record.  Obviously, by now, the fiddler has been paid back in spades.

This Year Please Browns!  For Jim!  For the Gipper, Stan, Tour...and all of us.  Please...

 

 

That reminds me of a story long, long ago. I read Jim Brown's account - he said they were playing the Giants, and Sam Huff ? Tackled him when he was knew to the NFL - and laid on him and said "Jimmy, you stink". The next play, it happened again, and Huff said the same thing again. Jim Brown got pretty mad, and said the next chance, he ran right over Sam Huff and refused to be tackled. I read that so long ago...