This is probably one of the only reviews of the Cleveland Browns you'll ever read that actually highlights some positives that exist about the ridiculed NFL franchise. In spite of this, I will not deny the fact that the Browns' team is in shambles year after year, and no matter how much rebuilding they do, they're so noncompetitive in their own division that they'll never make the playoffs. That being said, I'm a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan, but I won't let that get in the way of reviewing the Browns.
What I'm referring to as positives really has nothing to do with the team at all. Rather, I'm going to look back at all of my experiences going to Browns games, and what I've learned about the organization and its following over the years.
My freshman year at CWRU, my nextdoor neighbor now fraternity brother Gage asked me if I wanted to tag along with him to a Browns game. Gage is as big of a Browns fan as it gets, and naturally he had some reservations about asking a Pittsburgh fan to go with him, but I agreed and next thing you know we got on the train to downtown. When we get to the tailgate site, I was sort of shocked to see how intense these fans were about their pre-game festivities. I figured that fans of a legitimately bad team would be lackluster in their tailgate scene - boy was I wrong. Even I, who had no affiliation to the team or its fanbase, had a fun time tailgating for the Browns. It didn't end there either.
Once we got into the stadium, everyone was rowdy, most of the fans totally inebriated (wouldn't you be if you were a Browns fan?), but the atmosphere was electric. The dawg pound barks echoing throughout, the fans knew they had a chance against the Oakland Raiders today. Over the course of the game, the energy never died down, and the Browns ended up winning the game and evening their record at 3-3 (imagine that, the Browns win the one time I go).
The next game I attended had the same atmosphere as the time before, however, they did not prevail over the Colts that December. Nonetheless, the stadium and the fans were rocking the entire game, not believing for one second that their Brownies would drop that game (which they held a lead for almost its entirety).
When it boils down, the Browns are a pretty sad team to watch. On the flip side, I've never seen any more rowdy and passionate a group of fans in my sports-fan career when it comes to attending games. So for that, Cleveland Browns, you're winners.
You're still a terrible football team.
