Cleveland Browns
| Cleveland Browns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Current season | |||||
| Established June 4, 1944[1] First season: 1946 Play in FirstEnergy Stadium Cleveland, Ohio Headquartered in the Cleveland Browns Training and Administrative Complex Berea, Ohio | |||||
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| League/conference affiliations | |||||
All-America Football Conference (1946–1949)
National Football League (1950–present)
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Current uniform | |||||
 | |||||
| Team colors | Brown, orange, white[2][3] | ||||
| Mascot | Chomps, Swagger, Brownie the Elf | ||||
| Personnel | |||||
| Owner(s) | Jimmy Haslam Dee Haslam[4][5][6] | ||||
| General manager | John Dorsey | ||||
| Head coach | Gregg Williams (interim)[7][8] | ||||
| Team history | |||||
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| Championships | |||||
League championships (8)
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| Conference championships (11) | |||||
| Division championships (21) | |||||
| Playoff appearances (28) | |||||
| Home fields | |||||
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The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The Browns play their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium, which opened in 1999,[9][10] with administrative offices and training facilities in Berea, Ohio. The Browns' official colors are brown, orange, and white.[3] They are unique among the 32 member franchises of the NFL in that they do not have a logo on their helmets.[11][12]
The franchise was founded in 1945 by businessman Arthur B. McBride and coach Paul Brown as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). The Browns dominated the AAFC, compiling a 47–4–3 record in the league's four seasons and winning its championship in each.[13] When the AAFC folded after the 1949 season, the Browns joined the National Football League along with the San Francisco 49ers and the original Baltimore Colts. The Browns won a championship in their inaugural NFL season, as well as in the 1954, 1955, and 1964 seasons, and in a feat unequaled in any of the North American major professional sports, played in their league championship game in each of the Browns' first ten years of existence. From 1965 to 1995, they made the playoffs 14 times, but did not win another championship or appear in the Super Bowl during that period.
In 1995, owner Art Modell, who had purchased the Browns in 1961, announced plans to move the team to Baltimore. After threats of legal action from the city of Cleveland and fans, a compromise was reached in early 1996 that allowed Modell to establish the Baltimore Ravens as a new franchise while retaining the contracts of all Browns personnel. The Browns' intellectual property, including team name, logos, training facility, and history, were kept in trust and the franchise was regarded by the NFL as suspended, with a new team to be established by 1999 either by expansion or relocation. The Browns were announced as an expansion team in 1998 and resumed play in 1999.[14]
Since resuming operations in 1999, the Browns have struggled to find success. They have had only two winning seasons (in 2002 and 2007), one playoff appearance (2002), and no playoff wins. The franchise has also been noted for a lack of stability with quarterbacks, having started 30 players in the position since 1999.[15] Through the end of the 2018 season, the Browns' win–loss record since returning to the NFL in 1999 is 95–224–1.[16] In 2017, the Browns became only the second team in league history to finish a season 0–16, joining the 2008 Detroit Lions. Through the 2018 season, the Browns hold the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, at 16 seasons.
Contents
History
The history of the Cleveland Browns American football team began in 1944 when taxi-cab magnate Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride secured a Cleveland franchise in the newly formed All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Paul Brown was the team's namesake and first coach. The Browns began play in 1946 in the AAFC. The Browns won each of the league's four championship games before the league dissolved in 1949. The team then moved to the more established National Football League (NFL), where it continued to dominate. Between 1950 and 1955, Cleveland reached the NFL championship game every year, winning three times.
McBride and his partners sold the team to a group of Cleveland businessmen in 1953 for a then-unheard-of $600,000. Eight years later, the team was sold again, this time to a group led by New York advertising executive Art Modell. Modell fired Brown before the 1963 season, but the team continued to win behind running back Jim Brown. The Browns won the championship in 1964 and reached the title game the following season, losing to the Green Bay Packers.
When the AFL and NFL merged before the 1970 season, Cleveland became part of the new American Football Conference (AFC). While the Browns made it back to the playoffs in 1971 and 1972, they fell into mediocrity through the mid-1970s. A revival of sorts took place in 1979 and 1980, when quarterback Brian Sipe engineered a series of last-minute wins and the Browns came to be called the "Kardiac Kids". Under Sipe, however, the Browns did not make it past the first round of the playoffs. Quarterback Bernie Kosar, who the Browns drafted in 1985, led the team to three AFC Championship games in the late 1980s but lost each time to the Denver Broncos. In 1995, Modell announced he was relocating the Browns to Baltimore, sowing a mix of outrage and bitterness among Cleveland's dedicated fan base. Negotiations and legal battles led to an agreement where Modell was allowed to move the team, but Cleveland kept the Browns' name, colors and history.
After three years of suspension while Cleveland Stadium was demolished and FirstEnergy Stadium built on its site, the Browns started play again in 1999 under new owner Al Lerner. The Browns struggled throughout the 2000s and 2010s, posting a record of 88–216 (.289) since their 1999 return. The Browns have only posted two winning seasons and one playoff appearance (2002) since returning to the NFL. The team's struggles have been magnified since 2012, when the Lerner family sold the team to businessman Jimmy Haslam. In six seasons under the Haslam ownership, the Browns went through four head coaches and four general managers, none of whom had found success. In 2016 and 2017 under head coach Hue Jackson, the Browns went 1–31 (.031) (including a winless 0-16 season in 2017), the worst two-year stretch in NFL history, and received the number one overall draft pick in both of those years.
Logos and uniforms
Logos
The Browns are the only National Football League team without a helmet logo. The logoless helmet serves as the Browns' official logo. The organization has used several promotional logos throughout the years; players' numbers were painted on the helmets from the 1957 to 1960; and an unused "CB" logo[17] was created in 1965,[18] But for much of their history, the Browns' helmets have been an unadorned burnt orange color with a top stripe of dark brown (officially called "seal brown") divided by a white stripe.
The team has had various promotional logos throughout the years, such as the "Brownie Elf" mascot or a Brown "B" in a white football. While Art Modell did away with the Brownie Elf in the mid-1960s, believing it to be too childish, its use has been revived under the current ownership. The popularity of the Dawg Pound section at First Energy Stadium has led to a brown and orange dog being used for various Browns functions. But overall, the orange, logo-less helmet continues as the primary trademark of the Cleveland Browns.
On February 24, 2015, the team unveiled its new logos and word marks, the only differences being minor color changes to the helmet with the helmet design remaining largely as is.[3][11][19]
Uniforms
The original designs of the jerseys, pants, and socks remained mostly the same, but the helmets went through many significant revisions throughout the years. The Browns uniforms saw their first massive change prior to the 2015 season.
Jerseys: 1. Brown: Brown (officially "seal brown") with orange colored numbers and writing, and an orange-white-orange stripe sequence on the sleeves. 2. White (Away): white with orange numbers and writing, with a brown-orange-brown stripe sequence. 3. Orange: Orange with white numerals and writing, and a brown-white-brown stripe sequence.
Pants: 1. Brown - Brown pants with an orange-white-orange stripe sequence down 2/3rds the length of the pants. the other third is the word "BROWNS," written in orange. 2. White - white pants with a brown-orange-brown stripes. "BROWNS" Is written in Brown. 3. Orange - Orange pants with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence. "BROWNS" is written in brown.
Socks: 1. Solid Brown. 2. Solid white. 3. solid Orange.
Helmet: Solid white (1946–1949); solid white for day games and solid orange for night games (1950–1951); orange with a single white stripe (1952–1956); orange with a single white stripe and brown numerals on the sides (1957–1959); orange with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence and brown numerals on the sides (1960); orange with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence (1961–1995 and 1999–present).
Over the years, the Browns have had on-again / off-again periods of wearing white for their home games, particularly in the 1970s and 80s, as well as in the early 2000s after the team returned to the league. Until recently, when more NFL teams have started to wear white at home at least once a season, the Browns were the only non-subtropical team north of the Mason-Dixon line to wear white at home on a regular basis.
Secondary numerals (called "TV numbers") first appeared on the jersey sleeves in 1961. Over the years, there have been minor revisions to the sleeve stripes, the first occurring in 1968 (brown jerseys worn in early season) and 1969 (white and brown jerseys) when stripes began to be silk screened onto the sleeves and separated from each other to prevent color bleeding. However, the basic five-stripe sequence has remained intact (with the exception of the 1984 season). A recent revision was the addition of the initials "AL" to honor team owner Al Lerner who died in 2002; this was removed in 2013 upon Jimmy Haslam assuming ownership of the team.
Orange pants with a brown-white-brown stripe sequence were worn from 1975 to 1983 and become symbolic of the "Kardiac Kids" era. The orange pants were worn again occasionally in 2003 and 2004.
Other than the helmet, the uniform was completely redesigned for the 1984 season. New striping patterns appeared on the white jerseys, brown jerseys and pants. Solid brown socks were worn with brown jerseys and solid orange socks were worn with white jerseys. Brown numerals on the white jerseys were outlined in orange. White numerals on the brown jerseys were double outlined in brown and orange. (Orange numerals double outlined in brown and white appeared briefly on the brown jerseys in one pre-season game.[20]) However, this particular uniform set was not popular with the fans, and in 1985 the uniform was returned to a look similar to the original design. It remained that way until 1995.
In 1999, the expansion Browns adopted the traditional design with two exceptions: first, the TV numbers, previously on the sleeves, were moved to the shoulders; and second, the orange-brown-orange pants stripes were significantly widened.
Experimentation with the uniform design began in 2002. An alternate orange jersey was introduced that season as the NFL encouraged teams to adopt a third jersey, and a major design change was made when solid brown socks appeared for the first time since 1984 and were used with white, brown and orange jerseys. Other than 1984, striped socks (matching the jersey stripes) had been a signature design element in the team's traditional uniform. The white striped socks appeared occasionally with the white jerseys in 2003–2005 and 2007.
Experimentation continued in 2003 and 2004 when the traditional orange-brown-orange stripes on the white pants were replaced by two variations of a brown-orange-brown sequence, one in which the stripes were joined (worn with white jerseys) and the other in which they were separated by white (worn with brown jerseys). The joined sequence was used exclusively with both jerseys in 2005. In 2006, the traditional orange-brown-orange sequence returned.
Additionally in 2006, the team reverted to an older uniform style, featuring gray face masks; the original stripe pattern on the brown jersey sleeves (The white jersey has had that sleeve stripe pattern on a consistent basis since the 1985 season.) and the older, darker shade of brown.
The Browns wore brown pants for the first time in team history on August 18, 2008, preseason game against the New York Giants. The pants contain no stripes or markings. The team had the brown pants created as an option for their away uniform when they integrated the gray facemask in 2006.[21] They were not worn again until the Browns "family" scrimmage on August 9, 2009 with white-striped socks.[22] The Browns have continued to wear the brown pants throughout the 2009 season.[23] Browns quarterback Brady Quinn supported the team's move to wearing the brown pants full-time, claiming that the striped pattern on the white pants "prohibit[ed] mobility".[24] However, the fans generally did not like the brown pants, and after being used for only one season, the team returned to their white shirt-on-white pants in 2010. Coach Eric Mangini told The Plain Dealer the Browns won't use the brown pants anymore. "It wasn't very well-received," Mangini said. "I hope we can get to the point where we can wear fruit on our heads and people wouldn't notice."[25] At the time, the brown pants weren't officially dropped by the team, but simply not used.
The Browns chose to wear white at home for the 2011 season, and wound up wearing white for all 16 games as when they were on the road, the home team would wear their darker colored uniform.[26]
The Browns brought back the brown pants in their home game against the Buffalo Bills on October 3, 2013 on Thursday Night Football, pairing them with the brown jerseys. It marked the first time the team wore an all-brown combination in team history.[27]
On April 14, 2015, the Cleveland Browns unveiled their new uniform combinations, consisting of the team's colors of orange, brown and white.[28][29]
Rivalries
The Cleveland Browns have rivalries with all three of its AFC North opponents. In addition, the team has had historical rivalries with the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Detroit Lions.
The team's biggest rival in the AAFC was the San Francisco 49ers, though this has cooled and in some cases turned into a friendly relationship, as the Browns now play in AFC and the 49ers play in the NFC. Additionally, many 49ers personnel helped the Browns relaunch in 1999 as well as former team President Mike Holmgren having started his NFL career in San Francisco. Also, 49ers owners John York and Denise DeBartolo York reside in Youngstown, 60 miles southeast of Cleveland. Former long-time veteran placekicker and fan favorite, Phil Dawson, signed with the 49ers in 2014, along with backup quarterback Colt McCoy.
Divisional rivalries
Pittsburgh Steelers
Often called the "Turnpike Rivalry",[30] the Browns' main rival has long been the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though the Browns dominated this rivalry early in the series (winning the first eight matchups), the Steelers currently have the all-time edge 74–58, making it the oldest rivalry in the AFC. Former Browns owner Art Modell scheduled home games against the Steelers on Saturday night from 1964 to 1970 to help fuel the rivalry. The rivalry has been fueled by the proximity of the two teams, number of championships both teams have won, players and personnel having played and/or coached for both sides, and personal bitterness. Though the rivalry has cooled in Pittsburgh due to the Modell move (as well as the Browns having a 6–33 record against the Steelers since returning to the league in 1999, including one playoff loss), the Steelers are still top rival for Cleveland.
Cincinnati Bengals
Originally conceived due to the personal animosity between Paul Brown and Art Modell, the "Battle of Ohio" between the Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals has been fueled by the sociocultural differences between Cincinnati and Cleveland, a shared history between the two teams, and even similar team colors, since Brown used the exact shade of orange for the Bengals that he used for the Browns. (Though this has changed since then, as the Bengals now use a brighter shade of orange.) Modell, in fact, moved the Browns to the AFC after the AFL–NFL merger in order to have a rivalry with the Bengals. The rivalry has also produced two of the eight highest-scoring games in NFL history. Cincinnati has the all-time edge 50–39, having won the majority of games against the Browns since they returned to the NFL in 1999 (25 wins for Cincinnati and 12 wins for Cleveland).
Baltimore Ravens
Created as a result of the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, the rivalry between the Browns and Ravens was more directed at Art Modell than the team itself, and is simply considered a divisional game in Baltimore. Unlike the other two rivalries, this one is more lopsided: the Ravens lead 29–9. Additionally, this matchup is more bitter for Cleveland than the others due to the fact that the draft picks for 1995 to 1998 resulted in the rosters that won the Super Bowl for the Ravens in 2000. Had the Browns stayed in Cleveland, these teams (drafted by general manager Ozzie Newsome) might have given the Browns the title after a 35-year drought.[31] This bitterness was compounded when the Ravens won their second Super Bowl in 2012.
Other rivalries
Detroit Lions
The Lions rivalry began in the 1950s, when the Browns and Lions played each other in four NFL championships. The Lions won three of those championships, while the Browns won one. This was arguably one of the NFL's best rivalries in the 1950s. Since the NFL-AFL merger of 1970, the teams have met much less frequently with the Browns' move to the AFC. From 2002 to 2014, the two teams played an annual preseason game known as the "Great Lakes Classic".[32]
Buffalo Bills
The Bills rivalry had its roots back to the days of the AAFC, when there was a team from Buffalo with the same name in that league. The Browns and AAFC Bills played six games, including a league championship game, before the Browns were selected to merge into the NFL and the Bills left out. After the current incarnation of the Bills joined the NFL, the Browns and Bills have played each other from time to time. Though the Browns and Bills are in different AFC divisions, a mellow rivalry has since developed between the teams due to the similarities between Buffalo and Cleveland and shared misfortune between the teams. Despite this "rivalry" being known for ugly games such as a 6-3 Browns win in which Browns quarterback Derek Anderson only completed 2 of 17 passes,[33] there have been some competitive moments between the Bills and Browns as well, such as a playoff game in 1990 and two games with playoff-implications in 2007 and 2014.[34]
Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
The Colts rivalry was hot in the 1960s. The Browns upset the Colts in the 1964 NFL championship (the last championship to date for the Browns) and the Colts avenged themselves by beating the Browns in the 1968 NFL Championship. The Browns also beat the Indianapolis Colts in a 1987 divisional playoff game.
Denver Broncos
The Browns had a brief rivalry with the Broncos that arose from three AFC championship games from 1986 to 1989. In the 1986 AFC Championship, quarterback John Elway led The Drive to secure a tie in the waning moments at Cleveland Municipal Stadium; the Broncos went on to win in 23–20 in overtime. One year later, the two teams met again in the 1987 AFC Championship game at Mile High Stadium. Denver took a 21–3 lead, but Browns' quarterback Bernie Kosar threw four touchdown passes to tie the game at 31–31 halfway through the 4th quarter. After a long drive, John Elway threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to running back Sammy Winder to give Denver a 38–31 lead. Cleveland advanced to Denver's 8-yard line with 1:12 left, but Broncos' safety Jeremiah Castille stripped Browns' running back Earnest Byner of the football at the 2-yard line—a play that has been called The Fumble by Browns' fans. The Broncos recovered it, gave Cleveland an intentional safety, and went on to win 38–33. The two teams met yet again in the 1989 AFC Championship at Mile High Stadium, which the Broncos easily won by a score of 37–21.
Fan base
A 2006 study conducted by Bizjournal determined that Browns fans are the most loyal fans in the NFL. The study, while not scientific, was largely based on fan loyalty during winning and losing seasons, attendance at games, and challenges confronting fans (such as inclement weather or long-term poor performance of their team).[35] The study noted that Browns fans filled 99.8% of the seats at Cleveland Browns Stadium during the last seven seasons, despite a combined record of 36-76 over that span.[36]
Dawg Pound
Perhaps the most visible Browns fans are those that can be found in the Dawg Pound. Originally the name for the bleacher section located in the open (east) end of old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the current incarnation is likewise located in the east end of FirstEnergy Stadium and still features hundreds of orange and brown clad fans sporting various canine-related paraphernalia. The fans adopted that name in 1984 after members of the Browns defense used it to describe the team's defense.[37]
Retired cornerback Hanford Dixon, who played his entire career for the Browns (1981–1989), is credited with naming the Cleveland Browns defense 'The Dawgs' in the mid-1980s. Dixon and teammates Frank Minnifield and Eddie Johnson would bark at each other and to the fans in the bleachers at the Cleveland Stadium to fire them up. It was from Dixon's naming that the Dawg Pound subsequently took its title.[38] The fans adopted that name in the years after.[37] Due to this nickname, since the team's revival the Browns have used a bulldog as an alternate logo.[39]
Browns Backers
The most prominent organization of Browns fans is the Browns Backers Worldwide (BBW). The organization has approximately 305,000 members[40] and Browns Backers clubs can be found in every major city in the United States, and in a number of military bases throughout the world, with the largest club being in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition, the organization has a sizable foreign presence in places as far away as Egypt, Australia, Japan, Sri Lanka, and McMurdo Station in Antarctica.[41] According to The Official Fan Club of the Cleveland Browns, the two largest international fan clubs are in Alon Shvut, West Bank and Niagara, Canada, with Alon Shvut having 129 members and Niagara having 310.[42]
Following former Browns owner Randy Lerner's acquisition of English football club Aston Villa, official Villa outlets started selling Cleveland Browns goods such as jerseys and NFL footballs. This has raised interest in England and strengthened the link between the two sporting clubs. Aston Villa supporters have set up an organization known as the Aston (Villa) Browns Backers of Birmingham.[citation needed]
Famous fans
The Cleveland Browns were the favorite team of Elvis Presley.[43][44] This was because his friend Gene Hickerson - with whom he had played football in their common youth in Memphis - was contracted by the Browns in 1957 and played there during his entire career until 1973.[45] Also defender Bobby Franklin, who had played from 1960 to 1966 for the Browns, was a friend of Presley. WWE Hall of Fame wrestler and commentator Jerry "The King" Lawler - though he has spent most of his life in Memphis - spent part of his childhood in the Cleveland area and is a fan of the Browns.[46] Fellow WWE wrestlers The Miz and Dolph Ziggler (both Cleveland natives) are also fans.[47] Another fan of the team is baseball legend Hank Aaron.[48] Other famous Browns fans include Arsenio Hall, Drew Carey, Patricia Heaton (her father, Chuck Heaton, was a sportswriter for The Plain Dealer, which covered the Browns and wrote two books about the team), Terri Garr, Martin Mull, Condoleezza Rice, Valerie Bertinelli (her husband is from the Northeast Ohio area), Machine Gun Kelly, Paul Adelstein, Iron Chef Michael Symon, ESPN sportscaster Jay Crawford and Brad Paisley.[49]
Players of note
Current roster
Players enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Cleveland Browns have the fourth largest number of players enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with a total of 16 enshrined players elected based on their performance with the Browns, and eight more players or coaches elected who spent at least one year with the Browns franchise.[50] No Browns players were inducted in the inaugural induction class of 1963. Otto Graham was the first Browns player to be enshrined as a member of the class of 1965, and the most recent Browns player to be included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is Gene Hickerson, who was a member of the class of 2007. All of the Browns' Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees thus far have been from the pre-1996 incarnation; no members of the Hall of Fame played for the Browns after 1999.
| Cleveland Browns in the Pro Football Hall of Fame | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inducted | No. | Player name | Tenure | Position(s) | |
| 1965 | 60, 14 | Otto Graham | 1946–1955 | QB | |
| 1967 | — | Paul Brown | 1946–1962 | Head coach | |
| 1968 | 76, 36 | Marion Motley | 1946–1953 | FB | |
| 1971 | 32 | Jim Brown | 1957–1965 | FB | |
| 1974 | 46, 76 | Lou Groza | 1946–1959 1961–1967 |
OT K | |
| 1975 | 56, 86 | Dante Lavelli | 1946–1956 | WR | |
| 1976 | 53, 80 | Len Ford | 1950–1957 | DE | |
| 1977 | 30, 45, 60 | Bill Willis | 1946–1953 | T, OG | |
| — | Forrest Gregg * | 1975–1977 | Head coach | ||
| 1981 | 77 | Willie Davis * | 1958–1959 | DE | |
| 1982 | 83 | Doug Atkins * | 1953–1954 | DE | |
| 1983 | 49 | Bobby Mitchell | 1958–1961 | WR, RB, HB | |
| 42 | Paul Warfield | 1964–1969 1976–1977 |
WR | ||
| 1984 | 74 | Mike McCormack | 1954–1962 | OT | |
| 1985 | 22, 52 | Frank Gatski | 1946–1956 | C | |
| 1987 | 18 | Len Dawson * | 1960–1961 | QB | |
| 1993 | 65 | Chuck Noll * | 1953–1959 | RG LB | |
| 1994 | 44 | Leroy Kelly | 1964–1973 | RB | |
| 1995 | 72 | Henry Jordan * | 1957–1958 | DT | |
| 1997 | 96, 44 | Don Shula * | 1951–1952 | DB | |
| 1998 | 29 | Tommy McDonald * | 1968 | WR | |
| 1999 | 82 | Ozzie Newsome | 1978–1990 | TE | |
| 2003 | 64 | Joe DeLamielleure | 1980–1984 | OG | |
| 2007 | 66 | Gene Hickerson | 1958–1960 1962–1973 |
OG | |
| * Performance with Browns incidental to induction | |||||
Cleveland Browns legends
The Cleveland Browns legends program honors former Browns who made noteworthy contributions to the history of the franchise. In addition to all the Hall of Famers listed above, the Legends list includes:[51]
| Cleveland Browns legends | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inducted | No. | Player name | Position(s) | Tenure |
| 2001 | 19 | Bernie Kosar | QB | 1985–1993 |
| 92 | Michael Dean Perry | DE | 1989–1994 | |
| 34 | Greg Pruitt | RB | 1973–1981 | |
| 26 | Ray Renfro | WR | 1952–1963 | |
| 2002 | 57 | Clay Matthews | LB | 1978–1993 |
| 17 | Brian Sipe | QB | 1974–1983 | |
| 58/88 | Mac Speedie | WR | 1946–1952 | |
| 2003 | 29 | Hanford Dixon | DB | 1981–1989 |
| 74/79 | Bob Gain | DT | 1952–1964 | |
| 77/80 | Dick Schafrath | OT | 1959–1971 | |
| 2004 | 86 | Gary Collins | WR | 1962–1971 |
| 42/82 | Tommy James | DB/P | 1948–1955 | |
| 40/86 | Dub Jones | WR | 1948–1955 | |
| 43 | Mike Pruitt | RB | 1976–1984 | |
| 2005 | 31 | Frank Minnifield | DB | 1984–1992 |
| 13 | Frank Ryan | QB | 1962–1968 | |
| 72 | Jerry Sherk | DL | 1970–1981 | |
| 64/84 | Jim Ray Smith | OT | 1956–1962 | |
| 2006 | 20/21/44 | Earnest Byner | RB | 1984–1988 1994–1995 |
| 73 | Doug Dieken | OT | 1971–1984 | |
| 82 | Jim Houston | LB | 1960–1972 | |
| 34 | Walt Michaels | LB | 1952–1961 | |
| 2007 | 12 | Don Cockroft | K | 1968–1980 |
| 59/84 | Horace Gillom | P | 1947–1956 | |
| 80 | Bill Glass | DE | 1962–1968 | |
| 34 | Kevin Mack | RB | 1985–1993 | |
| 2008 | 71 | Walter Johnson | DT | 1965–1976 |
| 24/80 | Warren Lahr | DB | 1949–1959 | |
| 21 | Eric Metcalf | RB | 1989–1994 | |
| 84/86 | Paul Wiggin | DE | 1957–1967 | |
| 2010 | 63 | Cody Risien | OT | 1979–1989 |
| 60 | John Wooten | OG | 1959–1967 | |
| 2011 | 50 | Vince Costello | LB | 1957–1966 |
| 54 | Tom DeLeone | C | 1974–1984 | |
| 2012 | 22 | Clarence Scott | DB | 1971–1983 |
| 48 | Ernie Green | RB | 1962–1968 | |
| 2013 | 35 | Galen Fiss | LB | 1956–1966 |
| 34/64 | Abe Gibron | G | 1950–1956 | |
| 2014 | 68 | Robert Jackson | OG | 1975–1985 |
| 89 | Milt Morin | TE | 1966–1975 | |
| 2015 | 70 | Don Colo | DT | 1953–1958 |
| 79 | Bob Golic | NT | 1982–1988 | |
| 2016 | 52 | Dick Ambrose | LB | 1975–1983 |
| 27 | Thom Darden | FS | 1972–1981 | |
| 2017 | 30 | Bernie Parrish | DB | 1959-1966 |
| 74 | Tony Adamle | LB/FB | 1947–1951, 1954 | |
| 2018 | 40 | Erich Barnes | DB | 1965-71 |
| 51 | Eddie Johnson | LB | 1981-1990 | |
Pro Bowlers
Retired uniform numbers
Cleveland Browns retired numbers
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
| Otto Graham QB, 1946-55 |
Jim Brown FB, 1957-65 |
Ernie Davis HB, 1962 |
Don Fleming S, 1960-62 |
Lou Groza OT/K, 1946-59, '61-67 |
From 1993 to 2013, number 19 was unofficially retired for Bernie Kosar aside from Frisman Jackson briefly wearing it in 2004, later changing it due to fan outcry over the number being used. In 2014, Miles Austin asked for and received permission from Kosar to wear 19, after which 19 returned to regular circulation for the Browns.
Ring of Honor
Beginning in 2010, the Browns established a Ring of Honor, honoring the greats from the past by having their names displayed around the upper deck of FirstEnergy Stadium. The inaugural class in the Browns Ring of Honor was unveiled during the home opener on September 19, 2010, and featured the 16 Hall of Famers listed above who went into the Hall of Fame as Browns.[52] In 2018, Joe Thomas was entered into the Ring of Honor with the number 10,363 - commemorating his NFL record of consecutive snaps played on offense.[53]
Statues
The team has honored two of its alumni with statues - late owner Alfred Lerner (in front of the team's headquarters/practice facility), and Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown (in front of First Energy Stadium).
Starting quarterbacks
First-round draft picks
Coaches of note
Head coaches
Current staff
Cleveland Browns staff
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Media
WKNR (850 AM), WKRK-FM (92.3 FM), and WNCX (98.5 FM) serve as co-flagship stations for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network. Play-by-play announcer Jim Donovan calls games on-site alongside color analyst Doug Dieken, a former Browns left tackle, and sideline reporter Nathan Zegura - who made news when he had to serve an eight-game suspension due to arguing with officials during a game in 2018.[54] WKRK-FM personality Ken Carman, WKNR personalities Tony Rizzo & Je'Rod Cherry, and former Browns punter Dave Zastudil host the network pregame show, while WKRK-FM personalities Jeff Phelps and Dustin Fox host the network postgame show.[55][56] WLFM-LP (87.7 FM) serves as the Spanish-language outlet for the team.[57]
WEWS-TV (TV channel 5) serves as the broadcast TV home of the Browns, airing year-round team programming as well as non-network preseason games.[58] Jay Crawford serves as play-by-play announcer, former Browns quarterback Tim Couch serves as color analyst, and former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar and Dustin Fox serve as sideline analysts.[59] SportsTime Ohio (STO) is the cable outlet for the team, airing various Browns related programming during the season, STO had previously served as the team's cable outlet from its founding in 2006 until 2014.[60]
The Browns in-house production team won a pair of Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards in 2005. One was for a primetime special honoring the 1964 NFL Championship team (The 1964 Championship Show) and one was for a commercial spot (The Paperboy)[61]
References in popular culture
The Browns have (either directly or indirectly) been featured in various movies and TV shows over the years. Notable examples include:
- Cleveland native Arsenio Hall's television program, The Arsenio Hall Show, is known for the audience's shouting "Woof, woof, woof!" while pumping their fists—a chant that was used by fans of the Cleveland Browns football team. He would refer to a section of the live audience as his "Dawg Pound".[62]
- On The Drew Carey Show, Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar appears (uncredited) in the episode "Drewstock" (aired January 29, 1997). In the episode "Drew Goes To The Browns Game", (aired September 29, 1999), Drew attends the Browns' first regular season game since re-joining the NFL. (In real life, Drew Carey actually did appear on-field at the first regular season game when the team returned in 1999.)
- Cleveland Brown is the name of a character originally featured on the Fox TV show Family Guy, and the central character of the spin-off series The Cleveland Show.
- On the TV show How I Met Your Mother, in the seventh-season premiere, the main characters go to a Cleveland Browns-themed wedding.
- The Browns have been featured on some level in episodes of Hot In Cleveland and even in promotional videos using at least one of the main characters. In the episode "How Did You Guys Meet, Anyway?" (January 4, 2012), the characters reminisce about how they met in the 1980s while waiting in the restroom line at a Cleveland Browns game.[63] In the episode "God and Football" (January 18, 2012), Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli) develops a relationship with the Browns place kicker (played by Dan Cortese). In the episode "The Gateway Friend" (May 2, 2012) Browns wide receiver/return specialist Josh Cribbs appears as himself portraying a karaoke contestant. After Super Bowl XLVI, Betty White appears in a video as Elka wearing a Browns jacket congratulating the New York Giants and hoping that the Browns win it one season.[64] After the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, the four main characters appear in a video welcoming Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel to the Browns.[65]
- The 1966 film The Fortune Cookie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau features the Browns and the city of Cleveland throughout the movie and was made with the cooperation of the Browns.[66]
- The 2008 film The Express explains how Ernie Davis is traded to the Browns by the Washington Redskins.[67] Early in the film, Jim Brown is taking photos in his Browns uniform after being drafted by them. Later in the film, it shows Davis struggling with leukemia after being drafted and the Browns hold a special pre-game ceremony for him.
- In the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine, the Browns win the 1986 AFC Championship Game (the game famous for former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway's 98-yard drive). It is explained that the reason why the Browns win this game is due to the butterfly effect.
- In the 2014 film Draft Day, fictional Browns general manager Sonny Weaver, Jr. (Kevin Costner) attempts to land the number one pick in the NFL draft.
References
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- ^ "Cleveland Browns Team Capsule" (PDF). 2018 Official National Football League Record and Fact Book. NFL Enterprises, LLC. August 9, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
- ^ a b c "New Browns Logo". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. February 23, 2015. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
- ^ Rosenthal, Gregg (August 2, 2012). "Cleveland Browns' sale to Jimmy Haslam complete". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
- ^ Florjancic, Matt (October 16, 2012). "Haslam approved as new Browns owner". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ Cabot, Mary Kay (August 2, 2012). "Cleveland Browns sale to Jimmy Haslam group is complete". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ Patra, Kevin (October 29, 2018). "Browns fire Hue Jackson, promote Gregg Williams". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ "Browns head coach Hue Jackson relieved of duties". ClevelandBrowns.com (Press release). NFL Enterprises, LLC. October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ Florjancic, Matt (January 15, 2013). "Browns Stadium to become 'FirstEnergy Stadium'". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ Naymik, Mark (March 8, 2013). "Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has spell over football fans and politicians alike". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Gribble, Andrew (February 24, 2015). "Browns' logos sneak preview of what's to come". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ Gribble, Andrew (April 2, 2015). "Putting to rest 5 historic myths about the Browns' uniforms". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns-Team history". pigskinacademy.com. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- ^ Cabot, Mary Kay (September 6, 2012). "Art Modell's decision to move Cleveland Browns haunted him for rest of life". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ^ Smith, Michael David (October 11, 2017). "Hogan will be Browns' 28th starting quarterback since 1999". NBC Sports. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns Team Encyclopedia | Pro-Football-Reference.com". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- ^ "Image of Cleveland Browns "CB" helmet". Retrieved June 2, 2013.
- ^ Grzegorek, Vince (February 9, 2010). "The Hunt for the Great Orange, Brown, and White Whale: Unraveling the Mystery of the 1965 "CB" Cleveland Browns Helmet Logo | '64 and Counting: Scene's Sports Blog". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
- ^ Patra, Kevin (February 24, 2015). "Cleveland Browns unveil new logos". National Football League. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
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- ^ King, Steve. "Brown out". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
- ^ "Scrimmage shows Cleveland Browns' offense still needs work". Cleveland.com. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
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- ^ "Eric Mangini: Cleveland Browns will abandon the brown-pants look". USA Today. August 17, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
- ^ Florjancic, Matt (June 16, 2011). "Ask Matt". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on June 19, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- ^ "Browns unveil all-brown uniforms vs. Bills: What do you think? | cleveland.com". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- ^ Shook, Nick (April 14, 2015). "Cleveland Browns unveil new uniforms". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ^ "The 6 significant changes to the Browns uniforms". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. April 15, 2015. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ "Steelers To Take On Browns For First Place In The AFC North". Kdka.com. October 14, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
- ^ "Baltimore Ravens Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- ^ Schudel, Jeff (November 22, 2009). "Great Lakes Classic has lacked luster since its beginning". The Morning Journal. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
- ^ "Browns Win Ugly, Beat Buffalo 6-3". CBS News. October 11, 2009.
- ^ Warskinskey, Tim (November 30, 2014). "Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills series has seen it all: A championship, a fired coach and blizzard". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland.com.
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- ^ "NFL Fan Support Rankings". Bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
- ^ a b Newmeister, Larry (February 16, 2006). "Judge finds nobody beats out Cleveland for 'Dawg Pound'". Usatoday.com. Gannett Company. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns | Rookies get a history lesson". Clevelandbrowns.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns Logos". Sportslogos.net. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
- ^ "Browns Backers Worldwide". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ Deneen, Mike (January 11, 2006). "Lakewood Native Takes Browns Backers to South Pole". The Lakewood Observer. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns". Clevelandbrowns.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
- ^ June Moore (with assistance from Kathy Westmoreland): Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel, Ju'Mel Publishing, USA, Juni 2010, S. 159 / ISBN 978-0-9827845-0-1
- ^ "TOP 20 surprising Elvis Facts". Weeklyworldnews.com. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ "Gene Hickerson: Elvis Took His Calls". Dan Coughlin. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ "Cleveland native Jerry "The King" Lawler talks Browns, Indians and wrestling again (video)". Cleveland.com. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ CK [@CaseyKulas] (14 December 2014). "Livin' the dream! @JerryLawler @HEELZiggler @mikethemiz #BrownsGoodKarma t.co/IcnXjKbwBe" (Tweet). Retrieved September 29, 2015 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Touchdown Tim's NFL: Elvis' and Henry Aaron's favorite football team". Orble.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ "Machine Gun Kelly Visits The Browns Facilities". djsdoingwork.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
- ^ "Hall of Famers by Franchise". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 17, 2007. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
- ^ "Browns Legends". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- ^ Davis, Nate (August 26, 2010). "Sixteen inaugural members of Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor unveiled". USA Today. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ Joe Thomas snap streak added to Ring of Honor - News 5 Cleveland.com (WEWS-TV)
- ^ Cleveland Browns sideline reporter suspended eight games - ESPN.com
- ^ "Jeff Phelps To Call Browns Preseason Games; Team Announces Radio Network Programming « CBS Cleveland". cleveland.cbslocal.com. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- ^ http://www.crainscleveland.com/sports-business/cleveland-browns-are-adding-spanish-radio-broadcasts-2018
- ^ http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/media/radio Browns Radio
- ^ "NewsChannel 5, Cleveland Browns unveil new programming Sunday, March 8th - newsnet5.com Cleveland". newsnet5.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- ^ http://www.whbc.com/browns-announce-2018-preseason-schedule
- ^ "Browns returning to SportsTime Ohio in 2017, according to report".
- ^ "Browns win two Emmy Awards". ClevelandBrowns.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. September 27, 2005. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ kellywoo (September 6, 2013). "Woof! Woof! Arsenio Hall Explains the Origins of His Late-Night Barks". Yahoo! News. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "Hot in Cleveland - Season 3, Episode 6: How Did You Guys Meet, Anyway?". TV.com. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ "Betty White Congratulates The Giants on their Superbow XLVI Win! - YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- ^ "Hot in Cleveland: Cleveland Browns Shout Out - YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- ^ "The Fortune Cookie (1966) - Overview". Turner Classic Movies. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (October 8, 2008). "The Express Movie Review & Film Summary (2008)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
Further reading
- Brown, Paul; Clary, Jack (1979). PB, the Paul Brown Story. New York: Atheneum.
- Henkel, Frank M. (2005). Cleveland Browns History. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-3428-2.
- Knight, Jonathan (2006). Sundays in the Pound: The Heroics and Heartbreak of the 1985–89 Cleveland Browns. Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press. ISBN 978-0-87338-866-5. LCCN 2005037574.
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