CLEVELAND BROWNS TO FIELD A TEAM THIS YEAR AFTER ALL

April 14 2009

Cleveland, OH – There are few teams in professional sports that have the kind of rabid following that the Cleveland Browns possess. That fandom is mostly clearly illustrated in the east end zone with the so called ‘Dawg Pound’ but is most certainly not isolated to that realm. That fandom has never abated, even in the four years the city had no team, despite that utter lack of success that the franchise has brought to the city. Already fans are ramping up for another season as the Browns made it official that they will once again field a team this season.

The announcement has stirred fan excitement for the upcoming season is as high as ever despite little expectation that the team will have any success. With little hope for a winning record, never mind a Superbowl, fans are already rabidly awaiting the start of training camp and the newest season with a team on the field.

“There’s little doubt that the sports fans in Cleveland are among the most loyal in the country. Whether it’s the Browns, the Indians, or the Cavaliers people continue turning out again and again
despite that best efforts of the teams to drive them away. With the exception of Cubs and Maple Leafs fans I don’t know of any professional teams that have maintained their fan base despite an almost active effort to alienate them,” said Scrape TV Sports analyst Mark Marvins. “It’s hard to pin down exactly what it is that keeps people coming back, perhaps it’s just the routine of having a team on the field, but it certainly has served the team owners well.”

The Browns last major success came in 1989 with an AFC Central championship. The last playoff appearance for the team was in 2002 despite them having fielded teams in all the seasons subsequent to that appearance.

“The team sells out every week and one has to wonder if that is because of extreme fandom or the fact that those people live in Cleveland.
Outside the Detroit Lions I don’t think there is another team in the NFL that has made such aggressive moves to erode their fan base but in Cleveland they just keep on coming back,” continued Marvins. “You have to give it to them, they keep trying, or at least put on the show of trying and this is going to be one more of those seasons.”

The Browns reportedly plan to field a complete team when the season starts with Offense, Defense, and Special Teams all being represented. The team will also dress back up players and even have a training roster. They will of course be without Donte Stallworth after his manslaughter charges.

“In these rough economic times one could forgive some of teams if they wanted to reduce the number of players they dress but unfortunately the league and the Players Union has rules that govern those kinds of things. The bright side of it is that no matter how many players they dress, they are probably going to be more or less the same players the Browns have traditionally employed and that will likely yield them the same results, which is what the fans apparently like,” continued Marvins. “The real question, and this is highly hypothetical, is what would
happen in the city if the Browns made it to the Superbowl and won? Would fans suddenly abandon the team? Would it bring all kinds of new support for the Dawg Pound? It would be a traumatic thing for sure. The whole city would be left without an identity and that’s the last thing anyone needs in these harsh times.”

Personnel at Cleveland Browns stadium have reportedly already started dusting structures and windexing windows in anticipation of the crowds come August. Fellow perennial loser Detroit Lions are reportedly still contemplating this year’s season.

Alexi Orton, Sports Correspondent

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