Brainwashed fans
I logged in to the clevelandbrowns.com message board after yet another Browns defeat today, expecting to read a myriad of angry, bitter fans unleashing their scathing diatribes upon the pathetic organization that is the Cleveland Browns.
Amazingly, I didn't find much anger, but rather vivid rays of sunshine showering a serene dandelion covered field of optimism. I'll paraphrase the most common comments posted:
Hey, Charlie (Frye) looked great today in the first half!
It was good to see Droughns get over 1000 yards for the season.
The refs really hosed us on that one call, otherwise we are RIGHT THERE!
and the most common, We didn't really expect anything this year anyways, lets give Crennel a few years to turn it around!
Ok.........WHAT?!! Let me dust off my megaphone here, THEY LOST! THEY ARE PERHAPS THE MOST PATHETIC SPORTS FRANCHISE IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW!
And you know what is fueling that disturbing trend? The brainwashed fans that continue to accept mediocrity. Actually, mediocrity is a compliment to these guys.
Do you realize the Browns are 34-74 since the return in '99? That is a record that makes even the Washington Generals cringe. Whats worse, unless the Browns miraculously win three+ of their final four games this season, they will have a double digit loss total for three consecutive years for the first time in the history of the Cleveland Browns. Read that sentence again, I'm not just talking about this team, I'm talking about ALL Cleveland Browns.
The Indianapolis Colts have won 12 football games this year. The Browns have won 13 games THE LAST THREE SEASONS!
My point is this, as long as these fans continue to flock to the stadium like sheep to support the garbage on the field, nothing will change. We will continue to hear coaches attempt to convince us the team "made great strides" and "played their guts out" following a 24-3 loss. We will continue to gush over rookie quarterbacks from the University of Akron, of all places, instead of rooting for proven commodities that can actually win football games. (Not saying Frye won't be good someday, just that there should have been a better veteran option than Trent freakin Dilfer for gosh sakes. I think I'd take Doug Flutie over Dilfer, at least he has a cereal!)
The only way to make a statement to a professional sports franchise is to hit them the only place it hurts - in the wallet. The Indians won 93 games this year and they are still trying to figure out how to get attendance back to where it was in the mid 90's.
If the Browns are going to continue this perpetual rebuilding process for the upcoming years, decades, centuries, and are not offering ticket discounts until they are ready to compete, then sit at home and WATCH the games for free until the product on the field is worth paying for.
Its a lot warmer anyways and the traffic is much more manageable...
Amazingly, I didn't find much anger, but rather vivid rays of sunshine showering a serene dandelion covered field of optimism. I'll paraphrase the most common comments posted:
Hey, Charlie (Frye) looked great today in the first half!
It was good to see Droughns get over 1000 yards for the season.
The refs really hosed us on that one call, otherwise we are RIGHT THERE!
and the most common, We didn't really expect anything this year anyways, lets give Crennel a few years to turn it around!
Ok.........WHAT?!! Let me dust off my megaphone here, THEY LOST! THEY ARE PERHAPS THE MOST PATHETIC SPORTS FRANCHISE IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW!
And you know what is fueling that disturbing trend? The brainwashed fans that continue to accept mediocrity. Actually, mediocrity is a compliment to these guys.
Do you realize the Browns are 34-74 since the return in '99? That is a record that makes even the Washington Generals cringe. Whats worse, unless the Browns miraculously win three+ of their final four games this season, they will have a double digit loss total for three consecutive years for the first time in the history of the Cleveland Browns. Read that sentence again, I'm not just talking about this team, I'm talking about ALL Cleveland Browns.
The Indianapolis Colts have won 12 football games this year. The Browns have won 13 games THE LAST THREE SEASONS!
My point is this, as long as these fans continue to flock to the stadium like sheep to support the garbage on the field, nothing will change. We will continue to hear coaches attempt to convince us the team "made great strides" and "played their guts out" following a 24-3 loss. We will continue to gush over rookie quarterbacks from the University of Akron, of all places, instead of rooting for proven commodities that can actually win football games. (Not saying Frye won't be good someday, just that there should have been a better veteran option than Trent freakin Dilfer for gosh sakes. I think I'd take Doug Flutie over Dilfer, at least he has a cereal!)
The only way to make a statement to a professional sports franchise is to hit them the only place it hurts - in the wallet. The Indians won 93 games this year and they are still trying to figure out how to get attendance back to where it was in the mid 90's.
If the Browns are going to continue this perpetual rebuilding process for the upcoming years, decades, centuries, and are not offering ticket discounts until they are ready to compete, then sit at home and WATCH the games for free until the product on the field is worth paying for.
Its a lot warmer anyways and the traffic is much more manageable...
posted by Jon Sladek at 10:43 PM
2 Comments:
Browns fans -- those old enuff to remember live in the past. A once great franchise (late 40s and 50s)that had some good years in the 60s and a couple good years in the late 80s. Big deal. These are fans who think Kosar was a great quarterback. In reality a decent QB who had a couple real good years.
When the Browns lose, the fans are happy to say things like "Crennel out-coached the other guy" or some such crap.
Browns fans get what they deserve--a mediocre to bad franchise for dumb-ass fans.
While I'll be the first to admit Browns fans are often guilty of seeing things through orange colored goggles, I wouldn't say they deserve a bad franchise - in fact its probably the opposite.
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