The Cleveland Browns is a team in the NFL based in Cleveland, Ohio. The club derives its name from its co-founder and original coach, Paul Brown.
They compete each season in the AFC North division and since 1999 their home fixtures have been at the FirstEnergy Stadium. The club's uniform has an orange, brown and white colour scheme and they are one of just a few NFL teams that do not currently display a logo on their helmets.
The team was established in 1944 and it has been a part of the NFL since 1949, winning a number of championships before the NFL and AFL merger. Since the merger, the team has yet to make it to a Super Bowl. Indeed, the team has not made it to the playoffs since 2002 and has struggled massively in recent years, with a large turnover of players and head coaches.
History of the Cleveland Browns
1944
The Cleveland Browns story began in 1944 when a franchise was secured in Cleveland in the new All-America Football Conference. Paul Brown was both co-founder and the team’s first head coach. The team went on to join the NFL and reached the championship game every season between 1950 and 1955, including three outright victories.
1964
Over the next decade, the team changed ownership a couple of times. It went on to win the 1964 championship, thanks to legendary running back Jim Brown. Following the AFL and NFL merger in 1970, Cleveland was put into the AFC and the team struggled up until the late-1980s when quarterback Bernie Kosar joined the side. They got to three AFL Championships during this period, but they lost out to the Denver Broncos on each occasion.
1995
In 1995, the team owner announced that he wanted to move the franchise to Baltimore. This was met with outrage from fans, and resulted in ongoing legal battles that ended with the owner being allowed to start a franchise in Baltimore, so long as the Browns’ history and records could remain in the state for another person to pick up. The Browns reformed after a three-year break in 1999 under Al Lerner.
2012
The team has struggled ever since, only getting to the playoffs once during this time period. The team was sold in 2012 and the fortunes of the team worsened even further. This saw the team go 1-31 over the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the poorest two-year performance in the history of the NFL.
Supportors
The Cleveland Browns’ home ground is the FirstEnergy Stadium, a multi-purpose facility that also hosts college and high school sporting events. It first opened in 1999 and underwent renovations in 2014 and 2015. The current capacity is just under 68,000.
Each of the Cleveland Browns AFC North opponents – Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens – are fierce rivals. They have also had historic rivalries with the likes of the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos.
Studies over the years have suggested that Cleveland Browns fans are the most loyal in the NFL. Big-name fans have included Elvis Presley, LeBron James and Condoleezza Rice.
Notable Players
A number of people who played for the Cleveland Browns over the years have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Otto Graham, Jim Brown, Paul Warfield, Mike McCormack, Ozzie Newsome and Gene Hickerson were just a few of those who achieved this honour. The most successful player at the team in recent years was an offensive tackle, Joe Thomas.
Betting on Games
If you are looking for an exciting team to follow, the Cleveland Browns are for you. They now have a much stronger team than in years past and they are on a quest to get back to the playoffs.
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