Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a National Football League team based in Cleveland, Ohio.

In some accounts there is confusion over the history of the Cleveland Browns. This is due to the unusual and unprecedented actions taken by the city of Cleveland and the National Football League following the relocation of the team to Baltimore, Maryland in 1995. The deal made between these two parties stipulated that the team name, colors, and history of the franchise were to remain in Cleveland. For that reason, official records and Pro Football Hall of Fame players are attributed to the Cleveland Browns and not to the Baltimore Ravens. However, many observers - including journalists and sports handicappers - treat the 1950-95 Browns and the 1996-present Ravens as one continuous entity, often using the term The Modell Franchise to denote it (after its long-time owner, Art Modell). See the Franchise History entry below for full details of the move.

Founded: 1946, in the All-America Football Conference; joined NFL in 1950.

Home stadium: Cleveland Browns Stadium

Uniform colors: Brown (officially "Seal Brown") and Orange

Helmet design: Orange helmet with brown and white center stripe. No logo (formerly the initials "CB" in brown appeared on each side).

League championships won: AAFC: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949. NFL: 1950, 1954, 1955, 1964.

Franchise history

Entrance ramp of Cleveland Browns Stadium

The Cleveland Browns were founded in 1946 under owner Arthur McBride. The team was to be named the Cleveland Panthers, but a semi-pro team was using that name and threatened to sue if the AAFC club used it as well. McBride then named the team after its first head coach, Paul Brown. Brown was uncomfortable with the idea of having the team named after him, stating publicly that the team was named after boxing champion Joe Louis who was known as the "Brown Bomber".

In either event, the Browns were extremely successful in the early part of their existence, dominating the All-America Football Conference, winning all four of its championships including with a landmark 1948 season in which they went unbeaten and untied - 24 years before the 'first' perfect team, the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Upon being merged into the older National Football League, the Browns proceeded to resume their position among pro football's best teams, winning 4 NFL championsips during the 1950's.

The 1970 NFL-AFL merger sent the Browns to the AFC, along with two other NFL teams (the Pittsburgh Steelers and the then-Baltimore Colts) so that the AFC and NFC could have the same number of teams. This arrangement placed the Browns in the AFC's Central Division, which they won in 1971, 1980, 1985 (despite an 8-8 record that year, the worst ever for an NFL division champion), 1986, 1987 and 1989 (in the latter three years the Browns lost to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game each time). They also gained entry into the playoffs as a wild card in 1972, 1982, 1988 and 1994.

In early November of 1995 owner Art Modell announced he was moving the team to Baltimore. The announcement was met with unprecedented resistance from the fans of the Browns, including over 100 lawsuits filed by fans, the city of Cleveland, and other interested parties. In early 1996 the NFL announced that the team would be 'deactivated' for a period not later than 1999 (which was the scheduled completion date of Cleveland Browns Stadium), and that the team's name, colors, and heritage were to remain the rights of Cleveland. Meanwhile, Modell was awarded a new franchise, named the Baltimore Ravens, which began play in 1996. The Browns would return in 1999 under owner Al Lerner and head coach Chris Palmer.

Players of note

Pro Football Hall of Famers:

• Jim Brown
• Paul Brown
• Joe DeLamielleure
• Len Ford
• Frank Gatski
• Otto Graham
• Lou Groza
• Leroy Kelly
• Dante Lavelli
• Mike McCormack
• Bobby Mitchell
• Marion Motley
• Ozzie Newsome
• Paul Warfield
• Bill Willis

Current stars:

• Antonio Bryant
• Jeff Garcia
• Kelly Holcomb
• Andra Davis
• Kellen Winslow Jr.

Retired numbers:

• 14 Otto Graham
• 32 Jim Brown
• 45 Ernie Davis
• 46 Don Fleming
• 76 Lou Groza

Not to be forgotten:

• Tim Couch

External link

• Cleveland Browns official web site
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