As a alumnus of BGSU, and a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan, I had to challenge assistant opinion editor D.J. Johnson’s comment, “With an 11-21 postseason record since 1950, the Cleveland Browns are arguably the worst football team in American history.” To the contrary, despite their recent expansion woes and losing seasons, a case could be made that the Browns are one of the better franchises in football history.
Younger observers of the NFL have bought into the hype of the “Super Bowl” as the NFL championship game and place less significance on championships played prior to that label being used to market the game. Since 1946 the Cleveland Browns have played 57 seasons of football and have made the playoffs 28 times. They’ve played in 13 title games and won eight (8) championships, four in the old All-American Football Conference (AAFC), where their record was a dominant 47-4-3 (.870), and four in the NFL. They’ve won 20 division and conference titles over that span.
Despite their recent woes since returning to the NFL as an expansion team in 1999, during which time they’ve won only 36 games in seven seasons, the Browns’ combined regular season and post-season winning record and percentage in the NFL alone is still a very respectable 415-352-10 (.541). That’s averaging just under 9 wins per season for 53 years! The Browns still have the edge over the Pittsburgh Steelers in head-to-head match-ups with a record of 55-51-0.
He is correct in noting that Browns fans are loyal, long-suffering and passionate. We are also knowledgeable football fans who await with eager anticipation a return to glory of one the NFL’s storied franchises. He’s also correct in predicting that Cleveland’s Super Bowl party will make all others pale in comparison.
On my 50th birthday, I couldn’t let Johnson;s slanderous comment toward my favorite team stand. And from a fellow Falcon as well, shame on you.
BILL PECIC ALUMNUS
