Your First Browns Game
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Since there's really nothing going on Browns-related, lets stroll down memory lane, shall we?
What was the first Browns game you went to? Tell us your story.
I've told mine a few times before, I was 8 when my parents and I went up to Cleveland Stadium from Ravenna in 1984. Sam Rutigliano had just been fired during the week leading up to the game after a 1-7 start. This was Marty Shottenheimer's first game as head coach. From what I remember, it was a dreary day, and I remember walking across the catwalks in the upper deck (and being scared as shit). Ozzie scored both of the Browns touchdowns, but they would lose 16-14 on a 53 yard field goal by Morton Andersen at the end of the game. A 53 yard field goal at Cleveland Stadium, with that torn-up turf and the tricky winds that swirled around the horseshoe layout, was nothing to sneeze at.
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Browns Colts MNF 1988. Mom wasn’t too happy it was a school night but Dad talked her into it- I was 8. I know Bernie was out and didn’t play very bummed about that but we won. My first memories were 1986 season but this is where I became a fanatic.
A few years later saw the Marino game where he snapped his Achilles.
Probably the most memorable was bottle gate I think in 2001. I remember just being to the right of the dog pound under the second deck safe from debris…people were focusing on the bottles but people were throwing cd players from the second deck and anything they had. Wild game we just sat there for hour as shit flew right in front of us. Got home that night at 8 or 9 woke up at 3am so I could make a 4 hour drive back to college for an 8am class
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1972.. I was age 9..
1st..
Dad got tickets for the following week
1972... The Browns went to the Division playoff game, in Miami losing 20-14
Bonus ! The Greatest game, I missed driving to... When A State Trooper, impounded my mothers car I borrowed telling her "I was going to a friends house" ?
I view this game so many times (laugh).. The final drive starts 22:54.. Browns go 11 -5 to playoffs to Red Right 88 (never sat/ would have froze to seat)
Good Topic Dutch !
Browns & Buffett: Got to go fishin, Down to rock bottom again, with just a few Friends -
Browns Colts MNF 1988. Mom wasn’t too happy it was a school night but Dad talked her into it- I was 8. I know Bernie was out and didn’t play very bummed about that but we won. My first memories were 1986 season but this is where I became a fanatic.
A few years later saw the Marino game where he snapped his Achilles.
Probably the most memorable was bottle gate I think in 2001. I remember just being to the right of the dog pound under the second deck safe from debris…people were focusing on the bottles but people were throwing cd players from the second deck and anything they had. Wild game we just sat there for hour as shit flew right in front of us. Got home that night at 8 or 9 woke up at 3am so I could make a 4 hour drive back to college for an 8am class
Browns Colts MNF 1988. Mom wasn’t too happy it was a school night but Dad talked her into it- I was 8. I know Bernie was out and didn’t play very bummed about that but we won. My first memories were 1986 season but this is where I became a fanatic.
A few years later saw the Marino game where he snapped his Achilles.
Probably the most memorable was bottle gate I think in 2001. I remember just being to the right of the dog pound under the second deck safe from debris…people were focusing on the bottles but people were throwing cd players from the second deck and anything they had. Wild game we just sat there for hour as shit flew right in front of us. Got home that night at 8 or 9 woke up at 3am so I could make a 4 hour drive back to college for an 8am class
The 1988 season was such a tough one, I think there was what.... four starting QBs that season? Kosar, Danielson, Pagel and Strock off the top of my head.
The Marino achilles game had the backup come in and absolutely light up the Browns if I remember correctly, the guy ended up starting for the Lions after that. (Can't remember the guys name. Scott something?)
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1972.. I was age 9..
1st..
Dad got tickets for the following week
1972... The Browns went to the Division playoff game, in Miami losing 20-14
Bonus ! The Greatest game, I missed driving to... When A State Trooper, impounded my mothers car I borrowed telling her "I was going to a friends house" ?
I view this game so many times (laugh).. The final drive starts 22:54.. Browns go 11 -5 to playoffs to Red Right 88 (never sat/ would have froze to seat)
Good Topic Dutch !
1972.. I was age 9..
1st..
Dad got tickets for the following week
1972... The Browns went to the Division playoff game, in Miami losing 20-14
Bonus ! The Greatest game, I missed driving to... When A State Trooper, impounded my mothers car I borrowed telling her "I was going to a friends house" ?
I view this game so many times (laugh).. The final drive starts 22:54.. Browns go 11 -5 to playoffs to Red Right 88 (never sat/ would have froze to seat)
Good Topic Dutch !
Everyone knows the '72 Dolphins went undefeated, but the Browns gave them a helluva battle in their playoff game and almost pulled off the upset.
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Browns Colts MNF 1988. Mom wasn’t too happy it was a school night but Dad talked her into it- I was 8. I know Bernie was out and didn’t play very bummed about that but we won. My first memories were 1986 season but this is where I became a fanatic.
A few years later saw the Marino game where he snapped his Achilles.
Probably the most memorable was bottle gate I think in 2001. I remember just being to the right of the dog pound under the second deck safe from debris…people were focusing on the bottles but people were throwing cd players from the second deck and anything they had. Wild game we just sat there for hour as shit flew right in front of us. Got home that night at 8 or 9 woke up at 3am so I could make a 4 hour drive back to college for an 8am class
The 1988 season was such a tough one, I think there was what.... four starting QBs that season? Kosar, Danielson, Pagel and Strock off the top of my head.
The Marino achilles game had the backup come in and absolutely light up the Browns if I remember correctly, the guy ended up starting for the Lions after that. (Can't remember the guys name. Scott something?)
The 1988 season was such a tough one, I think there was what.... four starting QBs that season? Kosar, Danielson, Pagel and Strock off the top of my head.
The Marino achilles game had the backup come in and absolutely light up the Browns if I remember correctly, the guy ended up starting for the Lions after that. (Can't remember the guys name. Scott something?)
Scott Mitchell was the guy.
My first game was 1972 vs Cincy. I was 9 years old at the time, remember it like yesterday.
The opening kickoff, two BenGals stared at eachother as nobody called for it, the ball landed between them and rolled around. The Browns recovered at the 5, and Leroy Kelly ran it it on the very next play.The Browns won 27-6, I was hooked for life.
@dutch-oven that Saints game, I almost caught that game winning FG by Morten Anderson. 53 yards into a driving rain, I still don't know how he did that. 53 yards was a loooooong one back in those days.
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The 1988 season was such a tough one, I think there was what.... four starting QBs that season? Kosar, Danielson, Pagel and Strock off the top of my head.
The Marino achilles game had the backup come in and absolutely light up the Browns if I remember correctly, the guy ended up starting for the Lions after that. (Can't remember the guys name. Scott something?)
Scott Mitchell was the guy.
My first game was 1972 vs Cincy. I was 9 years old at the time, remember it like yesterday.
The opening kickoff, two BenGals stared at eachother as nobody called for it, the ball landed between them and rolled around. The Browns recovered at the 5, and Leroy Kelly ran it it on the very next play.The Browns won 27-6, I was hooked for life.
@dutch-oven that Saints game, I almost caught that game winning FG by Morten Anderson. 53 yards into a driving rain, I still don't know how he did that. 53 yards was a loooooong one back in those days.
Scott Mitchell was the guy.
My first game was 1972 vs Cincy. I was 9 years old at the time, remember it like yesterday.
The opening kickoff, two BenGals stared at eachother as nobody called for it, the ball landed between them and rolled around. The Browns recovered at the 5, and Leroy Kelly ran it it on the very next play.The Browns won 27-6, I was hooked for life.
@dutch-oven that Saints game, I almost caught that game winning FG by Morten Anderson. 53 yards into a driving rain, I still don't know how he did that. 53 yards was a loooooong one back in those days.
That's awesome Bob!
I think it was in '84 that the Browns punter Steve Cox kicked a 60 yard FG - he would attempt the long kicks. At the time it was the second-longest field goal in NFL history. Cox was one of the last straight-ahead kickers. Crazy, because you are right, a 50+ yard kick back then was not a common occurrence.
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Schaefer Stadium against the Patriots. Week 1. 1980. We lost pretty bad.
Best game, November 20th, 1983. Win 30-0. Sullivan Stadium. Highlight - Tom Cousineau hits Steve Grogan as he was throwing a flat pass to the RB. Chip Banks intercepts for a 65 yd TD. I was yelling, Run Chippie Run! Grogan limped off with a cracked fibula. Towards the end of the game Stanley Morgan caught a pass over the middle with nobody around him. I'm like, Oh Shit. There goes the shutout. But while running along...with a Brown MANY yards behind and NEVER gonna catch him, Morgan has the ball hit off his knee or thigh pad and fumbles it...our guy recovers to preserve the shut out.
We opened the 2nd half with an onside kick that we recovered....because, obviously, we saw on tape that the Patriots just don't watch to verify that the kicker is actually gonna kick the ball deep.
Funny thing. I later told my barber (hair stylist) of the fumble. He related to me that hair stylists have Mondays off (union) and he occasionally would drive up to the stadium to watch the guys on the field. (they let him sit in the stands back then) He said Mondays are a slow day for the team (as we know) but on this particular Monday Stanley Morgan was catching fade passes in the corner of the end zone. The DB was getting a little frisky trying to knock the ball out as to cause a fumble...so Morgan held the football out vertically, holding if from the top...and the DB whacked the ball several times but could not knock the ball out of Morgan's hand.
BEING A BROWNS FAN IS A TEST TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU CAN TAKE -
Scott Mitchell was the guy.
My first game was 1972 vs Cincy. I was 9 years old at the time, remember it like yesterday.
The opening kickoff, two BenGals stared at eachother as nobody called for it, the ball landed between them and rolled around. The Browns recovered at the 5, and Leroy Kelly ran it it on the very next play.The Browns won 27-6, I was hooked for life.
@dutch-oven that Saints game, I almost caught that game winning FG by Morten Anderson. 53 yards into a driving rain, I still don't know how he did that. 53 yards was a loooooong one back in those days.
That's awesome Bob!
I think it was in '84 that the Browns punter Steve Cox kicked a 60 yard FG - he would attempt the long kicks. At the time it was the second-longest field goal in NFL history. Cox was one of the last straight-ahead kickers. Crazy, because you are right, a 50+ yard kick back then was not a common occurrence.
That's awesome Bob!
I think it was in '84 that the Browns punter Steve Cox kicked a 60 yard FG - he would attempt the long kicks. At the time it was the second-longest field goal in NFL history. Cox was one of the last straight-ahead kickers. Crazy, because you are right, a 50+ yard kick back then was not a common occurrence.
Right! These kickers have gotten so good.
Steve Cox I do remember him hitting the 60 yarder, vs Cincy.
This thread should be great. I like hearing about old games, old fun times.
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September 10, 1978 ~ Browns vs Bengals
I was 12 and just started watching football the previous year. Going to a game seemed like a really big deal to me. I was with my soon-to-be step-dad... besides a couple of fishing trips, this was one of our first "bonding" experiences.
The game was pretty boring, because the Browns couldn't score. But still, the sights and sounds were awesome to a young kid.
"The Waterbug" (Greg Pruitt) was having a pretty big day; but we stayed in self-destruct mode and were down 10-0 late in the third. First a Cockroft FG going into the 4th. Then... Sipe to Rucker with a couple minutes left in the fourth.
I remember, after our TD, some fool marching up the aisle "I'll bet anybody $10 we lose... Anybody? 10 bucks... we're gonna blow it like we always do... anybody? anybody?" as he glared up and down each aisle. By this time I was blown away by the whole scene. People were getting pretty drunk and crazy. At the beginning of the 3rd some Hell's Angels showed up. There were three that I could see; walking up and down three aisles in a row scanning the crowd -- obviously looking for someone. I was scared lol. I had heard about them in the past; but now I was watching them stare people down, and everyone afraid to look back at them as they walked the aisles.
The game goes to OT and it all seemed rather easy, if not predestined. We win the toss and march straight down the field for a Cockroft FG to win. I remember being very excited that my first game went to OT. Couldn't wait to tell my friends I was there.
When we scored our TD, and then the FG in OT, and the old Muni erupted -- that was the moment I became a Browns fan for life. The passion and exuberance, people turning around with high fives... and how that flowed all the way out through the hollow walkways and parking lot. Excitement still echoing in my ears as we walked out of the stadium and saw the party atmosphere outside. Everybody that followed from our general vicinity was still making fun of the dude that had the nerve to think we would lose lol. "I'll bet you ten bucks we don't see that chump out here".
I'll never forget that day and that game... I'll also never forget walking into the bathroom as a 12 year old and seeing everyone pissing in a trough and some drunk guy pissing in a sink lmao.
That was game 2. We started the season 3-0 before losing to the Steelers 15-9 in OT. I had high hopes. We finished 8-8 (again) and I was well on my way to learning the pain and anguish of being a Browns fan.
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For me, it was November of 1993. I was 15. It was the first home game after cutting Bernie Kosar. The Oilers intercepted Todd Philcox four times, and Gary Brown gashed us for nearly 200 yards. The fans were pretty drunk and very angry for most of the game. There was constant fighting in the old Dawg Pound, that day. Some were Oiler's fans causing trouble, but most of it looked like in-fighting among Browns fans. I'll never forget how everyone started pointing to the fights when the fights broke out. The stadium police had their hands full for that one. Years later, I sat in the Dawg Pound at the new stadium. It was nothing like the Dawg Pound I remembered seeing back in 1993.
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ah, the Browns vs squealers at the University of Akron rubber bowl way back in the day. Exhibition game, I'm sure it was. 1964.
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My first game was Nov 11, 1984
49ers 41 Browns 7
In a matchup of Joe Montana vs Paul MacDonald. It was a total beatdown
Then we went to McDonalds on Triskett, next to the Rapid station. I had the new, back then, Chicken McNuggets and got sick as a dog
"And they don't really know even what they're talkin' about And I can't imagine what empty heads can achieve." -
Schaefer Stadium against the Patriots. Week 1. 1980. We lost pretty bad.
Best game, November 20th, 1983. Win 30-0. Sullivan Stadium. Highlight - Tom Cousineau hits Steve Grogan as he was throwing a flat pass to the RB. Chip Banks intercepts for a 65 yd TD. I was yelling, Run Chippie Run! Grogan limped off with a cracked fibula. Towards the end of the game Stanley Morgan caught a pass over the middle with nobody around him. I'm like, Oh Shit. There goes the shutout. But while running along...with a Brown MANY yards behind and NEVER gonna catch him, Morgan has the ball hit off his knee or thigh pad and fumbles it...our guy recovers to preserve the shut out.
We opened the 2nd half with an onside kick that we recovered....because, obviously, we saw on tape that the Patriots just don't watch to verify that the kicker is actually gonna kick the ball deep.
Funny thing. I later told my barber (hair stylist) of the fumble. He related to me that hair stylists have Mondays off (union) and he occasionally would drive up to the stadium to watch the guys on the field. (they let him sit in the stands back then) He said Mondays are a slow day for the team (as we know) but on this particular Monday Stanley Morgan was catching fade passes in the corner of the end zone. The DB was getting a little frisky trying to knock the ball out as to cause a fumble...so Morgan held the football out vertically, holding if from the top...and the DB whacked the ball several times but could not knock the ball out of Morgan's hand.
Schaefer Stadium against the Patriots. Week 1. 1980. We lost pretty bad.
Best game, November 20th, 1983. Win 30-0. Sullivan Stadium. Highlight - Tom Cousineau hits Steve Grogan as he was throwing a flat pass to the RB. Chip Banks intercepts for a 65 yd TD. I was yelling, Run Chippie Run! Grogan limped off with a cracked fibula. Towards the end of the game Stanley Morgan caught a pass over the middle with nobody around him. I'm like, Oh Shit. There goes the shutout. But while running along...with a Brown MANY yards behind and NEVER gonna catch him, Morgan has the ball hit off his knee or thigh pad and fumbles it...our guy recovers to preserve the shut out.
We opened the 2nd half with an onside kick that we recovered....because, obviously, we saw on tape that the Patriots just don't watch to verify that the kicker is actually gonna kick the ball deep.
Funny thing. I later told my barber (hair stylist) of the fumble. He related to me that hair stylists have Mondays off (union) and he occasionally would drive up to the stadium to watch the guys on the field. (they let him sit in the stands back then) He said Mondays are a slow day for the team (as we know) but on this particular Monday Stanley Morgan was catching fade passes in the corner of the end zone. The DB was getting a little frisky trying to knock the ball out as to cause a fumble...so Morgan held the football out vertically, holding if from the top...and the DB whacked the ball several times but could not knock the ball out of Morgan's hand.
I've probably asked you before, but did you ever live in NE Ohio? How did you become a Browns fan if you've lived in the New England area so long?
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September 10, 1978 ~ Browns vs Bengals
I was 12 and just started watching football the previous year. Going to a game seemed like a really big deal to me. I was with my soon-to-be step-dad... besides a couple of fishing trips, this was one of our first "bonding" experiences.
The game was pretty boring, because the Browns couldn't score. But still, the sights and sounds were awesome to a young kid.
"The Waterbug" (Greg Pruitt) was having a pretty big day; but we stayed in self-destruct mode and were down 10-0 late in the third. First a Cockroft FG going into the 4th. Then... Sipe to Rucker with a couple minutes left in the fourth.
I remember, after our TD, some fool marching up the aisle "I'll bet anybody $10 we lose... Anybody? 10 bucks... we're gonna blow it like we always do... anybody? anybody?" as he glared up and down each aisle. By this time I was blown away by the whole scene. People were getting pretty drunk and crazy. At the beginning of the 3rd some Hell's Angels showed up. There were three that I could see; walking up and down three aisles in a row scanning the crowd -- obviously looking for someone. I was scared lol. I had heard about them in the past; but now I was watching them stare people down, and everyone afraid to look back at them as they walked the aisles.
The game goes to OT and it all seemed rather easy, if not predestined. We win the toss and march straight down the field for a Cockroft FG to win. I remember being very excited that my first game went to OT. Couldn't wait to tell my friends I was there.
When we scored our TD, and then the FG in OT, and the old Muni erupted -- that was the moment I became a Browns fan for life. The passion and exuberance, people turning around with high fives... and how that flowed all the way out through the hollow walkways and parking lot. Excitement still echoing in my ears as we walked out of the stadium and saw the party atmosphere outside. Everybody that followed from our general vicinity was still making fun of the dude that had the nerve to think we would lose lol. "I'll bet you ten bucks we don't see that chump out here".
I'll never forget that day and that game... I'll also never forget walking into the bathroom as a 12 year old and seeing everyone pissing in a trough and some drunk guy pissing in a sink lmao.
That was game 2. We started the season 3-0 before losing to the Steelers 15-9 in OT. I had high hopes. We finished 8-8 (again) and I was well on my way to learning the pain and anguish of being a Browns fan.
September 10, 1978 ~ Browns vs Bengals
I was 12 and just started watching football the previous year. Going to a game seemed like a really big deal to me. I was with my soon-to-be step-dad... besides a couple of fishing trips, this was one of our first "bonding" experiences.
The game was pretty boring, because the Browns couldn't score. But still, the sights and sounds were awesome to a young kid.
"The Waterbug" (Greg Pruitt) was having a pretty big day; but we stayed in self-destruct mode and were down 10-0 late in the third. First a Cockroft FG going into the 4th. Then... Sipe to Rucker with a couple minutes left in the fourth.
I remember, after our TD, some fool marching up the aisle "I'll bet anybody $10 we lose... Anybody? 10 bucks... we're gonna blow it like we always do... anybody? anybody?" as he glared up and down each aisle. By this time I was blown away by the whole scene. People were getting pretty drunk and crazy. At the beginning of the 3rd some Hell's Angels showed up. There were three that I could see; walking up and down three aisles in a row scanning the crowd -- obviously looking for someone. I was scared lol. I had heard about them in the past; but now I was watching them stare people down, and everyone afraid to look back at them as they walked the aisles.
The game goes to OT and it all seemed rather easy, if not predestined. We win the toss and march straight down the field for a Cockroft FG to win. I remember being very excited that my first game went to OT. Couldn't wait to tell my friends I was there.
When we scored our TD, and then the FG in OT, and the old Muni erupted -- that was the moment I became a Browns fan for life. The passion and exuberance, people turning around with high fives... and how that flowed all the way out through the hollow walkways and parking lot. Excitement still echoing in my ears as we walked out of the stadium and saw the party atmosphere outside. Everybody that followed from our general vicinity was still making fun of the dude that had the nerve to think we would lose lol. "I'll bet you ten bucks we don't see that chump out here".
I'll never forget that day and that game... I'll also never forget walking into the bathroom as a 12 year old and seeing everyone pissing in a trough and some drunk guy pissing in a sink lmao.
That was game 2. We started the season 3-0 before losing to the Steelers 15-9 in OT. I had high hopes. We finished 8-8 (again) and I was well on my way to learning the pain and anguish of being a Browns fan.
Oh lord, those Cleveland Stadium bathrooms. Those made me as a kid think "You know, I think I'll just hold it..." Detroit's Tiger Stadium had those troughs too.
Great story FATE.
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For me, it was November of 1993. I was 15. It was the first home game after cutting Bernie Kosar. The Oilers intercepted Todd Philcox four times, and Gary Brown gashed us for nearly 200 yards. The fans were pretty drunk and very angry for most of the game. There was constant fighting in the old Dawg Pound, that day. Some were Oiler's fans causing trouble, but most of it looked like in-fighting among Browns fans. I'll never forget how everyone started pointing to the fights when the fights broke out. The stadium police had their hands full for that one. Years later, I sat in the Dawg Pound at the new stadium. It was nothing like the Dawg Pound I remembered seeing back in 1993.
For me, it was November of 1993. I was 15. It was the first home game after cutting Bernie Kosar. The Oilers intercepted Todd Philcox four times, and Gary Brown gashed us for nearly 200 yards. The fans were pretty drunk and very angry for most of the game. There was constant fighting in the old Dawg Pound, that day. Some were Oiler's fans causing trouble, but most of it looked like in-fighting among Browns fans. I'll never forget how everyone started pointing to the fights when the fights broke out. The stadium police had their hands full for that one. Years later, I sat in the Dawg Pound at the new stadium. It was nothing like the Dawg Pound I remembered seeing back in 1993.
The first time I sat in the old Dawg Pound was probably about that time too, with some guy from high school's CHURCH YOUTH GROUP. Dog knows I would never have anything to do with anything church-related, but they had an extra Browns ticket (vs the Chargers?) so of course, that was an easy sell.
Even then, the irony of being with a youth group in the Dawg Pound was not lost on me. Pretty much anything went there.
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First? Jeffe' Garcia's finest hour in CLE.
What is that, one of two opening week wins for the Browns since returning in '99?
And how old are you tia? I knew you were younger than me, but my first game was 20 years before yours?
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My first game was Nov 11, 1984
49ers 41 Browns 7
In a matchup of Joe Montana vs Paul MacDonald. It was a total beatdown
Then we went to McDonalds on Triskett, next to the Rapid station. I had the new, back then, Chicken McNuggets and got sick as a dog
My first game was Nov 11, 1984
49ers 41 Browns 7
In a matchup of Joe Montana vs Paul MacDonald. It was a total beatdown
Then we went to McDonalds on Triskett, next to the Rapid station. I had the new, back then, Chicken McNuggets and got sick as a dog
Holy crap B149, anyone would have understood if you stopped being a Browns fan after that first game experience! ?
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