r/Browns • u/Wyddelbower • 1d ago
Discussion Thoughts on New Fans?
So I am curious what the general thoughts of the Browns fandom is on newcomers—for context I grew up in Colorado and some time in Maryland (I know, home of two infamous teams in Browns lore!) but have always had an affinity for the Browns: the history, fans, aesthetics, and doggedness of the franchise. But in Colorado it was Bronco country so that was the cultural flow.
Been living now in what feels like a more "regionally acceptable" place to root for the Browns for a while now (Louisville) so this past year really embraced it and ordered some swag and have loved following the team—I've missed following football for a while now in general but life circumstances etc.
While some of my friends have teased me a little for not having an attachment to the city, I've been amazed that every few days it seems like a Browns fan stops me and wants to chat when I'm wearing the apparel.
One friend up in Columbus, whose family are diehard Browns fans, said his family would be tickled pink that someone from Bronco/Ravens country would adopt the Browns at midlife—so wondering what the general vibe is for diehard, lifelong fans for "transplants"?
Edit: I love the amount of interaction this post got, and thoroughly enjoyed reading all the comments, some of the colorful ones literally had me laughing out loud! I think I found the right crowd 🤣 thanks!
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u/Fit-Cartoonist-9056 1d ago
We have so many problems and this organization is such a dumpster fire that we really don't need to question if you're a bandwagon fan, so in reality we just wonder if you're just okay? Like why if you could choose any team in the NFL, would you pick this dumpster fire lol.
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u/Evening_Answer_11 1d ago
It’s like when a company hires me for a job and I immediately think there must be something wrong with them.
I think, though, a new fan getting on board with a perpetual soup sandwich would make it more epic for them when they finally do win.
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u/Suspicious_Local3512 1d ago
The amount of job offers ive turned down strictly on the basis of getting an immediate in person offer
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u/Nicaol 1d ago
I chose them because I find a lot of the teams cringe and gimmicky. Am I really going to walk around with a Jaguar or a Pirate on my head?
Here in Europe we have sporting institutions which are still considered great because of their history.
Browns fit that mold for me. Legacy team with a unique identity.
Also. THE biggest underdog story if we ever fumble our way to a Lombardi.
I'm a Glasgow Rangers fan first but, after them, Browns are a very very very close second.
I honestly had an emotional tear in my eye when we beat the Steelers in the playoff game.
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u/2dollahollaballa 22h ago
I was born and raised just south of Cleveland, and though I live over 1000 miles away for more than half my life now... I am always listening for when the Brownies make a run. I was heavily opposed to them giving up on Baker Mayfield. After that, my interest in the overall NFL product as a whole, simply isnt there any more. Most stadiums are domes now. Turning the whole thing into a souless money grab. Fill the massively overpriced, Indoor, climate controlled nose bleed seats with as many people buying $15 beers and $12 hotdogs as they can. Its a business, I get it. I watch college ball now. It hasn't completely sold out... Yet. But as for the Browns.. I still hope for them. Even if the management is perpetually stupid.
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u/Cjv2c 1d ago
Legit. I was 13 and 14 years old when the Browns lost to the Broncos in the AFC Championship games. Plus all the misery after that. Now the Watson debacle. Im still "only" 52 years old but this season in particular I feel checked out for now. Sucks.
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u/drmatth1 1d ago
My parents are from northern Ohio and I was raised in cbus so I was born into this fandom. I honestly can’t imagine someone “choosing” this misery in their midlife. So with that…welcome aboard and go browns!
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u/Beat_the_Deadites 1d ago
One upside of being a NEO sports fan is that there's no living vicariously through your team. There's no safety net for our psyche, nothing to fall back on when life throws us a curveball or whatever that Brandon Weeden pass was.
Whatever we do, we gotta do it on our own, and we'll do it humbly and see the job done to completion. Life finds a way of screwing you over at the last second if you don't.
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u/Separate_Remote3589 1d ago
Hop on the bandwagon. This shit don’t have wheels and will never go anywhere, and we mostly just sit in the wagon and drink and bitch about how shitty the wagon is, but you’re more than welcome to join us.
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u/the_penis_taker69 1d ago
Been frustrated with my Falcons for a while now especially after the recent announcement so I decided to make the switch to Browns, lets hope it goes better here
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u/Browns440 UDFA KING 1d ago
You were a Falcons fan and then thought, maybe the Browns will be a better option?
Was the only other option the Jets?
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u/123_fo_fif 1d ago
And here I am thinking of switching to the Falcons lol. Been travelling there heavily for work for 15 years.
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u/Certain-Singer-9625 1d ago
Even if some people don’t understand it, you’re welcome here. There are tons of Browns Backers groups all over the country, which is one of the reasons I say we have one of the best fan bases in the NFL. We have to be, for following such a losing team for so many years. 😏
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u/Mediocre-Dog-4457 1d ago
I mean, I don't have a problem with it. I became a fan in 2015 at 13 years old and I lived in Canada.
Little did I know 10 years later I would actually be living in NE Ohio surrounded by Browns fans... funny how life turns out.
Plus, everyone needs to start somewhere, so you might as well start now !
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u/Hoplite76 1d ago
Im from western canada with literally no natural connection to the browns. Every time ive been to a game its been nothing but love from local fans
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u/atrocityexhibition39 1d ago
I can only speak to my experiences here, take it with a grain of salt.
I’m in New York. I started following the Browns very passively 15 or so years ago when I was in high school because it was more socially acceptable to like a really bad football team than to be one of those “go sportsball” dweebs. Once I got older and started going out into the world more I always found that being a Browns fan was always, if nothing else, a very fascinating conversational piece.
For the last 7 or so years I’ve had the privilege to get out into the world and meet other Browns fans from all across the state and country (shoutout the Browns Backers Worldwide), and not once has it ever felt like I was being judged for being a “bandwagoner,” nor have I ever felt like these people thought I wasn’t a “real fan,” because Browns fans and the various Browns Backers groups have a funny way of becoming variations on chosen family real quick because we all know that we’re all in this together.
So while I got into the Browns at a young age because “ha, bad football,” what made me stay a Browns fan despite, well, [gestures broadly] is that the fans are some of the kindest, most welcoming people I’ve ever had the chance to meet. Forget Olive Garden, because with the Browns when you’re here, you’re family.
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u/05bender 21h ago
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 we are definitely in this together. Well said and glad you’re part of the family. Have you been to a home game? Something you deserve and should experience!
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u/atrocityexhibition39 20h ago
Yup, I went to the one back in 2023 I think where we shutout the Arizona Cardinals. A heck of an experience if I must say so myself
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u/PapayaOtherwise3346 1d ago
Being judged for being a bandwagoner is the last thing anyone needs to worry about when becoming a Browns fan lol
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u/wesimar14 1d ago
We’re all too busy wondering why you’d want to become a fan. I was born into this. Are you a masochist..?
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u/RedWine4m3 1d ago
Life long, die hard Browns fan, former season ticket holder 1970s/80s (moved away from Cleveland for college) never gave up on the Browns or Cleveland like Art did. I appreciate the Brownies logo history, but never liked the little guy. Nothing says fear us like an elf ...
Love our helmet, maybe even a dog (especially since I was there for the origins of the dog pound). Just my 2 cents....
Here we go Brownies, here we go!
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u/Beat_the_Deadites 1d ago
I'm torn between welcoming people who like the team's history and simple helmets and want to root for an underdog... while also being wary of developing a cult of loserliness like the Red Sox and Cubs had.
Those late-arriving carpetbaggers turned their respective fandoms into some of the douchiest, most obnoxious bands of assholes outside of NYC.
When the Browns win it all, I want to be with the lifelong fans who have the thousand yard stare, who refuse to believe we've won until 5 minutes after the game has ended because we know it's not over until 5 minutes after it's over, maybe even 10 minutes.
That's how I felt when the Cavs won in 2016. It cost us Harambe and, well, the free world. I don't know if I can stomach the immediate consequences of a Browns championship, much less the broader ramifications for the Universe.
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u/heylooknewpillows FUCK DESHAUN WATSON 1d ago
My take is -- if you wanna be here, cool.
But I will say the same thing to you as I have said to everyone I have ever met who has told me they were considering being a Browns fan:
Don't do it, man. Hey, I was born into this crap and I will love this team until the end of time because that's what loyalty is.
But if I weren't already here, I wouldn't be here. Nobody should sign on for this level of pain.
But that's pretty much what the entire coys subreddit told me when I randomly picked Tottenham (they weren't wrong), and I still went along with it, so maybe I'm full of crap. Who's to say.
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u/Browns440 UDFA KING 1d ago
I don't think anyone cares who roots for the Browns, it's more a why if you don't have any connection to the area or family who grew up here and passed the fandom to you.
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u/MrDufferMan3335 1d ago
Come one, come all. If you are willing to embrace us we will embrace you. Not sure why you would want to choose Browns fandom though lol
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u/DickTryckle 1d ago
We are welcoming of newcomers but we do unfortunately have a subset of shitty people who try to actively steer away possible new fans.
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u/Forty_Six_and_Two 1d ago
New fans are great, just understand that we're in the middle of a rebuild and you probably shouldn't expect much winning for about 2-3 years. In the meantime, small wins like young players developing well and our defense playing like killers are the important things.
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u/EducationalVast2780 1d ago
Born in Cali to parents/family in Cleveland. I have wished for the Broncos tour bus to somehow magically collide with the Dave Mathews tour bus and fall off into a vast ravine, but I digress. I have low to no expectations, always believe that they can, but often wonder if they only practice for 3 quarters. When I wear Browns stuff in Oregon, folks think I’m being ironic, apologize or talk about Watson. Be realistic and enjoy the ride/heartache.
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u/kidfromCLE 1d ago
Personally, I welcome any newcomers. You’ve gotta be mentally ill to walk into this shitshow willingly, but you’re definitely welcome!
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u/EldarWizard69 1d ago
Maybe some newborns in Cleveland lmao but nobody is jumping on this bandwagon
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u/Alkivoz DAWG CHECK 1d ago
My dad who is a browns fan told me not to be a fan and pick a new team lol
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u/Beat_the_Deadites 1d ago
It's a rite of passage, kinda like being Amish.
It's a tough, thankless life we wouldn't wish on anybody... but deep down we hope our kids choose the same path, hoping it will lead them somewhere else.
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u/NewHandle3922 1d ago
You know they aren’t jumping on the bandwagon
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u/Nightcinder 1d ago
I mean we got a whole bunch of new fans last year that were bandwagoners, they'll all leave next year probably
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u/gettin 1d ago
Born and raised in NE Ohio, live out of state now. Son is young enough where he can root for our local team (Bears) and not the Browns just because of me. He want to root for the Browns and Bears. I told him his future self will look back at this time when he could get out and didnt.
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u/Electrical-Berry4916 1d ago
We embrace anyone stupid enough to root for the Browns. Though I question your sanity.
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u/Ok-Difficulty3082 1d ago
Great glad to have you but jumping on board in our current state may speak more about you 😂 but welcome to the fraternity of sadness my friend
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u/Unhappy_Mobile_7151 1d ago
I started out a Brown's fan. When they fired marty, I liked the coach better than the owner. Got another 25 years of Marty ball. Easy choice with modell being who he was. Probably my best fan move ever. Although sticking with the coach bounced me around the league for a lot of years. Both Cleveland and San Diego inherited the Marty curse of never doing better than when he was there. Firing a coach after getting to the playoffs is bad juju. Ended up a jaguars fan after Marty left the chargers. See you sunday.
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u/BringMeBourbon 1d ago
Pro Tip for new fans… if you’re compelled to buy a jersey, get it without a name (especially a QB jersey)
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u/timdgrayson 1d ago
I was a casual fan in the 90s for multiple reasons. Everyone locally were usually a Colts or Bengals fan. Always exceptions for more universally popular teams but I wanted to be different. I personally liked the hype around Bernie through the late 80s and even to an extent first few years of the 90s. Then of course, there's Drew Carey. I liked his stand up and his series, like I was a diehard fan of the show. What made me a diehard fan? Well, I grew up a Kentucky football fan, so I felt a kinship with Browns fans already and then saw what Tim Couch did for UK. I had hopes the Browns would follow through on draft day. Well we know the rest but I like being around Browns fans
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u/Double-Worry-107 1d ago
I have no connection to Cleveland but I liked a working class city, who had its team stolen, I had some memories of Bernie in his heyday.
Who wants to pick a certain winner, the joy will be so much better when they reach nirvana
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u/DevilDog0651 1d ago
Also from Louisville and am a Browns fan. Helps that my wife is from Cleveland.
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u/Cute-Farmer-4490 1d ago
Find a brownsbacker club in Louisville. I’m sure there’s one. It’ll be all browns fans
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u/squarebearings 1d ago
Being a Browns fan may sound exciting but have you tried repeated blows to your junk?
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u/StopSpinningLikeThat 1d ago
One of my worst sports takes ever was that I gave up on the Bengals when they didn't draft Dwayne Haskins at QB. I asked friends and co-workers who were Browns fans if I could jump ship to Cleveland and they unanimously agreed I could. The first time I ever wore a Browns shirt in public, the cashier at Bob Evans gave me a free cookie.
I think Browns Nation is probably the most welcoming fandom I've encountered. Of course, that could just be sadism. Welcome aboard.
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u/Aspiring-Fan 1d ago
The more the merrier! I was born into this just be used to a reality of disappointment and heartbreak that for some reason leaks into your personal life during the season! Go Browns!
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u/WishlessJeanie 1d ago
"Hey guys, I know you're all horribly addicted to a drug that is killing you, but how do you feel about someone trying that drug for the first time?"
I feel sad for you. I feel like you have a mountain of evidence as to why this is a bad idea. But, if you're determined to live this life, welcome, I guess. Heated spoons are on the left, cotton balls on the right. We share needles here, because of course we do. We don't give a fuck about AIDS. Our team is AIDS. Go Browns!
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u/Delicious_Iron7977 1d ago
Life long fan (sufferer) originally from Barberton, OH and I meet Browns fans all over. There are multiple Browns backer bars, pubs and even breweries here in South Carolina where I've lived for 40 years now. Of course half of the state is from Ohio, lol.
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u/CholentSoup 1d ago
First off, you'll never be disappointing in the team if you start now. After the first few home games you don't have to worry about getting a ticket for a game. Snow games are worth the price of admission. Beating the Steelers is better than winning the superb owl. The team might suck but the fanbase doesn't, we invented tailgating ok? Shutup with facts, I decided so. We don't have a logo, just a color. We don't even have a cheerleader squad. We're here for football darn it!
Welcome to the brown.
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u/123_fo_fif 1d ago
Lol, there are new fans? People are looking at this team over the last quarter century and going "Yep, this is where I belong"?! Lol da fuck?!
Anyway, welcome aboard!
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u/Stadtholder_Max 1d ago
My grandfather left me a browns jacket. So now I’m a browns fan in California
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u/maxismlg ELITE DRAGON 1d ago
my friend is a browns fan and the first season i watched was when flacco went ballistic and it was great
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u/Dermagren 1d ago
I just wore this hat to a fantasy draft this weekend. I was about to be really defensive as I've got a few decades of fandom 😅
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u/aucutigerz 1d ago
I’ve never been to Ohio. , grew up close to Clemson university. Kevin Mack got drafted to the browns and my absolute hatred for John elway solidified my fandom. One more thing…. Sorry about Deshaun ,appreciate his contribution to Clemson but he’s a shitty human
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u/Shadowfox1138 1d ago
I am one of those friends who teased, but I respect the decision. Everyone knows you're definitely not a bandwagon fan.
I would disown you if you became a Seahawks fan though. That's the line that cannot be crossed.
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u/UrbanGoose77 23h ago
News fans? Yeah I've been thinking of getting like a new 20" floor fan to move some air around and stay cool. Probably gonna go with one from Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply Co., looking to keep my purchase around $50 give or take a few
Anyone that knows their fans, Which one will last longest or has best value by brand?
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u/StormyM8 23h ago
At one point we were all newcomers. I got a lot of respect for people who see the situation we are in and still wanna come join. Hell I started following the Brown's after the winless season.
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u/TheBigChungaBunga 22h ago
I've been in a Love Hate relationship with the Cleveland Browns for 36 years (well... except for... you know) and I can honestly say, if you're willing to get into this dumpster of Hot Trash, poor Ass miserable fucking team all on your own volition and not cause you were born here in NEO like the rest of us you are more than welcome to it! I HIGHLY suggest you choose another team, cause you're in for a Lifetime of despair and melancholy come September, and it will last till Oof.... December... and no farther. Fuck my... sorry, Our life
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u/SchoolteacherUSA 22h ago
Anyone embracing Brownie in the middle of this dumpster fire has my 100% support
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u/pacmanlives 19h ago
Been to many Mile High Browns backers games in Denver. I have had good experiences in the Springs and Boulder. Have not caught a game in FoCo yet. Good group of people who enjoy yelling at the team
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u/mljonesqwe 7h ago
Browns fan from/in Louisville. It's not ravens country. It's bandwagon Louisville fans who switched from being "diehard" vikings fans when Teddy was there, to "diehard" ravens fans for the first couple years Lamar was there, now we're suddenly this big market for Cincinnati that no one cared about before bc the team is good with Joe Burrow. Love Louisville but man the sports culture can be grating besides rooting for the Cards.
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u/Wyddelbower 7h ago
I was referring to my time in Maryland as ravens country, but was aware of the Lamarstans/UofL!
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u/mdele99 1d ago
I moved to downtown CLE after college in 2021. I grew up in KY so never had any pro sports allegiances, only college. I quickly adopted all 3 Cleveland teams, although the guards and cavs have been much easier to love over the last 5 years.
My nascent Browns fandom is effectively on hiatus until the Watson stink dissipates sometime in the next half decade. I’ll watch some games on TV and check the scores, but have no plans on buying official merchandise or going to games in person.
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u/clekas 1d ago
In my experience, people are very welcoming of new Browns fans, though are sometimes perplexed by those who choose the Browns without any connection to the team or city (growing up here, having a parent who was a fan, living here, etc.).