There was a time when the Cleveland Browns were considered royalty in the National Football League. The Browns joined the NFL in 1950 and between that year until 1964, Cleveland won the NFL Championship four times. During that era the Browns also produced several Pro Football Hall of Famers such as Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Lou Groza, and Otto Graham. The demise of the Browns began in 1961 when Art Modell purchased the team. It didn’t take Modell that long before he clashed with longtime Browns head coach Paul Brown. Brown was accustomed to operating without having to look over his shoulder and by 1962, the relationship between Modell and Brown had become toxic to the point that Brown bid farewell to Cleveland as he was fired.
Since 1964, the Browns have never won another NFL Championship and they have never even played in another NFL Championship Game which is now referred to as the Super Bowl. In 1970, the Browns were favored to run away with the NFC Central, but they lost out by one game to the Cincinnati Bengals who were now coached by Paul Brown. The Browns thought that they had it all figured out in 1980 against the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, but the term “Red Right 88” will unfortunately live in infamy in Cleveland. The Browns made it to the AFC Championship Game in 1986, but this is where the legend of former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway was born as he stomped on the hearts of Browns fans who were still hurting from 1980 with “The Drive”. To further add insult to injury, the Browns would meet the Broncos in the 1987 AFC Championship Game, but only to lose once again; this time on “The Fumble”.
After Modell was unable to secure a new stadium in 1995, he packed up and moved the team to Baltimore. The NFL however forced Modell to leave the Browns name and franchise history in Cleveland. By 1999, a new Browns franchise was in Cleveland, but their fans had to sit by and watch Modell win the Super Bowl in 2000 with the Baltimore Ravens. In 1995, the Browns head coach was Bill Belichick. After the 1995 season, Modell fired Belichick. In 2000, Belichick became the head coach of the New England Patriots and he would go on to win three Super Bowl Championships which once again left Browns fans wondering what could have been.
Since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, they have only had two winning seasons with one playoff appearance and zero playoff victories. Since 1999, the Browns have had 18 different starting quarterbacks, seven head coaches, six general managers, and three different owners which is a clear example of the futility of this once proud franchise. The Browns currently play in the AFC North which was formed in 2002 and every other team within the division has won the division crown at least twice while the Browns have not been able to be called division champs.
The Browns new brain trust of team CEO Joe Banner and general manager Michael Lombardi have now traded running back Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts. Richardson was a 2012 first round pick of the Browns, but he was brought to Cleveland by a different regime.
In his rookie season, Richardson gained 950 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while he developed a reputation in the NFL as a powerful runner in the mode of Jim Brown. The Browns are already 0-2 this season and what little hope that Browns fans had for the immediate future is now diced as Richardson was a breath of fresh air for them.
The Browns did receive a first round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft for sending Richardson to the Colts as Cleveland now owns 10 picks in next spring’s draft, but draft picks are only good if the proper players are selected. Since 1999, no Browns first round selection has finished his NFL career with the team as current Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas, cornerback Joe Haden, center Alex Mack, defensive tackle Phil Taylor, quarterback Brandon Weeden, and outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo are still on the Browns roster, but for how long?
For Lombardi and Banner it will be important to strike it rich next spring at the draft. If Richardson goes on to have a stellar career with the Colts and possibly win a Super Bowl, it will just be another strike to a Browns fan base that is still hurting since Jim Brown retired inexplicably at the age of 29. I am sure that Richardson is happy to be with the Colts as their organization has a commitment to winning unlike the Browns. It really hasn’t helped the Browns that their new home (FirstEnergy Stadium) was built on the site of Cleveland Municipal Stadium which was the home of tremendous suffering and heartache for the Browns.
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