SI names Indians’ Jason Kipnis AL MVP leader
June 25, 2015A very special NBA Draft version of “Wonderwall”
June 25, 2015Going into the NBA Finals, I knew that I would not allow my future happiness, even a few days’ worth, to be dependent on the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the NBA championship. I figured out long ago that it was a bad idea for my peace of mind to be reliant on my local sports teams’ won-loss records. Greater Clevelanders in particular, given our fifty years of experience in this area, can be grateful we are undoubtedly in the forefront in reaching this realization.
Nevertheless, the Browns’ championship victory back on December 27, 1964 still holds a special place among the memories worth holding onto. The Western Reserve Historical Society’s Exhibit, Title Town, is a commemoration of the 1964 Browns team and their 27-0 victory over the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts. After an extended stay, this Sunday, June 28, is the final day to see it.
It has drawn over 40,000 visitors and is a kind of mini, temporary hall of fame for that team and that game. I visited the exhibit on January 3 this year and found it exhilarating and nostalgic. As much attention as I paid to that season as it unfolded, and as much as I read about the game in the years following, I was still delighted by the uniforms, helmets, cleats and other artifacts, documents, and recordings (audio and video) presented at the exhibit.
Two of the best items on display (which I never thought I’d get a chance to see) were the playbooks. No laptops or iPads, obviously. They were just fat binders showing the X’s and O’s of the plans of attack and defense. One of those books was open to a page that showed a play that resulted in a Frank Ryan-to-Gary Collins touchdown pass.
Paul Warfield, a rookie in 1964, was the youngest player on the field. He not only had tremendous speed, he ran excellent routes, an amazing attribute for a rookie, especially given that Warfield played mostly halfback and defensive back for the Ohio State Buckeyes under Woody Hayes. Knowing all about the dangerous Warfield, Colts coach Don Shula double-teamed Warfield most of the game, but that left one-on-one coverage on Gary Collins … and we all know what Collins accomplished on that cold, blustery day in 1964.1
Another item in the exhibit, perhaps somewhat overlooked, is a placard that recognizes the paramount importance of the Browns offensive lines of that era. Of course, Jim Brown never overlooked the pivotal role they played in his transcendent career. He was always quick to point out what incredible athletes those linemen were in their own right and how they were all bright and shrewd students of the game. Such talk about offensive lines may seem mundane, but it’s worth remembering the lessons from 1964. And it brings to mind today’s efforts by Ray Farmer and Mike Pettine to make the offensive and defensive lines top priorities.
A few of the memories brought out by the WRHS exhibit are more sour than sweet. One of which is how short-sighted and mean-spirited were the NFL, in general, and Art Modell, in particular, that they could not see their way to lift the local TV blackout so that Clevelanders could watch the game live without traveling outside the boundaries of the blackout. It was televised in its entirety the following evening, but what a selfish and stupid slap in the face to the fans.
Another astounding lack of insight and foresight is the fact that none of those brilliant businessmen thought to keep copies of the entire game’s broadcast for future resale. I’ve been asking around for thirty years how to acquire a copy of that game (and other games). Imagine how many VHS tapes and DVDs could have been sold over the years.
Speaking of Paul Warfield, another great regret this exhibit brings to mind is the terrible trade the Browns made by giving up Warfield, an established superstar and future Hall of Famer, for Mike Phipps, an untested first-round draft choice — all in the hopes of finding that ever-elusive unicorn, the franchise quarterback.
The hope here is that the exhibit, or major parts of it, can be maintained locally in perpetuity, perhaps made part of a permanent exhibit at the stadium and available year-round. It is, after all, a delightful part of Cleveland’s history.
- If you don’t know, Collins set a title game record with three touchdown catches in one game. [↩]
4 Comments
Funny how the name Art Modell is like a little toxic blot in any story. I can be reading along happily….and then I see that arrangement of letters……Modell…….and I feel like I need a sauna or something more radical.
every time I see his name, all I think about is the mannequin of him they used to have in The Basement in the Flats
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