Joe Thomas, Alex Mack named to 2016 Pro Bowl; Benjamin, Barnidge and Bademosi are alternates
December 23, 2015WFNY Stats and Info: Indians starting pitching still getting kudos
December 23, 2015I haven’t lived in Ohio since I was eighteen. Leaving home stinks for a variety of reasons. Missing your family and friends stinks. Politely golf-clapping your favorite football team’s opening drive touchdown, and only real chance to celebrate, stinks. That said, you can learn some things about who you are when you leave home.
My journey started on a Boltbus from my current home of Portland to Seattle. Pine trees of all types and beards of all lengths laced the sides of the roads as I traveled up the Pacific Northwest. Out in the land of the coniferous, there is at least a bit of rugged woodsman or woodswoman in everyone. Then, once in Seattle, I saw the EMP Museum, the Gates Foundation headquarters, and I remembered the artistic and educated side of the area. Now I worried if I was neither rugged nor smart enough to keep up. I met up with a great friend of mine, Colin, who flew in from Chicago for the game and helped bring a little bit of home to Seattle.
While walking in the famous Pike Place Market, we saw a man wearing a Cleveland Browns jacket. We called out a single, ‘here we go Brownies’ chant. Colin and I were behind the guy, and I think he thought we were hassling him. I can understand why he didn’t want to make conversation with strangers. Later, we had a chat with an Uber driver who, in just making polite conversation said things like, “You have to be from Cleveland to be a Browns fan huh?” and “Oh that Monday night game. How do you lose on a field goal returned for a touchdown?” It’s the same in Seattle as it is everywhere else — people making what they think is merely polite conversation, typically about sports, ensuring that you never forget the latest play or game to make the montage of dispair. I did, however, forfeit the right to be sensitive as I was wearing a Braylon Edwards jersey in downtown Seattle.1
Before the game, we had nice conversation with some local Seahawks fans. I tried to build a bridge by referencing my love for former Supersonic and Cavalier, Michael Cage. I also cited an interesting fact: “Did you know that it’s been twelve years since the Seahawks beat the Browns?” I asked. Our Seattle friend said, “Most of these fans couldn’t tell you who our quarterback was before Russell Wilson.”2 As you may know, the city is covered in ’12s, symbolic for the fans being the “twelfth man.” It also represents the mainstream popularity of the local football team. The die-hard Seahawk fans call the fake fans ‘twelves’. In Boston, they called the fake fans ‘pink hats’. I thought about it, and we don’t really have specific names for bandwagon fans. Maybe it would be nice to have fake fans?3
The air was filled with the smell of garlic fries, the smattering of applause for a good Browns play, and noise, lots of noise.
Most Seattle fans were kind. I remember one fan genuinely saying, “I hope you have fun today.” We certainly didn’t talk much trash — the team, after all, gives us nary a leg to stand on. Once the game was out of hand, I lashed out in anger, with my only taunt, saying that, “The Spin Doctors were the greatest rock band of the 90s.” I steered clear of sports. I didn’t reference Kenny Lofton scoring from second base on a passed ball from Randy Johnson, Malcolm Butler, or The Oklahoma City Thunder. Like any self-aware Cleveland fan, I tend not to throw stones since I live in a very, very fragile glass house.
The turnout of Browns fans was excellent considering the team was playing so far away from Ohio for the worst record in the league. When I saw other Browns fans, it was often an exchange that was brief, quiet, and discrete. We nodded and mumbled, “Go Browns” like we were in a secret club or on a very dangerous mission, and we both knew the password. Following the game, outside of the stadium, where provocation is usually worst, we were still treated nicely. Having successfully avoided most eye contact, the hassling never went beyond one squawk.
As we walked, cold and underwhelmed by the second half, Colin and I were approached and briefly interviewed by a local (maybe amateur) TV station. They were seeking the opinions of opposing team’s fans. After a few questions about the day’s game, they asked, “What’s your favorite thing about being a Browns fan?” I said, without thinking, something I have never fully realized or articulated before, “The exclusivity.”
15 Comments
Wonderful.
I enjoyed the article, Chris. I’m not sure how smart you are, but the fact that you went to the trouble to journey a distance to watch your beloved team enter the lion’s den shows that you’re a plenty rugged fan.
The Tribe of the last half of the ’90s had its share of 12s, but I didn’t begrudge them at all. Welcome to the party, I always say. It was just so good to see the whole town going nuts.
Have to close with an airing of grievance: I know you were caught flat-footed, but I don’t think “exclusivity” is right. They’ve got those Browns Backers clubs all over the globe. We’re a world-wide cult.
Always enjoy reading exploits of far-flung fan experiences – thank you!
I would think Browns fans in Pittsburgh are more “secret society” however. When my wife was doing a 3-year sentence there, we would go to a Browns Backers bar in Oakland. I don’t recall the name of the bar, but there was no external evidence of Browns fans – the entrance to the room where the BB watched the game was up a dark, narrow staircase and through a thick fire door, and only upon opening did it reveal a multitude of festive orange-and-brown clad fans. All that was missing was a secret handshake 🙂
There is an exclusivity about the experience of being a Browns fan, though. Even if there are millions of us, the experience is still exclusive to us. That’s how I read it.
The die hard fans do not call the fake fans the “12’s”. We are all the 12’s, and have been since the team retired the number in 1984.
The misconception is that there are a bunch of bandwagon fans in Washington. There are not, and the only people making this claim are either jealous fans of other teams, or people who simply don’t understand the term “bandwagon”. There may be a fair amount of fair weather fans, that are much more vocal and enthusiastic when the team is good, but none of the fans here are changing allegiances to other teams, at all.
Okay, good point. I can salute that.
The password’s “yellow trough.”
Yup, that was the place!
Enjoyed this, Chris. Thanks for making the trek. On-location is the best location, even for this abomination of a team.
I am from the CLE and have lived in Seattle for about 20years. I have never heard of calling fake fans “12s”, but I do think fans calling themselves “12s” is pretty lame. Also, MOST of the Seahawks fans I know are know nothing bandwagoners, despite what the other gentleman said. If you want to split hairs and call them “fair weather”, fine. But they know very little about the game of football. If the Browns ever get good again, can we have “Fair Hooker” fans??
It’s just a tongue-in-cheek way of saying there aren’t many of us (…because the team is so bad).
thanks!
haha I love the description of ‘world wide cult’ either way it is a source of pride
also, not smart at all
Fair point. I can see how I made it sound like the norm, because that’s how it felt to me, but I can believe that it is not universal.
Interesting distinction between fair weather and bandwagon, and I think I agree. Bandwagon may pertain more to fans (especially from outside the geography) who start rooting for a team while it is cool to root for the team – regardless of the team’s success. For example, I am a bandwagon Chicago Cubs fan, I’m not from Chicago, they aren’t always good, but if the Indians are out of it, I say go Cubbies. If, someday, the Cubs win the World Series, I will be off the bandwagon. Fair weather fans are loyal, and their interest comes and goes as the team has ups and downs, but they stick with the team.
Of course, and thank you!
That is a great story. My college years were spent in western PA, I can appreciate the next-level nature of rooting for the Browns in arch-enemy territory.