Immovable and Unstoppable: A History of Cleveland Football Fans

The passion for this hard-working, smash mouth football team is no surprise to anyone who hails from this blue-collar town, where football on Sunday is not only an event, it’s a way of life. Take a look at some of the milestones that mark our storied team’s history.

Mining homegrown talent, Ohio native Paul Brown assembles a dream team that dominates the All-American Football Conference, winning the title every year of the league’s existence and going undefeated in 1948. 

Regarded as coming from an inferior league, the Browns made themselves right at home in the NFL. Led by Otto Graham (now immortalized with a statue at FirstEnergy Stadium) the Browns played in six straight championships, winning three. 

Browns running back and Hall of Famer Jim Brown – perhaps the best to ever play the game – dominates the competition with a career rushing average of 104.3 yards per game, the most in NFL history.

The Browns make four straight playoff appearances, but are thwarted in three AFC Championship Games, each time by John Elway and the Broncos. Enter “The Drive” and “The Fumble,” plays that will forever live in Cleveland sports infamy. 

After 50 years in Cleveland, a heartbroken fan base watches the Browns move to Baltimore to become the Ravens. Heartbreak quickly turned to action. Following a historic fight, an unprecedented agreement saw the Browns’ name, colors and history remain where they belong.

Cleveland's new expansion team returns the Browns to their rightful place in 1999. Fast forward to 2021 (mercifully), when the team earned its first playoff win in 26 years.