When you don’t live in Cleveland or the surrounding area, it’s tough going to Browns games or even watching them play on television. If you’re lucky like me you live in a city with another NFL team. When the Browns came back in 1999, they were in the old Central division and would play the Oilers/Titans here in Nashville once a year and the games in Cleveland would be on local TV. Back then I was still president of the Middle Tennessee Browns Backers, so I saw every game, good and bad. More often bad, real bad. But after surviving the three years without Browns football (the undefeated years) I gladly watched. Nothing like watching the Browns in a bar with like minded individuals. However, in my opinion, the next best thing are road trips.
Prior to the move, my wife and I along with a few fellow Browns Backers went to a couple games at the old stadium. The 1991 Denver Bronco game and the 1992 Houston game. Of course we sat in the dawg pound, or should I say stood in the dawg pound. At the Houston game, myself and a friend were witnesses for a couple who got married in the pound during the game. Unfortunately the Browns lost, hopefully their marriage had a better out come.
As I previously said, when the Browns came back in 1999, there was some really bad football. but there were some special games and I got to witness some of them in person. Back then the Cleveland Browns offered special weekends for Browns Backers for two games, one at home and one away. That years away game was New Orleans and it was Halloween weekend. My wife Karen and I went down with another couple, Brad and Lisa. We booked our rooms on the same day hoping to get on the same floor. When we checked in, they could find Brad’s reservation, but not mine. After forty five minutes of frantic searching and me growling, they finally found it and after apologizing for five minutes put us in adjoining rooms on a floor that had its own elevator. Scan your room key and boom straight to our floor. Also provided, free breakfast in the morning and free drinks in the evening in a lounge down the hall. Bourbon street was great, we saw 6 guys dressed as Wonder Woman marching down the street. Got lucky and got into Paul Prudhomme’s restaurant. Lisa and Karen asked if they could go in and use the rest room and asked if it would be okay for Brad and I to wait at the bar. As we waited the Maître d came over and asked if we needed a table. “Why of course we do” we said. Of course the game was great. With 4 seconds left, as we are getting heckled by the stadium staff, hail mary to win it, Mike Ditka laying face down on the turf, first victory of the new Browns. Massive partying on Bourbon street.
In 2002 the Browns offered New Orleans as the away game for a Browns Backer weekend again and off we went. When we got to the airport, we found out Nashville was the layover for flights from Cleveland to New Orleans. There’s nothing like a plane full of Browns fans after draining an airport bar. The Friday night party was Harrah’s with former players, Herman Fontenot, Reggie Langhorne, Brian Brennan and Steve Everitt. The main conversion of the night was where we were all going to meet to watch the Ohio State/Michigan game the next day. National championship game on the line for the buckeyes. Someone alerted the convention manager and he offered the same room. The next day, TV’s everywhere, cash bars everywhere, packed room, buckeye’s win. I also got to meet my all time favorite Brown, Dick Ambrose and later that night Charles Nagy. As for the game, I got the pleasure to meet the president of the London Browns Backers. Every time the Browns made a great play, which was often, he would say “good show.” Even taught him how to high five. He kept putting his hand in front of his face.
Went to Cincinnati twice, the second one Butch Davis had his panic attack. Atlanta was a great trip. A bus load of Middle Tennessee Browns Backers, great food prepared for us by a great chef and a ton of beer. The Georgia Dome was a dump and the fans were the worst. The guy in front of us yelled at another members 9 year old daughter. When my wife informed him he was lucky her father had gone to the rest room, he started mouthing off again. Her father is a big man and could easily snap this guy in two. When he got back, the Atlanta fan took one look at him and never said another word.
The games here in Nashville were fun. The Middle Tennessee Browns Backers always threw one hell of a tail gate and still do. The 1999 game was special just because it was good seeing those orange helmets on the field again. The 2001 game was a couple games after “bottle-gate” so security was heavy. Tied game at the half, 24 – 24. At the start of the forth quarter it was 38 – 24 Titans. With less than a minute to go Phil Dawson hits the game winner and the final was 41- 38 Browns. Great come from behind victory. The 2002 game was another come from behind game. Titans leading 21 – 7 at the half, but with less than two minutes in the third quarter Dennis Northcutt returns a 74 yard punt return and the lead is cut to seven. With a little more than five minutes in the game the Titans score and the lead is back to fourteen. About this time my wife asks if I want to go back to the tailgate. I said no, lets see what happens. By this time the Titans fans had learned how to heckle opposing fans. During the game I got up to get a beer, and as reached the isle, a lady said to me welcome to Nashville. At that point her team was winning and she could afford to be nice. I said thank you, but I live here. To which she replied, F__k you. I immediately inquired if she kissed her kids with that mouth? With less than three minutes left the Browns scored, then preceded to execute the prefect onside kick. Dawson to Northcutt along the sideline. God I miss good special team play. After the review, Browns ball and with 18 seconds left tied game, Couch to Northcutt. A Phil Dawson FG ends it in overtime, 31-28.
But the best game here in Nashville was the 2014 game. Largest come back by a road team in NFL history. The Browns were losing 28-10 a the half, I remember they kept running the ball. Ben Tate ended up with 124 yards rushing and it seemed to wear down the Titans. The fourth quarter included a blocked punt for a touchdown and the Brian Hoyer/Travis Benjamin show. With a little less than two minutes left the Browns had the lead, 29-28. What happened next, I have never experienced. With the Titans moving the ball, on a 4th and one, the home team had to call a time out because the opposing fans where to loud. That stadium was rocking. Of course the Browns stop the play, after a review, Browns ball and then the victory formation.
Thanks for indulging me on my blog about road games, but when you live away from The Land, road trips are special. There’s nothing like seeing the Browns play in person along side fellow Browns fans and the Browns win. As we slowly inch to the start of training camp, in my next blog, I’ll be looking at the up coming opponents and the schedule. Go Browns and Dawgcheck.