Do Browns Fans Really Deserve Anything?

The city of Cleveland is in meltdown after Sunday’s horrific loss to a Steelers team they should have handled at home. The Browns played poorly across the board. As fans we know a stinker when we see one and this was a stinker. 

You will not find excuses here. The team was relatively healthy and had ten days to prepare for Pittsburgh. It does not matter that the Steelers were coming off a bye. The Browns should have played better and should have found a way to win. With that being said, this is the NFL and almost every team throws up a stinker now and then. It shouldn’t happen, but it does.

The Browns were a sexy pick to make a run at a title this season. With an uber-talented roster and a defending Coach of the Year, it wasn’t a stretch. Yet, things happen in the NFL. It is extremely difficult for any team to be consistent year after year. 

Browns fans were rightly enthusiastic entering this season. Some threw the “Super Bowl” term around. Others said that anything less than a title or a trip to the playoffs would be a failure this season. Fan expectations have always been a driving force in Cleveland. Fans feel as though they deserve wins, playoff appearances and titles because they have followed the Browns though their share of bad times.

Guess what? Fans don’t deserve anything. Fans don’t earn wins or anything else through their loyalty. This is football. You pick a team. You follow a team. You spend your money on a team. Stop thinking the team owes you something. 

Clay Matthews, Jr. deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame based on his body of work. What have fans done for the team to help them win?

Joe Thomas, one of the greatest offensive tackles of all time, deserved to play on a winner simply because of his greatness. 

Earnest Byner deserved to score that touchdown. He was the heart and soul of the Browns in that AFC Championship game. 

Baker Mayfield deserves to be respected as the Browns starting quarterback. I don’t care what you think about Baker, he is our quarterback. 

The Browns deserve to have the loudest fans in the NFL when they are on defense. There were times Sunday when it was way too quiet while Pittsburgh was on offense. If you still think you deserve something as a Browns fan, execute like you want the team to. You have one job and that is to rock First Energy so that the opposing offense can’t hear themselves think. Get that done with the consistency that you expect out of the Browns players and coaches, and we’ll start talking about what the fans are owed.

Players pour their blood, sweat and tears into this game in order to become professionals. They endure constant criticism, injuries, and challenges for their jobs. Sure, they sign up for it and generally get paid a lot of money. However, they put the work in, and the results are theirs. 

We should also never forget that people of the city of Cleveland stood up when the team was taken from us. If that had not happened, we would likely be playing against the Baltimore Browns twice each season and might be rooting for the Cleveland Rockers or the Cleveland Colliers. Thank someone who was instrumental in 1996 if you truly love the Browns heritage.

Social media has given many of us a greater voice and an outlet for our opinions. It’s a great thing when exercised properly. Just keep in mind that your opinions do not entitle you to wins or success from the franchise you follow.

We all want the Browns to do well, but a proper perspective is in order. We’re fans. Wear it proudly.