If the owners and managers of the Cleveland Browns have their way and build a covered stadium at Brook Park for $2.4 billion, we will have to change the nickname of the home stadium from “Factory of Sadness” to “Elegant Boutique of Eternal Disappointment.”
Speculation has been rampant since team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam purchased 176 acres in Brook Park earlier this year. Initial speculation that the land would be used to build a professional soccer stadium was not believed by even the ten people in Northeast Ohio who actually care about soccer.
The Browns sent a letter to season ticket holders earlier this month detailing the plan, which is based on a public-private partnership with Brook Park and Cuyahoga County contributing a total of $600 million.
One of their main arguments for Brook Park is that the current stadium – the Browns’ lease expires in 2028 – would require $1 billion in upgrades, and that attempting to dome the existing structure would be unfeasible and, even if it were, the cost would be too high.
Did no one seriously suggest building the stadium in the late 1990s when the stadium was being built? No one?
How is it possible that a 25-year-old building that is used six months a year is already in poor condition?
The 2,000-year-old Roman Colosseum still stands.
With PTSD still looming over Lake Erie from the Browns’ departure to Baltimore in 1995, it should come as no surprise that some fans – and taxpayers – reflexively balk at the idea of the team moving anywhere, even to a different location in town.
In the 1970s, the Browns’ owner, who still cannot be named, bought 190 acres of land in Strongsville to scare Cleveland into spending money on a new stadium.
He told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1973: “As God commands, my first choice is downtown Cleveland.”
But the man who fired Paul Brown took his plan seriously and went to Baltimore because Cleveland was unable to raise the money it needed after the city committed to new venues for its professional basketball and baseball teams.
There is a theory that his departure was actually orchestrated by future Browns owner Al Lerner, who later proved that just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you know anything about football.
Brook Park supporters say a covered stadium with adjacent shops, better parking and easy access to several freeways will improve the experience for everyone and increase usage options well beyond the NFL season, which for Cleveland typically ends by Kwanzaa.
From a “it’s for your own good” perspective, the Haslam letter goes on to say that Cleveland could actually benefit from the Browns’ move to Brook Park, as it would give the city a chance to develop its lakefront.
Fans also argue that Brook Park could help the team in its efforts to recruit star players, but stadiums aren’t the reason people avoid certain franchises. Guys will play in a gravel pit next to Fred Flintstone if they think they can win a Super Bowl ring.
One thing is certain: As the NFL game becomes increasingly exclusive and commercialized, it is moving further away from its working-class roots.
In 2023, USA Today reported that the average NFL ticket now costs $377, which might be reasonable if Taylor Swift played wide receiver and appeared in every half.
Born of mud and blood, the game is now more dependent on the private suite than the tailgate.
The irony is that the Browns were a better team when they played in an arena even worse than the one they have now. A petri dish couldn’t hold a candle to Municipal Stadium. The leaky toilets – and the people who used them – were the stuff of legend that cannot be printed.
There’s a lot of debate these days about artificial turf or natural grass, but the 1964 NFL champions and the Kardiac Kids played — and won — on painted dirt. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Municipal Stadium teams (1946-1994) had an overall record of 226-119-6, with a playoff record of 13-6. Although the time span must be taken into account, compare that to the current home record of 84-116-1.
Cuyahoga County and Brook Park officials have publicly opposed the idea of providing $600 million in public funds to build a stadium.
We all know that this is usually done at the beginning of a negotiation.
You’ve heard (usually from the people who have it) that money doesn’t equal happiness. That’s true, but it can buy you a damn nice doormat.
Charita M. Goshay is an editor at the Canton Repository and a member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or [email protected]. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
