Browns fans: Do you have what it takes to be FanSided’s Fan of the Year?
By Thomas Moore
Nov 6, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns fans celebrate after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 24-3. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Browns fans are some of the hardiest, loyal and most resilient fans in all of professional sports.
Starting with the dynasty years of the 1950s and running through the Jim Brown era, the Kardiac Kids, The Drive, The Fumble, The Move, Johnny Football and everything in between, Browns fans have seen it all, faithfully cheering on the Orange and Brown and waiting – sometimes patiently, sometimes not – for the club’s return to glory.
Now we have an opportunity for you to be recognized for that loyalty by being selected as the FanSided Sports Fan of the Year.
Our friends at Sports Illustrated first awarded the Sportsman of the Year award in 1954 to “the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.” That inspired us at FanSided to recognize the nameless faces watching from the bleachers. Thus, we’re excited to present the inaugural FanSided Fan of the Year contest.
What qualifies someone to be the FanSided Sports Fan of the Year? The FanSided Sports Fan of the Year is a person who exemplifies dedication, integrity and “Fansmanship” all for the love of the game.
How do we define “Fansmanship?” Just as athletes exhibit and strive for good sportsmanship, fans strive to exhibit good Fansmanship. Good Fansmanship means representing the teams you follow and the communities those teams represent in a positive way at all times, thus perpetuating all that is good about sports and sports fandom. Every fan has a story and we want to hear why you love the Cleveland Browns.
To enter, send a two-minute video or a 200-word essay telling us your story and explaining why you should be named FanSided Fan of the Year to FanOfTheYear@FanSided.com.
We’ll review all submissions and narrow down the field to five finalists. Each finalist will receive a one-year subscription to Sports Illustrated and will be interviewed and profiled on FanSided.com. The grand prize winner will be featured in Sports Illustrated magazine!
This contest ends at 11:59 p.m. EST Nov. 20, 2015, and with the Browns only playing once between now and the end of the contest, you have plenty of time to send in an entry. (The official rules for entires can be found here.)
Good luck and Go Browns!