Cleveland Browns: Less pressure to win in 2016 after Cavs title
The Cleveland Browns will face less pressure in 2016 after the Cleveland Cavaliers brought a title home to the city of Cleveland.
The Cleveland Browns were Cleveland’s last champion for 52 years. Until last night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in one of the best NBA Finals in history, bringing Cleveland its first championship since the days of Jim Brown.
LeBron James has officially reached the level of Brown in terms of Cleveland lore, leaving the city in a frenzy that will not die down for a long time.
A wonderful demonstration of greatness! The @CityofCleveland, the @cavs organization, the team, the fans, and the great @KingJames..!
— Jim Brown (@JimBrownNFL32) June 20, 2016
The championship will distract Cleveland fans from everything for a while, but as summer begins, it is getting closer to football season.
It is expected to be a rebuilding year for the Browns, but that does not mean fans were ready to quietly accept another losing season from the city’s football franchise.
This may have changed after last night. The Cavaliers helped end the existence of the Cleveland montages featuring the failures of the city’s franchises. Any of those that may still be aired will end with LeBron and the Cavaliers holding up a trophy.
The title also gives the Browns, and even the Indians, a little more breathing room when it comes to the desperate title chase that was finally realized last night.
Browns fans have dealt with the frustration of watching losing football nearly every year since 1999, and it does not appear like the team will be a dominant force in 2016.
But the fact the city has a title means there will be less pressure on the Browns to be great right away after lying in the basement of the NFL for so long. The front office can take time to build up the roster systematically, and should have the support of the fans during the process.
Fans don’t determine personnel moves, but public pressure for constant change should die down, given the team has some success in the next three to five years.
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The fact the city has a champion is going to take a while to sink in after 52 years of waiting. Entire generations of Cleveland sports fans are coming to terms with the feeling of being champions for the first time, serving as a temporary distraction from the past woes that led to so much heartbreak.
The Browns are going to face a great deal of adversity in 2016. There will be more losses than wins, and enough mistakes to make any fan curse the football gods for another year filled with losing.
But the Browns appear to be on the right track with the new front office and with Hue Jackson at the helm on the sidelines. He will be able to teach this young team how to win in the NFL, although it will take some time.
The season will be tough, but a Cavaliers championship will give Browns fans hope that things are on the rise. No matter how the season goes, Cleveland fans can spend the rest of 2016 celebrating as champions.