Browns: PA Kid Asks to Trade in Steelers Hat for Browns

The Cleveland Browns fan base is huge. One concern long term is the lack of winning over the past 2 decades and how it could impact the next generation of fans. The Browns, as a business, always have to be worried about losing the popular dollar of the young people. Brown and Orange runs deep all over the county, and world, but it doesn’t seem to be genetic for everyone.

Today, after a great win yesterday, we get this story from Cleveland Browns’ Kevin Griffin, a great part of their Marketing Department. Griffin posted this photo of a letter he got from a kid in Pennsylvania:

Looks like we might have a rebel on our hands over there. Obviously just a fun story, especially given that it is from the rival Steelers home state.

This type of things happen, though they should not, for most fan bases. Children rebel against their families or want to be different than most of the other kids at school so they choose another team. Sometimes, as seems the case with LeBron James as a child, it is because the kid is a front runner and chooses the good teams instead of his local team.

Many people have different types of fan rules that dictate how they think people should choose their teams. Some are fans of specific players and cheer for the team they play for. These fans all used to be Miami Heat fans. Others are fans of teams because of some connection to the team: family played for the team, hometown boy plays for the team, etc.

For me I am a geographical fan. I was born in Northern Ohio, Sandusky to be precise. I am a Browns, Indians and Cavaliers fan. Later in my childhood my mother even worked for the Indians, further cementing the ties. Now I write for 2 different Cleveland sports sites. I am also a fan of The Ohio State Buckeyes. Buckeye Born and Buckeye Bred. My Master’s Degree is also from OSU, as well as student loan payments, so that fandom is locked in as well.

What do you think of this kids request? What is your fan rule(s)?