A Memorial Day weekend look at how far the Cleveland Browns have come
By Greg Newland
The Cleveland Browns have made huge strides over the past five seasons, but just how far have they come?
On this Memorial Day weekend, so many of us have a lot to be thankful for, and for the first time in two decades, we can all be thankful for being fans of the Cleveland Browns. For the first time since the return of the team in 1999, the team is finally heading in the right direction.
Yes, there were a few years of success in 2002 and 2007, but nothing that gave fans long-term hope. Remember, this is a team that has finished in last place in their division 15 times since 1999.
Cleveland fans have been through it all. The play that was reviewed after a snap already happened, then the next week they were told they couldn’t do the same thing. A helmet being taken off too early and giving a kicker another chance. A game-winning field goal returned for a touchdown in prime time.
At a certain point, I just stopped being surprised at all the bad things that could happen to one team. Browns fans became conditioned to only expect the worst, and no lead was ever big enough, while the smallest deficit could never be overcome.
What’s the biggest thing that has changed in the last two years? A losing culture and mentality have been shaken out of the building. This team doesn’t show up on Sunday to just compete and keep it close, they are in it to win the entire thing.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane on how bad things were, and just how far we’ve come.