Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

Cleveland Browns: World Is Laughing At Us, Not With Us

By Kristopher Grimes

Jan 3, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; A Cleveland Browns fan displays the names of the quarterbacks since 1999 on a mask during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Steelers beat the Browns 28-12. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; A Cleveland Browns fan displays the names of the quarterbacks since 1999 on a mask during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Steelers beat the Browns 28-12. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Cleveland Browns
Nov 30, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) lays on the ground after being tackled Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams (not pictured) during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills won 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

Sticks And Stones May Break Our Bones

You know the old school yard saying, sticks and stones may break our bones but words will never hurt us? Maybe it brings back horrible memories of elementary school bullies, or maybe it reminds you of the hurtful things you might have said to someone when you were little. For Cleveland Browns fans, the saying couldn’t be farther from the truth.

If someone told you today that the Cleveland Browns are 50-1 odds to win the Super Bowl (the least likely to win out of all 32 teams), how does that make you feel?

Or how do you feel when you see another Instagram or TMZ.com video of former quarterback Johnny Manziel partying it up at a Vegas club? Doesn’t it hurt? Even after years of disappointment, the failures of this team and it’s ineptitude hurt a bit.

Just like being a small kid on an elementary school yard, being a Cleveland Browns fan is hard. For a franchise that once had 10 NFL Championships, and Jim Brown, arguably the best running back in NFL history, the past 17 seasons are a source of pain.

While we can take the abuse of a loss on Sunday or deal with the fact that the Cleveland Browns have never had a franchise quarterback, it’s harder to absorb the constant jabs and reminders when they’re regularly blasted on ESPN or NFL Network. We get that the team started twenty-plus different quarterbacks since their return in 1999, having watched each one of them.

We are also very aware that the Cleveland Browns are in one of the longest post-season droughts, and one of four teams to have never appeared in the Super Bowl. It’s hard to be reminded of that.

Yet every year it feels like the facts mount against us. It’s as if they enjoy prodding us with sticks, throwing stones, and verbally abusing us. Believe me Browns fans, sticks and stones may not break our fandom, but the words do hurt.

Courtney Danser of WEWS NewsNet 5 in Cleveland was among the first to report/write about Siri’s response to sadness in Cleveland, sums up the feeling for Browns fans…

“We know Siri, we know…”

Next: Can They Get It Right?

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