3 former Browns players who should replace Doug Dieken

3 former Browns who should replace Doug Dieken

Doug Diken announced that he is retiring from broadcasting as announced via a press release, bringing his tenure with the Browns to a close after 51 years. He started playing for the team when he was just 22-years-old and has been with the franchise in some form ever since.

While his playing days weren’t littered with awards or adulation, he was a consistent presence for the Browns from 1971 to 1984, earning a Pro Bowl in 1980 and staring in 194 games of a possible 203. The only games he didn’t start were the nine as a rookie in which he played as a reservist and special teams player.

His departure opens up a big hole now, as he was serving as the color analyst for the Browns radio broadcasts next to Jim Donovan, another Cleveland sports broadcast legend nearing retirement. With Dieken out, the talk will be about who will replace the Cleveland legend.

We’ve got three really good suggestions below but let’s rule some people out first.

Firstly, no Dustin Fox. He wasn’t even a Browns player for starters, and what time he had in the NFL was barely a footer on Wikipedia. You’re replacing a franchise legend and his replacement should hold a similar place in the hearts of fans.

You don’t need to be a Hall of Famer or a 10+ year veteran for the Browns, but you need to have something that makes you special to the fanbase. Fox isn’t that guy.

Another name I don’t want to see, despite my personal fandom, is Phil Dawson. Dawson is a franchise legend, but he isn’t known for his broadcast abilities and there are several former Browns players who do in fact meet both the criteria of being special to the fanbase and having broadcast experience.

As for Dieken, I doubt you’ll read this, but if you do I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being as loyal to the fans and franchise as humanly possible. Enjoy retirement, you’ve earned it.