New Browns uni coming 2015

[njdawg2000]

What' did the name Browns mean in 1999 other than Paul Brown.

[Sport]

What' did the name Browns mean in 1999 other than Paul Brown.

I knew someone would say this. By 1999 Cleveland Browns just meant a football team named the Cleveland Browns. I don't mean officially, the team was always named after him, but by that time it'd been 40 something years since he was involved with the team and they'd never used any sort of imagery or logo acknowledging him. By the turn of the century the first association/connotation/feelings when hearing that name was no longer Paul Brown, it was of an orange and brown football team.

I just think it'd be silly for them as a team who has never used Paul Brown in their logo package to use him all of a sudden, especially when he started another team that plays in the same division that is operated by his surviving family. They missed their window of opportunity by 50 something years.

[Gothamite]

I think the name has come to mean the color brown.

But that doesn't mean they can't reclaim the connection with Paul Brown. Or that they can't leverage their long history with a symbol of 1950s masculinity, although an ultra-modern uniform will work against that.

[nuordr]

This logo would be amazing:

[buckeye]

I would've very much welcomed a different name for the team in '99. Not sure how many other people would say that, but something that actually does have a real identity would be great in my book.

[Sykotyk]

If the Paul Brown logo proves to be true and well-executed, then Cleveland would certainly win some Brownie points from me.

Seriously, though, it took them nearly 70 years to think, "Hey! Lets have a logo involving our team's namesake!" Honestly I'd like a secondary logo that's just a silhouette of P. Brown's fedora maybe on the shoulders or sleeves. At least Cleveland's getting an identity of some kind for the first time since the Brownie Elf era.

Well, Paul Brown, being the humble guy he was, refused to let the team acknowledge that he was the reason they were called the Browns. The original name was to be the Browns. But, he refused to coach a team named after him. So, they were going to go with the Cleveland Panthers, but there was another team in Cleveland that had already used that name and didn't want to give up the name. So, it was back to Browns. He relented, but on the condition it be named for something other than him. Hence the story it was named after Joe Louis, aka the Brown Bomber. Though everyone knew that wasn't the reason.

And as for those saying Cleveland is just 'now' trying to rekindle Paul Brown nostalgia, the stadium ring of honor has PAUL BROWN at the 50 yard line on the TV camera facing side for a reason all by itself. Paul Brown hated Art Modell. Yeah, he may have played it up as against the whole team when he started the Bengals, but it was Art Modell that fired him, unceremoniously, as well.

Trust me, Browns fans hated Art Modell even before the move. The level of hatred just rose. He was a cheap owner who was awash in cash from the Browns having one of the biggest stadiums in the league that regularly sold out or damn close (84,000 seats, usually with 77-80k actual fans with the rest of the tickets usually sold to the local TV channel airing the game to avoid a blackout because a lot of those seats were obstructed by pillars). Problem was, he never put money back into the team. He leased the stadium for $1 a year, and full revenue for all events and signage, and had the Cleveland Indians paying HIM rent to use the stadium. He continually complained about the stadium falling apart, despite the fact that his very own Stadium Corp was required to maintain the stadium in exchange for that $1 rent. So, when the Gateway project was conceived, the Browns were going to get a new stadium. As was the Cavs and Indians.

Modell refused, not wanting to give up his $1 rent. Instead, he asked for renovations to be done to Municipal Stadium. Which, the city agreed. Though the Gund and the Jake were going to be built first before moving onto his renovations. He initially agreed. Until the Indians left the Muni for the Jake. The Jake was the jewel of Cleveland when it opened. New, modern, beautiful. The luxury boxes that were at the Muni suddenly weren't as in demand because you just lost 81 Indians games in addition to the 8 regular season Browns games. That money went down the road to the Jake. 1995 was the first full season the Indians played outside the Muni. By then, Modell was in a bind. He had at least a year or two until his stadium would be renovated (it was going up for vote that fall). He refused to discuss the new stadium, all the while complaining about losing money and paying Andre Rison's signing bonus out of his own pocket (which was lined with money from the team).

Because he burned through money faster than almost anyone could comprehend, he didn't have time to even wait until the vote for his renovated stadium. Though, now he wanted a new one. He was rebuffed, because just a few years earlier, he was steadfast against a new one. His renovation plan was going to go through (and pass even after he announced the move). While he had a moratorium on talking about a new stadium or renovations to the Muni, he signed a deal to move the team to Baltimore in exchange for some much needed cash. Playing at Memorial Stadium didn't help, and he was forced to sell 49% to Biscotti anyways. The same thing he said he would have to do if he stayed in Cleveland, but didn't want to give up ownership. Then, he sold all but a fraction (keeping himself on as minority owner). Basically, the exact thing he said he left Cleveland to avoid, he still had to do in Baltimore. This despite money from the city, a brand new stadium with all the bells and whistles, and a huge influx in cash when he sold the first 49%. Throw in the fact WHY he kept the ~1%. Back with the Stadium Corp days, Modell had toyed with the idea of selling the team. He comissioned a broker to try and sell the team. The company he contacted to find a buyer and broker the sale was going to get a comission. This comission had no expiration and had to be paid whether the team was sold through them or not. So, when he sold the team to Biscotti (controlling interest), that company came looking for their comission. A judge ruled they couldn't collect because Modell had kept 1% of the team for himself.

Modell was a hell of a jerk. He got a lot of enemies. He liked to live big in Cleveland, and endeared himself to the wealthier people in town, but the fans could see he treated the team like a piggy bank to fund his lifestyle.

But, part of that stems from the fact that, like Haslem, he simply bought the team to buy a team. He wanted to buy the Giants, but was rebuffed (he was a New Yorker), so instead went looking for the best team and paid a 'kings ransom' at the time to get a team that had just won 7 titles in the past 16 years. $4 million at the time. He had no emotional investment. And that financial investment paid off. The team made him a ton of money over the years. Of which, prior to the salary cap, he was very frugal in spending it. Especially in the years after the 1964 title. He churned through coaches (sound familiar) and it was a good streak in spite of him to have the late 80s turn out as good as they were.

To say that Paul Brown didn't like the Browns was a bit off, considering WHY he hated the Browns. And it started and ended with Modell.

[njdawg2000]

Well in retrospect to name a team after a persons name is silly. But it is still the name of the team.

But the fans fought for the name, colors and history of the team and that was granted to the NFL.

And that history has brown included in it like it or not.

So if the Browns want to use his imagery they are allowed to because the own it.

Regardless of the other team down south.

[Jezus_Ghoti]

Now some people on Reddit saying all this Paul Brown logo stuff isn't true.

Who knows who to believe at this point. We'll all know shortly. My guess is the logos will not include Brown and will be fairly boring. Just a pure guess.

[CLEstones]

Now some people on Reddit saying all this Paul Brown logo stuff isn't true.

Who knows who to believe at this point. We'll all know shortly. My guess is the logos will not include Brown and will be fairly boring. Just a pure guess.

Yeah... the longer this drags out and the closer we get to reveal, the more confident I am that the logos are going to be completely underwhelming. I think they are going to be so plain, so boring and its going to be a complete let down.

[bowld]

2 different guys on Reddit have seen the helmet and both of them described it the same way so you gotta think its correct. As for the logo, only this one guy claims to have seen it so who knows

[Buffalo]

SO what is being announced tomorrow? Just a new logo?

And then when will the new unis be released?

[Critical Thinker]

I'm almost positive the new logo will be a dog. The organization has seemed to step up on the Dawg Pound branding/marketing/whatever recently, especially with having a live dog for a mascot. Having an primary logo of a dog would be the logical* next step.

*then again, this is the same organization that thought Money Manziel was a good idea

[ConcreteCharlie]

Now some people on Reddit saying all this Paul Brown logo stuff isn't true.

Who knows who to believe at this point. We'll all know shortly. My guess is the logos will not include Brown and will be fairly boring. Just a pure guess.

Yeah... the longer this drags out and the closer we get to reveal, the more confident I am that the logos are going to be completely underwhelming. I think they are going to be so plain, so boring and its going to be a complete let down.

thats what im begging for. best case scenario would be no change so underwhelming is good

[TheOldRoman]

2 different guys on Reddit have seen the helmet and both of them described it the same way so you gotta think its correct. As for the logo, only this one guy claims to have seen it so who knows

Or they both read rumors and decided to select one of them, with both selecting the same rumor. The Browns have said that they weren't making a significant change to the helmet. I could see them changing the shades of orange and brown (they did just a few years ago). I could see them changing the facemask to whatever or even putting a stupid sublimated pattern down the middle like the Seahawks have. I could see them doing the stupid crap from the tOSU alternates and making the stripes really wide. However, I don't think they're going to invert the stripes and then change their proportions. That doesn't in any way fit under "not touching the helmet."

[CLEstones]

2 different guys on Reddit have seen the helmet and both of them described it the same way so you gotta think its correct. As for the logo, only this one guy claims to have seen it so who knows

Or they both read rumors and decided to select one of them, with both selecting the same rumor. The Browns have said that they weren't making a significant change to the helmet. I could see them changing the shades of orange and brown (they did just a few years ago). I could see them changing the facemask to whatever or even putting a stupid sublimated pattern down the middle like the Seahawks have. I could see them doing the stupid crap from the tOSU alternates and making the stripes really wide. However, I don't think they're going to invert the stripes and then change their proportions. That doesn't in any way fit under "not touching the helmet."

Again, the "not touching the helmet" strictly meant there wouldn't be a logo on the helmet.

[njdawg2000]

Personally i don't like the Paul Brown Logo.

block c is okay by me.

[Primzahl]

So what is dropping tomorrow? Just the new logo or also the helmet?

[WinTheDay8]

I'm going to bat for the reddit user Chibears85, the one who said he's seen the helmet logo. That guy can find things on websites that haven't gone public yet.

Example:

(I finally figured out how to post pics!)

This is what JJ Watt's celebratory shirt would have looked like if he won MVP. Chibears85 posted this before the MVP was announced.

[MJWalker45]

10 AM tomorrow for the reveal.

[BrandMooreArt]

Dane Storrusten / Gridiron Labs were promoting their Browns concepts today http://www.gridironlabs.com/cleveland-browns