Cleveland Browns Top 10 All-Time Running Backs: Number 2

Marion Motley

Why would a guy who rushed for only 4,700 yards in eight seasons rank so high on this list?

Because to hear eyewitnesses tell it, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to put him at No. 1. He was that good.

When Paul Brown assembled the talent that would become pro football's dominant team in the 1940s and 1950s, the cornerstone of his backfield was Marion Motley.

Motley led the All-America Football Conference in rushing all four years of the league's existence. The Browns, not coincidentally, won all four AAFC titles.

The Browns joined the NFL in 1950 and promptly won the championship there, too. Motley led that league in rushing, too.

Mind you, this was occurring while Motley was playing in an offense that was revolutionizing the game. Paul Brown utilized the passing game like no one had before him. Even so, Motley's greatness as a runner was crucial to Cleveland's unmatched run of 10 straight title game appearances, seven of which ended in championships.

At 6'1" and 232 pounds, he was also a bruising pass blocker and played linebacker on defense, a throwback to the days when star athletes were used on both sides of the ball.

Motley rushed for 4,712 yards in eight seasons with Cleveland, but his 5.7 yards-per-carry average is an indication of how difficult he was to bring down.

He was named to the NFL's 75-year anniversary team, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.

Even higher praise came when former Sports Illustrated scribe Paul Zimmerman called Motley, quite simply, the best player in the history of football.

Super Bowl: The top five reasons Browns Fans should keep the faith

5. With the NFL's salary cap, it's the easiest of the three main pro leagues for teams to reverse their fortunes. The Packers are the 10th team in the last 10 years to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, and even the Saints managed to win it. It used to be New Orleans fans were the ones with bags over their heads

4. We have Holmgren! Browns president Mike Holmgren has taken the Packers and Seahawks to Super Bowls and Cleveland finally has a guy who knows what it takes to win.

3. The Browns are getting closer. They were a better team last year than the season before, even though they've had consecutive 5-11 seasons. There are some positive building blocks in place.

2. The odds have to eventually shift in Cleveland's favor, don't they? Every drive, fumble, shot, blown save and decision can't always go against us -- one of these years will be the Browns' time.

1. To paraphrase another former rival's words, one-time Bengals coach Sam Wyche, "You don't live in Pittsburgh, you live in Cleveland!"

So keep the faith -- it will be all the sweeter when the Browns do win a Super Bowl one day.

NFL, union hold first bargaining session

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell talks about the league's labor situation

The NFL and its players’ union met for two hours Saturday to talk about a new labor deal, their first formal bargaining session in more than two months.

The meeting was at a Dallas hotel, one day before the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers play in the Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium. The full negotiating teams last sat down face-to- face on Nov. 22.

The sides issued a joint statement, saying they “plan to increase the number, length and intensity” of bargaining sessions so they can reach agreement before the collective bargaining agreement expires March 4. Two more sessions already had been scheduled for next week.

The statement called Saturday’s session part of a “continuing effort to narrow the differences and reach a fair agreement that will benefit the players, teams and fans.”

Cleveland Browns Top 10 All-Time Running Backs: Number 3

Leroy Kelly

Selected in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL Draft out of Morgan State, Kelly served as Jim Brown's understudy and Cleveland's premier kick returner for two seasons.

When Brown abruptly retired prior to the 1966 season, Kelly took over as the Browns' featured back. He promptly ran for 1,141 yards and 15 touchdowns—the first of three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons.

A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Kelly rushed for 7,274 yards and 74 touchdowns during his career, most of it during a phenomenal seven-year stretch from 1966 to 1972.

He compiled more than 12,000 all-purpose yards and 90 touchdowns in all, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

2/5/2011..........Did You Know?

Super Bowl Tidbits

Money game: Lowest-priced face-value seat (not standing-room only) ticket is $600. And a 30-second commercial is running about $3 million. Yes, that's $100,000 per second. On eBay in January, an auction listed 47 luxury-suite tickets (32 seats and 15 standing-room only) for $510,000. Free shipping was included; parking passes were not. Speaking of parking, some spaces across the street from the stadium were going for $550.

 

No cheers: Just like the Browns, neither team has a cheerleading squad. The game will be the first Super Bowl without cheerleaders on the sidelines, Yahoo Sports reports.

 

Wiped out: Legend says no tape exists of the inaugural Super Bowl, that a soap opera was taped over it.

Super ball: Football front-office pioneer Lamar Hunt came up with the name for the game after watching his kids play with the then-new toy Super Ball.

Super song: On Jan. 15, 1967 (the date of Super Bowl 1), the nation's No. 1 song was the Monkees' "I'm a Believer."

To the victors: The winning team gets the Tiffany-made Vince Lombardi Trophy, which cost the iconic company $25,000 to make. It's 203/4 inches tall and weighs 6.7 pounds. 

In the house: Green Bay's population is just over 100,000. With expanded seating, the capacity of Cowboys Stadium on Sunday is expected to be close to that, and may even exceed it.

Need a towel? The official "Terrible Towel," waved by many a Steelers fan, is actually made in . . . Wisconsin.

Speaking of overtime: Should the game go to overtime, Papa John's -- the official pizza sponsor of the Super Bowl -- will offer free pizzas to the whole country. Seriously. But you need to register by tonight. Go to papajohns.com/rewards.

Cleveland Browns Top 10 All-Time Running Backs: Number 4

Mike Pruitt

Perhaps one of the most unsung stars in Browns history, the "other" Pruitt stands third on the team's all-time rushing list, behind only Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.

Pretty heady company, and well-deserved. When the dust had settled, Mike had distinguished himself as "the" Pruitt in Cleveland.

Had he played 20 years earlier and compiled the totals he did (7,378 career rushing yards with three teams), he would have been a candidate for the Hall of Fame. As it is, he's been recognized as one of the Browns legends.

With Cleveland Pruitt amassed 6,540 yards over nine seasons with 47 touchdowns. He also caught 255 passes for 1,761 yards and five more scores.

The first round draft choice out of Purdue made two Pro Bowl appearances as a Brown, before finishing his career with Buffalo and Kansas City.

Status query tires Colt McCoy

As quarterback Colt McCoy continued to make the rounds on sports talk shows, he revealed more about his standing with the Browns and the right shoulder injury he suffered during the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.

In an interview Thursday with Cleveland radio station WKNR (850-AM), McCoy said team brass has told him he will be the Browns' starting quarterback heading into training camp. Later in the day, Pro Football Talk Live host Mike Florio asked McCoy who will be the starter in Week 1 next season.

''Everybody seems to be asking me that same question,'' McCoy said. ''I am really excited about getting started. I know I'll be the starting quarterback.''

During an interview Wednesday on The Dan Patrick Show, a nationally syndicated television and radio show, McCoy didn't directly answer whether or not he had been told he is the starter. But as the questions kept coming, McCoy asserted himself as the No. 1 quarterback on the Browns' depth chart.

After the Browns selected McCoy out of the University of Texas in the third round (85th overall pick) of the 2010 NFL Draft, team President Mike Holmgren said he didn't expect McCoy to play as a rookie. But Holmgren's plan was foiled when quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace each suffered a high ankle sprain. McCoy played in eight games, despite missing three because of a high ankle sprain, and finished 2-6 as a starter.

''I think it will be a much different approach for me knowing that I'm going in there and being the quarterback as opposed to last year,'' McCoy told Tony Rizzo, host of WKNR's The Really Big Show. ''We didn't know if I was gonna play, and coach Holmgren had come out and said I wasn't gonna play. It's a lot different mentality. I'm really looking forward to it. [I'm] really excited, and I know the rest of the locker room, the rest of the team is.''

McCoy also told Rizzo he has not had surgery on his throwing shoulder, which he recently conceded has not completely healed since he hurt it during his last game with the Longhorns. Still, he's confident.

''I've had a few issues with [my shoulder], but nothing that's stopped me from playing,'' McCoy said. ''I feel really good right now. Through the offseason, [I'll be doing] a lot of rehab and strengthening. I'll be just fine.''

The Ex-Files

Former Browns players, coaches and executives who have left the club since 1984 and made it to the Super Bowl:

From the Browns' playoff era, 1985-89:

Matt Bahr, 1990, N.Y. Giants

Frank Winters, 1996, 1997, Green Bay

Earnest Byner, 1991, Washington

* Ozzie Newsome, 2000, Baltimore

* Anthony Griggs, 1995, Pittsburgh

Michael Dean Perry, 1997, Denver

Tony Jones, 1997, 1998, Denver

* Art Modell, 2000, Baltimore

* Ernie Accorsi, 2000, NY Giants

Bernie Kosar, 1993, Dallas

* Howard Mudd, 2006, 2009, Indianapolis

* John Teerlinck, 2006, 2009, Indianapolis, 1997, 1998 Denver

* Dom Anile, 2006, Indianapolis

Bill Cowher, 1995, 2005, Pittsburgh 

From the Bud Carson and Bill Belichick eras, 1990-95:

Scott Galbraith, 1993, Dallas

Gene Williams, 1998, Atlanta

Larry Webster, 2000, Baltimore

Rob Burnett, 2000, Baltimore

Phil Savage, 2000, Baltimore

George Kokinis, 2000, Baltimore

Eric Mangini, 2001, 2003, 2004, New England

Anthony Pleasant, 2001, New England

Rick Lyle, 2003, New England

Brian Kinchen, 2003, New England

* Vince Newsome, 2000, Baltimore

Keenan McCardell, 2002, Tampa Bay

Matt Stover, 2000, Baltimore

Randy Hilliard, 1997, Denver

Tom Tupa, 2002, Tampa Bay

Andre Rison, 1996, Green Bay

* Bill Belichick, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, New England

* Mike Lombardi, 2002, Oakland

* John Mitchell, 1995, 2005, Pittsburgh

Mike Frederick, 1999, Tennessee

* Scott Pioli, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, New England

* Chuck Bresnahan, 2002, Oakland

* Scott O'Brien, 2003, Carolina

* Jim Schwartz, 1999, Tennessee

* Jerry Simmons, 2003, Carolina

* Pepper Johnson, 2001, 2003, 2004, New England

From the Browns' expansion era, 1999-present:

Lomas Brown, 2000, NY Giants

Marc Edwards, 2001, New England

Rickey Dudley, 2002, Tampa Bay

Terry Kirby, 2002, Oakland

Chris Gardocki, 2005, Pittsburgh

Madre Hill, 2002, Oakland

Romen Oben, 2002, Tampa Bay

Quincy Morgan, 2005, Pittsburgh

* Raymond Jackson, 2005, Pittsburgh

David Patten, 2001, 2003, 2004, New England

Greg Spires, 2002, Tampa Bay

Kevin Bentley, 2005, Seattle

* Bruce Arians, 2005, 2010, Pittsburgh

* Keith Butler, 2005, 2010, Pittsburgh

* Ken Whisenhunt, 2005, Pittsburgh; 2008, Arizona

* Kevin Spencer, 2005, Pittsburgh

Jason Kyle, 2003, Carolina; 2009, New Orleans

Antonio Garay, 2006, Chicago

Israel Idonije, 2006, Chicago

* Chris Palmer, 2007, N.Y. Giants

Shuan O'Hara, 2007, N.Y. Giants

Reuben Droughns, 2007, N.Y. Giants

* Maurice Carthon, 2008, Arizona

* Bill Davis, 2008, Arizona

* John Lott, 2008, Arizona

* Clancy Pendergast, 2008, Arizona

Ralph Brown, 2008, Arizona

Terrelle Smith, 2008, Arizona

Nick Eason, 2008, 2010, Pittsburgh

Orpheus Roye, 2008, Pittsburgh

* Larry Zierlein, 2008, Pittsburgh

Darnell Dinkins, 2009, New Orleans

Lance Moore, 2009, New Orleans

* Pete Carmichael, 2009, New Orleans

Anthony Madison, 2010, Pittsburgh

Shaun Suisham, 2010, Pittsburgh

Graham Harrell, 2010, Green Bay

*--coach or other non-playing position

Cleveland Browns Top 10 All-Time Running Backs: Number 5

Kevin Mack

At 6'0", 225 pounds, Mack was a bulldog and a real load, which made him perfect for Cleveland's blue-collar football mentality.
Coming out of Clemson University, Mack opted to sign with the USFL's Los Angeles Express in 1984. Later that year, he joined the Browns via the supplemental draft, and he would remain a fixture with the team for nine seasons.
During that time Mack would compile 5,123 yards at a 4.0 per-carry clip, with 46 touchdowns. He scored eight more touchdowns on pass receptions; he had 197 of those for another 1,602 yards, more than respectable numbers for a fullback.
Mack teamed with Earnest Byner in the mid-1980s, forming a powerful backfield that propelled the Browns to the AFC Championship Game three out of four years late in the decade. He earned two Pro Bowl trips along the way.

The year the Browns won the NFL championship

1964

Cleveland Browns win the NFL championship

1964 Cleveland Browns

 Lyndon B. Johnson is president of the US

Nicolas Cage, Jeff Bezos, Rob Lowe, Elle Macpherson, Courteney Cox Arquette, and Keanu Reeves are born

A new Ford Mustang cost $2320

The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, breaking television ratings records

The game show Jeopardy! debuts on television

Mary Poppins, starring Julie Andrews, is the top grossing film

Gas is 30 cents per Gallon

U.S. Surgeon General reports that smoking may lead to lung cancer

 Beatles Concert Ticket: $4.00

First year of the Zip Code used by the United States Postal Service 

Pop Tarts come out for the first time 

 The year Bewitched cast an eight-year long spell on ABC.

 

And...If you are younger than 47 you would not have been able to see the game

Colt McCoy says shoulder 'wasn't 100 percent' during rookie season

Colt McCoy revealed Wednesday that he's still sometimes bothered by the pinched nerve in his right shoulder that he suffered in last year's BCS Championship Game against Alabama.

During a radio interview with Dan Patrick in Dallas, McCoy said "I'm still sort of recovering from the injury. I wasn't completely 100 percent healed. There's sometimes it still bothers me. I think an off-season of just completely focusing on healing my shoulder and getting it 100 percent will be good for me."

McCoy suffered the injury on the fifth snap of Texas' 37-21 loss to Alabama. It happened when he kept the ball on an option to the left and was stopped for no gain by lineman Marcell Dareus.

McCoy left the game and didn't return. A week later, in mid-January, he met with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews and was told that he could expect a full recovery without surgery. Upon the advice of Andrews, McCoy didn't throw at the NFL combine, but said he was ahead of schedule and was confident he'd be 100 percent in a few weeks.

"I just had a nerve injury in my deltoid [muscle]," McCoy said at the combine. "It's not even actually my shoulder. And it's just a weird injury. Hard to describe, hard to explain.

"Only thing I can say is, there was no pain, there was never pain involved in the whole injury, the whole situation. It was just completely dead."

The first week of March, McCoy was declared 100 percent healthy and cleared to throw at his Texas Pro Day on April 1.

Before the draft, Browns President Mike Holmgren said his one concern about McCoy was arm strength, but not because of the injury.

McCoy, the Browns' third-round pick, never publicly mentioned the shoulder was bothering him. He got off to a slow start in camp, but by the time he was pressed into service as the starter Oct. 17 against Pittsburgh, he showed no ill effects from the injury. It was a high ankle sprain that caused him to miss time -- three games -- and not the shoulder. He wound up starting eight games, going 2-6.

McCoy told Patrick that he's excited about new coach Pat Shurmur and implementing the West Coast offense.

"I'm just excited about getting up there and learning our system," he said. "I need to get up there before the lockout 'cause once the lockout comes we can't talk."

Cleveland Browns Top 10 All-Time Running Backs: Number 6

Greg Pruitt

Pruitt arrived in Cleveland in 1973.

Pruitt had been a college sensation at Oklahoma, and he proceeded to breathe new life into Cleveland's attack. Over nine seasons in the orange and brown, he would produce more than 8,000 yards rushing and receiving, including 42 touchdowns—25 of them on the ground.

Pruitt was also an exciting return specialist. The main knock: 57 fumbles running the ball, and 83 overall.

He ranks fifth all-time on the team's rushing list, with 5,496 yards and a superb 4.7 average per carry.

1987: The Other Game Browns Fans Want To Forget

Despite a strike-shortened season and a couple of games played by scabs, the Browns finished 10-5 and once again found themselves in the playoffs.
Kosar threw for more than 3,000 yards and 22 touchdown passes that year and made the Pro Bowl.
The Browns, once again, were a dominating team behind Kosar's arm and the legs of running backs Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner.
Byner's fumble on the 2-yard line in the AFC Championship Game became yet another stain on the Browns history, but the team still ranks as one of the best.

Cleveland Browns Top 10 All-Time Running Backs: Number 7

Ernest Byner

Sadly, Byner is best remembered nationally for "The Fumble" in the 1987 AFC Championship Game against Denver.
It's unfair, because fans in Cleveland know better. He was a solid and versatile pro who was a major part of the team's success during that era.
In seven years spread over two tours of duty with the Browns, Byner had 3,364 yards and 27 TDs on the ground, to go along with 276 receptions for 2,630 yards and 10 TDs through the air.
Teamed with Kevin Mack in the mid-1980s, he was Cleveland's go-to guy on offense. In fact, the irony of "The Fumble" is that Byner had churned out most of the yardage on the potentially game-tying drive that preceded it. That's why the final play was so gut-wrenching; Byner, of all people.
Byner will always hold a special place in the hearts of Browns fans, one fumble notwithstanding.

First Cleveland Browns Game

Program from the first game

On September 5, 1946, the Cleveland Browns played their first game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium where they beat the Miami Seahawks 44-0 in front of a crowd of 60,135.

Harold Sauerbrei of the Cleveland Plain Dealer Reported:

The Cleveland Browns made 60,135 friends last night at Cleveland Stadium.

Breaking out with a flurry of points in the first half and pouring it on right up to the final seconds, the Browns made their championship debut in the new All-America Conference and first Cleveland appearance highly successful as they undid the Miami Seahawks, 44 to 0.

It was appropriate that the largest crowd ever to see a league game in professional football was on hand to watch the inaugural of the Brownies, who were a vastly improved team over the one that played an exhibition contest in Akron just a week ago last night. They moved the ball down the field with alacrity to score 10 points in the first quarter and 17 in each of the second and fourth periods. Only in the third period did the Browns attack stall.

There were five touchdowns scored by five different players, two of them coming on long runs, two on forward passes and the other on a short jaunt after Edgar (Special Delivery) Jones had put the ball in position as he gave a display of his running ability for the first time in a Cleveland uniform.

The rest of points were accounted for by Lou Groza, the Martins Ferry (O.) place-kicking expert, who added the extra point after each of the five touchdowns and also booted three field goals. That made him the game's leading scorer with 14 points.

Cleveland didn't delay getting the scoring under way as Cliff Lewis, starting his first game at home since his days at Lakewood High School, pitched a 19-yard aerial to Mac Speedle with only three minutes and 45 seconds of the first period gone.

Otto Graham passed to Dante Lavelli for the second in the second period. Tommy Colella raced 50-yards for the third, also in the second, and Don Greenwood and Ray Terrell added the others in the fourth period. Terrell's came on a 76-yard run after he had intercepted a pass. The gun barked shortly after he hit the goal line.

That was the offensive show. The Browns were also superb on defense and stopped everything the Floridians could muster in the way of an attack.

Not once did Miami advance within the Browns' 39-yard line and it was a fumble by Fred (Dippy) Evans as he was attempting to punt on fourth down that gave the Seahawks the break to get that close. That came near the end of the first period and until then the Miami team couldn't get past its own 30.

In the entire first half, Miami broke even in its offensive attempts, making 16-yards passing, but showing a minus 16 on running efforts. The Seahawks' total offense netted them 27 yards. They made only five first downs to the Browns' 13.

The Browns, meanwhile were totaling 345 yards through the air and on the ground, the runners making 178 and passes netting 167. Lewis, who played only briefly, completed two of three throws for 62 yards and Graham connected on six of 13 for 109.

Cleveland's running attack was sharp as compared with the exhibition game efforts. Several times Gaylon Smith, the hard-working ex-Ram, broke away for substantial gains and piled up 54 yards for the night to become the leading individual ground gainer. One of his best gains of the night, a smash straight through center, went for better than 40 yards and a touchdown, but the play was called back and Cleveland penalized 15 yards for clipping.

Cleveland's first touchdown came on the eighth play of the game. The Browns kicked off and on Miami's second effort Jim Tarrant attempted to pass and fumbled. Mike Scarry recovered for the Browns on the Miami 29.

Lewis, carefully looking over the field, tossed a perfect pass to Left End Speedle, who stood waiting for it near the corner of the end zone.

The Browns boosted the margin to 10 points shortly after the next kickoff, the ball being put into position for Groza's field goal by a pass from Graham to Marion Motley that was good for 37 yards. Cleveland had kicked off and, of course, Miami couldn't gain. Johnson punted on fourth down. Lewis taking the kick on his own 40 and running it back 8 yards.

Bill Lund and Greenwood each lost a yard in two tries at the line before Graham connected to Motley. It was a short pass to the right, which Marion took on the 47. He started down the sideline, was almost caught on the Miami 35, but tore loose to pick up 17 more yards before he was finally downed. Greenwood then made three yards in two tries and a Graham pass to Motley was incomplete, whereupon Groza trotted onto the field, brought out his measuring tape and booted the first of his three three-pointers from the 22-yard line.

That ended the first period scoring, and the next Cleveland six-pointer came midway through the second stanza on a drive that covered 80 yards. Most of the yardage was accumulated on two passes from Graham to Lavelli

Graham Connects

The Browns had taken the ball on their own 20 when Johnston's kick went over the goal line. On the first try Graham just missed with a pass intended for John Harrington. He did hit on one to Smith, but it was good for only a yard. Then he tossed a long one to Lavelli, who made the catch as he stumbled on the Browns 46 near the sideline. It was good for 27 yards.

Smith then burst through center on one of those quick openers and was away for 17 yards and another first down on the Miami 37. Graham tried to toss to Harrington that missed its mark, but his next effort again went to Lavelli. It was exactly the same play as that of three plays earlier and the ex-Ohio Stator grabbed the oval on the 2 and stepped over.

The Browns came right back the next time they got the ball, scoring in one play from the 50-yard line as Tommy Colella, running from the left half position, took a pass behind the line from Graham, slashed through center and straight down the field for the six points that made it 24-0.

Mel Maceau, sub center, recovered a fumble by Tarrant on the Miami 34 to set up the next points. It was here that smith made his touchdown dash that was called back. Cleveland moved all the way to the six and then was tossed back to the 11 before Groza entered the game and kicked field goal No. 2 from the 20 for the final points of the first half.

The Browns didn't threaten through the third. Several times Graham hit his receivers with nice passes, but they didn't hang on, keeping the Browns from getting into position for additional points.

Cleveland started a drive from its own 32 late in the third period and resulted in another touchdown at the beginning of the fourth. The big feature of this drive was Jones' 38-yard gain that just missed going for the points. Jones was attempting to pass but couldn't find a receiver. He started to the right and then reversed his field and cut for the corner of the field where he was finally nailed on the 1. On third down, Lou Saban fumbled and Greenwood picked the ball up on the 3 and scooted over.

With the game apparently over and the fans starting to leave, Cleveland mustered its final points. After Monk Gafford had intercepted a Saban pass, Walt McDonald made one last desperate effort to gain some points for the Seahawks.

He heaved a long pass, but Terrell took it on his own 24 and went the distance down the north sideline. 

So who were the Miami Seahawks?

The Miami Seahawks were the last of the original All-America Football Conference teams to be established. They were formed to replace an aborted Baltimore franchise, which was to have been owned by retired boxer George Tunney but was unable to secure a stadium deal. Miami football boosters seized on the opportunity to bring a professional team to their city, and a franchise was awarded to owner Harvey Hester. The Seahawks thus became the first major league sports team to be based in Miami. Home games were played at the Miami Orange Bowl.

The Seahawks stood out from the other AAFC franchises in a several ways. First, they were based in a substantially smaller market, one that had about half the population of other metropolitan areas with professional football teams. The other cities that received AAFC teams were among the 15 largest in the United States, while Miami, though growing quickly, was only 42nd largest in the 1940s. Additionally, owner Harvey Hester was substantially less wealthy than the other team owners, and was the only one among them who was not a millionaire. Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown remarked that Hester seemed out of his league around the other owners, to the point that he was uncomfortable even playing poker among them.

The Seahawks hired Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks coach Jack Meagher as head coach. Their schedule was quite difficult from the beginning. Miami opened with three straight road games, had a single home game, and then played another four road games. By the time of their first home game they had a record of 0-3-0, leading local papers to describe them as "woefully inept". Meagher quit abruptly on October 22, after the sixth game, having led his team to just one win. Hamp Pool, a former captain of the 1940 and 1941 Chicago Bears NFL championship teams, then took over as head coach. After a 1-7-0 start, the team returned home to host their final six games, a difficult sell to the general public. While an average 28,000 people came to the Seahawks first two home games, fans quickly lost interest in the flagging team, and fewer than around 9000 came to each of the last three games. Brooklyn, Cleveland, and San Francisco had completed their 14-game regular seasons before the Seahawks hosted their final two home games. The team also played all of its November games on Monday night, the first time in major professional football that such a move had ever been attempted more than once in a year. This would later prove to be an inspiration for Monday Night Football, which would not debut for another 24 years.

At the end of the season the team was up to $350,000 in debt, including $80,000 in travel and payroll costs, and Hester could not afford to repay it. Football boosters in Miami attempted to buy the team, though they were unwilling to square the substantial debt Hester had accumulated, and decided to wait a year to make the bid. Before this could happen, however, Hester declared bankruptcy and league commissioner Jim Crowley expropriated the team. Before the Miami boosters could make an offer the league approved a bid by Washington, D.C. attorney Robert D. Rodenburg and four other businessmen. The group reformed the team in Baltimore and renamed it, and the original incarnation of the Baltimore Colts was born.

Cleveland Browns Top 10 All-Time Running Backs: Number 8

Ernie Green

Running for 3,000 yards over six seasons might not sound like much.
However, Green was the principal blocker for two Hall-of-Famers and still averaged nearly five yards per carry during his career.
Such was the unheralded, but never unappreciated, career of Ernie Green.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Green was an integral part of the powerful Browns teams of the 1960s.
He matched his 3,204 rushing yards with 2,036 receiving—an important weapon for Frank Ryan and Bill Nelsen—who piloted the Browns during Green's tenure.
Green scored 15 touchdowns on the ground and 20 more in the air. That's 35 in all, compared to just 11 fumbles over seven seasons. The guy was money in the bank, yet was overshadowed by the greatness of Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.
In Cleveland, they remember Ernie Green.

Get a plush brick to throw at the T.V. If you get a real brick you might have to buy a new T.V. That is unless your aim is as good as our quarterback's.

Browns season tickets go on sale next Monday

Season tickets for the 2011 season at Cleveland Browns Stadium will be available starting on Monday, February 7.

In addition, renewal notices for current Season Ticket Holders will be sent starting the end of this week, via both e-mail and home delivery. "Having a home field advantage is very important in creating the type of atmosphere that can give our team the best chance for success," said Browns President Mike Holmgren.

"We want to give our fans the best gameday experience as possible as we hope to build on the strides we made last year. I believe our fans can continue to make a difference, and I look forward to having them contribute to an exciting 2011 season at Cleveland Browns Stadium."

Prospective Season Ticket Holders will have many options from which to choose this season. In 2011, the Browns are introducing a $190 season ticket for the 10-game home package, which consists of eight regular season games and two preseason contests. These areas, which consist of more than 1,400 seats, were previously priced at $320.

The season prices for the remaining seats in Cleveland Browns Stadium will stay the same from last season.
 
“Our goal is to make Browns games accessible for as many people as possible, and we feel that with this new seating category, we continue to do that,” said Browns Vice President, Ticket Sales and Service Chris Gallagher. “There are many choices in different locations and price ranges for all fans, allowing them to enjoy all of the benefits associated with being a Browns Season Ticket Holder.”

Browns Season Ticket Holders receive multiple benefits from their single-game counterparts. This includes the following key benefits:

Same seats guaranteed for every preseason and regular season home game Significant savings over single-game ticket prices Personalized service from their Guest Relations Representative Exclusive Season Ticket Holder events Flexible payment options Discounted season parking In-stadium discounts on team merchandise

Cleveland Browns Top 10 All-Time Running Backs: Number 9

Bobby Mitchell

Drafted by the Browns in the eighth round of the 1958 NFL draft, the University of Illinois product teamed with Jim Brown to give Cleveland a fearsome backfield.

Mitchell amassed 2,297 yards rushing during his four years with the Browns, averaging a remarkable 5.4 yards per carry while adding 16 touchdowns. He also caught 128 passes for 1,462 yards and another 16 TDs.
That's more than 3,700 yards to go with 32 touchdowns over four seasons. Not bad for the No. 2 guy in the backfield.
Mitchell was moved to receiver after joining Washington in 1962, and went on to round out a Hall-of-Fame career. He later served more than 30 years in the Redskins' front office.
Like Lewis, Mitchell would have ranked higher had he played longer in Cleveland, but his appearance on this list is indicative of the talent he displayed during his four seasons with the Browns.

Alex Mack scores in the Pro Bowl

The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl is the most boring of all the All-Star Games in professional sports. But there was one  highlight that at least Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack will never forget.

Browns confirm hiring of four assistant coaches

Pat Shurmur added four assistants to his Cleveland Browns staff on Monday, and most likely will go without an offensive coordinator in 2011, a league source said.

Mark Whipple

Shurmur hired Mark Whipple (quarterbacks), Mike Wilson (receivers), Bill Davis (linebackers) and Dwaine Board (defensive line). The four have strong ties to either Shurmur, Browns President Mike Holmgren or General Manager Tom Heckert. 

With Whipple, Shurmur might decide to go without an offensive coordinator in 2011. He's already said he'll call his own plays this season. Only one team, Bill Belichick's Patriots, did so in 2010. The Cardinals had two, one for the passing game and one for the running game. 

Bill Davis

The hiring of Davis represents a homecoming. He was born in Youngstown, attended Berea High School and his father, Bill Davis, spent six years with the Browns (1981-86) as director and then vice president of player personnel.

Fired as defensive coordinator of the Cardinals this month, Davis was a defensive quality coach for the Browns under Chris Palmer in the 1999 expansion season. He was also a graduate assistant at Michigan State in 1990-91 when Shurmur was an assistant. 

Davis has 19 years' NFL experience with eight teams. He was coordinator of the 49ers in 2005-06. In 2009, Davis' first season with the Cardinals, the unit allowed 325 points, fifth-best in the NFL. The Cardinals finished 29th in defense in 2010. 
The two other assistants, Board and Wilson, played for the 49ers when Holmgren was an assistant there. Board also served as the Seahawks defensive line coach under Holmgren from 2003-08. Board's experience is in the 4-3 defense, which the Browns are expected to run under new coordinator Dick Jauron. 

Dwaine Board

Board played 10 NFL seasons, winning two Super Bowls with the 49ers and earning Super Bowl XIX Defensive Player of the Game honors. During 20 years as a player and coach, his teams have made 18 playoff appearances, claimed 15 division titles, advanced to six Super Bowls and won five. 

Mike Wilson

Wilson brings 13 years coaching experience at the college and pro levels. He played 10 seasons with the 49ers, where he won four Super Bowls. Wilson coached the receivers for two years with the Raiders and had three seasons as tight ends and receivers coach in Arizona.

The Game Every Browns Fan Wants To Forget

The 1986 Browns finished 12-4, and would've been in the Super Bowl if it weren't for this little playoff game later dubbed "The Drive."

Young quarterback Bernie Kosar threw for 3,854 in the regular season and broke the "curse" of Three Rivers Stadium. The Browns beat Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh for the first time since the Steelers began playing at Three Rivers.

The Browns then beat the Jets in the AFC Divisional Round in a double-overtime playoff game before falling victim to John Elway, "The Drive," and a Rich Karlis kick that anyone who isn't a Broncos fan can see went wide right in the AFC Championship Game.

Jim Brown also holds the Browns team mark for most 100 yard games at 39.  This doesn’t however count his 100 yard games from before 1960 when the Browns were still part of the AAFC.