Five Simple Reasons Why the Cleveland Browns are the NFL's Worst Franchise

After seeing Cleveland-Browns-Are-the-NFL-s-Best-Franchise--010608">this article on the NFL page here at Bleacher Report, it was almost too easy for me to refute that argument. Sorry, Jim, but let’s go over the five even simpler reasons why the Cleve Brownies are the NFL’s worst franchise.

1. Lack of a Super Bowl Appearance

Let’s not even discuss the Browns winning a Super Bowl. They would have to get there first. The “Mistake by the Lake” joins Detroit, New Orleans, and Houston as the only cities that had a team for Super Bowl I but still have not reached the big game.

It’s hard for a fan of a team who hasn’t won the Super Bowl to argue the “best franchise” tag, but the Browns haven’t even been there to lose it.

2. The Drive and the Fumble

Want a couple of reasons why the Browns haven’t been there to have the chance to lose?

January 1987: 98 yards and a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Enter John Elway. Broncos 23, Browns 20. Forever known as: The Drive.

January 1988: Three yards away from the end zone and a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Enter Ernest Byner. Broncos 38, Browns 33. Forever known as: The Fumble.

The Browns made it a three-peat with another AFC Championship loss to the Broncos two seasons later.

3. Team Moved

I’m sorry, but no team can claim to be the greatest franchise in a league when the original team isn’t even there. And how fitting is it that team moves to Baltimore and promptly win a Super Bowl? Sure, you have the Browns’ back, but is that really something you should be excited about?

4. Uniforms

The Browns’ uniforms are plain, ugly, and really don’t even make any sense. The helmet needs to be renovated. First, please find a logo for it. Then again, a logo-less helmet would make sense if the team’s helmets were brown. Instead, they’re orange. Maybe the organization should change its name to the Cleveland Citrus.

And I’m glad the Browns have introduced an orange alternate jersey to match the nonsensical helmet. At least now it looks like the Dawg Pound didn’t do its business on the team’s home jerseys every week.

5. Do I need a fifth reason?

As a Steelers’ fan, it’s pretty easy to pile on the Browns (or should I call it a Dawg pile?). Remember the Wild Card Playoffs in the 2002 season? One of the greatest comebacks in NFL playoff history as the Steelers erased a 17-point deficit to win, 36-33.

I am glad the Browns are back, though, because it’s nice to chalk two games in the win column when the schedule comes out every April. Woof!