Our beloved Cleveland Browns have had more than their fare share of nicknames over the years. Whether it’s the team itself, the players, or the stadium, we’ve a name for everything. These are the most creative, the most hilarious and the most memorable from our humble beginnings, to the present day.
The Kardiac Kids
Almost forgotten by some of our younger fans, during the 1980’s the Cleveland Browns has a real knack for leaving the deciding move until the very last moments of the game. The name Kardiac Kids was coined thanks to this heart-stopping method of play.
Although form has been a lot more reliable since then, it can still be a little nervy waiting for a bet to come in on the Browns. SBO has some useful information on what betting sites are offering on the NFL, so if you’re tempted to have a flutter on the Kardiac Kids it could be worth working out your options here first. They list plenty of sites offering free bets, as well as deposit matching, both of which do tend to make watching the game more enjoyable and less heart-attack inducing.
Three Mile Lyle
Whether you’re a Cleveland Browns fan or not, everyone who has an interest in football has heard of Lyle Alzado. One of the best defensive linemen the world has ever seen, his career spanned from 1971 until 1985. He was part of so many of the team’s greatest moments that it’s hard to count.
Despite his obvious prowess, Lyle’s explosive temper wasn’t to be underestimated. He could be friendly, welcoming and generally pleasant one moment, but if something upset him then his volatile side would rear its ugly head and he could become pretty scary. Three miles is about the distance you could guarantee your safety from Three Mile Lyle.
The Man-Genius
Some people don’t so much earn a nickname as live to regret it. Back in 2008, Eric Mangini was just leaving the New York Jets when Randy Lerner heard of his availability and asked him to immediately begin managing the Browns. Whatever Mangini’s coaching style was with the Jets did not go down so well in Cleveland. It was said that Mangini was a serious micro-manager, beating down the team in the dressing room at every opportunity. This know-it-all attitude earned him the nickname Eric Mangini, The Man Genius.
Those astute readers will have noticed the similarity of his surname to another slur, we won’t mention it here, but suffice it to say he’ll go down in Browns history for all the wrong reasons.
The Factory of Sadness
The Browns seem to be fans of self-deprecating nicknames and this one is no exception. Coined by Mike Polk Junior in one of his YouTube videos, The Factory of Sadness referred to the our home ground, the First Energy Stadium.
Although we’ve seen some great play over the years, it’s always the crushing defeats that are most remembered. This nickname was earned after a 30-12 loss to the Houston Texans back in 2011. For the most part, the ground doesn’t deserve it, but it does help raise a smile after one of those rare defeats.
Ever wondered how Joe Turkey Jones got his nickname? It’s even more ridiculous than you thought.
Joe Turkey Jones
Whilst Joe Jones was undoubtedly a great football player, he sometimes lacked a little common sense. His play on the pitch was some of the best defensive work in our team’s history, particularly during the lineup which included Jerry Sherk, Jack Gregory and Walter Johnson.
Anyway, the Browns had a totally ridiculous tradition. Before thanksgiving every year, the more established members of the team would send the rookies out to pick up free turkeys. They’d tell them an entirely fabricated location, mention a free turkey sign and send them out looking. Most people didn’t fall for it, but Joe Turkey Jones did, not once, but twice. The first time he was let off the hook, but the second time the Turkey nickname stuck.
The Dawg Pound
Everybody knows about the Dawg Pound. Its been home to some of the noisiest, drunkest, most hilarious fans that the game has ever seen. A sea of orange and brown, dog masks, doggy tails, anything dog related can reliably be seen, match in, match out, in the Dawg Pound. The name refers of course, to the bleachers in the East of the stadium.
It’s been called the Dawg Pound since 1984, when Hanford Dixon came up with the idea. The Browns team had always called the defensive part of the team The Dawgs. They saw the quarterbacks as the cats, being harassed by the dogs in the defensive line. Hanford and Frank Minnifield took this analogy pretty seriously, they would bark at each other during play, and to the fans as well. It fired everyone up.
As soon as fans started barking back, the nickname stuck. It wasn’t long before the alternative bulldog logo became commonplace and the Dawg Pound banner was hung in front of the bleachers.
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