tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

It’s Been 48 Years Since A Browns Championship

December 27, 1964 the Cleveland Browns hosted the favored Baltimore Colts at Municipal Stadium for the NFL Championship. I was 7 years old and remember watching the game as the Browns shut out the Colts 27-0. This was the Johnny Unitas-led Colts, the highest scoring team in the NFL in 1964 being held off the scoreboard. My team were champions of the NFL. Little did I realize that it would be the last time I could say that.

Oh they certainly came close. The following year, the Browns were once again the Eastern Division Champions and faced the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field for the NFL title. This game had more significance as the winner would represent the NFL in the first Super Bowl game. On a muddy field, the Browns fell to the Packers in what was Jim Brown's last game.

In 1968, the Browns once again would face the Colts in the NFL Championship game but this time they lost badly at home 34-0. The following year, they traveled to Minneapolis to take on the Joe Kapp-led Vikings. Once again they came up short.

They wouldn't make it to a championship game again until the 1986 season when they were minutes away from heading to the Super Bowl only to have John Elway steal the game away. I actually think the 1987 team was much better and once again they found themselves facing the Broncos only this time in Denver. Karl Mecklenberg, the Bronco All-Pro linebacker, said that in the second half of that game the Broncos knew that they couldn't stop the Browns and he was right. I actually took that loss worse than the one the year before as the Browns were an Earnest Byner fumble away from going to the Super Bowl. I'm convinced they would have defeated the Redskins in the Super Bowl.

The Browns would make it to the AFC Championship Game one last time in the 1989 season, where they would once again lose to the Broncos. I haven't mentioned non-championship playoff game heart breakers like: the 1972 Miami game (could have spoiled Dolphins undefeated season), the 1980 Oakland game (Red Right 88), the 1988 Houston game (pass interference call not made), and the 2002 Pittsburgh game (where the Browns blew a 3rd Qtr. 24-7 lead).

All of those losses were tough to take. But I would love to experience those tough losses again because at least there was a chance to win it all. Ah the good old days. What a sad state of affairs.