The Browns fan base and Stockholm Syndrome
- col-dave-mast
- February 7, 2025
- 707
What is it about the eternal sports fans’ psyche that never allows them to be happy?
“Your honor, I would like to enter exhibit one: The Cleveland Browns fan base.”
With the Super Bowl on tap — another year without the Browns in it, of course — and star player Myles Garrett demanding a trade, it’s a perfect time to explore the psyche of the have-nots of the world.
I get a sense that every NFL fan base has its own identity in which it likes to dwell, and Browns fans certainly have their own unique lane when it comes to where they like to live.
That lane would be Misery Avenue, and for the most part, they absolutely, downright, unequivocally love to get in that lane and relish being there.
Although they love to tell you all they truly want is just one Super Bowl appearance, and forbid, one Super Bowl championship, deep down, Browns fans would rather find a way to muddle in the pain of losing rather than have that happen.
You see by losing they can continue to talk about next year, about how they were shortchanged again, how this should have been such a much better year. The list goes on and on, and every fan knows the routine by heart now.
It’s sort of like Stockholm Syndrome, where the kidnapped youngster eventually grows to love and appreciate the very person who kidnapped them.
In a sense the Cleveland Browns organization has kidnapped the hearts of its fans, and now those fans are forever sold on the fact they are the lovable losers.
What would happen if the Browns ever did actually win a Super Bowl?
Would it be like the movie “Truman,” where an entire world is watching a live television show of some unsuspecting guy’s life without him realizing it?
In that movie, the world watched in fascination as Truman went through his daily routine, and in the end, when the producer finally pulled the plug on the show, people who have invested so much simply say, “Well, let’s see what else is on TV.”
I really doubt that would happen — not with Browns fans.
Why?
Because “Truman” was a movie, make believe, a fantasy.
For Browns fans, it’s real life.
Should the Browns win a title, the fan base would be elated … for about 10 minutes, before they started thinking about how bad next year is gonna stink after they fall short of following up this victory tour.
I’ll probably have people tell me I’m wrong, that a Super Bowl would be enough, but they’re simply kidding themselves because Browns fans don’t want to be victors; it’s not their style.
Several things are true about Browns fans:
—One: They will gravitate toward the negative.
Case in point: Kevin Stefanski has been named NFL Coach of the Year twice in his fairly short tenure as the club leader.
Two years ago he earned that honor, beat Pittsburgh in the playoffs, came within a whisper of making the AFC title game, and even that wasn’t enough after this year’s debacle, and now many want him gone.
—Two: Fans will always return to the heartache rather than rejoice in the glory.
Cleveland fans are notorious for wallowing in misery.
Case in point: The Drive. The Fumble. The midnight escape of Art Modell, et cetera, et cetera.
Inevitably, fans will go directly to those instances rather than even a more recent success story in drubbing the hated Steelers in the playoffs.
—Three: Nothing is ever enough.
“Win a division title, why couldn’t we win the conference?”
Win an AFC championship?
“Yeah, but we lost in the Super Bowl.”
Finish 10-7?
“Right, but we shoulda been 13-4.”
—Four: The other shoe is going to fall.
Even in times of triumph, Browns fans are only going to wait for the hammer to fall as everything comes unglued.
Case in point: Nick Chubb becomes perhaps the best running back in the league one year, followed by a horrifying broken leg the next.
Browns fans all knew that was coming; it was just a matter of how and when.
Case in point: Baker Mayfield is drafted, is a golden boy savior for a hot minute, then falters.
“Get rid of the bum; he stinks.”
Mayfield gets dealt, bounces around and lands in Tampa Bay, where suddenly making the playoffs but falling short is a glorious accomplishment.
“Why’d we ever deal him?”
In perfect Browns fandom scenario, his replacement is a highly ridiculed, extremely high-priced has-been who has earned about one-half of 1% of his contract.
“That figures. Typical Browns.”
On the outside, fans are incensed. Inside, there is a growing warm feeling that the life they know and are comfortable in will survive and go on as is. They get to continue to complain, to question every move, to talk about the game like they know far more than those in charge will ever know.
And they are able to commiserate in dire agony together.
The identity is intact, and for Browns fans, that is what truly matters, regardless of what they may say outwardly.