MY FIRST BROWNS GAME: SEVEN YEARS OLD, 21 DEGREES, STADIUM SMELLED LIKE PISS, AND ONE UNFORGETTABLE BROWNS WIN
The Super Bowl is set: Seattle and New England will meet in two weeks in what has the makings of a classic, hard-nosed, grind-it-out game for the ages.
As I watched the weather turn to absolute shit in Denver during the third quarter of yesterday’s AFC title game between the Broncos and Patriots, it took me back to my first Browns game, one I still have some vivid memories of.
It was cold on the shores of Lake Erie that day, that’s the main thing about the game I vividly remember, and with a little help from the internet, I was able to pull up the details… including the full game video that’s floating around on YouTube.
The game was played on December, 18, 1988. I remember, this was an early Christmas present for me. I was seven years old, and my dad thought it was time to introduce me to the Mistake by the Lake, Municipal Stadium.
This was a big game. The Browns had to win to make the playoffs. It was win or stay home. I remember being disappointed on the 75-minute drive to Cleveland because my favorite player and childhood hero, Bernie Kosar, was out with an injury. With no Bernie and the cold weather, I wonder how much I really wanted to be there after the initial excitement of getting into the stadium wore off.
From what I found online, the stadium was basically packed, and I still remember the distinctive bathroom smell that somehow leaked into the concourse. I remember all the signs people held up, a bunch of them riffing on Warren Moon (and even a lunar eclipse) since he was the Oilers’ quarterback, plus the noise and the feeling that everybody was there. And I definitely remember the cold. The numbers say it was 21 degrees with 17 mph winds, which made it feel bitter.
I still remember getting parked and my dad doing the final check like he was prepping me for a launch into space: gloves, winter hat, zipped up, and bundled up tight. Things were different in the ’80s. I doubt we went through anything resembling real security, and everyone was dressed kind of the same. Back then, NFL and team merchandise were limited, especially with no internet shopping like today.
One of the clearest memories I have is being in the stadium about an hour before kickoff and seeing Moon out there warming up in just his game pants, no shirt, firing dimes to his receivers as the ball just seemed to float perfectly 50-plus yards down the field. That man gave zero fucks about the weather that day.
During timeouts, they’d sometimes play “Make Me Wanna Shout,” and I remember a huge chunk of the stadium throwing their hands up with the song and dropping down together. Real crowd participation. Real energy. A different world than now, where timeouts are basically a cue for everyone to pull out their phone while some Top 40 track blasts over the speakers.
I don’t remember every play the way I remember Moon warming up, the cold, and the crowd, but I do remember the Browns coming back to win, and it’s wild that when I went back and looked up what actually happened, it turned out my first game wasn’t just a win… it was a hell of a game.
Here’s what I learned on the rewatch, articles, and box score:
Don Strock had a shitty day early but rebounded: three interceptions in the first quarter, but still finished 25-for-42 for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
Strock’s 22-yard touchdown to Webster Slaughter in the fourth quarter sealed the Browns’ comeback victory.
Some key moments:
Domingo Bryant, 36-yard INT return for the Oilers.
Michael Dean Perry fumble-return touchdown for the Browns.
Earnest Byner scored twice, once rushing and once receiving.
So yeah, my first Browns game wasn’t just my introduction to freezing in a stadium that smelled like piss by the lake. It was a dramatic Browns win with playoff stakes.
The more I look back on it, the more I realize I got lucky that the Browns won because I think I’ve only seen them win 3 times out of my 20-plus games over the years.
