Dawgs By Nature
The plans for Brook Park are full steam ahead
The Cleveland Browns have been a pro football franchise since 1946. They have played in two leagues and called two stadiums their home.
That is about to change.
RELATED: BROWNS STADIUM PLAN - LET THE LAWSUITS COMMENCE!
Plans for a new $2.4 billion domed stadium are a go to be built in Brook Park along with their entertainment village right off I-71, which is conveniently located across the street from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and a stone’s throw just north of Berea. This complex will include hotels, restaurants, night clubs, souvenir shops, ice cream parlors, concert stages, and anything else a small town can offer, like hair styling shops, cell phone edifices, clothing retailers, and book stores.
It will be a municipality in itself, owned by Haslam Sports Group. They will have their choice of which hotels and eateries they deem suitable, to which they can keep out the undesirables.
There are two sides to this dome stadium idea.
The traditionalists don’t want a roof over the playing field. Or over the stands, for that matter. Clevelanders consider themselves tough, rugged, and used to severe elements. They can withstand the wind off of Lake Erie and the bitter cold. Just try to stop Browns fans when the temperature reaches single digits. Cleveland did pretty well against the Pittsburgh Steelers last year in that snowstorm, remember? Did anybody leave early?
That game more resembled the frozen tundra at Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. But one thing that Browns’ victory proved was that Clevelanders can take it.
And besides, every team in the AFC North has an outdoor venue and is just as likely to have a weather issue each Sunday as does the City of Cleveland.
The other side of Browns fandom isn’t interested in sitting in the cold for three hours.
These fans have been to other indoor facilities located in cold terrain, such as Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Detroit. The temperature outside can be double-digit inches of snow, and yet the climate inside is devoid of jackets with scarves, and instead is short-sleeved shirts.
This is not only advantageous for fans, but the players, coaches, and referees who are working the game. Not to mention the chain gang and beer hustlers in the stands.
On game day in a domed stadium, it is a toasty 72 degrees. And that’s everywhere inside the venue, whether that is in the restroom, waiting in line at a concession stand, stationed in your seat, or any passageway underneath the stadium.
The traditionalists aren’t interested in any of this. So what if the air is brisk standing at a urinal? The line to buy a hot dog is supposed to be chilly and, in fact, is a break from the wind swirling in the openness of the stadium.
Plus, both teams have to play in the same weather. The fact that the visiting team is from Atlanta or Miami, or Los Angeles...
