Probably due in large part to their winning ways, the Browns were a big home draw right from the get-go in their first season of 1946.
 
In fact, it was on this date 69 years ago, on Sept. 29, 1946, that the Browns attracted 57,084 to Cleveland Stadium – in their second home game of the year — for their 24-7 victory over the New York Yankees to raise their record to 4-0.
 
That was just off their total of 60,135, the largest ever to see a pro football game anywhere to that point, for their first home game on Sept. 6 in a season-opening 44-0 win over the Miami Seahawks.
 
In fact, in their only preseason game, on Aug. 30, they sold out the Rubber Bowl in Akron, attracted 35,964 for a 35-20 triumph over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
 
In their other home games in 1946, they drew:
 
*43,713 for a 26-7 win over the Dodgers on Oct. 6.
 
*a whopping 71,134 for a 31-14 triumph over the Los Angeles Dons on Oct. 20.
 
*a near-repeat crowd of 70,385 for their first loss of the year, 34-20, to the San Francisco 49ers just a week later, on Oct. 27.
 
*60,457 for a 51-14 trouncing of the Chicago Rockets on Nov. 17.
 
*37,054 for a 42-17 victory over the Buffalo Bisons on Nov. 24 in their home finale.
 
*And 40,469 for their 14-9 triumph over the Yankees on Dec. 22 in the All-America Football Conference Championship Game.
 
The Browns’ popularity continued into 1947, another championship season, with home crowds of:
 
*80,067.
 
*63,263.
 
*63,124.
 
*76,504.
 
*61,879.
 
In their perfect season of 1948, when they went 15-0 and won a third straight title, the Browns drew:
 
*60,193.
 
*82,769, which stands as their biggest crowd in four years in the AAFC.
 
*46,912.
 
And those big crowds have continued through the years right up to today.

By Steve King