MAKING THE BROWNS PROVE THEY’RE WORTH IT
By STEVE KING
As usual, there’s full disclosure here on Browns Daily Dose.
That is:
I’m not a businessman.
I understand that the NFL is a business, and as such its teams are run like one.
And of course, this is Jimmy and Dee Haslam’s team, and money, and far be it for me to tell the owners how to run it.
Still, I think that by raising ticket prices for the 2021 season, the Browns missed a great chance to win over their fans in a special way, like they haven’t won them over before in the expansion era.
It’s just their fourth ticket increase in the last 13 years, and Browns tickets remain one of the most affordable in the NFL. So they can get a pass for their actions.
But what if the Browns instead thought out of the box, so to speak, and made a deal with their fans by espousing a message to them like this:
“We had intended to raise ticket prices. We really did. It made great business sense to do so, especially considering all the revenue we lost in 2020 because if the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But the Browns are more than just a business. They’re part of the fabric of the community. The Browns are Cleveland — Cleveland’s team, not ours — through and through. So after long and careful consideration, we’re going to hold off on the ticket price increases, at least for a year.
“Last season was a great one for us, in fact, the best for the franchise in the expansion era in that we not only made the AFC playoffs for the first time in 18 years, but also, for the first time in 26 years, we won 11 regular-season games and we earned a playoff victory. However, with the pandemic and the restrictions that were put on attendance, most of you were unable to watch us in-person at FirstEnergy Stadium. And you deserved that opportunity — you definitely did — for all the support you’ve given us over the years. We certainly appreciate that.
“The only two previous times in the expansion era that the Browns had a winning record, in 2002 and ’07, the team really struggled the following year. We want to prove to you that things will be different this time, that we’ll pick up on the momentum gained from 2020 and have another good year this fall. We want to show you that we’re building a team that will contend for the long haul, not just be a flash in the pan, so to speak.
“As such, here’s what we’re going to do: If we have success again in 2021, then we’ll raise ticket prices for the 2022 season. But If we fall back in 2021 and do not have a good season, then we’ll keep ticket prices right where they’re at. It puts the responsibility squarely onto our shoulders, which is the way it should be.
“We think that this is a good, fair deal, one that you, the best sports fans around, deserve to have.
“So enjoy the 2021 Browns at the 2020 prices.
Thank you, again, for all of your support.
And Go Browns!!
OK, Browns fans, what do you think?
Would this kind of offer endear you to the Browns more? Would it make you feel better about your financial and emotional investment in the team? Do you think it would reward you for your patience for all the seasons during which the Browns have struggled, especially since the Haslams purchased them in 2012? Do you think the Haslams would be trying to meet you halfway? Would that matter to you?
