The Browns should add orange pants. Here’s why

Browns should add orange pants

Posted By: County Sports Network April 16, 2020

The Browns should add orange pants. Here’s why

By STEVE KING

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Browns Executive Vice President and Owner JW Johnson, who was one of the key people in the team’s recent uniform re-do, admitted the other day that he did not realize how popular the orange pants are.

The Browns wore orange pants from 1975-83, including in the Kardiac Kids era from 1978-83. The orange pants were not part of the uniform re-do, something that, as indicated by the reaction on social media, has been noted a lot, and immediately, by the fans.

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Possibly the orange pants were omitted because Johnson was unaware of the great popularity of the Kardiac Kids and all that was part of them.

With that, then, here’s a story that would convince him of such:

It was spring 2008 and the Canton Chapter of the Cleveland Browns Backers were hosting the team at a big event at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Representing the players at the event was the personable and likeable Mike Adams, who played mostly safety during his five seasons (2007-11) with the Browns. He was very friendly and approachable, so in that regard, he was the perfect player to meet and greet the great fans of Stark County.

A member of the Canton Browns Backers was assigned to usher Adams around at the event. I covered the get-together for clevelandbrowns.com and, upon arriving, went over to Adams and said hello. He was one of my favorites. I rooted for him.

As the woman from the Browns Backers, Adams, who retired about a month and a half ago, ending a solid 16-year NFL career, and I sat at a table and talked, a highlight video about the 1979 Kardiac Kids played on a big screen less than 10 feet away.

In 2007, Adams and the Browns had played in a lot of close games en route to finishing 10-6 and just missing the AFC playoffs.

“In that season up there on that screen, the Browns played in even more close games than you guys did last season,” I pointed out to Adams.

He politely smiled.

It was clear that Adams did not really understand what I was talking about, which is understandable since he’s from New Jersey and wasn’t even born until 1981. Sensing that, the woman, who was in her early 50s and had obviously watched, and remembered, the Kardiac Kids, took my lead and made it a point to educate Adams about the Browns from that era.

“Mike, he’s right, those Browns teams from back then played in plenty of close games,” she said.

Then she stopped for a moment and began to get a little emotional, which Adams noticed. Now she had his full attention.

“They were a whole lot of fun to watch,” she said, fighting back tears. “It was so exciting. It kept you on the edge of your seat every Sunday because the games went right down to the very end and you never knew if the Browns were going to win or lose. When the Browns finally pulled it out and won, which they usually did, it just took your breath away.”

Adams nodded. He fully understood. He got it about the wide appeal – even all those years later, and still now, in fact – of the Kardiac Kids.

And if JW Johnson could hear this story, then he would understand, too, and I’m betting that he would agree the Browns should get orange pants included in the uniform re-design.

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1 Comment on "The Browns should add orange pants. Here’s why"

  1. Ryan | April 22, 2020 at 7:46 pm |

    I’ve been wanting to know more of the Browns past, and recently read the story of Brian Sipe as a part of Club ’46. So I am just learning of the Kardiak Kids ’79-’80 nickname. I was born way too late for this and have missed all of these great times of the ’80’s (born in 89). I am all about soaking up all of the history because I haven’t had much to be proud of or excited about with the team since I started paying attention to the browns in ’99. I would love the orange pants (just not with the brown tops). I miss the orange tops too (not these last ones, but the ones when we had Mack still).

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