The forecast for Sunday’s game between the Browns and Tennessee Titans at Huntington Bank Field?
Miserable, just like the seasons of these two teams, who have a combined record of 4-20. The high is supposed to be 34 degrees, with a decent chance of a little snow.
Welcome to life on the North Coast, along the shores of Lake Erie.
With all this, then, attendance — not that which will be announced but instead the number of actual hearty souls in the seats — will likely not be great. Not even the intriguing matchup of two high-profile rookie quarterbacks, Cleveland’s Shedeur Sanders and Tennessee’s Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, will be enough to attract fans. The two youngens will look great, though, for those watching on TV from the warm, dry, friendly confines of their living room. They can even marvel at the glow of their Christmas tree during commercial breaks.
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Now, if the game were indoors, as it will be starting in 2029 when the Browns move into their new stadium out by Hopkins Airport, there would no doubt be considerably fans shii of snowmobiling in, in person.
Yes, most of the tickets for Sunday’s game have long since been sold, but even with that, when people stay home, the Browns lose revenue from parking, food and souvenirs. Restaurants near the stadium have less patrons, too. Ditto for hotels and entertainment venues.
Without a doubt, a losing team is a losing proposition in weather when the possibly of losing body parts to frostbite is on the play sheet.
The Detroit Lions, based in a city just a 15-minute plane ride — really, truly — from the place that used to bill itself, and rightfully so, in my view, as “The Best Location in the Nation,” hosted the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football just a few weather alerts ago. The teams scored a combined 74 points, which is a number 10 times that of the gametime temperature of 7, as in one more than 6 and one less than 8. But inside Ford Field, it was a comfortable 72 degrees, a tad more, perhaps, for those who choose, for whatever silly reason, to get all liquored up. A full house of 65,000, some sitting in short-sleeved attire, comfortably watched Detroit’s two-touchdown victory in person.
Now, of course, the Lions and Cowboys entered the night in playoff contention, which boosted the crowd greatly. But even in the days when it wasn’t lyin’ to say that the Lions were horrible, the club had decent crowds at Ford Field. Had those games been played outside somewhere, such as they did for decades at old Tiger Stadium, that would not have been the case.
But that will be the case in Brook Park when The House That Jimmy Built, is built. In the meantime, when the weather is bad, the Browns can’t be bad as well if they want to draw.
Hopefully, the Browns get good while they’re still calling Huntington Bank Field home. Then Mother Nature will cease to be a factor, but not until then.
Steve King
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