Congrats also to club members Kevin Ertell and son, Dex who won the tickets! Dex will be celebrating his 17th a few days before the big game so what a perfect way to celebrate!
GO BROWNS and GO PORTLAND BROWNS BACKERS!
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Portland Browns Backers held a special raffle for two tickets to the December 12, 2021 Browns vs Ravens game in Cleveland. The seats were in section 503, row 2, seats 1-2. The raffle was a $20 minimum buy in with all proceeds going to Blanchet House here in Portland. I am pleased to say the club raised $1050.00 and we donated the money to Blanchet's Executive Director, Scott Kerman on Nov. 11th. I am so humbled by our club's generosity and am hopeful to make this special raffle an annual thing. Club President, Michael Fell and club member David Forman present Blanchet House Executive Director, Scott Kerman with a check for $1050.00 on behalf of the Portland Browns Backers. Congrats also to club members Kevin Ertell and son, Dex who won the tickets! Dex will be celebrating his 17th a few days before the big game so what a perfect way to celebrate! GO BROWNS and GO PORTLAND BROWNS BACKERS!
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Hello fellow Portland Browns Backers! I am writing this less than a week away from the kick off of the most anticipated Browns season in recent memory. There's a lot to be excited for both for our Browns and our club. Our Browns will kick off on September 12, 2021 against the KC Chiefs who we last played in the Divisional Playoff game. The Browns competed well and could have won the game, but alas...it wasn't meant to be. Our showdown week 1 will be a good test for our team, which on paper are stronger today than we were back in January. The Portland Browns Backers are also excited about our new venue, The Morrison Market (722 SE 10th Ave.). We had modest, but still respectable crowds for our three preseason games. The Morrison Market are also excited to welcome us in and they have put a lot of money into making it right for us. There are multiple tv screens as well as large projection walls that will all be devoted to the Browns. There are also several options for food as well as a full bar and a beer stand. While many were not open during the preseason, I have been assured they will be during the regular season. Along with the excitement for the upcoming season there is some anxiety as we are still in the midst of a pandemic and Oregon's COVID numbers are higher today than they were before we had a vaccine back in 2020 and early 2021. I know that there will be some of our club members who won't attend this season due to their own health concerns and there are others who won't attend as they don't want to wear a mask. Football is a great distraction, but we also need to remember that our health and safety is a priority. The Morrison Market is currently following all state COVID guidelines and mandates. Please know that there is no time for political debate and the PDX Browns Backers will be following all rules that are mandated to us by the Morrison Market via the Governor of Oregon. As of the time of writing this blog entry, all Browns Backers will be required to wear a mask when not eating or drinking. Please respectfully adhere to this rule so that we can minimize the risks and enjoy watching our Browns in an amazing new venue. Ultimately, the best thing we can all do is get vaccinated to help our state and country safely move forward from the biggest health crisis of our lifetimes. I look forward to seeing familiar faces again and welcoming new ones. Be safe & GO BROWNS! Michael Fell PDX Browns Backers President Hello Portland Browns Fans, wow....what a year 2020 was. I know most of you worked out your own ways to watch the Browns exciting season and the ride was wild and, to be honest, one of the very few highlights from 2020! Sadly, The Ladd Taphouse has fallen victim to the pandemic and it has since closed. Back in September 2020 we had met with another bar with the idea of them being our new home, however, as with most things since COVID...what we learn today can change tomorrow. HOWEVER, despite the uncertainty and change I am very excited to announce our partnership with The Morrison Market as our new venue for the upcoming 2021 season! I am also excited as one of the owners is originally from Akron and has been a member of the PDX BBs for years, which means he is family! Please watch the short video below to find out more about our new venue. As you can see the place is big, has a lot of cool food spots and awesome potential for our club to grow. The 2021 draft will be in Cleveland this year and the Market will project it. Given the current COVID restrictions (at time of posting April 11, 2021) they cannot open to full capacity, but as the days, weeks and months get closer to the season we are hopeful and optimistic that we will have the opportunity to be together again. Watch this space and GO BROWNS! Michael Fell Well, the 2019 season of hope is officially over and it came to a crashing end at that. Here we are at the start of yet another offseason where the team have fired their Head Coach and their General Manager. Many other firings and hirings will soon be announced and once again the Browns are in full throttle rebuild to try and get this program functional. At the start of the 2019 season who would have foreseen this mess? Maybe Colin Cowherd? No, not even he would have foreseen what took place. But, the signs may have been there from the beginning. Last August, I had the pleasure to attend Training Camp and the Orange & Brown Scrimmage with club founder, Kevin Herbst. I didn't have anything to gauge it on, but I remember flying back to Portland talking to Kevin and we both said we were not impressed with the scrimmage. There were other signs, I have long questioned the drafting of Austin Corbett (at #33), but Dorsey had also made many other seemingly amazing draft picks and free agency signings so one miss seemed to be acceptable. However, we never addressed that miss and it was clear going into the season that the Offensive Line were a huge question mark. Sadly, it haunted us and Baker Mayfield all season. After much hype and excitement week one finally kicked off and we took the field against the Tennessee Titans who we all perceived as inferior team and a sure win. However, as I type this the Titans are preparing for their playoff game against the Patriots and the Browns are once again at home. What later transpired was also a full throttle beat down of embarrassing proportions and the Browns were also penalized 18 times and Greg Robinson was ejected. The alarm bells were ringing loudly, but as fans we all said to ourselves "Keep Calm, it's only Week One". Yes, there were some wins along the way, most notably our thrashing of the Baltimore Ravens. But, what kicked off against Tennessee never seemed to go away. We were top three most penalized team, Coaching on game day was horrifically bad and never seemed to get better as the season transpired, there were weekly dramas, Baker Mayfield got angry with the press and stormed out of a media conference, Jermaine Whitehead threatened on Twitter to kill a Browns journalist and used racially heated language, which later led to him being cut from the team, Myles Garrett got into a tussle on the last play/final seconds of the game with Steelers QB Mason Rudolph, which ended in "the helmet whack" and Garrett's indefinite suspension. Even when we won, we seemed to lose. And, on top of it all...we seemed to give up against inferior teams and lost badly. In the end, the arguably most talented squad in the NFL finished a lowly 6-10 and here we are in the midst of a coaching and general manager search. That isn't to say there were not positives. We beat the Ravens, Steelers and Bengals and went 3-3 in the AFC North for the first time in years. Running Back, Nick Chubb, was nearly the top RB in the league and only finished 2nd after Tennessee ran Derrick Henry 30+ times in their final game of the season, which secured him the top prize. Both Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. also finished with 1000+ yards and Chubb and Landry are off to the Pro Bowl. I will never give up my loyalty nor my love of the Browns. For better or worse, they are with me forever and are my team. That said, I was so glad when the season came to an end and am not surprised by the firings that came quickly. What I have learned along the way is that I must not allow myself to believe the hype that the media stirs. I must allow myself to be patient and allow the team to prove to me that they are finally going to field a winning product. Anything otherwise will set me up for disappointment and after this season's fool's gold...I don't want the bitter taste of disappointment again. On a club note...after four years, I have decided that it is time to step down as your President and welcome fresh ideas and leadership to take us forward. The obvious person to succeed me is Mark Robert Esmont. Mark has been a member of the club for many years and has worked as the Treasurer and also brings in all of our merchandise that we raffle away. I am excited and pleased that Mark is now the President of this club. In terms of the football product on the field, during my tenure as President haven't been the easiest to endure. We went 1-15, 0-16, 7-8-1 and now 6-10. The second half of the 2018 season being the highlight and most fun. The difference now is we have a talented squad in the locker room that need the right leader. I hope the Haslam's finally get it right and hire somebody that can take the team to the next level. As a Browns Backers club, we are a large group and we have a very good thing going. Every time out of town guests or members of other Browns Backers clubs visit they always comment on how great and welcoming our club is and for that I am grateful and honored. I will also still watch games with you all...after all, misery likes company and I enjoy the camaraderie and "home away from home" community. We also go into the offseason with probably the most support and security from the Ladd Taphouse that I have had in my years as President (and even before that). The current manager, Ron, is very supportive and looks forward to us all coming back in September 2020. If, between now and then, you visit the bar say "hi" to Gigi and Zach. They will no doubt miss us all just as I will miss them. But, I plan to pop in from time to time during the offseason to say my "hello's". There will be plans for offseason get togethers, draft parties etc. Watch this space and if you are on Facebook please follow us there. It's actually more active than this official site is. In the meantime, enjoy the show coming out of Berea...for better or worse, there is about to be a lot of offseason Browns news. As always...GO BROWNS! Forever Orange & Brown! Michael Fell Portland Browns Backers Past President, 2016-2019 AND, finally here we are...one week before the most anticipated season in arguably Browns history. Looking back on last season and it seems so long ago. We started the season with a lot of hope (as we always do) and it got off to a great start in our opening game against Pittsburgh. However, in true Browns fashion we simply couldn't get it done and walked away with a tie. A tie? Yes, a tie! But, we all felt so much better about the team. OR did we? The following week we traveled to New Orleans and battled in another game we should have, could have won only to leave demoralized. And then there was week three! The Browns and their fans had a glimmer of what could be and we could taste it. The kool-aid had been swallowed and we wanted more! Eventually hard decisions were made, interim coaches were appointed and the rest is history. And now, here we are...after an exciting and active offseason with some high profile moves and acquisitions the Browns possess an elite roster. However, we must temper our expectations a bit because there is still much to prove and we have some questions marks. Most notably on our Offensive Line, which appears to be in flux, but also our kicking game shows some concern and our TE room still has much to prove. Thus, I have titled this blog, "Awakening The Sleeping Giant" as opposed to "The Sleeping Giant Has Been Awakened" simply because we have yet to prove anything. All of that said, we now have a team that believes they found their franchise QB. We now have a team with talent across the board. We now have a team with an offense that should prove very difficult to defend. We now have a team that has a very scary defensive front. We now have a team that has a coach who has proven to be creative and willing to take risks. We now have a team who has a General Manager who appears to be able to walk on water. It's been a long time folks. The last time we consistently won games AND went deep into the playoffs, I was in high school. The last time we won a championship my 75 year old father was 20 years old! With excitement brings many new fans. Some who grew up in Ohio or Cleveland who got tired of the losing and are now coming back. While others who have no connection with Cleveland or Ohio and who are excited to watch our team rise. For those who have never wavered in their support...it's been a long hard ride. As Browns fans and as Clevelanders...WE DESERVE THIS. For those who are new to the team....please do your history and read about us. Learn about Paul Brown, Otto Graham and his decade of championships (winning 7/10!), Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Jim Brown, 1964 Championship, Paul Warfield, Brian Sipe, The "Kardiac Kids", Bernie Kosar, the "Dawg Pound", but also learn about "Red Right 88", "The Drive", 'The Fumble", 'The Move" & "The Factory of Sadness". All of the above are part of our story and for those of us who never flinched in our support it is what makes us the GREATEST SPORTS FANS IN THE WORLD! This one is for you Cleveland (raising a full glass east and looking towards Cleveland and all of her gritty beauty)! WELCOME BACK & GO BROWNS! Michael Fell Portland Browns Backers, President At the end of last season we all left a bit insecure about "The Blitz". Since the Super Bowl I have met with a handful of bars/managers across this great city regarding hosting our club. I am happy to report that we have found a new spot. However, it isn't far away from our old spot. In fact, it IS the same place. BUT, it has been rebranded as the 'Ladd Taphouse', 2239 SE 11th Ave. AND, more importantly, has a new manager who is dedicated and invested to working with us. He has dedicated himself to meeting with me on three occasions and we talk regularly via text. He's open to ideas and genuinely wants this partnership to continue. If I am honest, I have never felt this positive about the venue as I do now. Draft Day 4/26...PDX Browns Fans please know this: We will be meeting at Ladd Taphouse on April 26/1st round of the NFL Draft where we currently have the #1 and the #4 picks. This will be a generational draft for us. Arguably the most important in our team's history. Radio station 1080AM "The Fan" will be broadcasting live and they will occupy the projection pit area where we normally sit. However, the FIRE PIT area (opposite/east end) will be reserved for "Browns fans only". Be prepared for a potential radio spot or yours truly. :) There's a new chef, a ton of beer taps, new menu, new management...I feel really good that we have a home and feel the new manager is truly dedicated to honoring and working with our club and excited to welcome our business. I hope to see you all at the 'Ladd Taphouse' on Thursday 4/26. GO BROWNS! As I sit and type this I realize the last post in this blog was over a year ago. For that, I apologize. There are, however, several reasons. But, in short it's because last year was difficult. Difficult as a Browns fan. An incredibly difficult winter in Portland. Difficult due to the most divisive election in American history. No, I am not going to get into politics here. I realize this is a football fan page, politics are polarizing and there are many of us who sit on both sides of the political spectrum. However, I will say that as Browns fans we stand together, united in our loyalty and love for our team. As Americans we are also always stronger in our diversity and unity.
Now, let's get to football...the past few seasons have been hard. Arguably, none more difficult than the 2016 season. In terms of wins/losses it probably was the hardest to endure. However, throughout it all I did, and still believe, that Hue is the right coach to lead this team. I have come to believe in our Front Office. I now believe the Haslam's are committed to winning and committed to Hue. I have come to believe in Sashi Brown, Andrew Berry and Paul Depodesta. I love the core group of younger players we have drafted, especially in 2017. I was also encouraged when we spent a lot of money on our offensive line. We had the first pick in the draft and chose the right guy who looks to be a game changer on the field. Trading down when Malik Hooker was still on the board was controversial. However, choosing Jabrill Peppers has proven to be a great move. Buckeye homers, ignore the fact that he is a Wolverine. This kid is a baller and he is going to make an instant impact. For the first time in 31 years we went 4-0 in preseason! I realize that preseason ball is very different than the regular season. I also realize that it means nothing. Many teams that have gone 0-4 have been great in the regular season and 4-0 teams have fizzled out. None more so than the 2008 Detroit Lions. It is, however, a start and something that we can hang our hats on and be proud. When you have fallen as low and as hard as the Browns there really is only one way to go and that is up. Winning all of our preseason games and showing our dominance at defense is a great achievement and I celebrate those little victories that will hopefully translate into the regular season. Watching closely the QB competition unveil itself I think we made the right decision with DeShone Kizer getting the nod as starter. He has flashed and he has also shown some concern. However, he has also moved the ball better than any of the others and in his flashes he has shown great potential. Given the right support and "weaponry" I am hopeful he may be our franchise guy we have searched so long for. I realize it will come with some ups and downs but, the best way to help Kizer develop is to play the game. Defense. Wow....what a brilliant show they put on during preseason! Twelve consecutive quarters without allowing a TD. Hue's greatest move may well have been getting Gregg Williams to sign as the Browns DC. He is a controversial character but, clearly he comes with fire, spit, attitude and spirit. That has translated to the players and they have responded brilliantly. There are some areas of concern on the Defense but, I think our front seven are going to be dominant. Garrett will be fun, I think as he gets double teamed it will open others, such as Ogbah, Nassib, Schobert, Collins and Peppers up to be disruptive on opposing QBs. Shelton has risen and showed great improvement last year, Coley and Ogunjobi are also exciting young players and I am keen to see more from them. This season also offers a few interesting games. Our season opener against Pittsburgh could be our most important game since we returned to the league. Ok, I know we played the Steelers in the 2002 Wild Card game. However, with all of the above being put into place I can't see a better opponent to kick off the 2017 year than the Steelers. A hated rival who, with exception to a few times here and there, have thoroughly beaten us up and down since we returned to the league. A playoff caliber team coming into our home. A team and a fanbase who have little respect for us. If, and it is a big if, IF we win that game the confidence will go through the roof and pour into the rest of the season. We also play in London this year. A controversial game on the schedule. Many feel (and I agree) a regular season game shouldn't be played in a different country. Exhibition games/Preseason? Sure. But, not regular season games. As the Browns are officially listed as the "home" team in London it means there are only seven games in Cleveland this season. Next year we recoup that and will have nine home games in Cleveland. As we have no Thursday or Monday night game, the London game is also our only Nationally televised game of the season. Kick off is very early PST (6:30am). I have yet to confirm if the Blitz will open for us but, I will keep you all up-to-date. Anybody in the club who is planning to go to London, please get in touch with me. I'd love to share your photos with the club. We also play the Chargers in Los Angeles. I highlight this game as the Chargers are now playing in StubHub Center (home of the LA Galaxy) for two years. This stadium is intimate with a capacity of 27,000. It will be a unique opportunity for anybody wanting to see the Browns up close and personal. Last time I checked, tickets were not ridiculously priced and anybody interested in going I encourage you to start looking into it. Last time I went to San Diego the local Browns Backers held great parties and tailgates and it was a fun weekend. On that note, I did enquire about group sales but, unfortunately due to the size of the stadium it simply isn't going to happen. I apologize for that. When I look at our schedule I see the potential to play competitively and win a handful of games. I am realistic and do not expect playoffs etc. However, I believe we will field an improved team that may be frustrating, disappointing yet, surprising, as well. I also firmly believe they will be fun to watch. When was the last time we all said that the Browns were fun? Probably 2014 when we won seven (before the wheels dramatically fell off the bus - hard!). If you use Facebook, I encourage you to join the PDX Browns Backers FB page. It is significantly more active than this offical website. But, anything of serious importance I will always post in here. I also welcome you all to come to the Blitz to watch your Browns every week. We have a great set-up with multiple screens and tvs devoted to the Browns and kids are welcome. Every week we also hold a raffle for various Browns merchandise. But, most importantly we sit together united as one and loyally and passionately cheer for our mighty orange and brown. Here We Go Brownies, Here We Go! WOOF WOOF! Go Browns! Michael Fell, President Portland Browns Backers What an interesting off-season it has been, From firings and new hires, all leading to a plethora of uncertainty, doubt, and now a new amount of hope.
When the fires happened it spun off into happiness, because the misery was going to end, and new hope sprung eternal, and gone where the idiots, that at times, even seemed to be too stupid to qualify as idiots. Pettine went from capable and tough enough to manage a group of players, then appeared as a coach who never seemed to get his players to live up to their potential. Farmer had a chance to turn it around, but he only seemed to put more dirt on his own grave. Then after the firings, we all had such visions of grandeur. If they hire a great coach and GM we can turn this around. This time the new hires began happening quickly. On came Hue, and the Harvard 3. From a vision of a true quality GM, analytics became the new hot button with the Browns. With that new direction came the doubters, the jokes and the naysayers. Many still linger, now after a draft that saw 15 current players, and three future draft picks delivered to us as proof, perhaps since analytics is about numbers, it also means that numbers will provide us a turnaround. If half of those 15 new players become solid additions a turnaround may not be a pipe dream. As we move ahead in a season of change, the change will also come to the Portland Browns Backers. I have the need to step down as President, and turn the wheel over to the Vice President Michael Fell, and have him steer the ship. I have some health issues that are providing some uncertainty, and I want to make sure the uncertainty is not going to change the standing of the Portland Browns Backers. So, if you want to contact me directly feel free, ([email protected]) but Michael is THE person who understands what it takes to help this club grow. So with Michael as President, Mark as Treasurer and myself as Vice President, we assure you, the Browns experience will continue to get better. Thanks for making the Browns Backers a part of your life for the last 28 years. Sincerely, Kevin Herbst Go Browns!!! "It was a typical game of the 2015 season. Optimism curbed by uncertainty, bridled by disappointment, and finally left with a head scratching WTF, as our ongoing question.
With the game fifteen minutes ahead, there were many of the mainstays, the regulars, from freshly turned 85 Jim Leusch, who's Browns fandom encompasses all the success, and Jim, can share stories from the last 70 years that most can only read about, to the newest of fans Tygh Wade not yet one year, yet so full of life, and bringing a new optimism to his parents, Mike and Shelley Wade. The fans who brave the roads, like Stan Arms making his trek from Woodburn, to others who come from all over the NW to watch the Browns. Now we get the ridicule of fans of every team, and on this day it even crossed over from fans of a local team, but of a different sport. As the number of Browns fans grew, it appeared a solid but not spectacular crowd upward to 60 fans came to the Blitz Ladd to see the newest addition on the QB carousel, since our return was getting his chance. I for one, expected solid play and favorable results from Austin Davis, yet one by one his receiving options were sent to the locker room, from Barnidge and Benjamin injured and out, so it leaves us with unknowns in smallest of the small WR Darius Jennings to make plays, against perhaps the AFCs best and deepest team, interstate rival the Cincinnati Bengals. This season also has seen a new situation arise. The appearance of fans each week, fans of other teams showing up, sitting amongst the Browns Backers, and root for their team. So just as any other week a few Bengals fans found their way in between the Browns fans to root on their team. However this day is not just about the Browns, but a misunderstood fan base. So it was that about 11am they began appearing. Finding their way into a world, very foreign to many of them. Their awkwardness was not only evident in their puzzling looks around the bar, but also the appearance of many in their Alaska Airlines green jerseys. So I decided to not only buffer the impact of the Timbers invasion, but also make sure that proper respect was given to the Browns Backers members. It was at that time I decided to stay for the Timber game and see how this group dealt with the end result. So here on one hand, this storied NFL franchise, fans so craving success, owed by a man who was a minority owner in our biggest rival. Then on the other hand, a newer franchise in a growing sport, that many still don't share the same enthusiasm for that sport, own ed by the son of former US Secretary of Treasury. Both men, have ties to making money, one by fueling peoples travel, the other actually printing it. So here I sit, wishing and praying that one day to experience what I just saw, a Championship for the only team for me that matters, The Cleveland Browns, and celebrate not just for a couple of days, but for the rest of all our lives. If anything, the Timbers may have shown us how to start a celebration, we'll show them how big it can be". Go Browns!!! Kevin Herbst OHIO SPORTS FANS…
Join in the fun, during “Ohio Sports Fest!” Beginning with this Sunday's, Browns/Rams game (Oct. 25), The Blitz Ladd, will be an Ohio Sports Fans haven, and will continue until the completion of “Ohio Sports Fest” on Sunday November 8th. During this time the Browns will play 3 games, The Cavs 7 games, and the Buckeyes 1 game. The Blitz will provide Browns and Buckeyes games in their normal seating areas, while the Cavs games will be shown in the back "Living Room" with the big projector screen So come on out, join others and spend your time supporting the sports teams, near and dear to your heart.
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Various AuthorsAuthor credits at bottom of each blog entry. Archives
November 2021
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