by Right now, all around Cleveland sports media and fandom, people are making the false ideology claims of how Jim Brown “was the greatest Cleveland Brown Ever”. Sadly, 99.9% of the people making these claims never saw the man play a single down. They are victims of revisionist history. Was he physically great, yes, no one can deny that. Is he one of the best backs to ever play the game? Yes again. However, there are things about Jim Brown not only the person after retirement, but the player on the field that many gloss over, and knock him down several pegs in my book and the book of my 90-year-old grandfather Joe DeLuca who saw every down of Cleveland Browns football before his passing a short while ago.
Paul Brown, Mickey McBride and Otto graham built the dynasty that is Cleveland Browns football, Jim Brown had nothing to do with it. The fall of the Browns would only come years later when Jim Brown and his militant ways destroyed the atmosphere of a winning culture.
He caused turmoil which resulted in Paul Brown getting fired. Jim Brown had little to do with their one championship win when he was on the team. His teammates will agree that he didn’t pass block, and was solely concerned with his own rushing totals and greatness. Jim Brown may have been a great runner, but he was a horrible teammate and one of the biggest reasons the Cleveland Browns have faced years of struggles since his departure. He was an absolute cancer off the field.
He actually retired from the set of a movie, instead of doing the classy thing and show the fans, and his teammates respect by retiring in front of them. He claimed to be all about “respect”, yet he rarely showed anyone it during his playing days.
Jim Brown went on to do many questionable things since his retirement that solidify how many of his teammates felt for him. The media has done an amazing job covering up his faults and continuing to treat him like Superman.
In my book, when you talk about the greatest Cleveland Brown of all time, Jim Brown is on the list, but not in the top 3. I rank him 4th behind the men I’m about to tell you about, the true 3 Greatest Cleveland Browns of all time! Enjoy the story on page two that list the three men more important to the history of Cleveland Browns football then Jim Brown.
