Traveling with the Cleveland Browns (2016 Edition)

Miami is gorgeous, even when it's overcast. If you've been reading along since the beginning, you know that when I first started planning this journey, I was really excited about this trip. First off, it was a trip to Florida and I had yet to visit the state. Secondly, the Browns Backers club had an amazing Saturday night party/meet-and-greet set up.  And finally, it was a trip to Miami which was guaranteed to have sunshine and warm weather, right?  Well...at least it was warm. The Browns Backers Saturday night party did not disappoint. Cindy Hunt has been the president there since 2009 so she had been waiting to plan an event like this for seven years.  I got to meet so many fans; it was as if they had a Little Cleveland in Hollywood, Florida.  Browns, Indians, Cavs, and Buckeyes gear was worn by just about everyone in attendance. After partying through the night, we all met back at the bar early Sunday morning to pregame and meet up for the bus ...

Here's a little sample of what I was treated to this weekend. Standing in front of Mickey Byrne's Irish Pub, the official bar of the Hollywood Florida  Browns Backers  Club If you're looking for a ride and you haven't tried Uber or Lyft yet, check them out with my promo code to get a free ride. Uber: vince1149ue Lyft: VINCE441580 If you're looking for a place to stay, check out Airbnb at http://www.airbnb.com/c/vincec1302 to get $35 in travel credit. Check back later for the Full Miami!

So many people...p eople walking up and down the aisles, most with a cup in one hand and some with a case of beer in the other.  People dancing wherever there was space.  People playing cornhole or "Drive A Nail In A Tree Stump" (I don't know the actual name for that..um.."game", but there were these groups of people hanging around a tree stump with nails in it, someone swung down a hammer, and the rest of the group let out a collective "Oooooo". It was hilarious and I'll probably end up playing it before season's end.) My guess is there are about 100,000 people that show up to party, but within the large party that is Cleveland Browns tailgating, there are all of these sub parties; makeshift dance floors, buses and trailers, tents on top of tents equipped with TVs and sound systems.  And the DJs!  Don't forget the DJs. And the female Cleveland Browns fans! There's something about a woman in brown and orange that support...

No matter how the season is going, there's no place like Cleveland Browns Stadium and the Cleveland fans. Cleveland Browns Stadium, December 7th, 2014 This is Cleveland, the most recently anointed champion of all major sports. While we embrace our hometown teams with unwavering love and admiration, The 'Land will always and forever be a Browns Town.  No matter the state of the season or the team, any time an opponent comes to our city we believe (or at the very least hope wholeheartedly) that gameday Sunday will end in victory.  Attending a Browns game as a fan and participating in one of the largest social events of the year called Browns Tailgating, allows you to experience a mixture of feelings that are usually reserved for the holidays; hope, excitement, anticipation, a little anxiety.  You get to enjoy good food, good drink, good company, and when all is said and done, hopefully a good game. I hope you get to experience it firsthand at least once in yo...

Back to school...back to school...to prove to dad that I'm not a fool... I have done solo trips like this before, most recently last year when I did a West Coast Adventure Tour with not much more than a duffel bag and my Jeep, but I still felt some nerves a few days leading up to this day; I had the First Day Jitters.  Will the other kids like me?  Will I end up eating lunch alone? I woke up excited, made some coffee, took a few deep breaths, and then made my way to the stadium.  Google Maps directed me to the general destination, but then my instincts took over and I found a street near the stadium where a bunch of fans were parking and hanging out .  I asked a couple standing next to their van about this area and they said that it was a free parking hidden gem where they liked to pregame before meeting their group at the game.  After helping me park, they offered me a beer and soft pretzel, we exchanged a few stories, and then I set back out on my own...

I'm not, what you'd call, a casual fan. This may be obvious to you since you've followed me thus far, but it's worth stating. My biggest weakness during this journey will be my fandom; I wear it on my sleeve and while it is admirable to support such a disheveled franchise, it could also get me hurt. With the Browns Backers Nation, I will never be riding alone, but there will be times when I might find myself by myself.  We've all heard stories and seen the headlines. I've also experienced some unruly fans first hand so I am prepared to an extent, but we, as a traveling fan base, must be prepared for battle.  We are "infiltrating" enemy lines. We are entering the same hostile environment as the players, but we lack the luxury of constant watch. To quote Sun Tzu, "The  supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." I hope that Philly fans, and all opposing team's fans for that matter, feel this way. To quote Bob Marley, ...

A friend of mine went to Tampa for the Browns pre-season game down there. While he failed to provide pics of any cheerleaders, he did manage to score some nice pics of the players on the field and the surrounding atmosphere. *pics courtesy of Rick V. My game ticket was purchased today, Nick from the Philadelphia Browns Backers knows I'll be joining them, they've got a few kegs of Great Lakes Brewing Co. beer on tap at the tailgate, and I'm stoked beyond belief.  From this point on, I plan on posting updates every Monday post game (Friday after the Browns-Ravens on Thursday). If anything fun happens in mid-week, I'll try to keep you updated. Enough for now...GO BROWNS!