You have to admire the spirit of some of these Cleveland Browns fans.
After becoming the second-ever NFL team to finish 0-16, Browns fans organized a parade around FirstEnergy Stadium in both celebration and protest. The parade route formed the shape of a zero, of course:
Cleveland Police announce parking restrictions for 0-16 Cleveland Browns parade https://t.co/6U0KBPMFlX pic.twitter.com/A8MuKg4Gvw
— Cleveland 19 News (@cleveland19news) January 6, 2018
The parade was fittingly sponsored by Excedrin, a headache relief medicine. FarmersOnly.com, a dating site for farmers, also sponsored the parade. That one makes a little less sense.
This day is for you #PerfectSeasonParade pic.twitter.com/ov2CIVDgJv
— Excedrin® (@Excedrin) January 5, 2018
The Farmer's Only float. #BrownsParade pic.twitter.com/SiBSTBOvZD
— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) January 6, 2018
Things really fell into place:
The real feel temperature for the 0-16 “Perfect Season” parade today for the Browns is appropriately hovering around -16 (via @theblackstripe_) pic.twitter.com/mvgn3QKuhC
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 6, 2018
With such frigid temperatures, nobody was quite sure how many people would actually show up to celebrate an 0-16 season. Well...
Parade underway. There may be 5,000. Browns. pic.twitter.com/Rin5OsxK3F
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) January 6, 2018
Raw video of the scene outside @FEStadium 5 mins from Browns ‘Perfect Season parade’ stepping off pic.twitter.com/bmlqhzXLmr
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) January 6, 2018
Fans even tailgated this thing:
Browns "perfect season" 0-16 parade attendees tailgating in the muni lot before the parade begins. pic.twitter.com/Vx8SsERexG
— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) January 6, 2018
The "floats" were pretty fantastic. One of the better floats was a dump truck with the record painted on the side:
Here's an early look at some of the "floats" that will be part of the #BrownsParade. pic.twitter.com/otGzkN0t7R
— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) January 6, 2018
Bury this season. pic.twitter.com/y85qJy1Ipv
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) January 6, 2018
At the #PerfectSeasonParade pretty good crowd in place already. Some #beliveland folks are here supporting the team. It is CRAZY COLD. @YourChronicle #parade #browns #cleveland @NFL @nflnetwork @espn pic.twitter.com/aA3JPyXDeL
— Bruce Bishop (@bruce_bishop) January 6, 2018
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) January 6, 2018
There was a parade in Cleveland for the 0-16 Browns and, well, it went about as expected. (via @mikerothstein) pic.twitter.com/doYbOL3aZM
— ESPN (@espn) January 6, 2018
Bands played live music during the parade, including this Sad Santa:
Browns parade. pic.twitter.com/zviS9I7TW3
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) January 6, 2018
"I was excited to actually do something" sums it all up, really:
This parade summed up perfectly in one fan interview. #Browns pic.twitter.com/ffXYSIW0l8
— Glenn Moore (@GlennMooreCLE) January 6, 2018
Signs were made:
Hard times. #BrownsParade pic.twitter.com/DnRTaWH0rE
— Jake Corcoran (@Jake_Corcoran) January 6, 2018
Big Bird pic.twitter.com/liQ33RpCHr
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) January 6, 2018
Not everyone liked the idea. Browns defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah criticized fans for attending the parade:
That parade is a joke don’t call yourself a true browns fan if you go to that thing! Going 0-16 was embarrassing enough as a player. That is like adding fuel to the fire and it is completely wrong!
— Emmanuel Ogbah (@EmanOgbah) January 6, 2018
Danny Shelton expressed similar thoughts:
Can’t wait for things to start rolling the right way for the Browns. Funny how these “fans” will be the ones that say “I am a die hard Browns fan” but fans don’t disrespect their home team. 🤷🏽♂️ I know we still have some faithful fans out there, things will get better! ✊🏽 https://t.co/JZBmtPod6L
— Feast Mode #55 (@Danny_Shelton55) January 6, 2018
There are players on this team who want to play and win for the Browns and The Land. Parading around isn’t encouraging a change, it’s more so encouraging players to avoid the opportunity to play here. 1-31 isn’t what we want to be known for but we won’t stop fighting to win here.
— Feast Mode #55 (@Danny_Shelton55) January 6, 2018
Our Lance Lysowski got into the spirit of things with this unreal shirt:
Thinking of all my friends in Ohio today. This is your day. Cheers to making history. I’ll wear this today in your honor. pic.twitter.com/AyOArYX6u1
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) January 6, 2018
Chris McNeil, the parade’s organizer, estimated that the cost to cover security, restrooms and medical personnel for the parade was between $8,000 and $9,000. Any additional proceeds from sponsors or fans on the event's GoFundMe were donated to the Cleveland Food Bank.
What do you say they take those paper bags down to the lake, and party all winter?
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Sad. -- @bustedcoverage / Twitter[/caption]
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