Cleveland Browns Cheerleaders

Cleveland Browns Cheerleader Program

In the modern era of NFL football, the Cleveland Browns are one of the few remaining teams not to have a professional cheerleading squad. The closest they have ever had was an all-girl marching band, depicted here.

Other members of the NFL which do not or have not ever had cheerleading squads are:

Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers (the New York Jets introduced cheerleaders in 2007).

Why No Cleveland Browns Cheerleaders

When people ask why the Browns don’t have cheerleaders, the most common answer given is their old-school mentality. This is, after all, a team which doesn’t feature a logo on the side of their helmets, instead preferring a solid brown color scheme.

Another reason given is Cleveland’s cold temperatures in the fall and winter months. Since they have an outdoor stadium, this would make for very uncomfortable conditions for a cheerleading squad. It should be pointed out, however, that the New England Patriots have cheerleaders, and temperatures at Foxboro stadium during the second half of the season are just as frigid as those at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Cleveland Browns Cheerleaders - Skirting the Issue

While the Browns have never had an official group, they have had cheerleaders on the sidelines during home games. In years past, this took the form of cheer squads from local high schools.

During the 1940s, the Browns even had an all-girl marching band. In the picture above, you can see team founder Arthur B. McBride having a little fun with the leggy girls from the 1947 squad.

Will the Browns Ever Have Cheerleaders?

Every year, at last one cheerleader thread seems to be started on every Browns’ fan forum. While the issue seems to greatly irritate a number of purists, there are also a large amount of fans who post in favor of adding cheerleaders to the Brownies.

An online poll has even been started to gather support for a team-sponsored cheerleading squad. Addressed to team president Phil Savage, it reads:

“The Cleveland Browns are finally moving up in their level of competitiveness. However, there is one piece of the puzzle missing to be considered a legitimate contender: cheerleaders. If you feel the Browns are just this one step away from the Super Bowl, sign this petition and let the Browns know we want cheerleaders on the sidelines!”

As of this writing, the poll has only garnered 25 signatures.

Cleveland Browns Fans - Browns Fans

At the end of the 2007 NFL season, a season ticket holder year end survey included several questions about cheerleaders. This has led many to speculate that Cleveland Browns cheerleaders will be added sometime in the not-so-distant future.