Dawg Pound
Encyclopedia
The Dawg Pound is the name of the bleacher section behind the east end zone
in Cleveland Browns Stadium
, the home field of the Cleveland Browns
. It is known for its extremely zealous fan base.
, then a cornerback
with the Browns
, Dixon himself gave his defensive teammates the name "Dawgs" to inspire them before the 1985 season. The Dawg Pound started during the 1985 Training Camp at Lakeland Community College
in Kirtland, Ohio
. Dixon and fellow cornerback Frank Minnifield
started the idea of the pound by using the dog-versus-cat relationship between the quarterback and the defense. "We had the idea of the quarterback being the cat, and the defensive line being the dog," Dixon said. "Whenever the defense would get a regular sack or a coverage sack the defensive linemen and linebackers would bark." This attitude carried into the stands at the training camp, where fans started barking along with the players. Dixon and Minnifield then put up the first "Dawg Pound" banner in front of the bleachers before the first preseason game at old Cleveland Stadium
. The bleacher section had the cheapest seats in the stadium, and its fans were already known as the most vocal. They adopted their new identity whole-heartedly, wearing dog
nose
s, dog mask
s, bone-shaped hat
s and other outlandish costume
s.
into the stadium, as bleacher fans would shower the visiting team with Milk-Bone
s, along with other objects. Dawg Pound fans also consumed hefty amounts of alcohol
, even sneaking a keg
into the stadium inside of a doghouse
. Eventually, the team lined the Dawg Pound with security personnel and had spies monitor the section from above to look for violations of ground rules. Their reputation was such that other teams' rowdy fans would often be compared to them - in 1989, when a Cincinnati Bengals
game was halted by the throwing of debris at the visiting Seattle Seahawks
, Bengals coach Sam Wyche
addressed the crowd, angrily reminding them that, "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!"
On at least one occasion, Dawg Pound rowdiness had a concrete impact on the outcome of a game. In the fourth quarter of a 1989 game against the hated Denver Broncos
, the rain of batteries
and other debris coming down from the bleachers was endangering the safety of the players. To move the action away from the east end, referee Tom Dooley
had the teams switch sides. That put the wind at the Browns' back. The Browns won on a Matt Bahr
field goal
that barely cleared the crossbar.
At the final game at Cleveland Stadium in December 1995, members of the Dawg Pound ripped the bleachers from the stands (many having brought wrenches, crowbar
s, and other tools to dislodge the seats). Some fans threw the seats onto the field, while others took them home as souvenirs.
"Here We Go, Brownies, Here We Go!", followed by "Woof! Woof!" is the most common chant heard in the Pound, especially on drives (either offensive or defensive) going towards that end of the field.
was completed in 1999, team officials named the sections in Cleveland Browns Stadium's east end the Dawg Pound. The new Pound differs from the original in having two decks, but like the Dawg Pound of Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the new stadium's Dawg Pound seats are all bleachers.
The new Pound also has official recognition from the team. The team trademark
ed a Dawg Pound logo
, which it uses on select fan memorabilia. This logo was created by NFL Properties and is the only such logo developed for an NFL fan base by the league. It features a Browns helmet-clad dog gripping a football in its jaws surrounded by the words "DAWG POUND" in a stencil font. The logo is featured on officially licensed Browns merchandise such as t-shirts, pennants, bumper stickers, etc.
The establishment nature of the new Pound, as well as the more-sterile atmosphere of the new stadium, originally turned off some veteran fans.
There has also been somewhat of a backlash against the Browns organization by some in the old "blue-collar" fan base. This has resulted from what was originally a player and fan movement - the Dawg Pound - having been made "corporate," by the Browns organization, including trademarks, copyrights and an official "Dawg Pound" logo (seen at the top right of this article). Also, the more sterile, corporate atmosphere at the new Cleveland Browns Stadium (as opposed to the near anarchy at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the 1960s-1990s) has been viewed by more traditionalist Browns fans and Dawg Pound season ticket holders as tarnishing the history and traditional passion of the fanbase.
In a crucial late-season 2001 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars
, the Browns were driving toward the east end zone for what would have been the winning score. A controversial call on fourth down gave the Jaguars the ball. Browns' receiver Quincy Morgan
had caught a pass for a first down on 4th and 1. After Tim Couch
spiked the ball on the next play, referee Terry McAulay
reviewed Morgan's catch, claiming that the replay officials had buzzed him before Couch spiked the ball. (NFL Rules state that once the next play is completed, the officials cannot under any circumstances review any previous plays.) Upon reviewing the play, McAulay determined that Morgan never had control of the ball, thus the pass was incomplete, and the Jaguars were awarded the ball. Fans in the Dawg Pound began throwing plastic beer
bottles and other objects on the players and officials. McAulay declared the game over and sent the teams to the locker rooms. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue
then called to override the referee's decision, sending the players back onto the field, where the Jaguars ran out the last seconds under a hail of debris.
fan base that made the Municipal Stadium's Dawg Pound famous. Even Hank Aaron has been known to sit (incognito) in the Pound.
One of the more famous Dawg Pound season-ticket holders is John Big Dawg Thompson (he had a legal name change
to include his nickname), known as the "Canine-in-Chief." Television cameras often showed the offensive-lineman-sized man in his dog mask and No. 98 jersey, although recently he has undergone gastric bypass surgery and lost considerable weight. In 1995, Thompson became an unofficial spokesman for Browns fans fighting the move of the team to Baltimore. He testified before the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary and appeared on Politically Incorrect
with Bill Maher
.
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
in Cleveland Browns Stadium
Cleveland Browns Stadium
-See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity...
, the home field of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. It is known for its extremely zealous fan base.
Formation
According to Hanford DixonHanford Dixon
Hanford Dixon is a former professional American football cornerback who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. Dixon made the Pro Bowl three times, in 1986, 1987 and 1988. He was drafted by the Browns out of The University of Southern Mississippi with the 22nd pick in the...
, then a cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
with the Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Dixon himself gave his defensive teammates the name "Dawgs" to inspire them before the 1985 season. The Dawg Pound started during the 1985 Training Camp at Lakeland Community College
Lakeland Community College
Lakeland Community College is a two-year community college in Lake County, Ohio. Established in 1967, Lakeland was the first college in Ohio founded by a vote of the people...
in Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census. Kirtland is famous for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Origins of Kirtland:...
. Dixon and fellow cornerback Frank Minnifield
Frank Minnifield
Frank Minnifield is a former American football player who played defensive back for the Cleveland Browns from 1984-92.Minnifield attended Henry Clay High School in Lexington...
started the idea of the pound by using the dog-versus-cat relationship between the quarterback and the defense. "We had the idea of the quarterback being the cat, and the defensive line being the dog," Dixon said. "Whenever the defense would get a regular sack or a coverage sack the defensive linemen and linebackers would bark." This attitude carried into the stands at the training camp, where fans started barking along with the players. Dixon and Minnifield then put up the first "Dawg Pound" banner in front of the bleachers before the first preseason game at old Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
. The bleacher section had the cheapest seats in the stadium, and its fans were already known as the most vocal. They adopted their new identity whole-heartedly, wearing dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
nose
Nose
Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for respiration in conjunction with the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes through the pharynx, shared with the...
s, dog mask
Mask
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
s, bone-shaped hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
s and other outlandish costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
s.
Notoriety
Dawg Pound fans quickly developed a reputation for misbehavior as well as vociferousness. Team officials banned the carrying of dog foodDog food
Dog food refers to food specifically intended for consumption by dogs. Though technically omnivorous, dogs exhibit a natural carnivorous bias, have sharp, pointy teeth, and have short gastrointestinal tracts better suited for the consumption of meat...
into the stadium, as bleacher fans would shower the visiting team with Milk-Bone
Milk-Bone
Milk-Bone is a brand of dog biscuit. It was created in 1908 by the F. H. Bennett Biscuit Company, which operated a bakery on the Lower East Side of New York City. Originally named Maltoid, the biscuit was a bone-shaped treat made from minerals, meat products, and milk...
s, along with other objects. Dawg Pound fans also consumed hefty amounts of alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
, even sneaking a keg
Keg
A keg is a small barrel.Traditionally, a wooden keg is made by a cooper used to transport items such as nails, gunpowder., and a variety of liquids....
into the stadium inside of a doghouse
Doghouse
A doghouse, known in British English as a kennel, is a small shed commonly built in the shape of a little house intended for a dog. It is a structure in which a dog is kept or can run into for shelter from the elements.-Architecture:...
. Eventually, the team lined the Dawg Pound with security personnel and had spies monitor the section from above to look for violations of ground rules. Their reputation was such that other teams' rowdy fans would often be compared to them - in 1989, when a Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
game was halted by the throwing of debris at the visiting Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, Bengals coach Sam Wyche
Sam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
addressed the crowd, angrily reminding them that, "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!"
On at least one occasion, Dawg Pound rowdiness had a concrete impact on the outcome of a game. In the fourth quarter of a 1989 game against the hated Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the rain of batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
and other debris coming down from the bleachers was endangering the safety of the players. To move the action away from the east end, referee Tom Dooley
Tom Dooley (American football official)
Robert Thomas "Tom" Dooley Jr. was an American football official for 32 years with 14 of those years in the National Football League from 1978 to 1992 as a line judge and referee. Dooley was assigned Super Bowl XV in 1981 as line judge...
had the teams switch sides. That put the wind at the Browns' back. The Browns won on a Matt Bahr
Matt Bahr
Matthew David Bahr is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania where he excelled in both football and soccer...
field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
that barely cleared the crossbar.
At the final game at Cleveland Stadium in December 1995, members of the Dawg Pound ripped the bleachers from the stands (many having brought wrenches, crowbar
Crowbar (tool)
A crowbar, a wrecking bar, pry bar, or prybar, or sometimes a prise bar or prisebar, and more informally a jimmy, jimmy bar, jemmy or gooseneck is a tool consisting of a metal bar with a single curved end and flattened points, often with a small fissure on one or both ends for removing nails...
s, and other tools to dislodge the seats). Some fans threw the seats onto the field, while others took them home as souvenirs.
"Here We Go, Brownies, Here We Go!", followed by "Woof! Woof!" is the most common chant heard in the Pound, especially on drives (either offensive or defensive) going towards that end of the field.
The new Pound
When Cleveland Browns StadiumCleveland Browns Stadium
-See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity...
was completed in 1999, team officials named the sections in Cleveland Browns Stadium's east end the Dawg Pound. The new Pound differs from the original in having two decks, but like the Dawg Pound of Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the new stadium's Dawg Pound seats are all bleachers.
The new Pound also has official recognition from the team. The team trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
ed a Dawg Pound logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
, which it uses on select fan memorabilia. This logo was created by NFL Properties and is the only such logo developed for an NFL fan base by the league. It features a Browns helmet-clad dog gripping a football in its jaws surrounded by the words "DAWG POUND" in a stencil font. The logo is featured on officially licensed Browns merchandise such as t-shirts, pennants, bumper stickers, etc.
The establishment nature of the new Pound, as well as the more-sterile atmosphere of the new stadium, originally turned off some veteran fans.
There has also been somewhat of a backlash against the Browns organization by some in the old "blue-collar" fan base. This has resulted from what was originally a player and fan movement - the Dawg Pound - having been made "corporate," by the Browns organization, including trademarks, copyrights and an official "Dawg Pound" logo (seen at the top right of this article). Also, the more sterile, corporate atmosphere at the new Cleveland Browns Stadium (as opposed to the near anarchy at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the 1960s-1990s) has been viewed by more traditionalist Browns fans and Dawg Pound season ticket holders as tarnishing the history and traditional passion of the fanbase.
In a crucial late-season 2001 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the Browns were driving toward the east end zone for what would have been the winning score. A controversial call on fourth down gave the Jaguars the ball. Browns' receiver Quincy Morgan
Quincy Morgan
Quincy Demond Earl Morgan is an American football free agent wide receiver in the National Football League who has played for the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Denver Broncos...
had caught a pass for a first down on 4th and 1. After Tim Couch
Tim Couch
Timothy Scott "Tim" Couch is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Kentucky...
spiked the ball on the next play, referee Terry McAulay
Terry McAulay
Terry McAulay is an American football official in the National Football League since the 1998 NFL season, and Coordinator of Football Officials for the Big East Conference since 2008....
reviewed Morgan's catch, claiming that the replay officials had buzzed him before Couch spiked the ball. (NFL Rules state that once the next play is completed, the officials cannot under any circumstances review any previous plays.) Upon reviewing the play, McAulay determined that Morgan never had control of the ball, thus the pass was incomplete, and the Jaguars were awarded the ball. Fans in the Dawg Pound began throwing plastic beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
bottles and other objects on the players and officials. McAulay declared the game over and sent the teams to the locker rooms. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue
Paul Tagliabue
Paul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL...
then called to override the referee's decision, sending the players back onto the field, where the Jaguars ran out the last seconds under a hail of debris.
Dawg Pound fans
Current ticket prices for the Dawg Pound are $50 per game, and usually require purchase of season tickets. Since construction of the new stadium the Dawg Pound is populated with more affluent attendees compared to the generally blue collarBlue collar
Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
fan base that made the Municipal Stadium's Dawg Pound famous. Even Hank Aaron has been known to sit (incognito) in the Pound.
One of the more famous Dawg Pound season-ticket holders is John Big Dawg Thompson (he had a legal name change
Name change
Name change generally refers to a legal act allowing a person to adopt a name different than their name at birth, marriage, or adoption. The procedures and ease of a name change depend on the jurisdiction. In general, common law jurisdictions have loose limitations on name changes while civil law...
to include his nickname), known as the "Canine-in-Chief." Television cameras often showed the offensive-lineman-sized man in his dog mask and No. 98 jersey, although recently he has undergone gastric bypass surgery and lost considerable weight. In 1995, Thompson became an unofficial spokesman for Browns fans fighting the move of the team to Baltimore. He testified before the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary and appeared on Politically Incorrect
Politically Incorrect
Politically Incorrect is a late-night, half-hour political talk show hosted by Bill Maher that ran from 1993 to 2002. It premiered on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997, and later on ABC in 1997, which cancelled it in 2002....
with Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
.
Other sources
- Grossi, Tony. Tales From the Browns Sideline. n.p.: Sports Publishing LLC, 2004. ISBN 1-58261-713-9.
- Associated Press (Dec. 17, 2001). "Football Turns Ugly." http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/12/17/sports/main321536.shtml CBS News.
- Nash, Bruce and Allan Zullo. The Football Hall of Shame 2. New York: Pocket Books, 1990. ISBN 0-671-69413-8.