CLEVELAND — It was the kind of night that sent the entire city into a frenzy. Moments after the Browns clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs, fans spilled into the streets.
It's only the third postseason appearance since the team returned to Cleveland back in 1999. Their last appearance was in 2020, but since it was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, many seats inside Browns Stadium were empty.
However, that wasn't the case Thursday night when the Browns beat the New York Jets.
"Yeah, I lost my voice ... I was screaming and woofing and going crazy and crying," one woman who has been a fan for 38 years said. "It was just awesome. ... I say it was Jim Brown shining down on us."
As fans celebrated, players were on Cloud Nine. This time, it felt different.
"It just seems like more and more people are getting involved," John Gendrich, who's attended Browns games for decades, told 3News. "More people want it."
Gendrich hasn't just gone as a fan; he's also has worked at Browns Stadium as a security guard since 2002; and was in the stands at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium back in 1995 at the very last game before the team moved to Baltimore.
"2020, it was a great year now, don't get me wrong. I loved it," he admitted. "This year, here, it just seems with the injuries that the team has had, what the team has gone through up to this point, it's just phenomenal. Again, to be part of it, to see the team doing what they're doing, to see the city so brought up, it's just amazing. It's just absolutely amazing."
Lifelong fans like Brian James say this year's team is mirroring what Cleveland is all about: hard work, grit, and teamwork.
"Probably with the way we are winning, we're winning more as a team as opposed to relying on one or two star players," James said. "You see it now. I mean, it's electric. Everybody's coming together."
Only true Browns fans know the rollercoaster of emotions: The hope at the beginning of each season and the heartache at the end. This year, though, there's deep faith in the moment Cleveland has long deserved.
"What would be the ultimate ending?" I asked Gendrich.
Struggling to keep his composure, he answered:
"Super Bowl. Super Bowl," he said as he fought back tears. "I am saying they're going to get it done."
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