Browns CEO Joe Banner and VP/Fan Experience & Marketing Kevin Griffin have been busy this offseason "repairing a game day experience" at FirstEnergy Stadium that was "antiquated, unexciting, and uninspiring," according to Will Burge of ESPN CLEVELAND. A source said that the Browns have a "laundry list of changes in store" for fans. Fan Night at FirstEnergy Stadium will be "held on August 3rd this year and will allow fans to come and watch a Browns inter-squad scrimmage free of charge." The team has spent money to "make room for an inside pregame tailgate experience." The pre- and in-game music will "be upgraded." The "most noticeable change will be the player introductions." The team this year will "have flames, pyrotechnics, and smoke when the Browns players are introduced." The team also "decided it needed a pre-introduction hype video similar to what the Cavs do at Quicken Loans Arena." There "will not be cheerleaders on the Browns’ sidelines." However, there "is a drum line." The "goal of the organization is to make that drum line all female as somewhat of a compromise to those who wanted a skirt wearing spirit squad." There also will be wiener dog races as Griffin worked with the Seahawks and MLS Sounders and these were a "hit with the crowds" (ESPNCLEVELAND.com, 7/9).
CULTURE CHANGE: Browns Radio Daily Senior Editor Vic Carucci discussed the new Browns regime under Owner Jimmy Haslam III and said, "It’s definitely brought about a refreshed perspective of what it takes to connect with the fans and the whole fan experience, which is what we’re a part of." Carucci: "What I’ve appreciated about it more than anything is the change. ... It has been 'bigger, better, more' versus 'okay let’s cut back on this or be more conservative with this or do less of this.' I thought we were doing a lot before the change in ownership and administration, and what I’ve come to realize is that there’s so much more that we could be doing and are doing now" (Jillian Fay, Staff Writer).
