After more than 25 years of football, the Cleveland Browns are preparing to move on from Huntington Bank Field to a brand new, fully enclosed $2.4 billion stadium. Thanks in part to a $600-million funding from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on behalf of the taxpayers, the Browns will officially be the first AFC North team to sport a domed facility.
Advertisement
Touted as a “state-of-the-art” facility, the new home of the Browns will feature everything from the stadium to various commercial and real estate properties. Much like the Green Bay Packers or even the Chicago Bears, now more so than ever before, teams are trying to transform their local stomping grounds into a unique experience.
According to Pat McAfee, it’s an example of how team owners are trying to fully capitalize on every source of revenue available, revolving around tourism and the NFL.
“In Green Bay, the Packers have a museum, and a Hall of Fame, and some other sh*t that you can come visit and make a trip out of it. If Cleveland does that, which we assume they will, with stores, hotels, everything else, then it’s like you can make your Cleveland Browns football team your actual getaway as well. Which is what all of these teams are trying to do,” McAfee explained.
Given that the AFC North has a culture of gritty football play in the wintertime, McAfee’s co-host and former Carolina Panther, Darius Butler, suggested that seeing the Browns play inside a dome is going to feel “very, very weird.”
Then again, given their recent track record, mixing things up could be a wise move for the Browns. “The sh*t that they’ve been doing hasn’t been working, so let’s do it completely different,” said Butler.
“I know there are some people who just love football indoors, in a controlled climate. I’m a fan of outdoor weather, the elements, especially when you’re playing in a division like the Browns are… But anytime you build a new facility, you’re going to bring new people in and boost the economy… This is big for Cleveland,” Butler added.
The new stadium, at the very least, should manage to bring more major events to the area. No retractable roof or dome often restricted the availability of Huntington Bank Field during periods of inclement weather.
However, former Green Bay Packer A.J. Hawk thinks that some fans will have a hard time letting go of the competitive edge that came with the cold. “Real fans definitely hate the dome,” Hawk suggested.
“Oh, if Pittsburgh were to put a dome on, they’d be very pissed,” McAfee agreed.
For better or worse, the Browns may have played their final snow game. While that may be a bummer for football enthusiasts, the local economy is grinning ear to ear right now.
