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EREA, Ohio -- One of the most loyal Dawg Pounders is done barking about the sad state of his beloved Cleveland Browns. It's time to bite.
Lifelong Browns fan and season-ticket holder Mike Randall, aka "Dawg Pound Mike," is encouraging other Cleveland fans to stay away from their seats for the opening kickoff of the Browns' Nov. 16 home game against Baltimore.
Sickened by the nearly constant losing since the NFL team's return in 1999, Randall hopes the sight of empty seats for the start of the nationally televised Monday night game will send a loud message to owner Randy Lerner and club officials that fans have had enough.
"We're tired of losing," the 39-year-old Randall said. "We're tired of the booing, of seeing fans leave in the fourth quarter. There are fans who have had tickets for 30 years who are turning their seats in because they can't take it anymore. So many fans are fed up."
Randall and his friend, Tony Schafer, decided to go ahead with plans for the protest following last Sunday's 31-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers. As they walked out of the stadium, they heard fans grumbling about how they're wasting their Sundays and money.
Their hope is that fans stay outside the stadium, on concourses or in the restrooms for the start of the game.
The Akron Beacon-Journal first reported the protest, which Randall and Schafer announced on the Web site www.mobiledawg.com.
"We don't want to see fans with bags on their heads or booing," Randall said. "We love the Browns and will do anything to support them. But we're not being heard. Our goal is to say to the Browns' organization, 'Hey, listen to your fans."
And the response they got
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The season-ticket holder, aka "Dawg Pound Mike," one of the best known members of Cleveland's rabid bleacher section of fans, spent two hours on Tuesday meeting with Lerner, who stepped away from a turbulent week and his busy schedule for the visit.
Randall and his friend, Tony Schafer, have been encouraging others to stay out of their seats for the opening kickoff of Cleveland's next home game on Nov. 16 to protest the Browns' futility. The fans were scheduled to spend 30 minutes with Lerner but ended up staying much longer.
"It was great," Randall said. "How many owners would spend two hours meeting with two fans? None."
Randall said Lerner was receptive to their ideas for improving the Browns' game-day experience at Cleveland Browns Stadium and even tossed out a few of his own. Randall, who has met Lerner several times, came away impressed with the owner's passion and determination to get the Browns turned around.
"He's doing everything he can to improve the Browns," Randall said. "He wants it to happen — now."
Lerner's meeting with the fans came less than 24 hours after general manager George Kokinis was removed from his job, the latest upheaval for a franchise that has made the playoffs just once since 1999 and is on its fourth head coach in 10 years.
The camera-shy Lerner has yet to address the circumstances surrounding Kokinis' departure.
Randall said he and Schafer are going forward with the "Brown out" protest despite their meeting with Lerner. They will consider canceling it if Lerner agrees to speak to Browns fans, who walked out by the thousands during the second half of a recent home loss to Green Bay.
I'm not sure there is a "guy" that would represent the fan base but if thousands walk out at a home game, people will take notice of that. If it gets much worse it could be an option that would get Jed's attention.
