Three Different Seasons

Yet they all have one thing in common: They serve as the defining moments in modern history for the Browns.

Red Right 88 following the 1980 season set the stage, The Drive in ’86 furthered it and The Fumble in ’87 added an exclamation point to it all.
To what?

Disappointment. Frustration. Disgust. Heartache. Headache. Even anger.

And, most importantly, a stronger-than-ever yearning for the Browns to finally break through the invisible barrier and get that elusive Super Bowl berth. The Browns have been close to earning it, but they’ve never quite gotten there.

Mike Davis spoiled the effort once, John Elway twice.

Together, they left Cleveland wanting and waiting in the 1980s – the supposed decade of greed.

And ever since the Browns have been trying to make amends for those games – those near-misses.

In the mid- to late 1990s, Browns fans fought to get their team, their colors and their history back. It worked, but with it also comes the memories – the after-effects – of those three contests. It’s part of the history and lore as well.

That will continue to be the case until the Browns make it all the way to that last game – and maybe even win it.

The names of the coaches won’t matter. Neither will those of the players. If you’re a member of the Browns – even if you were in diapers during the 1980s – what happened then is a part of who you are, what you’re up against.

With their fervency, Browns fans painfully re-visit all this 12 months out of the year, but especially in January, which marks another anniversary of those games. Red Right 88 is 24 years old this month, The Drive turns 18 and The Fumble observes No. 17.

As such, we’re going to re-visit those games here, in the order in which they were played, and see if perspectives have changed after all these years.