<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1ZFmQy_0vKE0NiM00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1ZFmQy_0vKE0NiM00" width="1182" height="619" >The Cleveland Browns have a talented team with aspirations to make the playoffs and potentially win the division. Yet, with just days before the season kicks off, the lack of enthusiasm is notable. Looking into the reasons why.The NFL season is here and yet there's a glaring lack of excitement as the <a href="https://247sports.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/">Cleveland Browns</a> get set to host the <a href="https://247sports.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/">Dallas Cowboys</a>. Undoubtedly, fans will get ramped up and ready to go likely starting with the Thursday night game between the <a href="https://247sports.com/nfl/baltimore-ravens/">Baltimore Ravens</a> and <a href="https://247sports.com/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/">Kansas City Chiefs</a>. Fans will tailgate and fill up Cleveland Browns Stadium in preparation for the game, but there's a lack of juice heading into the start of the regular season. Some of it can be blamed on the uncertainty within the team, but much of that disconnect is directly on how the team is keeping the fanbase at arm's length.From radio shows to print and online publications, there is a noticeable lack of enthusiasm heading into the opening week of the season. The Browns are a team poised to compete for the playoffs and potentially be in the mix for their first division title since 1989 and yet, there is less juice for the start of this season than many years were they were objectively one of the worst teams in the league.So many of those years, there would still be fans rationalizing how they'd manage to get a winning record or somehow make the playoffs. That's what makes it noticeable that when the Browns have a talented team with so much talent and aspirations to be a contender and the fervor isn't there in the same way.Much of this revolves around quarterback <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/deshaun-watson-13254/">Deshaun Watson</a>. His acquisition under heavy scrutiny made it easy, even practical for the Browns to limit access from both fans and media. They knew what they were getting into and expected his play to lower the volume on the accusations of sexual misconduct. They didn't want their so-called franchise quarterback dealing with hecklers or even protesters. The problem is that he's played so little, just 12 games over two seasons and when he has played, the results have been mediocre at best, even his most ardent supporters are battling feelings of buyer's remorse.The bar is low for Watson to be successful with the talent the Browns have. They have a tremendous defense as well as plenty of weapons on offense. If he's simply average, the Browns should be a lock for the playoffs. But no one has a good feel where Watson is right now. Last offseason, he largely received praise during training camp with only a few in the media signaling concerns over his effectiveness. Then the injuries became the story.Ask an average fan, they will tell you they're excited a list of players including <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/myles-garrett-21127/">Myles Garrett</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/david-njoku-30655/">David Njoku</a> and <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/amari-cooper-9272/">Amari Cooper</a>, but there's a lingering and legitimate concern regarding the quarterback. That concern would continue to exist, but if fans can see him, they might have reason to feel better about the situation.If Watson was coming off a season in which he had threw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, there would be a palpable buzz around this team. The fact that he isn't certainly is limiting some of the excitement, replacing it with questions as to what he's able to bring to this team, but fans have been far more excited about lesser quarterbacks. There's more to it.Part of the problem is the choices the Browns have made in terms of access. The Browns going to the Greenbriar Resort for the past two seasons is fine. It keeps fans out of the venue, which isn't great, but it has all of the players there and they can bond and focus entirely on football. Most media and fans will excuse that given the fact players have touted that experience as helping to cement a culture which helped them win games last season. Games in which fans presumed the team dead only for them to come back and pull off a come from behind victory. They became a sensation throughout Northeast Ohio as well as nationally.But when the Browns have come back from West Virginia, the team has limited access to training camp. They had just six camp days open to fans, which doesn't account for weather forcing the team indoors. Contrast that to the <a href="https://247sports.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>. Virtually every practice is open to the public at Saint Vincent College. It's a way for the Steelers to keep growing that bond between Western Pennsylvania and their team.The Browns will push back and note CrossCountry Mortage Campus and the surrounding area is under contraction. That's true. They have bought up land around the facility and are currently working to improve and expand. But the Browns have options at their disposal. In years past, the Browns have gone to the stadium and opened that up to fans for an organized practice. They haven't done that in a few years. They also are trying to sell fans on the notion that when they get their dome project in Brook Park, they will be increasing the amount of fans that can attend. More seating, parking and amenities.Fine, but one of the best ways to increase support from the community for the dome project is to give fans a reason to be excited about those possibilities. Some of this, likely, comes down to the fact the Browns are overly paranoid about fans seeing what they are doing, filming it and sharing it. But other teams are able to accomplish this without much issue. For a team that desperately wants to garner support for this dome project, asking taxpayers to chip in, it's counter productive to cut them off from seeing and interacting with the team.There are parents who grew up going to training camp for the Browns and want to share that with their kids. It was also a way for fans with limited means to get up close to the team. They may not be able to afford to go to Cleveland Browns Stadium during the season with the cost to attend increasing every year, but they can create lasting memories getting to fist bump or get a picture with their favorite player. And considering the amount of star power this team has, that's a wasted opportunity.There's a growing disconnect. There are teams that have their training camps in entirely different states. The <a href="https://247sports.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/">Dallas Cowboys</a> and <a href="https://247sports.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/">Las Vegas Raiders</a> both hold training camp in California. And while the Browns do have a fanbase that stretches across the country, even the world, they are at their heart a local team. They should be working to ensure it feels that way even if they want to grow their brand internationallyThe way the Browns handled their preseason games was prudent from a football standpoint. From my perspective, playing starters in the preseason offers far more risk than reward. But part of the reason fans are disappointed they aren't seeing starters out there, notably the quarterback, is they can't go see them at practice. Fans want to be able to see players with their own eyes. They will read the media (hopefully including the OBR) to weigh their opinion against the media, but seeing it with their own eyes is a necessary part of the equation.Combine the lack of access in training camp and then add in preseason games in which they are seeing players that aren't likely to contribute in the regular season, it further fuels that disconnect. Some fans are thinking, even saying, wake them when the season starts. It's here, but they haven't had that excitement building up throughout the summer.And that lack of access provides less reason to talk about the team. There are far fewer kids who can tell their friends they got to stand next to giant offensive lineman or show off an autograph or picture with a player. It's no different for adults. They may be reading or watching media about their favorite team, but the conversations are pretty short.The Browns are trying to fill in some of the gaps by producing their own content. By in large, they do a great job with it, but when they don't pair it with in-person access, it can make them feel more distant. They may play in Cleveland, but they could be playing in Jimmy Haslam's home state of Tennessee or even on the moon if fans are occasionally treated to clips of practice or some behind the scenes looks.Viewership on the traditional format of Hard Knocks is dropping because teams are exercising so much control over what HBO can use. Some of that is because they don't want their limitations out there for anyone to see, but they are also a competing content outlet. The other part is fans just want to see the players play football, which is increasingly infrequent for a team like the Browns.There will be a sold out crowd there when the Browns open up the season on Sunday against the Cowboys. If they win, fans will be talking about the Super Bowl. Lose and there will be fans ready to bench players and fire coaches. Everything will likely return to normal. But for a team and a league that wants to be 365 days a year, the Browns are making it easier for fans to tune them out for large swaths of the year.The incentives for an NFL team making money largely come from broadcasting. That doesn't necessarily dovetail with making the team more accessible in training camp or working to strengthen the bonds with the community. But they should be thinking about that as they continue to market a new dome and want to get fans and local officials excited about their plans. Part of their vision should be getting people to imagine themselves going to watch practices at these upgraded venues. The Browns are currently leaving that on the table.As long as the Browns win games and make the postseason, they will likely get away with limiting access to fans for training camp. However, by not continually working to build those bonds with the community, making their team part of the DNA of the community, they make it easier for fans to jump on any team's bandwagon or simply follow players rather than the team.The road they are currently on has a team that fans tune in for games, free agency and then the draft, but may see a large drop-off starting in May until September. For one of the proudest football loving states in the country, that would be a seismic shift and one the team can easily avoid, assuming it wants to.</div></body>

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Lack of Enthusiasm Around Cleveland Browns Heading into Regular Season: Discussing the Growing Disconnect

The Cleveland Browns have a talented team with aspirations to make the playoffs and potentially win the division. Yet, with just days before the season kicks off, the lack of enthusiasm is notable. Looking into the reasons why. The NFL season is here and yet there's a glaring lack of...

Lack of Enthusiasm Around Cleveland Browns Heading into Regular Season: Discussing the Growing Disconnect

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