What is the Cleveland Browns’ mascot?
THE Cleveland Browns are one of the biggest and oldest teams in the NFL having been founded in 1944.
And one character, who has been the symbol of the franchise since the very early days, is mascot Brownie the Elf – who still cheers on the team today.
What is the Cleveland Browns' mascot?
For the uninitiated, a Brownie is not just the term for the baked chocolatey snack, but also a mythical creature derived from English and Scottish folklore.
Specifically, it refers to an elf or fairy that is thought to inhabit houses – appearing only at night to help with chores.
Brownie’s involvement in the football team harks back to the 1940s when the newly founded Browns were dominating the All-American Football Conference.
Owner Arthur McBride was pleased with the success, but wanted to improve the team's branding to increase off-field visibility.
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He asked the citizens of Cleveland to submit mascot logos that would help the team stand out.
And, after much deliberation, McBride chose Brownie the Elf as the team's mascot, and the rest, as they say, is history.
It remains a mystery as to who came up with the concept and illustration in the first place, but it's been used on Browns tickets and merchandise ever since.
Former owner Art Modell put the elf on the shelf in 1961, but he's back by popular demand.
As of September 2022, by virtue of a fan poll, the mascot also features as the NFL club’s midfield logo at the FirstEnergy Stadium.
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Who are the other Cleveland Browns' mascots?
Despite Brownie's popularity, he is not the only mascot tasked with cheering on the Browns in the NFL.
Accompanying the crafty elf are two popular canine characters.
Chomps
The first is Chomps who, according to the team's website, is a Labrador dog.
The mascot reportedly stands at 6ft 1 inch tall and wears a jersey with the number "00".
His home is listed as The Dawg Pound, in reference to the name of the bleacher section at First Energy Stadium.
Swagger Jr
The Browns third mascot is a real live dog.
His name is Swagger Jr, or more affectionately SJ, and he is a pure bred AKC bull mastiff.
The dog was first introduced to fans in 2019 and is regularly spotted on a matchday.
He also can be considered a support act to the Browns' sub fan group called the Dwag Pound.
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Every matchday, hundreds of orange and brown clad fans can be spotted sporting various canine-related paraphernalia.
The fans reportedly adopted that name in 1984 after members of the Browns team used it to describe the team's defense.